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Aggressive bodily contact, shoving, agitated yelling, pointed fingers and a shattered dressing room door, all marred the rancorous finish and the immediate aftermath, of the Nidahas Trophy match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo16-Mar-2018

Celebrations in the Bangladesh dressing room in Colombo went a little down the wrong direction•Andrew Fernando/ESPNcricinfo

Aggressive bodily contact, shoving, agitated yelling, pointed fingers and a shattered dressing room door, all marred the finish and the immediate aftermath of the Nidahas Trophy match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.The shattered door was likely the doing of somebody inside the Bangladesh dressing room. An outward-facing camera caught a number of Bangladesh players racing down the steps in front of their dressing room as bits of glass were strewn on the stairs, the door probably having been shattered in those moments. Match Referee Chris Broad has seen the footage and spoken to some of the catering staff who have named the player they believe to be responsible, but Broad had suggested that those statements could not necessarily be taken as fact for the purposes of his work, and has asked for footage from the outside looking in. Bangladesh’s team management is understood to have offered to pay for the damage.The shoving – or one instance of it, at least – was by a Sri Lanka player on a Bangladesh substitute. The substitute had been on the field to deliver drinks immediately after the umpires had refused to award a no-ball when Isuru Udana delivered a second short-pitched delivery in the over. While batsman Mahmudullah was making an agitated case to the umpires, the substitute had become involved in a tense exchange with Sri Lanka players elsewhere on the field. He was pushed – not particularly hard, but not lightly either – as a group of Sri Lanka fielders followed him closely towards the boundary.Nurul Hasan and Thisara Perera were involved in a heated exchange•AFP

The shove, as well as the umpire’s refusal to award a no-ball, then tipped Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan into a fury. Shakib, along with several team-mates, immediately rushed to the edge of the boundary, where he entered into a heated exchange with reserve umpire Lyndon Hannibal. He then beckoned Mahmudullah and Rubel Hossain off the field, only the batsmen appeared very reluctant to follow those instructions, and ambled half-heartedly towards the boundary as many of the Sri Lanka fielders took their places. Eventually, Shakib relented and play was allowed to resume after the fracas had eaten up several minutes.After the winning runs were hit, the Bangladesh team charged the field, to enter into euphoric celebrations, but more vitriol was exchanged as the teams were walking out. This time it was Kusal Mendis – generally a composed and easy-going player – that was furiously pointing and yelling at someone in the Bangladesh group. Some senior Bangladesh players and interim coach Courtney Walsh were seen trying to calm tensions. Tamim Iqbal was gently restraining Mendis, and later put a friendly arm around his shoulder as the two exited the field. Mahmudullah was also seen taking an agitated Nurul Hasan – a substitute player – away from the crowd, to lecture him.After the match both sides were keen to play down the incident, but Shakib did confirm that it was the missed no-ball call that triggered Bangladesh’s indignation. He believed that one of the on-field umpires had initially called a no-ball when Udana delivered the second bouncer of the over, but had then reversed his decision. Throughout the tournament, all umpires have been Sri Lankans.”I don’t want to talk about it, but what happened was that the square-leg umpire called a no-ball and after a discussion they cancelled it,” Shakib said. “I didn’t think it was the right decision. I don’t know what happened after the first ball, which was a bouncer. But after the second ball, the umpire called a no-ball. We are all human, we should take it in the chin and move forward.There was also an admission that perhaps players, including himself, had allowed their emotions to get the better of them at the game’s denouement. “Many things happened that shouldn’t have happened. I need to remain calm. I was overjoyed. Excitement was there. I must know how to react next time. I will be careful.”What happens in the field should never spill over off the field. To be honest, we are all good friends. We see each other in the Bangladesh Premier League and Dhaka Premier League. The two boards have great relations. We help each other a lot. Just like I would want my team to win at all cost, they would have the same feeling. I am sure that both teams will never let it go off the field.”The ICC is yet to officially comment on the incidents, but is expected to do so on Saturday. The Nidahas Trophy final will be contested by Bangladesh and India on Sunday.

Everton manager David Moyes has now personally requested the signing of an “excellent” midfielder this summer, according to a journalist.

Toffees in need of summer rebuild

There has been a major improvement in performances since Moyes returned to Goodison Park, and the manager has achieved his main aim of avoiding relegation from the Premier League ahead of the move to Bramley-Moore Dock this summer.

However, the Toffees have made a habit of drawing far too many games, meaning they have now won just one of their last ten matches, most recently slipping up against already-relegated Ipswich Town in the penultimate match at Goodison Park.

Moyes’ side raced into a two-goal lead against the Tractor Boys, but the visitors fought back to earn a point on the road, which underlined the need to bring in new reinforcements in the summer transfer window.

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Targets have been identified in several key areas, including striker, with the Merseysiders now leading the race for Jamie Vardy, while the Friedkin Group are also ready to back Moyes by making a move for Sheffield United midfielder Gustavo Hamer.

Everton are interested in bringing in a new midfielder from elsewhere, but they also need to secure the future of Carlos Alcaraz, who has shown some promising signs since arriving on loan from Flamengo back in January.

According to journalist Bruno Lemos (via Sport Witness), Moyes has now personally requested for the Friedkin Group to sign Alcaraz on a permanent basis this summer, regardless of whether the mandatory clause to sign the midfielder for €18m (£15m) is triggered.

There are conflicting reports as to how many games Alcaraz will have to feature in for the Toffees to be obligated to sign him permanently, but Moyes wants a deal done either way, having seemingly been left by his performances in the second half of the campaign.

"Excellent" Alcaraz has earned permanent move

Upon arrival at Goodison Park, the 22-year-old was described as an “excellent ball carrier who can add real quality to our attack” by sporting director Kevin Thelwell, and he has since gone on to put in some impressive performances for Moyes’ side.

The attacking midfielder has featured 13 times in the Premier League, picking up one goal and two assists, most recently setting up Beto’s opening goal in the 2-2 draw against Ipswich at the weekend.

Not only does the Argentine contribute going forward, but he is also more than willing to pitch in defensively, ranking highly across some key defensive metrics over the past year, when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers.

Statistic

Average per 90

Tackles

1.60 (80th percentile)

Interceptions

0.99 (99th percentile)

Clearances

1.35 (95th percentile)

Alcaraz has proven he is well worth snapping up on a permanent basis this summer, so it is no surprise that Moyes has made it clear he wants club chiefs to get a deal over the line.

Carlos Corberan will want his West Brom players to put the dramatic defeat they suffered at the hands of Leicester City last game immediately to one side, the Baggies yearning for three points to come their way against a now managerless Sunderland side this Saturday to bounce back.

The Baggies boss will be forced into using his full squad for the game against the Black Cats in a less-than-ideal situation, trusted first team winger Matt Phillips is definitely ruled out for the game at the weekend owing to a long-term injury whilst Jed Wallace's availability remains up in the air.

On top of that, Corberan will also be without defensive midfielder Okay Yokuslu for the clash at the Stadium of Light – West Brom's Turkish titan picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against Leicester, meaning he will sit out this away game with a suspension.

This development comes at the worst possible time for the 29-year-old and his team, Yokuslu enjoying a purple patch recently for the Baggies before picking up a frankly needless fifth booking.

Okay Yokuslu's season in numbers

This will be the first time the defensive midfielder has missed a game this season, on the pitch in some capacity in all of West Brom's 19 games so far in the second tier.

The former Trabzonspor's man absence will be felt, Yokuslu particularly impressive last month in tricky games against Southampton and Ipswich Town in his holding role in the starting eleven.

His role in the Ipswich win went under the radar, but he was crucial throughout the statement 2-0 win for Corberan's side – winning six of his seven duels in the game, as per Sofascore.

Yokuslu could have even added a rare goal to his Baggies account against Kieran McKenna's men, hitting his only effort wide in a contest that saw West Brom dominate.

The win was secured courtesy of their no-nonsense presence standing strong up against Ipswich's flair players, the sort of presence that would be perfectly suited to the game against Sunderland when challenged with keeping tabs on skilful opposition players such as Dan Neil and Jack Clarke.

Jayson Molumby will more than likely come into the side to replace the suspended Yokuslu, however, hopeful of stepping up to the mark after an uninspiring season to date had seen him frozen out of Corberan's first-team plans.

Jayson Molumby's season in numbers

Once referred to by his manager as an "animal" in the centre of the park when performing at his best for the Baggies, the 24-year-old will be keen to offer energy and creativity alongside aggression from midfield against the Black Cats.

He'll definitely be wanting to perform to a better standard than he did when he was substituted on against the Foxes, West Brom's number eight winning just one of his four duels from a forgettable 15 minutes on the Hawthorns turf.

The Republic of Ireland senior international will instead want to tap into his excellent displays from earlier in the season and perform to that level again versus the Black Cats, Molumby starring in midfield against Millwall all the way back in August in what was the first home game of the campaign.

Molumby was measured and controlled in the middle of the pitch, only misplacing three passes all game in the otherwise drab 0-0 stalemate.

The Irishman will just hope he does enough against Sunderland to give Corberan a mini-selection dilemma when Yokuslu is free to be selected again, Molumby was one of the first names on the team sheet last season whilst this campaign he's faded to a position on the substitutes' bench.

Perhaps Saturday's crunch clash could be a rare opportunity for the 5 foot 9 gem to grasp.

Tottenham Hotspur had enjoyed a tremendous start to life under Ange Postecoglou and had established themselves as Premier League table-toppers after ten matches.

It was an unforeseen rise; while the craggy-faced Australian's appointment was viewed as rational – his tactical vision and approach aligned with the club's DNA, and won chairman Daniel Levy over despite interest in coaches such as Julian Nagelsmann – few expected him to blitz into early title contention.

Spurs had fallen by the wayside last season and finished eighth, but Postecoglou instilled belief and implemented his playing style swiftly, and the results were there for all to see.

But a triad of recent league defeats has exposed the frailty and thinness of Spurs' squad, and the January transfer window must be used to land some impactful additions.

Tottenham transfer news – Jota

According to The Times, Tottenham are 'stepping up' their interest in signing Al-Ittihad's Jota in a loan deal in January, with the Portuguese winger's playing time in Saudi Arabia severely hindered by a league limit on the number of foreign players eligible for inclusion in the matchday squad.

While Postecoglou's priority is the defence, injuries to Manor Solomon and Richarlison have made the proposition of signing the loan-listed 24-year-old enticing.

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Jota starred under Postecoglou's wing at Celtic before completing a £25m transfer to the Saudi Pro League in July, though he was linked to Tottenham prior and could now make the move, replacing Bryan Gil on the flanks.

Bryan Gil's Tottenham statistics

Gil arrived with such promise. Leaving his Spanish homeland to join Tottenham in a £22m deal from Sevilla in 2021, this mercurial winger was touted for big things.

ESPN's David Cartlidge had dubbed him a "potential star in the making", and there was – is – so much to like; electric pace, deft dribbling and comparisons to Manchester City's Jack Grealish.

But he's failed to get going and yields just two assists and a grand total of zero goals from 34 Tottenham appearances, joining Valencia in a loan move in January 2022 and only returning to the pack this summer.

With Tottenham's mountainous pile of injuries calling for heavy rotation, Gil started during the recent loss against Aston Villa and did actually play well, completing 3/4 dribbles and making one key pass, as per Sofascore, but he boasts not the physicality nor the confidence to star for Postecoglou at present, and Jota should be brought in to take a starring role.

The statistics that show why Tottenham should sign Jota

Jota has not enjoyed the start to life in the Saudi Pro League that he would have hoped for, playing just five times, scoring one goal and not earning a single start – his last appearance came in September.

It's proved to be a waste of everyone's time, and given that Jota reportedly earns £200k-per-week it has not been a prudent business venture, especially after such a prolific 2022/23 campaign with Celtic, where he plundered 15 goals and 12 assists across all competitions, even scoring against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

The 5 foot 8 dynamo was absolutely incredible in the Scottish Premiership, clinching 11 goals and assists apiece, also creating 13 big chances and completing 80% of his passes, praised for his “perfect” technical skills by journalist Josh Bunting.

While the Premier League would be a step up, Postecoglou knows Jota's skill set well and could slot him right into the system, with his past exploits highlighting his cutting edge; he has even been described as a "genius" by pundit Ally McCoist.

If the Lilywhites can successfully manufacture a loan deal, a big upgrade on Gil could be secured while not precluding winter investment on the backline, which, all in all, makes for a fantastic window for Postecoglou as he looks to steer his side back on track after such a stellar start.

Leeds United are set to be gifted the chance to sign a "superb" player who they wanted to snap up in the summer transfer window, according to a new report.

Leeds transfer news

The Whites were relegated from the Premier League to the Championship last season, in what was a hugely disappointing setback after three years in the top flight. Unsurprisingly, plenty of big earners left the club, including playmakers Rodrigo and Jack Harrison, albeit the latter is only on loan as things stand, and it was vital for new faces to come in.

Leeds made sure that that happened, with several good signings made, including Joel Piroe arriving from Swansea City and Ethan Ampadu joining from Chelsea, and they are sitting nicely in third place in the Championship currently.

There were a number of players who the Whites also ultimately missed out on during the summer, one of wich being Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Nadiem Amiri, who was all set to join Leeds but rejected the move at the last second.

Nadiem Amiri wants to leave Leverkusen

According to a new update from Kicker [via Sport Witness], Amiri now wants to leave Leverkusen and could join Leeds, with the 27-year-old pushing for a move away from his current club.

The report states that he is "aiming for a move" in the January transfer window, six months before his current Leverkusen deal expires, as he makes a "new attempt" to leave rather than let his deal run down. The Bundesliga side are happy to let him move on if a "reasonable offer" is made, with manager Xabi Alonso not seeing him as an important part of his plans.

Leeds were desperate to sign Amiri for a reason back in the summer, so the opportunity to get him in January is something the club should jump at. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has described Amiri as "superb" in the past, at a time when his stock continued to rise, and he has contributed positively for Leverusen overall despite falling a little out of favour this season.

Amiri's stats for his the Bundesliga club outline this, with 32 goal contributions (12 goals and 20 assists) coming his way in 140 appearances in total, not to mention winning five caps for Germany, which is no mean feat when you consider some of the quality they have in their squad.

Passing

Aerial duels

Dribbling

Finishing

Through balls

Tackling

While this update doesn't specifically mention that Leeds have shown fresh interest in the attacking midfielder, it would be a surprise if they didn't come back in for him in January, considering the level of intrigue they have shown in him in the past.

Amiri could be a perfect man to come in and add an extra bit of attacking quality to Daniel Farke's squad, at which point the Whites will still hopefully be in the automatic promotion race, using his experience and class to help Leeds get over the finish line and make a swift return to the Premier League.

There is sure to be interest from others, but the Whites remain a big club who could offer him good wages, not to mention the chance of playing in the Premier League in 2024/25.

Manchester United are starting to slowly climb the Premier League table and one man in particular has impressed in the part he has played under Erik ten Hag across recent weeks.

Man Utd summer signings…

In the summer, much excitement engulfed Old Trafford as Manchester United and Ten Hag got to work in the transfer market, bringing in some high-profile signings such as Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana and Sofyan Amrabat, among others, in a period that saw the Red Devils spend just under £180 million on incomings.

Man Utd's summer signings

Player

Previous club

Fee

Rasmus Hojlund

Atalanta

£72 million

Jonny Evans

Leicester City

Free transfer

Andre Onana

Inter Milan

£47.2 million

Mason Mount

Chelsea

£60 million

Sergio Reguilon

Tottenham Hotspur

Loan

Sofyan Amrabat

Fiorentina

Loan

Altay Bayindir

Fenerbache

£4.3 million

Following their EFL Cup triumph and top-four finish last term, there was optimism that the Red Devils could get closer to the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal at the top end of the Premier League standings; however, that hasn't quite transpired the way many would've hoped so far. Nine games have passed so far in the English top flight and United have only just started to get themselves off the canvas after losing three of their five opening Premier League fixtures. They now sit eighth in the division, eight points behind league leaders Tottenham Hotspur.

Nevertheless, back-to-back wins over Brentford and Sheffield United, despite having to field a side representative of a squad decimated by injuries at Man Utd, have given the Red Devils some crucial momentum to build on coming into a congested run of games.

One man who has enjoyed a bright start to his career at Old Trafford is Denmark international Hojlund. Brought in from Atalanta, Hojlund has notched three goals in his opening nine appearances for the club, with all of his strikes coming in the Champions League (Hojlund statistics – Transfermarkt).

Man Utd; Rasmus Hojlund latest

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed an Man Utd update on Hojlund and how his start is viewed within the walls of Old Trafford, detailing that the Red Devils are pleased by his progress and excited by his "incredible potential". Speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano said:

"They are very, very happy. They believe that they signed an important player for the present and also the future. They know very well – and we also know here in Italy because we saw him at Atalanta – that this boy has incredible potential. He needs to play, but he also needs to improve and fight, so it will take time. But the potential is really, really important."

Despite having yet to break his duck in the Premier League, the signs have been there for Hojlund, evidenced by the fact that he has averaged around 1.8 shots per outing for Manchester United (Hojlund statistics – WhoScored).

Hojlund appears to have a considerable amount of potential and may continue to learn the ropes over the course of 2023/24 with regular game time, which Manchester United fans will hope can help him find the back of the net regularly in the English top flight.

Can Lauderhill’s strong expatriate numbers inspire a turnaround for the visiting team?

The Preview by Mohammad Isam04-Aug-2018Big PictureWest Indies will go into the second T20I in Fort Lauderdale armed with the confidence that their big hitters and aggressive bowlers are firing in tandem, presenting a challenge even greater for a Bangladesh side that hasn’t been able to sustain its success for any measurable period through this tour.As always, much of Bangladesh’s hopes would fall on their four senior batsmen, but there’s a lot more that the likes of Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar and Ariful Haque can bring to the table. Soumya, despite being thrown multiple lifelines, has failed to find a way out his wretched form, while Liton needs to capitalise on impressive starts and push on to producing something more substantial. Ariful is still young at the international level, but expectations from newcomers have never been higher in the Bangladesh set-up.The bowling load will be shared between Rubel Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman, who both are usually required to bowl at critical phases in T20s, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan providing support. Nazmul Islam, who debuted earlier this year, needs to adapt quickly if he is to survive in this spin attack.West Indies, the world champions, have very little to worry about. Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul and Kesrick Williams complemented each other, taking eight wickets together, before Andre Russell, returning from injury, Marlon Samuels and Rovman Powell upended the chase in a six-heavy onslaught in the last game. If those signs weren’t worrying enough for Bangladesh, they are compounded by West Indies’ superlative record at this venue: they are yet to lose a match in Lauderhill, have three of the four highest totals at this ground, and have bowled out the opposition twice in three completed games. Ominous?Perhaps the one factor that could come to Bangladesh’s aid is the crowd in Lauderhill; the local population has a strong subcontinental presence. The expatriates have already turned up in droves in South Florida for the double-header, meaning that Bangladesh’s first international match in the USA will likely have the feeling of a home game.Form guideWest Indies: WWLLL (last five completed games, most recent first)
Bangladesh: LLLLLIn the spotlightAshley Nurse took two wickets in the first over of the previous match, and yet never returned to bowl. That was partly down to his lack of wickets in the ODI series that preceded this, and Nurse would be keen to get the numbers back on his side, once again demonstrating the control he can bring while also breaking through.Liton Das has scored at a rate over 128 in nine T20Is this year, but that strike rate is hardly enough to cover up an average of 18. He doesn’t have a single half-century despite batting in the top three. It’s time for the promise to translate into performance.Team newsBarring last-minute injuries, West Indies are unlikely to make changes to their XI.West Indies (probable): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Andre Fletcher, 3 Andre Russell, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Carlos Brathwaite (capt), 8 Keemo Paul, 9 Ashley Nurse, 10 Samuel Badree, 11 Kesrick WilliamsSoumya Sarkar has been in miserable form in domestic cricket, and his inclusion in the squad was only as a result of the management’s plea. He would undoubtedly be under the scanner, with Mosaddek Hossain being the prime candidate to replace him.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Liton Das, 2 Tamim Iqbal, 3 Soumya Sarkar, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Ariful Haque, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Mustafizur Rahman, 10 Nazmul Islam, 11 Rubel HossainPitch and conditionsThe last completed game in Lauderhill produced a run-glut, with West Indies and India totaling 489 runs and both innings producing a century.The weather has been quite warm, but it is likely to remain clear for both matches.Stats and trivia Bangladesh have now lost five or more T20Is in a row for the sixth time Tamim Iqbal is 65 runs away from aggregating 1,000 runs across international formats this year

West Indies fast bowler Jerome Taylor has signed for Somerset for the rest of the Vitality Blast. He is expected to be available for nine South Group games, as well as the knockout stage if Somerset qualify.Taylor was a member of the West Indies squad that lifted the 2016 World T20, and played his most-recent T20I in January. He has previously appeared in county cricket for Sussex and Leicestershire.”We are delighted to have secured such a high-quality player for the business end of the Vitality Blast,” Somerset’s director of cricket, Andy Hurry, said. “He brings with him a wealth of international T20 experience and is a player who can really impact games with the ball, both with the new ball and especially at the end of an innings.”Taylor is set to debut in next Friday’s game against Surrey at The Oval. Once one of West Indies’ fastest bowlers, he claimed 5 for 11 as England were bowled out for 51 in Jamaica nine years ago and has played more than 150 times for his country across all formats. In T20, he has taken 104 wickets in 89 games, with an economy of 8.12.”I’m really excited to be joining Somerset for the Vitality Blast,” Taylor said. “It’s a real honour to join such a prestigious club and I hope that I can help bring my experience to what looks like a really exciting group of young players.”

Welcome to our new rolling report. This page will keep you up to date throughout the match, with updates from our team at the ground, stats and graphics, end-of-session reports, and more (if you don’t see the blog immediately, please hit refresh). But don’t worry, you can still follow traditional ball-by-ball commentary as well

Batting first is the way to go at the Adelaide Oval but the opening exchanges at the venue can be more influential on the outcome of a Test than almost anywhere else in the world

Daniel Brettig22-Jan-2012For about 60 minutes on the first morning of every Test match at the Adelaide Oval, a famously benign pitch starts its life with delusions of a green-top. Like a teenager experimenting with wilder things before settling into sensible adulthood, the surface is briefly open to the suggestions of the fast bowlers, and far less agreeable to batsmen raised on the assumption that Adelaide is a place for harvesting runs, not edging catches.As the crowd files onto the Scoreboard hill and the members settle in their seats on the western side, the surface retains the merest trace of freshness left by the thoughtful ground staff, allowing the ball to briefly swing and seam. The pace and bounce off the pitch is more pronounced than at any other stage of the match. Given how placid the track can become for batsmen later on, once the dry heat of South Australia’s desert climate has had its way with the remaining moisture, Adelaide’s opening exchanges can be more influential on the final outcome of a Test than almost anywhere else in the world – ground lost in that first hour is seldom regathered without great, and sometimes futile effort.Michael Hussey has experienced the oval’s early life as an opening batsman for Western Australia, and also been called on to repair the damage it can cause from his berth in Australia’s middle order. He agrees that in Adelaide, an early stumble when the seam stands up can take days to recover from, if it is at all.”Yes I think so [the first hour is more important in Adelaide],” Hussey said. “It certainly does do a little bit in the first morning, maybe the first session, and then generally can be a very good batting pitch for a few days, so it is very important and England certainly exposed us in that respect. We started with a run-out but after that they got other quick wickets which put us under enormous pressure and stopped us getting to a good first-innings total. So it’s certainly a crucial time in the game, if the openers can get through that then good runs can be had. It’s a very crucial part of the game. I think any Test match, the first hour or the first session can shape how the match is going to go as well.”As Hussey recalled, Australia were reminded of this state of things in graphic fashion last summer, when it was possible to conclude that the second Test was lost to England inside the first 13 balls of its commencement. In that time the hosts lost 3 for 2, Simon Katich’s run-out followed by fretful edges into the slips by Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke at the hands of the artful fast man Jimmy Anderson. Both Ponting and Clarke pushed out firmly at deliveries that left them late, and would later stand solemnly in the field as nary another ball did quite as much for the rest of the match.Ponting knew the importance of the first few overs of an Adelaide Test, having played so many, and at the toss before had observed: “Like Indian conditions sometimes a lot can happen late in the games here, so you have to make sure you play really well at the start of the game and keep yourself in the contest right up until the end.” Australia’s failure to do so after Ponting had given them first use of the pitch would haunt them for the remainder of the series, and now serves as a reminder of how important it is to be vigilant at the start of the Adelaide Test.Initial curve and cut notwithstanding, there remains no question that the team winning the toss in Adelaide must bat. There are Englishmen who still cuss and mutter at the fateful decision made by Bob Willis in 1982-83 to insert Greg Chappell’s Australians upon calling correctly. Needing a victory to regain parity in the series, Willis gambled on a surface that had shown signs of dampness in the lead-up, but watched disconsolately in the field as Chappell crafted a century and the hosts tallied 438 – the platform for an eight-wicket victory. Bowlers may have the narrowest of windows in which to strike, but with the help of decisive footwork and good early judgement the batsmen can settle themselves in for the day, or more.Since Willis, the only other visiting captain to chance bowling first was Mohammad Azharuddin. India’s arrival for the 1992 Test coincided with the first match on a relaid square, which promised to offer a little more help to those delivering the ball after a soporific sequence of six consecutive drawn Tests. Chasing a victory to keep the series alive, Azharuddin fielded, and rejoiced as Kapil Dev, Manoj Prabhakar and a young part-time seamer called Sachin Tendulkar fetched seven cheap wickets between them to rumble out an inattentive Australia for 145. This was a rare occasion on which the reverses of the first day were to be atoned for, as the hosts ground their way back into the contest and ultimately squeaked a 38-run victory.Though the match was sullied by arguments about the respective lbw counts for both sides, and made notable by Allan Border’s refusal to take the field on the final morning after learning that Geoff Marsh was to be dropped for the final Test, it was the start of a far more enticing run of results. Since then only three of 20 Adelaide Tests have been drawn, and on each occasion the offer of first morning assistance has provided a critical element to the ensuing drama. Whoever bats first in Adelaide on Tuesday will have reason to be watchful, and whoever bowls will have cause to be hopeful … for about an hour.