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India’s Test team appear vulnerable at home | The Express Tribune
NOT GOING IN THEIR FAVOUR: India’s Rishabh Pant in action. Photo: Reuters
INDIA:
The thought of playing a test series in India once struck fear into the hearts of touring sides, but with their fortress now breached twice in the last 12 months local cricket fans know the team’s aura of invincibility on home soil has been shattered.
India did not lose a home test series for 12 years until New Zealand whitewashed them 3-0 late last year, and while the reverberations from that stunning defeat had grown faint, South Africa’s 2-0 victory has delivered another almighty shock to home fans.
“There was an aura around the Indian team when playing in India. You can see it disappearing in the distance,” commentator Harsha Bhogle wrote on X after India suffered their heaviest defeat in terms of runs in the second test on Wednesday.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir was even booed in Guwahati after overseeing India’s fifth defeat in their last seven home tests.
“Once lions at home, now lambs to the slaughter,” read a headline in the Indian Express newspaper.
For a generation India had remained, in former Australia captain Steve Waugh’s words, the “final frontier”, where home spinners routinely dismantled touring teams on turning tracks.
“Teams used to be scared to come to India to play test cricket,” player-turned-commentator Dinesh Karthik said on social media. “Now they must be licking their lips.
“These are tough times for India in test cricket and tough decisions might have to be taken.”
India appear to be going through a tough transition phase in the wake of batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin ending their test careers.
One of India’s biggest concerns is how spin is being used as a weapon against them instead of a weakness for them to exploit in other teams.
The once familiar sight of nimble-footed, whippy‑wristed Indian batters dominating spin looks a distant memory, replaced by the horror of watching South Africa off-spinner Simon Harmer wreak havoc by taking 17 wickets over the two tests.
The 201 runs India managed in Guwahati was their highest innings total in the series, and only two local batters – Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravindra Jadeja – managed a fifty in their four innings.
India played four spinners in the first test and three in the second but were unable to unsettle the South Africa batters, who had both the plan and the skill to master turn.
However, captain Shubman Gill, who missed the second test after suffering a neck injury in the opener, said India would be stronger for the setbacks.
“Calm seas don’t teach you how to steer, it’s the storm that forges steady hands,” he wrote on social media. “We’ll continue to believe in each other, fight for each other, and move forward – rising stronger.”
1729471601-0/image-(8)1729471601-0-640x480.webp "Pakistan’s crisis differs from world | The Express Tribune")
The Commanders return from their bye week searching for their first victory since Oct. 5. It won’t be easy against the Broncos, who have won eight straight.
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Ruben Amorim has said that Manchester United are “stealing” set-piece routines from other clubs after goals from two free-kicks helped earn a valuable 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
United came from behind at Selhurst Park thanks to second-half goals from Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount, both of which came from Bruno Fernandes set plays.
Amorim’s team have now scored 10 Premier League goals from set-pieces this season — joint most with table-toppers Arsenal.
“We work a lot,” Amorim said when asked about United’s improvement at set-pieces.
“We have more time to work, we work a lot and we learn a lot in England.
“I think you are used to seeing that, but when you come for the Premier League you learn a lot with other teams how to do it and we are stealing a lot of things to score goals.”
United looked destined for another set-back following Monday’s defeat to 10-man Everton when Crystal Palace went in at half-time 1-0 up thanks to a retaken penalty from Jean-Philippe Mateta.
But there was marked improvement in their performance after the break as Amorim’s team recorded just their second league win away from home since March.
“I just said to the players we need to be more alive and you can feel that,” Amorim said.
– Mason Mount, Joshua Zirkzee inspire Man United comeback win at Crystal Palace
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“So if you are more alive, you are in more places, you are near the ball more often. I think everyone did that.
“But we also need to understand that the opponent was tired also in the second half.
“And when you increase the rhythm and the opponent gets tired a little bit, suffers right away a goal, you felt that we had the control of the game and that’s it.”
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The Carolina Panthers created havoc for the Los Angeles Rams and received a boost from the sloppy weather as they defeated the best team in the NFC, 31-28.
Carolina notched its seventh win of the year. It’s the first time they have won at least seven games since the 2022 season when Matt Rhule, and eventually Steve Wilks, were at the helm. The Panthers also snapped the Rams’ six-game winning streak.
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Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young runs against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina (Rusty Jones/AP Photo)
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford entered the game as the NFL MVP favorite. It seemed like he was going to have a big game as he led the team down for a touchdown on the opening drive. At the time, it was his 28th touchdown pass without an interception, which broke an NFL record.
The good vibes didn’t last long as Stafford threw an interception on his next drive and later had a pick six to Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson. The Panthers’ defense then forced Stafford to fumble the ball on the Rams’ final drive, which sunk any hopes of them coming back to force overtime or win the game.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was 15-of-20 with 206 passing yards and three touchdown passes. He found rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan for a 43-yard go-ahead touchdown with 6:34 left in the game. It was McMillan’s only catch of the game.
Carolina Panthers safety Nick Scott celebrates after intercepting a pass against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jacob Kupferman/AP Photo)
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Carolina’s Jalen Coker had four catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. Running back Chuba Hubbard had two catches for 41 yards and a touchdown. He also added 83 yards on the ground on 17 carries.
Stafford finished 18-of-28 with 243 passing yards and two touchdown passes. Both touchdowns were to Davante Adams, who finished with four catches for 58 yards.
The Panthers’ (7-6) win kept them in contention for the NFC South lead. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a higher winning percentage after their win over the Arizona Cardinals, moving to 7-5.
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The Rams’ grip on the conference was loosened. The loss meant the Chicago Bears have the best record in the NFC. Chicago defeated the Philadelphia Eagles on Black Friday.
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