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ESPNcricinfo previews the first ODI between India and New Zealand in Guwahati

The Preview by Sriram Veera27-Nov-2010Match FactsSunday, November 28
Start time 08.30 (03.00 GMT)
The five-match series will be the last chance for both teams to test themselves in the subcontinent before the World Cup•AFPThe Big PictureThis is the last opportunity for the two teams to play one-dayers in Indian conditions, before the World Cup. In that regard, this is an important series for them to get their combinations right, ahead of the big tournament.India’s stand-in captain, Gautam Gambhir, and Suresh Raina will want some runs for themselves, but it’s the comeback of Yusuf Pathan that will be closely monitored. He was touted to be the answer to India’s search for a big-hitting allrounder in the lower order in ODIs, but never quite managed to replicate his IPL success on the international stage. And later, even in the IPL, his weakness against short-pitched deliveries was exposed. He was released from the ODI squad and has now returned after scoring some big runs in the domestic circuit. All eyes will be on him as he could be a tremendous asset, considering the World Cup is in the subcontinent. But does he have the game to do it? This New Zealand series will let us know. It will also be an important series for R Ashwin, the offspinner.Usually, teams sport a settled side in Tests and experiment with young players in the ODI team. New Zealand does the opposite. Right from the John Bracewell-era they have been a better ODI outfit than a Test one and have an experienced squad for this series. Six of the seven replacements, that include the likes of Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey, and Kyle Mills, are in their 30s. Jamie How, 29, who had a pretty decent outing in the Champions League held in South Africa in September, makes a comeback after nearly two years. New Zealand started the Test series short of confidence but ended it with enhanced reputations.Form guide(most recent first)
India: WLWLW
New Zealand: LLLLL
Watch out for… Ross Taylor had a pretty average Test series. He got starts but rarely carried on. He has the game to turn it around quickly and he will be the key player in the middle-order in the absence of Jesse Ryder.Ashwin has impressed many with his performances in pressure situations in the IPLs. It was a puzzle why his IPL captain MS Dhoni hasn’t given him more breaks in the national team. Ashwin’s time seems to have come now. Can he capitalise? He has the carom-ball and several other variations, but does he have the discipline over his stock ball?Pitch and conditionsThis will be the last international game to be played at the Nehru Stadium in Guwahati as the Assam Cricket Association is building a new ground on the outskirts of the city, which will host all future international games. The curator Sunil Barua copped a lot of criticism after the last ODI played on the ground, when a dicey pitch let Australia dismiss India for 170. “This is the best wicket I’ve ever made. It will suit batting,” Barua said this week. “All I can say is it will be a lively and sporting wicket. There will be a good total if a team bats the full quota of overs.” Barua said that he had given the pitch a top-dressing with special clay collected from outside to ensure less wear and tear. Dew is likely to play a role as there will be an 8.30 am start.TeamsJames Franklin has replaced Jesse Ryder and Ashish Nehra, who cleared a fitness test, was brought in for Praveen Kumar, who is suffering from fever. There is a question mark over Brendon McCullum, though; though Vettori said he’d keep wickets if fit, the player himself, in a newspaper column, said his back was “not too good” and “it would be sensible to give Sunday’s game a miss”.New Zealand (probable): 1 Jamie How, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Scott Styris, 6 Kane Williamson, 7 Daniel Vettori (capt), 8 James Franklin/Nathan McCullum, 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Daryl Tuffey/Andy McKay
India (probable): 1 M Vijay, 2 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Yusuf Pathan 7 Saurabh Tiwary, 8 Wriddiman Saha (wk), 9 R Ashwin, 10 Vinay Kumar/Munaf Patel, 11 Ashish Nehra.Stats and trivia Scott Styris is one of the seven New Zealand batsmen to have scored over 4000 runs in ODIs. New Zealand have won only six out of their 16 completed games in 2010, and have lost their last six consecutive games. Nehra averages 30.52 in the ODIs but does a lot better against New Zealand against whom he averages 22.47 from 16 games. His economy-rate too climbs down to 3.87 (his career rate is 5.12)Quotes”Honestly I’m not thinking about the World Cup at the moment. I don’t want to lose focus and don’t want to think much. The idea is to stay pressure-free. My job now is to perform in the first two matches.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the third ODI between India and New Zealand in Vadodara

The Preview by Sriram Veera03-Dec-2010Match FactsSaturday, December 4
Start time 09.00 (03.30 GMT)
Three games to go, a seat in the World-cup dugout awaits, will Yusuf Pathan stake his claim?•AFPThe Big PictureThree games remain but the ODI series already seems to be heading into a one-way street, and the focus has shifted towards the preparations for the World Cup. The success of Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, R Ashwin, and Sreesanth must have heartened the Indian camp and the spotlight is now on the likes of Yusuf Pathan. Suresh Raina, who has one ODI fifty in the last 17 games, has got a break and his form can now be only monitored in South Africa.Yusuf doesn’t have much time to stake his claim. When Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag get back, and given Kohli’s rich form, the think-tank could choose to play Yuvraj Singh as the allrounder at the expense of Yusuf and Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin has perhaps already shoved Jadeja out of the equation with his performances.That leaves Yusuf in the hot seat. You can understand India’s desire to see him succeed. The pitches for the World Cup will most likely be flat tracks where Yusuf can hide his shortcomings against the short ball, and showcase his brutal power. Hope floats. On the other hand, we saw him suffocated by the short delivery even on the Indian tracks during the IPL this year and, unfortunately for him, his bowling hasn’t reached a level where it can compensate for weaknesses in batting. Three games to go, a seat in the World Cup dugout awaits, will he seize the moment?New Zealand have lost both games and the World Cup puzzle is yet to fall in place: Should Ross Taylor replace Kane Williamson at the crucial No. 3 position? When Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder return at the top, will Taylor, Scott Styris, and Williamson take up the positions from No.3 to No. 5? If Daniel Vettori bats at No. 7, who will then fill up the vital No. 6 slot? “Jacob Oram if he’s fit, [James] Franklin is in the mix but I don’t think [No.] 6 suits Grant Elliott’s batting style,” Craig McMillian, the former New Zealand batsman, believes. And where does Martin Guptill figure in this line-up?The New Zealand seamers disappointed with their inconsistency in the first two games but a few good things have come out in the batting department. Guptill, prone to spontaneously combust after getting starts, has had two good games; Styris is proving as dependable as ever in the lower order; Vettori showed signs of returning to batting form after an indifferent run in the Tests; Taylor had a good first game and looked good for more in the second; Williamson is learning how to pace his innings and while he is yet to crack it, this experience will be invaluable.Form guide(most recent first)
India: WWWLW
New Zealand: LLLLL
Watch out for…Scott Styris is New Zealand’s crisis man. He does what Shoaib Malik used to do at his best for Pakistan. He can bat sensibly and deal in singles if the occasion demands it, and can attack. He paces his innings really well and will be the vital cog in the middle-order.Praveen Kumar returns after missing two games due to fever. He has been one of India’s top ODI bowlers for some time now and will look to quickly get into his stride. His slower ones and cutters can test Brendon McCullum’s adrenaline rushes.TeamsBrendon McCullum batted in the nets without any discomfort and is likely to play.New Zealand (probable): 1 Brendon McCullum (wk), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Ross Taylor, 4 Scott Styris, 5 Kane Williamson, 6 Grant Elliott / James Franklin, 7 Daniel Vettori (capt), 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Andy McKay
Praveen and Zaheer Khan are likely to make the playing XI, and Saurabh Tiwary and Ravindra Jadeja might fight it out for the No. 6 spot.India (probable): 1 M Vijay, 2 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Saurabh Tiwary/ Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Wriddiman Saha (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ashish Nehra/Munaf Patel
Stats and trivia Vettori became the 12th allrounder in the history of the game to achieve the double of 2000 runs and 200 wickets in ODIs. He is the third New Zealander, after Chris Cairns and Chris Harris, to accomplish this feat. Brendon McCullum averages just 24.57, with just two fifties, from 20 games against India.Quotes” Batting is what is going to win us games. It’s important that New Zealand have a confident, aggressive batting line-up which is confident in its ability and can just go out and play its natural game.””
Former New Zealand batsman Craig McMillan sounds the alarm bells

Manchester United transfer target Antonio Rudiger is edging closer to a move to Real Madrid, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Man United interest in Rudiger

The Red Devils could make up to 10 signings under new manager Erik ten Hag this summer, with the 29-year-old emerging as a target earlier this month.

Ten Hag was reportedly eyeing the Chelsea centre-back, who is out of contract at the end of June, to replace captain Harry Maguire.

Blues manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed at the weekend that the German is set to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, but it doesn’t look as if a move to Old Trafford will materialise for the player.

The Latest: Romano’s update on Rudiger

Transfer expert Romano took to Twitter on Monday morning to share a major update on Rudiger’s future.

He revealed that Real Madrid have reached a verbal agreement with the 29-year-old ahead of a free transfer to the Bernabeu, stating:

“Real Madrid have reached verbal agreement with Antonio Rudiger. Contract not signed yet – but Real Madrid are now closing on Rudiger deal on a free: here we go soon! #Real Madrid

“It’s gonna be a long-term deal. Final details to be discussed soon, before signing the contract.”

The Verdict: Blow for Man Utd

United have kept just one clean sheet in their last 11 games in all competitions, so defensive reinforcements appear to be needed ahead of Ten Hag’s first season in charge at Old Trafford.

Landing a £31.5m-rated defender in Rudiger for nothing would have been a shrewd move, especially as he has plenty of Premier League experience under his belt.

However, it looks as if Ten Hag and United will unfortunately have to move on from their pursuit of Rudiger, but you’d expect that a centre-back will still be high on the new manager’s summer wish list.

In other news: Ten Hag now wants Man Utd chiefs to sign ‘superstar’ attacker for free

India batted marginally better than they did on the first day in Centurion, but another exhibition of top-class fast bowling from Dale Steyn put South Africa in charge

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran26-Dec-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Lonwabo Tsotsobe took two wickets and an excellent low catch to assist Dale Steyn, who took four wickets, in dismantling India’s batting line-up•AFPTake a green, pacy pitch, add overcast conditions, and unleash perhaps the world’s best new-ball attack on it. That’s what awaited India’s batsmen at Kingsmead, and though they responded marginally better than they did in the first Test in Centurion, another exhibition of top-class fast bowling from Dale Steyn put South Africa in charge. Several of the batsmen got starts, but then either played poor strokes or received near unplayable deliveries – everyone got into double-digits but the highest score was VVS Laxman’s 38.Smart Stats

Dale Steyn is the second bowler to dismiss Virender Sehwag six times in Tests; Matthew Hoggard is the other. No bowler has dismissed him more often.

Sehwag averages 7.67 against Steyn in Tests in South Africa (23 runs in 45 balls; three dismissals). In India, Sehwag averages 51.67 against him (155 runs in 162 balls; three dismissals).

Steyn has taken 43 wickets against India, which is the most he has against a single opposition – those wickets have come at an average of 18.95.

Rahul Dravid’s average of 32.55 in South Africa is his lowest in any country. His average in Sri Lanka is marginally higher at 33.10.

VVS Laxman’s six off Steyn was only his fifth in Test cricket. The previous six he hit was in March 2005, off Danish Kaneria in Kolkata.

South Africa were also helped by two vital contributions from Lonwabo Tsotsobe, whose place was under scrutiny coming into the second Test: first removing Sachin Tendulkar with a delivery angling across, which was edged to second slip, and then pulling off an incredible low catch at mid-on to end Laxman’s resistance.The perils in store for the batsmen were evident right from the first delivery of the match, which reared from a length and struck Virender Sehwag painfully on the fingers. The ball was jagging around prodigiously and the openers had a tough time: Sehwag was beaten by a peach off the final ball of the first over from Steyn. In the next over from Morne Morkel, a ball swerved in sharply to cut Sehwag in half. Other batsmen may be unnerved by that; Sehwag just smiled and went for his shots without worrying about the movement. The approach paid off for a while, bringing the usual flow of early Sehwag boundaries.With Morkel guilty of bowling too short and Tsotsobe unable to control the runs, India survived nearly till drinks. Steyn, though, had been probing consistently outside off, working his outswinger beautifully. It was one of those outswingers that accounted for Sehwag – pitched up and asking to be driven, only for the late movement to get the outside edge to slip.In his next over, Steyn sent back the other opener, M Vijay – in for the injured Gautam Gambhir – who had looked less in control than Sehwag. A beauty of a delivery had Vijay fishing outside off, and nicking to the keeper. Vijay had started the innings leaving most deliveries outside off, but had a chancy stay – dropped by Paul Harris at first slip when on 3, and later by AB de Villiers, who nearly plucked a blinder at third slip.Tendulkar was adventurous in the short spell till lunch, using the uppercut to pick up a couple of boundaries, though he also had the fortune of a pull flying over the keeper for four. India would have been satisfied with the 74 for 2 they posted in the morning session, but they lost the big wicket of Tendulkar off the fifth ball after the break.India’s two other middle-order stalwarts – Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman – then started a recovery act. Neither batsman was particularly fluent, and their 38-run partnership had periods of total calm sandwiched by bursts of boundaries. Three fours came in the space of seven deliveries early on – with Laxman capitalising on some wayward Tsotsobe bowling – before a six-over spell in which only four runs were scored. Steyn was brought back to break the stand but bowled his only expensive over of the day – a gorgeous straight drive from Laxman brought up India’s hundred before he pulled a short ball for a flat six, only the fifth of his Test career.Once again, just as India seemed to have stabilised, Steyn struck: working over Dravid with a relentless offstump line before getting him to nick an away-going ball to the keeper. Two overs later, he was gifted a wicket as Tsotsobe held on to a casual pull from Laxman and India were down to 130 for 5.Cheteshwar Pujara, taking the place of the struggling Suresh Raina, responded well to the challenge. He had a reprieve when Hashim Amla dropped him at forward short leg, but he was confident through his innings, highlighted by an uppercut for four off Morkel one delivery after he had mishit an attempted hook. He had moved to 19 when he threw it away, miscueing a pull to the keeper.That left India at 168 for 6, and Graeme Smith a satisfied man. Only a couple of overs were possible after tea, with the fading light forcing an early stop. Harbhajan Singh and MS Dhoni have added 27 brisk runs, and India need them to stick around to boost their hopes of staging a comeback in the series.

A big Rangers transfer claim has emerged over a player who could end up playing under Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Ibrox next season.

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has hinted at the possibility of a former Rangers player returning to Glasgow to booster the Gers’ squad for the 2022/23 campaign.

The player in question is Scotland international Billy Gilmour.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think a move to Rangers might be something that will be on his mind.

“I think he’s a boyhood Rangers fan as well, so if Rangers were able to pull off that deal, it would give them a huge boost going into next season.”

Gio van Bronckhorst will be excited

This claim will surely leave the Gers coach feeling excited for multiple reasons.

Firstly, Gilmour thinking about a switch to Ibrox and being a supporter of the club suggests that they have a realistic chance of landing him this summer.

His love for the Glasgow giants could give them the edge ahead of any other teams competing for his signature, with the prospect of playing at senior level for his boyhood club potentially being too hard to turn down.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst will be delighted as it shows that he would be getting a player who is desperate to do well for Rangers, rather than someone who has no connection to Ibrox and is only there to collect a wage at the end of the month.

The Dutch head coach will also be excited because of the quality Gilmour can bring to his team. If Ross Wilson is able to bring the youngster to the club then he will be an excellent addition to the side as he has shown great promise at such a young age.

He has caught the eye for Scotland at international level since making his debut for his country. In seven World Cup qualifiers, he has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.13 as he has shown that he can perform consistently to a high level on the world stage.

Gilmour also showcased his potential in the Champions League for Chelsea last season as he averaged a score of 6.95 across his two appearances in the competition. The Blues went on to lift the trophy and he can say that he played a part, however small, in helping them do it.

These statistics highlight the potential the 20-year-old has and why van Bronckhorst will be buzzing with the prospect of working with him at Rangers next season.

AND in other news, “Signals from the club..”: Rangers now dealt huge blow, it’ll have supporters gutted…

Leeds United employee Noel Whelan has labelled Luke Ayling’s red card against Arsenal on the weekend as a ‘massive blow for the club’ before the clash with Chelsea, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Ayling’s season over

The Whites had another weekend to forget, falling to a 2-1 defeat at the Emirates which has left them in the relegation zone for the first time since October with just three games remaining.

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The Gunners raced into an early lead after two goals from Eddie Nketiah before Ayling received his marching orders following a terrible two-footed tackle on Gabriel Martinelli.

He’ll serve a three-game suspension as a result of just his second-ever straight red card, leaving Jesse Marsch short of replacements with Stuart Dallas sidelined with a long-term injury.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Whelan, talking to FI, labelled Ayling’s season-ending red-card in London as a ‘massive blow’ and believes he’ll be a ‘huge miss’ for Marsch, starting against Chelsea.

“I think the frustration was clear to see all over the pitch and it just boiled over with Ayling unfortunately.

“It’s a massive blow for the club. To lose him at right-back – he’s the natural, he’s the best option we have at the club.

“Not only that, but we’re also seriously going to miss the energy, leadership, and experience he brings as well.

“He’s going to be a huge miss for these crucial last three games of the season.”

The Verdict: Shackleton?

Marsch hinted on Tuesday that Jamie Shackleton could make a first start under him against the Blues, which seems to be the most sensible solution.

The 22-year-old was a regular at right-back in Ayling’s absence during September and October and has made a total of 10 appearances at right-back in 2021/22.

He’s also a fairly experienced member of the squad as he has 78 appearances to his name in a Leeds shirt, and with options limited, now could be his time to shine as the Whites look to pick up points in all three of their remaining fixtures to ensure safety.

In other news: ‘Sad to report…’ – Phil Hay reacts to Leeds news as things go from bad to worse at Elland Road.

Muttiah Muralitharan has said he will retire from all international cricket after the 2011 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2011Muttiah Muralitharan has said he will retire from all international cricket after the 2011 World Cup. The 38-year-old offspinner, who had retired from Test cricket in July last year, will continue to play in domestic Twenty20 competitions.”This World Cup will be my last outing,” Muralitharan said. “My time is up. I have signed up to play for two years in the IPL. I am also looking at similar work in New Zealand and perhaps England.”Muralitharan, who holds the record for the highest number of wickets in both Test and one-day cricket was part of Sri Lanka’s World Cup winning side in 1996. He is one of three spinners in Sri Lanka’s squad for the 2011 tournament, the other two being left-arm spinner Ranagana Herath and Ajantha Mendis. “This is my fourth World Cup. We won in 1996 and came close in 2007 by reaching the final. This would be a memorable one for me and for Sri Lankan fans.”Since quitting Tests, Muralitharan has played only three international matches – two ODIs and a Twenty20 game during Sri Lanka’s tour of Australia in October-November 2010. He has been rested from the side for the first two ODIs of the three-match home series against West Indies which starts on January 31, Sri Lanka’s final commitment before the World Cup.He played for Chennai Super Kings in the first three seasons of the IPL, including their triumphs in the 2010 edition of the tournament and the Champions League in the same year. He was bought by the new Kochi franchise in the 2011 IPL auction for $1.1 million.In July, Muralitharan had said there were plans in the pipeline for him and former India legspinner Anil Kumble to open a spin-bowling academy in Bangalore. However, while announcing his retirement after the World Cup on Friday, he said he had no immediate plans to start coaching. “There are plenty of coaches and lots of talented people out there. I will take things as they come. For the moment, I am not looking at any coaching stints.”

Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli gave evidence of the havoc this Indian batting line-up can create during centuries that demoralised Bangladesh’s bowlers and set up a convincing victory

The Bulletin by George Binoy19-Feb-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsVirat Kohli reached his hundred off the penultimate ball of the Indian innings•AFPThere was no reprise of the 2007 upset at Port of Spain in the opening game of this World Cup. Instead, Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli gave evidence of the havoc this Indian batting line-up can create during centuries that demoralised Bangladesh’s bowlers. Shakib Al Hasan’s men failed to maintain their composure in the grandest match of their lives and conceded a total beyond the reach of their batting abilities.There was wisdom in Bangladesh choosing to chase – the previous 12 day-night matches at the Shere Bangla were won by the team batting second – but their bowlers were wayward on a slow pitch that kept low and had loopy bounce not conducive to shot-making. Shakib wanted to keep India below 260 when he put them in because of the dew factor later in the evening. He watched the target surge past that as Sehwag and Kohli, who justified his captain’s decision to leave out Suresh Raina, dismantled the attack in front of a shell-shocked crowd and powered India to 370.Bangladesh, however, did not go quietly. Faced with an impossible chase, Imrul Kayes attacked from the outset after which Tamim Iqbal and Shakib took charge. They set off at a sprint, swinging fearlessly, edging luckily, and brought cheer to their supporters. What Bangladesh failed to do, though, was sustain the aggression for as long as Sehwag did, and the asking-rate soared irreversibly out of reach.With a withering back-foot drive, Sehwag had slammed the first ball of the tournament to the cover boundary, the opening move of his maiden century against Bangladesh silencing a boisterous Mirpur crowd. Shafiul Islam had given Sehwag too much width, and in his second over he strayed twice on to Sachin Tendulkar’s pads with dire consequences. His day would not get better and he conceded 69 off seven.India raced to 36 after four overs, forcing Shakib to turn to his premier spinner, Abdur Razzak, in the fifth. Razzak looped the ball into Sehwag from round the wicket, following the batsman and cramping him for room as he tried to hit inside out through the off side. Sehwag had scored 12 off his first six balls and 13 off his next 24.Bangladesh were listless, though, as Sehwag regained his touch and never lost it again, but they also had some good fortune. A mix-up, during which both Tendulkar and Sehwag were ball-watching, left both batsmen at one end and the Mirpur crowd found its voice again.Sehwag, however, continued piercing gaps and hit the tournament’s first six, hoisting Razzak over wide long-on to reach fifty off 45 balls. With Gautam Gambhir, Sehwag added 83 to build on the opening stand of 69. While Sehwag used muscle, Gambhir played with precision – dabbing, pushing and chipping into gaps. His dismissal for a run-a-ball 39, bowled by a straight one from Mahmudullah, was against the run of play.The exceptional feature of Kohli’s innings was his driving. On a surface this slow, he reached the pitch of the ball, gathering momentum with a forward thrust of his body, and drove crisply through the off side with a whip of his wrists. He did it against pace and spin, scoring effortlessly at more than a run a ball. In the 33rd over, Kohli drove Naeem Islam twice to the cover boundary and pulled him behind square, placing the ball just wide of the fielders each time. India took their batting Powerplay after the mandatory ball change and scored 48 for 0 during the fielding restrictions.At one stage Sehwag, who had Gambhir running for him because of an injury, had a shot at a double-century. He fell in the 48th over, though, almost making good his pledge to bat through the innings. Kohli continued to motor towards a hundred in his first World Cup match and got there off the penultimate ball of the innings, possibly having secured his spot for the rest of the tournament.The pitch quickened in the evening, making shot-making easier, and the dew greased the outfield, making the ball harder to grip. But Bangladesh’s bowlers had conceded too much ground for their batsmen to regain. They tried, though, and the initial assault on the Indian bowlers was fierce.The highlight of that brief blitz was the attack on Sreesanth. Kayes edged, flicked, pulled and drove him for boundaries, and a wayward wide contributed to Bangladesh taking 24 runs off the fifth over. They were 51 for 0. Kayes then tried to force the slower pace of Munaf Patel, who replaced Sreesanth, through the off side and played on, ending the opening partnership at 56.Zaheer Khan’s control and the introduction of spin resulted in an increase in dot balls and a reduction in boundaries, and by the half-way stage the asking-rate was already 9.36. Tamim and Shakib completed aggressive half-centuries and the rest of the batsmen also struck the ball fluently during a heartening display. Victory, however, had already escaped them. Bangladesh will hope to reproduce this batting effort in a match in which their bowlers get their act together.Match Timeline

Leeds United fear that Stuart Dallas’ injury could be even worse than anticipated…

What’s the latest?

According to Football Insider, an inside source at the club has claimed that the Whites’ medical staff believe that the versatile 31-year-old gem could miss the whole of next season, as Dallas could be out for at least 12 months before returning to competitive action.

The Northern Irishman sustained a femoral fracture in last weekend’s 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in what has been described as a “devastating” blow.

Leeds have also been without captain Liam Cooper in recent weeks, too.

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Devastating blow

Indeed, Dallas is hugely important to manager Jesse Marsch and the playing squad, as emphasised by the club’s statement after he was stretchered off at Elland Road less than a week ago.

‘It is impossible to put into words just how important Stuart is to Leeds United on and off the field,’ it read, via the Whites’ official website.

Playing in a variety of roles, largely at full-back and central midfield, the 31-year-old has featured in 122 of Leeds’ 123 competitive league and play-off matches since April 2019. During that time, he had not missed a single encounter in the Premier League, only reinforcing just how crucial he is to the team.

Furthermore, he currently rates out as Marsch’s fourth-best performer in the top flight, averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.78 per game, which is all the more impressive considering that he never has a settled role in the starting XI.

Only left-back and vice-skipper Luke Ayling (2.9) has averaged more tackles per game than Dallas (2.7), whilst he ranks third for interceptions (1.7 per game), so this sort of industrious and solid defensive presence will also be sorely missed.

If Dallas is indeed absent for the next 12 months, then it could alter Victor Orta and Marsch’s transfer plans this summer, whereby they need to make several additions to avoid a repeat of this current campaign.

The American head coach must be absolutely gutted to lose Dallas, not just for the remainder of their relegation dogfight but for what could be another year.

AND in other news, Beren Cross drops Illan Meslier transfer claim…

Round-up of the first day’s play in the fifth round of matches of the Faysal Bank Pentangular Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-2011Seventeen wickets fell and 418 runs were scored on an action-packed first day at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, with Federal Areas ending up 14 runs ahead of Sind with three wickets remaining. Sind were put in to bat and were in immediate trouble at 6 for 3. Faisal Iqbal, who scored 67, and Fawad Alam got them back on track with a 97-run partnership. Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed then came in and smashed 55 off 33, but wickets kept falling at the other end, and Sarfraz was eventually left stranded as Sind were bowled out for 202. The seamers did all the damage for Federal Areas with left-armer Sohail Tanvir and allrounder Hammad Azam taking three wickets each.Sind had scored their runs at 5.36 runs an over, which meant there were still plenty of overs left in the day for Federal Areas to bat. They went about their innings in similar fashion to Sind, scoring at 5.53 runs per over, but losing wickets at regular intervals, with several of the batsmen not converting starts. Umar Amin got 42 off 39 and Adnan Mufti got 41 off 42, but Mohammad Sami kept striking at vital moments, and finished with 4 for 56. Federal Areas will be glad to have Hammad Azam still at the crease; he finished the day on 60 not out.

Half-centuries by wicketkeeper Humayun Farhat and No. 8 Saad Nasim ensured Punjab reached 340 for 9 on the first day of their match against Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Punjab were in tight spots twice in their innings. They lost three early wickets, but half-centuries from Mohammad Ayub and Usman Salahuddin helped them to recover to 175 for 3. Another burst of three wickets left them in trouble again at 186 for 6, but this time it was Farhat and Nasim who came to their rescue with a 100-run partnership. Nasim finished the day 84 not out. Legspinner Yasir Shah was Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s most successful bowler, picking up 4 for 118.