The World Cup draw yielded a number of fascinating groups – and the hype for the 2026 tournament can truly build

Are you excited yet? Can you feel it properly? Do you know, exactly, how this is all going to go? The World Cup is always fun in abstract. There are ideas, dreams and hopes. What this thing look like? Who do we our team to get? But the hypothetical discussion runs out, and it all feels a bit silly. What can you say when you don't relly know anything? Not all that much. 

Well, now we know things. FIFA's gaudy 48-team World Cup was unveiled in baffling fashion at the Kennedy Center Friday afternoon, and amid the pomp and circumstance of it all, the balls coughed up a pretty compelling draw. The host nations are all in intriguing groups. There will be some terrific matchups: Portugal-Colombia, France-Norway, Brazil-Morocco. 

There really isn't a dud here. Even the groups that seem a little more predictable feature some good games – at least, on paper. It's now time, officially, to get excited. But which groups are the best? Which favorite can feel pretty good about their chances? And who might get grouped early? GOAL U.S. writers break down the draw in another edition of… . 

ImagnWhich of the co-hosts got the best draw?

TH: The USMNT, and by some distance. Australia, Paraguay and likely Turkey? That's a winnable group. Canada did OK, too, but Switzerland aren't pushovers, and Italy, should they make it, will be tough. But Mauricio Pochettino is the guy who can be happiest. 

RT: The USMNT will feel good. While none of their games are slam dunks, they are all winnable, which gives them a realistic path to the knockouts. Looking ahead, there’s a date with Belgium lurking, which is a lot better than France or Argentina. Overall, the USMNT will be pretty happy, although Mexico’s draw could have been a lot worse, too.

AdvertisementAFPWhat's the best group?

Tom Hindle: Well, they're all pretty good! Is there a single dud here? Sure, we're supposed to get hyped and reactionary and giddy, but it's hard to see any weaknesses – even in an oft-maligned 48-team field. The safe bet has to be France, Senegal, Norway, and whichever playoff team makes it (likely Bolivia). There is a real chance that France, among the faves, could lose two of those games. Now THAT could make things interesting. 

Ryan Tolmich: Group I gets it. France-Norway is going to be fantastic as it gives us that mouthwatering Mbappe-Haaland matchup. Then there’s Senegal, a team with the ability and experience to play with both of those sides. Mix in an underdog with a point to prove from the playoffs, and you have a very fun group.

GettyWhat's the least competitive group?

TH: It was a BIG day for stat-pad-Ronaldo. Portugal did OK, didn't they? Colombia will push them – and could win the group – but Uzbekistan and whoever wins the first FIFA playoff will surely struggle. It's pretty easy to pick No. 1 and 2 there, even if the exact order is up for debate. 

RT: See you in the knockouts, Argentina. They’ve been given an easier run there with Austria, Algeria, and Jordan on the docket. That should allow the champions to surge through the group and really peak later on.

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Getty Images SportBased on the groups, who is your early favorite to win it?

TH: This might be a regrettable prediction later. But, , England have done rather well here. They should navigate their group pretty easily, and the likely sequence of knockout fixtures looks OK, too. Then again, the answer is Spain, who appear to be better than pretty much everyone else at the moment. 

RT: There are a lot of good teams, perhaps more than ever before, with real ambitions of winning this thing. Until someone knocks off Argentina, though, they’re a team worth backing, particularly given their group stage draw.

A heroic rearguard effort from Greaves, Roach, and Hope ensured West Indies salvaged a thrilling draw after slipping to 72 for 4

Shashank Kishore06-Dec-20251:01

Chase: Roach is a modern-day legend

An epic stonewall from Justin Greaves had him face more than half the deliveries of his 12-Test career in this one innings alone, as West Indies pocketed their first points in their sixth Test of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle in Christchurch. The 163.3 overs they eventually faced is the longest fourth-innings in Tests for West Indies in 95 years.Having played the supporting role to Shai Hope through their 196-run stand that rescued West Indies from 92 for 4 on Day 3, Greaves became the heartbeat of the innings once Hope (140) and Tevin Imlach fell in quick succession.He brought up a stunning maiden Test double ton in the penultimate over when he sliced Jacob Duffy over backward point to pocket what was to be only his second boundary in all of the final session as his colleagues stood up to give him a standing ovation.Related

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He finished 202 not out, having faced 388 deliveries, turning an innings that began with the typical artistic flair and flamboyance into a steely knock full of purpose and grit. Greaves wore more blows on the body than he could count, batted more deliveries than he had in his career, and reined in his natural instincts with single-minded purpose and determination.His effort led to an astonishing turnaround from the first hour of the day, when West Indies stumbled to 277 for 6 in a mammoth chase of 531. A depleted New Zealand attack down to two weary frontline pacers in Zak Foulkes and Jacob Duffy, fancied their chances. But Greaves found an able ally in Kemar Roach, the 37-year-old veteran, who batted like his life depended on it in his comeback Test.Roach made 58 not out – his highest first-class score – while facing 233 deliveries himself. Astonishingly, he made just 5 off the last 104 deliveries he faced during a dramatic final two hours of play even as the sun baked down hard on an increasingly docile Hagley Oval surface. Yet that should not take away from the epic rearguard from Hope, Greaves, and Roach.The frustration of not being able to separate Greaves and Roach during the second and third sessions was evident, as New Zealand’s bowlers were ground into the dust. They would also have felt robbed when Roach appeared to have nicked Michael Bracewell to Tom Latham behind the stumps – though perhaps only having themselves to blame for burning all their reviews.Even so, it was the thinnest of spikes that made it all the more challenging for Alex Wharf, the on-field umpire, who only a few minutes earlier made a cracking decision by turning down what everyone believed was an obvious inside-edge onto the pad to the slips, again off Bracewell. Replays showed Wharf had made a terrific call.1:57

Latham: Can’t fault the effort when we were a couple of bowlers down

As admirably as Roach played, he also maximised his opportunities. On 30, he was put down by Foulkes at backward square leg when he attempted an expansive sweep off Bracewell. On 35, Blair Tickner, subbing for Matt Henry, missed a direct hit at the bowler’s end from a few yards away at short mid-on as Roach was misjudging a run.Then on 47 came the most obvious chance, when Roach attempted to loft Bracewell had him nearly hole out to mid-on. Except, Glenn Phillips, the other sub, saw Tickner looking to intercept the ball from mid-off and palm it away.With those three chances firmly behind him, Roach buckled down and offered a dead bat to anything that came his way against Bracewell. Foulkes and Duffy tried to ruffle him with the short ball from around the wicket, only for him to duck and weave.Going into the final session, it became increasingly evident West Indies weren’t going to be enticed by the prospect of chasing down the 132 runs they needed in 31 possible overs. This clarity allowed them to approach the session with dead defence being the sole primary aim, even as Greaves began to tire and suffer cramps that needed medical attention at different times.Not even the possibility of an impending double century enticed Greaves into attempting anything loose, even if Tom Latham gave him the open invitation to drive Bracewell against the turn through the covers. This wasn’t perhaps a risk not worth taking given how easily West Indies’ lower order collapsed in the first innings.But long before a draw became the only possibility, even as New Zealand tried to attack with six fielders around the bat in the final session, Hope and Greaves pocketed runs at every available opportunity as the hosts rushed through their first six overs with part-time spin in a bid to take the second new ball quickly.But even after they took it, there was hardly any assistance for the bowlers. Hope defended comfortably off a length with neither Foulkes nor Duffy consistently able to challenge the outside edge consistently. The occasional misfields, like – Rachin Ravindra letting one through his legs for four, or Will Young overrunning a throw while backing up – added to the sense of raggedness New Zealand had begun to feel.A breakthrough lifted them shortly after drinks when Duffy dug in a short ball down leg, which Hope gloved behind, only for Latham to throw himself to his left and pluck a stunner from his webbing to end a marathon. Then came a second when Imlach was trapped by a nip-backer.They may have thought then it was just a matter of time. It could’ve been had they not reprieved Roach, but those reprieves proved even more costly given they only had two fast bowlers and two part-timers available – all of them going full throttle to the limit – despite not getting much out of the surface.In the end, the manner in which West Indies earned the draw may prove far more valuable. Above all, it was a day that reminded everyone of the slow-burn magic only Test cricket could deliver.

Jofra Archer, England’s strike bowler, has been ruled out of the second Test in Chennai after receiving an injection in his right elbow.Archer was instrumental in England’s 227-run victory in last week’s first Test, claiming three wickets in the match including both of India’s openers in a fiery new-ball spell in the first innings.But he was unable to train on Thursday after reporting pain in his right elbow and has subsequently undergone a painkilling injection.The England camp do not believe the issue is serious and hope Archer will have recovered to play in the third Test, in Ahmedabad, which starts on February 24.Archer suffered a stress fracture in the same elbow around a year ago, though a statement from the England camp insisted “the issue is not related to any previous injury”.The statement continued: “It is hoped the treatment will allow the condition to settle down quickly, allowing the player to return to action in time for the third Test in Ahmedabad.”However, the injury is a major loss to England as they seek to build on the efforts in the first Test. As a bowler capable of generating 90mph pace, Archer had the means to transcend the conditions while the surface was still true in the first half of the game.England were already set to make at least one change with Ben Foakes replacing Jos Buttler, who has returned to the UK for a rest. With Mark Wood also at home – though expected back in India with Jonny Bairstow on Friday – the closest like-for-like replacement England have for Archer is Olly Stone.Stone made a decent impression in his only Test to date, against Ireland at Lord’s in 2019. But he has managed only one first-class game since due to injury and England might be reluctant to bring him in for such a high-profile game on a surface which is expected to be slow and offer turn from an early stage.England have already indicated that Stuart Broad will be recalled in Archer’s place, having originally been earmarked to rotate into James Anderson’s senior-bowler role, but there is now an increased chance that both could play. Chris Woakes, who might also strengthen the batting, is another option.England also have a choice to make about their spin bowling. While Dom Bess claimed four first-innings wickets, he bowled 19 full tosses across the match and looked oddly out of sorts by the end of it. Moeen Ali, who has endured a miserable trip so far, could replace him. Moeen spent the first two weeks of the Sri Lanka tour in isolation after being diagnosed with Covid-19.Related

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Writing in his column in the Daily Mail, Archer reflected on his pride at playing a role in a famous win in the first Test, but revealed that his celebrations had already been muted by a stomach complaint, before the extent of his elbow problem was revealed.”I’m not a big beer drinker and I would normally have a spirit to celebrate,” Archer wrote. “But I didn’t partake because I wasn’t feeling well. I had a serious tummy ache, which might have been food poisoning, so I just slept. Stuart Broad didn’t feel too good, either.”Nevertheless, because of the quality of the opposition, our win felt like a serious achievement.”Winning by 227 runs against that India team in their own conditions makes it that bit more special. It needs to be put into perspective, of course. It’s only the first game and it would be dangerous to get giddy. We mustn’t do that.”Archer also acknowledged that his experience of playing in the IPL had helped him to come to terms with the conditions in the first Test, but added that the extent of the pitch deterioration in the course of the game had taken him aback.”On the fifth day it was probably the worst surface I’ve seen — its orange colour, bits missing, rough patches for the bowlers to aim at,” Archer wrote.”When we walked out in search of nine wickets on the fifth day, I was very hopeful we would complete the job — although these India players have big reputations and are at home, so should be able to cope with conditions better than anyone.”So, I didn’t expect us to skittle them. Equally, I didn’t expect it to finish not long after afternoon drinks.”I’ve played in tournaments around the world, and had success, but winning a Test is one of those indescribable feelings, especially against a really good team. Nothing compares.”

Former Leeds United striker Jermaine Beckford has made a bold claim about the way Daniel Farke’s side have started the season, but insists he’s “not delusional”.

Leeds four clear of the drop after solid start

Leeds’ number one priority this year will be to avoid the drop, considering just how much the teams that have recently been promoted to the Premier League have struggled, with no newly-promoted sides avoiding the drop over the past two seasons.

Farke’s side have started relatively well, picking up eight points from their opening seven games, which leaves them four points clear of the bottom three, although the German may be frustrated his side aren’t further up the table.

The Whites had more shots on target and possession against Tottenham Hotspur last time out, but ultimately fell to a 2-1 defeat, while they will also be very disappointed to have dropped points after conceding late goals against AFC Bournemouth and Fulham.

In an interview with The Yorkshire Evening Post, Beckford has now made it clear he is happy with how his former side have started the season, and made the bold claim they should be near the Champions League places based on their performances.

The 41-year-old said: “I think every game we’ve been in – the Fulham game, I thought we were unfortunate not to come away with a point.

“I think the same with the Spurs game, we should have come away with a point in that one, and Bournemouth we should have walked away with all three.

“If we look at it from that perspective, that’s an extra five points on top of where we are currently in the league. And that puts us level on points with Man City and fifth place.

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“We’ve not been outplayed by many teams this season, we look like we belong so from that perspective I have been impressed, I have been happy.

The Leeds icon also went on to say: “I’m not delusional. The manager is not delusional. All it is, it’s just the fine margins.”

Leeds' slip-ups could be costly in May

Beckford is right to assess that Farke’s side have largely been competitive, with the 5-0 defeat against Arsenal the only game they have lost by more than one goal, but they cannot afford to continue throwing away points the way they have.

While it is understandable to be frustrated that Leeds aren’t further up the table, they only really have themselves to blame, with Gabriel Gudmundsson, who has otherwise been impressive, scoring a bizarre own-goal to cost them a point at Craven Cottage.

Beckford’s comments also don’t acknowledge that luck, or lack thereof, is something that affects every team, with the Whites’ 1-0 victory against Everton in their opening match coming as a result of a debatable penalty decision.

That said, Farke should take some confidence from the solid performances thus far, with the 3-1 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers particularly impressive, and the manager will be hoping his side can put in a similar display at Burnley this weekend.

Enzo Maresca revealed Chelsea are preparing to splash the cash in January on incomings to close the gap to Arsenal and Manchester City.

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Chelsea forked out £219m on transfersThe Blues are gearing up for more signingsMaresca believes Arsenal & City still have better squadsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital consortium have spurlged since they took over and the Blues have emerged as the top-spenders on three occasions in the last four transfer windows. It is understood that they spent nearly $1.3 billion (£1b) on 39 players across five transfer windows with £219m spent this summer alone.

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Maresca brought in 11 players this summer including Jadon Sancho, thanks to a last-minute loan deal from Manchester United. However, the coach was prudent enough to let go of several stars as well to raise over £150m ($199.6m). Although it was often suggested that the Chelsea first team has close to 40 players, the official squad photo released on Friday saw the manager sharing the frame with 29 players.

WHAT MARESCA SAID

Despite intense activity over several transfer windows, Maresca still feels that his squad is lagging behind the likes of Arsenal and City, which would force them to spend more in January.

"I think we are a very good squad but there are clubs like Manchester City and Arsenal that are ahead of us, no doubt," he opined. "Hopefully (if) we progress and (keep) improving, we can slowly, slowly be close to them. But I think it is quite clear that at this moment Arsenal and Manchester City are ahead of the rest. Like I have said, the reason why is one club is nine years with the same manager (Pep Guardiola joined Manchester City in 2016), and the other (Mikel Arteta at Arsenal) is five years. The rest of the clubs…is a short time.”

When asked if Chelsea could bring in more players in January, Maresca said: "The target after the last summer (window) is to try to do less things but more specific. This is the target for January and next summer. Hopefully, it can be like this.”

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Chelsea are reportedly planning to get rid of Mykhailo Mudryk in January which could pave the way for another forward walking into Stamford Bridge. The Ukraine international has clocked just 61 minutes in the Premier League and with Sancho hitting the ground running, opportunities are likely to be limited for Mudryk. The Blues return to action on Saturday against West Ham.

Unsurprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were recently named as the world’s two highest-paid footballers by Forbes, and the two legendary forwards have amassed mind-boggling net worths across their careers.

Ronaldo recently became the first current player to achieve billionaire status, having earned £1.04bn through wages, endorsements, investments and sponsorship deals, while Messi has managed to amass a stunning €598m (£527m), given long-term deals with Adidas, Apple, and Konami.

Such numbers are perhaps to be expected, given that the former La Liga stars, who are widely regarded as the two best players of all-time, have won a combined 13 Ballon d’Ors between them, but a player who had a more modest career, at least in comparison, has managed to make over double their combined net worth.

Ex-Man Utd star Louis Saha's net worth revealed

As reported by Manchester Evening News, Louis Saha has managed to build up a whopping £4.3bn fortune since retiring from football following a brief spell with Lazio back in 2013, accumulating his wealth after founding his sports company AxisStars.

The platform, which connects athletes and entertainers with trusted companies, was founded not long after Saha called time on his career, and it has clearly been hugely successful, given the vast riches the former Manchester United star has been able to amass.

Although the Frenchman did not reach the dizzy heights of the likes of Ronaldo and Messi, he also had a career to be proud of, scoring 84 Premier League goals across spells with Fulham, Man United, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Everton and Sunderland.

The 20-time France international was also named among Everton’s greatest strikers in the Premier League era, courtesy of scoring 34 goals in 115 matches across all competitions for the Toffees.

During that time, the former striker scored what was the fastest goal in FA Cup final history at the time, until the record was broken by ex-Man City star Ilkay Gundogan, who found the back of the net after just 11 seconds in the 2023 final against United.

However, what the 47-year-old has gone on to achieve post-football is arguably even more impressive, having amassed a higher net worth than the vast majority of former players, albeit his riches still pale in comparison to that of Leicester City flop Faiq Bolkiah.

That said, rather than being born into wealth, Saha is well-known to come from a working-class background, with his mother a nurse and his father an aircraft mechanic, meaning money was tight growing up, which makes the former Everton man’s unbelievable success even more impressive.

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da casino： After a generally productive international break for many of Rangers’ stars, can they bring this form back to Glasgow?

da betsul： John Souttar, Liam Kelly and Connor Barron were all part of the Scotland squad that remarkably qualified for a first World Cup in 28 years, while Nicolas Raskin started both of Belgium’s matches as they booked their spot in North America, thrashing Liechtenstein in the midfielder’s hometown of Liège.

On Tuesday, striker Bojan Miovski scored his ninth goal for North Macedonia, albeit there was little cause for celebration given that his team were demolished 7-1 by Wales in Cardiff, their heaviest defeat for two and a half years.

While Miovski being back among the goals is undoubtedly good news for Danny Röhl, he does need to improve his performances on the domestic stage.

Rangers' lack of attacking firepower

While many supporters would blame now-dismissed manager Russell Martin’s ineptitude, the club’s poor recruitment over the summer is surely the key factor behind their underwhelming form this season.

This is most abundantly clear in attacking areas where, despite being a goal machine during his two seasons at Aberdeen, Miovski has netted only twice since joining Rangers from Girona for £2.6m in August.

Meantime, Youssef Chermiti has scored only once for the club so far, despite arriving from Everton for £8m, potentially rising to £10m with add-ons, thereby making him the club’s most expensive signing of the post-liquidation era, surpassed only by Tore André Flo’s move in 2000.

This is in complete contrast to last season when Rangers’ top three scorers, namely Cyriel Dessers, Václav Černý and Hamza Igamane, bagged 63 goals between them across all competitions, which represented 55% of all goals the club netted.

With the trio having all departed, new manager Röhl requires the attacking players he has inherited to step up and start contributing, something one “huge talent” in particular is yet to do thus far.

Thelwell signing has been a bigger waste than Chermiti & Miovski

In the summer, Rangers spent around £30m on 13 new recruits, including splashing a reported £5m to sign Thelo Aasgaard from Luton Town.

Upon his arrival, Scottish football analyst Kai Watson labelled him a “technical dribbler” who “loves to take on opponents and get shots away”, while journalist Jamie Allen asserted that he was a “huge talent”.

However, supporters have not seen very much of that thus far, with Aasgaard’s most noteworthy contribution being that red card he received during the League Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic at Hampden.

The table below underlines the fact that Aasgaard has not performed as expected to date. Aasgaard’s statistics are not terrible when compared to his Rangers teammates, ranked second for shots, first in terms of shots on target as well as in the top four when it comes to successful dribbles per 90.

Aasgaard Rangers statistics

Stats

Aasgaard

Rangers rank

Minutes

1,041

9th

Goals

1

7th

Assists

1

8th

Shots per 90

1.7

2nd

Shots on target per 90

1

1st

Big chances missed

2

2nd

Accurate passes per 90

19.2

12th

Key passes per 90

0.8

8th

Successful dribbles per 90

1.4

4th

Average rating

6.76

8th

Stats via Transfermarkt and SofaScore

Ultimately, however, he has scored only one for the club to date, on target against Dundee United last month, registering his first assist at Dens last time out, albeit scorer Djeidi Gassama did do most of the work.

This lack of end-product has seen his estimated market value, as recorded by Football Transfers, drop to around £3.4m, well below the fee Rangers paid to sign him.

Meantime, the Merseyside-born winger has been on fire for Norway, scoring four times in 24 minutes as his national team demolished Moldova 11-1 at the Ullevål in September, having marked his international debut with a goal in the reverse fixture in Chișinău back in March.

Thus, with Norway back at the World Cup for the first time since France ’98, Aasgaard will certainly be included in Ståle Solbakken’s squad that travels to North America next summer, but he’ll be desperate to improve his club form before then.

In Glasgow, Aasgaard has started three of Danny Röhl’s six matches in charge, but was introduced off the bench during the last two against Roma and Dundee.

With Röhl having switched to a 3-4-2-1 formation, there is one fewer attacking position up for grabs, and Aasgaard so far is not doing enough to suggest he should be ahead of Gassama, Miovski, Chermiti, Danilo or Mikey Moore in the pecking order.

Considering he cost £5m, surely Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell envisaged that the Norwegian would be a guaranteed starter, but this is certainly not the case. Considering he was a player that Martin pushed to sign, it isn’t ideal when the manager is sacked after just 15 matches in charge.

Thus, while Chermiti and Miovski have established themselves as key figures in Röhl’s team, one could certainly argue that Aasgaard has been the biggest waste of money from last summer.

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ESPNcricinfo’s writers pick their favourite shots of IPL 2024

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2024Rishabh Pant’s no-look whip vs Venkatesh IyerBy Karthik KrishnaswamyRishabh Pant has played that no-look, no-feet, no-care-in-the-world whip over fine leg numerous times in his career, and he has done it off bowlers far better than Venkatesh Iyer. But every Rishabh Pant thing that Rishabh Pant did during IPL 2024 was an occasion to celebrate, and this shot was particularly heartwarming because it involved a significant amount of knee-flexing, and we all know what Pant’s knees have gone through. This was another sign that Pant was back, properly, reconstructed ligaments and all.MS Dhoni sent Yash Dayal’s full toss over the roof in Bengaluru•BCCIDhoni’s 110 m six vs DayalBy Sidharth MongaRCB’s comeback from one win in eight matches into the playoffs was the story of the tournament. After every kind of miraculous effort, it still came down to a youngster bowling to MS Dhoni in the final over to deny CSK the required net run rate to knock RCB out. Yash Dayal tried a back-of-the-hand slower ball, ended up offering a juicy full toss, and Dhoni monstered it over the Chinnaswamy stands and onto one of the roads. Now it is said that Dhoni aims to hit such a morale-busting six first ball of the last over following which bowlers lose their composure, which is more urban legend than anything. This shot is my favourite of this IPL because it led to another, opposing urban legend: because Dhoni hit the ball out of the ground and lost it, Dayal could execute slower deliveries with the replacement ball that was dry, and redeem himself after having been hit for five sixes in the last over by Rinku Singh last year.Ruturaj Gaikwad hit a six against Mumbai that impressed his former captain•BCCIGaikwad wows DhoniBy Alagappan MuthuMS Dhoni knows sixes. So, when his eyes widened, and he pushed his lips up and out, as he watched the ball sail over the boundary with an appreciative nod, it’s proof that something special has happened. Akash Madhwal was bowling. He had seen the batter charge at him. Making room outside leg stump. So he corrected his course. And dragged his line wide. Ruturaj Gaikwad was mid-move when he realised he was out of position. This was a ball that he wasn’t supposed to reach. It was also a ball that he hit for six over point. Gaikwad is far from the ideal T20 batter but his sense for timing and placement can tempt even the most esteemed jaws to hit the floor.

Recap how the opening day of the final in Brisbane unfolded

Andrew McGlashan15-Apr-2021*Most recent entry will appear at the top, please refresh your page for the latest updates. All times are local.4.30pm: Closing stagesNew South Wales have made a breakthrough, Josh Hazlewood finding the edge of Joe Burns with a terrific delivery, but they are desperate to strike again in the final period of the day. Nathan Lyon has found some big spin early in his spell and Trent Copeland has challenged Marnus Labuschagne.