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Ravichandran Ashwin of India celebrates with Virat Kohli (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/Getty Images) Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has advocated for the establishment of standard Test centres for home matches in India, supporting earlier calls made by Virat Kohli in 2019. Speaking on his YouTube channel “Ash ki Baat,” the 39-year-old off-spinner emphasized the importance of considering player familiarity and pitch conditions, alongside crowd attendance, when selecting Test match venues across the country.Ashwin highlighted that playing conditions vary significantly across different regions in India, which can impact the quality of Test matches. He specifically pointed out the challenges with pitches in certain parts of the country, particularly noting the lack of bounce in eastern regions.The 106-Test veteran stressed that the selection of Test venues should prioritize locations with superior pitch conditions, where the Indian team has experience playing. This familiarity, according to Ashwin, constitutes a legitimate home advantage.”Test centres is not about crowds alone. It is also about familiarity of conditions. If we are playing a Test in Guwahati or Ranchi, I am not against these venues as a possibility. But the problem in India is every surface has a different identity. There is literally no bounce in the Eastern part of the country. It becomes a very ordinary Test match pitch then.”Ashwin expressed concern about hosting matches in venues where even Indian players lack first-class cricket experience. He referenced the recent Test match in Guwahati against South Africa to illustrate his point about unfamiliar venues.”Make sure whichever Test centre you decide has the best pitches. Some venues are better than others only because the pitches are better and the team is used to conditions. That is home advantage. Otherwise the only point is you are playing within that Indian map as home, but is not home.”The discussion aligns with ViratKohli’s previous recommendation from 2019, where he proposed limiting Test matches to five permanent centres in India. Ashwin acknowledged the historical reasons for multiple Test centres but questioned their current relevance.”Eden Gardens, Guwahati – playing against South Africa there, should there be standard Test centres? Virat said years ago they must be fixed. I personally think it’s about time, why did we make Test centres? So more cricketers could emerge, and their associations would get more funding. But Guwahati as a Test match is not a home game for either team, and I don’t think anyone in the Indian team has played a first-class game in Guwahati.”Kohli’s original proposal from 2019 suggested maintaining venue rotation for limited-overs formats while establishing fixed Test centres. His vision aimed to provide visiting teams with clearer expectations regarding playing conditions and crowd atmosphere.”We’ve been discussing this for a long time now, and in my opinion we should have five Test centres, period. I mean, I agree [with] state associations and rotation and giving games and all that, that is fine for T20 and one-day cricket, but Test cricket, teams coming to India should know, ‘we’re going to play at these five centres, these are the pitches we’re going to expect, these are the kind of people that will come to watch, crowds’.”The debate around standardizing Test venues in India continues to highlight the balance between maintaining traditional rotation policies and establishing consistent playing conditions for the longest format of the game.

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Rio Ferdinand has tipped his former England teammate Steven Gerrard to return to Rangers for a second spell as manager.

Gerrard left Ibrox for Aston Villa in 2021 after delivering the Scottish Premiership title in 2020-21.

The former Liverpool captain spent 11 months with Villa before a spell at Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq.

Rangers are in the market for a new manager after Russell Martin was sacked on Sunday after just 123 days in charge.

Gerrard has been out of work since leaving Al-Ettifaq in January, and speaking on the ‘Rio Ferdinand Presents’ podcast, he revealed he had “a bit of unfinished business” in management.

The interview was conducted before Martin’s dismissal, but Ferdinand believes Gerrard would be open to re-joining the Glasgow club, four years on from his departure.

“I have to say when I interviewed him, he left me in no uncertain terms that he wants to be a manager and he’s got full confidence in doing that,” Ferdinand told talkSPORT.

“He’s itching to get back in now. He never said this to me, but I personally think just the energy that I felt in that room, that if Rangers came calling he’d go or at least have that conversation.

“What I felt, if I was an owner of a football club and Steven Gerrard was sat in front of me and I felt that energy in the room when I was interviewing him, he’s getting the job.

“Forget what’s gone on before, but also his time before at Rangers, he did great there. I’ve never had so many Rangers fans flood the comments of my social media or the podcast.

“They’re all desperate for him to go up and at least have the conversation, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Steven Gerrard is managing again very soon and Rangers would be probably one of my big bets.”

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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma NEW DELHI: Shubman Gill has been named the new ODI captain, replacing Rohit Sharma, in a major shake-up ahead of Indiaâ€s upcoming Australia tour while Shreyas Iyer will serve as his deputy for the three-match series starting October 19. The Indian squad also features stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, signaling a transitional approach where experience remains alongside fresh leadership. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Speaking on a special episode of Cricket Predicta, former cricketer and selector Madan Lal praised the move: “This is an excellent decision by the selectors. Making Gill captain is a forward-looking move. He will be prepared for the World Cup. Now it will be interesting to see how Rohit Sharma performs under Gill’s leadership.â€

Shubman Gill named India’s new ODI captain, replaces Rohit Sharma ahead of Australia series

Lal added, “Shubman Gill is an excellent leader and has proven himself in Test cricket. He came very close to breaking Don Bradmanâ€s record during the England Test series. He is the future, and the selectors have made that clear. We must give him time to mature as a captain, especially as we aim for ODI glory in 2027. This series will provide him with the necessary exposure.â€Former England cricketer David Gower offered a candid perspective on Indiaâ€s long-term World Cup strategy, stating, “I do not see Virat and Rohit playing in the 2027 World Cup… Pant, yes, despite being injury-prone. The team will rely on young leaders like Gill to shape the future. This is a perfect opportunity for him to step up and guide India to success.â€The move underscores Indiaâ€s strategic shift in leadership, with Rohit stepping away from captaincy roles. While the futures of Rohit and Kohli in the ODI setup remain merit-based, the focus is clearly on building a strong leadership core for the 2027 World Cup.

Indiaâ€s ODI squad for Australia tour

Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

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Justin Rose has vowed Europe’s Ryder Cup stars will not be distracted by the melee around Donald Trump’s visit to Bethpage on Friday, while spectators have been warned to brace themselves for security chaos as a result of the US president’s presence. Europe face broader challenges after the USA team member Collin Morikawa called for home fans to cause “absolute chaos†for the visitors. Morikawa believes the early part of Ryder Cup week has proved “tameâ€.

Trump’s arrival on the first day of the 45th Ryder Cup will trigger airport-style checks for fans and a ban on several items including folding chairs, umbrellas and vapes. The Bethpage gates will open at the unprecedented time of 5am, more than two hours before play gets under way, in an attempt to alleviate an inevitably tricky situation. Security bubbles and additional screening will be in place around certain areas where Trump could be present.

The focus of Rose and his European teammates is on retaining the trophy won in Rome two years ago. The Englishman, who is taking part in his seventh Ryder Cup, revealed he does not expect the US president to appear on the 1st tee and promised Europe will not lose their focus from the task in hand.

“Obviously he is going to bring certainly a lot of attention and patriotism to the event,†said Rose of Trump. “I don’t think he’s going to necessarily be on the tee box with us or roaming the course. So from that point of view, I think there will just be a lot of noise around it but I’m not sure there will be the continued distraction of it. I could be wrong, just based upon what I’ve heard, how they’re going to handle his movements around the property.

“Listen, it’s great for golf that he’s engaged in the game and obviously he brings a lot of eyeballs with him. Fan-wise, I’m sure Friday afternoon will be certainly very intense and entertaining.â€

Rose’s comments suggest Trump will take the advice of the PGA of America and appear for the second rather than opening session on Friday. The Ryder Cup organisers had asked the White House to ensure the president did not come in the morning, in an attempt to alleviate security pressures at this 1400-acre site. About 50,000 spectators are expected at Bethpage on each tournament day.

Security around Trump has been intensified by the recent killing of Charlie Kirk. On Wednesday morning, Ryder Cup organisers announced a string of measures never previously encountered at the biennial event. “Ticketed attendees are strongly urged to arrive as early as possible and should budget extra time as they plan their day,†said a PGA of America statement.

“In addition to security screening at the entrance, spectators will be subjected to TSA [Transportation Security Administration]-style screening points around the clubhouse, adjacent grandstand and surrounding areas. If spectators leave these secure areas, they will need to be screened again prior to reentering that area.

“Gates will open for ticket holders at 5am. Guests should make every effort to restrict personal items to a minimum.

“Guests should expect temporary delays moving around publicly accessible areas inside and outside of the Bethpage Black golf course. These areas may briefly become restricted or frozen spaces before, during or after the event.â€

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Fans were busy collecting autographs during a practice round for the golfers at Bethpage. Photograph: Harry How/Getty Images

Members of the public are prohibited from bringing laptops, tablets or range finders into Bethpage on Friday. Items banned in the vicinity of the 1st hole are portable folding chairs, large vapes, torch-style lighters, metal or hard plastic beverage containers and large umbrellas.

Morikawa did his bit to crank up pressure on Europe. “I think it’s kind of tame so far,†said the two-time major winner. “I hope Friday is just absolute chaos. I’m all for it. I think it feeds into who we are as the American team. We want it. We want to use that to our advantage. I think we really have to tap into that.

“I hope they come strong. Watching all these kids, I know they want autographs, but come Friday I hope they go crazy.â€

A further layer of Ryder Cup complication has been added by a forecast of thunder storms in this part of Long Island. It is possible neither the USA nor European teams will be able to play practice holes on the eve of competition.

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