Pakistan captain Shan Masood says their 152-run victory over England in the second Test to level the three-match series was an "important win" for the team.
Pakistan had lost each of their last 11 Test matches on the bounce as hosts, a run stretching back to 2021, and were on a six-match losing streak overall in the longest format.
However, their spinners, Sajid Khan (2-93) and Noman Ali (8-46) ensured that run came to an end on Friday as they orchestrated England's second-innings collapse.
They combined for all 20 wickets in Multan, playing on the same pitch as the one they lost the first Test on, becoming the first pair to achieve such a feat since Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie in 1972.
For Masood, it was a first win since becoming captain, and he was proud of how the players rallied to end such a torrid run.
"This was a very important win for Pakistan cricket," he said. "The recent results were unacceptable.
"There is relief. This is a long process and journey. It won't be fixed overnight. It's been three years and 10 months since we last won a Test at home. That's not acceptable for Pakistan cricket.
"We pride ourselves on how well we play this game and how we see ourselves as a team. For us to get a result and hopefully start something here in our own conditions is exciting.
"Going through that adverse situation for years and still getting a result: that's the character you want from your players, staff and cricket board. Everyone's responded well after the [first Test] loss, which is very heartening."
England are looking to claim a second consecutive series win in Pakistan, but after their history-making first Test, which saw them win by an innings and 47 runs, they struggled to match that on the well-used pitch.
Ben Stokes, who missed that last week due to a hamstring injury, was left frustrated by the result and acknowledged it hinged on the coin toss.
"They used the home conditions in their favour," he said.
"If we had won the toss, it could have been completely different, and it would have looked like a silly decision.
"The toss was always going to be massive; me and Shan knew that."
AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca has had two weeks to stew on his team's latest defeat, and he will never refrain from criticising a player due to their name or status.
Milan were beaten 2-1 by Fiorentina before the international break, a defeat that came on the back of losing 1-0 to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.
It was the manner of their defeat in Florence, where Theo Hernandez and Tammy Abraham were both denied by David de Gea from the penalty spot, which left Fonseca furious.
Fonseca slated his players for disobeying orders after the game, pointing out that Christian Pulisic was the designated penalty taker, while he was also furious to see Hernandez sent off for dissent late on.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's meeting with Udinese, Fonseca told reporters: "I was so angry after Florence that it was good not to have seen anyone.
"We had few players in those training sessions, then all the internationals arrived yesterday. We talked about the match against Fiorentina and today we spoke about Udinese.
"I know that there has been a lot of talk about Florence, for me it was very important to talk about it."
Fonseca is already under pressure, with his side sixth in the Serie A table, five points off leaders Napoli. Milan have also lost both of their Champions League games, and their coach intends to tackle any issues head on.
"I don't close my eyes to problems. We have them, let's face them," Fonseca said.
"If we have any problems, I don't give a damn about the player's name. I talk to him. Frontally, directly, with the team or with the players.
"For me, no player is more important than the team. Those who make mistakes must take responsibility. If someone doesn't follow this team spirit, it's difficult for me."
Fonseca was then asked if he had already lost control of the dressing room, responding: "I don't have to demonstrate anything, I'm not an actor.
"In football today there is a great need to be seen, I'm not like that, since day one. Ask the players, if I have been this way from the start or not."
Pep Guardiola does not believe Thomas Tuchel's nationality is of any importance following the German's appointment as England's new head coach.
On Wednesday, the Football Association announced the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss had signed an 18-month contract, starting in January, to lead the Three Lions to the 2026 World Cup.
Guardiola was among several high-profile coaches to be linked with the role prior to the announcement, with his contract with Manchester City set to expire next year.
While Tuchel's fine record in knockout football has led many to hail his arrival as a coup, some have suggested the FA should have given an English coach a chance.
Guardiola, however, does not believe it is an issue, saying at a press conference ahead of Sunday's trip to Wolves: "Thomas Tuchel is the manager.
"I'm the manager of Man City, forget about it. The rest is not important. The federation decided to go for a foreign manager with a great record.
"My view is I would support him unconditionally. If he wins he will be praised and if he loses he will be criticised. But it doesn't matter, his nationality.
"I know we are proud of where we are from, but the world is so big. You have to be open-minded. I came here to learn from you."
Pressed on his own long-term future at the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola reiterated that no decision has been made but said City will be made aware of his plans well in advance.
"I'm pretty sure the club have options when Pep leaves. Sooner or later, it will happen and they have to prepare. It will not be a surprise," he said.
"I want to be really convinced it is the best for the club. I will not delay any action thinking it will be a problem for the club. They understand the problems I will have.
"If the club asks me an opinion [on my successor], I will give them an opinion. But it is not a decision for me. It has to be the club."
Perhaps the most high-profile homegrown coach to be linked with the England job was Newcastle United's Eddie Howe, alongside the likes of Graham Potter and Lee Carsley.
However, speaking at his own press conference ahead of Newcastle's Premier League fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion, Howe was asked if he was among the coaches interviewed for the job.
"I was not. There was no contact from the FA," he replied. "England have to do what is right for them and only they will know the processes they have gone through and the decisions they have made. I am certainly not the type of person that is going to analyse that."
Despite a tough start to Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 title defence, Luis Enrique is happy with his side's early season form.
PSG are unbeaten in the league and sit second in the standings behind Monacho, who have a two-point lead.
The reigning champions have drawn two of their seven games so far, including their last outing against Nice, though both stalemates have come away from home.
They have also lost one of their opening two Champions League games, being outclassed by Arsenal in their 2-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, meaning they are winless in two outings in all competitions.
The manager, who would not comment on media reports that he has extended his contract at PSG until there is official confirmation from the club, remained upbeat as his side prepare for Saturday's home game with Strasbourg.
"The start of the season in general has been very positive, even more positive than I imagined," Luis Enrique said at a press conference on Friday.
"Throughout the season, it is not a linear process, there are better moments and less good moments. We haven't had any bad spells yet.
"We would like to win every game, but that is not possible in football."
The Strasbourg game comes after an international break where many of PSG's players were in action, and the manager accepts this will be a factor in the match.
"We have to bear in mind playing time with international teams, travel time, and fatigue. So, of course, that is going to have an effect on the team on the pitch tomorrow," he added.
"We need to win tomorrow, but it will not be easy. It is never easy to come back after the international break."
The international break can also have its positive sides. One player who has struggled at PSG this season but shone for his country is forward Randal Kolo Muani, who scored both goals in France's 2-1 win in Belgium on Monday.
"That is certainly good news for me as a coach, to see our international players getting good results, produce strong performances, scoring goals, defending well," Luis Enrique said.
"The better they play for their national teams, the better for me."
Strasbourg are seventh in the standings, seven points behind PSG, but they have lost only once this season, and Luis Enrique expects a tough but open game.
"They score goals, they press high, they are dangerous, they are not worried about one-on-one situations," the Spaniard said.
"It will certainly be really difficult, well contested, and I think both teams will have chances."
Virat Kohli became just the fourth Indian batter to reach 9,000 Test runs as he restored some hope on day three against New Zealand.
The tourists carried over their momentum from Thursday, though stuttered at the start as Daryl Mitchell's (18) involvement was cut short early on, having only added four runs to their 180-3 overnight score.
However, Rachin Ravindra started in fine form at the crease as he brought up 134 off 157 balls to set them on their way.
Ravindra Jadeja (3-72) helped keep the scores down after that, though Tim Southee's 65 helped push New Zealand towards their 402 total before Jadeja caught him.
Set a target of 356 to chase at the start of their second innings, India made a strong start, surpassing their first innings total of 46 by the end of the 12th over.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (35) and Rohit Sharma (52) got them going early on before Kohli brought up his landmark, finishing with 70 as he was caught on the final ball of the day.
India reached stumps at 231-3, trailing by 125 runs, and Sarfaraz Khan (70 not out) will be looking to help them close in on what could be an unlikely victory.
Data Debrief: Kohli's landmark day
Kohli did not start the Test in the best way, being dismissed for a duck in his first innings, but he made up for that on Friday.
His knock of 70 was enough to take him past the 9,000 run mark (now 9,017), with only Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar previously reaching that total.
He has now scored 50+ in three of his four Test innings against New Zealand at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru (103 and 51* - September 2012, 70 in October 2024).
Rafael Nadal is looking forward to playing Novak Djokovic one last time when they meet in the third-place play-off of the 6 Kings Slam exhibition event on Saturday.
The Spaniard lost to his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets on Thursday and was applauded off after the defeat in what is his penultimate tournament.
However, it has teed up one final meeting between the great rivals, who are the only male players to have faced each other 60 times in the Open Era.
They last met in the second round at the Paris Olympics, with the Serb coming out on top, earning his 31st win despite Nadal's late fightback.
At the time, that looked to be their last dance, but Nadal is excited to go head-to-head with him once again.
"To have Novak in front [of me], it's like a nostalgic thing," said Nadal, who has won 29 of his 60 meetings with Djokovic.
"Playing against Novak has always been a big challenge, [he is] a great rival. He is a player who has always pushed me to the highest level, taken me to the limit.
"We've played each other a lot, so it'll be fun to play each other again one more time in this match. Hopefully, we can create a good show and good level of entertainment."
Nadal will play his final tournament at the Davis Cup Finals next month, where he will represent Spain in Malaga.
It will mark the end of a glittering career in which he won 22 singles grand slam titles, with only Margaret Court, Novak Djokovic (24 each), and Serena Williams (23) winning more across the ATP and WTA.
The 38-year-old also ended 13 different years in the top two of the ATP World Rankings, more than any other player throughout the Open Era.
Nadal is set to play in the doubles at the Davis Cup but is still undecided whether or not he will compete in the singles.
"Emotionally, I'm sure I'll be ready. Physically and in terms of tennis level, there remains a month left to prepare," he added.
"I will try to be in good shape to help the team to win. If I don't feel ready for the singles, I'll be the first one to say.
"Be 100% sure, I will not be on court if I don't feel ready to win my match."
Vincent Kompany does not believe any major changes are needed at Bayern Munich despite their current three-game winless run.
Bayern sit top of the Bundesliga on 14 points, ahead of RB Leipzig on goal difference, and are looking to get back to winning ways against in-form Stuttgart on Saturday.
Kompany's team, however, have been far from convincing in recent weeks, having lost to Aston Villa in the Champions League and drawn with Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.
They will need to quickly turn things around against Stuttgart with a busy match schedule ahead, including a trip to Barcelona next week in the Champions League.
"We know we have to do things better, but we have 100% faith that our way will be successful. Hopefully, we will take the next step in the next game," Kompany told a press conference.
The Bavarians were largely dominant against Villa and Eintracht but lost 1-0 in England and drew 3-3 in Frankfurt after conceding a stoppage-time equaliser.
"I come from Belgium, so we are very pragmatic, much like the Germans," Kompany added. "It is not only the belief but also what the analyses showed.
"We were dominant in those games [against Villa and Eintracht]. We had many, many more chances than our opponents.
"Of course, we have to be better, to optimise, but I believe if we are objective it would be stupid to change everything just because the results were not right.
"We will keep fighting to win games, but we are convinced we will win many games in the future."
Bayern will be without Jamal Musiala, who is recovering from injury, on Saturday while defender Dayot Upamecano is a doubt.
Stuttgart provided six players to the German national team for this month's international matches, twice as many as Bayern. Last season's surprise runners-up are eighth on nine points in the current campaign.
"Stuttgart have shown what they want to do," Kompany said.
"They want to play their game and that's what made them successful. That's why they were second last season.
"It shows they have worked really well."
Trent Alexander-Arnold said it took him a while to get used to being a hometown representative for Liverpool.
Alexander-Arnold made his Premier League debut eight years ago under Jurgen Klopp as an 18-year-old and has since made 233 league appearances for Liverpool.
In the top-flight, he has 59 assists, the joint-most by a defender in the competition's history, alongside team-mate Andy Robertson.
Since making his debut, the 26-year-old has established himself as one of the best right-backs in the world, having also picked up 33 senior caps for England.
However, Alexander-Arnold admitted the position he was in had the potential to be overwhelming for someone like him.
"At first it's quite intimidating because so many people are watching you and so many people are wanting to see what you're doing and emulate what you're doing," he told the Liverpool club website.
"You get to a point where you embrace it and use it as motivation, I think," he said.
"Growing up I had idols like Stevie G [Steven Gerrard] and Carra [Jamie Carragher] who, not their message directly to me, but the careers themselves and being from the city and going through the academy system made it possible.
"In my mind, it was like, 'If they can do it, why can't I?' They've probably played on the same fields as I have. They were doing the same things in the academy, and they came through the same system and were able to achieve it. So, if I've got enough discipline, hard work and talent, then why can't I go and do that?
"I think that's something that sticks with me a lot of the time. It's sometimes the reason why I push myself to show people if you're willing to work hard enough that anything is possible."
Alexander-Arnold says he is aware of the example he sets to others who might be in the position he was before playing for Liverpool, though he was conscious of highlighting the effort it takes to get to where he is now.
"That's something that is firmly in my mind. If you do think it, you can do it, but it'll take hard work. But if you're willing to put that in, you can do and achieve any dream you want," he said.
Lando Norris believes his 2024 Formula One season will be classed as a success regardless of whether he beats Max Verstappen to the drivers' championship.
Ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas this weekend, Norris is 52 points behind the Dutchman at the top of the standings.
Norris won his third race of the season last time out in Singapore four weeks ago, gaining seven points as he finished just ahead of Verstappen, who has won the last three championships.
But the 24-year-old has never finished higher than sixth in the drivers' championship, with this season marking significant progress whatever happens in the final six races.
As a result, Norris is conscious that success should not be defined by whether he and McLaren end the season with silverware.
"We're fighting against the best of the best but no matter what, it has still been a successful season," he said. "If I finish second it's because Red Bull and Max have done a better job.
"We started [the season] a long way behind. Everyone thought Max was going to have an easy win.
"For that not to be the case after the gap they had after race one, it's still a year to be proud of.
"But as the season goes on, you always reevaluate what are our expectations, and now we are a top team and fighting for drivers' and constructors' championships.
"I've been doing a good job. I have been happy with the job I have been doing and what we are doing as a team, and confident if we keep our heads down and keep pushing, we can close the gap.
"It's not easy, we need more than me first and Max second, but I can't change that, just keep my head down and focus on myself."
Given the current gap between Norris and Verstappen, the British driver will require other drivers to finish between them in the final races of the season to claw back the deficit.
Verstappen has not won a race since the Spanish Grand Prix in June, his worst run since an 11-race streak in 2020, and only finished second in three others.
Norris, meanwhile, only needs to earn two points in Texas to become the driver with the most points in the history of McLaren and surpass Lewis Hamilton's tally of 913.
Pakistan's spinners orchestrated England's second-innings collapse as the hosts rallied on day four to earn a 152-run win.
Having been subject to an innings and 47-run defeat in the first Test of the series, Pakistan forced a decider thanks to Sajid Khan (2-93) and Noman Ali (8-46).
England resumed on day four at 36-2 needing 297 runs to win, but Ollie Pope was only able to add one to his total (22) before being caught and bowled off Khan's second ball of the day.
Three more wickets fell over the next 40 minutes – Joe Root (18) and Harry Brook (16) were both trapped lbw by Noman, who also took Jamie Smith (6) shortly after.
Though Ben Stokes' 37 looked to provide some brief respite for England, alongside Brydon Carse's knock of 27 as they crept over the 100-mark, the tourists could not maintain any momentum.
Noman took the final seven wickets of the day and made sure things were wrapped up by lunch, dismissing Shoaib Bashir for a duck immediately after taking Jack Leach for a single run.
Data Debrief: The wait is over for Pakistan
Pakistan have salvaged some pride following their heavy defeat in the first Test, but they have also ended their terrible run on home soil.
Shan Masood finally has his first win since taking over as captain and, along with it, put a halt to their six-match losing streak in Pakistan.
It is all down to Noman and Khan, who combined for all 20 wickets, becoming the first pair to achieve such a feat in a Test since Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie in 1972.
Jhonkensy Noel and David Fry saved the Cleveland Guardians' season with a pair of dramatic home runs.
After Noel hit a pinch-hit, two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the score, Fry's two-run homer in the 10th propelled the Guardians to a 7-5 win over the New York Yankees on Thursday in an instant classic to pull Cleveland within 2-1 in the AL Championship Series.
The Yankees were trailing 3-1 with two outs in the eighth inning until Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton hit back-to-back home runs off All-Star closer Emanuel Clase, with Judge tying the score with a two-run blast and Stanton following with a solo shot.
New York tacked on another run in the top of the ninth to take a 5-3 lead and was one out away from taking a 3-0 series lead, but Lane Thomas then doubled off Luke Weaver to set up Noel's game-tying bomb to send the Cleveland crowd into a frenzy.
After the Yankees failed to score in the top of the 10th, Bo Naylor singled to lead off the bottom of the inning and came around to score on Fry's game-ending home run in front of a raucous crowd.
Rookie Kyle Manzardo hit a two-run homer in the third inning for the Guardians, who can even the series in Game 4 on Friday.
Dodgers pound Mets again to grab 3-1 lead in NLCS
Shohei Ohtani started off Game 4 with a lead-off home run to set the tone in the Los Angeles Dodgers' latest blowout win over the New York Mets - a 10-2 trouncing for a 3-1 lead in the NL Championship Series.
Ohtani scored four runs, while No. 2 hitter Mookie Betts went 4 for 6 with a home run, four RBIs and three runs scored to help the Dodgers move within one win of reaching the World Series.
Los Angeles, which scored nine runs in winning the NLCS opener and plated eight runs in Game 3, won without Freddie Freeman, as the All-Star first baseman rested a swollen right ankle.
Tommy Edman stepped up with three RBIs, and Max Muncy set a single-season play-off record by reaching base in 12 consecutive plate appearances. He had two homers, two singles and eight walks during his run, which ended in the eighth inning.
The Mets had 10 hits, but were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 12 men on base.
New York needs to win Game 5 on Friday at Citi Field to send the series back to Los Angeles, while the Dodgers can secure an NL record 25th pennant with one more victory.
The Denver Broncos rushed for a season-high 225 yards in an emphatic 33-10 win over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday.
Javonte Wiliams finished with 88 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while Bo Nix ran for 75 yards to help the Broncos (4-3) win for the fourth time in five games.
Nix, who was the 12th overall pick of this year's draft, also threw for 164 yards as Sean Payton won in his return to New Orleans. The second-year Denver coach directed the Saints from 2006-2021 and led the franchise to its only Super Bowl title.
Things aren't going nearly as well lately for the Saints (2-5), who have scored 86 points in losing five straight games after tallying 91 points in opening the season 2-0.
Denver's defence suffocated New Orleans' offence, sacking fellow rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler six times and scoring a touchdown on a 52-yard interception return by Cody Barton with 4:06 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Saints, who were limited to 179 yards through three quarters, added a late TD on 12-yard pass from backup quarterback Jake Haener to Cedrick Wilson.
Carlos Alcaraz will face Jannik Sinner in the final of the 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, having overcome an emotional Rafael Nadal in his penultimate tournament before retirement.
Nadal drew plenty of admiration from the crowd in Riyadh and was applauded off after a 6-3 6-3 defeat, which ensured he will face great rival Novak Djokovic in a third-place play-off on Saturday.
Alcaraz set the tone immediately by breaking to love in the very first game of the encounter, though Nadal found his feet to keep things competitive in the opening set.
Alcaraz hit a neat forehand to bring an end to a mammoth four-deuce game on Nadal's serve to take the opener, but the 22-time grand slam champion refused to go down without a fight, holding to love at the start of the second set.
However, Alcaraz smashed a magnificent forehand down the line to go a break up at the second opportunity, and despite Nadal producing some memorable moments – including one cultured backhand at the net – he held firm for a 78-minute victory.
Nadal will team up with Alcaraz to represent Spain at the Davis Cup next week, at the final tournament of his glittering career.
Data Debrief: Headline clashes teed up
Sinner's victory means he will face Alcaraz for the fourth time this year in Saturday's final, with the Spaniard having won all three previous meetings in 2024.
Nadal, meanwhile, is set for one last dance with Djokovic, who he has faced 60 times in official tour-level competitions, winning 29 times and losing on 31 occasions.
West Indies Men’s white ball head coach Daren Sammy is focusing on the positives after his team’s 2-1 T20I series loss to Sri Lanka in Dambulla.
After a dominant win in the first T20I on Sunday on a pitch typical for Dambulla, suitable for batting, the pitches for the second and third T20Is were much more conducive to spin bowling, a strength of the hosts.
The statistics reflected that, with 15 out of the 18 West Indian wickets to fall in the last two encounters being to Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers.
While eventually noting the need of his players to be better able to adapt to the change in conditions, Sammy looked at the fact that Sri Lanka had to make that big of an adjustment in their favor after one game as a plus for his side.
“We sent a strong message. We started a series one way with a squad looking to see the depth and the home side had to change the whole set up to make sure that their spinners got the advantage,” Sammy said in a press conference after the third game on Thursday.
“Ideally, yes, our men did not respond well to the spin, however, with the mindset that we have in our team being a championship winning team, we must be able to play in different conditions,” he added.
For Sammy, the changes to the pitch in the last two games felt like a win for his side in the long run.
“For us to see the last two games, the nature of the wicket from what it was at the start, I thought we actually won the contest because we were the away team and in conditions set before us, we challenged them with a squad that was not our full squad and they had to react to that,” he said.
“I told the guys yes, when the World Cup comes, we won’t get these conditions. ICC will make sure the pitches are good. It was a moral victory for us,” Sammy added.
Sammy went further, noting how Sri Lankan pacers Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara didn’t get an opportunity to bowl on good pitches in the last two games will hurt them in the long run.
“When you have pacers like that not getting an opportunity to bowl on good wickets when the true test comes, that’s where you really test your team,” he said.
“We as a group know Sri Lanka has never beaten us in a T20I series and with the manner in which they had to do over here in Sri Lanka, we’ll take that but there is need for much improvement in the way our guys play spin when there’s a challenge,” he added.
Both teams will now turn their attention to the three ODIs in Pallekele beginning on Sunday, October 20.
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