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The first American pope was elected last week, with Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost ascending to the title of Pope Leo XIV after a vote in Vatican City.

The sports world quickly came to appreciate that Pope Leo XIV was not just from America—he was from Chicago.

While there’s a good chance a man known as the “Vicar of Christ” does not hold hate in his heart for any sports team, there was nonetheless a rush to discover just which teams Pope Leo XIV supported. Turns out, he’s a White Sox fan.

On Friday, with the Chicago Cubs hosting the Chicago White Sox in a crosstown rivalry game, White Sox fans decided to head into enemy territory dressed up as the team’s most famous fan.

Chicago isn’t the only part of the baseball world having a bit of fun with the new pope—the Texas Rangers' Jake Burger, a Catholic, has started using the sign of the cross as his celebration after hitting a double.

While a White Sox turnaround would really be something, Chicago’s true test of faith will come when the Bears kick off their season in September.

Mousa Dembélé is a star who exceeded all expectations during his time as a Tottenham Hotspur player, with the Belgian one of the most underrated players in their history.

He would go on to rack up a total of 249 appearances during his seven-year spell at the club, often catching the eye with his physicality and dazzling feet.

Despite his massive frame, you wouldn’t expect a player to easily get past the opposition, but Dembélé used to glide past his men in North London – with many of his former players singing his praises.

However, since his departure in 2019, the first-team have lacked the dominant and ball-playing option at the heart of the side, but that could be about to change in January.

With the window now on the horizon, Thomas Frank is starting to draw up a list of players who could improve the options at his disposal in the middle of the park.

Spurs’ hunt for a new midfielder in the January window

Over the last couple of days, Spurs have been one of the Premier League clubs linked with a potential winter deal to land Brighton & Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba.

Manchester United were massively touted with a deal to land the Cameroonian international in the summer, but were massively put off by his £100m valuation.

The same could be said for Frank’s side in January, with the Lilywhites wanting to land the 21-year-old, but are unwilling to fork out the current asking price for his signature.

However, he’s not the only midfielder in their sights at present, with Atlético Madrid talent Conor Gallagher once again appearing on their radar ahead of the upcoming window.

According to one Spanish outlet, the Englishman is available for a fee in the region of €60m (£52m) next month, with Fabio Paratici wanting to fork out such a fee for his services.

It also states that the player himself could be keen on a move back to the Premier League, but Diego Simeone’s side will only sanction a move if the asking price is met.

How Gallagher compares to Dembele

Spurs have often formed numerous rivalries in the Premier League over the years, with Chelsea just one of the sides in which they have had many fierce contests with.

Frank Lampard was a player who regularly starred against the Lilywhites, often leaving the fanbase wishing they had their own version of the English midfielder.

He featured against the club on 41 separate occasions, winning 22 of which and only losing eight times – often providing the difference in the London derby.

The now-retired star scored ten times within the aforementioned meetings, the third-best record against any time in his professional career – further showcasing his impact against Spurs.

Mixing a player of Lampard and Dembélé’s quality is always going to be a difficult ask, but it’s one that Gallagher has managed to do during recent months in Madrid.

He’s been a dominant player for Simeone’s men in LaLiga, with his underlying stats from the 2025/26 campaign showcasing his incredible ability at both ends of the pitch.

Gallagher has won 2.5 tackles and made 1.6 interceptions per 90 this season, with such numbers showcasing his dominant ball-winning presence that Dembélé possessed.

He’s also made 0.9 carries into the opposition box as part of his 2.7 progressive carries per 90, another component of his game that the Belgian demonstrated in North London.

However, his ability in possession has also caught the eye, with England U21 manager Lee Carsley previously stating that the midfielder is just “like Lampard”.

Gallagher has completed 88% of the passes he’s attempted to date, with 3.9 of which per 90 going into the final third – something which Lampard became known for with the Blues.

His crashing nature also handed the Spurs fans numerous moments of anguish, something which the Atletico star has demonstrated with his tally of one goal and 1.4 shots per 90.

£52m may appear to be a huge investment in the former Blues star, but his all-round stats in Spain’s top-flight this season showcase his elite-level output at both ends.

Should he merge the levels achieved by Dembélé and Lampard in the Premier League, it would be a stellar signing and one that can take Frank’s side to the next level.

Saved by Romero: Frank must bin Spurs flop who had fewer touches than Vicario

Tottenham Hotspur were fortunate to walk away with a point against Newcastle United last night.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 3, 2025

Chelsea and Argentina star Enzo Fernandez has switched agents as he links up with former Paris Saint-Germain star and compatriot Javier Pastore's agency. The World Cup-winning midfielder has been a key figure in the Blues' dressing room since joining them from Benfica in January 2023 for a then-record fee. In the current season, Fernandez has appeared in 22 matches in all competitions and scored five goals.

• Fernandez switches agent

  Fernandez was previously managed by former Uruguayan footballer Uriel Perez but, as of December 2025, the Argentine has parted ways with Perez to sign for a new agency named The Elegant Game, according to . The company was co-founded by former Argentina international and PSG star Pastore.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Could Fernandez leave Chelsea?

  The change of agent could spark rumours of Fernandez seeking a possible move away from Stamford Bridge. However, there have been no concrete reports on the midfielder parting ways with the Premier League giants in recent times. In April 2025, the 24-year-old was linked with a move to La Liga giants Real Madrid, however, Chelsea were ready to do all they could to keep the midfielder in their set-up. Ultimately, Los Blancos never made a formal offer for Fernandez.

• Fernandez recalls winning World Cup with Messi

  In a recent interview, Fernandez reflected on winning the World Cup for Argentina with the legendary Lionel Messi in 2022 in Qatar. Recalling the most memorable moment of his life, the Chelsea star told : "Winning the World Cup with Messi was incredible. We were fully motivated because our team grew up watching Leo at home on TV. We’d been fighting for it for many years and Messi had unfinished business. I’m so proud that I was able to share that moment with him and win the World Cup alongside him, knowing what it meant to him and all of us. Of course, we all wanted to do it for him because it was the only sporting achievement missing for him.

  "He’s a great person and I’m so proud to share these moments with him. He’s the greatest of all time, so it’s a privilege to share the dressing room with him. It’s a huge thing for me and I’m really enjoying it. I try to make the most of every moment spent with him."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Fernandez's injury problem ahead of World Cup year

  Fernandez struggled with knee problems a couple of months back and had was sidelined for a few games for the Blues. He even pulled out of back-to-back Argentina squads during the October and November international break as he did not want to aggravate his injury further ahead of his nation's title defence campaign in North America next summer.

  Before pulling out of the national team squad in November, the midfielder had said: "I will not be available with Argentina. I was just talking to the medical team because I had a problem with my knee in the last four months. I came with a bone edema that got worse in the last weeks and months because we played a lot of games. I think the most important thing is coming to the end of the season and I think it's good to make this decision together. Always respecting the doctors and everything."

  Fernandez will be back in action for Enzo Maresca's side on Saturday as they host Everton in a difficult Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge.

The Milwaukee Brewers continued to show their dominance in MLB this season after notching their league-leading 69th win on Tuesday night, this time winning over the Atlanta Braves 7-2. It was the team's fifth straight win.

With the win, the Brewers made franchise history by producing their best 60-game stretch throughout their existence. Milwaukee's posted a 44-16 record over the past 60 games—impressive.

To further emphasize the Brewers' dominance, this is also the fastest season in team history in which Milwaukee's reached 25 games over .500. It took them 113 games this year, while the previous record was 119 games during the 2021 season, per MLB's Adam McCalvy.

The franchise's longest winning streak was 13 games in a row completed back in 1987. Could the 2025 squad break another franchise record by stretching out this winning streaks? We'll see how they do.

The Brewers are definitely the team to beat in MLB right now. They hold a 3.5-game lead for the first overall spot in the majors ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. Milwaukee is four games ahead of the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, too. The Brewers don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon either.

Fernando Tatis Jr. thinks it’s obvious who the best player in Major League Baseball is, but that doesn’t mean he wants to admit it.

During his media availability at the MLB All-Star Game, Tatis was asked who he thought the league’s best player was. He had an answer but didn’t want to say the name.

“I feel like that’s a really obvious question,” the San Diego Padres right fielder said with a laugh. “But he’s my rival, I’m not gonna mention his name. You know it already, 17 for the blue team.”

Tatis is obviously referring to Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who has won three MVP awards. It’s pretty funny that the Padres-Dodgers rivalry has gotten so heated that one All-Star has to begrudgingly admit another is the best player in baseball.

So far this season, Ohtani is slashing .276/.382/.605, with a National League-best 32 home runs and 60 RBIs. It’s actually shocking to see his OPS below 1.000. He’s currently fifth in MLB with 4.7 fWAR, and his wRC+ (168) ranks fourth.

Obviously Tatis was joking around, but there are only two possible answers to that question. New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has a legitimate claim to that title this season, but it’ll be tough for anyone to beat Ohtani in that contest. Especially now that he’s back pitching.

England winger Bukayo Saka knows he has to bring his club form to the international stage – and his manager Thomas Tuchel agrees.

The 24-year-old, whose early season was curtailed by injury, returned to Tuchel’s side for the 3-0 friendly win over Wales at Wembley and marked the occasion with a stunning goal.

That saw him become the top-scoring Arsenal player in an England shirt with 13, though Tuchel quipped it should be 30, not 13.

Saka has been one of the stars of the Premier League for the Gunners over the last few seasons, recently completing 100 goal contributions, but knows he has to do more in an England shirt.

“I have missed a lot of England games, especially under Thomas and I haven’t scored for a while either, so to come back and put the ball in the back of the net is a special feeling,” he said after he found the top corner with a brilliant effort.

“The way I perform for Arsenal I want to take it into England and perform better in games and be more effective. That is always my plan.

“Last camp I was really gutted I had to miss it, so coming back into the team today is a really nice feeling and to get that opportunity to put the shirt on again and score is an amazing feeling.”

Tuchel challenges Saka to score more for England

Tuchel has challenged the winger to bring more to his side, insisting he has all the conditions to perform.

Tuchel said: “How many goals did he score for England? Thirteen? One three? It has to be more, it’s not enough.

“He needs to keep on going. I thought it was 30, at least, and then I would have said it’s not enough, because I am never satisfied.

“He is such a threat for Arsenal in the most difficult league in the world, so why would he not be at international level?

“We have the position for him, he has the attitude, the stamina, the talent, everything to be a top player at international level, and that’s what he has to show.

“We can just encourage him to be influential, like he was today. Next game, he needs to try to repeat it.”

Oftentimes, after MLB managers are ejected, the absolute last thing you'll hear from them is some sort of mea culpa:

It just doesn't happen.

But something to that effect occurred following the Red Sox' 4-1 loss to the Houston Astros on Wednesday, during which Boston's manager Alex Cora was ejected in the seventh inning.

Cora's protestations began in the top of the sixth inning with Astros righthander Hunter Brown on the mound. After Brown walked Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, he was called for a balk. Two batters later, Brown switched from the full windup to the stretch mid at-bat, prompting the Red Sox to object to ultimately no avail.

An inning later, Cora emerged from the dugout to further discuss the call—or lack thereof—with the umpires, who then ejected him. Cora explained what led him to emerge from the dugout and even surprisingly admitted that the umpires were correct in their ruling.

"First of all, they got it right," Cora said. "They got the call right. The only thing for me is that we've seen that situation before, that guys who have a regular windup and they ask the guys to declare. You don’t have to declare if you have a hybrid windup; that’s when you have to declare, because that way you’re not deceiving the runner.

"But throughout the last two years, we’ve seen situations that is a regular windup, and they’ve asked the pitcher to declare, that was the only thing. I went out there to educate myself to be honest with you. That’s what I told him. I want to learn. I don’t know if he took it that I was being sarcastic. I wasn’t. I was walking back, and he threw me out.”

Cora's ejection seemed to stem from a miscommunication with the umpire, as he insisted to reporters after the game that he wasn't trying to get tossed from the contest.

"…I hate getting thrown out," Cora continued. "My job is to be in the dugout and help this team to win games from the dugout. This whole thing about rallying the troops and getting thrown out—that's bull—-. My job is to be in the dugout…"

As the MLB regular season winds down, the races for a playoff spot in both the AL and NL are heating up.

So, here at SI Betting, we are going to share a detailed look at the playoff picture every week so fans can see where their teams stand and bettors can potentially find some value in a team that is just outside the wild card race.

Last week, it was pretty clear where each division leader stood, but a huge winning streak by the Seattle Mariners has flipped some things in the American League.

Meanwhile, the New York Mets and New York Yankees are struggling, and the teams trailing them in the wild card picture are starting to make a real push to enter the top three.

Let’s break down the odds for every team that still has a shot to make the playoffs at this point in the MLB season. 

American League Playoff Odds

Division Leaders

• Toronto Blue Jays: -3000
• Detroit Tigers: -3000
• Houston Astros: -1400

The AL division leaders have remained the same week over week, but the Seattle Mariners are making a real push in the AL West.

Seattle, which is -1100 to make the playoffs, has won seven games in a row and nine of its last 10 to pull within half a game of the Astros in the standings. Houston still has the inside track to a playoff spot (-1400), but it could end up in the wild card picture if it loses its early-week series with another wild card team – the Boston Red Sox.

Meanwhile, Detroit (six-game lead in the AL Central) and Toronto (four-game lead in the AL East) both have pretty comfortable margins – for now – atop their divisions. An 8-2 stretch by the Cleveland Guardians has tightened things for Detroit, which has a worse record than Toronto in the 2025 season. 

Wild Card Race

• Seattle Mariners: -1100
• Boston Red Sox: -370
• New York Yankees: -330
• Cleveland Guardians: +200
• Texas Rangers: +275
• Kansas City Royals: +700
• Tampa Bay Rays: +1800
• Minnesota Twins: +1800
• Los Angeles Angels: +5000

Last week, I wrote about the Yankees fading in the AL playoff picture, and they’ve continued to do so by losing a weekend series to the Astros.

New York has a half-game cushion on the surging Guardians and just a 2.5-game cushion on the Texas Rangers in the standings. So, it’s very possible the Yankees could find themselves behind multiple teams if they don’t turn things around sooner rather than later.

Texas has lost four in a row, allowing the Guardians to leapfrog it in the standings. Cleveland may be the team to bet on right now, as it’s peaking at the right time and has a shot at both a wild card spot and the division lead. 

New York and Texas are both third in their respective divisions. 

National League Playoff Odds

Division Leaders

• Milwaukee Brewers: N/A
• Los Angeles Dodgers: -20000
• Philadelphia Phillies: -10000

The Milwaukee Brewers have been so good, winning nine games in a row, that their odds to make the playoffs are off the board, a sign that oddsmakers expect them to be in the playoffs no matter what.

Milwaukee could move to 30 games over .500 with a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night. 

Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ lead in the NL West is just two games, as the San Diego Padres (7-3 in their last 10 games) are making a serious push. As of now, it seems like the team with the best record in MLB will come out of the NL, but a lot could change over the final weeks of the regular season.

Wild Card Race

• Chicago Cubs: -2500
• San Diego Padres: -1200
• New York Mets: -280
• Cincinnati Reds: +320
• San Francisco Giants: +550
• St. Louis Cardinals: +650
• Arizona Diamondbacks: +3000
• Miami Marlins: +50000

The Chicago Cubs have the best odds to make the playoffs of any wild card team, but I think the Padres may be the safest team here since they are still within striking distance of their division lead.

Chicago is six games back in the NL Central, while the Mets, who have lost seven in a row, are 5.5 games back in the NL East.

If New York continues to struggle, there is a real path for the Cincinnati Reds (1.5 games back in the wild card) to make the playoffs.

Cincy doesn’t have as talented a roster as the Mets, but it did go all in at the trade deadline by adding Ke’Bryan Hayes, Zack Littell, and others. The Reds are +320 to make the playoffs, which is good for an implied probability of 23.81 percent.

However, with the Reds just 1.5 games out of a playoff spot, they may be undervalued at this price.

It is unlikely without Abbas’ miserliness that Mominul and Mahmudullah would have gone chasing to Afridi’s wider deliveries

Danyal Rasool in Rawalpindi07-Feb-2020There’s an irresistible poignancy to the honours board at the Pindi Cricket Stadium which pays tribute to all fast bowlers to have taken ten wickets in a Test here. The wooden board nearly spans the length of the entire wall, unfurling like parchment to reveal what you might at first expect to be a who’s who of household names to have plied their trade here. Instead, there’s just a single name on an otherwise blank board, perhaps a mute tribute to a man who, if life was fair, would have appeared on it, and other honours boards, with much greater frequency. “1996, Mohammad Zahid, 11-130”, is all it says.The story about Zahid’s career-ending back injury soon after that debut Test is almost too depressing to recall, yet it must never lose its use as a reminder of the consequences of mismanaging a young fast bowler. Especially at a time when, over the last few years, several in the Pakistan squad appear to be struggling with confidence, pace and form. Hasan Ali’s back injury, and a drop of form before that, has seen his development stall, while workload issues played a prominent part in Mohammad Amir choosing to walk away from the longest format at 27 last year. With the other quick bowlers Pakistan are counting on to fill the void – mainly Naseem Shah and Mohammad Musa – still not out of their teens, what Mohammad Abbas and Shaheen Afridi would be able to offer was always crucial on a day Azhar Ali put Bangladesh in to bat.While Faheem Ashraf – who Azhar had indicated might play as Pakistan look to develop a fast-bowling allrounder – was absent from the side, that decision to bowl was in line with what the Pakistan captain had said at the press conference the previous day. His conviction that home advantage for Pakistan meant greener, quicker, bouncier pitches that favoured the quick bowlers might have been somewhat startling, particularly since Yasir Shah was the bedrock of much of Pakistan’s success in the UAE for the best part of the previous decade.But with Yasir sitting out in Rawalpindi against Sri Lanka and taking just two out of the 20 wickets Pakistan snared in Karachi, the decision to bowl meant one thing: Azhar was challenging Abbas and Afridi to make early inroads on a surface that still retained plenty of grass. It was imperative Pakistan take advantage before it began to brown from activity and bake under brilliant winter sunshine.Azhar’s patience wouldn’t be tested for long. Three balls in, Afridi angled one in across the right-hander debutant Saif Hassan, the ball acquiring enough movement to take the outside edge through to Asad Shafiq at second slip. Abbas wouldn’t be left far behind; he took just four balls to make his first breakthrough, with Tamim Iqbal, fresh of a triple-hundred last week, managing just 3 as he fell over playing one that came back in, with Pakistan’s review rewarded.It’s easy to be blasé about the nascent talent of Afridi enjoying success against Bangladesh at home, but even easier to forget he is still only 19. This is just his eighth Test, and against his wishes, he has been thrust into the role of a senior bowler due to Amir’s retirement. Pakistan can neither afford to drop nor rest him at present, and while it is easier to be forgiving of Naseem having an off day, Afridi is expected to deliver regularly, despite only having played four more Tests.Shaheen Afridi is overjoyed after picking up a wicket•AFPAnd for the most part, that’s what he continues to do. On Friday, he persisted with the fullish length that brought him Hassan’s wicket in the first over, possessing the maturity to be patient outside off stump, comfortable in the knowledge sooner or later they would be forced into a prod they weren’t in the best position to execute. It is, to a tee, what happened to Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque, who would feel for a ball he was best off leaving, giving Pakistan a breakthrough just as a fifty partnership between Mominul and Nazmul Hassan looked like it might start to turn the morning in the visitors’ favour.Even when it became palpably clear there was little swing or seam on offer, Afridi stuck to his plans. In the first two sessions, he would bowl just 17 balls short of a good length, while the overwhelming majority – 58 out of the 90 he bowled, were on a length or fuller outside off stump. That type of delivery would bring him his third wicket of the morning, too, Mahmudullah chasing a wide one wildly outside off, giving Shafiq the opportunity to pull off a screamer to make further inroads into Bangladesh’s middle order.It helped that Abbas was back to his metronomic best once more – his inefficacy for large parts of the last few Tests has been the cause of much angst in Pakistan – applying the squeeze that intensified the pressure on Bangladesh. It is unlikely without Abbas’ miserliness from the other end that Haque and Mahmudullah would have gone chasing to Afridi’s wider deliveries, and Afridi would acknowledge Abbas’ presence helped him learn much about Test match bowling.Abbas’ line and length map is far easier to understand; all but five of his deliveries were pitched on a length, either just outside off stump or in line with the stumps. He would bowl two deliveries fuller, and none shorter, than that; his pitch map might as well have been a pound coin placed bang on a length around off stump. Only Abbas could have a day where he registered figures of 17-9-19-2 and not come away with too much attention. It is no coincidence when he has a good day, his fellow bowlers tend to, too.The final wicket, fittingly, was a combined effort between the two, Afridi bowling the ball Abu Jayed deflected to Abbas on the leg side. He lurked outside the crease as his concentration slipped, and Abbas’ direct hit caught him short. It was a wicket that would be credited to neither, but credit wasn’t in short supply for either bowler on the day.Zahid may soon have company on that honours board, but Pakistan will do well to ensure it is only the positives that Zahid and Afridi end up having in common.

If India can score another 80 runs, Bumrah and Shami may have just enough to bowl with

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Christchurch01-Mar-20201:31

In our team culture, we don’t look at blaming anyone – Bumrah

It isn’t often that Ravindra Jadeja prowls the fine-leg boundary, but that’s where he was when BJ Watling came to the crease. Was he there to ensure that the fleetest pair of feet on the ground was in position to get under the swirling, top-edged hook?There was a fielder at leg gully too, as Watling took strike to Jasprit Bumrah.The field was set for the bouncer, but Bumrah wasn’t bowling any. Instead, he kept bowling good-length balls angling into the stumps.Watling isn’t the sort of player who takes a big front-foot stride towards the ball. He can get stuck on the crease, sometimes, and he was getting stuck on the crease now, with Bumrah’s field possibly putting the thought of the bouncer in his head.There were two lbw appeals in successive overs, just before lunch, off big, booming induckers. Then, after lunch, came the sucker ball. The field was the same, but Jadeja had by now moved to point. It probably wasn’t designed to work out as perfectly as it did, but Watling failed to get his front foot moving quickly enough, or far enough, to drive the full tempter outside off stump, and he ended up slicing the ball squarer than intended, in the air, and Jadeja flew to his left to complete the catch.It’s no surprise to anyone that Bumrah can set up a dismissal, but if he was trying to bowl to these sorts of plans last week in Wellington, he hadn’t quite been able to execute them, failing to achieve the requisite level of precision with his lines and lengths.Bumrah was a different bowler on Sunday at the Hagley Oval. This was more like the Bumrah we had gotten used to, and almost taken for granted, in the months before his stress fracture.Getty Images

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You know Mohammed Shami is bowling well when his follow-through extends almost all the way to the batsman, curves outwards right at the end, towards the slips, and finishes with a hands-on-head skip.The Hagley Oval saw this sight all morning and all afternoon on Sunday, particularly either side of lunch, when Shami bowled an unbroken 12-over spell, during which he never seemed to drop in pace or intensity. The last ball of the spell clocked 144.7kph.Shami had probably bowled with as much intensity in Wellington too, but the pitch there was on the sluggish side, offering bounce but not too much pace. Taller, hit-the-deck bowlers and swing bowlers could still prosper on that surface, but it wasn’t quite the pitch for his seam and skid. Rather than retreat to a holding strategy, Shami kept looking for ways to beat batsmen with attacking lines, and compromised on his control.This pitch was significantly quicker, and Shami’s natural length and line were made for it. As he usually does, he kept landing the seam perfectly, and the ball jagged this way and that, and occasionally swerved prodigiously after passing the batsman, causing Rishabh Pant all kinds of problems behind the stumps.Not needing to search too hard to find his ideal length, Shami was on the money right from the start, more or less. Like Bumrah, he was able to vary his lengths with precision. When Tom Latham began leaving him on length, for instance, he almost lulled him into a false sense of security by grouping a series of deliveries around a spot just short of a good length, outside off stump, before producing the fatal, fuller indipper that Latham failed to pick up.

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When the day began, India needed Bumrah and Shami to be at their very best. They had been bowled out for 242, and New Zealand were 63 for no loss. They were missing Ishant Sharma, their banker, and his replacement, Umesh Yadav, was a bit of an unknown quantity in overseas conditions, having played just two away Tests before this since the start of 2018. They had no fourth seamer, and their spinner, Jadeja, wasn’t expected to bowl too many overs. They were 1-0 down in the series.Finding an ally in a quick, seaming pitch that quickened up even more on day two, Bumrah and Shami gave India exactly what they needed. With a little more luck against the lower order, they could have secured a bigger lead too. Instead, from 153 for 7, New Zealand recovered to 235 all out. By stumps, India’s position had eroded even further, with the loss of six second-innings wickets with just 90 on the board.But India are still in the game, with two recognised batsmen at the crease and another still to follow. Apart from the grass, which is still mostly green and alive, there are also indentations on the surface, caused by the ball’s impact on day one, when the pitch was softer and moister; these have since hardened, and could cause uneven bounce to come into play as well. If India can cobble together another 80 runs on Monday, Bumrah and Shami may have just enough to bowl with.