Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens recap a hectic North London Derby and what the result means for Tottenham and Arsenal. Plus, they discuss Juventus' dramatic win over Napoli.

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Gab Marcotti is here to recap another busy, dramatic weekend in soccer. Welcome to Monday Musings.

Jump to: North London derby lessons | Juve, Napoli show flaws | Barca drop points | Lukaku abused | Man United's transition | Bale back for Real? | Dortmund's wake-up call | Salah, Mane drama? | Super Simeone and Atletico| Rome derby a fun one | Trouble for Lampard? | Big statement by Bayern | And finally... Bas Dost

Derby lessons: Arsenal, Spurs miles off the pace

What struck you most about the North London Derby was how ragged and stretched these two teams became in the second half. When the distance between the back line and the attackers expands like it did on Sunday, it's usually the result of a tactical breakdown. You could chalk some of it up to fatigue, I guess, but it's not what you expect from coaches like Mauricio Pochettino and Unai Emery. The former has had plenty of time to build a side with a distinct tactical identity, while the latter is in his second season and has a reputation as a tactical savant.

The result was a 2-2 draw that left little doubt that these two teams aren't where their managers want them to be. Tottenham in particular look a shadow of themselves not just tactically, but physically as well: maybe it's the result of the summer training regimen, which is notoriously taxing under Pochettino but yields dividends later. At least Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen seem to be off the naughty step, Dele Alli is close to full fitness and, when Tanguy Ndombele returns, there will be more options.

Pochettino put a rather more positive spin on it -- "I am so optimistic that we have the quality to build again" he said, adding that "the good feelings" had returned -- but you wonder how much of that was "managerspeak." It's going to take more to convince most that Spurs have turned the corner.

As for Emery, he praised his team's hard work to get a point after being 2-0 down at home, while also complaining about their tactical foibles in the first half. You wonder, though, what his game plan was to begin with. Going with a 4-3-3 formation while leaving out Dani Ceballos at home is a statement that screams: "we're going to sit and counter," which is fine even if a bit humdrum. But if you're going to do that, at least do it well.

- Ogden: Fightback will buy Emery more time
- Spurs ratings: Son stands out
- Arsenal ratings: Aubameyang, Lacazette 8/10

The biggest concern, though, has to be down the spine. In midfield, for the bright spot that was Matteo Guendouzi, there was the nasty blot that was Granit Xhaka. And at the back, David Luiz had one of those "switch-off" games, while Sokratis Papastathopoulos was at fault for the first goal.

Was it a one-off? Do we expect these two thirty-somethings to markedly improve at the season wears on? And if they don't, are we comfortable with Rob Holding (who hasn't played since 2018), Calum Chambers (who mostly played midfield last year) and Shkodran Mustafi (who is, well, Shkodran Mustafi) to step up?

Nope, me neither.

This was the season many hoped the North London clubs would close the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City. Instead, the chasm still looks huge.

Juventus, Napoli flaws exposed in seven-goal thriller

For a minute, Carlo Ancelotti must have been thinking he was living his own personal Istanbul, only in reverse. His side were 3-0 down away to Juventus and stormed back to equalize. (OK, nitpickers: I know the difference as I was there. Liverpool's turnaround took six minutes, this one took 15, but still ...) And then, deep in injury time, Kalidou Koulibaly sliced a clearance into the back of the net in the cruelest twist to give Juve a 4-3 win.

For the neutral, it was captivating. For the two clubs, a sign that there is still work to do.

Ancelotti questioned the defensive mistakes -- not so much Koulibaly's own goal, but what came before -- and why his team "only started playing in the second half." He has a point, although sending on Hirving "Chucky" Lozano and Mario Rui at half-time undoubtedly rattled Juve and illustrates the range of attacking options at his disposal: it's up to him to find the right mix in the right game.

- Horncastle: Juve, Napoli show Serie A is wide open

Juventus didn't look much like a Maurizio Sarri team -- possibly because his illness means he hasn't taken training in several weeks and watched from a luxury box -- but rather, for more than an hour, like a version of last season's. They were stout defensively and devastating on the break, with plenty individual quality. Then came the collapse, and while fingers will be pointed at Matthijs De Ligt, it's worth remembering the obvious. He only turned 20 last month -- at his age Leo Bonucci had played a single minute of league football and Giorgio Chiellini had yet to make his debut in Serie A and both turned out OK -- and he's dealing with massive changes like a new league, a new language and a new culture.

Plus, with all due respect to the Eredivisie, you can probably count on two hands the number of opponents of Napoli's quality that he has faced, and that includes Champions League and internationals. That said, De Ligt is a very different player from the injured Chiellini: for all his skills, he lacks the freakish athleticism that can help a young player paper over tactical cracks. Juventus will need to make adjustments while he develops.

Beyond that, there were plenty of positives for both managers to focus on. Gonzalo Higuain may not last 90 minutes, but he looked sharp and motivated and poised for a comeback season. The formation switch -- 4-3-3 when attacking, 4-4-2, with Douglas Costa sliding into midfield and Blaise Matuidi going wide -- also worked relatively well and might be the answer to carrying Cristiano Ronaldo and Higuain in a Sarri system. Napoli showed tons of personality and Fabian Ruiz, again, showed his quality and leadership, while Alex Meret made some key saves.

There's plenty more to work on -- Juve could use more width, Napoli's center-backs need to get back to where we expect them to be -- but the foundations are there.

Barcelona drop points amid Neymar drama

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez will supposedly return after the international break. When they do, they'll find a Barcelona side five points off the pace in La Liga after the weekend's 1-1 draw with Osasuna. Not much to cheer then, apart from the contributions of homegrown youngsters Carles Perez and, in particular, 16-year-old Ansu Fati, who came on and became the third-youngest goal scorer in the history of La Liga.

Much of the past week has been marked by Barcelona's pursuit of Neymar. As I said before, this never felt like a football move (they already have Messi, Suarez and Antoine Griezmann up front) or, indeed, a rational one (Barca aren't a bottomless pit of cash, and Neymar breaks the bank wherever he goes). Now, I'm wondering if it was ever real.

The rumour going around Monaco at the Champions League draw was that it more a case of Barca wanting to appear to be doing something in order to appease somebody. (Who? Fans? Media? Messi? Who the heck knows?)

The fact that PSG say they only received the first written offer on August 27 and that the only way this deal would ever get done was as a player-plus-cash swap, which is always complicated and time-consuming and suggests this was never the cards. And maybe both clubs knew it all along.

Cagliari, Italy must step up against racial abuse

It happened again at Cagliari. You'd rather talk about Inter's 2-1, victory but the actions of the few imbeciles who racially abused Romelu Lukaku make it tough to do, especially since a whole string of players of color have been abused there, most recently Moise Kean and Blaise Matuidi.

Lukaku, to his credit, called for unity on Monday among players against this issue and there will be, rightly, calls for the authorities to act. But this illustrates neatly what the problem is and what Cagliari -- both club and fans -- can and must do right now. It's not just about apologising and condemning; it's about identifying (name and shame, let's see what their families/employers think about this) those responsible and making it clear they're not welcome at their ground. That applies to the supporters in the Curva Nord who heard the abuse and the stewards in that area of the ground.

The former ought to be encouraged to step forward (yes, there are cameras and microphones, but eyewitness accounts -- even relayed anonymously -- go a whole lot further in getting things done), the latter ought to be told to do their jobs.

Expect a long, difficult season for Man United

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer felt Manchester United "should have won" instead of drawing 1-1 with Southampton, blaming the fact they did not on "finishing" and "final passes." To each his own. I'd be more concerned about how extraordinarily one-dimensional they look. It's true that you can have success by doing the same thing over and over if you do it extraordinarily well; it's just that much harder.

With Alexis Sanchez, Matteo Darmian and Chris Smalling leaving this past week, the first team is down to 25 outfield players. It sounds like a lot until you consider that six of them are relatively untested youngsters, another two (Marcos Rojo and Eric Bailly are long-term injury absentees) and another is Phil Jones.

It's obvious that this will be a long transition season with more players leaving by attrition: Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic and Ashley Young aren't getting any younger. The question is: transition to what? And should worse come to worse -- say, a mid-table finish -- will they stick with it or embark on their umpteenth change of direction?

Is Bale a key player again for Real?

Right now, it feels as if Zinedine Zidane is simply throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. The 2-2 draw at Villarreal saw him again switch systems and personnel (4-4-2, with Gareth Bale and Lucas Vazquez out wide) and we caught our first glimpse of the Karim Benzema-Luka Jovic partnership. But while they had plenty of possession, there were also jitters -- and downright howlers, like Sergio Ramos' blunder -- at the back and often chaos up front.

Bale's two goals were his first in the league since March, although he rather put a dampener on his night by picking up two yellows in injury time. Does it mean he cares and isn't actually just interested in playing golf? I'll let others psychoanalyse him, since it seems to be a favorite leisure pursuit in and around Madrid.

Meanwhile though, you wonder how clear Zidane's thinking is, particularly vis-a-vis Bale, given he spent the summer pushing him out the door only to then start him in every game this season. You hope things will come into focus after the break, when Eden Hazard finally returns.

Dortmund aren't winning titles like this

Let Borussia Dortmund's 3-1 bloody nose away to Union Berlin serve as a wake-up call. This was a horrid performance that can't be explained away by the enthusiasm of playing away to a newly promoted club.

The summer spending, coupled with Bayern's rebuild, had many thinking it could be Dortmund's season. But that's not going to happen with performances like this.

No worry about Mane, Salah drama

I like the fact that even winning 3-0 away to Burnley, Sadio Mane got angry that Mohamed Salah didn't pass him the ball, despite that you'd imagine he'd be used to the Egyptian's foibles after two years together. You want to see players holding teammates to account and putting the team first.

I'm not sure it's greed on Salah's part as much as it is tunnel vision in the final third. It's something he's had his entire career -- and, possibly, what hurt his finishing early on -- and it has long frustrated managers and teammates. Klopp has done a bang-up job of papering over it, but the reality may be very simple: with Salah you just have to take the good with the bad.

And as long as the former far outweighs the latter, you'll put up with it.

Simeone's magic working on new Atletico

The only perfect side in La Liga are Atletico Madrid. And while they had to huff and puff to come back from two goals down to win 3-2 against Eibar, they're not just getting results, they've evolved and are more multifaceted (read: less "Cholistas") than before.

I said on the FC TV show and I'll say it again. When you consider the upheaval this summer with the departures of Griezmann, Rodri and, of course, Diego Godin, if they do win La Liga, they might as well rename their ground "Cholo" Metropolitano.

Whether it's the reinvention of Thomas Lemar, the faith in Joao Felix, the fact that Mario Hermoso looks like he's been there for five years or the belief in Renan Lodi's front-foot style, there is little question that Diego Simeone is earning his bacon this year.

Rome derby a real thrill ride

So much for the old trope whereby derbies are hard-fought, tight, fingernail-chewing affairs. Lazio and Roma finished 1-1, hitting the woodwork no fewer than six times between them and putting on a pulsating show.

Lazio look more like a team right now, which is what you expect given that this is Simone Inzaghi's fourth season and they made very few changes over the summer. Paulo Fonseca's side is a work in progress and they are going right down to the wire in the transfer market: Nikola Kalinic and Smalling arrived last week and Henrikh Mkhitaryan is his way. There's more to come from both.

Lampard's trust in youth leads to Chelsea draw

I'm all for giving youngsters a chance, but there's a time and a place. On Saturday, Chelsea were 2-0 up at half-time and flying at home to Sheffield United. They conceded a goal immediately after the break and suffered through most of the second half. With six minutes to go, Frank Lampard replaced Mateo Kovacic with Billy Gilmour, an 18-year-old midfielder making his debut.

Gilmour wasn't great, but he wasn't the reason Chelsea gave up the equalizer (you can blame successive mistakes from veterans for that) but those are far from ideal conditions in which to make your debut. You assume Lampard knows him best and that the kid has the personality and guts to bounce back, but what Lampard's choice shows most of all is that he feels zero pressure to do things according to conventional wisdom. This may or may not be a good thing.

A big statement by Bayern

Bayern got just what they wanted in their 6-1 walloping of Mainz. Ivan Perisic and Philippe Coutinho made their debuts in the starting XI, Robert Lewandowski scored again (what's new?) and even the much-maligned Alphonso Davies got on the score sheet.

You can't read too much into it because Mainz are awful and Robert Kovac was clearly shuffling his deck. But six different goal scorers feels good ...

And finally...

Bas Dost came on at half-time and scored on his debut for Eintracht Frankfurt in their 2-1 home win over Fortuna Dusseldorf, leaving them fifth in the table. With one goal every 45 minutes, he's on pace to score 63 goals this season.

This concludes the latest instalment of #BasDostWatch.

Big Picture

There are no certainties when it comes to the T20 captaincy, but for now Lasith Malinga is the man entrusted with the build up to the T20 World Cup next year, and he's clearly in a mood to experiment. In the first T20I, Malinga wanted to have a look at the batting. So although he acknowledged that bowling first might have been smarter (given the difficulty involved in defending a score with a wet ball), he wanted to give his young batting order a free hand. The results were hit-and-miss. Kusal Mendis' re-ascension to the top of the batting order clearly worked, with the batsman producing the best innings of the evening. Others, such as Kusal Perera and Avishka Fernando, though, failed to fire.

Malinga is unlikely to make wholesale changes after just one loss, but the batsmen in particular, who failed to make a significant impact on Sunday, will be on notice. The likes of Danushka Gunathilaka await a chance to get into the XI.

New Zealand, meanwhile, showcased the depth in their batting order - Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner and Daryl Mitchell all providing important innings, after the top order had allowed the required rate to near 11 as early as the eighth over. While their established bowlers - Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi and Santer - all produced good performances, the relatively modest performances of the fringe fast bowlers will place them under some scrutiny. Seth Rance, in particular, leaked 58 runs in his four overs, and didn't take a wicket.

Form guide

New Zealand WWLWW (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLLL

In the spotlight

Ever since Ross Taylor moved to the lower-middle order in T20Is, he has been both more prolific, and more explosive. Where he had struck at 117 and averaged 23.22 at No. 4 for example (where he has most-often batted), he has struck at 131.39 at Nos. 5 and 6, and averages 38.18. On Sunday, hitting 48 off 29, he played exactly the kind of innings he's in that lower position for. If the top order fails, New Zealand still have a player of the explosive power and calibre of Taylor to come. He is, essentially, their middle-order insurance.

Isuru Udana has just been named one of the marquee players for South Africa's Mzansi Super League, and with the bat on Sunday, he showed exactly why, hitting two sixes off the first two balls he faced, in the last over of Sri Lanka's innings. Having first emerged in 2009, Udana spent years out of the Sri Lanka side but used that time wisely, honing not just his batting, but also his fielding. Even in a match against New Zealand, who have some of the best fielders on the planet, Udana can count himself among the best on the field. He is primarily chosen for his bowling however, so if he is to firm up his place in the side for that T20 World Cup, he will need to shake off his 0 for 38 off 3.3 overs from Sunday and show himself to be a more capable fast-bowling ally to Malinga.

Team news

Sri Lanka may be tempted to bring Danushka Gunathilaka into the side. But they'll likely go with the same XI.

Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis, 2 Kusal Perera (wk), 3 Avishka Fernando, 4 Niroshan Dickwella, 5 Shehan Jayasuriya, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Akila Dananjaya, 10 Lasith Malinga (capt), 11 Kasun Rajitha

With only 13 players available since a thumb fracture ruled Lockie Ferguson out of the series, New Zealand don't have a lot of options. They will likely play the same side as well.

New Zealand (possible): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Tim Seifert (wk), 4 Colin de Grandhomme, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Daryl Mitchell, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Scott Kuggeleijn, 9 Seth Rance, 10 Tim Southee (capt), 11 Ish Sodhi

Pitch and conditions

The Pallekele surface on Sunday had substantial turn, so expect that to be the case again. That wasn't to say there was nothing for the quicks though, with Tim Southee and Lasith Malinga the two best bowlers from either side. Rain may again interrupt.

Stats and trivia

• Ross Taylor averages 39.28 and strikes at 135 in Sri Lanka - better numbers than any other country he's played in, including New Zealand.

• Isuru Udana has scored 147 runs at a strike rate of 184 this year. He's played four innings and been dismissed only once.

• Lasith Malinga needs one more wicket to become the first bowler to 100 T20 international wickets. The next-closest active player is Shakib Al Hasan, who has 88 wickets.

Stuart Broad is excited to see the resumption of the "awesome" competition between Steve Smith and Jofra Archer when the Ashes resumes in Manchester on Wednesday.

While Broad welcomed the return of Smith after the worrying injury he sustained at Lord's, he warned that Test cricket was a "brutal sport" and there would be no respite in England's attempt to discomfort him.

Smith was obliged to miss the Leeds Test after sustaining a delayed concussion injury when hit on the neck by an Archer bouncer at Lord's. While Smith resumed his innings after a short period off the pitch, he appeared somewhat skittish and soon fell leg before having left a straight ball. Underlining his confused state, he called for a review of the decision but then walked off before it was confirmed.

Also read: 'We felt a bit like we got the Ashes stolen' - Langer

But while some have suggested he may be somewhat nervous when facing Archer, Smith has pointed out that the bowler has not actually dismissed him in the series. All of which has left Broad looking forward to another gripping passage of play between the pair.

"Firstly, it's great that Steve is ok and coming back into Test cricket," Broad said. "No one wants to see anyone miss cricket through a head injury. It was a nasty hit. It's great to have him back.

"But Test cricket is a brutal sport. Sides go hell for leather against each other. So I'm sure that, when Steve comes in, Jofra will be in Joe Root's ear wanting the ball. And I'll be excited when he does.

"It was a really tasty bit of cricket at Lord's. Smith was on 70 or 80 and playing beautifully, but suddenly Jofra went from bowling 84mph to bowling 95mph. He was really charging in. That's the intensity - the theatre - Test cricket brings.

"That sort of cricket is awesome to watch on the telly or from the stands but when you're stood at mid-on it's pretty special. Hopefully we can have a battle like that again.

"The dream is someone nicks him off first ball and Jofra doesn't get to bowl at him. But Smith does average 60-something. So there will probably be a period in this game where those two come together again and, touch wood, I'm on the pitch to view it."

Broad has had his own experience of trouble against the short ball. He was memorably struck in the eye while batting against India at Old Trafford, the scene of this week's Test, in 2014. Top-edging his attempted pull off Varun Aaron, he sustained a badly broken nose and admitted he suffered nightmares as a consequence. He used psychologists to help recover but, before the injury, he averaged 23.95 with the bat in Test cricket with one century and 10 half-centuries. Since then, he has averaged 13.18 with just two half-centuries.

While he believes Smith is unlikely to suffer such extreme consequences, it has left Broad grateful for the improved protection offered by modern helmets.

"Smith has a bit more skill than me with the bat so it probably won't affect him," Broad said. "I don't think I've ever played in a series where so many people have even hit in the head. I can't even describe why. Obviously both sets of fast bowlers are bowling well and looking in good rhythm. The pitches have maybe played slightly untrue and a bit two-paced: one will skid through and one will slow down. It feels like the doctors are running out every 10 overs.

"But it's part of Test cricket. You bowl a bouncer not to hit someone in the head, you bowl a bouncer to maneuverer footwork and change momentum of bodyweight. But your best bouncer is directed over leg stump and at the head, unfortunately. But fortunately the helmets are much better now."

While Archer's confrontation against Smith may gain the headlines, Broad's private competition against David Warner has been just as absorbing. Broad has dismissed him four times in the three Tests and feels he is reaping the rewards for bowling a fuller length. But he warned that the pitches for the final two Tests could be better for batsmen and praised Warner's batting in the first innings in Leeds.

"It's been a great battle so far," Broad said. "I've really enjoyed it. I had to look quite closely pre-series as, until this series, he had probably had the better of me.

"I'd always focussed on his outside edge thinking that running the ball across him would bring in the slips. But the bloke has incredible hand-eye coordination, so if you miss your line at all it seems to disappear through the covers.

"I had a change of mindset in this series and have tried to bring the stumps into play more against him. I've looked to nip it back onto off-stump and then, if the ball holds its line, it brings the outside edge in and that actually limits the scoring options slightly.

"Also, the pitches have been in our favour with the new ball. I don't want to take too much credit that I've out-thought him or anything. It's been a really good time to bowl with that new ball.

"But Test cricket always moves on and this pitch will be very different to Lord's or Headingley. And on that first morning at Headingley it was probably as good a time to bowl as you'll ever get in Test cricket: cloudy, heavy, swinging, seaming. He might have played and missed a lot but he got through that period and got a pretty crucial fifty. He'll take confidence from that."

India 416 (Vihari 111, Kohli 76, Ishant 57, Holder 5-77, Cornwall 3-105) and 168 for 4 dec. (Rahane 64*, Vihari 53*, Roach 3-28) beat West Indies 117 (Hetmyer 34, Bumrah 6-27, Shami 2-34) and 210 (Brooks 50, Holder 39, Blackwood 38, Shami 3-58, Jadeja 3-65) by 257 runs

A target of 468 was always going to require a miracle - a third candidate for the 'greatest innings in history' in 2019 probably - but for a brief period in the morning session, West Indies appeared to at least come prepared to go down fighting.

However, that fight fizzled in the first hour post lunch as the Indian bowlers inevitably closed in, with Jasprit Bumrah, also inevitably, providing the breakthrough that began the slide. Eventually, West Indies were bowled out for 210, an improvement on their first-innings 117, but that still meant a heavy 257-run defeat in the match and a 2-0 sweep of the series to India, who have also moved to the top of the World Test Championship table with 120 points.

In addition, Virat Kohli also became the India captain with most wins, with 28 victories in Test cricket, going past MS Dhoni's 27.

West Indies had progressed well through a 61-run stand for the fifth wicket between Shamarh Brooks and Jermaine Blackwood, but both men were a lot less decisive and fluent post lunch, and Bumrah got one to straighten in the corridor to catch the edge of Blackwood's tentative poke. Rishabh Pant did the rest, and West Indies went tumbling from 159 for 4 to 180 for 8. After that, it was a matter of time.

That Blackwood was in the middle, having originally not even been in the squad, was down to the ICC's new concussion substitute laws, and he became the second ever concussion substitute to come on in Test cricket. Blackwood, who is from Jamaica, had been on the field as a substitute fielder earlier in the match. He was asked to pad up thanks to Darren Bravo retiring hurt in the fourth over of the day.

Bravo had been hit on the right side of the helmet off a Jasprit Bumrah bouncer in the last over of day three, which sent his stem guards - which protect the batsman's neck area - flying. A West Indies spokesperson said the batsman had undergone a concussion test after play and passed it. However, in the fourth over, immediately after creaming a cover drive off Bumrah, Bravo walked off the field. He was taken to a doctor and a concussion was subsequently confirmed, which allowed West Indies to draft in Blackwood.

His inclusion meant West Indies became the first team in Test matches to have 12 batsmen batting in a single innings, but that wasn't enough to stop India's march to victory.

West Indies had begun well, with Brooks by stroking a full toss from Mohammed Shami through cover, and continuing to show excellent timing during his stay. Brooks should have been on his way back for 30, getting a spiffing delivery from Ravindra Jadeja that reared up from a length and spun, to take the edge and go into Ajinkya Rahane's hands at slip, but replays showed that Jadeja had overstepped and Brooks survived. He added to Jadeja's injury by lacing a cover drive in his next over.

Before that, West Indies had faced a mid-session wobble with Roston Chase and Shimron Hetmyer falling inside five balls. Jadeja got one to hold its line after pitching on leg stump and struck Chase on the pads, who was playing for the turn. Given out on the field, he reviewed, but the call stayed with the umpire with the ball shown to be clipping the top of the stumps.

In the next over, Ishant threw one wide and Hetmyer was suckered into driving with short cover in place, and hit the ball exactly to the fielder.

However, just when it seemed like India had opened a door to charge through, a free-stroking Blackwood joined Brooks to keep West Indies ticking over. Blackwood had a slice of luck, dropped off his fourth ball before he had scored a run. He pushed at a Jadeja ball that took the edge, but Pant couldn't hold on. After that, Blackwood played with his familiar insouciance, crunching boundaries square and straight, even if not always with pristine timing. Technically, he had two more 'chances' though it would be harsh on the fielder to call them that. On 21, he drilled a fuller one from Shami back to the bowler's left. It was powerfully struck and Shami did well to get a hand to it and stop its momentum. Then on 32, in the last over before lunch, he flayed a cover drive off Jadeja and Mayank Agarwal at silly point had to take evasive action as the ball hit him flush.

India also lost both their reviews during the session. In the 23rd over, Ishant rapped Chase on the pads, but the ball had swung in from well outside off, and ball tracker showed it would have missed leg stump. Then in the 25th over, Shami hit Blackwood on the pads, and once again Virat Kohli wanted to review it. However, there was an inside edge onto pad.

The lost reviews didn't matter once Bumrah broke through after lunch. He had bowled only three overs in the morning session and spent some time off the field, and was given only a three-over spell post lunch too, but prised out Blackwood.

Brooks was done in by a combination of lazy running and brilliant fielding. Having pushed Jadeja square, he ambled down the crease but there was no run with Kohli haring across from cover. Before Brooks could process that there was a threat to his wicket, Kohli had dived, collected and thrown the ball in one motion, hitting the stumps direct.

The lower order was done in as much by the pressure as by the Indian bowlers sustaining good lines, and though Jason Holder hit out towards the end, that was just a last gasp of defiance before he missed a slog across the line and Jadeja rattled the stumps.

James Anderson has "a lot of cricket left in him," according to his long-term new-ball partner, Stuart Broad.

Anderson was forced to admit defeat in his attempt to battle back from a calf injury to play in the final two Tests of the Ashes series. But despite his age - Anderson is now 37 - and the fact the injury has lingered longer than most expected, Broad says he "absolutely" expects to play Test cricket with him again.

Anderson originally sustained the injury while representing Lancashire at the start of July. Having missed the Test against Ireland, he was recalled for the first Test of the Ashes series but was forced off the pitch having bowled just four overs. After bowling 20 overs in the first innings of a second XI match for Lancashire in recent days, there was hope he would be fit for a recall for the fourth Test in Manchester. But he experienced a recurrence of the problem while bowling in the second innings and was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the season. That means he will finish this season without a Test wicket in an English summer for the first time since 2006.

Given Anderson's age, it was inevitable that such an episode would provoke discussion over his future. Most fast bowlers have already retired by the time they are Anderson's age but, such is his long-term fitness record and his desire to continue to represent England, few involved with the Test side expect him to retire at this stage. England play Test series in New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka over the 2019-20 season.

"He has a lot of cricket left in him," Broad said. "From the conversations I've had with him, he's looking at the winter and getting fit and wanting to be on that trip.

"I had in my mind the idea that it was almost written in the stars that he would be back and open the bowling at the James Anderson End and bowl us to victory. But that's not going to happen.

"I called him straight away when I heard the news on social media. He said, 'I just need to get it right for the winter tours now'.

"He's obviously very disappointed. He's put his heart and soul into getting back to full fitness. He's done everything he possibly could. So he's frustrated. He's going to have a period of time of ifs and buts - what if I'd done this; could I have done that - but also it's important for him to have a bit of a break and look forward to future challenges. I think he's realistic."

It's not impossible Broad and Anderson could play together in New Zealand. While England had originally planned to rest their top players from the New Zealand Test series, which is not part of the World Test Championship (WTC), there is now more thought towards resting players from the T20I series that precedes it and playing something like a full-strength side in the Tests. This would not only underline the side's new prioritisation of the red ball game - something that may become a feature of Ashley Giles' tenure as director of the men's side - but ensure they are well prepared ahead of the four-match Test series against South Africa that follows soon afterwards.

Either way, Broad felt that the cycle of change that has tended to coincide with the end of the Ashes series - they have marked the end of many careers - may be altered by the introduction of the WTC.

"It's quite exciting with this World Test Championship," Broad said. "It doesn't feel like the Ashes series is the new cycle anymore, it feels like that World Test Championship Final is the new cycle. I know a few of the older players are looking more towards that than an Ashes series."

England's training on Monday was curtailed by rain in Manchester. With Graham Thorpe absent with a back injury, Jonathan Trott filled in as a batting coach - he is with the team for the two training days ahead of the match - with Mark Chilton, one of the Lancashire coaches, and Ant Botha, one of the Nottinghamshire coaches, also helping out. Several fringe Lancashire players bowled to both sides in the nets, with 18-year-old left-arm spinner Jack Morley impressing while bowling to Steve Smith.

India's win against West Indies in the second Test not only gave them a 2-0 series sweep and the top spot on the World Test Championship table, but was also their 28th Test victory under Virat Kohli, making him the winning-est Indian Test captain, going past MS Dhoni's 27. Kohli, however, said that the captaincy achievement was just a by-product of the team, and the bowlers, that he had.

"Captaincy is just a c in front of your name honestly. It's the collective effort that matters," Bumrah told Ian Bishop in the post-match presentation. "It's a by-product of this quality team that we have here, to be honest. If we didn't have the bowlers that we have, I don't think the results would have been possible.

"Yes you can score as many runs as you want, but if you look at these guys running in and putting their heart in… I mean Shami's spell today, Bumrah after having a small niggle, Ishant bowling his heart out, Jadeja bowling a long spell… I don't think without these bowlers it would have been possible. So I think all the credit has to go to the whole team."

India's win in the second Test came in the second session on the fourth day, and Kohli was lavish in his praise for man of the match Hanuma Vihari, who made 111 and 53* to be the standout batsman in the game. One of the features of Vihari's batting was how well he left the ball and the patience he showed that ultimately resulted in the ball being bowled in his scoring areas.

"You have to be patient on this wicket, select the balls which are in your area to score runs," Vihari said of his approach. "Because there's something for the fast bowlers, and it's very important that you leave well outside off stump and wait for the areas… wait for them to come to you."

Kohli agreed that the pitch dictated the batting game-plan, and said Vihari brought calm to the dressing room.

"According to the surface I think it was a top-class innings," Kohli said. "He's a guy who's very sure of his game and it shows when he plays. He looks confident and the dressing room feels really calm watching him bat. I think that's a quality he possesses naturally because his game is so correct. He's always willing to improve and is accepting of his mistakes and corrects them immediately, and he's getting the results pretty quickly. He plays with a lot of heart, always is up to do anything for the team, and that's why he invariably ends up playing crucial innings for us. It's a very young career so far, but he's shown why he's been backed and selected in this team."

India have been ranked No.1 in Test cricket since October 2016, with Kohli having led them all through except when he sat out through injury. He assumed Test captaincy full-time when Dhoni announced his retirement mid-way through India's tour of Australia in 2015-16, having led in the first Test of the series with Dhoni injured, and then in the last match following Dhoni's departure. Before the win in the Caribbean, he had led India to their first-ever series win in Australia in 2018-19.

HOUSTON -- Two days after the Houston Texans traded Jadeveon Clowney to the Seahawks, coach Bill O'Brien said, "in the end, we just could not come to an agreement on a long-term deal" with the pass-rusher.

Clowney, the No. 1 overall pick in 2014 and a three-time Pro Bowler, was franchise-tagged in March and was holding out. He had not signed his franchise tender before the trade. After the July 15 deadline passed, the Texans could not continue contract negotiations until after the season.

"We had discussions about [tagging him again] amongst each other within the organization and with [Clowney] and [agent] Bus [Cook]," O'Brien said. "And we just couldn't come to an agreement.

"We think very highly of Jadeveon Clowney. Let's be clear about that. He's a good football player. He made a lot of good plays for us. He had a lot of good Sundays for us. No doubt about it. But we think we made the best decision for him and we feel like we made the best decision for our team moving forward."

In return for Clowney, the Texans received a 2020 third-round pick and linebackers Barkevious Mingo and Jacob Martin. ESPN's Adam Schefter also reported that Houston paid Clowney a $7 million signing bonus, while Seattle is paying the remaining $8 million of his salary.

"I understand everybody's going to dissect how we did it and what we received back and what we gave Seattle," O'Brien said. "In the end, we did what we felt was in the best interest of our organization and of our team moving forward."

O'Brien was asked whether the Texans should have traded Clowney before the draft or the franchise tag deadline to get a higher return.

"There were a lot of talks that took place," O'Brien said. "There were contract proposals between the player and us that we just couldn't come to an agreement on, relative to the franchise tag. The spirit of the franchise tag was to try to give yourself more time to come to an agreement on a long-term contract. We couldn't come to that agreement. We had several discussions with many teams over many months and we feel like we made the best decision for the team."

Later in the day, the Texans completed a trade with the Miami Dolphins for left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills. Miami received first-round draft picks in 2020 and '21, a second-round pick in '21, offensive tackle Julie'n Davenport and cornerback Johnson Bademosi. Houston also will receive a fourth-round pick in 2020 and a sixth-round pick in '21 from the Dolphins.

O'Brien said while the Texans gave up three high draft picks, the team felt it added "proven players to the roster."

"We feel really good about being able to get a proven left tackle to protect Deshaun Watson," O'Brien said. "Laremy Tunsil is an excellent player."

O'Brien declined to talk about any contract negotiations the team did or did not have with Tunsil before completing the trade.

"These moves were part of a plan, something that was well thought out," O'Brien said. "We spent a lot of time on it and tried to execute the plan. It's not just a plan to improve the team for 2019, it's a plan to improve the roster for years to come. It's given us the ability and flexibility to extend our core players while continuing to add and develop talent."

With Stills, the Texans add a player who has been one of the leaders of the NFL player protest movement since 2016. Stills has taken a knee during the national anthem before games, and has been outspoken about social justice issues.

The Texans have not had many instances of players taking a knee during the national anthem, but were involved in one noteworthy game in 2017, when the majority of players kneeled and linked arms before the team played the Seahawks. That was the Sunday after then-team owner Bob McNair's controversial "inmates running the prison" comment, which was said during an Oct. 18 meeting in which owners talked about business concerns related to player protests during the national anthem. McNair died last year, and his son Cal now runs the team.

Before the Texans' Week 3 game in New England in 2016, an injured Duane Brown -- who was traded to the Seahawks after that 2017 game -- raised his fist during the national anthem, and expressed displeasure over the lack of support he received from the organization.

O'Brien said he would not get into any discussions he has had with Stills, but he said he supports his players.

"I love the players," O'Brien said. "I have the players' back, and we communicate about those things. I'm not going to really get into any discussions that I would have with any player about those things. But I support the players in social justice initiatives."

Texas A&M is confident about its chances this week against the reigning national champions. Just ask Jared Hocker.

The junior offensive lineman told local reporters on Monday that the No. 12 Aggies will beat No. 1 Clemson on Saturday when the two meet.

Hocker said he likes being the underdog, that "you always have something to prove," and that the Aggies are looking forward to the opportunity. When a reporter asked, "Does that make [Clemson] ripe for an upset?" Hocker responded plainly: "Yes, it does. There will be an upset."

Jared Hocker is confident that the Aggies will defeat Clemson on Saturday. "There will be an upset." pic.twitter.com/tqbVqYlAe6

— TexAgs (@TexAgs) September 2, 2019

The Aggies played the Tigers closer than anybody in the country in 2018, falling 28-26 in a nail-biter. QB Kelly Bryant -- who has since transferred to Missouri -- played the bulk of that game for Clemson, while Trevor Lawrence had just nine pass attempts and threw for 93 yards and a touchdown.

Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, who later met with reporters, was asked about Hocker's comments and replied, "Who said that?" When told it was Hocker, he said, "Well, Jared better play well."

"That's great that they have confidence, but that doesn't need to be said," Fisher said. "There's nothing wrong with being [confident]. If you're not confident that you're going to be successful, yes. But we understand the opponent and that comes from respect for them.

"You have a great respect for them, but you also have to go compete. Any time you line up to play, you expect to be successful. ... I'm glad they're confident, but what Jared said doesn't need to be said. ... After the first two hits of the game, that stuff all goes away anyway."

Hocker, a guard, started the first eight games of 2018 before suffering a season-ending injury. He started A&M's season-opening win over Texas State last week and has appeared in 15 games in his three-year career.

EAGAN, Minn. -- Two days after releasing Laquon Treadwell, the Minnesota Vikings replaced one former first-round receiver with another.

Former Redskins wideout Josh Doctson is signing a one-year deal with Minnesota, sources told ESPN, that will reunite him with quarterback Kirk Cousins. Doctson recorded his best season as a pro with Cousins as his quarterback in 2017, finishing with 35 catches, 502 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

The Vikings were looking for depth at receiver after keeping just four on the active roster following final cuts. Minnesota did not claim anyone off the waiver wire on Sunday and saw receiver Brandon Zylstra, who had been cut the day before, get picked up by the Carolina Panthers.

Doctson was drafted 22nd overall in 2016, one spot before Treadwell. Washington declined to pick up Doctson's fifth-year option earlier this offseason, and the receiver appeared to be on borrowed time after the Redskins drafted Terry McLaurin in the third round; coach Jay Gruden announced McLaurin would become a starter the night of the draft.

Like the Vikings did with Treadwell, Washington cut Doctson after it was unable to trade him on Saturday.

Treadwell totaled 56 catches for 517 yards and a touchdown during his three seasons with the Vikings and was never able to carve out a role as the team's No. 3 receiver behind Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs.

"Just didn't develop into what we thought he was going to be," coach Mike Zimmer said. "Laquon's a great kid. I have a lot of respect for him. He's worked hard. He's had a lot of people doubting him, but he's a good kid and I hope that he does well."

Doctson, who has primarily played as an outside receiver, will be in the mix with Chad Beebe and Olabisi Johnson for a reserve role.