Highlights of what happened after 36/9 - a thread.

#AUSvIND

Boxing Day Test - we lose Virat, Ajinkya takes over captaincy, with a forgettable loss still lurking. We carry a record of not winning at the 'G while chasing. Aussie win the toss & elect to bat, meaning we'd have to bat fourth.

#AUSvIND

With Shami gone due to injury, Bumrah leads from the front making sure the Aussies bundle out within 200 with the other bowlers chipping in at regular intervals. Ashwin picking Smith for a blob is the most special part of it all.

#AUSvIND

At 64/3 & in the danger of conceding a lead yet again and under immense pressure, captain Rahane chips in with a 💯 which is at par with his Lord's knock & with Jaddu's contribution lower down, India manage a lead of 131.

#AUSvIND

Siraj, the son of an auto rickshawman, having lost his father before the series & not being able to attend the funeral, plays his debut Test, tears up during the national anthem. He was the highest wicket taker for India in the 2nd innings wrapping up Aussies for 200.

#AUSvIND

A Thread:
Debunking the Myth that Ron was never a midfielder

Likes and retweets are all appreciated😍

Actually, this wouldn't be something we debate on provided your birth wasn't delayed😭 but it is what it is and am going to enlighten you newbies.😁
Take a seat and watch cox I won't be repeating myself after this, so I need your full attention. You can pause the p*rn for now😉

Back in 2003 when Ron was signed by united, Beckham had just been sold and left a berth on the right side of the mid. Ron came and took over his position as well as his shirt(the famous No 7). He was a kid with dazzling skills and swept fans off their feet with his play on debut

In his first season, he won united player of the year while scoring only 6goals in 40appearances 😭(can you explain to me how a forward can win by scoring this few) and he won this as a midfielder(still the only outfield player to win the award most times)

In his second year at United(2004), Ronaldo was named in UEFA TOTY as a Right midfielder, this time winning it without scoring a goal in the UCL(i mean how can a supposed forward make it to UEFA Toty without scoring a goal) yes, you were thinking right😉 he was built different😁

A thread (a mostly apocryphal yet would love to believe in story) on John Bart King: Greatest of all American cricketers. (Yes, they did played cricket during late 1800s to early 1900s)

Story from @Ram_Guha edited book, 'The Picador book of Cricket'

#Cricket
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The cricket championship tournament of Philadelphia was called The Halifax Cup. King used to dominate in this series. From 1904 to '08 he won the Batting Cup 3 times & the Bowling Cup 4 times, & he twice exceeded 300 in an innings, once in 1905 vs Germantown & in 1906 vs Merion
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It was during this period that one of my favourite cricketing stories has its origin. It has been told and retold so many times that obviously there are many versions of it, but all scepticism apart, I would like to believe it to be true.
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So the story happens at a Halifax Cup match between Belmont (King's team) vs Trenton at Elmwood. The Trenton captain missed his train, and when he arrived on the ground about an hour late he found that in his absence his side had won the toss and batted and were doing badly;
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by the time he had changed and got ready to bat, 9 of the side were out & he had to bat #11.On his way to the wicket the Trenton Cap apologized to his opposite for being so unpunctual, adding unwisely that his team wouldn’t have been in such a mess if he hadn’t missed his train
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The thing about cricket in Australia is that it’s very white. I know, I know, I say that about everything (true but!) Just stick with me here. Cricket is verrrrrry white. More-so than other (well-loved) sports in this country.

Yes, it’s played in South Asia and the Caribbean (which is a thread in itself!) but I’m talking about cricket specifically here in Oz and more specifically in Sydney communities.

For some context. I grew up in Western Sydney and I have Lebanese heritage. This is important to note because growing up I didn’t know a single Lebanese-Australian person - kid, adult, man or woman - who played, watched or talked about cricket. ZERO.

Cricket was never on in our home (several reasons for that) and nor was it ever on in the homes of anyone I ever visited. EVER. This is not an exaggeration.

To give you an example of how much I did not know about cricket, I only heard of Richie Benaud when he died. (To be fair, I knew Steve and Mark Waugh because they were from Bankstown and sometimes in the local Torch newspaper. Also, I knew Shane Warne because of hair-loss ads).

It's 16th of December, 2020. India is standing at the back of an ODI series loss and a momentum shifting win in the t20i series. It's time for the marquee Border Gavaskar trophy. The pink ball test, the boxing day, new year's test and the Gabba Challenge. Are we up for it?

Join me on a special thread where I take you through the series with the journey of the series. We shall look at the playing 11s, the game progressions, special strategies, important moments, standout performances.

Fasten your seat belt or don't, hop on anyway for 46 tweets ☺️

Match 1: Adelaide

Jadeja is injured so Ashwin becomes an easy answer for the tough question of the lone spinner. There are other tough questions as to who should be the 2nd opener, Gill who had good practice game or Shaw who scored a 50 in the last test he played? Pant or Saha?

India is going into the pink ball test with Pace trio Bumrah Shami Umesh. Shaw is opening and Saha keeping. A decision probably taken with the Wicketkeeping ability as the priority

Virat has one the toss and decided to bat. He has never lost a test match after winning the toss

Second ball of the first over and the nightmares turn true as Starc runs through Shaw. Mayank gets out after getting a start and then Virat stitches two gritty partnerships with Pujara and Rahane. Things turn bad only when Virat gets run out on an unfortunate wrong call by Rahane

THREAD - HANUMA VIHARI'S INSPIRING JOURNEY.

Joined the St.Johns Cricket Academy at the age of 11. And after few days his father passed away. But the next day, Vihari scored 80 in the final and won a school tournament.

VVS was the first of five cricketers who came from St. John’s academy and went on to represent their country followed by Mithali Raj, MSK, Tarun Sai and Hanuma Vihari.

2012 - Picked as a last-minute replacement for the injured Manan Vohra for the 2012 U19 WC. India won the World Cup but he could only score 73 runs in 6 matches.

"That moment I told myself, I would be the first one to play for the national team from this U19 WC squad 2012."
- Hanuma Vihari in Spicy Pitch episode (cricbuzz)

2013 - SRH brought him in the IPL. Vihari opened the bowling as an off-spinner and removed Chris Gayle for just 1, also scored 46* in the same match while chasing and was awarded Man of the match in his 2nd IPL game.
Scored 241 runs in 17 games in IPL 2013, with two MOM.

35 years ago today, in Moscow, Russia, "The Italian Stallion" Rocky Balboa defeated "The Siberian Express" Ivan Drago via 15th round knockout in what is still considered one of the greatest wars in combat sports history 🥊

Many questioned Balboa's decision to fight Drago following the death of his friend Apollo Creed during an exhibition bout with the Russian earlier in the year. Balboa was criticised for failing in his duty as a cornerman by not throwing in the towel when Creed was clearly done.

Drago showed no mercy and no remorse for the former heavyweight champion of the world. Creed would pass away in the ring in what is still considered one of the darkest days in boxing history.

It didn't take long for Balboa and Drago to come to terms and agree to throw down but even the press were stunned to learn the date and location at the pre-fight press conference. Christmas day in the Russian capital.

Drago was heralded as the perfect combination of genetics and science, using some of the most state of art training facilities and equipment available at the time. The result was the highest punching power ever achieved by a boxer. A record that still stands to this day.

THREAD: Congress & The Football Penalty

Anyone else find it remotely odd that every name mentioned in this article matches one in Congress?

Notice it was published at roughly noon today, 1/11/2021 - this is important and we'll come to back to

2) Let's look at the names listed...

Browns > Anthony G. Brown > Maryland [D]

Baker > Dave Baker > Minnesota [R]

Mayfield > Debbie Mayfield > Florida [R]

Steelers > ref to Steele dossier

3) Joel Bitonio > Joel Fry > Iowa [R]

Cleveland > George Cleveland > North Carolina [R]

Michael Dunn > Neal Dunn > Florida [R]

Blake Hance > Blake Moore > Utah [R]

Peter King > Pete King > New York [R] (just left office on 1/3)

New York Jets > Joe Jett > Arkansas [R]

4) Now that we've got all the names sorted - let's looks at the comms...

emergency offensive

25 years thanks to some real luck > 25th amendment

forced to play > backed in a corner

held up their end of the bargain

late in the game

5) Steelers defenders > Steele dossier defenders

had just met him in the locker room

stepped up in the fourth quarter

documented

arrival

signed off

practice squad

Week 17

within driving distance of Cleveland

regular testing program

signed with a new team > flipped

I was sent a copy of the so-called Super League document earlier today and have spent the afternoon doing some number crunching on it.

A few key takeaways

(1/)

The plan would guarantee massive income to a 15 club elite and cement financial gaps not only between those competing in the Super league and those not, but within it.

(2/)

The plan envisages one off payments of up to €350 million to the fifteen founder members, but only six clubs would receive the full amount with five of the initial members receiving just €100 or €112.5 million.

(3/)

The 15 breakaway clubs have generously deigned to allow 5 merit based qualifiers each season. But the system is totally skewed against them. They have no say in running the Super League and are entirely excluded from a commercial pot worth 15% of income

(4/)

Moreover, there is an 'equal' share of revenue that is not equal at all. The qualifiers are excluded from half of this pot of money (worth around €1.85 BILLION)

(5/)

Dear Steve, I wrote you but still ain't callin',
I left my cell, my pager, and my home phone at the bottom,
I sent two letters back in autumn, you must not-a got 'em,
There probably was a problem at the training ground or somethin'...

Sometimes I scribble addresses too sloppy when I jot 'em,
But anyways, fuck it, what's been up, man. How's Lee Charnley?
Bet he wants you to quit, with that contract they have to honour,
I bought your book for my daughter, you’re a great author,
Next I’ll buy her Sweeper!

I read about Joelinton too I'm sorry,
You ain’t the first manager to have player who didn’t want him,
I know you probably hear this everyday, but I'm your biggest fan,
I even sung your name when we won away at West Ham,

I got a room full of your posters and your pictures man,
I like the shit you did with false 10s too, that shit was fat,
Anyways, I hope you get this man, hit me back,
Just to chat, truly yours, your biggest fan
This is John Carver

Dear Steve, you still ain't called or wrote, I hope you have a chance,
I ain't mad, I just think it's fucked up you don't answer written media,
If you didn't wanna talk to me outside the training ground,
You didn't have to, but you coulda signed an autograph for Steve Stone,

The U.S.-China Rivalry

The US and China are the 2 greatest rivals in the 21st century. It’s American democracy vs Chinese socialism at the level of Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal in the 2008 Wimbledon Men’s Final. Who’s the better player? American democracy or Chinese socialism?

2/Probably no people have scrutinized American democracy more than China has, the world’s oldest civilization. “American exceptionalism” is under Beijing’s microscope. American democracy has catapulted the US into becoming the world’s greatest superpower in less than 200 years.

3/China, whose momentum will overtake the US in GDP by mid-century, has the same drive as Nadal (who proclaimed Federer was “the greatest player in the history [of tennis]") going against Federer at Wimbledon Final in 2008. Ever cautious, patient and wise, China respects its

4/opponent (as did Nadal) for its achievements. In order to better the US Beijing knows it must be more competitive, up its game and improve its skills. The US-China rivalry is one wherein “iron sharpens iron”. Yet whereas Beijing views American democracy thru an objective,

5/ideologically unbiased lens, the same can’t be said of US Congress, many of whom fear/think China wants to “take over the world” (to wit SoS Mike Pompeo) to “spread communism”. Having 5,000 years of culture, including Confucianism, China has the clearer and more objective view

Tanguy Ndombele doing Tanguy Ndombele things.

𝗔 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱:

I'll take that, thank you.

#THFC ⚪️ #COYS

No nonsense.

#THFC ⚪️ #COYS

Megs!

#THFC ⚪️ #COYS

See ya 👋

#THFC ⚪️ #COYS

Thread:

Are Man Utd recent wins as a result of Individual brilliance from Paul Pogba or coached & tactics?

Fulham 1 vs. 2 Man Utd — Tactics #MUFC

Much has been made of the wins against Burnley, Wolves, Fulham as United are winning games narrowly with "Individual Brilliance". They are not dominating games. "Scrappy wins", if you will, and said this form will not be sustainable. #MUFC

Let's look at the Fulham game:

United usually buildup in 2 different shapes/patterns:
1. 244(424) or

2. 3-1 shape where one of 2 CMs drop as a 3rd CB to create a 3v2 superiority v the opposition 1st line.

424 shape come from #mufc transitioning quick as mentioned in my threads prev. when #mufc are out of possession their defensive shape 442.

This is not the best ex.👇Sorry

United's shape in the final phase of attack is 235. Luke Shaw is an inverted Winger as AWB stays wide on the other side while Pogba sits in the right half space.

The positioning of the players was great all game.

Is the reason that we keep on bottling semi-finals a mental thing, or is it just us finally encountering good teams in the tournament?

A factual thread looking at each competition we've gotten to the semi-finals of and lost under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

🎙 @Pirlo_official's virtual press conference has begun: "@sampdoria_en is a good team, they come off the back of a positive run, they have added quality to the squad. And it's never easy to play against Coach Ranieri, whom I respect a lot."

#SampJuve

🎙 @Pirlo_official: "How do you get to the first team? You have to be good... Fagioli joined after Portanova's departure, he will be a part of the group but will still be able to play for the #Under23s."

#SampJuve

🎙 @Pirlo_official: "Today everyone should be able to train with the group apart from @PauDybala_JR, but we hope he is on the right track too. We have a tour de force of matches coming up, it will be necessary from time to time to see who is better."

#SampJuve

🎙 @Pirlo_official: "Tomorrow, @federicochiesa will start from the beginning. @WMckennie? He is guy who has a great desire to improve, and can do it. He has good room for growth and has the right mentality."

#SampJuve

🎙 @Pirlo_official: "Against tight defences you need to be patient - we know that Sampdoria will try to be compact. Ranieri keeps the lines very tight, we will have to try to widen them."

#SampJuve

Since today is #ARSMUN , here is my combined 11 for the two.
I use the 4-3-3 formation, with 2 holding midfielders nd an attacking midfielder .

1.BERND LENO
A tough decision between the two great goal keepers, I go with Bernd.
Though he just edges David

2. AARON WAN-BISSAKA
We all believe Aaron has been better this season compared to the Arsenal right back Bellerin.

3. KIREAN TIERNEY
There is going to be a heated discussion here, Like shaw has been good too. But KT takes this in my line up.

4. ERIC BAILEY
The Ivory coast defender has been good this season and has saved united on several occasions. He slides in this line up with ease

5. HARRY MAGUIRE
The £80M defender will be chosen alongside his teammate in central defence. Their partnership has proven to be the best for ole's side this season

Read this small thread to know why #GabbaTest win is so special. 👇

1. India didn't had it's key players playing like Rahul and kohli. So it was always a pressure situation. Even you not see on face but it lies well within them

2. Big players like Ishant, shami, umesh and Bhuvi were injured

3. Rahane was New captain with very few experience in Captaincy. He only captained 4 matches before it.

4. Gabba was the ground or I would say fortress of Australia where it was unbeaten for past 33 years