Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said that Marcus Rashford's back injury could force the club to look at short-term options in January.

Rashford is facing a period of six weeks out plus rehab after Solskjaer confirmed the striker had suffered a double stress fracture in his back. The injury had kept Rashford out in the run-up to United's 2-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday.

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"He's suffered a bad injury," Solskjaer told Sky Sports after the loss at Liverpool. "Yeah it's a stress fracture, it happened against Wolves [last week]. It's not happened before, it happened there and then.

"He'll be out for a while. He won't be back until after the mid-season break. Normally six weeks to heal, but I'm not a doctor, and then he needs rehab after that probably," he said.

Solskjaer also said United could look for a new striker as the window transfer window remains open until Jan. 31.

"We're always looking at chances to improve the squad -- with Marcus out for a while we have to look at it closely. We might look at some short-term deals. We are looking at numbers," he added.

Rashford's injury timeframe would see United face the prospect of playing up to eight league games without him before the March international break arrives. The club also remains alive in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Europa League competitions.

The injury would also put Rashford in doubt for Gareth Southgate's England squad for the March friendlies against Italy and Denmark.

United are fifth in the Premier League, 30 points adrift of Liverpool after the loss on Sunday but Solskjaer was pleased with the display his side gave against the European champions.

"The players gave us everything. Today we hung on a bit at the start of second half, but the last 25-30 mins we pressed them and pushed them back. I'm disappointed with conceding from a corner and with the last kick - but very many positives," he said.

"I felt in the second half we performed really well against a good team and at a difficult place. We didn't have quality with our finishing or last pass. [Midfielder] Fred was absolutely top and [goalkeeper] David de Gea. As a team we worked together as a unit," he said.

Information from Reuters was used in this report.

Another weekend of Premier League action is in the books. Aside from Liverpool's near-certain march to the title, here are some other reactions.

JUMP TO: Teams suffering Anfield awe? | Blades are bossin' | City and their CB problem | Credit to Steve Bruce | Saints are suffering | Wolves howling with injuries | What was he thinking?

Does anybody actually want a Champions League place?

The title race is done, Liverpool 16 points clear of Manchester City with a game in hand, so now we must look elsewhere for some entertainment. And the good news is that it could come from the race to qualify for the Champions League.

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Actually, race is probably the wrong word. It's more of an undignified scramble, a collection of teams tripping over each other as they desperately grasp for a spot in next season's European elite. Again, a word that almost seems inappropriate given the collective incompetence on display near the top of the Premier League.

The teams in positions two to five managed a single point between them this weekend, slumping to defeats that were variously unexpected and inevitable, drawing in ways that have become very familiar, tossing points around willy nilly. Of the last 60 points available to those sides -- City, Leicester, Chelsea and Manchester United -- only 38 have been won, and now a Wolves team who can barely fill their bench (more on them later) are on the shoulders of the pack.

Chelsea, in fourth place, have 39 points from their 23 games: at the same stage last season you would've needed 47 for that position. Same for the season before that. 46 for the season before that. There is one brilliant team in this season's Premier League and the rest are just about keeping their heads above water.

All of which is not to say it won't be entertaining, because chaos usually is. But as Liverpool stride relentlessly, imperiously, confidently clear, the rest are tripping over like drunks with their shoelaces tied together.

Are teams playing Liverpool's aura?

Liverpool's win over Manchester United on Sunday put them 30 points ahead of their old rivals. The aim for United from last season would have been to close the gap on Jurgen Klopp's side, but instead it's widening: they were 31 back from Liverpool at the end of last term, and by the end of this one it could be nudging 50. For a point of reference, the most points United have ever finished in front of Liverpool in the Premier League era is 37, in 2011-12.

The odd thing about Sunday's game at Anfield was that for long spells Liverpool absolutely battered United, but thanks to a couple of disallowed goals and some passed up chances they didn't pull ahead as they should have done. Indeed, United had a couple of extremely presentable chances, most notably for Andreas Pereira and Anthony Martial that could easily have sent the result in another direction. Liverpool were, very nearly, hanging on at the end before Mohamed Salah's brilliant counter-attack clincher.

In that respect it was similar to the win over Tottenham last weekend, in that Liverpool asserted their superiority so emphatically it was almost embarrassing, but the opposition missed some chances that could have taken the win away from them.

It's interesting that Spurs and United both snatched at the chances they had, which could well be something to do with the aura Liverpool have established in this ridiculous unbeaten run, stretching back over a year now. Teams have often seemed to 'play the aura' in terms of their tactics, and that could extend to opposition forwards not taking chances too: it's easy to see how they could think "This is Liverpool, I need to score this" and put extra pressure on themselves.

Whatever the reason is, Liverpool will be champions soon. They need ten more wins to confirm their Premier League title, and that relies on everyone else picking up maximum points. As the schedule stands, their tenth game from this point is at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City.

Sheffield United continue to impress

It was a little odd that after the 1-1 draw between Arsenal and Sheffield United, both managers seemed convinced that Arsenal had been the better team who just didn't finish their chances, given that they only had one shot on target in the second-half and United missed three free headers.

It might be a stretch to say Sheffield United were the better team at the Emirates, but it was telling that Chris Wilder looked disappointed to only draw. At this stage of the season, the last newly-promoted team to be doing this well was Ipswich Town in 2000-01, and the Blades only six points off the Champions League places. They're incredibly impressive.

Where are Manchester City's centre-backs?

It remains profoundly strange that Manchester City, probably the most lavishly-funded project in the history of football, have gone through this season without anything by way of convincing central defensive cover. This isn't even about Fernandinho playing there, which still remains one of Pep Guardiola's more confounding pet projects, but that they have allowed themselves to reach this stage with John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi, two players that Guardiola clearly doesn't trust, rotating according to whichever one has made a mistake most recently.

Of course, the timing of the Aymeric Laporte injury, just after the end of the summer transfer window, was not ideal but even then they were understaffed. Watching Vincent Kompany walk away in the summer without replacing him looked silly at the time, but now it just seems negligent.

Credit must be offered to Steve Bruce

Let's preface this by saying it was still a mistake to let Rafa Benitez walk away from St James's Park in the summer, but it would only be fair to Steve Bruce to note that after 23 games of last season Newcastle were a place above the relegation zone with 21 points. This season, they're 12th with 29.

Perhaps you could argue the circumstances are slightly more favourable for Bruce, but that would probably be churlish. Bruce himself acknowledged his side aren't "great to watch", but pretty football is very much a rung or two down the list of priorities at Newcastle. Brucie: fair play.

Southampton need to start keeping hold of leads

Southampton's revival under Ralph Hasenhuttl has been pretty extraordinary since that humiliation against Leicester, but there are still a few things to iron out. Holding onto a lead, for one thing: since the start of last season, Southampton have dropped 42 points from winning positions.

That sounds like a lot, because it is: it's 13 more than the next most in the Premier League.

Wolves stumble on despite injuries

Still, perhaps we should give more credit to Wolves for turning the latest result around, which was probably even more remarkable given the resources available to Nuno Espirito Santo. Their side basically picks itself at the moment - not because they have a defined first XI, but because there isn't anyone else.

It's like a Sunday league team at the moment, in that the team is comprised of whoever shows up and can run: their bench on Saturday featured only one senior outfield player (and that's if you consider the 21-year-old Morgan Gibbs-White a senior player), and Nuno is becoming more and more dissatisfied about the resources available to him.

Wolves are sixth in the table, level on points with Manchester United, which given the circumstances is one of the more extraordinary performances in the Premier League.

West Ham are in some trouble

It wasn't just because of the David Moyes connection that the visit of Everton was huge for West Ham at the weekend. They're only a point outside the relegation zone and their upcoming fixture list reads like they've angered some furious deity somewhere: they face Liverpool twice, Manchester City, Leicester and a comparative breather against Brighton.

Make no mistake, they're in real trouble.

'What was he thinking?' moment of the weekend

Steve Cook. I mean....Steve Cook. Sure, strange things happen to your head when things start going wrong and you don't know where your next point is coming from, but what on earth was he thinking when he leapt and twisted in the air to produce an admittedly brilliant save against Norwich? Did he think he'd get away with it? Did he forget about VAR? Or have Bournemouth reached the point of desperation where knowing you'll certainly be sent off and concede a penalty but might -- might -- prevent a goal is worth it? After four points from the last 39, sadly the answer is probably 'yes'.

Luckiest moment of the weekend

Watford probably deserved a win over Tottenham on the balance of play, but they were just 10 millimetres away from Erik Lamela's bundled effort going over the line. A quick search reveals one closer call, when Preston's Alan Browne was 3.68mm away from scoring against Wigan in 2018, but you won't find many closer in the Premier League this season.

LIVERPOOL, England -- The genie is out of the bottle. When Mohamed Salah lifted the tension inside Anfield by making it 2-0 against Manchester United in the 93rd minute, the roar from The Kop was almost on the same decibel level as the night Liverpool came back from 3-0 down against Barcelona in the Champions League last season.

It was relief, meshed with belief, and for the first time, the home supporters chanted "We're gonna win the league," despite it being pretty obvious to everyone else for weeks that Jurgen Klopp's team are going to be crowned champions of England this season, maybe even in record time.

The fans had not dared to sing it until now because, since the last title success in 1990, the club has had so many false dawns and near misses that even mentioning impending glory had been regarded as tempting fate and the surest sign that something will go wrong, as a result of premature confidence.

"I have no problem with that," Klopp said after the game. "Everyone should celebrate the situation, apart from us. Nothing has changed; we have the same situation plus three points. I will tell you immediately the moment if it feels different; at the moment, it doesn't."

There is no need to worry, though. It is still only January and Liverpool are 16 points clear of the pack, having played one match fewer than their rivals. If results go their way, Klopp's side could be 22 ahead clear by Wednesday, when they play their game in hand against West Ham at the London Stadium.

The mathematics are now so heavily in Liverpool's favour that even the most pessimistic supporter can start preparing for a title party in the spring. Indeed, the only question is when the trophy will have red and white ribbons added, ready for Jordan Henderson to hoist it aloft.

But while the numbers point firmly to glory, the reason this day was the cue for songs about being top of the tree was because of who they were beating, as well as who was there to watch it. United have always been the yardstick by which Liverpool measure themselves and it works the other way.

Sir Alex Ferguson, who was in attendance on Sunday with former United chief executive David Gill, famously claimed that his biggest challenge upon taking over at Old Trafford in 1986 was to "knock Liverpool off their f------ perch." And when he left Old Trafford 27 years later, he had done just that.

Under Ferguson, United eclipsed Liverpool's record haul of 18 league titles by taking their tally to 20, although he could not get close to the Anfield club's record of European Cups; Liverpool have won that competition six times, compared to United's three.

Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City have emerged as rivals to English football's Big Two during the Premier League era, but when it comes to point scoring, Liverpool must beat United and vice-versa.

Which is why Salah's goal felt like such a moment in time, not only for this title race but also in terms of Liverpool exorcising the ghost of United's dominance under their former manager. Until Liverpool win the Premier League, they will not be able to claim to have returned to the perch from which Ferguson so comprehensively toppled them.

Painful as it might have been for Ferguson to witness the pendulum swing, he will have braced himself for the moment. He tipped Liverpool for success soon after Klopp arrived in English football, and, while United have treaded water, the German has worked his magic at home and in Europe.

Whereas Liverpool are the best team in the world and play exciting, attacking football, with star players in every position of the pitch, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United are hopeless and timid.

With their best two players, Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford, sidelined due to injury and first-choice midfielder Scott McTominay also out, United arrived with their prospects already diminished, but they ended up with a 2-0 defeat that could easily have been 8-3.

Their colours were listed on the team sheet as cream, but whipped cream would have been more appropriate. Virgil van Dijk's 14th-minute opening goal came when he was left unmarked, six yards out, to head home Trent Alexander-Arnold's corner and was typical of the poor defending that has blighted United's campaign.

VAR ruled out one Liverpool goal, an offside flag denied them another, and Henderson hit the post as David de Gea's goal was peppered, but it meant United somehow stayed in the game until the final seconds; indeed, Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire missed chances to equalise before Salah made the points safe after racing onto Alisson Becker's long clearance.

It was the moment Anfield knew the title is bound for Liverpool and signified to Ferguson that his work had been undone. Liverpool are back on their perch and it looks set to be years before United are capable of knocking them off again.

Mark Boucher knows as much about Faf du Plessis' future as a Test cricketer as we do, which is that du Plessis is under pressure. Asked directly if du Plessis is going to retire next week, Boucher said: "I've got no clue. He hasn't said anything. I don't think so."

Du Plessis has not crossed fifty in his last nine innings, he has not even crossed 40. He has had to deal with a major administrative crisis that he admitted weighed him down. It's little wonder he needed a shoulder rub during his innings at St George's Park.

In what some are speculating could be his last Test innings, du Plessis faced 123 balls and spent two hours and 24 minutes, which, in other circumstances could be considered confidence-boosting. But when he was dismissed, the possibility of a four-day finish loomed, which is hardly the way a captain wants to take his team to the close of play. Given all the other challenges du Plessis is facing, it's not unthinkable that it has all become too much, but Boucher hopes it hasn't.

"It's easy for me to sit here and say yes I am happy with his state of mind. For me, his state of mind will be a lot better if he gets up there and scores runs," Boucher said. "We all know that he is under pressure in the media and from a confidence point of view.

"The positive for me is that he actually got out there, he gave himself a chance to have a look at the conditions and he looked like he got some good rhythm in a really tough situation. He got to face over 100 balls so he will sit back in the changeroom, look at the team situation and be disappointed in the performance today and in the Test match but I am sure he will take confidence from the fact that he got to spend time out there and face a few balls in the middle."

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Still, South Africa seemed to lack a certain impetus which seemed to suggest there is something bigger brewing. Boucher indicated there are problems behind-the-scenes, although he did not elaborate on what they might be. "There might have been a couple of things that added to the lacklustre performance today. We can't get too emotional about it. We've got to go out there and say we need a lot of hard work in the future and that's what we've got to do," Boucher said.

Whether that relates to Kagiso Rabada's suspension or the possibility of du Plessis' impending exit is unclear. What is, is that the brief honeymoon period South Africa's new management experienced at SuperSport Park is over and divorce proceedings are already being talked about in terms of the captain.

South Africa are staring down their seventh Test defeat from the last eight they've played. Though they would have experienced similar when up against the Australian side of the early 2000s, then there was depth in the system; now the options are severely limited. South Africa only have one available bowler who can send the speedgun above 150kph for the Wanderers Test, Anrich Nortje, their experienced opening batsman, Dean Elgar, is coming off his worst calendar year in 2019 and is trying to hold the fort in an inexperienced top six and their best bowler is a containing spinner, Keshav Maharaj.

Is this the lowest ebb since readmission? Boucher wouldn't be drawn into that. "That's a big call. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I have been in teams where we've been pretty low. Here, we are still in the series. We are in a bad situation in this particular game but we are not out of the series yet," he said.

Instead, Boucher has taken it on himself to accept responsibility for the performances so far and to try and fix things as quickly as possible. "It's easy to point fingers at this and that and our system. For me, there's no excuses. I need to find a way to get it right in a short period of time," Boucher said.

"I look at this as a time to self-reflect. I'm looking at myself and saying, 'how do I take responsibility for the performance of the team and how do I try and mentally and physically upskill these guys to make them better players in a short space of time?'"

Fast bowling is a tough business. A tough, serious business. Think of Gus Fraser, trudging back to his mark with a face as long as Livery Street. Or Jimmy Anderson, scowling his way through another spell. And who can blame them? Invariably fast bowlers have spines held together by plates and screws, toe nails that come off in their socks and blisters as large as a side of bacon. They're kept going by a diet of physio and pain killers. Their future is full of hip operations and micro-fracture surgery.

But, at almost every moment of this Port Elizabeth Test, Mark Wood has had a smile on his face. Before his overs, he's run up to the umpire to give him his hat or jumper, much in the way you see excitable children act when they start playing cricket. And between deliveries, he's thrown the ball up in the air to give himself catches, much in the way you see excitable children act when they start playing cricket. Often, in delivery, his commitment is such that he hurls himself off his feet. And ahead of play, he ran over to the traditional musicians who were entertaining the crowd to have a go on their drums. All while wearing a broad grin. Much in the way you see excitable children…

And you can understand why. For Wood has spent more of his career in rehab than a Hollywood star. He's undergone numerous operations on his ankle and, since his last competitive match - on July 14 - had knee surgery and endured a lengthy period on the sidelines due to a serious side strain.

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It's worth looking back on the moment that injury was incurred. It was the World Cup final. The 45th over of the New Zealand innings. Wood, who had defied all the predictions to play in 10 games in the tournament, was mid-way through his final over when he felt sharp pain in his side. He knew, in that instant, he was in trouble.

He could have stopped bowling. Had he done so, he might still have had an outside chance of returning before the end of the Ashes. But the game was in the balance and he didn't want to let his team, his captain, down. He completed his spell. The last two deliveries, with no thought to his own welfare, were bouncers. The pain worsened considerably.

"I had three balls left," he recalls. "And every ball I bowled it got worse. I knew it was pretty bad. But it's a World Cup final and I didn't want to limp off after 9.3 overs. I spoke to Eoin Morgan about going through those three balls, but I knew I was out of the Ashes."

So Wood will never take moments like these - representing his country, tearing in and unleashing whole spells of 90 mph deliveries - for granted. He knows such experiences are precious and fleeting. He knows it could be over at any moment.

"I'm just trying to enjoy it," he says. "I'm just trying to have fun, take it all in and play with a smile on my face. It's been a lot of fun.

"I love it. I've waited quite a while to come back. July was the last game I played and, with the way my body has been, it's something you can't take it for granted. This could be my last game.

"I'm not just hoying [throwing] out clichés. That's genuinely how it is. I have to take it as it comes because that's the nature of how I bowl. Tomorrow I could fall over for the 54th time in the game and strain my ankle or something like that.

"I'm just about patched together. I'm wrapped up like a mummy on my left leg. Something is going to hurt eventually but it's part and parcel of being a fast bowler. I'm not a natural. I'm not 6ft 5in and built like a tank, so I have to give everything I've got to try and rev it up."

Now there will be those, reading this piece, who look at the scorecard and wonder what all the fuss is about. And it is true, at this stage, Wood only has two wickets. And while he has also seen a chance or two put down, struck five sixes in a brisk 42 that helped set up the declaration and plucked a fine catch out of the air - "I made a bit of a meal of that," he says bashfully - the fact is there have been other, far more eye-catching individual performances in this match.

But in a team game like this, we cannot be judging the value of players' contributions simply by the scorecard. The truth is, Wood has bowled at a pace - somewhere around 94 mph at his quickest - that has brought a new edge to this England attack. Some of the South Africa batsmen - notably Zubayr Hamza - have looked horribly unsettled by him. And, while there is no way of proving it, you suspect Wood has, in both innings, helped create chances at the other end as rattled batsmen struggle to retain their composure. You suspect his value is far greater than the number of wickets he has so far taken.

"I like the word 'assists'," he says, while trying to explain his contribution. "I think it's good to bowl in a partnership."

The wicket of Dean Elgar will have been especially rewarding, though. Elgar is probably, at this stage, the best player of pace in the South Africa side. So to set him up with a spell of short balls and then send his off-stump sent cartwheeling with a rare full delivery that may have left him a fraction provided more tangible rewards than the slaps on the back from appreciative teammates.

"Every fast bowler wants to see a stump going flying," he says. "And that was a great feeling. And one that really helped with my confidence. If you don't get a wicket you're thinking 'I need to try and prove a point; I need to show my value and keep my place in the team.'"

You could argue - and you may well be right - that Wood overdid the short ball here. In the second innings, 41 of the 66 deliveries he has so far bowled have been short or back of a length. Only two have been fuller than a length. For a man capable of swinging the ball - both conventionally and reverse - that seems like a bit of a waste. He's better than playing the part of a simple enforcer.

Incidentally, that final spell was six overs. It's too long for a bowler of Wood's pace and fragility. Mitchell Johnson, at his very best, rarely bowled a spell longer than three or four overs. England could learn from that.

But those were the orders and he's a team man. "You do what is best for the team," he says. "I noticed my pace dropped off a little at the end. But when you're bowling bouncers all the time, it takes it out of you."

Wood's career stats are, in the grand scheme of things, fairly unremarkable. This is his 14th Test; he has one five-for and an average of 36.81. But we should probably distinguish Wood's statistics before he lengthened his run-up and afterwards. Before that change, there was a lot of talk about his pace, but not much evidence. He routinely bowled in the mid-80s and he routinely underwent ankle surgery.

But since the end of 2018, when he made the decision to lengthen that run, he has bowled with consistent pace and hostility. The only other Test he featured in since then included his career-best performance - he was player of the match after dismantling West Indies in St Lucia - while his World Cup spells included the fastest delivery of the tournament and meant that only four men claimed more wickets. Just as importantly, the longer run appears to have taken a bit of stress off his body. But for that side strain - the knee was more of a clean-up job than anything especially serious - his body (and most crucially, his ankle) has stood up pretty well to the exertions.

For that reason, there is hope he could appear in the fourth Test next week. And with Jofra Archer now bowling again in training, there is a possibility that England could field both their fast bowlers on a Johannesburg pitch which has, at times, been rated among the fastest in the world.

"I'd love to play there," Wood says. "I've never actually played a match there, but I trained there once and the ball flew through. I'd love to have a go there."

The word "love" comes up a lot in Wood's conversations at present. He says he "loved" his batting, "loved" how well Ollie Pope batted and Dom Bess bowled and "loves" being back in the team and "doing something I really enjoy".

The result is that, if the weather relents - "I thought Africa was the sunniest place in the world," Wood mused, "but I come here and it's just like Durham," - England have a great chance of achieving back-to-back victories in South Africa for the first time since January 1957. To put that in perspective, Winston Churchill's second spell as Prime Minister had just finished. It's a significant achievement.

So was the gamble to keep bowling in the World Cup worth it?

"Absolutely," he says with feeling. "I'd take being a World Cup winner even if I didn't play another game of Test cricket. I would not swap that for the world. I've always got that to look back on. It was the pinnacle of my career."

He's probably right. But to see him throw himself into his work again at Test level, to know how hard it's been to get back to this level, to appreciate how much better England's attack looks when he is part of it and to witness his uninhibited enthusiasm… you rather hope there are a few more Tests left in Mark Wood yet.

West Indies 140 for 1 (Simmons 91*, Lewis 46) beat Ireland 138 (O'Brien 36, Pollard 3-17, Bravo 3-19) by nine wickets

Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo picked up three wickets each before Lendl Simmons' scintillating knock made short work of their 139 chase as West Indies romped home by nine wickets against Ireland to finish the three-match series 1-1.

After being asked to bat, Paul Stirling and Kevin O'Brien gave Ireland another breezy start and took them to 50 in just 3.2 overs but just like in the second T20I, Pollard pegged them back with his variations. Bravo, too, joined in as Ireland were all out for 138 in 19.1 overs.

Simmons attacked right from the start, hitting ten sixes and five fours in his unbeaten 40-ball 91 and powered West Indies home with nine overs to spare.

O'Brien gives Ireland flying start

After being dismissed off a full-toss in the second T20I, O'Brien ensured he didn't disappoint this time around and gave Ireland a flying start. In the second over, O'Brien hit Romario Shepherd for a four and six on back-to-back deliveries before Stirling finished it off with another six. Sheldon Cottrell found some movement in the opening over but soon it all went awry for him as O'Brien smashed the first five balls of his next over for fours. Ireland had stormed to 48 for no loss after three overs.

Pollard, Bravo strike back

After registering his career-best figures in the last game, Pollard once again did the rescue act for his team. He struck with his fourth delivery after bringing himself on in the fourth over. While trying to launch one over long-on, O'Brien miscued and Shimron Hetmyer made no mistake. With the drizzle getting heavier, the umpires asked the players to walk off.

When play resumed after 45 minutes, Bravo trapped Stirling lbw from around the wicket. The opener asked for a review in the false hope that the ball might have pitched outside the leg stump but it had pitched in line. The wicket made Bravo West Indies' highest-wicket taker in T20Is as he surpassed Samuel Badree's tally of 54.

Andrew Balbirnie and Gareth Delany kept the scoring rate up for a while, helping Ireland to 73 for 2 at the end of seven overs. But wickets soon fell in clusters. Pollard dismissed Delany and Harry Tector in the eighth over, and in the 11th, Gary Wilson fell to Shepherd followed by Balbirnie's run-out. While Ireland crossed 100 in the 12th over, they had lost six wickets by then. Two more wickets fell in the 14th over, including another run-out, before Bravo wrapped up the innings by picking up the last two.

Simmons' onslaught powers West Indies home

A target of 139 was well below-par and the way Simmons and Evin Lewis started, they made it look like even paltry. Simmons carted Barry McCarthy for a six and two fours in the second over of the chase. However, he offered an opportunity when he mistimed Mark Adair in the fifth over but Balbirnie dropped the chance at mid-off. Simmons was on 23 off 17 at that time and then there was no looking back. He struck at least one six in every over for the rest of the chase, and after being dropped, he struck nine sixes and two fours in the 23 deliveries he faced. He was also helped by some undisciplined bowling as the Ireland bowlers struggled to find the right length.

Such was Simmons' onslaught that it made Lewis' 25-ball 46 look pedestrian. Lewis fell to Simi Singh when West Indies were one hit away from victory, and fittingly, Simmons did that with yet another six.

Intensity, body language and learning to take tosses out of the equation have been key to India's roaring start to 2020. This was Virat Kohli's assessment as he drew satisfaction from two hard-fought wins that helped India take the Australia series 2-1 after a ten-wicket pounding in Mumbai.

On Sunday, India showed a great mix of intent and caution in their chase after restricting Australia to 286. India were a frontline batsman short after Shikhar Dhawan didn't open the batting to nurse his left shoulder bruise sustained while fielding in the fifth over of the match, but Kohli and Rohit Sharma toyed with the bowling, alternating between taking the lead role and anchor in a 137-run second-wicket stand that took the game away from Australia. Sharma brought up his century, Kohli missed his by 11 runs and Shreyas Iyer blitzed the fast bowlers, particularly Mitchell Starc, before Manish Pandey hit the winning runs. All of this, Kohli thought amounted to something special.

"Our partnership was a little different from what we've done in the past," Kohli said. "We were a batsman short, and already we had to take a call about who bats where. I think experienced guys have to step up in games like these. We knew that the plan Australia would have is to get one of us out early so that they could put us under pressure, because Shikhar was in no condition of striking the ball as he should. From that point of view, it was one of the most calculated partnerships we've had.

"We've had many flamboyant partnerships as well, where both of us are just going from each end but today I had to play second fiddle. Rohit was settled in, he knew the pace of the wicket. In between, I gained momentum, so he started playing the anchor role. Then later, Shreyas took pressure off me. So it's satisfying that we had three good partnerships back-to-back, and it just put things in our favour. We knew Australia is going to come hard at us with the ball. They put enough pressure, but we were up to the mark, we played in the most professional manner that we could."

Kohli was particularly delighted at the series win because it came against an "even better side to the one that came last year and won." He was most pleased about the character they showed in bouncing back after receiving a pounding in Mumbai. He then elaborated on how the team has consciously worked towards developing a ruthless mindset by taking tosses out of the equation, and sustaining their aggressive body language when pushed to a corner.

This, he said, was discussed soon after their World Cup semi-final exit against New Zealand. "You can't always look for a situations that go your way at the toss," he started. "If we like chasing as a team, it doesn't mean we press the panic button if we lose the toss. We've to stay composed enough to put in strong performances, which we've done.

"We've literally taken the toss out of context, and we're as prepared as possible to do something the opposition asks us to do. That's been the difference. Even if we lose the toss, we have the belief that we can play expressive cricket to get results our way. The last six or eight months have been a revelation and the younger guys stepping up is a very good sign for Indian cricket."

Kohli admitted to being complacent last year, when India conceded the ODI series to Australia despite being 2-0 up. It was something they were desperate to shake off, especially against a full-strength Australia side this time.

"Last year after 2-0 up, we thought we're definitely going to win one of the three at home, but they showed us that they understand these conditions very well now, having played here a lot in the IPL and so many tours over the years," Kohli said. "So today, although they had a stronger side than last time, we thought if we play good enough, we can beat this team.

"The only thing we needed to be wary of was our body language and intent because that's Australia's strongest point. All the teams in the world are skilled but these guys play with the intent of making things happen every over you play against them. So you can't take your foot off the pedal at all, that's what we've done in the last two games.

"The partnerships that I mentioned today, even the singles were with intent. We didn't want to give them a feeling of we don't know what's going on. There was surety, body language, intent and once we get a strong partnership in, we're going to take the game away. That is the message [we sent out]."

While India's batting clicked, the bowling somewhat flew under the radar. The spinners were relentless, as was Mohammed Shami with his yorkers. It was put to Kohli if he thought Jasprit Bumrah returning with just one wicket in the series was a failure. While he started as if he had dismiss the question, he threw light on what Bumrah himself felt.

"With Jasprit, you can always focus on the guys who get wickets but how things are looked at from the outside is different to how things are perceived from the inside," he started. "We understand the kind of impact he has made in the last two games. He was probably the most disappointed and hurt after the first game because he didn't get any wicket and didn't put them under pressure.

"So he took it upon himself to do the job for the team, contain runs and in turn, the other guys were rewarded because he created the pressure. I think his death bowling in the last two games were outstanding and the areas he hit with the new ball today and in the last game was very special. He has contributed massively to these wins. It might not reflect in the scorebooks but his contributions have been very crucial."

The "Dhoni, Dhoni" chants reverberated around the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday. The former India captain didn't suddenly make an appearance. This was the crowd showing its displeasure towards KL Rahul's missed stumping to reprieve Steven Smith. Without the benefit of replays, it would have been hard to tell that the ball had ricocheted off Smith's pads to evade Rahul. It happened that quickly.

Virat Kohli didn't like what he heard and prompted the crowd to go "KL, KL" as he was shown on the big screen. Soon enough, the crowd changed their chants to "Rahul, Rahul". This wasn't the most significant moment of the game, of course, but it told you how much the Indian captain values Rahul's presence and he spoke of the "sacrifice", comparing to the one Rahul's illustrious namesake - Dravid - made at the 2003 World Cup for the team's balance.

"If you look at the 2003 World Cup where Rahul bhai started keeping, the balance became different because you could play an extra batter and guys at the top could really play positive cricket," Kohli said at the post-match briefing after India had bounced back to win the three-match series 2-1 against Australia.

And even if Kohli emerged as the Player of the Series, Rahul played a massive hand, too: from doubling up as a wicketkeeper to marshalling the lower order to opening the batting - performing every role with an air of nonchalance while providing the much-required "balance" his captain said the team was after. "So, look, he is very open to playing anywhere because he is a proper batsman who can do you good in any format and at any position in the game," Kohli said on Rahul performing multiple roles.

ALSO READ: Has KL Rahul solved India's middle-order muddle?

Rishabh Pant's concussion in the Mumbai ODI might have prompted India to experiment with Rahul as the wicketkeeper for a game or two, but Kohli said the team management was keen to extend that to the New Zealand series, too, that begins with a T20I series on January 24 . Kohli was emphatic in his view that Rahul deserved a longer run with the gloves before he was judged, and having endured his fair share of being moved up and down in the batting order, and being in and out of the team, it was only fair he be given the extra opportunities in his new role. Yet at the same time, Kohli also didn't want to be drawn into commenting on whether that would mean Pant, Sanju Samson and possibly Dhoni being pushed behind in the pecking order.

"That was a spicy question," Kohli said jokingly, when asked about the wicketkeeping race. He laughed, and then continued, "Rahul really brings in a good balance if he can keep and bat that well in that position (No. 5). He has come into the slot and he has done well so we will have to persist with that a little bit and see where that takes us and not necessarily be confused about the other options we have."

The one significant advantage India accrue from playing Rahul as wicketkeeper is they can field an additional batsman in Manish Pandey, who is one of the best fielders in the squad as he showed in Rajkot, taking a screamer to dismiss David Warner. "So I think lack of clarity in terms of positions has really hurt us in the past. Now that we understand that this feels right, we will go ahead with that for a while and figure out if this is the right thing to do or not," Kohli said. "You can chop and change immediately and create confusion among the group. I don't see any reason why we should change this balance. It has done well for the team and we will continue with the same for a while."

Rahul kept his side of the bargain by scoring fluently in three outings, including a match-winning 80 off 52 balls in India's must-win game in Rajkot, notwithstanding his yo-yoing batting position. In Mumbai, he batted at No. 3, was pushed to No. 5 in Rajkot and finally opened the batting in Shikhar Dhawan's absence in Bengaluru. In Rajkot, he was mostly tidy behind the stumps and even quipped, "I hope I've kept our bowlers happy." His tall frame hasn't been an obvious hindrance yet to his wicketkeeping, but it is one thing keeping as a back-up, and another to do it regularly. What does help Rahul is strong fundamentals that helped him become a state regular as a wicketkeeper in age-group cricket, before he assumed batting as his primary responsibility.

In the recently-concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Rahul's wicketkeeping skills were much lauded, especially under pressure in a tense final, in which he calmly gathered a flat throw from the deep in the final over to effect a crucial run-out that proved to be the turning point. Having also kept regularly in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the 50-over competition prior to that, while also opening the batting, Rahul has shown he has what it takes, and Kohli is happy to back him for the moment.

"He won't go slam bang from ball one but he can do what he did in Rajkot just by playing good cricketing shots," Kohli said of Rahul's batting. "So I think solid game plan and understanding of his game is helping. He has reflected on what he needs to do in the last five-six months and he has come a long way. These are good signs for us. It gives a boost to the team because he keeps as well. It definitely allows us to play an extra batsmen which strengthens our batting massively. That is a very important factor as far as the team balance is concerned."

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his 20-year career on March 18, was asked Sunday whether he views it as a realistic possibility that he could play for another team.

"I'm open-minded about the process," Brady said in his weekly interview with Westwood One radio, when also asked whether he'd be willing to play elsewhere. "At the same time, I love playing football and I want to continue to play and do a great job. I'm looking forward to what's ahead. Whatever the future may bring, I'll embrace it with open arms."

On Saturday night, Brady was in Las Vegas for UFC 246, where he crossed paths with Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis. Photos of them together generated predictable buzz on social media, highlighting how Brady's future is not just arguably the biggest story of the upcoming NFL offseason, but in all of sports.

It is uncommon for a player of Brady's stature to reach free agency. As part of the revised contract he agreed to with the Patriots in August, the team can't assign him the franchise tag, which gives the 42-year-old Brady leverage to dictate his plans.

If Brady returns to the Patriots for a 21st season in 2020, he would tie former Detroit Lions kicker Jason Hanson for the longest tenure with a team in NFL history, according to ESPN's Stats & Information.

Brady said in his Westwood One interview that he's spent the past two weeks "decompressing from the season" and spending time with his family.

Tennessee's 35-24 loss in the AFC Championship Game hit Derrick Henry with a thud as reality quickly sunk in that the Titans may take on a significantly different look next season.

After failing to stick to the same formula against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday that propelled the Titans to playoff wins in Baltimore and New England, Henry expressed disappointment in the outcome and said "he could have done more for the team."

"I'll definitely shed a couple of tears," said Henry, who finished with 19 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown. "Just because I love my teammates. I love playing football, I love competing and I love my teammates. Those guys helped me get through a lot.''

The Titans have at least 19 players on expiring contracts this offseason. There will be some tough choices for Titans GM Jon Robinson to make. The first decisions will likely involve quarterback Ryan Tannehill and Henry himself, whose rookie contract is set to expire, possibly making him a free agent this offseason. After leading the league in rushing, it's safe to say he is in a position to land a lucrative contract from the Titans or another team in need of a bell-cow running back.

But for now, the frustration from losing and the idea of not having the same group of players take the field together next year was more important to him than any concerns about future contract negotiations.

"Throughout the whole season, you have to stick together through all the adversity," Henry said. "We have a lot of great guys in the locker room. It's football, you know the locker room is going to change. Right now, we just lost a game. I am not even thinking about no contracts or things like that. When that time comes, I am sure it will get worked out."

Henry, the NFL's leading rusher this season, was the catalyst for Tennessee's success on offense down the final stretch of the regular season, as the team won seven of its last 10 games. He proceeded to prove unstoppable in the first two games of the playoffs, picking up 182 yards rushing against the defending champion Patriots and 195 yards rushing in the divisional win over the Ravens.

But their bruising back had no carries in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game, and the Titans couldn't finish off their first trip to the Super Bowl in two decades.

"[I] feel like as a team we stayed relentless, kept believing in each other, and that speaks volumes to the character of everyone in that room as a football player, and we just came up short," Henry said. "That's a great team. Wish the outcome could have been different."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.