NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has confirmed that a game will return to Spain in the foreseeable future. The Santiago Bernabeu, home of La Liga giants Real Madrid, hosted the meeting between the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders on Sunday, in which Miami claimed a 16-13 overtime win in the final international game of the 2025 season.

• NFL played seven international games this year

  Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota was intercepted by Jack Jones in the first play of overtime at the Bernabeu on Sunday. The error, though, paved the way for Riley Patterson's match winning field goal as an entertaining match capped a historic season for the NFL.

  The game was not only the first in Spain, but the seventh international match in a season as the NFL continues to expand globally. Owing to the success in Madrid, there have been talks about playing a match in Barcelona. While Spotify Camp Nou won't be completely ready until 2027, the home of the Blaugrana and their eventual 105,000 seater stadium would be the next logical step for the sport.

  Barcelona will play their first game at Spotify Camp Nou since the 2023/24 season on Saturday afternoon when they host Athletic Club, albeit with the capacity capped at 45,401 as renovations continue.

  The NFL's first international game of the season came in Sao Paulo in Brazil earlier in the year, while there was also games played in Dublin and Berlin for the first time, along with the customary three games in London, two of which took place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the third at Wembley.

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• AFP
  

  'We will be back, we are excited'

  Goodell waxed lyrical about the Bernabeu and confirmed that the NFL will one day return to Madrid. Speaking to the Spanish media after Sunday's game, the NFL Commissioner said: "We will be back, we are excited. This has been a great opportunity for us. We always wait until we get through the games, but we want to be back here in Madrid [and] Spain. I think this is a great market for us."

  Goodell added to NFL Network: "It's been spectacular. We've never played seven games, Brazil was a great start and finishing here in Madrid it just feels right. This is such a great city. The stadium is remarkable and the partners at Real Madrid and the city have just been amazing."

  There are also plans in place to take the NFL further afield, with a game pencilled in for Melbourne, Australia next year, while Goodell stated earlier this year that he is keen to see a game played in Asia in 2026. "Australia is going to be a big learning and test next year," Goodell said.

  "We are excited about that. I think we will be back in a lot of the markets we've been this year, but we have a couple more that we're thinking about right now. So many cities have been reaching out, and that's a great thing for us."

• UEFA impressed by Bernabeu transformation

  The success of the NFL game in Madrid over the weekend may have a positive impact for Real Madrid in the long run. It's been reported that UEFA were left impressed by the transformation of the stadium and that they'd one day like to see the revamped Bernabeu host a Champions League final.

  Real Madrid's home has hosted the final of Europe's showpiece event four times in its history, doing so in 1957, 1969, 1980 and most recently in 2010. In addition, the Bernabeu hosted the second leg of the 2018 Copa Libertadores final between heated rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate owing to safety concerns. River would go on to win 5-3 on aggregate in the last Copa Libertadores final played across two legs.

  However, one potential hiccup is that Real Madrid would need to lodge a bid to host the Champions League final, which given the strained relationship between the La Liga leaders and European football's governing body, is unlikely to be forthcoming.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  When do Real Madrid next play at home?

  Real Madrid are in the midst of a lengthy run of away fixtures. Xabi Alonso's men last played in front of their fans at the start of November, as goals from Kylian Mbappe – twice – Jude Bellingham and Alvaro Carreras earned a 4-0 win over Valencia.

  Since then, Los Blancos have played Liverpool at Anfield and Rayo Vallecano at the Vallecas in the Champions League and La Liga, respectively, and failed to win both. Next up for Real Madrid is a trip to Elche on Sunday before games at Olympiacos, Girona and Athletic Club.

  Real Madrid then return home for the welcome of Celta Vigo on December 7.

Both batters scored unbeaten centuries and posted South Africa’s third-highest partnership in women’s ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2025Marizanne Kapp and Tazmin Brits hit centuries and put up the third-highest partnership for South Africa in women’s ODIs to brush aside Pakistan in the series opener in Lahore.South Africa were in trouble early in their chase of 256. Sadia Iqbal bowled Laura Wolvaardt in the second over and Sune Luus was out lbw by Rameen Shamim in the tenth. But from 43 for 2, the 216-run third-wicket stand lifted South Africa, and the pair finished the game off with ten balls to spare. Kapp, the No. 4, stayed unbeaten on 121 with her third ODI ton, while opener Brits scored 101 not out for her fifth ODI century.Together, they hit 22 fours and two sixes, taking down Pakistan’s experienced bowlers. Fatima Sana and Nashra Sandhu conceded 59 runs and 61 runs respectively in their ten overs while Diana Baig conceded 56 runs in eight. Rameen was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers with figures of 1 for 29 in her ten overs.A jubilant Sidra Amin after reaching her fifth ODI ton•PCB

Pakistan had posted a competitive 255 for 4 with a big partnership of their own. Sidra Amin, like Kapp, also scored an unbeaten 121 and with opener Muneeba Ali put up a 147-run stand for the second wicket.Muneeba fell for 76 in the 31st over but Aliya Riaz’s 34-ball 33 gave Pakistan some impetus approaching the death overs. However, after Riaz’s run-out in the 44th over, Pakistan could not generate enough momentum for a winning score with No. 6 Natalia Pervaiz struggling in the back-end scoring only 5 in 14 balls.Ayabonga Khaka, who took the first two Pakistan wickets, finished with 2 for 36 in nine overs. Tumi Sekhukhune had 1 for 37. Kapp conceded only 2.85 per over in her seven-over spell.The second ODI is on Friday at the same venue.

Stats highlights from MI’s fifth win in a row in IPL 2025, against Lucknow Super Giants

Sampath Bandarupalli27-Apr-20253:25

Rapid Fire: Can MI finish in top 2?

2714 Number of balls taken by Suryakumar Yadav to complete 4000 runs in the IPL – the third quickest to the milestone after Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, both of whom took 2658 balls.10 Consecutive scores of 25-plus for Suryakumar in IPL 2025, after his 54 off 28 balls against Lucknow Super Giants in Mumbai. He’s only the second batter to achieve such a streak after Robin Uthappa had ten consecutive 40-plus scores in IPL 2014.174 Wickets for Jasprit Bumrah in the IPL after his spell of 4 for 22 against LSG. He is now Mumbai Indians’ leading wicket-taker, surpassing Lasith Malinga’s tally of 170.ESPNcricinfo Ltd16-0 MI’s win-loss record while defending targets of 200-plus in the IPL. They are the only team to defend all their 200-plus totals in the IPL.150 Number of matches MI have won in the IPL, including two via a Super Over. They are the first team to register 150 wins in the IPL.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 Consecutive matches won by MI in IPL 2025 after starting the season with only one victory in their first five games. The previous instance of MI winning five consecutive IPL matches was in 2020.5 Number of LSG bowlers to concede more than 40 runs against MI at the Wankhede – only the third such instance in IPL history, after Rajasthan Royals against Sunrisers Hyderabad and SRH against Punjab Kings earlier this season.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo perdeu para o Bolívar, da Bolívia, por 2 a 1 na terceira rodada da fase de grupo da Libertadores. Esta foi a primeira derrota rubro-negra na temporada. Os gols da equipe boliviana, no Estádio Hernando Siles, foram marcados por Chico da Costa e Bruno Sávio, enquanto Viña descontou para o time da Gávea. Confira o Lance! Final no player acima.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoWeb perde a paciência com jogador do Flamengo: ‘Burro’Fora de Campo24/04/2024Fora de CampoTorcedores cornetam atuação de jogador do Flamengo na altitude: ‘Desgosto absurdo’Fora de Campo24/04/2024Futebol NacionalZico doa parte da renda do Jogo das Estrelas a 19 instituiçõesFutebol Nacional24/04/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Mengão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Flamengo

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
BOLÍVAR 2 X 1 FLAMENGO
3ª RODADA – FASE DE GRUPOS DA LIBERTADORES
🗓️ Data e horário: quarta-feira, 24 de abril de 2024, às 21h30 (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Estádio Hernando Siles, em La Paz (BOL);
🟨 Árbitro: Alexis Herrera (VEN);
🚩 Assistentes: Tulio Moreno (VEN) e Lubin Torrealba (VEN);
🖥️ VAR: Silvio Trucco (ARG).

BOLÍVAR (Técnico: Flávio Robatto)
Lampe; Saavedra (Luis Paz), Orihuela, Jesús Sagredo e José Sagredo; Justiniano, Saucedo, Ramiro Vaca (Ervin Vaca) e Bruno Sávio (Henry Vaca); Pato Rodríguez e Chico da Costa.

continua após a publicidade

FLAMENGO (Técnico: Tite)
Rossi; Fabrício Bruno, David Luiz e Léo Ortiz (Matheus Gonçalves); Wesley, Gerson, Igor Jesus, De la Cruz (Lorran), Victor Hugo (Luiz Araújo) e Viña; Bruno Henrique.

Tudo sobre

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There was a 19-minute delay during Monday night's Mets-Phillies game at CitiField. The delay came after Alec Bohm grounded into a double-play during the top of the fifth inning. As Bohm was called out at first he looked towards center field and then he kept looking back as he walked back to the dugout.

Before play could continue with the next batter umpires stopped the game to find out what was wrong. After some confusion the SNY broadcast determined that Bohm was claiming to be distracted by a parabolic microphone set up in center field.

The microphones were eventually removed and play continued, but people immediately began pointing out that the mics were not new. In fact, they'd been there all season. Even worse, the Phillies home broadcast looked into it and determined that they'd been there for .

This information was revealed during Phillies Post Game Live as Ricky Bottalico roasted Bohm for wasting everyone's time.

"Let's talk about Alec Bohm over at third base," said Bottalio. "Okay Alec, you had a good deefensive game but what really kind of got to me? You caused a 19-minute delay on something that's been there since at least 2017. We went back and checked. That exact same thing has been there since 2017."

The media in New York wasn't happy either as WFAN's Boomer Esiason tweeted that the delay was "asinine."

What none of the annoyed viewers took into account was the possibility that the microphone had been distracting players since 2017 and maybe Bohm was the first one brave enough to speak up.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, that's where the heroics ended as the Mets outscored Philadelphia 10-0 after the delay.

Over the last couple of years, Manchester United have shifted their focus in the transfer market to landing young talents who can make an immediate and long-term impact at the club.

Such a strategy may prove to be a risky one, but the benefits massively outweigh the negatives, with the huge development and room for profit no doubt a real contributing factor.

Leny Yoro joined the Red Devils in a £52m deal from Lille last summer, with the Frenchman seen as a huge addition for the backline in their attempts for Premier League glory.

At just 20, he’s racked up nearly half a century of appearances at Old Trafford and is likely to remain a key member of Ruben Amorim’s squad for the foreseeable future.

However, with January rapidly on the horizon, the hierarchy look set to make yet more additions, which could see numerous other youngsters take the jump to move to Manchester.

Man Utd’s hunt for new additions in January

Elliot Anderson is the player who has mostly been linked with a move to join United this winter, with the 23-year-old seen as the club’s marquee addition for the upcoming window.

However, his potential move to Old Trafford would likely be a club-record one for Amorim’s men, as current employers Nottingham Forest are currently demanding £100m for his signature.

Such a price tag is to be expected given his recent rise, which has seen him cement himself as a regular starter in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad in 2025.

However, he’s not the only youngster in their sights, with AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit another talent the hierarchy are considering, according to CaughtOffside.

Their report states that the Red Devils have already reached out to the Dutch outfit over a move for the 19-year-old star, with a £25m price tag currently being mooted for his services.

The article also claims that local rivals Liverpool are also interested in a move for the teenager, but it remains to be seen where the player himself would prefer to move.

How Smit compares to Scott McTominay

United’s academy setup has often produced numerous top-level talents, with midfielder Scott McTominay just one player who has placed himself in that bracket.

The Scottish international rose through the ranks at Old Trafford, before making himself known to the supporters in the first team ranks – subsequently racking up a total of 255 appearances for the club.

However, last summer, the hierarchy decided it was best to move him on and cash in on his services, with the club offloading him to Napoli in a deal worth a reported £25m.

Such a decision has massively backfired, with the midfielder scoring 13 times in all competitions last season, resulting in the 28-year-old winning the Serie A MVP award for 2024/25.

He’s carried his phenomenal form into his international career as of late, even scoring a remarkable bicycle kick against Denmark this week to secure Scotland’s place at the 2026 World Cup.

His move away from Old Trafford has made him an elite-level talent, but the club could be about to land their next version of the star with a move for Smit in the coming months.

The Dutch youngster has also made a name for himself in recent months, as he’s already registered six combined goals and assists in his 19 appearances across all competitions.

He’s become a box-crashing midfielder who likes to pop up with a goal or an assist, something which McTominay has done excellently since his transfer away from his boyhood club.

Smit, who possesses “superstar potential” according to Ben Mattinson, has also completed 88% of the passes he’s attempted – resulting in 2.1 chances created per 90 this campaign.

Games played

19

Goals & assists

6

Pass accuracy

88%

Chances created

2.1

Successful dribbles

1.2

Dribble success

50%

Recoveries made

6.3

Tackles in final third

0.9

Other figures, such as 1.2 successful dribbles per 90 and a 50% dribble success rate, further showcase his talent in possession, which makes him a huge threat in attacking areas.

Out of possession, the youngster has also thrived, subsequently making 6.3 recoveries per 90 and 0.9 tackles per 90 in the final third of the pitch – numbers which could add a new dimension to Amorim’s side.

£25m for a youngster with Smit’s quality and potential is an excellent deal, but the Red Devils board will need to act quickly to avoid missing out to Liverpool.

If he can replicate McTominay’s incredible nouse for goals and assists within the final third, it would be a phenomenal piece of business that could take the club to the next level in the years ahead.

Next Carrick: Man Utd want to sign "one of the best CMs in the PL" for £60m

Man United could enhance the quality of their midfield with the signing of another Michael Carrick.

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 19, 2025

The man Jake Weatherald hopes to partner at the top of the Australian order did him a big favour on day one of the opening Sheffield Shield clash between Queensland and Tasmania.Test and Queensland opener Usman Khawaja dropped Weatherald at first slip off the bowling of Jack Wildermuth when he had made just four on Saturday at Allan Border Field.Weatherald took full advantage of his life, hitting two boundaries in the same over. The in-form Tasmania opener went on to make 67 from 99 balls to continue his relentless runscoring over the past 12 months.Related

• Webster misses Sheffield Shield opener with ankle injury

He partnered with captain Jordan Silk to rescue the visitors’ innings after Silk’s decision to bat first looked to be backfiring horribly.Reeling at 33 for 3, Tasmania steadied and were 299 for 6 at stumps. Silk led the way with 104, his 13 first-class century, and Bradley Hope made 76.Weatherald is coming into Ashes selection calculations thanks to his run of form. He was Shield’s leading runscorer season and made 183 in July for Australia A against Sri Lanka. But he said after Saturday’s play that he had heard “nothing” from national selectors.”It was a good – a bit of luck. You need that when you’re opening,” Weatherald said of his early life. “I was happy with how I moved after that – it was a rough little start.”You probably get a little bit of that, ‘I get an opportunity to kick on now, have that bad shot, that rash shot, out of the kitchen’. Sometimes you just miss it or snick it straight to slips and you get out, so it was good I kicked on from there. I felt really good.”He hit eight boundaries and had a crucial 80-run stand for the fourth wicket with his captain before Michael Neser took a sharp reflex return catch with one hand.Weatherald said he and Silk tried to put the pressure back on the Queensland attack in their stand.Silk went on to make his 104 from 170 balls and was filthy with himself when he was also out caught and bowled to Mitch Swepson. The spinner’s catch was much more straightforward thanks to a leading edge.Wildermuth was eventually rewarded when he trapped Hope lbw, ending his 171-ball knock.Jake Doran and Nikhil Chaudhary were the not out batters, while Neser (2-53 from 18 overs) was the only multiple wicket-taker.Tasmania suffered a blow when Australian all-rounder Beau Webster was ruled out of the game because of an minor ankle injury.

Half-centuries from Kurtis Patterson and Moises Henriques gave New South Wales 331 before their bowlers, led by Sean Abbott, stopped Western Australia 87 runs short

AAP09-Oct-2025

Western Australia teenager Albert Esterhuysen gave Sam Konstas an almighty send-off but it was New South Wales who had the last laugh in the One-Day Cup clash at the WACA Ground.Esterhuysen, playing just his second one-dayer for Western Australia, bowled Konstas for 40 and then unleashed an extended roar and stare-down in the Test opener’s direction during an emotional celebration.Konstas entered Thursday’s match desperate for a big score to mount a solid case for an Ashes call-up, but he couldn’t go on with the job after a strong start.Half-centuries to Kurtis Patterson (66 in 71 balls) and Moises Henriques (54 in 66) lifted New South Wales to a formidable 331. In reply, Western Australia were bowled out for 244 in 46.5 overs, with the returning Mitchell Marsh making just 2 as New South Wales cruised to an 87-run bonus-point victory.The result left Western Australia nursing a 1-2 record, while New South Wales (2-1) moved into second spot, behind unbeaten Tasmania (3-0).Western Australia’s innings never got going, despite boasting a stacked batting line-up that had Cameron Bancroft batting at No. 7.Sam Konstas loses his stumps•Getty Images

Marsh, who came in fresh off his unbeaten 103 in Australia’s T20I victory over New Zealand, was out in just the third over when he was caught on the boundary slashing at a wide Sean Abbott (3 for 28) delivery.Joel Curtis (15), Sam Fanning (8) and Cooper Connolly (5) all came and went as Western Australia crashed to 45 for 4 in the tenth over.Sam Whiteman received a huge life on 2 when he was caught at slip – only for Jack Edwards’ delivery to be deemed a front-foot no-ball. Whiteman went on to make 52 off 56 balls, but his departure in the 24th over at the hands of Tanveer Sangha was a bitter blow to Western Australia’s victory hopes.Bancroft (48), Ashton Agar (44) and Aaron Hardie (37) all produced handy knocks, but with the required run-rate soaring out of control, Western Australia were never truly in the hunt following the top-order collapse.Earlier, Konstas struck seven fours in a quickfire knock before chopping on 19-year-old quick Esterhuysen (2 for 58).New South Wales slumped from 203 for 3 to 225 for 6 largely thanks to Bryce Jackson’s double-strike in the 30th over that sent Patterson and Edwards packing in the space of four balls. But Western Australia couldn’t complete the job, with handy runs from Henriques, Abbott (35) and Charlie Stobo (39 in 20 balls) getting New South Wales well beyond 300.

While their performances last year and at the start of the season suggest otherwise, West Ham United do have a talented squad.

The likes of Freddie Potts, Jarrod Bowen, Mateus Fernandes, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Kyle Walker-Peters are all good to great players who will help move the East Londoners away from a Premier League relegation scrap as the season goes on.

However, one area of the team that the Hammers have consistently failed to address is up top, with neither Niclas Füllkrug nor Callum Wilson good enough to lead the line.

Fortunately, West Ham are now being linked with an inform number nine who could end their striker curse and was even linked to Harry Kane as a youngster.

West Ham target Füllkrug and Wilson upgrade

Before his injury, Füllkrug had made seven appearances for West Ham this season, in which he failed to score or assist a single goal, which makes news of his likely departure in January rather welcome to most fans.

Transfer Focus

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

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Wilson, on the other hand, has been able to find the back of the net twice, in fact, but even so, he has hardly blown anyone away in his nine appearances so far this season, and with his injury record being what it is, he cannot be relied upon.

So, with all that in mind, it’s clear that the East Londoners are in desperate need of a new striker once the window opens, and fortunately, that might happen.

According to a recent report from Turkey, West Ham are among several sides interested in man of the moment, Troy Parrott.

Alongside the Hammers, the report claims that Everton, Leeds United and Stuttgart are keen on signing the Irish international from AZ Alkmaar, who want at least €30m for him, which is about £26m.

It could be a tough transfer to get over the line, but with how well Parrott has played in recent years, and how much of an upgrade on Füllkrug and Wilson he’d be, it’s one worth fighting for.

Why Parrott would be massive upgrade on Wilson & Füllkrug

It’s the obvious place to start, but it’s also the most important: Parrott would be a huge upgrade on Wilson and Füllkrug because he’s simply the better goalscorer.

For example, while the two West Ham strikers have just two goals between them this season, the Irishman has already racked up an astounding tally of 13 goals and two assists in 14 appearances, totalling 928 minutes.

That comes out to a sensational average of 1.07 goal involvements every game, or one every 61.86 minutes.

Parrot’s 25/26

Appearances

14

Starts

11

Minutes

928′

Goals

13

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

1.07

Minutes per Goal Involvement

61.86′

Points per Game

2.21

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Such an incredible rate of return makes the claim of one analyst, made over five years ago, that he was “reminiscent of Harry Kane” as a youngster look rather reasonable today.

It’s not just this season that the former Tottenham Hotspur gem has been on fire, though, as he ended last season with an excellent haul of 20 goals and five assists in 47 games.

With that said, the second reason he’d be an excellent upgrade on the Hammers’ ageing forwards is that he’s still just 23 years old, and therefore has plenty left in the tank.

Moreover, while he did have some injury problems early on in his career, he has not missed more than nine games for club and country in any of the last three campaigns.

Finally, as was made quite clear over the last week or so, the Dublin-born game-changer is someone for the big occasions.

For example, he scored both goals in Ireland’s 2-0 win over Portugal, and then followed that up with what is already a legendary hat-trick against Hungary, securing the country’s place in the World Cup play-offs.

Moreover, his third goal was practically the final kick of the game, suggesting he isn’t someone to flap under the most immense of pressure.

Ultimately, while it might be difficult to get ahead of the other interested parties, West Ham should be doing all they can to sign Parrott in January, as he might be the man to end their striker curse.

Related £67m spent & no Wilson or Fullkrug: Nuno's dream West Ham XI after January

This is the dream West Ham starting line-up that Nuno could build in the January window.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 15, 2025

From a brisk fifty on debut to herculean efforts in Sydney and Brisbane, here’s a look at Pujara’s best knocks

Ashish Pant24-Aug-202572 vs Australia, Bengaluru, 2010Pujara’s debut innings lasted just three balls, but in the second innings, with India chasing 207, the 22-year-old showed his class. Promoted to No. 3, ahead of Rahul Dravid – whom he would eventually replace at that position – Pujara scored 72 off 89 balls in a tricky chase. He had been dismissed by Mitchell Johnson in the first innings, but having settled himself in, he handled the pace remarkably well in this time. He was also immaculate against the spin of Nathan Hauritz, often waltzing down the track. By the time Pujara was dismissed, India were just 61 shy of their target.153 vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 2013Pujara showed his wares on a spicy Johannesburg surface, recording a second-innings century against a top South African attack, which included Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander. He came into bat on 23 for 1, with India 59 ahead. He added 70 with Murali Vijay before a mammoth 222-run stand with Virat Kohli. Pujara’s 153 off 270 balls included 21 fours, his innings helping India set South Africa a target of 458. The match eventually ended in a draw.Cheteshwar Pujara is pumped after reaching his double hundred•Associated Press202 vs Australia, Ranchi, 2017An all-time great knock on a spiteful Ranchi surface. KL Rahul and Vijay gave India a good start after Australia’s 451, before Pujara came to the crease and stitched a century stand with Vijay. The middle order did not contribute much, but Pujara stood firm and amassed 202 off 525 balls against some tight Australia bowling. That helped India declare on 603 for 9, and the match ended in a draw. This is the only instance of an Indian batter facing more than 500 balls in an innings (where data is available).Cheteshwar Pujara celebrates his Adelaide hundred•Associated Press123 and 71 vs Australia, Adelaide, 2018Pujara showed the value of patience on the opening day of the 2018 Adelaide Test, even as the rest of India’s batting crashed. Batting first, India found themselves on 41 for 4, with most of the batters guilty of playing loose shots. Pujara, though, held his own and almost single-handedly took India to 250, facing 246 balls for his 123. The next best score was Rohit Sharma’s 37. If that wasn’t enough, Pujara scored a vital 71 in the second innings to set Australia a target of 323. They fell short by 31.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo Ltd 50 and 77 vs Australia, Sydney, 2021 and 56 vs Australia, Brisbane, 2021Pujara was a different beast in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and not just with the amount of runs but also the way he put his body on the line. In a show of tremendous grit and resolve, he wore several blows to help India save the Sydney Test. He scored 50 off 176 balls in the first innings, but it was his 77 off 205 in the second innings that gave India the belief. Hanuma Vihari and R Ashwin then showed similar resistance to deny Australia. A few days later, Pujara was at it again in Brisbane. He scored 25 off 94 in the first innings and 56 off 211 in the second, often getting pinged on the body. India eventually pulled off a famous win to take the four-match series 2-1.