All posts by h716a5.icu

Arsenal have now made their first move to sign Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda by contacting the Spanish club to discuss a deal, according to a recent report from Mundo Deportivo.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

Ajax defender Jurrien Timber and West Ham midfielder Declan Rice appear to be on their way to the Emirates Stadium, with it being detailed that Mikel Arteta is set to utilise the 22-year-old at right-back next season, despite playing at centre-back for the majority of his career so far.

Back in February, journalist Ben Jacobs explained that the Gunners are looking to plan for the future by bringing in a new option at right-back, telling CaughtOffside:

“Arsenal will look at a right back this summer to add a bit of depth and plan for the long term,”

“Arsenal’s priority remains Ivan Fresneda, who they tried to sign in January. Fresneda opted to stay at Real Valladolid until the end of the season despite offers from both the Gunners and Borussia Dortmund. Fresneda’s agent Luis Bardaji actually said up to 30 teams had made enquiries for the 18-year-old. Newcastle were also tracking him"

Despite the move for Timber now edging closer to completion, there has now been a suggestion that Arteta could go back in for his January transfer target, with Mundo Deportivo reporting Arsenal have reignited their interest and that contact would have already started.

The Real Valladolid ace has always been liked by Arteta, and he is now set to be available for a reduced fee, with his release clause dropping to €20m (£17m) after his side's relegation from La Liga last season.

There is also interest in the 18-year-old from abroad, with AC Milan being named as potential suitors, however the Gunners have now made contact with Valladolid, in order to make sure they win the race for his signature. Barcelona are interested in signing the youngster, but the move is not progressing due to the economic issues at the Camp Nou.

Is Ivan Fresneda signing for Arsenal?

Given Barca's current financial limitations, Arsenal are seemingly very well-placed to finally wrap up a deal for the Spaniard, who has already managed to impress considerably in La Liga.

Matt Clark, of the La Liga Lowdown podcast, has described the starlet as a "remarkably complete right-back despite his young age, balancing his defensive duties with the odd attack too", while also lauding him for his "technical ability".

Having made his breakthrough last season, the last thing the young right-back would've wanted is for his side to get relegated, but he had some very solid displays on a personal level, ranking in the 93rd percentile for blocks and clearances per 90 in the past year.

That said, the defender's form did trail off towards the end of the season, putting in a string of very poor performances from March onwards, receiving a 5.9 SofaScore match rating against Athletic Bilbao, and a 5.8 against Real Madrid.

Of course, Fresneda was not helped by the fact he played in a relatively poor team that dropped down a division last season, so he could still be a good signing for Arsenal, particularly considering he will now be available for the reduced fee of £17m.

West Indies’ middle and lower order came to their rescue in a big way as they recovered from a precarious 71 for 5 to end the opening day at 244 for 7

The Report by Danyal Rasool21-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsWest Indies’ middle and lower order came to their rescue in a big way as they recovered from a precarious 71 for 5 to end the opening day in Jamaica on 244 for 7. Roston Chase and Shane Dowrich added 118 for the sixth wicket after Mohammad Amir had made three breakthroughs either side of lunch as Pakistan threatened to take a firm hold on the match.Play was called off nine overs early, as the clouds that hovered above for much of the day finally impacted the light enough to convince the umpires to lead the players off after just one over with the new ball, but the final session had not been short of action. Chase and Dowrich, whose partnership started in the first over after lunch, took their stand to three figures but just as it looked like Pakistan were running out of ideas the breakthrough came via a miraculous diving catch on the boundary to dismiss Chase, with Wahab Riaz taking a stunning grab running towards the long-on boundary.The next ball, Dowrich was bowled by Yasir Shah as the visitors wrestled the advantage again, but some gutsy late hitting by Jason Holder and Devendra Bishoo ensured West Indies finished the day with some momentum, and a total to defend.Pakistan were on top for much of the first day, but West Indies produced a heartening response after looking as though they could unravel when Amir and debutant Mohammad Abbas were operating with the new ball. Abbas claimed a wicket with his second delivery in Test cricket as Kraigg Brathwaite edged to second slip where Younis Khan snared another catch, reminding Pakistan it wasn’t just his runs they were going to miss when he hangs up his bat at the end of this Test series.Roston Chase’s reactions from the first day

On how the day went: “We were in bit of a hole early on, but Shane and I had a decent partnership, I thought it was a fighting effort, but disappointed neither of us went on to get that big score. Hopefully the skipper and the rest of the batsman can put us in a strong position, a fighting position and put Pakistan on the back foot”
On what WI need to do on the second day: “I always believe 450-500 is a good first-innings total if we set the tone from early. But as I said, we were in a bit of a hole so if we get 350-plus from here that’ll be a decent comeback for us. If we go into lunch tomorrow losing no wickets or even one, or even if we do get bowled out, if we score quickly enough to get that 350 or 375, that will be a positive for us in that session.”
On the Sabina Park pitch: “The pitch is a bit two-paced. Some balls, when they’re banging in the ball it doesn’t really come off that well. Once you stay patient and hit those areas hard, some things happening for you there.”

However, Abbas’ senior bowling partner was the man of the morning. Showing exquisite control, Amir produced one to dart back into the left-handed Shimron Hetmyer, one of two West Indians on debut. Hetmyer, who had for much of his short stay at the crease been chiefly concerned with Amir’s outswinger, was clearly unprepared for the change-up; Pakistan had almost begun celebrating by the time the his bat came down. Four overs later, Amir castled Shai Hope with his stock delivery, swinging into the right-hander and sending his off stump cartwheeling.When Wahab came on, the runs flowed a little more freely, the batsmen taking advantage of his slightly erratic length and relative lack of movement. Even so, he claimed the scalp of Vishaul Singh, also in his first outing, owing to a sharp catch at square leg from Azhar Ali, the batsman falling over to a ball drifting on to leg stump.When Kieran Powell fell two deliveries after lunch, chasing a wide swinging delivery from Amir he would have been better off leaving alone, Pakistan would have harboured realistic hopes of dismissing West Indies for under 150, but Chase and Dowrich took control of the innings with a sense of grit and determination that supposedly better batsmen had been devoid of. They were excellent in trying circumstances, taking advantage whenever Yasir – who was inconsistent – missed his length, and punished Wahab when his line wavered. They did not panic when the runs dried up, but didn’t go back into their shells so much they couldn’t pounce on the poor deliveries.Chase and Dowrich snapped back into a more aggressive mindset soon after tea, the latter rubber-stamping that fact by slashing Abbas for a pair of stylish square cuts and bringing up the 100-run stand moments later. It was then that the absence of a fifth bowling option began to hurt the visitors as they turned to Amir again, who they would ideally have wanted to rest until the new ball.However, when this Test match has long been forgotten, all people will probably remember is how the sixth-wicket stand was broken. In a moment of play that almost defied belief, Chase struck a lofted drive off Yasir, looking for all the world like it would fetch him a boundary, despite Wahab, hardly a world-beating fielder, scampering back from mid-off. Wahab threw himself at the ball – even the technique looked all wrong – and somehow emerged with it in hand. The umpires asked for TV confirmation – perhaps they were just as astonished as everyone else.The next ball, Dowrich was beaten for spin as he tried to drive Yasir along the ground, the ball thudding into his stumps: 189 for 5 had become 189 for 7 and, just like that, Pakistan again sensed a swift end to the innings.However, no one appeared to have told Holder and Bishoo, who set upon Yasir in a display of counter-attacking hitting, not afraid to loft him in the air, earning multiple boundaries in return. They raced to a fifty-partnership at almost a run-a-ball, and continued to frustrate Pakistan as the new ball was taken.Fortune came to their aid thereafter, as the new ball was only one Amir over old when the umpires decided this was no time of day to be facing fast bowling. Holder and Bishoo didn’t need to be told twice, sprinting off to the dressing room after living to fight another day.

The Indian captain said Cheteshwar Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha deserved credit for taking India 152 runs ahead in Ranchi

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Ranchi20-Mar-2017Following the drawn Test in Ranchi, Virat Kohli has hailed Cheteshwar Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha for overcoming a difficult situation and taking India to a position from where they could have won the match. When Saha joined Pujara in the post-tea session on day three, India were 328 for 6 in reply to Australia’s 451. They went on to add 199, and India eventually declared with a 152-run first-innings lead.Australia were four down and still trailing by 89 runs at one stage on the fifth day, with more than two sessions of play still left, but India couldn’t quite push on and win, with Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh batting out 62 overs while adding 124 for the fifth wicket. Kohli said he wasn’t surprised Australia, the world’s second-ranked Test side, fought the way they did.”Everyone has to take responsibility equally on the field and our players want to do that,” Kohli said in his post-match press conference. “Conditions were such in the first innings that it wasn’t easy for the bowlers, the pitch was very good. It played very well in the first two innings. In the second innings, [Australia] batted well so it ended in a draw.”But where we were in the first innings, 450 [451] was the [Australian] score and we were 320-odd for 6. From there to make 600 was a very difficult task. We put ourselves in a position to win, so we feel it was a very good effort from us to get into a winning situation.”But then again, if you are playing against the No. 2 side, you will expect that they will come out and fight, not just roll over. Everyone has his point of view. We will look at our positives and we are happy with where we brought the game to after just one innings. We didn’t need to bat in the second innings. But they had to play for a draw. Like I said, they will look at their positives, we will look at our positives and move forward. There is still one match to go, both [teams] will give it their best.”Kohli said the bowlers had struggled to extract help from the pitch when the ball grew older and softer, but did not want to stress the point and take credit away from Handscomb and Marsh.”They batted very well,” Kohli said. “Four down by lunch, and after that they didn’t lose a wicket in the entire session. So credit to them, when someone plays well, you have to give them credit, we understand that.”But we are also very happy with our efforts. [Ravindra] Jadeja’s bowling was outstanding in this match. All the bowlers bowled very well but Jadeja in my opinion was standout. If you look at his economy, on this pitch it was high-class bowling and showed why he is the joint No. 1 bowler [in the ICC rankings for Test bowlers] alongside Ashwin.”Kohli: ‘Saha is one guy who is always willing to do anything for the team’•Associated PressPujara won the Player-of-the-Match award for his innings of 202 off 525 balls, which was the longest ever by an Indian batsman (in Tests with ball data available). That knock took Pujara’s tally for 2016-17 to 1259 runs at an average of 66.26.”You know, sometimes I really feel bad for him,” Kohli said, when asked about Pujara’s contributions through the season. “People don’t understand his importance so much in this team and what a valuable player he is for us. He is the most composed player we have in the team, he is willing to grind for his runs, he doesn’t mind batting under pressure, he likes to take a challenge of batting.”So someone like that is priceless to have in the team. When the pressure situation comes up, he is someone who will put his hand up and play long for the team and hold up one end, which I think is a great quality in him. This season he has been outstanding. I don’t know the number of runs he has scored but he has contributed throughout. He has not been spoken about much or has been in the focus too much but he deserves much more than that. People need to stand up and take notice of what he has done this season, he has been outstanding with the bat and hopefully he will continue that in the last Test.”Saha, Kohli said, was similarly underappreciated. “See, Saha’s knock again was brilliant for us. He’s always stood up when the team needs him and this game was no different. His partnership with Pujara was the reason we had a go at winning this Test. A lot of credit goes to him also.”Again, [he has] not been mentioned too much but he deserves a lot of credit. He’s one guy who is always willing to do anything for the team. Wherever we ask him to bat, he bats. He has no problems in batting after [R] Ashwin, before Ashwin, whenever we want him to do it. He plays any kind of role – positive, defensive, you know, whatever we ask him to do, he never says no.”So you really really feel glad for a guy like that. He’s willing to do anything for the team and put his best foot forward. As I said, I’m really happy he performed in a big pressure match, in a difficult situation and put us in a position to have a shot at winning the game.”Mohammed Shami, who has not played for India since suffering a leg injury during the Test series against England, is making a phased return to action. He bowled in the nets in the lead-up to both the Bengaluru and Ranchi Tests, but has not been named in India’s Test squad yet. He has also played 50-over games for Bengal in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and on Monday took four wickets in the tournament final against Tamil Nadu. Kohli said he hadn’t spoken to the selectors yet about Shami’s availability for the fourth Test in Dharamsala, but hinted that it could happen.”Yeah, Shami also we sent him to play [the Vijay Hazare Trophy] because we saw him bowling 10-12 overs in a go, and we wanted to give him some match practice.” Kohli said. “I don’t know [about his selection], I haven’t spoken to the selectors still. All kinds of possibilities approaching the next Test.”

With Daniel Farke now at the helm at Leeds United, the Elland Road outfit can begin to truly get their transfer dealings underway, with new recruits no doubt need ahead of next season's promotion push.

One area which looks particularly light at present is the midfield ranks, with January loan arrival Weston McKennie having made his return to parent club, Juventus at the end of last season, while experienced Englishman, Adam Forshaw departed the club last month following the expiry of his contract.

With speculation also rife that Tyler Adams could be set for pastures new after just a solitary season in Yorkshire, there is a growing need to bring in potential replacements as soon as possible, with the start of the new campaign just over a month away.

Amid that need for further midfield depth, Football Insider recently reported that the Whites are set to rival Burnley for the signing of Queen's Park Rangers star, Sam Field, with the 25-year-old now entering the final year of his contract at Loftus Road.

The former West Bromwich Albion man – who made the move to west London on an initial loan deal in 2021 – could prove to be a wise investment as Leeds prepare for life back in the second tier.

How good is Sam Field?

As someone who typically operates in a defensive midfield berth – as well as in a more advanced role – the Englishman could represent a dream replacement for Marc Roca in the centre of the park, with the latter man having been tipped to seal a return to his native Spain after a difficult first season at Elland Road.

The former Bayern Munich man was notably described as "very, very poor" by journalist Dean Jones following the defeat to Fulham back in April, with Farke likely to need to ruthlessly ditch the £50k-per-week dud due to his errant displays last term.

The signing of Field, therefore, could help to nudge Roca out the door, with the QPR man potentially set to offer something of an upgrade in that deep-lying midfield berth.

Previously described as "classy" and "elegant" by former teammate Ben Foster after rising through the youth ranks at the Hawthorns, the 6 foot 3 maestro enjoyed a particularly strong 2022/23 campaign in the second tier, with his ball-winning brilliance showcased by the fact that he averaged 4.3 tackles and interceptions per game from his 46 league outings.

That stellar record is in stark contrast to what Roca achieved in the top flight, with the one-time Espanyol man averaging just 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game from 32 league appearances, having also been dribbled past 1.4 times per game as a marker of just what a defensive liability he was last term.

Field's ability to break up play was also showcased by the fact that he won 64% of his ground duels and 63% of his total duels in 2022/23, with that again far superior to what record achieved for the Yorkshire giants, as he won just 48% of his ground duels and 49% of his total duels.

The current Leeds man was not even able to offer much in the way of an attacking or creative threat after providing just three goal contributions, with that also less than what the former England U20 international notched up in the Championship (four goals and assists).

With the £5.6k-per-week machine evidently capable of thriving in the second tier, a move to bring him to Elland Road would likely represent an astute piece of business, while also allowing Farke to show Roca the door in the process.

Pakistan have picked four uncapped players in the Test side to play three matches against West Indies starting April 21

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-2017Eighteen-year-old Shadab Khan has broken into the Pakistan Test squad, 10 days after making his T20 international debut. Misbah-ul-Haq was named captain, as expected, for the three Tests in the West Indies starting April 21 in Kingston.Pakistan squad changes

IN: Ahmed Shehzad, Shadab Khan, Shan Masood, Usman Salahuddin, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas
OUT: Sharjeel Khan, Sohail Khan, Sami Aslam, Rahat Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Nawaz, Imran Khan

Four other uncapped Test players, apart from Shadab, were included in the squad – Usman Salahuddin, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Asghar – while Ahmed Shehzad and Shan Masood returned to the side.As many as seven players out of the 17 that toured Australia in December-January didn’t find a place this time: Sharjeel Khan, Sohail Khan, Sami Aslam, Rahat Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Nawaz and Imran Khan.”The Test team has been selected keeping in mind the conditions in West Indies and the recent performances of players during the domestic and international season,” chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said. “The team is a fine blend of experience and youth and believe that team will do well in the tour.”While Shadab foxed the West Indies batsmen in all four T20Is recently, Salahuddin was picked to strengthen the middle order, and Abbas and Hasan beefed up the pace attack that also comprised Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz. The spin attack would consist of Yasir Shah and the uncapped left-arm spinner Mohammad Asghar, who toured Australia as back-up for Yasir.Shehzad last played a Test on the tour of Sri Lanka in 2015 and was not part of the national side since the World T20 due to disciplinary issues. He returned to the T20I and ODI sides recently, picked for the ongoing West Indies tour. Masood, on the other hand, last played a Test last July against England. He has been among the runs recently in domestic one-day matches in Pakistan, for United Bank Limited in the Departmental One Day Cup and for Islamabad in the Regional One Day Cup.Pakistan Test squad Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Ahmed Shehzad, Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk & vice-capt), Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas

Chelsea are planning to accept any bids for Raheem Sterling in the summer transfer window, according to a new update regarding the Englishman's future.

Has Raheem Sterling flopped at Chelsea?

The 28-year-old joined the Blues from Manchester City last summer, having no longer necessarily been seen as a key figure at the Etihad.

Sterling was seen as an exciting signing for Chelsea, given his pedigree as an 82-cap England international and four-time Premier League champion. He would seemingly add another attacking dimension to the team, as well as a wealth of experience and end product, but it's fair to say that his first season at Stamford Bridge was an underwhelming one.

In fairness to the winger, he was part of a Blues team that struggled hugely throughout the campaign, eventually finishing 12th in the league, but his performances were too often lacking in both quality and all-round influence.

Sterling only scored six goals in 28 league appearances – a disappointing return, considering his reputation as a relentless provider of end product – and he failed to stand up while others around him also flattered to deceive.

While the former City and Liverpool attacker is contracted with Chelsea until the summer of 2027, it looks as though a quickfire exit from West London is now seemingly likely.

Are Chelsea selling Raheem Sterling?

According to Football Insider, the Blues plan to accept an offer for Sterling this summer if a sizeable bid arrives, suggesting that Mauricio Pochettino sees him as an expendable figure:

"Chelsea are very open to selling Raheem Sterling this summer, sources have told Football Insider. Sterling is attracting interest from clubs in Europe, the UK and Saudi Arabia. Back in January, Football Insider revealed that the Blues were willing to listen to offers for the 28-year-old in the winter window after hijacking Arsenal’s move for Mykhaylo Mudryk.

"Sources have told Football Insider that his future is now even more up in the air and the club are in favour of recouping his wages for new talent."

This would be a surprise decision by Chelsea, considering Sterling only arrived at the club 12 months ago, not to mention the fact that he has been hailed as "world-class" by Frank Lampard in the past, despite his somewhat limited impact both under the Blues legend and his predecessors.

The £325,000-a-week attacker has proven himself over such an extended period, scoring 20 times for England, but ultimately, if Pochettino doesn't see him as a key man, the Blues should try and move him on.

It remains to be seen if that is definitely the case, but if he does end up staying put beyond the end of the window, he must go up a gear next season. Sterling turns 29 later this year, so the clock is ticking in terms of selling him at his highest possible value, which could be a reason for this latest update, with Todd Boehly and the club's hierarchy perhaps keen to create an almost entirely new squad for the new boss to work with.

Mauricio Pochettino officially begins work as Chelsea head coach on Saturday, but the Argentinian will no doubt already be busy giving his input with regards to transfer activity.

The Blues have already released and sold numerous players, centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly among them after joining Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal in a £17m deal.

Many more are set to follow, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano suggesting long-serving defender Cesar Azpilicueta could join Inter Milan before the start of the new Premier League season.

That will leave Chelsea potentially on the lookout for cover at both centre-back and right-back, though one of their targets can tick both boxes should the smart transfer be pulled off.

Who is Chelsea target Axel Disasi?

Disasi only turned 25 in March, meaning his best years are still ahead of him, yet he already boasts 99 appearances in Ligue 1 with Reims and more recently Monaco, with whom he has spent the past three seasons.

The four-cap France international played in all 38 of Monaco's league games last season, starting all but one of those, while also starting a further eight games in the Europa League.

Most comfortable playing in the heart of defence, Disasi is also capable of shifting out to the right, where he occasionally provided cover last season.

However, while Chelsea are interested in snapping up Disasi, RMC Sport reporter Fabrice Hawkins claims Arsenal and Manchester United are also in for the €40m (£34m) defender, with the latter supposedly leading the way for his signature.

Would Axel Disasi be a good option for Chelsea?

Disasi has shown he can fill in at right-back, which is a massive bonus should Azpilicueta indeed depart, but Pochettino will no doubt consider him a replacement for Koulibaly – albeit at exactly double the price.

The Frenchman has an eye for goal, as reflected by his five goals in all competitions last season, on top of four assists. As per The Analyst, that ranks Disasi in the top 16% of all defenders for goals scored across Europe's top five leagues last season.

Similarly, he is in the top 16% for touches in the opposition box and top 21% for shots. To put those figures in some perspective, Koulibaly was in the top 35% for touches in the opposition box and 39% for shots. Azpilicueta, incidentally, was in the top 13% and 42% respectively.

A defender's first job is to defend, of course, but having the ability to cause danger when going forward is always welcome. Besides, Disasi is also more than capable of keeping the opposition out, averaging 1.86 interceptions per 90 minutes last season, as per FBref, compared to 1.41 for Koulibaly.

Disasi also put his 6 foot 3 frame to good use, winning 2.56 aerial duels per 90 minutes, whereas Koulibaly – not exactly small at 6 foot 1 – won 1.83.

Just as importantly for any defender these days, Disasi (83.3%) was also similar to Koulibaly (87%) in terms of pass completion rate, meaning he can help play the ball out from the back.

As pointed out by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Disasi also has pace, athleticism, tenacity and timing, making him out as a "hidden gem" prior to his move to Monaco, one who "was born to play in England".

It may well be that he has the chance to show exactly that this coming season. Chelsea will just hope it is them, rather than Arsenal or Man United, who get there first.

The Bangladesh captain said he was trying to disturb the Indian offspinner’s length and missed the line, resulting in his dismissal at a crucial stage on the fifth day with the side attempting a draw

Mohammad Isamin Hyderabad13-Feb-20173:40

Need to work on how we can play for longer periods in these conditions – Mushfiqur

On the fifth morning in Hyderabad, Bangladesh had pinned their hopes of a draw on Mushfiqur Rahim but four balls into R Ashwin’s first over of the morning, he was caught at mid-off attempting an expansive drive. As soon as the catch was taken, it was clear that Bangladesh’s job had become considerably tougher during a period in the game that is usually the hardest to tackle in India.Bangladesh had already lost Shakib Al Hasan to a brute of a delivery from Ravinder Jadeja and of the three remaining batsmen, Mushfiqur was the most reliable. Yet, he played that drive two balls after he had already got four off Ashwin through the cover region, which had been kept open to tempt that exact shot.Mushfiqur was batting well until that attempt, which went against his usual approach of grinding down the bowlers rather than trying to blast them out of the attack. He said he was trying to disrupt the bowler’s length by going after him in the first over, riding on the confidence of a reverse-sweep off Jadeja, but his execution against Ashwin went wrong.”Although it was not a typical day-five wicket in Indian conditions, there was rough outside off-stump for both right and left-handed batsmen,” Mushfiqur said. “So there was a bit of difficulty. Ashwin was bowling the same line and the ball was flying to the close-in region like leg-slip and slip. I needed to disturb the length and I missed the line. The shot was on but I just didn’t execute. Couple of overs earlier, Jadeja bowling from over the wicket had bowled outside leg stump and I played a reverse-sweep and I connected really well.”I don’t think it was a bad shot. The execution went wrong. Had I connected it, they would have pushed the mid-off and mid-on back and I could have got easy runs. If all fielders are up, it is difficult to rotate [the strike]. Perhaps had I played 3-4 more overs, I could have got set against Ashwin. This is a learning curve for me and I would take this lesson along.”Mushfiqur said that the pitch wasn’t like one normally seen in India, where the ball rears up and turns substantially. He also said that Shakib, Mahmudullah and Sabbir Rahman could not be blamed for getting out the way they did.Sabbir and Mahmudullah both fell to Ishant Sharma, although neither delivery was as unplayable as the one that got Shakib.”I think this was a different Indian wicket. Everyone tried to play basic cricket,” he said. “Shakib didn’t play a bad shot but still got out. [Mahmudullah] Riyad bhai had no fault in his dismissal. Sabbir [Rahman] missed the line of the ball.”Rather than picking on the mistakes, we need to work on how we can play for longer periods in these conditions. I think I will try to apply my basics in the coming matches, and try to force a Test draw with my basics.”Bangladesh would however be happy with that their score of 250 is the second-highest score in the fourth innings by a visiting team in India since 2000. During this same period, they also became the third team to have batted for more than 100 overs in the fourth innings. This, too, in their maiden Test appearance in this country.

With Steven Smith injured, David Warner resting and home advantage on their side, New Zealand will be keen to set the record straight after losing 0-3 to Australia in December

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale29-Jan-2017Match factsMonday, January 30, 2017
Start time 1100 local (2200 GMT)Big PictureAfter nearly six years without a standalone Chappell-Hadlee series, Australia and New Zealand are about to embark on their third in 12 months. Last February, New Zealand won at home. In December, Australia swept their own home series 3-0. And now, they are in New Zealand to defend the trophy two months later. It is all a bit of a whirlwind, for Australia in particular. On Thursday, they were in Adelaide wrapping up a one-day series win against Pakistan. On Monday they will play New Zealand in Auckland. And straight after this series, several of their squad members head off for a Test tour of India.Amid such a hectic schedule, it is perhaps not surprising that the selectors chose to rest the vice-captain David Warner, who they hope will be a key player in India and who has not missed an international in any format since the middle of last year. But an ankle injury suffered by captain Steven Smith in the Adelaide ODI last week threw a spanner into Australia’s plans, forcing the hasty appointment of a stand-in skipper for these three games in New Zealand. Wicketkeeper Matthew Wade was given the honour, and will lead a squad that is at least full strength in the bowling department if not in the batting order.New Zealand will see this series as a prime opportunity to regain the trophy, given the absence of Australia’s two best batsmen. Warner in particular has been in breathtaking ODI form of late, his six hundreds in the format this summer – including two against New Zealand – propelling him to the No.1 batting ranking. Kane Williamson’s men were disappointing in the series in Australia in December – the margins of 68 runs, 116 runs and 117 runs indicate just how disappointing – but on their home turf they will be a much greater threat.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)

New Zealand: WWWLL
Australia: WWWLW
In the spotlightLuke Ronchi’s adductor injury meant a wicketkeeping question mark for New Zealand. The uncapped Tom Blundell is in the squad, but New Zealand have instead opted to hand the gloves in the first game to Tom Latham. To prepare for the role, Latham kept wicket during a Ford Trophy game on Saturday and completed two stumpings. Latham has previously kept wicket for New Zealand in three ODIs and four T20s, though he has not done so since 2013.Australia are coming off a record opening partnership in their previous ODI, the 284-run stand between Warner and Travis Head against Pakistan. But a different opening pair will take the field in Auckland. Head might get the job again, but it is also possible that Australia will turn to Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh, whose 246-run partnership against Scotland in 2013 made them the previous record-holders. Finch is keen to make himself a first-choice ODI player again after a lean patch led to his axing, while Marsh will be happy to be back in the national setup in any format for the first time in nearly three months, after recovering from a finger injury.Team newsRoss Taylor returns to the ODI side having missed New Zealand’s two series in December due to eye surgery. By giving Latham the wicketkeeping duties, the selectors have also opened up another middle-order spot that could either go to a specialist batsman or an allrounder.New Zealand (possible) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tom Latham (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Neil Broom, 6 Colin Munro, 7 James Neesham, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Matt Henry/Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent Boult.The absence of Smith and Warner will mean a minimum of two changes to Australia’s XI from the side that beat Pakistan on Thursday. Whether or not Head opens again after his hundred in that match remains to be seen.Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Shaun Marsh, 3 Peter Handscomb, 4 Travis Head, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Matthew Wade (capt & wk), 7 James Faulkner, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood.Pitch and conditionsEden Park’s tiny boundaries often tempt batsmen, though as the low-scoring thriller between these sides during the 2015 World Cup showed, that does not necessarily equate to high totals. The forecast for Monday in Auckland is for a fine day and a top of 24C.Stats and trivia Wade will be the third wicketkeeper to captain Australia in ODIs; Adam Gilchrist led the team in 17 matches and Ian Healy stood in as captain eight times New Zealand have won their past four ODIs at Eden Park, and two of those were against Australia It is nearly four years since Australia have played an ODI without Smith, Warner and George Bailey – the last time was against West Indies at the MCG in February 2013Quotes”We know we weren’t at our best. We probably didn’t have the resources that we’ve got available now.”
“Steven and David have put their stamp on the team; it’s just about me keeping driving those messages through to the players. We’ve performed really well in one-day cricket over a period of time, so it’s not about trying to change too much, it’s about keeping the ball rolling.”

Sunderland target Ellis Simms’ future will be decided “in the next few days”, according to reliable journalist Alan Myers.

What's the latest Sunderland transfer news on Ellis Simms?

The Black Cats are sure to be busy once again this summer as they look to build on last season’s impressive surge into the Championship playoffs, which ultimately ended in heartbreak but certainly showed plenty of positive signs.

Jobe Bellingham, Luis Semedo and Nectarios Triantis have all arrived at the Stadium of Light already less than a week after the transfer window officially opened, but more goalscoring prowess is required given Semedo’s inexperience in senior football.

And that’s where Everton’s Simms could come in, with reports last week confirming Sunderland are interested in bringing their former loanee back to the club for the 2023/24 campaign.

That update revealed there is rival interest from Ipswich Town though, and the latest news from Myers reveals there is another unnamed suitor in the mix as well.

"Three clubs have made their interest known in Ellis Simms, no bid accepted at this point but a decision expected in the next few days,” the journalist said on Twitter.

He then responded to a fan question to say he believes both the Black Cats and Tractor Boys have made a bid, but the third team in the mix is a mystery.

Is Simms good enough to lead the line?

Tony Mowbray will no doubt be desperate to bring Simms back to the club, given the impact the 22 year-old made last time around in the Northeast, bagging seven goals in just 17 second-tier appearances.

That goalscoring prowess is no fluke either, as the Everton youngster previously struck ten in 24 during a spell at Blackpool and seven in 21 for Hearts, even bagging against Chelsea in the Premier League this season, leading Sky Sports pundit Karen Carney to call his finishing ability “unbelievable”.

With just 12 months left on his contract and valued at around £3.4m, Simms really needs to be finding himself a permanent home after three different loan teams away from the Toffees, and he will surely fancy his chances of nailing down the number nine spot on Wearside as he matures into a stronger and more experienced centre-forward.