After the October international break, Arne Slot conceded that there could be no more excuses as far as Alexander Isak was concerned. "Fitness-wise, he is close to the level he should be," the Dutch coach acknowledged ahead of Liverpool's meeting with Manchester United at Anfield, "and we can judge him in a fair way from now on." Just three weeks later, though, Slot was back pleading for patience with the most expensive player in British football history.
"I know that I said that his pre-season had ended, and that it was time for us to see where he is, but I have to go back on those words," the Reds boss told reporters on November 7. "Because if you are only doing rehab for three weeks, that doesn't bring you back to the level you were at."
Isak should be there now, though. And he really needs to be, too, because nearly three months after his arrival at Anfield, the Sweden striker is still looking like a player that Liverpool didn't necessarily need to sign – and certainly not for £125 million ($163m).
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The striking striker
Isak leaving Newcastle for Liverpool was the story of the summer, a transfer that was as acrimonious as it was protracted. Everyone had an opinion on it – but not everyone had "the whole picture", according to the Swede.
"I can't control everything that is said or written," Isak said of the bitter backlash to his successful strike. "There is a lot to discuss, and it can be discussed for a long time. But it has been educational, and I'm happy with the final result. I'm proud to be a Liverpool player. I don't want to go into details or talk about that situation too much. It is a closed chapter, but I have never had any problems."
Unfortunately for Isak, Liverpool and indeed Sweden, he's had plenty of problems since forcing through his move to Merseyside.
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Fitness issues
During his first interview with his new club, Isak admitted that he wasn't entirely sure when he would be physically capable of making his Liverpool debut. "I've had a tricky summer," he said – which was obviously putting it mildly.
Because of his refusal to even participate in Newcastle's pre-season friendlies, let alone their opening three Premier League fixtures (one of which was against the reigning champions), Isak joined Liverpool without having played a single second of football for more than three months. Their shared "ambition" was for the forward to feature in the first Premier League game after the September international break, against Burnley, but even though he saw 18 minutes of action in Sweden's World Cup qualifier in Kosovo, Slot decided against risking Isak at Turf Moor.
"We got him from Newcastle in a state where you could say his pre-season was only going to start then," the Dutchman told reporters after Liverpool's 1-0 win on September 14. "He needs proper minutes of training before he has a certain base, let alone for him to play twice in three days. So, that's what we do, we try to prepare players for the beginning of the season once a week, and then we try to do more and more and more before we go into the rhythm of two games a week, so that they are ready for that schedule."
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Surprisingly positive debut
Despite adopting a wisely cautious approach with Isak, Slot threw him straight into the starting line-up for Liverpool's Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid four days later and even the manager was taken aback by how well it went.
"I wasn't surprised by his quality, as we know all about that, but I was positively surprised by how fit Alexander was during his 60 minutes," Slot told . "But that maybe tells you that it might be different to sign a 20-year-old from a different league than a 25-year-old used to playing in the Premier League.
"Although he only trained for two weeks, he has so many games under his belt [at the highest level]. One of the things you need if you want to compete for the Premier League and the cups is mentality, fitness and quality and, today, we saw all of that."
However, if Slot thought that Isak was going to get back up to speed quicker than expected, he would be sorely mistaken.
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'Unprofessional' and 'naive'
Isak may have opened his Liverpool account with a characteristically neat finish in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton on September 23, but that remains his only goal of the season so far, and that's in spite of the fact that he started three consecutive Premier League games between September 27 and October 19 – all of which were lost.
The 26-year-old may have registered an assist in the 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on October 4, but it was an attempt to control the ball for himself rather than an intentional lay-off for goal-scorer Cody Gakpo. The sad fact of the matter was that in complete contrast to fellow forward Hugo Ekitike, who had hit the ground running after his summer switch from Eintracht Frankfurt, Isak still looked miles off the pace of the Premier League. Unsurprisingly, sympathy was in short supply – and not just on Tyneside.
"It was unprofessional and naive not just to down tools, but to sacrifice his match fitness for whoever he was going to play for," former Liverpool attacker Don Hutchison told . "I think he’s been managed and advised really badly by his agent all summer, but it comes down to the player, ultimately. He’s under contract with Newcastle, he owes them fitness and professionalism.
"Bigger picture, if you end up at Liverpool, you have to [be ready to] hit the ground running. Now he's playing catch-up and it's because of how he behaved."
As diretorias de Atlético-MG e Cruzeiro teriam chegado a um acordo para que o primeiro jogo entre as duas equipes em 2024, pela terceira rodada do Campeonato Mineiro, no dia 03/02 (sábado), seja realizado com torcida única. A informação foi divulgada pelo repórter Thiago Reis, da Rádio Itatiaia.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol NacionalAntes do Atlético-MG, Cruzeiro já havia criticado gramado do estádio do PatrocinenseFutebol Nacional26/01/2024
Caso a decisão seja confirmada, o primeiro clássico dos gigantes mineiro neste ano será acompanhado apenas por torcedores do Galo, já que o palco deste duelo será a Arena MRV, casa do time alvinegro.
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Na última partida entre as duas equipes, ambas torcidas estavam presentes na Arena MRV. Neste duelo, válido pela 28ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro de 2023, os cruzeirenses venceram por 1 a 0.
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Neste fim de semana, as duas equipes voltam a campo pelo Mineiro, com o Cruzeiro encarando o Athletic, na Arena do Jacaré, no sábado (27), às 16h30 (de Brasília). Já o Atlético-MG recebe o Democrata de Governador Valadares, no domingo (28), às 16h, na Arena MRV.
While many would blame Russell Martin, the primary reason behind Rangers’ catastrophic start to this season is poor recruitment.
In attacking areas, Cyriel Dessers, Hamza Igamane and Václav Černý, who scored 63 goals between them last season, have all departed, replaced by Djeidi Gassama, Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti, who are simply not of the same quality.
Elsewhere, Joe Rothwell has been cast aside since the appointment of Danny Röhl, while defence remains a major issue too, with Max Aarons and Jayden Meghoma appearing out of their depth, while a solid and reliable central partnership is yet to be unearthed.
So, when the Gers return to action against Livingston after the international break, should Röhl ditch an error-prone defender and begin to entrust his “colossus”?
Nasser Djiga's Rangers career so far
Nasser Djiga arrived at Rangers with a pretty decent reputation; a Burkina Faso international joined on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, who had signed him for around £10m from Crvena zvezda as recently as January.
Well, he certainly did not make the ideal start to life in Glasgow, sent off on his home Premiership debut during a dismal 1-1 draw with Dundee at Ibrox.
Just ten days later, Djiga was then at the scene of a catastrophic error.
The centre-back seemingly denounced any responsibility as the ball bobbled through the heart of the Rangers defence, allowing Romeo Vermant to open the scoring, the first of nine goals Club Brugge would bag across the two legs of the harrowing and ignominious Champions League play-off tie.
Djiga thereby found himself out of the team for a few weeks thereafter, albeit he has been reintegrated for recent matches by Röhl, after he switched to a back three, requiring a third member of this back-line alongside Derek Cornelius and John Souttar.
Nevertheless, he has not impressed, with the Scotsman labelling him ‘unconvincing’ following Rangers’ recent Europa League defeat to Roma, having previously outlined that the defender endured a ‘really difficult’ afternoon against Celtic at Hampden in the League Cup semi-finals a few days earlier.
That has sparked suggestions that his season-long loan could be terminated as early as January, a scenario that could well be sped up if Röhl gives one of Rangers’ forgotten summer signings an opportunity to stake a claim.
Rangers' forgotten colossus deserves a chance
Considering Rangers signed 12 players in the summer, a few of these new recruits have been overlooked and forgotten about.
Well, this is certainly the case when it comes to centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez.
The 24-year-old had already bounced around numerous lower league English clubs, Sheppey United and Spalding United to name just two, before making the move north of the border from Peterborough United, following an outstanding campaign in EFL League One.
He cost a reported £3.5m, a not insignificant fee for Rangers, but has barely featured for the Glasgow giants.
Fernandez made his debut against Alloa Athletic in the League Cup, marking the occasion with this towering header in front of the Broomloan Road Stand, starting at St Mirren the following weekend, but seeing a mere one-minute cameo at Easter Road since 24 August, an unused substitute on 12 occasions in total.
Upon his arrival, then-manager Martin labelled Fernandez a “commanding defender” who boasts a “strong physical presence”, while Darragh MacAnthony, Chairman of his former club Peterborough, described him as a “colossus”, adding that the “gentle giant” is a “great organiser and talker”.
So, let’s assess his statistics from EFL League One last season.
Fernandez 2024/25 stats
Stats
Fernandez
League 1 rank
Goals
5
2nd
Tackles (per 90)
1.24
63rd
Interceptions (per 90)
0.91
46th
Clearances (per 90)
6.83
19th
Passing accuracy %
85.35%
20th
Passes (per 90)
65.93
5th
Aerial duels won (per 90)
4
27th
Aerial duels won %
62.24%
25th
Ground duels won (per 90)
2.87
35th
Note: rankings are defenders only.
Stats via SofaScore
As the table documents, despite only seeing 2,380 minutes of action out of a possible 4,140, Fernandez boasted pretty impressive statistics at Posh last season.
He scored five goals, including this rocket at Exeter City, while also ranking highly when it came to clearances, passing and aerial duels, helped by the fact that he is 194 cms (6 ft 4 in) tall when it comes to the latter.
So, given a chance, Fernandez could really flourish at Ibrox, hoping to replicate the career Calvin Bassey enjoyed in Glasgow.
When Bassey arrived at Rangers from English football in 2020, costing a mere £230k in compensation, he had never previously played senior first-team football, having merely plied his trade in Leicester City’s youth teams.
Initially signed as Borna Barišić’s left-back deputy, Bassey would ultimately become the club’s best central defender, a key figure in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team that won the Scottish Cup and reached the Europa League Final in 2021/22.
That summer, the Nigerian international was sold to Ajax for around £20m, which remains the club’s biggest sale of all-time.
Fernandez is certainly more experienced now than Bassey was when his Rangers career began five years ago, given that he has a full season in EFL League One under his belt, a division that Global Football Rankings believes is comparable in level to the Scottish Premiership, just eight spots below.
Thus, considering the scarcity of other options, especially with Röhl electing to deploy a back three, Fernandez certainly deserves an opportunity to stake a claim, likely to prove more reliable than Djiga in the long run.
Bassey emerged from obscurity and the periphery to flourish at Ibrox – why can’t Fernandez now do the same?
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The Los Angeles Angels are tidying up their roster ahead of Opening Day, and their latest move may come as a bit of a surprise.
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Halos are releasing outfielder Mickey Moniak. The 26-year-old was the No. 1 pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2016 MLB draft.
Passan also reported the Angels will pay Moniak $483,970.97 due to procedure laid out in the collective bargaining agreement about releasing a player so close to Opening Day.
After making his MLB debut with Philadelphia in 2020, Moniak was traded to the Angels in '22—alongside prospect Jadiel Sanchez—in exchange for pitcher Noah Syndergaard. Never hitting his ceiling as a former No. 1 pick, the outfielder spent some time with L.A.'s Triple-A Salt Lake Bees in '23 before playing the entire '24 season with the major league club.
Moniak has hit 32 home runs and tallied 105 RBIs with a career .230 batting average over five MLB seasons.
Amid an abysmal offensive start, the Texas Rangers are turning to a former player who knows hitting well.
The Rangers are hiring ex-MLB second baseman Bret Boone as their hitting coach, the team announced on Monday afternoon.
Boone, 56, played 14 seasons with five teams. He is primarily known for his two stints with the Seattle Mariners, and particularly for his performance in 2001—when he slashed .331/.372/.578 with 37 home runs and 141 RBIs.
Texas will task Boone with turning around an offense slashing .228/.285/.359; its batting average and on-base percentage would both rank in the bottom 10 in the franchise's six-decade history.
Boone is a member of a prominent baseball family; his brother Aaron manages the New York Yankees, while is father Bob and grandfather Ray were both also MLB All-Stars.
The Rangers are currently 17-18, four games behind the first-place Seattle Mariners in the American League West race. Texas is scheduled to open a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox Tuesday.
There’s a strong case to be made that Arsenal are the best team in Europe right now. Certainly, the win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening underlined the credentials of Mikel Arteta’s multi-title challengers.
The Gunners have mastered their game. Some have ridiculed Arteta and his side for finishing second in the Premier League three seasons in a row, but this has only hardened their resolve and will to win, concurrently deepening the tactical layers Arteta has spent so much time developing.
This is the result of everything coming together over multiple campaigns. Hard work and perserverance. Now, Arsenal have the luxury to add elite quality to an already fearsome outfit, and technical director Andrea Berta has found his man.
Arsenal's transfer plans
After such an impressive summer transfer window, table-topping Arsenal aren’t expected to be all that busy in the January transfer window. However, the Londoners will react if the right opportunity presents itself.
Juventus playmaker Kenan Yildiz remains a long-standing target, and attacking midfield is indeed a position the Emirates outfit is likely to target in the coming windows.
However, a recent report from Caught Offside suggests Berta is gearing up to launch a move for Newcastle United full-back Tino Livramento, with the 23-year-old also attracting strong intrigue from Manchester City and Manchester United.
Livramento has been one of the Magpies’ standout players this season, and his club know it, having responded to growing interest in his name by listing him at £80m.
What Tino Livramento would offer Arsenal
Livramento has made 90 appearances for Newcastle since first arriving on Tyneside, having joined the club from Southampton in a deal rising to £40m in 2023.
Last season, he played an instrumental role in securing the Carabao Cup title, something Gunners fans might remember after his tremendous performance at the Emirates in the first leg of the semi-finals.
Tino Livramento against Arsenal.
A modern and dynamic full-back, Livramento’s positional versatility has seen him play ample on his unnatural left flank for United, with his surpassing technical quality leading Newcastle-focused content creator Kendall Rowan to hail him as a “superstar” of a prospect.
Given that Manchester City also have a vested interest, you could say that Livramento would emulate Declan Rice by completing a big-money move from a title-winning Premier League rival like Newcastle, Rice having completed his £105m transfer to north London from West Ham United in 2023, since transcending his role as a superstar.
Right-back
91
1 + 6
Right wing-back
37
3 + 11
Left-back
24
0 + 2
Left wing-back
6
1 + 1
Right wing
1
0 + 0
As Arteta’s troops march their way through the campaign, indomitably, irrevocably, Rice is the most trusted lieutenant, now one of the best central midfielders in the world after several years lauded as an elite talent with room for growth.
In this way, Livramento would mimic him, completing a move to north London and rejecting Pep Guardiola on the way to the Emirates.
Moreover, the likes of Theo Walcott have praised Newcastle’s star full-back for his potential to become something even more, suggesting that his athleticism and ability to play across a range of positions make him someone akin to Gareth Bale.
Bale was a superstar, alright, and this is evidence that Livramento falls into a bracket of world-class players.
Newcastle are bound to play hardball over one of their biggest, most profitable talents, but Arsenal have shaped their stadium into quite the desirable destination, and Livramento would have the chance to emulate Rice in rising the Premier League ladder and becoming a superstar under Arteta’s wing.
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Liverpool find themselves in a rut and under pressure to get results, something Arne Slot could help alleviate by making a club-record signing at Anfield.
Despite VAR controversy surrounding Nottingham Forest’s open goal, the Reds were well and truly second best in a 3-0 defeat to the Tricky Trees that has plunged the reigning champions into the bottom half of the Premier League table.
Another abject display has left Slot’s side with six losses from their last seven top-flight matches, and the Dutchman delivered an honest reaction to a damaging defeat that may be the final nail in the coffin regarding their slim hopes of retaining the title.
He said: “Another big disappointment. We started off quite well for the first half an hour. We conceded the 1-0, and we weren’t able to play the way we did in the first half hour. I don’t know. I heard it wasn’t offside, so if it’s not offside, there’s nothing to debate. We created and were waiting for us to score a goal. The set piece changed everything, and they scored two.
“If things go well or things go bad, it’s my responsibility. We weren’t able to create enough. I tried to adjust a few things, but it didn’t work out. We were unable to score a goal. You never know in this stadium, if you score a goal, then things can work out.”
Another ineffective outing for record signing Alexander Isak have only added fuel to the fire regarding their poor campaign, signalling that arrivals are needed in January to steady the ship. Come January, the Reds and FSG may now be willing to do just that in record fashion with a new midfielder.
Liverpool preparing record Joao Neves bid
According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are preparing a record £140 million bid for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves, someone they believe could be a pivotal piece of their engine room jigsaw as they look to catch the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City in the race for silverware.
While there is belief that he may be attainable at some point down the line, Luis Enrique has insisted that the Portugal international is not for sale at any price and that he won’t be sold unless there is a drastic change in plans from the standpoint of player and club.
Joao Neves on fire in 2025/26 – all competitions
Appearances
9
Goals
6
Assists
0
Labelled “excellent” by Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, Liverpool view Neves as a potential era-defining acquisition, and it is easy to see why after his exploits in Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League-winning campaign last term.
Nevertheless, managing to bring him to Merseyside will be no easy feat, and the financial muscle involved would likely create headlines around the world should Slot and company be able to snap him up.
Worse than Konate: Slot must drop 2/10 Liverpool flop who lost 100% duels
Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl was unable to make it five wins out of five in the Scottish Premiership when his team faced Falkirk at Ibrox on Sunday.
The former Sheffield Wednesday boss had won his first four league games in charge of the Light Blues, beating Livingston 2-1 in the last Premiership outing before the weekend’s 0-0 draw with Falkirk.
It was a drab performance that had a goalless draw written all over it and that is, unfortunately, what it turned out to be, as Rohl’s side were unable to find the breakthrough.
Huge question marks remain over many of the players brought in by former sporting director Kevin Thelwell, including Thelo Aasgaard after he struggled again on Sunday.
Why Rohl must drop Thelo Aasgaard
The summer signing from Luton Town is a talented player. His stunning goal against Dundee United and his return of five goals in five games for Norway proves that.
However, the English-born flop has failed to provide any kind of positive consistency to the pitch with his performances for the Scottish giants this season, which is why he has been so disappointing to watch.
Aasgaard did not register a single shot on target and only created one chance for his team in 68 minutes against Falkirk, per Sofascore, which really sums up his season, as the attacking midfielder has scored one goal and provided one assist in 21 appearances.
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That is why Rohl should drop the Norwegian talent from the starting line-up for a run of matches to provide someone else with an opportunity, whilst giving the ex-Luton star a chance to recharge and come back stronger.
At the age of 23, Aasgaard is a young player who may just need more time to adapt to the expectations at Ibrox. However, that same patience may not be afforded to Bojan Miovski, who looks like an even bigger problem for the manager.
Why Miovski is a bigger problem than Aasgaard for Rangers
The Macedonia international felt like a sensible signing for Rangers when they bought him for Girona, as he had proven himself in the Premiership, even scoring against the Gers, during his time with Aberdeen.
Unfortunately, though, he has not hit the ground running at Ibrox this season, with one goal in ten games in the Premiership so far this season for the Light Blues, per Sofascore.
His only goal came against Falkirk in Russell Martin’s last game in charge, but he was unable to repeat that feat in the reverse fixture on Sunday, as the left-footed flop struggled badly throughout the match.
Vs Falkirk
Aasgaard
Miovski
Minutes
68
90
Shots
3
2
Key passes
1
0
Duels won
5/10
3/11
Dribbles completed
2/3
0/0
Fouls won
2
1
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Miovski was even worse than Aasgaard, who has scored as many goals as the striker in the league this term, at the weekend, as he offered less at the top end of the pitch and lost 73% of his duels.
The Norway international, meanwhile, carries a bit of a physical presence and can hold his own against Premiership defenders, as shown by his 50% duel success rate against Falkirk.
Miovski, who was described as “dreadful” by reporter Mark McDougall, has lost 63% of his duels overall in the Premiership this season, which shows that he has been a flop in and out of possession in the league so far for Rangers.
At 26, the Macedonia international should have come in to hit the ground running in what should be the prime years of his career, especially with his prior experience in Scotland, but the opposite has happened.
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That is why Miovksi is an even bigger problem for Rohl and Rangers than Aasgaard is because his performances are even more alarming, whilst he does not have the same mitigation or time ahead of himself to improve that the Norwegian talent does.
A previously undiagnosed injury is now set to leave one Newcastle United star sidelined for the majority of December in a frustrating blow for Eddie Howe.
Howe demands fresh "consistency" ahead of Tottenham clash
It’s been one step forward and two steps back for Newcastle all season, but their convincing victory over Everton may yet be the turning point for their campaign. The Magpies brushed the Toffees’ aside to bounce back from Champions League defeat, but Howe is now demanding more “consistency” from his side.
Any change in fortunes would certainly be well-timed ahead of the January transfer window, too. Those at St James’ Park endured a chaotic summer window, before eventually adding reinforcements to Howe’s squad, but are still targeting a number of fresh faces to end unfinished business.
That could yet include a move for James Trafford. The England international chose Manchester City in the summer, but has since been forced to watch on from the bench following Gianluigi Donnarumma’s arrival. Now, he’s reportedly been allowed to leave the club in January, with Newcastle among his admirers.
The goalkeeper position has been a hot topic of debate in Tyneside as of late and the availability of Trafford, plus Pope’s recent injury may yet see Newcastle make their move.
Newcastle learn extent of Nick Pope injury
As reported by Sky Sports’ Keith Downie, Newcastle are now set to be without Pope until Boxing Day at the earliest after a specialist diagnosed his groin injury.
It’s frustrating news for Howe, who told reporters in the build-up to his side’s game against Tottenham that Newcastle were still trying to get a “proper diagnosis”.
Without the towering goalkeeper, Newcastle will turn towards summer signing Aaron Ramsdale. Whether he can make a claim to become their No.1 on a permanent basis remains to be seen, however.
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Despite Pope’s recent mistakes, Howe was quick to describe the 33-year-old as “outstanding” after the Marseille game, but will now be forced to kick on without him.
As the fixtures come thick and fast, and Newcastle seek consistency, the absence of one of their most experienced men couldn’t have been timed much worse.
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Having declared overnight, India completed their demolition of WI after lunch on day three
Alagappan Muthu04-Oct-20255:02
Chopra: Gulf between India, West Indies there for everyone to see
Ravindra Jadeja has been building a case to be one of the best allrounders in the game. A four-for to follow a hundred against West Indies to start the new home season was just the latest evidence he offered in favour of that argument. On the back of his 104 not out and 4 for 54, India completed an innings win with two-and-a-half days to spare.A proud record stood tall between February 22, 2013 and October 25, 2024. It buckled 24 hours later. India lost a Test series on home soil for the first time in nearly 12 years. Many of the players who had contributed to that run are now retired, including Virat Kohli, R Ashwin and Cheteshwar Pujara. But Jadeja remains.He was there when India began that run against Australia in Chennai. He was there when New Zealand broke them last year in Pune. And he was there once again, lifting them back up against West Indies now. At 36 years old, it is unclear how much cricket is left in him but it was poetic that in the first of 66 Tests that India had to play at home without R Ashwin, his old pal came up with a hundred and a four-for.ESPNcricinfo LtdAlick Athanaze carried the West Indies flag, showing why he is rated as a good player of spin. He picked up length well. He was decisive going forward or back. And he remembered to put pressure back, two rock-solid reverse sweeps for four and one sumptuous cover drive for three highlighted his process. All of those scoring shots were against half-volleys that were well wide of the stumps. This is the judgment and the competence that convinced the coach Daren Sammy and the management to bring him back into the Test side.India, though, kept placing new threats in front of Athanaze. Jasprit Bumrah hit him on the helmet. Washington Sundar tested him with the ball turning away. They were waiting for Athanaze to be just slightly off with his process and eventually, after 73 balls, he was, closing the face of the bat, baited by an offbreak that pitched on middle. Washington took a simple catch, which then led to a symbolic representation of West Indies’ batting in this Test.Jomel Warrican tried to impose himself on Mohammed Siraj, swinging as hard as he could, only for his bat to fly out of his grip and land at square leg. The ball meanwhile settled in mid-off’s hands.Alick Athanaze offered some resilience for West Indies•Getty ImagesWest Indies are a side still building its best batters. Ahead of this tour, they were shorn of two of their best bowlers. This informed the challenge they could pose. They are struggling to find a better opener than John Campbell, 32, who is the third-most experienced player in this XI. He has 23 caps and in all that time, he has no centuries. Even in first-class cricket, after 101 matches, he has only nine centuries. In Ahmedabad, he fell for 8 and 14. The only slightly younger Tagenarine Chanderpaul finished with 0 and 8. Top-order returns like that just won’t do.Jadeja is sometimes accused of being that left-arm spinner who just fires the ball in and lets the pitch do its work. But he knows how to work batters out too. He saw Brandon King lunging forward to try and smother the turn and that helped him once. He hit a crisp cover drive for four. It also led to his downfall as Jadeja recalibrated his flight. It was still full so it triggered King’s instinct to get on the front foot. But he had no way of getting to the pitch of this one. Having committed to the shot, he ended up vulnerable to the turn and presented a straightforward catch to slip. All this happened in the space of two overs. In that small period of time, Jadeja turned what the batter thought was a strength into a weakness.Siraj was the other bowler among the wickets, taking five or more over the course of a home Test for the first time.West Indies lost 10 wickets in two sessions on the first day. They did it again on the third day. Only two players got into the 30s. Only two faced 50 or more balls. They have five days to address these problems before the start of the second game in Delhi. The wait to win a Test match against India in India, which is into its 31st year, continues.