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O Paraguai venceu a Ferroviária por 4 a 3, nesta quarta-feira (6), em duelo válido pelo Brasil Ladies Cup, no Estádio Bruno José Daniel. Liz Peña abriu o placar para a seleção paraguaia. Griselda Garay, Cindy Ramos e Liz Barreto ampliaram. Já para as brasileiras, Mylena Carioca (2) e Laryh anotaram os gols.

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Com o resultado, o Paraguai passa a ocupar a terceira posição no Grupo B com 3 pontos, e ultrapassa a Ferroviária.

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

⚽ COMO FOI A PARTIDA?

O Paraguai iniciou na partida um pouco mais avançado, criando mais oportunidades, mas sem resultados. Após os 20 minutos do primeiro tempo, a Ferroviária reagiu e começou a levar mais perigo para as adversárias.

Ainda na primeira metade do jogo, a seleção paraguaia abriu o placar com um gol de Liz Peña, após uma cobrança de escanteio. Pouco tempo depois, Mylena Carioca virou o resultado com dois gols para a equipe de Araraquara.

➡️ Flamengo x Santos: onde assistir, horário e prováveis escalações do jogo pelo Brasil Ladies Cup

Já no segundo tempo, o Paraguai voltou ao campo focado e logo Griselda Garay e Cindy Ramos viraram a partida. A Ferroviária voltou a marcar, igualando o placar, com um gol de cabeça de Laryh.

Porém, o resultado não durou muito, e logo Liz Barreto marcou para o Paraguai, decretando a vitória.

➡️ São Paulo dá show e goleia o Atlético Nacional pela Brasil Ladies Cup

✅ O QUE VEM POR AÍ?

O próximo compromisso da seleção paraguaia é contra o Flamengo, o atual campeão do torneio, na próxima sexta-feira (8). Já a Ferroviária enfrenta o Santos no mesmo dia.

England have slipped from second to third place on the WTC table

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-20254:06

‘Couldn’t take your eyes off it’ – Lord’s Test among the most engrossing

England have been docked two World Test Championship (WTC) points for their slow over rate during the slim 22-run victory in the third Test against India at Lord’s. England’s tally has, as a result, fallen from 24 points to 22 on the WTC points table, and the percentage points have slipped from 66.67% to 61.11%, taking them down a spot from second to third, behind Australia and Sri Lanka.England were also fined 10% of their match fees for falling short of the allotted time for over rates.As per Article 16.11.2 of the WTC playing conditions, a side is penalised one point for each over short after time allowances are taken into consideration.England captain Ben Stokes pleaded guilty to the offence, which meant there was no need for a formal hearing.The third Test, which England won to edge ahead in the series with a 2-1 lead, was a high-octane and thrilling game full of heated battles in which players often came face to face, intensity that surged towards the end of the day, individual brilliance that saw one of the fastest spells from Jofra Archer in Tests, centuries from Joe Root and KL Rahul, and a five-wicket haul from Jasprit Bumrah.The intensity of the Test went up soon after the teams went toe to toe with identical first-innings scores of 387 that reduced the Test to a second-innings showdown. Once India were set 193 to win, they took the the game to the last session with vital lower-order partnerships that Ravindra Jadeja stitched with Nitish Kumar Reddy, Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj before Shoaib Bashir, with a broken finger on his left hand, dismissed Siraj in dramatic fashion to spark off England’s celebrations as Indian hearts were left broken.Bashir has now been ruled out of the series, and replaced by Liam Dawson for the fourth Test, which begins from July 23 at Old Trafford.

Former Liverpool and England striker Peter Crouch reacted to Erling Haaland's hilarious impression of his famous 'robot celebration' after scoring against Bournemouth on Sunday. The Norwegian goal machine scored a brace in City's dominant 3-1 win over Bournemouth as Pep Guardiola's side moved up to second in the Premier League table.

Haaland imitates Crouch

After a disappointing loss to Aston Villa away from home, City bounced back in style to humble a high-flying Bournemouth side as they thrashed the Cherries 3-1. Haaland opened the scoring in the 17th minute before doubling the team's lead just past the half-hour mark. Nico O'Reilly then sealed the fate of the game with a third goal in the 60th minute. Tyler Adams had found one for his team in the 25th minute but it was Guardiola's men in the end, who walked off the pitch with all three points and reduced their gap with league leaders Arsenal to six points.

Following his 17th-minute opener, which Haaland scored with a brilliant solo run, the goal machine ran towards the right edge of the penalty box before pulling off the 'robot' celebration. 

AdvertisementGetty ImagesCrouch reacts to Haaland's celebration

Crouch pulled off the 'robot' celebration for the first time almost two decades ago after he scored for England in a friendly against Hungary. He later repeated the celebration during a victory over Jamaica and then again after scoring his 100th Premier League goal, while playing for Stoke City. 

The ex-Reds forward later shared a video on social media with two laughing emojis. He had earlier written, reacting to Haaland's celebration: "I walked so they could run."

How Haaland reacted to his goals?

Speaking to after the game, Haaland said: "Important win. It is good to bounce back after losing a bad away game. It was nice. I tried to contribute for the team by doing my job. It is good to win. Now two more important games to come, so keep focusing. I didn't score last game. I try to help the team to win. That is my goal and even by scoring or helping in winning duels it doesn't matter. I want to help the team become better, that is my job."

Bournemouth captain David Brooks was in awe of the City star as he told : "We look to press but Manchester City are extremely comfortable on the ball. In the first half we created a lot of opportunities for ourselves through the press. But the big man up top for them – Haaland – is always going to be a threat. It's almost impossible [to prepare to face Haaland]. He's 6ft 5in, strong, a massive threat when the ball is falling to him. He took his chances well. "It was always going to be a tough game against Manchester City. It's probably the hardest week to prepare for. We knew we had to come here and be the best version of ourselves. A few minor details cost us today."

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Haaland has reached Messi and Ronaldo's level, says Pep

Reacting to yet another stellar performance from Haaland, City boss Guardiola said: "Have you seen the numbers of that guy? Of course, he has [reached their level]. The numbers from Cristiano and Messi have been for 15 years, Messi is still scoring two, three goals every game and Cristiano in Saudi Arabia, the same. This is that level. The first goal, the way he shoots the ball, going down on the grass saying ‘I am going to score this’. I have said many times, he is incredibly coachable and I am tough with him sometimes. I always try to be open-minded with him and there are players who say ‘what are you talking about?’ He is completely down to earth; he wants to do it and he lives for the goals. Without him it would be tough to be honest."

It was a year of so near yet so far for RR, who will finish last if they lose on Tuesday

Himanshu Agrawal19-May-20253:14

Cricinformed – CSK’s worst top-order show

Big picture: RR’s last chance to not finish lastIf not for the rearranged final leg of IPL 2025, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) would have been hosting Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Chennai on Tuesday. Instead, the teams will now meet in Delhi. Which meant that there was one question on everyone’s minds: Have we already seen the last of MS Dhoni at Chepauk?These two sides occupy the bottom two spots in the points table. While there is pride to play for, they will also have one eye on the future.Despite the forgettable campaigns, there have been some positives for both CSK and RR this season. Young and explosive batters like Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel and Vaibhav Suryavanshi have given hope and a glimpse into the future of these franchises.Related

Purple and Orange caps: Noor, Jaiswal could grab top spots on Tuesday

'No point just blaming the batsman' – Dravid on RR's struggles

Batting without brakes – PBKS make topping 200 a habit at IPL 2025

Tuesday will also be RR’s final game of the season, and looking back, their bowlers might realise they lacked execution at times, while their batters will count the number of missed opportunities in tight finishes. It was a year of so near yet so far for RR, who will finish last if CSK beat them. The only time RR finished last was in 2020, when the IPL was an eight-team competition.Form guideChennai Super Kings WLLLL (last five matches, most recent first)
Rajasthan Royals LLLWLIn the spotlight: Noor Ahmad and Riyan ParagCSK have found a match-winner in left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad. His 20 wickets are the second-most so far this season. Four of those came in CSK’s previous match, against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), when Noor helped turn it around with two wickets in the middle overs and death overs each. Ten bowlers have at least 15 wickets this season, and Noor’s average of 17.25 is the best among them. At just 20, he surely is a long-term option for CSK.Riyan Parag has had a good outing with the bat this season•AFP/Getty ImagesRiyan Parag, who has led RR every time Sanju Samson was out injured this season, is just 10 runs away from tallying 400. If he gets there, it will be the second successive year he passes that landmark. He is only 23 and made his T20I debut for India last year after a solid IPL. With a home T20 World Cup coming up early next year, Parag will be hoping he can wrap this season up with a notable score and help his chances for his first global tournament.Team news and probable XIIsBrevis, Noor, Devon Conway and Matheesha Pathirana, CSK’s four overseas players who played against KKR, are the only ones available for them now. CSK have used 22 players so far this season – the most by any team – with only two more games remaining.Chennai Super Kings: 1 Ayush Mhatre, 2 Urvil Patel, 3 Devon Conway, 4 Ravindra Jadeja, 5 Dewald Brevis, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 R Ashwin, 8 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 9 Anshul Kamboj, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Khaleel Ahmed, 12 Matheesha PathiranaVaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal were impressive against PBKS•BCCISamson pushed himself down to No. 3 against Punjab Kings on his return to fitness after an abdominal injury. That allowed the 14-year-old Suryavanshi to continue to open the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal. It remains to be seen whether teenager Lhuan-dre Pretorius, also a top-order batter who was flown in as an injury replacement, will get a chance.Rajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Dhruv Jurel, 7 Shubham Dubey, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Kwena Maphaka, 10 Tushar Deshpande, 11 Akash Madhwal, 12 Fazalhaq FarooqiThe big questionAmong the 37 bowlers to have taken at least 300 wickets in all T20s, Wanindu Hasaranga leads the averages with 17.21. But at 34.40, Hasaranga’s averaged has doubled, and he has bagged only ten wickets in 37 overs.The numbers are even worse for his CSK counterpart R Ashwin. He has just five wickets to show in eight games, having taken them at 48.40 each. The last time Ashwin had fewer wickets in an IPL season was in his debut year in 2009.Pitch and conditionsThe Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi has hosted five games this season, with the average score batting first being 192. Gujarat Titans hunted down 200 with all ten wickets standing against Delhi Capitals on Sunday at that ground. With short boundaries and the possibility of dew, expect another high-scoring game on what is expected to be a hot Tuesday evening.Stats and triviaCSK and RR have faced each other in 31 matches so far, with CSK leading by only 16-15. CSK have had the worst-performing top order this season. Their top three batters have a combined average of only 23.68, while striking at 140.74. Both numbers are the lowest by any team this season. RR, on the other hand, have been the worst bowling side this season. Their bowling average (44.84) and economy rate (10.02) are the worst among all sides.

Yeremy Pino's glowing comments about Adam Wharton will do little to ease concerns among Crystal Palace fans that the midfielder won't be at Selhurst Park for the long-term. Since making the step up from Blackburn Rovers less than two years ago, Wharton has been heavily linked with a high profile move away in recent months, with Real Madrid a rumoured suitor.

Real Madrid tracking Wharton

Real Madrid interest in Wharton emerged during the summer transfer window, having not directly replaced either Toni Kroos, who retired in 2024, or Luka Modric in the centre of the pitch. But Los Blancos were not the only side credited with rival interest, with Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool all thought to be monitoring his progress and situation as well.

Wharton's skillset makes him the ideal central midfielder in the modern game, combining great energy with precise passing and a ball-winning bite. It was that mixture of attributes which previousy propelled a pre-ACL Rodri to the top of the mountain, named the best player in the world in 2024 when he became the first defence-minded winner of the Ballon d'Or in almost 20 years.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWharton good enough for Spain

Wharton's similarities with Rodri are not lost on Yeremy Pino, who played alongside the Manchester City star at former club Villarreal. The winger, who joined Palace towards the end of the summer transfer window as a replacement for Arsenal-bound Eberechi Eze, has been enormously impressed by what he has seen from Wharton in his first few months in England.

"Adam can do everything," Pino told The Athletic. "Defensively, he is a fighter. He goes in very strong, wins a lot of balls. Technically, you just have to watch him and enjoy him."

The highest praise came next: "He has the quality to play in the Spain national team, no doubt."

Spain is perhaps the side in all of international football most revered for the level technical ability throughout the squad. It would also make full sense for a club like Real Madrid to be interested in a player like Wharton if that is the level he is considered by a colleague in the know to be operating at.

A history of Brits at the Bernabeu

Although British footballers haven't always had the same technical reputation as those from continental Europe or South America, Real Madrid have never shied away from them over the years and there has been a steady string of English, Scottish and Welsh imports. As it goes, the club's first ever captain was an Irishman named Arthur Johnson.

Not all have been a huge success. Where Jude Bellingham and Gareth Bale have been Champions League winners in all-white, and David Beckham played a role in expanding the club's already enormous international reach at the peak of the orginal Galacticos era, Jonathan Woodgate was never fully fit and Michael Owen understandably couldn't dislodge Ronaldo or Raul from the starting XI.

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Getty Images SportWharton left out of England squad

The talent considered good enough to get into Spain's team – if he was, of course, eligible and not born and raised in Lancashire – was not selected by England manager Thomas Tuchel for this month's international fixtures against Wales and Latvia.

Wharton had to withdraw from September's squad through injury and the boss opted to stick with the same team that he'd used for those games when October came around. The 21-year-old was told exactly why and appeared happy to accept the reasoning.

"He just gave me a message saying I'm playing well, I'm close and I deserve to be there, but he's going to stick with the same team," Wharton explained.

"That's football, I'm not too fussed about that. I can take the time off, go see my grandparents, and it's not the end of the world, as there's another camp next month. I'm just focusing on Crystal Palace and playing well, and hopefully, if I play well, I'll get the call. It's nice to hear, but I think my focus is on Palace and if that goes well, then England is just a bonus."

Wharton was a surprise inclusion in the England squad Gareth Southgate named for Euro 2024, but it would come as a shock if he doesn't reclaim his place before next summer's World Cup. There is, however, significant competition for places, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jordan Henderson back in the fold this year, and Jude Bellingham also currently out of the picture.

بدأ محلل الأداء الدنماركي نيكلاس أورباك كنودسن عمله رسميًا داخل الجهاز الفني للنادي الأهلي بقيادة مواطنه ييس توروب، في خطوة تأتي ضمن خطة القلعة الحمراء لتطوير أدوات التحليل والأداء الفني للفريق الأول خلال المرحلة المقبلة.

وانضم كنودسن إلى طاقم الأهلي في الساعات الماضية، حيث يُنتظر أن يلعب دورًا مهمًا في تطوير الجوانب التكتيكية والتحليلية، بما يواكب طموحات الإدارة والجماهير في المنافسة على جميع البطولات.

اقرأ أيضا.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري المصري بعد هدف زيزو في مباراة الأهلي والاتحاد 

وفي أول تصريحاته الخاصة لـ بطولات، عبر كنودسن عن سعادته الكبيرة ببداية مشواره في الأهلي، مؤكدًا انبهاره بالأجواء داخل النادي وبحجم تاريخه ومكانته في كرة القدم الإفريقية والعربية.

وقال محلل الأداء الدنماركي: “يا له من نادٍ رائع، وأجواء مميزة، ومجموعة مذهلة من الأشخاص الرائعين سواء في الجهاز الفني أو اللاعبين”.

وأضاف كنودسن في حديثه: “أتطلع حقًا إلى هذا الفصل الجديد مع هذا النادي الكبير، سعيًا لتحقيق مجد جديد والوصول إلى إنجازات أعلى”.

 ويضم طاقم ييس توروب مع الأهلي كل من إيمره سابيتش، جوني مولبو، يواكيم فيلوم، كاي ستيفانسن وأخيرًا كنودسن بجانب عادل مصطفى.

Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, has rejected suggestions that his players did not take their preparation seriously on the tour of India, saying it was “factually incorrect” that the team had not done enough training during the T20I and ODI series, both of which ended in one-sided defeats.During a discussion on TV commentary for the third ODI between Ravi Shastri and Kevin Pietersen, it was claimed that, with the exception of Joe Root, England had not netted during the ODI series. England had trained before the first ODI in Nagpur, but opted not to do so ahead of the second and third games in Cuttack and Ahmedabad.With the Champions Trophy looming, a 142-run defeat in the final game saw England go down 3-0 in the ODIs, having previously been beaten 4-1 during the T20I leg.The tourists have also had to deal with injuries, with Jacob Bethell ruled out by a hamstring strain and Jamie Smith nursing a sore calf – meaning that assistant coaches Marcus Trescothick and Paul Collingwood were named as substitute fielders in Cuttack.Related

• Ben Stokes declares he's ready for England return after hamstring surgery

• Ben Duckett passed fit for Champions Trophy after groin scan

• Jacob Bethell 'ruled out' of Champions Trophy, Tom Banton called to India as cover

• McCullum promises focus on entertainment as England white-ball era begins

• Missing in action: Players injured and unavailable for the Champions Trophy

“Firstly, it’s factually incorrect, the whole statement that we don’t train,” McCullum told talkSPORT after the third ODI. “We’ve trained plenty right throughout, guys have come from a lot of cricket as well. I think it’s an easy thing to have as a throwaway line that guys don’t train enough when the results aren’t right.”But we’ve got a style and a method that we believe in. We’ve got guys who are battling injuries and trying to make sure that we’ve got enough bodies out on the field, knowing that we’ve got a huge assignment coming up in a week or two. Ultimately it’s factually incorrect what’s been said and we’ll stay true to what we believe in.”Jos Buttler, England’s captain, also denied that the poor results in India had been down to “lack of effort” when speaking to reporters after the Ahmedabad game.”We’ve had a reasonably long tour, a few long travel days,” Buttler said. “There have been a couple of times we have not trained but we have done plenty of training throughout the tour. We try to create a really good environment but don’t mistake that for a lazy environment or lack of effort. The guys are desperate to perform and do well and improve.”McCullum only took on the role of white-ball head coach in January, having previously had sole responsibility for the Test side, and said that the tour had provided valuable lessons ahead of the Champions Trophy, which gets underway in Pakistan next week.England will spend the next few days in the UAE before beginning their campaign against Australia in Lahore on February 22. They have confirmed Tom Banton in their 15-man Champions Trophy squad as a replacement for Bethell.”I’ve learned a lot,” McCullum said. “There’s guys in our team who are incredibly talented, if we can add a little bit of craft and give ourselves a bit of confidence within the dressing room, which is ultimately the task of us as coaches, then we’ll see some of that talent will flourish. It’s been a good tour, so much good will come from it, albeit the results are very disappointing. But that’s the nature sometimes when you come up against a very good side in their own conditions.”Ultimately you’re judged on results,” he added. “From our point of view, we’ve got to strip away the fear of failure that results can bring. Guys are fiercely determined and competitive… how do you allow an environment to provide the freedom and clarity of thought to go out there and allow your talent to come out?”That’s what we’re trying to do in the group we’re building and that’s what we’ll try and do over the next week as well, give the guys a freshen-up in Abu Dhabi, make sure all the bodies are fit and ready to go, we’ve got a full squad to pick from come that first game against Australia. We do that, hopefully we walk a little taller and play a little better and end up getting better results as well.”

Robert Lewandowski asked to leave Bayern Munich "every year" as he grew frustrated with the lack of Champions League success with the German club, according to Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. The former Bayern CEO reveals, Lewandowski's desire to win the European crown had him itching for a move away, before the club finally delivered on his objective.

Robert Lewandowski's a relentless champion

Lewandowski’s time at Munich was never short of goals. Despite becoming one of the club’s most reliable scorers, the Polish striker reportedly wanted to leave on multiple occasions, chasing the dream of Champions League glory elsewhere. During his Bayern spell, Lewandowski scored 238 Bundesliga goals in 253 appearances. He shattered Gerd Muller’s decades old single-season record with 41 goals in the 2020-21 Bundesliga, breaking the 40-goal benchmark first set in 1971-72.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportFormer Bayern boss reveals Lewandowski's hidden desire

Former Bayern board member Rummenigge revealed the reality of Lewandowski’s repeated requests in an interview with Kicker. He said: "He came to me every year and said he had an offer from a top club. I said: 'That's great, and proof that we've signed the right player.' But he really wanted to win the Champions League. I told him: 'You can win that with Bayern Munich, too.'"

Despite dazzling numbers and consistent domestic dominance, six Bundesliga top scorer titles among them, the polish attacker was restless, pressing for moves elsewhere. The biggest goal he craved, the Champions League, only came in 2020 under Hansi Flick.

Rummenigge further added: "That was one of the best days I've ever experienced. We had an extraordinary year with Hansi Flick. That day, after the game, I said: 'You see, Robert, you can also win the Champions League with Bayern Munich.' He was incredibly happy."

Lewandowski still going strong for Barcelona

Since joining Barcelona in 2022, Lewandowski has kept up a remarkable scoring rate. With 71 goals and 17 assists in 107 La Liga appearances. In 2024-25, he notched 27 goals in 34 league games, his best La Liga season yet. He also became the first player in Europe’s top five leagues that season to reach 30 goals across all competitions, hitting that mark by February. Under Flick, he remains a central attacking figure, contributing not only with goals but with his hold-up play, movement, and leadership.

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Getty Images SportWhat lies ahead for Lewandowski

Lewandowski rejected the chance to move to Saudi Arabia despite multiple offers. The 36-year-old forward wanted to continue in La Liga and as the club build under Flick, he is crucial not just for his scoring, but for how he guides the attack, the younger players, and helps in tight matches. His contract situation, which  is expiring in 2026, looms large but club leadership has reason to consider renewal should this form continues.

Cummins says Australia hierarchy are “not beholden to stats” when it comes to appraising the lean run returns of Khawaja, McSweeney and Labuschagne

Alex Malcolm18-Dec-2024Australia captain Pat Cummins has defended the output of his top-three batters – particularly makeshift opener Nathan McSweeney – in difficult batting conditions, as Australia’s selectors mull their options for the final two Tests of the series.Australia’s selectors are due to meet on Thursday morning to select the sides for Melbourne and Sydney after a rain-affected draw in Brisbane left the Border-Gavaskar Trophy poised on a knife’s edge at 1-1.Top of the selectors’ agenda will be extra bowling cover for the injured Josh Hazlewood with Scott Boland the obvious man to come back into the XI. But it would be hard for them not to at least discuss the top three, and in particular their openers, after another difficult week in Brisbane.Related

India and Australia take a moment to recalibrate as Gabba stalemate leaves everything up for grabs

Hazlewood likely to miss rest of India series with calf strain

Usman Khawaja, who turned 38 on Wednesday, was undone by Jasprit Bumrah for the second time in the Test match and the fourth time in the series. His partner, McSweeney, escaped Bumrah’s clutches for the first time in the series but instead nicked a wide delivery from Akash Deep. Marnus Labuschagne nicked one of Bumrah’s most innocuous deliveries of the series for just 1 as Australia slumped to 16 for 3 on their way to a bizarre third innings of 89 for 7 declared as they tried fruitlessly to set up a result before rain ended the game.Labuschagne averages 16.40 across five innings in the series, with 64 of his 82 runs coming in one hit in Adelaide. McSweeney averages 14.40 with a highest score of 39. Khawaja is averaging just 12.60, having been arguably Australia’s most reliable batter in 2022 and 2023.It appears unlikely that any change will be made despite the lean returns.Calls from the public for 19-year-old phenom Sam Konstas are growing louder following his stunning 20-ball half-century on BBL debut for Sydney Thunder on Tuesday night. That followed his century against an India attack that featured all of the Test bowlers bar Bumrah.But Cummins defended the contributions of his top three in the context of Travis Head’s two magical centuries in Adelaide and Brisbane, which according to the skipper were set up by the top three ensuring he didn’t walk out to face the new ball.”Everyone’s always hoping to score more runs,” Cummins said after rain ended the third Test. “I think the trend in world cricket pretty much all around the world is the top three is a really hard place to bat at the moment. Particularly here in Australia, the wickets are tough. I think there’s little snippets that have been important. Again, that first innings, Trav walks in 35 overs into the game, I think that makes a big difference, the same in Adelaide. Obviously they [the top three] would be hoping to score more runs, we’d like them to score more runs, but I think they have made some important contributions that others have benefited from.”Usman Khawaja has been cleaned up by Jasprit Bumrah four times this series•Cricket Australia via Getty ImagesBy that measure, Australia’s top three are doing their jobs given Head’s two centuries, plus Steven Smith’s century and Alex Carey’s 70 in Brisbane put Australia in commanding positions in both games. It is clear that Australia are content, given the quality of Bumrah and the difficulty of new-ball batting, to simply ask their top three to absorb pressure and buy Head time to come in and play the way he does.”The trend is, it seems like, five, six, seven is sometimes where a bulk of the runs are scored in Test cricket all around the world,” Cummins said. “I spoke ahead of this summer when there was all the talk about batting orders, we didn’t really want to move our five, six, seven – they’ve been so important to many of our wins over the last couple of years. We’re not beholden to stats, we know there are certain roles, there are easier times to bat, harder times to bat, just like bowlers, so you are always looking at the best seven batters who will function as a unit and place them as best you can.”McSweeney and Khawaja’s numbers look extremely lean compared to that of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who are averaging 47 and 38.60 respectively in the same conditions against Australia’s attack. But Rahul’s 84 in Brisbane could have been 30 had Smith held a straightforward chance at slip on day four, while Jaiswal has made just 32 runs in five innings outside of his match-winning 161 in Perth.Cummins was particularly supportive of the job McSweeney has done in his first three Tests, having been asked to debut as an opener with no prior experience at Sheffield Shield level and just two brief innings in the role for Australia A.”It’s been really hard for the opening batters for both sides really,” Cummins said. “I’ve been really impressed with the way he’s gone about it. Even today, someone starting out his career still being selfless enough to go out there and try to play shots rather than try and preserve and get a score. Really impressed with him, again probably hasn’t scored the runs he would have liked, but he has played some important knocks that have set up a win in Adelaide and a really good result here.”