United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s nine-wicket win in Darwin was followed by a crushing defeat in Mackay, where Australia bowled them out for 95 in the 2nd innings on Sunday to win the second Test by an innings and 51 runs. The result levelled the two-match series 1-1. The Test lasted only 667 deliveries, making it the second-shortest in Australian history and the fourth-shortest ever. For Bangladesh, the batting collapse was the defining feature. They were dismissed for 64 in the first innings and 95 in the second — the first time they have been bowled out for fewer than 100 in both innings of a Test. Mitchell Starc was at the centre of it. After taking 6 for 12 in the first innings, he added 4 for 39 in the second to finish with 10 wickets in the match. He was named player of the match and player of the series, having taken 12 wickets across the two Tests. Bangladesh gave themselves a chance with the ball. Shoriful Islam took 7 for 48, the first seven-wicket haul by a Bangladesh pacer in Tests, as Australia were dismissed for 210. That left Bangladesh 146 runs behind, but they could not make Australia bat again. Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scored with 31 before Nathan Lyon had him caught by Starc. Mushfiqur Rahim resisted for 80 balls and was unbeaten on 29 when the innings ended. Lyon finished with 3 for 25, while Starc took four wickets. Taskin Ahmed was Lyon’s third victim, caught by Steven Smith at first slip for 8 at 87 for 9. Shoriful came out swinging at the next over, but sliced Lyon to backward point, where Starc took the catch to end the match. Australia also struggled with the bat, with Cameron Green making 67 and Steven Smith 42. But their bowlers made far better use of the conditions. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said the extra bounce and movement made batting difficult but accepted that his team needs to improve. “We did not play our best this Test match,” he said, calling for Bangladesh to play in Australia more often rather than wait years between tours. For Australia, the win was a sharp response to their performance in Darwin. “A much better week,” Starc said. “What we expected from ourselves this week is what we got.”

Shoriful Islam produced a record-breaking spell for Bangladesh, but his seven-wicket haul was followed by another batting collapse as the visitors reached 71 for 7 in their second innings at Mackay on Sunday, still 75 runs behind Australia. Shoriful became the first Bangladesh fast bowler to take seven wickets in a Test innings, finishing with 7 for 48 as Australia were dismissed for 210. It was a remarkable turnaround after Bangladesh were bowled out for 64 in their first innings. Australia had moved to 186 for 9, with Cameron Green making 67 and Steven Smith 42, before Shoriful finished off the middle and lower order. He removed Green for 67 and then had Josh Hazlewood caught by Shadman Islam for 6. Taijul Islam took the other wicket, ending Australia’s innings and leaving Bangladesh 146 runs behind. Bangladesh needed a solid start to their second innings. Instead, Shadman Islam fell for 1 and Mominul Haque was out first ball, leaving them 5 for 2. Tanzid Hasan made 9 before Pat Cummins dismissed him at 24 for 3. Najmul Hossain Shanto then gave Bangladesh some stability, making 31 from 46 balls with six fours. Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim added 27 for the fourth wicket, Bangladesh’s best partnership of the innings so far. But Nathan Lyon ended it when Shanto was caught by Mitchell Starc for 31. Litton Das was out for a duck soon after, caught by Beau Webster off Starc, leaving Bangladesh 63 for 5. Mushfiqur was unbeaten on 20 from 65 balls while was batting on 1 from 6 balls till filing of this report. Bangladesh have recovered with the ball and then slipped again with the bat. With only three wickets remaining and still 75 runs to make up, Shoriful’s extraordinary effort has left them with a chance — but not much room for another collapse.

Josh Sargent and Derrick Etienne Jr. scored three minutes apart in the second half as Toronto FC held on to beat Inter Miami 2-1 on Saturday night. Neither side managed to score in the opening half before rookie Sargent put Toronto ahead in the 59th minute. Dániel Sallói and Etienne provided assists on Sargent's fourth goal of the season. The assist was Sallói's seventh of the season, while Etienne recorded his third. Etienne then doubled Toronto's advantage three minutes later, scoring his third goal of the season without an assist. The goal helped Toronto secure its first-ever victory in Miami. Lionel Messi pulled one back for Inter Miami in the 82nd minute, scoring his 14th goal of the season and the 64th of his career in 71 appearances. Rodrigo De Paul and Maximiliano Falcón were credited with assists. Luka Gavran made two saves for Toronto (5-7-9). Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair did not make a save as Miami (11-4-6) extended its winless run in August to four games, going 0-2-2. Toronto has gone unbeaten in its last four matches at 2-0-2 and is 2-1-4 since July 1. Inter Miami defeated Toronto 4-2 in their previous meeting in May and continues to lead the all-time series 9-3-2.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur endured disappointing starts to the new Premier League season on Saturday, with both sides suffering heavy defeats and raising early questions about their preseason optimism. United, under new permanent manager Michael Carrick, were beaten 2-0 by newly promoted Hull City, while Tottenham, one of Europe’s biggest spenders this summer, suffered a 3-0 defeat away to Brentford. United stunned by Hull Hull marked its return to the Premier League after a nine-year absence with a memorable victory, while United struggled to make an impact throughout the match. Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy scored first-half goals from set pieces to give Hull a deserved win over the 20-time English champions. Carrick, who guided United to third place last season and helped secure Champions League qualification before receiving a permanent contract, admitted his side had plenty to improve. “It was never going to be perfect,” Carrick said, while insisting that one defeat would not alter the club’s overall direction. New midfielders Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos failed to make a major impact, while Marcus Rashford, returning from a loan spell at Barcelona, came on as a second-half substitute. The result highlighted the gap between United and their former level of dominance, with the club last winning the Premier League title in 2013. Tottenham overwhelmed by Brentford Tottenham also endured a difficult opening day despite spending around $300 million on new players during the summer. Brentford dominated the visitors and moved 2-0 ahead by the 33rd minute through close-range goals from Keane Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt. Michael Kayode added a third shortly after halftime, while Brentford striker Igor Thiago hit the post from the penalty spot as Tottenham struggled to cope with the hosts. Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali, who joined Tottenham from Newcastle for a club-record fee of about $133 million, was among the new signings unable to prevent the defeat. Everton, Ipswich secure winsEverton began their campaign with a 2-0 home victory over Crystal Palace, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry scoring for the hosts. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, a lifelong Everton supporter, watched the match at the stadium. Promoted Ipswich Town also secured a victory, beating Sunderland 2-1 with Jack Clarke scoring in the 90th minute against his former club. Leeds United claimed a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest through Anton Stach’s 88th-minute free kick. Arsenal, meanwhile, opened their title defense with a 3-0 victory over second-tier champions Coventry City on Friday. Manchester City will face Bournemouth on Sunday, while Liverpool travel to Newcastle as the opening weekend continues.

Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla, Vice President of Bangladesh Olympic Association and President of Bangladesh Mohila Krira Parishad, said on Saturday that there is no shortage of talent in our country, but our sports sector is not developing properly because there is no proper connection between talent and opportunity. She made the remark while speaking as the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Solidarity Administrators' Sports Course, according to a press release. Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla said, "The sports talents are scattered all over the Bangladesh. But they are not getting the right families, educational institutions, and the right opportunities and conditions to bring them up and take them to the right place.” “Simply put, opportunities are not being connected with talent. For this, the administrators, trainers and concerned people of sports fields need to be more sincere, skilled and prudent," she added. She said, "The biggest challenge for our sports, especially for girls, is bigotry and child marriage." She called for a stronger role from the government to remove these obstacles. Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla said, there is a special need for women's safety in sports. And for this, it is essential for every federation to appoint 'security officers'. In addition, to bring women back to the sports arena, they need to be given courage and support mentally and financially. This course was held for 4 days from August 19 to August 22 at the initiative of the Bangladesh Olympic Association. On the closing day, certificates were distributed among the course participants at the Dutch Bangla Auditorium of the Bangladesh Olympic Association on Saturday afternoon. Administrators of a total of 41 units, including the National Sports Council, various national sports federations and various service federations, participated in this training course.

Shoriful Islam dragged Bangladesh back into the second Test with a six-wicket burst on Saturday. His six-wicket haul left Australia 151 for 8 after the home side bowled Bangladesh out for 64. Australia led by 87 runs at the end of the third session, but their innings began to unravel late in the day. Shoriful took five of his six wickets after tea, including the key wickets of Steve Smith, Beau Webster, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. Smith was the first of the late casualties, trapped lbw for 16 at 118 for 4. He reviewed the decision, but ball tracking showed the delivery clipping the outside of off stump. Shoriful then struck twice in the 31st over. Webster was given out lbw for a golden duck after playing down the wrong line, and Cummins fell for a duck two balls later, fending a short delivery onto his glove for Litton Das to catch. Two overs later, Shoriful bowled Starc for 1, finding the top of off stump with a delivery that straightened sharply off the pitch. His first two wickets came earlier, when Travis Head chopped on for 28 and Marnus Labuschagne was bowled for a duck. Shoriful's figures stood at 6 for 34 from 10 overs, his best in Test cricket. Australia looked in control when Head and Labuschagne put together a steady start after Matt Renshaw fell for 13. But Bangladesh kept finding wickets, and Shoriful's spell turned the innings on its head. Cameron Green was unbeaten on 32 at the close, with Alex Carey on 20. Earlier, Bangladesh were dismissed for 64, with Mitchell Starc taking 6 for 12. Four of Bangladesh’s top six made ducks, while Shoriful earlier joined Taijul Islam for a 25-run last-wicket stand – the innings’ best partnership.

Mitchell Starc took 6 for 12 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 64 in 34 overs on Saturday, giving Australia a commanding start to the second Test in Mackay. Bangladesh lost five wickets for 12 runs after Australia opted to field, with four of their top six batters dismissed without scoring. Shadman Islam was out to the first ball, edging Starc to Cameron Green at gully. Tanzid Hasan followed for a duck in Starc’s second over, and two balls later Najmul Hossain Shanto was trapped lbw. Mominul Haque made 9 before edging Starc to Green, while Litton Das was given out lbw after Australia successfully reviewed the decision. Mushfiqur Rahim, the other batter among the top six to score, made 5 before Pat Cummins bowled him. Bangladesh were 35 for 6 at lunch. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who made 11, and Hasan Mahmud added some resistance before Australia’s attack finished the innings in the afternoon. The only partnership of more than 20 came at the end. Taijul Islam and Shoriful Islam put on 25 for the 10th wicket, the best stand of Bangladesh’s innings. Shoriful made 14 from 19 balls, with three fours, while Taijul was unbeaten on 11. Starc returned to dismiss Shoriful caught behind for his sixth wicket. Cummins took 3 for 25 and Josh Hazlewood 1 for 18. Starc bowled 10 overs, six of them maidens. Hazlewood said there was movement in the air and off the pitch early in the innings, with the breeze helping the swing. He also felt the surface became flatter later in the innings. Australia, beaten by nine wickets in Darwin, now have a chance to take a firm grip on the match and level the two-Test series.

Bangladeshi women can enter the 2027 Nagoya Women’s Marathon, with international entries opening on August 11 for the race to be held on March 14, 2027 in Japan. The Nagoya Women’s Marathon is recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest women-only marathon. Organisers have raised the race capacity to 22,000 runners for 2027, 2,000 more than the previous limit.The race is open to women of all levels, from those running their first marathon to experienced runners chasing a personal best. All participants will run the same 42.195-kilometre course, with seven hours to finish. For those who complete the race, there is a more unusual reward – a crystal tumbler made by French luxury brand Baccarat. The design of the 2027 tumbler will be shown at the Marathon EXPO on the day before the race. The organisers have also designed the race around runners who may not have elite-level experience. The course is relatively flat, the time limit is generous and both the start and finish are at Vantelin Dome Nagoya, a covered baseball stadium. Medical support, changing facilities and toilets will be available for runners. The arrangements appear to have helped produce a high completion rate. In the 2026 race, 96.6 percent of participants reached the finish line. The marathon is part of a wider race weekend in Nagoya. The Marathon EXPO begins Friday and will feature events including the “GO RUNWAY” fashion show and a live performance. Men can also compete on race day in events held alongside the women’s marathon. The Nagoya City Marathon offers a half marathon and the 8.5-kilometre Nagoya RUN. International entries for the 2027 Nagoya Women’s Marathon opened on August 11.

Bangladesh will go into the second Test with fewer selection worries than they appeared to have 24 hours earlier, after both Mushfiqur Rahim and Tanzid Hasan returned to batting practice on Friday. Mushfiqur was struck on the finger during Thursday’s session and had to leave the practice wicket briefly. He returned to bat later that day and again trained Friday, though his workload was reduced. Tanzid’s recovery was more closely watched. The opener, who made a century in Bangladesh’s nine-wicket win in Darwin, sat out batting practice on Thursday because of neck stiffness. He had a scan Friday before returning to the nets. Captain Najmul Hossain said the final call on Tanzid will come on Saturday morning. “Tanzid’s situation today was positive,” he said. “Hopefully, he will be fine. We have all kinds of options, so I do not think there will be much of a problem.” One of those options is Soumya Sarkar. Left out of the XI in Darwin, he spent an extended period batting in the nets Friday, giving Bangladesh a ready alternative should Tanzid not recover fully. The uncertainty over the batting line-up comes against a backdrop of a much bigger shift in the series. Bangladesh arrived in Australia without a Test win in the country and left Darwin with a nine-wicket victory, putting them one win away from a series triumph. Australia have responded by bringing Matt Renshaw into the opening position for Jake Weatherald, while keeping the rest of their squad intact. Bangladesh, meanwhile, have spent two full days preparing for a Test in conditions unlike Darwin. Mackay is cooler and windier, and the team has used the sessions to adjust to the change. Najmul said the Darwin result should not dictate how Bangladesh approach the next five days. “A win will certainly give you confidence,” he said. “But for professional players, it is important to come back from that very quickly.” The second Test begins on Saturday at Great Barrier Reef Arena, with Bangladesh seeking a series victory and Australia trying to force a draw in the two-match series.

Manchester City have agreed to sell Brazil winger Savinho to Tottenham for 85 million pounds ($115 million), making it the English club's record sale, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the details of the transfer have not yet been made public. Neither Manchester City nor Tottenham has officially commented on the deal. Savinho's expected departure comes just days after City sold Spain midfielder Rodri to Barcelona for a reported 76.5 million euros ($88.5 million). City have also moved on from midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and defender Nathan Ake, while John Stones and Bernardo Silva have left the club. Their only senior outfield signing this summer has been England midfielder Elliot Anderson, reportedly for a club-record 116 million pounds ($155 million). City are expected to remain active during the final week of the transfer window as newly appointed coach Enzo Maresca reshapes the squad following Pep Guardiola's departure. City were beaten 3-0 by Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday. Savinho struggled at City Savinho joined City from sister club Girona for 40 million euros ($43.6 million) in the summer of 2024 amid high expectations that he could become a future star. However, he struggled to make a major impact, scoring only two goals in 53 Premier League appearances. His final passes and decision-making often frustrated both teammates and supporters. Savinho was also left out of Brazil's squad for this year's World Cup. Tottenham spending heavily The move would add to Tottenham's major spending spree this summer. The London club signed Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali from Newcastle last month for a reported club-record 100 million pounds ($133 million), shortly after paying 85 million pounds ($113 million) for midfielder Mateus Fernandes from West Ham. Tottenham have also signed center backs Jan Paul van Hecke and Marco Senesi, along with former Liverpool left back Andy Robertson. Manager Roberto De Zerbi is rebuilding the squad after Tottenham narrowly avoided relegation last season, finishing 17th in the Premier League. A deal for Savinho would put Tottenham among Europe's biggest spenders this summer, alongside Chelsea. It marks a major change for a club that has traditionally spent less than many of its Premier League rivals. Two consecutive 17th-place finishes, just one place above relegation, appear to have prompted Tottenham's leadership to change course. In an open letter after last season, chairman Peter Charrington acknowledged that "football success had not been driving our decisions."