Connections of Big Rock will be in no rush to take on Ace Impact again after he was caught in the latter stages of the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly on Sunday.
Ace Impact came from way off the pace to take the Group One laurels with a scintillating burst of speed, which resulted in a new track record over the extended 10 furlongs.
Big Rock was sent off favourite on the strength of four unbeaten starts since joining trainer Christopher Head. Those victories included a Listed success and a pair of Group Three contests.
Having made much of the running under Aurelien Lemaitre, Big Rock looked to have the race in safe keeping with a furlong to race, but had no answer as Cristian Demuro’s mount swept past and went on to record a three-and-a-half-length success.
While defeat may have been bitter-sweet, Head was far from despondent at the Rock Of Gibraltar colt’s first run beyond an extended nine furlongs.
“I am very happy, because the horse has come a long way,” said the handler.
“He has won a bunch of races already and it is possible he gets beaten by good horses in the Jockey Club. In terms of the (front-running) strategy, it was pretty straightforward.
“Of course you can be vulnerable when you are trying to go a longer distance with that strategy.
“It’s fair enough. I’m very happy. If it wasn’t for the horse who beat us, we would have won the Jockey Club by four lengths and everybody would be amazed.
“The jockey did everything right. He kicked at the right time and I thought we had it won.
“When I saw that horse (win) from so far back, you have to think it is probably a very top-class horse, one we are probably not going to encounter again.
“The track record was broken and certainly they are two good horses. Usually we don’t have that kind of pace and usually you don’t get to see the true quality of the horses. I’m pretty happy with that result.”
Head has not ruled out the possibility Big Rock will cross the Channel at some point, although it is unlikely he will be seen at trips beyond 10 furlongs again.
He added: “We still have to discuss with the owner where we go and there are a few nice options.
“Pretty much we are going to try to put him over a mile or 2000 metres (10 furlongs), but we will see. That will probably be the top of his distance, I would think.
“It is a possibility you will see him in Britain. I have a few options with a few races back there and it would be nice.”
Meanwhile, Blue Rose Cen, who gave the trainer a breakthrough Classic success in the French 1,000 Guineas, will bid to secure another when she heads for the French Oaks at Chantilly on Sunday week.
“She is doing very well and we are heading for the Prix de Diane,” added Head. “She is beautiful and came out of the race well.
“She is really a wonderful filly, as she has been a very nice two-year-old and now it seems she is capable of winning both the French Guineas and probably the Oaks.
“I don’t see the limit of her and we will see after that race what we do about her programme for the next part of the season.
“She looks very stable and that’s what we want. I’m very happy with her.”
Captain Callum McGregor said goodbye to Ange Postecoglou and hello to Celtic’s next Champions League challenge.
Just three days after the Hoops clinched the domestic treble with a 3-1 Scottish Cup final win over Inverness at Hampden Park, Tottenham appointed the 57-year-old Australian as their new head coach on a four-year deal.
McGregor spoke in glowing terms about Postecoglou on the club’s official website then looked forward to the fruits of his success, a guaranteed place in the group stage of European football’s elite club competition next season.
The Scotland midfielder said: “It has been great to work with the gaffer over the past two seasons and to achieve the success that we have, especially achieving yet another treble at the weekend.
“In fact, to win five out of six domestic trophies is a tremendous achievement and that is testament to the real focus and relentlessness of the manager, the players and our whole backroom team who have all worked so hard.
“I thank all our supporters again for what they have given us this year. The scenes at Hampden and Celtic Park, when we celebrated our success together, will stay with me forever.
“We have delivered something very special to our fans and done it, under the manager’s direction, by playing an exciting and attractive brand of football. As all the players do, I wish Ange great success in his next challenge.
“We move on ourselves to our own challenges too. Our performances this season mean we will take our place deservedly in the Champions League and we can’t wait for it.
“It will be brilliant to have these great nights back at Celtic Park and I am sure our fans are looking forward to experiencing this again, as well as watching us striving to defend all our domestic titles.
“The players will enjoy a well-earned break and when we return we will get right behind the new manager, we will be united and, as ever, will do all we can to bring our fans continued success.”
Ange Postecoglou insists he “will forever” be a Celtic supporter after leaving the Parkhead club for Tottenham.
The London club ended days of speculation by appointing the 57-year-old Australian as their new head coach on a four-year deal.
Postecoglou – who won the domestic treble with the Hoops this season to make it five trophies in two campaigns in charge – replaces Antonio Conte at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
In his parting statement on Celtic’s official website, the former Australia manager thanked the club’s majority shareholder Dermot Desmond, chairman Peter Lawwell and chief executive Michael Nicholson as well as the supporters as he reviewed his time at the cinch Premiership club.
He said: “I would like to sincerely thank everyone at the club for everything they have given me.
“In particular, Dermot, Peter and Michael and the Celtic Board have shown me tremendous support in every aspect of my time at Celtic and I will forever be grateful for this.
“They brought me to the club and I have worked so closely and so well with them for the past two years, I will always have a special relationship with them.
“They wanted me to extend my time at Celtic and while I am so respectful and understanding of their position, a new opportunity has been presented to me and it is one which I wanted to explore.
“It was an honour to be asked to be Celtic manager and during my two years I have given everything I have to deliver success to our supporters.
“Culminating in the treble at the weekend, my players and backroom team have been brilliant for me on this journey.
“They have given us all some fantastic moments through their energy and effort, creating real quality, winning football.
“Our supporters have been magnificent to me and I thank them for the way they have embraced me during the past two years.
“My ambition was always to give our fans a team they could be proud of, a team people talked about and I think we have achieved that.
“Celtic is a phenomenal football club and so much more – and I will forever be a supporter of this great institution. I wish everyone connected with Celtic nothing but continued success.”
Nicholson described Postecoglou as “a great football manager and a good man”, who has “served the club with such energy and determination and delivered a phenomenal level of success”.
He said: “I would like to thank him for all he has given us and I wish Ange and his family the very best for the future in everything they do.
“Of course, we wanted Ange to stay with us at Celtic and while there is real disappointment that we are losing him, he has decided he wants to look at a new challenge, which we respect.
“As treble-winning champions, the club looks ahead with confidence to the future, with many exciting opportunities ahead.”
Lawwell was equally praiseworthy of the former Melbourne Victory and Yokohama F Marinos boss.
He said: “Against any measure, Ange has delivered a fantastic level of success to Celtic and we thank him for his brilliant contribution to the club during the past two years.
“We were delighted to bring Ange to Celtic.
“He is a special manager who has had success wherever he has been and someone who brought to the club attacking, stylish and winning football in the best traditions of Celtic.
“Of course, we are disappointed that Ange has decided to leave the club and we did all we could to keep him with us well into the future, but he wanted to take this new opportunity and we wish Ange well in this and everything else he does.
“Now our focus is very much on ensuring we move forward positively and do all we can to ensure that we maintain our dominant position in Scottish football and also prepare for the exciting European challenges which lie ahead.”
Ange Postecoglou has swapped Celtic for Tottenham as the north London club’s permanent successor to former head coach Antonio Conte.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the most recent managers to move from the Scottish to the English top flight, and how they fared.
Steven Gerrard
The former Liverpool and England captain took over at Rangers in 2018, finishing second behind Celtic in his first two seasons – and also losing the 2020 League Cup final to them – before breaking through to win the 2020-21 Premiership in an unbeaten season to deny Celtic a 10th title in a row.
He was appointed at Aston Villa early the following season, with a reported £4million compensation payment to Rangers, but was unable to improve Villa’s results.
They finished 14th that season and he was sacked after a poor start to 2022-23, with Unai Emery taking over and leading Villa into Europe. Meanwhile, north of the border, Postecoglou had taken over Celtic and re-established their dominance.
Gerrard managed 13 wins in 40 games as Villa boss, a 32.5 per cent win rate.
Paul Heckingbottom
Heckingbottom left Hibernian in November 2019 and, having been out of work for much of the season, became Sheffield United Under-23 coach in July 2020.
He took over as interim manager after Chris Wilder was sacked in March 2021 but won only three of 11 games as the club’s relegation was confirmed.
Having lost out on the permanent job to Slavisa Jokanovic, he took over six months later after the Serbian’s dismissal and has led the Blades back to the top flight for the new season, winning 48 of 83 games in his current reign.
Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers was already an established name in England after spells at Reading and Liverpool, but it was at Celtic where he built his medal collection with back-to-back domestic trebles – adding the League Cup leg of a third before departing for Leicester in February 2019 and leaving Neil Lennon to finish the job.
With the Foxes he won the FA Cup in 2020-21 and reached the Europa League semi-final the following season, with league finishes of ninth, fifth, fifth and eighth as they twice missed out on the Champions League on the final day.
He was sacked in April with the club 19th in the league, with successor Dean Smith unable to save them from relegation. Rodgers won 92 of 204 Leicester games in all competitions, 45.1 per cent.
Alex McLeish
McLeish’s spell with Rangers brought him two league titles, two Scottish Cups and three League Cups, including a treble in 2002-03, following a second-placed finish with Motherwell and a promotion with Hibernian.
That earned him the Scotland job but he led them for only 12 games before returning to club management south of the border with Birmingham.
Blues were relegated in his first season in charge but bounced straight back, finished ninth in 2009-10 and won the 2011 League Cup after Obafemi Martins’ late winner against Arsenal.
That same season brought a second relegation, though, and McLeish resigned after 168 games in charge with a 36.9 per cent win rate.
Tottenham have ended their long search for a permanent head coach by appointing Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou.
Postecoglou, who won five major trophies in two seasons at Celtic, including this season’s domestic treble, faces a tough task to quickly turn Tottenham’s fortunes around.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the 57-year-old’s in-tray.
Resolve Harry Kane’s future
The most pressing issue awaiting Postecoglou in his first job as a Premier League head coach is the future of Kane. The England captain has one year left on his contract and has been linked with a possible summer move to a host of Europe’s leading clubs, including Real Madrid, Manchester United and Bayern Munich. Postecoglou will want Kane to stay, but will also want assurances. The 29-year-old is either all in and stays, or opts for a new challenge and generates funds to help Tottenham rebuild their squad. Whatever Kane decides, Postecoglou will need a speedy decision.
Unite the dressing room
None of Tottenham’s near 30-man first-team squad are out of contract this summer, but plenty of departures can be expected. Postecoglou’s predecessor Antonio Conte publicly criticised his players’ team ethic and anyone lacking in that regard will have no place in the former Australia head coach’s squad. He must quickly work out who he can trust to fully commit to his principles and methods and try and move on those he does not. Unity and spirit were the bedrock for Celtic’s success under Postecoglou and he will want to lay the same foundations at Tottenham.
Win over doubters
Postecoglou was not top choice for the majority of Tottenham’s supporters and there will be plenty of scepticism among those who had called for the return of Mauricio Pochettino, while the likes of Arne Slot, Roberto De Zerbi and Luis Enrique were also reported to be on the club’s list of targets. Postecoglou must win over the doubters and reconnect the players with a disgruntled fanbase. He did just that at Celtic where he first took charge in a toxic environment, but can his blueprint for success in the Scottish Premiership transfer to the English top flight?
Director of football key
Tottenham have been without a director of football since the resignation of Fabio Paratici in April and the club will now prioritise that key appointment in readiness for a busy summer ahead. Feyenoord’s general manager Dennis te Kloese has turned down the role and, while filling the vacancy falls under chairman Daniel Levy’s remit, Postecoglou could well be involved in the process and will definitely want to strike an instant rapport with whoever takes on the job. The Australian has a clear philosophy for possession-based, high-energy football and the project will only work if the two parties are aligned.
Top-four challenge
European football has eluded Spurs for the first time since 2009-10 and they can ill-afford to miss out for a second successive season in their bid to retain their status as a ‘Big Six’ club. Postecoglou must overhaul the playing squad, galvanise a dispirited dressing room and bed in his backroom staff – what role, if any, for fans’ favourite Ryan Mason? – all in time to launch a Champions League challenge with the same brand of football that has thrilled Celtic fans for the past two years.
Tottenham have appointed former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou as their head coach on a four-year deal.
The 57-year-old Australian, who won the domestic treble with Celtic this season, moves south to London to replace Antonio Conte.
Conte was sacked in late March, with Cristian Stellini and then Ryan Mason taking temporary charge.
Postecoglou will officially join Spurs on July 1.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said on the club’s website: “Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play.
“He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy – everything that is important to our club.
“We are excited to have Ange join us as we prepare for the season ahead.”
The 2023 Ashes is the latest instalment in the memorable tussle between the old rivals and perhaps one of the most unpredictable in recent times.
The tourists arrive as World Test Championship finalists and in possession of the urn following the thumping 4-0 success Down Under in 2021-22.
England look refreshingly free from the scars of that trip, having made a clean break under the progressive leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. With 11 wins from their last 13 Tests, there will be no sense of inferiority in the home dressing room.
Here, PA news agency looks at three of the best Ashes series on English soil that stand as the bar to clear.
The Invincibles
1948: England 0 Australia 4
It may not have been a close contest, but it does go down as a high watermark due to the irrepressible performance of an Australia side captained by the great Donald Bradman. ‘The Don’ led an unprecedented unbeaten tour, comprising 31 first-class matches as they travelled up and down the country taking on allcomers. They won four of the five Test matches by heavy margins but narrowly missed out on a whitewash as England fought out a draw at Old Trafford. The series cemented their status as one of the greatest ever teams.
The rollercoaster of ‘Botham’s Ashes’
1981: England 3 Australia 1
Chaos theory writ large, as England and their mercurial leading man went from the depths of despair to the toast of the nation in a few short weeks. As skipper Botham arrived at the first Test under pressure, lost it by four wickets and was then dismissed for a pair of ducks in a drawn second Test. A bitter resignation followed, but an SOS for the veteran strategist Mike Brearley proved the pitch perfect decision. Freed from the shackles of captaincy, Botham produced his masterpiece in Leeds as his bloody-minded 149 not out following on dragged England back from odds of 500/1. Bob Willis steamed in to deliver victory with the ball but Botham hogged the narrative with a sequence of five for one to settle the Edgbaston Test, another century in a winning cause at Old Trafford and a 10-wicket match at The Oval.
Vaughan’s men end the drought
2005: England 2 Australia 1
After many false dawns and eight consecutive series defeats, England finally reclaimed the urn for the first time since 1987. Victory was made sweeter because of the calibre of the opposition, an all-conquering Australia studded with star names from one to 11. The likes of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath were in harness, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist were in their prime years but England thrilled the nation by coming out on top. Despite a stinging defeat first up at Lord’s, the hosts would not be tamed. Andrew Flintoff levelled up to go from all-rounder to action hero, newcomer Kevin Pietersen arrived as a fully-formed world beater and a perfectly balanced pace attack hunted like a perfect pack. Add in McGrath tripping on a ball and a nailbiting two-run win at Edgbaston and the so-called ‘greatest series’ was born.
One of the most hotly anticipated Ashes series of recent times is close at hand, with plenty of issues to debate on both sides of the divide.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the most pressing matters in the run-up to the Edgbaston opener next week.
How much of a loss is Leach?
While Somerset spinner Jack Leach is hardly one of the biggest stars in English cricket, he has performed a crucial role in the team’s dramatic upturn in form over the past year. Enjoying the unvarnished support of captain and coach for the first time, he has been an ever-present and assumed the role of tireless grafter. A 10-wicket match haul at Headingley last summer proved he could take a turn in the limelight too. Whoever replaces him will have to find their own way to play the part, but they will lack the 12-month bedding in period that England have invested in Leach.
All eyes of Stokes’ fitness
It is hard to over-estimate the magnetic, talismanic qualities Ben Stokes has brought to the England captaincy. Alongside a like-minded head coach in Brendon McCullum, he has re-energised the team and instilled them with a feeling of optimism and enjoyment. Will that still exist without him in place as ringmaster? England will hope they don’t find out, but his chronic left knee injury is a big problem. He has already had a cortisone injection this year and whether his body will allow him to perform to his best with the ball is an open question. Expect a few scares along the way, but Stokes is desperately hoping to see the job through.
Warner’s last ride
When it comes to opposition players England fans love to hate, few sit higher on the list than David Warner. His spiky, combative nature have long marked him out as an obvious target and his role in the sandpaper scandal only heightened the ill-feeling. Having announced his forthcoming retirement, 2023 will be his last tour behind enemy lines and his final Ashes. It seems a long shot to imagine he will bow out to standing ovations and he will be up for the challenge. His long rivalry with Stuart Broad is due to be an exciting sub-plot, after the Englishman routed the left-hander in 2019.
How will ‘Bazball’ bear up against the Australian attack?
Stokes’ England have resolutely refused to take a backward step since laying out their new ultra-aggressive philosophy at the start of last summer. After blitzing New Zealand with some stunning batting, they swatted away the doubters who said they would not be able to replicate it against India by reeling off a record chase at Edgbaston. Transplanted to unfamiliar climes in Pakistan, they simply went harder and faster. Now comes their latest – and arguably biggest – challenge yet. Australia have arguably the most formidable bowling attack in the world, with Pat Cummins leading a troop of elite seamers alongside the prolific spin of Nathan Lyon. England have promised they will not hold back, while Australia will back themselves to have too much. Whose skills will prove most compelling and whose nerve will last longest? It should be box office entertainment either way.
Can Crawley come good?
The England selectors have stuck hard and fast to their guns when it comes to Zak Crawley. After 34 Tests he averages just 28.26, while his first-class numbers are only marginally better. Supporters of the 25-year-old see a tone-setter and a sporadic match-winner – someone whose bare statistics do not fully reflect his ability to lay the platform for others and land early blows on opposition bowlers. Critics take a less charitable view, painting Crawley as a flighty performer who has all the shots but lacks the requisite judgement of when to deploy them. A home Ashes feels like proving ground for each theory. By the end of the series, England’s hunch will have been thoroughly examined and the answer could be a big factor in the final analysis.
White Birch will take on Auguste Rodin in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh, with trainer John Murphy insisting “there’s no hiding now”.
The grey son of Ulysses had advertised his Classic credentials when he flew down the York straight to get within half a length of The Foxes in the Dante after previously landing the Ballysax Stakes.
Though having plenty left to do at the halfway stage under Colin Keane on his first try over a mile and a half in the Betfred Derby, he stayed on well again to finish just over five lengths behind the impressive winner at Epsom on Saturday.
Murphy is now anticipating a rematch with Aidan O’Brien’s winner on July 2, for which White Birch is the 8-1 joint-third favourite with Paddy Power, with Auguste Rodin the 4-6 favourite.
“It was a relief. We were absolutely delighted. He came home safe and sound, not a bother on him,” said Murphy.
“We’re happy out, very happy.
“He is on the cards for the Irish Derby – that’s Plan A. He’s come back 100 per cent and all is good.
“He’s progressive. Every run seems to be better, so we hope that curve continues. He’s in very good shape.
“The first plan is the Irish Derby and he will have loads of other entries in the meantime, but we will just play it by the horse.
“We have to take on the winner now. There’s no hiding now – you have got to do it. Hopefully one of these good races will go his way. You never know.”
Inter Milan stand in Manchester City’s way of the treble when they meet in the Champions League final in Istanbul on Saturday.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the key players for the Italians.
Lautaro Martinez
Argentina’s World Cup winner has 30 goals in a staggering 67 games for club and country this season – 21 in 27 Serie A starts. A signing from Racing Club in 2018, Martinez has 79 goals in just 127 league starts for Inter. Two goals in the 2-1 Coppa Italia final win against Fiorentina last month underlined his ability for the big occasion.
Edin Dzeko
What price for the former City striker to deny them the treble? Dzeko scored the ‘other’ stoppage time goal in their famous 3-2 win over QPR to clinch the Premier League title in 2012. Dzeko netted the crucial opener in their semi-final first leg against AC Milan and bagged nine goals from 18 Serie A starts this term – along with five in Inter’s run to Saturday’s final.
Nicolo Barella
Part of the squad who lost the 2020 Europa League final to Sevilla, the midfielder has gone from strength to strength since joining from Cagliari in 2019. Barella is a relentless box-to-box player who won Serie A’s midfielder of the season award this term. He will be charged with breaking up City’s attacks and crucial in stopping the supply line to Erling Haaland.
Alessandro Bastoni
Another player with over 50 appearances for Inter this season. A 2017 signing for £30million, Bastoni has become an integral part of the Inter and Italy defence, being part of the Euro 2020-winning squad. He has 44 ball recoveries in 11 matches with a passing accuracy over 86 per cent in the competition and will need to be at his best to stop Haaland.
Andre Onana
In his first season at Inter after last summer’s move from Ajax, the goalkeeper has slowly established himself as number one. Samir Handanovic started the season in goal and Onana had to wait until October for his first league appearance. He has shared duties with Handanovic in the league and Coppa Italia during the run-in – as Inter finished third in Serie A – but will be expected to start on Saturday.
Olympic BMX silver medallist Kye Whyte feels grassroots clubs can continue to help guide youngsters on a safe pathway through any socio-economic challenges within their communities.
Whyte, 23, grew up in south London where his father Nigel was a co-founder of the Peckham BMX Club in Burgess Park, which aims to steer young people away from gang culture and crime.
The youngest of three brothers, Whyte also went on to represent Great Britain, winning silver at the 2018 European Championship in Glasgow before finishing second in the BMX final at the Tokyo Olympics.
Whyte – who has since taken silver in the 2022 UCI BMX World Championships as well claiming the European title in Belgium last summer – recently returned to his Peckham roots to help launch the ‘Play Their Way’ campaign by the Children’s Coaching Collaborative which is funded through Sport England and the National Lottery.
Having seen first hand how such projects have helped young people develop, Whyte is in no doubt of the important impact they can have – both on and off the track.
“We have had kids and teenagers come here who are on a troubled path, but want to go on to a different path,” Whyte told the PA news agency.
“They have then become volunteer coaches, helping clean the bikes and pack them away. It is a great way to keep kids off the streets and doing something fun.”
Whyte added: “Getting kids into racing is no problem, but if they want their own bike it can be hard to finance that.
“If they can’t afford it (to buy), we can help them by lending bikes and providing helmets for training or even if they need them for racing events as well.”
In Tokyo, Whyte won Britain’s first BMX medal since the event’s introduction to the Olympic programme in 2008.
There was more success shortly afterwards at the Ariake Urban Sports Park when Beth Shriever claimed gold in the women’s race.
As Shriever collapsed in tears following her victory, a jubilant Whyte scooped his team-mate up and held her aloft in what was one of the most memorable moments of the delayed 2020 Games.
“All we want for the sport is for it to be more enjoyable and better for the future,” said Whyte.
“While we are in it, that is all we can do – to push it as much as we can.
“Having gone to the Olympics to get a medal, we have put the sport onto the map and at a bigger level.”
Whyte is working his way back to full fitness after suffering a broken shoulder blade during a BMX European Cup event in Latvia last month.
The 23-year-old is firmly focused on a return to form ahead of the World Championships in Glasgow during August.
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“I am on the mend, keeping the physio up. We will push through and get there in the end,” he said.
“If you are thinking about it (injuries), then it will probably happen, just because you are riding more wary or cautious.”
Whyte added: “When we were in Glasgow in 2018 (for the European Championships), they had grandstands up and I am pretty sure that nobody there had a clue what BMX was.
“But the crowd was absolutely mental, so I think it will be a great event again.”
Australia’s Scott Boland has been given the nod to take on India in this week’s World Test Championship, edging out Michael Neser.
Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the showpiece at the Kia Oval with a side injury, leaving Boland and Neser fighting for the final spot in Australia’s pace attack.
Boland held the edge having been named in the initial squad, but Neser’s strong form with Glamorgan in the LV= County Championship made him an intriguing option in English conditions.
Captain Pat Cummins did not leave the pair waiting to find out, though, confirming Boland’s selection on Tuesday morning.
The 34-year-old made a stunning introduction to international cricket during the 2021-22 Ashes series, taking six for seven in the Boxing Day Test the MCG to seal the series. He has already taken 28 wickets in seven Tests and averages a remarkable 13.42.
“Someone like Scotty, it’s just a really simple game-plan – you hit your good areas and you stay there all day and hopefully the ball will do the work for you,” Cummins told Australian reporters.
“He’s had a few bowls over here now and has looked good. But he looks good whenever he bowls. Scott is a seam bowler on a good length, but he just offers something slightly different to Joshy Hazlewood, and Starcy (Mitchell Starc). Being a left-hander is bit different.
“In the past here in England, because the ball does talk a little more, I’ve seen players get too caught up in trying to take wickets every ball because you’ve suddenly got the ball swinging and seaming.”
Australia are expected to revert to their preferred team balance after shifting the make-up of their XI in their most recent series in India.
That means five specialist batters, Cameron Green as all-rounder, Alex Carey behind the stumps, three fast bowlers and first-choice spinner Nathan Lyon.
Serena Williams overcame illness to win her 20th grand slam title after beating Lucie Safarova in the French Open final on this day in 2015.
The American, who won her first major 16 years previously, beat Safarova 6-3 6-7 (2) 6-2 in a dramatic showdown at Roland Garros.
Williams, 33 at the time, was the clear favourite as the world number one and reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, but she had been struggling with illness prior to the final and revealed she almost withdrew from the match.
And she was then given a fright by Safarova, who was playing in her first grand slam final in the French capital.
Williams won the first set 6-3 and looked to be heading for a routine victory when she led 4-1 in the second.
However, the left-handed Safarova battled back to force a second-set tie-break, which she won comprehensively.
A major shock was on the cards when Safarova led 2-0 in the decider, only for Williams to show her prowess by winning six successive games and claim a third French Open title.
Williams said after the match: “Is it the most difficult grand slam I’ve ever won? For sure.
“When you have the flu your whole body aches. That’s kind of what I have been dealing with.
“Even now I just really don’t have any energy and I just want to go to bed.
“It’s been a nightmare 48 hours.”
She added: “I talked to all the doctors here and the physios here. I even told the physio, ‘I’m not sure I’m going to be able to play because this is just not looking good’.
It was her 20th grand slam singles title, which left her two behind Steffi Graf and four behind Margaret Court.
Williams went on to take her tally to 23, but history continued to elude her as she lost her last four grand slam finals, two at Wimbledon and two in the US Open.
In August 2022, Williams announced her impending “evolution” away from professional tennis and played what was expected to be her final match at the 2022 US Open.
Williams announced she is pregnant with her second child in May this year.
Jonathan Marchessault had two goals and an assist and the Vegas Golden Knights put on another dominant performance en route to a 7-2 rout of the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday.
Brett Howden also scored two goals as Vegas took a commanding 2-0 series lead and moved within two victories of the franchise's first Stanley Cup title. Four other Golden Knights players finished with two points as the Western Conference regular-season champions recorded at least five goals in a third straight game, a stretch in which they've outscored their opponents by a whopping 18-4 margin.
Vegas also cooled off one of the NHL's hottest goaltenders of this postseason for a second consecutive game, as Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky was pulled 7:10 into the second period after yielding four goals on 13 shots.
Bobrovsky entered this series having won 11 of his last 12 starts while compiling a stellar 1.95 goals-against average and .942 save percentage over that time frame.
The Knights got to Bobrovsky early in Game 2 as Marchessault scored on a power play 7:05 in. The forward picked up an assist later in the period on Alec Martinez's goal that staked Vegas to a 2-0 lead entering the first intermission.
Nicolas Roy extended the margin to 3-0 when he beat Bobrovsky less than three minutes into the second period. Howden then scored his first of the night just over four minutes later to chase the Panthers netminder.
Anton Lundell got Florida on the board just 14 seconds into the third period, but Marchessault answered with his 12th goal of this postseason - a Vegas franchise record - to push the lead to 5-1 with just over two minutes elapsed in the session.
Michael Amadio put Vegas up by five goals midway through the third. Florida's Matthew Tkachuk responded with his team-leading 10th goal of the postseason just over two minutes later before Howden closed out the scoring with a power-play goal with 2:08 remaining.
Adin Hill finished with 29 saves for Vegas, which will try to maintain its momentum when the series shifts to Florida for Thursday's Game 3.
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