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Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank should be using the international break to come up with a new approach to matches after a difficult run of form across all competitions.

The Lilywhites have won one of their last four matches and only two of their last seven games in all competitions, the latest of which was a 2-2 draw with Manchester City in the Premier League.

Tottenham are fifth in the Premier League, with five wins and just three losses in 11 matches, which is a respectable position to be in at this point in the season under a new head coach.

However, the underlying data behind their results suggests that they may slide down the table as the campaign progresses unless they are able to improve their performances.

Shots on target

38

14th

Non-penalty xG

11.0

15th

xG

11.0

15th

xGA

15.2

14th

xGD

-4.2

17th

xGD per 90

-0.38

17th

As you can see in the table above, Spurs are consistently allowing the opposition to create more high-quality chances than they create for themselves, which is not a good combination.

Frank needs to find a way to add more creativity to his squad, which is why Brennan Johnson may not have much of a long-term future as a starter in North London.

Why Spurs need to move on from Brennan Johnson

Tottenham have already had value for money from the £47.5m that they paid Nottingham Forest to sign the winger in 2023, because he scored the winning goal in the Europa League final last season. That goal, alone, made the deal to bring him to the club worth it.

The Wales international has scored 27 goals in all competitions for Spurs since his move from the Tricky Trees, per Sofascore, which shows that he has offered a fairly reliable threat as a goalscorer.

However, his all-round play as a winger has left a lot to be desired and he may need to be removed from the starting line-up, or the squad in general, in order to build a team that provides more creativity week-in-week-out.

xAG

0.10

Bottom 18%

Assists

0.12

Bottom 37%

Progressive passes

2.94

Bottom 39%

Progressive carries

2.84

Bottom 33%

Successful take-ons

0.79

Bottom 22%

Passes into the final third

1.03

Bottom 20%

Key passes

0.79

Bottom 9%

As you can see in the table above, Johnson ranked among the worst wingers in the Premier League last season when it came to creating chances and progressing play with the ball at his feet.

This season, meanwhile, the Welshman has 0.25 xA and has averaged 0.4 key passes per game across 11 appearances in the top-flight, per Sofascore, which shows that he has not improved on last season’s struggles.

Spurs eyeing move to sign LaLiga winger

Now, the Europa League champions are reportedly looking at a move for a new signing who could leave Johnson on borrowed time if he arrives in North London.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur are ‘eager’ to seal a deal to sign Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo when the January transfer window opens for business.

The report claims that the Lilywhites want to add a centre-forward and a wide player to their squad to bolster their options in the final third ahead of the second half of the season, with the Japan international lined up for the latter role.

It adds that Kubo has a £52m release clause in his contract with the Spanish side, which would allow Spurs to activate that and skip negotiations over a transfer fee in January.

Football Insider also reveals that their interest in the Japanese star comes amid Everton’s desire to keep hold of their other wide target Iliman N’Diaye, as the Toffees have no intention of letting the Senegal international depart in the next transfer window.

Why Spurs should sign Takefusa Kubo

Spurs should sign the 24-year-old attacker in the January transfer window because his arrival at the club could leave Brennan Johnson on borrowed time.

The former Barcelona and Real Madrid youngster was once dubbed the ‘Japanese Messi’ by ESPN, possibly as he is another diminutive left-footed right winger who excels as a dribbler and a creator in LaLiga.

Dribbling and creating chances, as aforementioned, are two things that Johnson has struggled badly with since the start of last season in the Premier League, which is why Spurs need to find an upgrade on him.

You could look at Kubo’s statistics and question whether or not he is very creative, because he only has four assists for Real Sociedad in all competitions since the start of last season.

However, the Messi-esque winger’s underlying numbers for the Spanish side over the past year suggest that his lack of assists is down to poor finishing from his teammates.

xAG

0.17

Top 10%

Assists

0.07

Bottom 45%

Progressive passes

3.66

Bottom 22%

Progressive carries

4.60

Top 1%

Successful take-ons

2.58

Top 1%

Touches in attacking penalty area

4.81

Top 1%

Key passes

1.78

Top 10%

Passes into the penalty area

1.43

Top 9%

As you can see in the table above, Kubo ranks highly in a host of creative and dribbling metrics in the last 365 days, certainly living up to the billing that legendary Barcelona figure Xavi gave him of being “world-class.”

The Japan international created a whopping nine ‘big chances’ in LaLiga last season, for example, but was not rewarded with a single assist for his efforts in the final third, per Sofascore.

Kubo is doing all the right things by consistently taking his team up the pitch and creating high-quality chances, and the assists could follow if he comes to Spurs to play with the likes of Richarlison and Mathys Tel, which would then leave Johnson on borrowed time.

With Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert already at the club, the signing of the Real Sociedad winger could mean that the Wales international finds game time hard to come by, due to his struggles in possession, which appear to be holding Spurs back as an attacking force.

Frank must sell £55k-per-week Spurs flop who was looking "like Dembele"

Tottenham Hotspur must now look to offload one player who has failed to deliver in North London.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 16, 2025

That could make Johnson consider his long-term future in North London if a move to sign Kubo leaves him limited to a role off the bench most weeks.

Weibgen rescued Queensland from 38 for 4 after Joel Curtis’ century had powered Western Australia to 321 for 9

AAP21-Sep-2025Hugh Weibgen was the hero as Queensland recovered from a top-order collapse to post a thrilling two-wicket victory over Western Australia at Allan Border Field.Joel Curtis struck 116 off 108 balls and Sam Whiteman a run-a-ball 83 as WA posted a formidable 321 for 9 on Sunday.In reply, Queensland slumped to 38 for 4 before Weibgen (115* off 94 balls) produced a masterful knock to lift his team to victory with just five balls to spare. Jack Wildermuth (74 off 49) and Michael Neser (41 off 23) also produced important knocks in the remarkable chase.Weibgen, 20 and playing just his second List A match, cracked nine fours and five sixes in an unforgettable innings. Wildermuth provided plenty of fireworks with five fours and six sixes, while Neser (three fours, three sixes) produced a handy late cameo to ensure the required run rate stayed within control.Fittingly, Weibgen hit the winning runs when he crunched a Matthew Kelly full toss for four.WA looked to be in an unbeatable position after removing Queensland’s top order.Dangerman Marnus Labuschagne, who posted 130 in Queensland’s’ win over Victoria earlier this week, was out for 2 off 19 balls. Jack Clayton (5), Matthew Renshaw (5) and Jimmy Peirson (18) were also part of the top-order collapse.Weibgen walked to the crease with the scoreboard reading 38 for 4 in the 13th over.He was dropped on 109 by Sam Fanning with Queensland still needing 11 more runs for victory, and the miss proved costly.Earlier, third-gamer Curtis struck 12 fours and four sixes during his sparkling knock, combining with Fanning for a 124-run third-wicket partnership for WA. Curtis brought up his maiden One-Day Cup century by hooking Neser (1 for 62) for six.It would take something special to remove Curtis, and Mitchell Swepson obliged with a spectacular one-handed catch at mid-off while running with the flight of the ball. Cameron Bancroft’s quest for early-season runs went unfulfilled, as he was out for 12 when he edged Tom Straker behind.Legspinner Swepson snared 4 for 52 and Straker chipped in with 3 for 65, but it was Weibgen’s heroics with the bat that set tongues wagging.

Jamie Carragher has named the one team that can stop Arsenal from ending their Premier League title drought this season. The Gunners thrashed Tottenham 4-1 on Sunday to extend their lead at the top of the table. They have finished second in the English top-flight for three straight campaigns but this term represents a golden opportunity to finally top the pile for the first time since 2004.

Arsenal put Tottenham to the sword

An Eberechi Eze hat-trick inspired Arsenal to a resounding victory at Emirates Stadium on Sunday over their bitter rivals. The result took them six points clear of second-placed Chelsea and seven ahead of Manchester City, following their shock loss to Newcastle United. It was not just that Mikel Arteta's side claimed all three points it was the manner of their victory that will make the rest of the division sit up and take notice. They have the best defence in the league and the joint-best attack with City. If they keep this up, they may finally end their league title hoodoo.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportArsenal's title to lose

Liverpool legend Carragher believes that the side most likely to stop Arsenal from winning the league this season is themselves. In previous years, they seemed primed to end their barren run, only to fall short at the last. But with Liverpool languishing down in mid-table and City being a bit inconsistent, Arsenal are the big favourites for this race. 

He said on Sky Sports: "The only team that can stop Arsenal winning the league is Arsenal; they are the best team. They are the best squad. The only thing that can stop them is their own heads, their own mentality. Maybe this crowd getting nervous in March and April, if the league is still up for grabs by then. This would be the one. If they didn't win it, I think we'd all point the finger at them and say, 'You threw this away’. I don't think that's ever been the case before. I always think the case has been that there has been a team slightly better than them in the Premier League, but that is definitely not the case this season."

Henry sends Arsenal rallying cry

Arsenal icon Thierry Henry believes his old team needs to "embrace" their status as favourites for the title. He also wants the Gunners to put together displays that make other teams "scared of us".

The Frenchman added: "At some point, you have to embrace it. People are talking about the process. It's not believing in the process anymore. It's happening. We put ourselves in the situation where we believe we have the best squad. So you need to make sure that you can win the league. I'm not saying they are going to win it but you need to act like you are the favourite. Embrace it. It's not me trying to put pressure. If I were coming back in the summer, I would have said, 'It's time to stop messing around'. We now need a performance this year where people are scared of us."

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Getty Images SportArteta wants more from Arsenal

Arteta was delighted with his team's victory, and, in particular, how they dismissed Tottenham with ease. Ahead of a crunch Champions League encounter with Bayern Munich in midweek, followed by a trip to Chelsea next weekend, the Spaniard says they cannot rest on their laurels.

He told BBC's Match of the Day: "It's a very special day for us. We knew the importance of the match and what it means to our fans. To be able to give them that joy, it's a beautiful day. We dominated every part of the game. We created massive chances and had a lot of actions that we were very close to scoring. We stayed patient. Whoever we put in there they do the jobs for us. This squad has the belief and quality to deliver consistently. We have really good momentum but you can see how difficult every game in the Premier League is. It's a long run, let's go game by game. Let's enjoy tonight, then we have Bayern here and Chelsea away. We have a tough week."

Shohei Ohtani once again wowed the sports world Wednesday night when he came to the plate in the ninth and crushed the first pitch he saw over the wall in left center to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a dramatic 6-5 come-from-behind victory at home over the Atlanta Braves.

With the game tied and one out in the bottom of the last inning, the scene at Dodger Stadium was goosebump-inducing as Ohtani walked to the plate. It was if the crowd knew something big was going to happen and the just a few seconds later, it did.

After his majestic home run, Ohtani was asked by MLB Network's Jon Morosi about what makes him so good in moments when the pressure is so great.

"It’s actually an honor to feel the pressure because that means there’s a lot of expectations and I just change that to more of a positive," Ohtani said.

That answer is at the end of this video:

Powerful stuff from the reigning NL MVP.

Ohtani now has three home runs on the season and the defending-champion Dodgers are off to an 8-0 start.

Celtic look set to finally confirm the appointment of their permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers in the dugout at Parkhead with the arrival of Wilfried Nancy from Columbus Crew.

Rodgers tendered his resignation at the end of October, after a 3-1 loss to Hearts, and experienced manager Martin O’Neill has taken the reins as interim head coach for the past month or so.

The former Celtic boss, as shown in the graphic above, won the Scottish Premiership title in his first two seasons back at Parkhead, and it will be down to Nancy to overcome Hearts to win the division in his first season.

Journalist Graeme Bailey claims that the Hoops are set to confirm the appointment of the MLS boss before the weekend, but that means that it remains to be seen if he will be in the dugout for the weekend’s clash with Hibernian.

Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen and Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna were also said to be in the running for the role, but it is the Frenchman who is poised to replace Rodgers.

Whilst Nancy will have to deal with the players that he inherits for the first month or so of his reign in Glasgow, the incoming boss has already been linked with a move to bring one of his Columbus Crew stars to Scotland.

The Columbus Crew star Wilfried Nancy could bring to Celtic

Earlier this week, it was reported that Celtic are lining up a move to bolster their attack by swooping for one of the French head coach’s key players from the MLS side.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Nancy is reportedly set to swoop for Columbus Crew centre-forward Wessam Abou Ali to provide him with a proven and lethal number nine at Parkhead for the second half of the 2025/26 season.

The Palestine international scored three goals in five MLS games for Nancy towards the end of the 2025 campaign, per Sofascore, after a £5.7m move from Egyptian giants Al Ahly back in July.

Prior to his almost £6m move to the MLS in July, Abou Ali’s form for Al Ahly in Egypt caught the eye, as he showcased his reliability in front of goal in the Egyptian Premier League.

Appearances

19

16

Goals

18

10

Minutes per goal

76

118

Big chances missed

5

1

Conversion rate

40%

23%

Big chances created

3

2

Assists

4

3

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old frontman scored a staggering 28 goals in 35 appearances in those two seasons, which shows that he can find the back of the net on a regular basis.

However, it remains to be seen how much money Columbus Crew would want for the prolific striker because they paid almost £6m for him earlier this year, and he has already scored three goals in five league games.

If the MLS side demand a hefty fee that Celtic are either unable or unwilling to pay in the January transfer window, Nancy will have to look at alternative ways to bolster his attacking ranks at Parkhead.

For example, the French boss could unearth his next version of Abou Ali by helping young striker Callum Osmand fulfill his potential when he is back fit and available for selection.

Why Osmand could be Celtic's own version of Abou Ali

The Jersey-born star is currently out with a hamstring injury and a timeline has not been given on his return date, so it remains to be seen when he will be available to the incoming Hoops boss.

With Kelechi Iheanacho and Osmand both missing through injury, Ireland international Johnny Kenny is the first-choice number nine at Parkhead. The young forward has had an impressive run under interim boss O’Neill with four goals in five matches, per Sofascore.

However, it may be the former Fulham youngster who is the most likely to emerge as the star goalscorer of the Nancy era when you consider his record at first-team and academy level to date.

Appearances

150

83

Goals

47

49

Games per goal

3.19

1.69

Assists

11

13

Games per assist

13.64

6.38

As you can see in the table above, Osmand has scored and created goals at a much more impressive rate than Kenny has throughout his career to date, with an exceptional haul of 49 goals in 83 matches.

Whilst the majority of those goals have been at youth level, the 20-year-old star also showcased his quality in the first-team with a poacher’s finish against Rangers in the semi-final of the League Cup at Hampden Park earlier this month.

Unfortunately, Osmand then suffered his hamstring injury off the bench against Midtjylland in the Europa League in the very next game, shortly after winning a penalty from which Reo Hatate scored.

The ex-Fulham youngster, who was also hailed as “lightning quick” by Fulham expert Jack Kelly, scored one goal and won a penalty in his first three first-team outings for the Scottish giants, which is an impressive start to senior football for the young attacker.

His exceptional goalscoring record in his career suggests that he has the potential to emerge as a real star for Celtic in the future, once he is back from injury, because he has the quality to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis.

Therefore, the summer signing could be unearthed as Nancy’s next version of Abou Ali, who has been a prolific scorer for his last two teams, as another number nine who can provide a lethal presence in front of goal, if the Hoops are unable to get a deal done for the MLS star.

£1.5m Celtic flop has been an even bigger waste of time than Balikwisha

This Celtic flop has been an even worse signing than Michel-Ange Balikwisha for the Scottish giants.

1 ByDan Emery Nov 25, 2025

Appointment of Washington Freedom director of cricket helps to strengthen ties at newly acquired franchise

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2025Michael Klinger, the former Australia batter and current director of cricket at Washington Freedom in the MLC, has joined Welsh Fire in a senior management role and will also take over as head coach of their Women’s Hundred team.Klinger’s appointment, on a two-year contract, further strengthens ties between Glamorgan County Cricket Club and Washington Freedom, whose owner – Sanjay Govil, the US-based tech entrepreneur – acquired a 49% stake in Welsh Fire during the Hundred equity sale earlier this year.Klinger will retain his role at Washington Freedom, and will work closely with Fire’s general manager Mark Wallace to oversee recruitment for both the men’s and women’s teams.Gareth Breese, who oversaw the women’s squad in this year’s Hundred, will stay on as an Assistant Coach in the restructured team, while Mike Hussey – Klinger’s fellow Australian – retains his role as head coach of the men’s team.In the 2025 Hundred season, Klinger was head coach of Manchester Originals women’s team, and has also served in coaching roles at Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League in India, the Melbourne Renegades Men’s Team in the Big Bash League and the Sydney Thunder Women’s team.”I’m thrilled to be taking on an expanded role with Welsh Fire, leading list management for both the men’s and women’s teams, alongside being Head Coach of the Women’s side,” Klinger said.”I’d like to thank Manchester Originals for the opportunity to work with them last year. It was a fantastic and rewarding experience for which I’m very grateful.”This new role allows me to combine coaching with a broader strategic focus and to continue strengthening my connections with the Washington Freedom organisation, as well as with the current management and coaches at Welsh Fire.”Glamorgan and Welsh Fire CEO, Dan Cherry, added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Michael to the Welsh Fire family. From his career to date, Michael’s experience, pedigree and enthusiasm matches our long-term strategic vision of ambition and success for the franchise.”Michael adds real quality to our recruitment and coaching capabilities, while his arrival allows Mark to focus directly on implementing our wider cricket strategy. We are hopeful that Gareth Breese will stay on to support Michael after leading the team to the final in 2024.”It’s great also to continue our partnership with Mike Hussey. Mike is an outstanding leader who has made great strides with our Men’s team in recent years. We are all excited for this new chapter as we maximise our partnership with Sanjay Govil and his team to take progressive steps forward on and off the field.”

U.S. international Tyler Adams stunned the Stadium of Light with an audacious 43-yard rocket, pushing AFC Bournemouth into a 2-0 lead over Sunderland just 15 minutes into Saturday’s Premier League clash. Spotting Robin Roefs off his line, the USMNT midfielder looped a brilliant effort from near the center circle into the net.

Getty Images SportMoment of brilliance

Adams' strike came just eight minutes after Amine Adli had given the visitors an early lead, stunning the home supporters into silence.

The goal immediately drew comparisons to Richarlison's 35-yard effort for Tottenham in last weekend's North London derby against Arsenal, which had previously held the record for the longest-range goal this season. It adds to the trend of spectacular long-range strikes in the Premier League this campaign, with there five strikes over a 30 yards already, including Marcus Tavernier’s 34.7 yard stunner against Nottingham Forest.

AdvertisementWatch the goalGetty Images SportRecent goalscoring run

Before joining Bournemouth, the American midfielder had gone nearly four years without scoring at club level, with his last goal coming 1,472 days before he finally broke his drought earlier this month against Manchester City. 

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Getty Images SportBournemouth's impressive away form continues

The American’s wonder strike put Bournemouth in a position to secure their fourth away win of the season – a notable jump for a club that struggled on the road last year. If the Cherries hold their 2-1 lead, they will finish the day in fourth place in the Premier League table ahead of their match against Everton on Dec. 2.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola is headed to the 15-day injured list with a right ankle sprain, the team announced on Friday.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters that Nola's right ankle sprain occurred before the team's series against the Cleveland Guardians, which started on May 9. Thomson said that Nola sprained his ankle while doing agility work in the outfield, via Luke Arcaini.

It sounds like the Phillies are putting Nola on the IL for precautionary reasons, as Thomson said Nola's sprain is "getting better," but the team doesn't want to push it. They want him to feel 100% before returning to the starting rotation.

This is the first time Nola's been on the IL since 2017. Thomson doesn't believe Nola will be away from the team longer than the 15 days scheduled.

Through nine starts this year so far, Nola has posted a 6.16 ERA, a career-worst for him. He's pitched 49.2 innings and thrown 52 strikes, walked 16 batters and has had 59 hits on him.

To fill his spot in the rotation, the Phillies are giving Mick Abel his first MLB start on Sunday vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates and Paul Skenes. Abel is one of the organization's top prospects and currently plays on the Triple A Lehigh Valley team. He will head back to Triple A after his Sunday start as Taijuan Walker is expected to rejoin the starting rotation next week.

It feels like Chelsea’s momentum is starting to build this season.

Enzo Maresca’s side had a few poor results earlier in the campaign, but have just come off a week that saw them demolish Barcelona in the Champions League.

Then, a few days later, they held Premier League leaders Arsenal to a 1-1 draw, despite being a man down for over half the game.

One of Chelsea’s best players in this uptick in form has been Marc Cucurella, but if reports are to be believed, he could soon have some extra competition for his place in the team.

Chelsea target Cucurella rival

With the winter transfer window now so close, Chelsea have unsurprisingly been linked with a huge number of players.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, the West Londoners have been one of several sides linked with an audacious move for Juventus’ Kenan Yıldız, and if that wasn’t exciting enough, Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga has also been touted for a £70m move to Stamford Bridge.

However, while these two players would most certainly improve Maresca’s squad, if not his starting lineup, they cannot really be described as competition for Cucurella, unlike Castello Lukeba.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are one of a number of teams interested in the French defender.

Alongside the Blues, the report claims Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United are all keen on the 22-year-old, but the good news is that it is the West Londoners who are leading the race at the moment.

Interestingly, while he has a release clause worth up to €90m in his contract, which is about £79m, the report has revealed that RB Leipzig may be willing to let him leave for around €60m, which is just £53m.

It could still be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but with how talented Lukeba is, one Chelsea should fight for, especially as he could provide more competition for Cucurella.

How Lukeba compares to Cucurella

Now, the first thing to say is that it feels incredibly unlikely that any defender would come into this Chelsea side in January and immediately displace Cucurella.

After all, the Spaniard is one of the first names on the team sheet at the moment.

However, all great teams need serious competition in all areas of the pitch, and by signing Lukeba, Maresca would be ensuring that he has that at left-back and extra cover at centre-back.

Yes, the Frenchman has spent most of his career playing in the centre of a defence, but he has got some experience out on the left, and players like Jorrel Hato, Jurrien Timber and even Riccardo Calafiori all prove that centre-backs can transition to become more of a full-back.

Moreover, respected analyst-turned-Como scout Ben Mattinson has even described the 22-year-old as a “perfect LB/LCB hybrid for the modern game.”

Mattinon goes on to describe the Frenchman as “defensively exceptional,” pointing out his “outstanding timing of last man tackles” as one of the reasons why.

However, he’s not just a lockdown defender, as u23 scout Antonio Mango has described him as someone who “excels on the ball” and has “that line breaking ability” so many managers want from their full-backs and centre-backs.

With all that said, his most significant advantage over Cucurella, and the reason he could seriously challenge him for game time, is his defensive solidity, and the numbers back that up.

According to FBref, the Leipzig star outperforms the Blues ace in most defensive metrics, including ball recoveries, aerial duels won, blocks, interceptions and clearances.

Blocks

1.91

1.42

Interceptions

1.45

1.00

Clearances

5.82

3.33

Aerial Duels Won

1.18

1.00

Ball Recoveries

5.73

3.83

Ultimately, Cucurella’s place in Chelsea’s starting lineup is guaranteed at the moment, but were Maresca to get his hands on Lukeba, he could have some serious competition.

Chelsea are brewing a "monstrous" star at Cobham who's their next James

The incredible Cobham prospect could become Chelsea’s next Reece James.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 3, 2025

India suffered a 408-run defeat, their biggest ever in Test cricket, in Guwahati

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-20256:06

Karim: ‘Harmer’s variations upset India batters’

India’s failure to capitalise on their chances sent them tumbling to a 2-0 series defeat against South Africa, according to their stand-in captain Rishabh Pant.”They [South Africa] definitely played better cricket, but at the same time, in cricket you can’t take anything for granted,” Pant said at the post-match presentation. “You can play at home or away, but at the same time, cricket demands that determination and that extra.”There are moments in the game where you need to capitalise [on] it as a team, as a batting unit. But as a team, we didn’t capitalise on those enough for a longer period of time, and that cost us the whole series.”In the second Test in Guwahati, where Pant took over captaincy from the injured Shubman Gill, India let South Africa get away and post 489 after they had the visitors at 246 for 6 at one point.South Africa went on to bat India out of the Test, setting them an improbable 549. On the final day, India’s batters had their chances – both B Sai Sudharsan and nightwatcher Kuldeep Yadav were reprieved – but they eventually folded for 140, suffering a 408-run loss, theirbiggest ever in Test cricket.ESPNcricinfo LtdThis was India’s second series defeat in their previous three home series. Last year, they suffered an unprecedented 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand, which ended a proud run of 17 straight home-series wins over a 12-year period. Pant called on India to stick together and find a way past this rut.”Definitely it’s a little disappointing, but as a team we need to get better,” Pant said. “And you’ve got to give credit to the opposition that they played better cricket than us,” Pant said. “Because, in series like this, which has already been tough, if we dwell too much… you’ve got to take the learning and stick as a team.”