In the evening session of day two, England’s Harry Brook, Liam Dawson, and Zak Crawley each failed, allowing India to take a 72-run lead in the final Test at The Oval.
Match Report: England suffers in the decisive final Test because of late drops.
The Ineos Grenadiers employee who left last year worked for Manchester United after being asked to speak with the International Testing Agency (ITA) about allegations of doping during the 2012 campaign.
After being contacted in April, the cycling team confirmed that David Rozman had been asked to interview by the ITA, and that he “stepped down” from Tour duties last month.
One of Ineos’ soigneurs is the Slovenian, who provides a range of services from logistics to massages.
After Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe became co-owner of the club, it has now emerged that Rozman and United’s soft tissue therapists had collaborated on a “knowledge exchange” in 2024.
According to insiders, United claimed to have no knowledge of the recently published historical allegations and that they had no involvement in them.
The team went on to win six of the following seven Tour de Frances under the name Ineos Grenadiers, who was then known as Team Sky. Bradley Wiggins won the race in 2012, taking the title of the winning team.
A member of ITA staff in April 2025 contacted Rozman informally, claiming that it then requested a review by an external law firm, in order to contact him about alleged historical communications.
The team took the allegations seriously while acknowledging that David has a long-standing, dedicated team member, according to a statement released at the time.
The team has formally requested any pertinent information from the ITA and continues to assess the circumstances and any pertinent developments. No relevant authority has provided any evidence to date, so the team has received no evidence.
“Both David and the team will of course work with the ITA and any other authority,” the team said.
According to a report from the Irish Independent in July, Rozman and German doping convicted felon Mark Schmidt exchanged messages in 2012.
Ineos and Schmidt were linked in part to a documentary produced by the German TV company ARD, which did not identify the staff member.
After being found guilty of providing illegal blood transfusions to athletes in cycling and a number of other sports as part of Operation Aderlass, Schmidt was sentenced to four years and 10 months in prison in 2021.
The ITA stated in a statement to BBC Sport that its investigations are “conducted confidentially” and that results “may only be shared if and when one or more anti-doping rule violations are discovered.”
Sir Dave Brailsford, Ineos’ director of sport, resigned from his position with Manchester United in June despite having previously played a significant role in the organization’s football operations.
After Ratcliffe bought his stake in United, Brailsford resigned as the Ineos Grenadiers team principal. He has since played a significant role in the cycling team and participated in the Tour de France this year.
The 61-year-old became a force behind the “marginal gains” theory and oversaw a long run of success at British Cycling and Team Sky.
However, there have been a lot of controversy in his career.
Former British Cycling and Team Sky chief medical officer Dr. Richard Freeman was given a four-year suspension from all competitions in August 2023 after breaking anti-doping regulations.
A mystery “jiffy bag” by Freeman that had been ordered to Wiggins before a 2011 race, was allegedly the source of the banned anti-inflammatory drug triamcinolone, and Brailsford made an appearance before a parliamentary committee in 2018 to answer questions about its contents.
Following Wiggins’ revelation that he had received triamcinolone for treating asthma and allergies shortly before three of the three major races, Wiggins was given therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs).
A parliamentary committee ultimately found it impossible to determine what was inside the jiffy bag despite Freeman and Brailsford’s contention that the bag had legal flu medication inside it.
In a final report from 2018, the MPs accused Team Sky of “crossing an ethical line” with its more general use of TUEs.
Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, defeated 22-seed Jelena Ostapenko to reach the fourth round of the Canadian Open.
The Latvian defeated the unseeded 27-year-old 6-2, 6-4, and could face third-seeded American Jessica Pegula in the final 16.
On Friday, Japan’s Osaka, who has triumphed twice at the US and Australian Opens, will face Pegula or a second successive Latvian in Anastasija Sevastova.
However, Osaka impressed by winning the first set within 30 minutes before increasing its lead to 3-1 in the third.
When Ostapenko hit a forehand and finished the match at 5-3, she again gave up a 4-2 lead.
However, when Osaka sent a forehand beyond the baseline, her 28-year-old opponent broke back and saved a match point on a forehand crosscourt winner.
However, Ostapenko’s love was rekindled in the final game when the Latvian netted a backhand to bring an end to the match that lasted an hour and a half.
Sharon Osbourne once declared war on a “pensioner” who made the decision to have a go at her late husband, Ozzy. Sharon, 72, has never been one to mince her words and during an interview about her return to The X Factor, the music manager opened up about the interaction with the man who bravely attempted to say negative things about her husband Ozzy.
Sharon abruptly left the showbiz industry in 2013 when she made a shock return to the talent show six years later. However, she never held back when talking about a contestant in the typical Mrs. O way.
Speaking on Alan Carr’s Chatty Man about the incident, the fiery redhead exclaimed: “I did too!” when asked if it was true she’d launched a pen at the contestant. “And it should have been a knife, really!” she went on to add. It comes after Sharon Osbourne breaks down in tears at Ozzy’s funeral in heartbreaking scenes.
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When asked why she had launched the pen, Sharon responded, “This old bloke comes in and starts slagging my old man, so I’m like, here, what can I throw at you? ” I then yelled “You can f**k off,” and I threw a pen at him. You little f***er”!
But she reacted furiously when Alan inquired why someone would disrespect Ozzy in front of Sharon, saying, “They know what they’re going to get.” He must be! I’m almost pension age, so f**k him!”
The clip, which has since been reappeared on TikTok, has received 58, 000 views and was filled with comments, with many people laughing at Sharon’s quick wit. “Sharon Osbourne,” What a woman, one said.
A second went on to write: “Absolute brilliance, love Sharon.” “I want their marriage when I’m older and I won’t settle for less,” said another. The resurfacing of the clip comes just hours after Sharon sadly buried Ozzy. In keeping with the rockstar’s wishes, he was buried in the grounds of his sprawling family home, where he shared many happy memories with Sharon, and where he spent his final weeks.
The funeral followed an emotionally-charged day in Birmingham, that saw the Prince of Darkness made one final trip through his home city. Thousands of fans lined the streets to pay their respects and say goodbye as a procession led by Ozzy’s hearse travelled from the Aston Villa football ground through the city centre.
In moving scenes, the procession stopped outside the Black Sabbath bridge, where the frontman’s wife and children stepped out of their cars to lay down roses wrapped in black paper among the sea of tributes left by fans.
Sharon, Ozzy’s widow, witnessed the outpouring of love for her husband for the first time since his passing. Children Jack, Kelly, and Aimee comforted Sharon as she shed tears. For the family moment, Sharon and Ozzy’s children were also nearby.
Ozzy’s family announced last week that he had passed away at the age of 76, just days after he performed at his final Back to the Beginning concert in his beloved hometown of Birmingham. Kelly and Sharon Osbourne’s families announced in a statement that “we have to announce the passing of our beloved Ozzy Osbourne this morning.
He was surrounded by love and his family. At this time, we ask that everyone respects our family’s privacy. “Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee, and Louis.
The Kia Oval, Day Two of the Fifth Rothesay Test, is scheduled for today (day 2).
India 224 (Nair 57, Atkinson 5-33, Tongue 3-57) &, 75-2 (Jaiswal 51*)
England 247 (Crawley 64, Brook 53, Duckett 43, Krishna 4-62, Siraj 4-86)
India leads by 52 runs.
Late in the second day of the crucial final Test, England let go of crucial catch and gave India the lead at The Oval.
Sai Sudharsan let off once before falling to Gus Atkinson, and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal put down twice in his 51 not out. The tourists, who led by 52, eventually closed out a chaotic day with a 75-2 lead.
The ball whirled throughout. India lost all nine of their first innings wickets for 155 runs when England were dismissed for 247 after being bowled out for 224 in the opening six overs of the morning.
An extraordinary opening score of 92 between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett was incredibly valuable for the home side in such favorable circumstances for the bowlers given the home side’s lack of experience.
With his 43, Duckett reverse-swept Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj for six, which was sensational. In his 64, Crawley hammered 14 fours.
In what has been a tetchy series, Duckett’s dismissal, in an attempt to reverse at Deep, led to India’s resurgence and sparked more verbal exchanges between the two teams.
As Duckett left, Deep sat duck in his arms. Later exchanges between Prasidh Krishna and Joe Root were anything but amiable if that appeared pleasant. Root was furious, which is typically unflappable.
Krishna’s 4-62 and Mohammed Siraj’s 4-62 were outstanding. England slipped to a 23-point lead thanks to Harry Brook’s 53.
England’s second consecutive defeat was quickly achieved by that advantage. The hosts could not recover from a series victory despite being ruthless in the morning, led by Atkinson’s 5-33.
They were probably too far away, in fact. The Duckett-Crawley partnership stifled India, threatening to completely derail tourists. Though Duckett’s decision to dismiss him is up for debate, it was only appropriate for the remainder of a splendid innings.
India deserves a lot of praise for their bravery. Siraj, Deep, and Krishna have already out-bowled England, but they left themselves a seamer short of their choice.
Siraj stepped up to lead the attack, as he does when Jasprit Bumrah isn’t on the team. Ollie Pope, Root, and Jacob Bethell all had a game-changing contribution to the afternoon thanks to an unwavering eight-over spell that lasted for the entire afternoon.
On Thursday, England picked up wickets despite being poor with the ball. On Friday, their bowlers improved but the fielders did not.
England is more likely to attack if the playing conditions are worse. The Duckett-Crawley stand was the most extreme period of Bazballing this summer, which is why the aggressive intent also led to problems for England.
The rest of the day appeared to play a different game than the opening partnership. Duke danced down the pitch while playing the offensive shots over his shoulder. With strong drives, Crawley took the lead.
Duckett’s unsuccessful attempt at Deep opened the door to India, but it was one too many. Before the bowler’s altercation with Root caused the umpires to intervene, Krishna miscued Crawley and forced the bowler to pull.
Krishna made quick work of the lower-order as Siraj ran through the middle-order, including Bethell, who was six for six in his first Test match at home. The tame dismissals of Jamie Smith’s lazy ploy, Jamie Overton’s four-ball duck, and Atkinson’s miscue midway were all dismissed.
England needed Brook to keep them together, even as they rang in a frantic start. He slashed and swarmed his first 19 balls, which he had to score 9, before half-a-century from 57. Brook had a fantastic six-point sweep when Tongue arrived.
Even if England were limited bursts at the beginning and end of the day, it was far from ideal for them to be a man down and have to bowl twice on Friday.
England took the field in white headbands as The Oval honored former England batter Graham Thorpe’s life when India resumed their first innings, winning by 204-6. The ball was then delivered by Surrey’s Atkinson, who was also Thorpe’s opponent.
Tongue produced a vicious in-swinger for 57 pounds, which was just as erratic as he was on day one. For his fourth Test century century with five wickets, Atkinson bounced out of Washington Sundar, bowled Siraj, and caught Krishna behind. In 18 deliveries, the last four wickets were lost.
Left-hander Jaiswal was atypical aggressive in India’s second innings when faced with the deficit. His first chance, on 20, was difficult because Brook’s bowling partner, Atkinson, had a high edge at second slip. Dawson lost track of the ball when Dawson hit the long leg off Tongue on 40, which was supposed to have been swallowed.
When third slip Crawley missed Sudharsan’s sharp edge off Overton, England was dwindling toward chaos, but Atkinson responded with a shooter that gave him a leg-before-decided result. As he left, Sudharsan appeared to have spoken to the England players.
In his most recent exchange with Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev, US President Donald Trump has decreed that two nuclear submarines be flown closer to Russia.
Trump claimed on his platform Truth Social on Friday that the submarine movements were prompted by Medvedev’s “highly provocative statements” this week.
Medvedev had earlier urged Trump to be aware of “how dangerous the fabled “Dead Hand” can be in reference to Russia’s nuclear weapons system during the Cold War.
In case these obscene and uproarious statements are more than that, Trump wrote, “I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions.”
I hope this will not be one of those situations where words are very significant and can frequently have unintended consequences.
Trump and Medvedev have recently engaged in an escalating verbal spat with one another, who is currently the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council under current President Vladimir Putin.
Putin and Medvedev were close friends when they were elected presidents from 2008 to 2012. Medvedev served as his prime minister from 2012 to 2020 when Putin assumed office.
Trump has since started criticizing Medvedev, a well-known war hawk, as he has gotten more and more angry with Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Both men have made concessions about the nuclear capabilities of their respective nations, and their exchanges have become more heated.
Trump switched from a discussion of trade between Russia and India to an attack on Medvedev for his sabre-rattling remarks earlier this week in a social media post.
What India does with Russia doesn’t matter to me. For the love of my life, Trump wrote that they could combine their dead economies.
“Russo and the USA have hardly any business together. Let’s keep things simple and pass on Medvedev’s words to the man who believes he is still in charge of the failed former Russian president. He’s entering “very dangerous” territory!
Medvedev has also shown that he enjoys the US president’s provocation.
In a post on Telegram, Medvedev said, “Russia is doing everything right and will continue to proceed along its own path” if some words from the former Russian president sputter such a nervous reaction from the then-honorable president of the United States.
In an apparent nod to the destruction that Russia has the authority to cause, Medvedev then made a reference to the zombie apocalypse television show The Walking Dead.
Let Trump recall his favorite movies about the “Walking Dead,” and to the “dead economy” of India and Russia and “entry into dangerous territory.”
Not for the first time have Trump and Medvedev discussed their feud online this week. The two men also engaged in physical combat in late June.
Did I hear former Russian President Medvedev impromptuly banging on the “N word” (Nuclear)? ), and asserting that Iran would receive nuclear weapons from other nations. Trump published a letter on June 23.
He then cited Iran’s recent US attack as an example of how the nation might respond to other threats.
“Our Nuclear Submarines are by far the strongest and best equipment we have, 20 years ahead of the pack,” Trump wrote in a statement. They are “the most deadly and powerful weapons ever created.”
He also criticized Medvedev’s handling of the situation under Putin, saying that he was wrong to make threats.
Trump made a joke about Putin, saying, “I suppose that’s why he’s “THE BOSS.”
The high stakes back-and-forth comes as Trump grows more and more annoyed with Ukraine’s slow progress toward peace.
A slow-moving conflict has been brewing in the nation since February 2022 as Ukraine tries to halt a full-scale invasion from Russia.
Trump’s administration has publicly urged the Republican leader to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and he entered his second term as president with the pledge to be a “peacemaker and unifier.”
However, his efforts to resolve the Ukraine-Russian conflict have been unsuccessful.
Trump himself faced criticism at the beginning of his second term for allegedly undermining Ukraine’s cause, accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being a “dictator” and making an ostensible offer to Russia, including annexing Ukrainian territory.
In contrast, Trump initially addressed Putin in a friendly manner, telling Zelenskyy that Putin had experienced “a hell of a lot” with him during a tumultuous Oval Office meeting.
Trump has threatened Russia with sanctions as the war progresses, but that relationship appears to have cooled in recent months. He announced on July 28 that Russia would have “10 or 12 days” to end its offensive, or the penalties would be severed.
Trump then criticized Russia’s continued military action on Thursday as it shelled Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.
“Russia,” I find what they’re doing to be revolting. He claimed that it was repulsive.
However, Medvedev has previously referred to Trump’s deadlines as “theatrical” and claimed that “Russia didn’t care” about the threats. He also warned that Trump’s aggressive foreign policy may have a negative impact on his supporters who put “America First” in office.
Medvedev wrote earlier this week on the social media platform X that “Trump is playing the ultimatum game with Russia.”