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Mahela Jayawardene’s swan song will be at his home ground, after SLC’s Executive Committee decided to move the second Test against Pakistan from the P Sara Oval to the SSC ground

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2014Mahela Jayawardene’s swan song will be at his home ground, after SLC’s Executive Committee decided to move the second Test against Pakistan from the P Sara Oval to the SSC ground. Jayawardene has been prolific at the venue, piling up 2698 Test runs at an average 77.08.Jayawardene also hit the highest score for a Sri Lankan and the highest score by a right-hander, at SSC, when he made 374 against South Africa there in 2006. He has played for SSC since his late teens, following a highly successful school cricket career with Nalanda College.The change of venue means Jayawardene’s final series will be played at his two favourite grounds, with the first match against Pakistan in Galle. No batsman has made more Test runs at any venue than Jayawardene has made at both. SLC said it will celebrate his career with commemorative events at both venues.

A placid St Lawrence pitch dictated that Kent’s County Championship clash with second division rivals Hampshire ended in a dull draw in Canterbury

18-Jul-2013
ScorecardMichael Carberry was one of a few batsmen to make the most of a flat pitch•Getty ImagesA placid St Lawrence pitch dictated that Kent’s County Championship clash with second division rivals Hampshire ended in a dull draw in Canterbury.After four days of slow scoring on a docile wicket that led to the loss of only 23 wickets and three centuries, the sides shook hands on a draw at 4.50pm with Hampshire on 200 for 4 in their second innings – an overall advantage in the match of 92 runs.Hampshire, trailing by 108 on first innings and resuming on their overnight total of 15 without loss, had little or no trouble in batting out the final day to secure their sixth draw of the campaign for a seven point return. As for Kent, who have yet to win on home soil, they banked eight points for their seventh draw in 11 starts.The hosts knew they would need quick wickets at the start of the final day if they were to push for their second successive Championship win, but they needed 14 overs before celebrating their first breakthrough.With the total on 45 Jimmy Adams made a late decision to shoulder arms to England off-spinner James Tredwell and departed leg before. Former Kent opener Michael Carberry moved to his second half-century of the game by pulling a Sam Northeast long-hop for four to reach the landmark from 133 balls and with eight fours.The left-hander perished 16 runs on however, when he edged behind to give Tredwell the second of his return of 3 for 87. Liam Dawson, who also scored a first innings 50, proved rock solid second time around in scoring an unbeaten 78 off 166 balls.He lost third wicket partner James Vince to a top-edged sweep that ballooned to Rob Key at leg slip then Sean Ervine who, in attempting a back-foot force against Charlie Shreck, only picked out Darren Stevens close in at gully.Dawson and Adam Wheater batted through the 50 minutes after tea without further alarm allowing the teams to shake hands on the stalemate.

John Wright has been appointed Mumbai Indians’ head coach ahead of the sixth season of the Indian Premier League

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2013Former New Zealand batsman John Wright has been appointed Mumbai Indians’ head coach ahead of the sixth season of the Indian Premier League, while Robin Singh will continue to provide his services to the team.The news came days after Anil Kumble was named the chief mentor of Mumbai Indians, and a week before the IPL auction, scheduled for February 3 in Chennai.Nita Ambani, the owner of the Mumbai Indians franchise, said she was pleased to have a coach like Wright associated with the team. “It’s a great pleasure to have John on board with Mumbai Indians. John is immensely respected and I am sure his cricketing knowledge and experience will be of enormous help.”Wright was the coach of the New Zealand team from 2010 to 2012. Under him, the team reached the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup but a year later, he decided not to renew his contract with the team, citing differences with New Zealand’s director of cricket, John Buchanan.Prior to that, he was the coach of the Indian team from 2000 to 2005. During this tenure, India won a Test series against Australia at home in 2001, drew a Test series in Australia in 2003-04, reached the 2003 World Cup final, and won a Test and ODI series in Pakistan in 2004.Wright played 82 Tests and 149 ODIs for New Zealand before he retired in 1993.

Having threatened to pull off a win over a big team in their first three matches of the Super 10 stage, Afghanistan finally went ahead and did it against the group-topping West Indies in Nagpur

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Nagpur27-Mar-2016Having threatened to pull off a win over a big team in their first three matches of the Super 10 stage, Afghanistan finally went ahead and did it against the group-topping West Indies in Nagpur. Inzamam-ul-Haq, Afghanistan’s batting coach, praised his team’s self-belief, and reiterated the call for more opportunities to play against the Full Members.”All our previous matches have been close,” Inzamam said. “There haven’t been one-sided matches, it’s not like a team makes 200 against us and we are all out for 100 or 150. The team has been fighting, and the belief was always there.”But Afghanistan haven’t had that exposure of winning against big teams. The finishing point has not been seen yet. But now that we have won this, it will definitely help. And we had a strong belief that if we can come so close, we can win too. Today it has happened. We could have won against England, there was a close game against Sri Lanka too. So we knew we had the potential to win, but you still need that win. The more we play against big teams, the more we’ll learn, and can perform even better.”One of the players who displayed strong self-belief was the left-arm spinner Amir Hamza. Having been hit for 25 runs in one over in his last match, against England, he took the new ball, bowled three of his four overs in the Powerplay, and finished with figures of 4-0-9-1.”He’s one of our main bowlers,” Inzamam said. “Sometimes we need to make changes in the XI as per the conditions, and as per the player’s form. But he is a seasoned player and a terrific bowler. In the last match, he conceded 25 runs in one over, but he didn’t let it affect his confidence. Today, at a crucial point, he bowled well.”Sent in to bat, Afghanistan posted 123 for 7. Inzamam felt the total was perhaps 15 or 20 runs below par given the conditions, but said the team made it up with their bowling and fielding.”If you see, chases have been difficult on this ground,” he said. “Even in the last game, West Indies could chase 123 against South Africa only in the last over. India also played earlier and were all out for 79 [against New Zealand]. So it’s not easy to get runs in the second innings on this ground.”And we knew that, so it’s not like we had started out thinking we should get 160-170. Our target was 140 to 150, we thought we could put pressure [on West Indies] if we had that total. So we thought we fell maybe 15-20 runs short, but I think the boys fielded excellently. They caught well and saved 10-15 runs on the field. That covered the runs we couldn’t make while batting.”West Indies were playing their second match of the tournament in Nagpur, while Afghanistan – who had won three out of three first-round matches at the venue – were playing their fourth. Inzamam said Afghanistan’s knowledge of the conditions gave them an edge on the day.”We thought we knew this ground better than West Indies, we had already played three matches here, practised a lot here. We had an idea about the pitch and the ground, and that helped us mentally as well as on the ground. The bowlers knew how to bowl on the pitch, the batsmen had an idea, and we spoke about this in our team meeting yesterday also – that we definitely know these conditions better than West Indies.”Inzamam has been part of the Afghanistan backroom since October 2015. Asked how long he intended to stay on in the role, he said he would sit with the Afghanistan Cricket Board at the end of his current term and take a mutual decision.”I am with them for a year now, so I’m looking at [finishing] that first. After a year is up, we have to decide whether they want to keep me or not too. It has to be both ways. I have five-six months left and, inshallah, they will go well.”

Darren Stevens hit the fastest hundred of the county season from 44 balls under the lights at Canterbury

19-Jun-2013
ScorecardDarren Stevens claimed the fastest century of the season to date•Getty ImagesDarren Stevens hit the fastest hundred of the county season from 44 balls under the lights at Canterbury to outshine Sussex’s Luke Wright and pilot Kent to a remarkable three-wicket win in the Yorkshire Bank 40.Set to score a mammoth 337 for victory, Kent edged home in a tense finish just before 10.30pm to complete a stunning chase with nine balls to spare. Stevens contributed a blistering 53-ball innings of 118, Rob Key chipped in with 52 and Sam Northeast all but saw them home with a maiden one-day century off 90 balls.Facing an asking rate of 8.4 an over from the off, Kent made a brisk start to their pursuit as openers Key and Northeast posted 109 inside 13 overs. Soon after reaching a 40-ball 50 with eight fours, Key holed out to long-on against Chris Liddle then, after Northeast’s 41-ball 50 with five fours and a six, Alex Blake edged behind with Kent handily placed at 151 for 2 at the mid-point of their reply.The hosts accelerated as Stevens took 17 off an over from legspinner Will Beer and 20 came off his replacement, Rory Hamilton-Brown. Stevens notched a 24-ball half-century then moved through the gears, scoring his second 50 off only 20 more to match Mark Ealham’s 44-ball ton, the fastest ever for Kent, in a 1995 Sunday League clash with Derbyshire.Stevens hit 10 fours and six sixes and in the process became the front runner for the Walter Lawrence Trophy, awarded for the fastest hundred of the summer. He finally holed out for 118 and marched off to a standing ovation to leave centre stage free for Northeast.With a modest previous List A best of 69, Northeast plundered 115 with 11 fours and a six but, with only 14 needed for victory, was stumped by Ben Brown when attempting a tired-looking drive against Beer.Ben Harmison quickly departed leg before and with the tension mounting, Calum Haggett chipped to midwicket and Mitch Claydon was run out for 8, having hit his first ball for six.It took a leg-side wide from Sussex saint-turned-sinner Wright to clinch Kent’s fifth win in eight Group A starts and complete a fourth defeat for the shell-shocked Sharks.Having earlier been given first use of a sublime St Lawrence pitch, Sussex made the most of a short boundary on the Old Dover Road side of the ground to improve their one-day best total against Kent within 37.2 overs – beating their previous record of 314 for 7, set in the Gillette Cup at Tunbridge Wells in 1963 which, in its inaugural year, was a 65 overs per side competition.Wright and his opening partner Nash set the ball rolling with an opening stand of 194 in 18.3 overs as Wright plundered 13 fours and five sixes in a 54-ball ton.He clubbed one more of each before his knock ended on 115 when his edged cut shot against Haggett ballooned off the gloves of Geraint Jones, standing up to the stumps, to be caught at backward point.Nash and Wright coasted past their county’s previous best opening stand of 145 in all one-day cricket against Kent, set by Bill Athey and James Hall and, at 153, beat their record for any wicket in limited-overs cricket against Kent, set here by Wright and Matt Prior in August 2012.In the process, Wright had beaten Josh Cobb’s 62-ball hundred for Leicestershire against Somerset in May to set a short-lived mark for the fastest of the season.Only 17 short of his hundred, Nash aimed to sweep the occasional left-arm wrist spin of namesake Brendan Nash, only to be caught at backward square-leg. His 83 came off 58 balls with 11 fours and a six. Stevens joined forces with Nash and then Riley to temporarily stem the haemorrhaging of boundaries thereafter and, come the end, the Sussex total somehow proved inadequate.Michael Yardy (46) perished in pursuit of late runs when he chipped to Stevens as Haggett closed his eight-over stint of 2 for 97 – the most costly one-day bowling figures in Kent’s history.

Nottinghamshire clung on to secure a one-wicket win against Lancashire at Aigburth on a thrilling third day

Paul Edwards at Aigburth15-Jul-2014
ScorecardTom Smith’s three quick wickets gave Lancashire hope•Getty ImagesIt was an astonishing afternoon when Lancashire found they had supporters in Leeds, a teatime when Nottinghamshire discovered temporary fans in Newcastle. Such are the transient fealties produced in the second half of the County Championship season when one team’s result affects everyone else’s fortunes.When all was done, it was the Novocastrians who were celebrating on Tuesday evening after a tremendous cricket match had ended with Chris Read’s team securing a nerve-shattering one-wicket victory which will live in everyone’s memory utterly regardless of their loyalties.Any relief on Tyneside or the banks of the Wear will be felt because Lancashire’s defeat leaves the Old Trafford side 11 points adrift of seventh-placed Durham having played a game more. Yet the keenest joy will, of course, be felt in Nottinghamshire’s cricketing heartlands like Caythorpe and Cuckney, for their county had completed a win which puts them 11 points clear of Somerset after 12 games and 16 ahead of Yorkshire, albeit that Andrew Gale’s men have a game in hand.Yet great matches also need great finishes and this contest filled that box with more ticks than one. Such matches also need a hero: this game provided many, but none more worthy of the laurels than the teak-tough Read. Needing 170 to win, Nottinghamshire were 119 for 7 when Luke Fletcher joined his skipper. The only time issue was whether the match would end on the third evening or not.Coolly, the Nottinghamshire pair added 44 runs in 18 overs, Fletcher blocking capably and nudging singles where possible, Read batting with all the skill and nous Trent Bridge supporters know well and love greatly.A three-wicket victory seemed very probable when Kabir Ali had Fletcher well-caught at third slip by Tom Smith. Enter Andre Adams, who can really only play in one uncomplicated way. A whacked four wide of mid-on and a skied two over Jos Buttler’s head followed. Then Adams pulled his fifth ball from Ali to deep-backward square-leg, where Stephen Parry sprinted round and held a fine catch low down: 169 for 9. “When was the last tie in the Championship?” someone askedThat, though, was also the end of the over and the batsmen had crossed. Step forward Harry Gurney, who cover drove Chapple’s first ball as stylishly as you like for a single. The Nottinghamshire players on the balcony of the Aigburth pavilion erupted in untrammelled joy. Who know what this win might mean in mellow September? Lancashire’s players trooped off, although they may also have been contemplating the eventual results of defeat.Read was unbeaten on 40, his runs accumulated over 117 minutes off 66 balls. “It was relief in the end,” said the captain when queried as to his feelings after the game. “It should have been excitement needing only seven runs with three wickets still in the shed but in the end when Harry Gurney hit those runs I was flapping.”Harry shouldn’t have been on strike and I was not particularly happy with losing two wickets in that penultimate over. It was relief but that’s the best shot I have ever seen Harry Gurney play. I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.”In that respect, the Nottinghamshire skipper will be joined by the vast majority of the spectators at Liverpool, where Chapple’s men have fought out so many tight finishes in recent years. Throughout the day, supporters had sat enthralled by the drama unfolding before them. Newspapers were cast aside, their crosswords barely started.The second-hand bookstall resorted to a major sale at teatime but no one wanted to read about cricket when there was so much of it to watch. October will come soon enough. The ice-cream van did progressively less business despite the fine warm weather which had replaced Monday’s tent-tugging winds. At the tensest moments a frenetic calm settled on the ground.Yet perhaps we should not be surprised that a game between these two sides should have produced an extraordinary finish. Nottinghamshire secured their 2010 title in dramatic circumstances when they secured a bowling bonus point against Lancashire, and Chapple’s men only lost April’s opening match of the season at Trent Bridge by 45 runs after a noble run-chase. The teams have a history of producing toughly-contested matches and this result will have pleased nobody more than Steven Mullaney who has represented both counties.The absorbing dénouement to this game had been set up by morning and early afternoon sessions in which Lancashire had extended their overnight 55 for 2 to 205 at the cost of their eight remaining wickets, Usman Khawaja making 53.All but one of the wickets had been claimed by Gurney, who took 4 for 13 in 29 balls during a high-quality spell of left-arm seam bowling, and by the Brobdingnagian figure of Fletcher, who removed three batsmen in five balls immediately after lunch. A valuable last-wicket stand of 36 between Parry and Ali probably gave disproportionate encouragement to Chapple’s attack but even the most imaginative and experienced cricket-watchers could not envisage the stomach-clutching tension to come.Initially wickets were almost traded for runs in the visitors’ second innings. Four of the top six batsmen reached double figures but no one made more than Riki Wessels. On a wicket which had always rewarded good cricket, Smith removed Mullaney, Michael Lumb and James Taylor to become Division One’s leading wicket-taker. Nottinghamshire stumbled to 79 for 5 but had recovered to 116 for 6 when Wessels drove Hogg to Ashwell Prince at cover. The crowd tried to settle, wondering how things would turn out. They little knew.

Jose Mourinho insisted that Carlo Ancelotti will stay at Real Madrid and advised him not to be a "madman" and join Brazil.

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Ancelotti linked with Brazil jobMourinho advised the Italian to stayAlso spoke about his departure from the BernabeuWHAT HAPPENED?

The Portuguese manager emphatically discouraged Ancelotti from departing Real Madrid, denouncing any move to coach Brazil as the decision of a "madman". The Brazilian Football Confederation's claim regarding Ancelotti coaching the national team at the 2024 Copa America has raised questions about the Italian's future in the Spanish capital. Moreover, his contract which ends in the summer of 2024, is yet to be renewed which adds fuel to speculation about the potential Brazil job.

AdvertisementWHAT MOURINHO SAID ABOUT ANCELOTTI

Mourinho, in an interview with TG1, said: "I think only a madman would leave Real Madrid when he is still wanted. I am certain that at the first sign from Florentino [Perez, Madrid's president], Carlo will remain, because he is perfect for Real Madrid and Real Madrid are perfect for him."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Although Mourinho dismissed any possibility of him returning to the Bernabeu, there was a hint of regret in his voice when he spoke about his own departure from Real Madrid as he left in 2013, despite agreeing to an extension until 2016, a year back.

"That madman was me, the only one who after three years, with a President who still wanted me, and Jose Sanchez too, I decided to leave," he said.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MOURINHO AND REAL MADRID?

Mourinho's future at the Italian capital also hangs in the air as his contract at Roma will come to an end at the end of the season. He had lucrative offers from the Saudi Pro League during the summer and could once again be tempted to set sail for the Middle East after completing his obligations with Roma.

Meanwhile, several names have been floated as Ancelotti's successor which include Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi and Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso.

West Indies fast bowler Jason Holder has been added to the squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Sabina Park starting on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2014Revised squad for 1st Test

Denesh Ramdin (capt), Sulieman Benn, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kirk Edwards, Shannon Gabriel, Chris Gayle, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Shane Shillingford, Jerome Taylor, Jason Holder

West Indies fast bowler Jason Holder has been added to the squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Sabina Park starting on Sunday. Holder will be the fourth seamer in the 14-man squad that also includes Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel and Jerome Taylor. The West Indies Cricket Board did not explain why an extra fast bowler was included.Holder, 22, has featured in the limited-overs squads of late and has played 17 ODIs and a T20. He has 25 ODI wickets with a best of 4 for 13. Holder played just one IPL game, for Sunrisers Hyderabad this season. He took part in the two-week preparatory camp in Barbados.West Indies are still waiting on the fitness of Chris Gayle, who is due to play his 100th Test.

The Argentine arrives at Cobham with plenty to get through in his in-tray beyond the usual pre-season commitments…

"What we can promise is to work hard and defend this shirt until the end. We are going to try do everything for them to feel proud and to show that we really, really care. That is what we can promise." Those were the words of Mauricio Pochettino on Monday as he officially began work as head coach of Chelsea Football Club.

Evidently he is under no illusions as to the scale of the task facing him, as the squad enters the final stages of a 12-month overhaul. There will be no honeymoon period, either, as the Argentine gets straight down to work in what is a pivotal pre-season for the club as it searches for an identity and fresh impetus after an unprecedented clear-out.

Below, GOAL runs through the five biggest jobs facing Pochettino as he starts work in west London…

Getty ImagesContinue the clear-out

After a slow start, Chelsea's clear-out gathered serious pace towards the end of June as the club desperately sought to balance their accounts for the 2022-23 season before the month was out. Co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart have been busy, with as many as seven established first-team stars shipped out in a short period, with more to follow.

Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly and N'Golo Kante have all headed to Saudi Arabia, Kai Havertz, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic have remained in the Premier League with Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City, respectively, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek has taken on a new challenge in Italy with AC Milan.

It's unclear how much of a say Pochettino has had in the decision-making to this point as a head coach rather than a manager, but he will surely have more involvement in the next phase of the fire sale. Indeed, he will likely have his work cut out.

Cesar Azpilicueta is expected to return to Spain, Callum Hudson-Odoi wants a move and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be cut loose. Meanwhile, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic are highly likely to follow through the Stamford Bridge exits. Romelu Lukaku's future is up for discussion, but he has no desire to extend his stay at Chelsea.

Advertisement(C)GettyImagesForge a togetherness

While Chelsea's clear-out was necessary, there will be some concerns over a loss of identity given just how many long-serving players have departed or are expected to leave, and indeed because of the hoard of new arrivals in the past year.

Pochettino is in new surroundings, too, but he will have to quickly understand what it means to represent Chelsea and the mentality required to succeed at Stamford Bridge before imparting that wisdom onto his squad. The next step will be to foster a togetherness and synergy that will be the backbone to their success, like so many Blues squads of years gone by.

Judging by his first interview at the club, that is something Pochettino is acutely aware of. "We need to be team that shows togetherness, cares about the club, cares about the fans, and that fights until the end for the badge," he said. "That’s the most important thing. The fans need to feel that all the players involved in the game are going to die for the club. That is the most important thing to create this good feeling and for sure feel proud of each other."

GettyChoose a new captain

So, who will be the man to lead this new-look Chelsea team on the pitch? With Azpilicueta's departure imminent, Chelsea will have lost both their club captain and vice-captain in the space of seven months, following Jorginho's move to Arsenal in January.

Consequently, Pochettino needs to establish a new on-field leadership team heading into the new season. The problem is that, courtesy of the clear-out, his choice of long-serving players who understand the club and carry its identity will be limited.

On paper, the most obvious options seem to be Thiago Silva – who has worn the armband in the past – and Reece James, while Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell may also come under consideration. It will be interesting to see which direction Pochettino goes in.

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GettyFitness, fitness, fitness

Despite his nice-guy persona in front of the cameras, Pochettino has gained notoriety for his hard-line approach in pre-season as he pushes his players to the limit in order to achieve the optimum fitness required for his high-pressing, high-energy style of play.

It's been reported they face a gruelling two-week regime, which will likely include one of the Argentine's preferred methods, the 'Gacon test' – an intermittent 45-second shuttle run test where the distances increase each time.

In truth, it is exactly what the group needs to be whipped into shape; interim manager Frank Lampard suggested late last season that many players simply weren't fit enough and many struggled with injury issues throughout the 2022-23 campaign. That is likely a result of himself and predecessor Graham Potter having to work with a bloated, 31-strong squad, with training sessions particularly problematic as individuals were able to avoid scrutiny among the crowd.

Pakistan made short work of Bangladesh on the fourth day in Mirpur, taking eight wickets inside two sessions for 148 runs, to seal a 328-run victory and win the Test series 1-0

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando09-May-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:10

Isam: A different Pakistan turned up for the Test

Bangladesh plummeted to a 328-run defeat in Mirpur, after several top-order batsmen showed little will to survive against a Pakistan attack making merry on a wearing track. Having arrived with effectively eight wickets in hand on day four – Shahadat Hossain unable to bat – Bangladesh were all out before tea, having lost six wickets for 57 either side of the lunch interval. A heavy defeat was always likely, after the hosts had given up a 354-run first-innings lead, but they will be disappointed at the limp finish to what has otherwise been a heartening tour.Yasir Shah was the primary threat in Pakistan’s attack, as he found bounce and turn from the footmarks to supplement his fine rhythm and variation. He took 4 for 73 and induced plenty more edges and mis-hits that fell into space. Imran Khan claimed two scalps, and Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Hafeez and Junaid Khan took one apiece. Misbah-ul-Haq sought to keep Yasir in action at one end, while he rotated bowlers at the other. The 1-0 Test series victory follows a whitewash defeat in the four limited-overs matches, for Pakistan.The fourth day’s slide began with Tamim Iqbal, who exercised more caution than he had done on the previous evening, yet was drawn into a loose shot in Imran’s first over of the morning. Tamim threw his bat at a wide full-length delivery and edged the ball behind, not having accounted for Imran’s extra bounce. He was out for 42.Mahmudullah’s tetchy 12-ball innings was defined by dangerous flirtations with Wahab’s bouncers, but it would be Imran who found his edge as well. Poking at a back-of-a-length delivery in the channel, Mahmudullah sent the ball to Younis Khan at second slip, who held the catch on second grasp.Shakib Al Hasan edged his second ball through the gully, but continued to play his strokes, slog-sweeping Yasir for four as Mominul Haque progressed briskly alongside him. Ambition was Shakib’s downfall too. He ran at Mohammad Hafeez’s third delivery of the day and attempted to put the ball into the sight screen, but mis-hit it and was caught at mid-off. Mushfiqur Rahim was more careful, playing out eight scoreless deliveries, before he misjudged a Yasir legbreak and played it onto his stumps 15 minutes out from the lunch break.Hopes of a Bangladesh resistance centred around Mominul as wickets tumbled at the other end. While other batsmen had been rushed by the bounce in the track, Mominul pulled and hooked Wahab with control, leaving alone the balls too high to drag down. He was quick-footed and decisive against the spinners as well, finding regular runs into the outfield off Yasir, who tested him with googlies in the morning. Mominul prospered behind the wicket in particular, all but one of his nine boundaries coming in that region. His fifty, which came off 83 balls, made him the fifth player after Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Viv Richards and AB de Villiers to hit half-centuries in 11 consecutive Tests.Soumya Sarkar was caught down the legside off Wahab soon after lunch, and Mominul got out next over. He dabbed a wider Yasir ball behind point for four, then expecting the bowler to pitch fuller, ran down the pitch and aimed a lofted inside-out drive. His mis-hit went only as far as Asad Shafiq at cover, who held a sharp, low chance to his right.That dismissal put Bangladesh at 143 for 7, and it was only a matter of time until two more batsmen faltered. Taijul Islam sent a top-edged sweep to short fine leg, before Shuvagata Hom threw his bat around for a 55-ball 39 with Mohammad Shahid for company. He eventually had a yorker sneak through his defences, to give Junaid his only scalp of the innings.