The India captain suffered a blow to his left hand while fielding. Chahar has a stiff hamstring and Sen a stiff back

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-20221:16

Dravid: Not sure if Rohit will come back for the Test series

Rohit Sharma, Deepak Chahar and Kuldeep Sen have been ruled out of the third ODI against Bangladesh because of their respective injuries. Rohit suffered a blow to his left thumb while fielding in the slips during the second ODI. He came out to bat at No. 9, with stitches on his hand, but is a doubt for the Test series as well, which begins on December 14 and is part of the World Test Championship.Chahar hurt his hamstring and could bowl only three overs, while Sen sat out of the match with a stiff back.”Kuldeep, Deepak and Rohit will certainly miss the next game,” India’s head coach Rahul Dravid said after the game. “Kuldeep and Deepak are out of the series, Rohit as well will certainly miss the next game, fly back to Bombay, consult with an expert and see how it is and whether he can come back for the Test matches or not, I’m not sure. It’s too soon to say that. But all three of them won’t play the next game for sure.””It [the thumb] is not too great,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation*. “There was a bit of dislocation on the finger and some stitches. Luckily, it’s not a fracture and so that’s a good thing, that’s a positive, which is why I could come out and bat.”Rohit was fielding at second slip in the second over, bowled by Mohammed Siraj, when Bangladesh opener Anamul Haque edged behind. Rohit could not hold on as the ball dipped on him, even though he got both hands to it. The ball hit his thumb, and he walked off the field immediately for treatment, and was sent for scans soon after.He didn’t come out for the rest of the Bangladesh innings, with vice-captain KL Rahul leading the side in his absence.Rohit did not open the innings either, as Virat Kohli moved up a spot to partner Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order. He eventually walked in at No. 9, with India needing 65 to win from 44 balls. He and Chahar, who came in at No. 8 but didn’t look 100%, added six off 15 deliveries for the eighth wicket before Ebadot Hossain removed Chahar.Rohit, though, kept attacking and finding boundaries to bring the equation down to 12 needed off three balls, and then six off the final delivery. But Mustafizur Rahman nailed the yorker to seal the match and the series for Bangladesh. Rohit finished on 51 not out off 28 balls, which included three fours and five sixes.”It was phenomenal,” Dravid said of the innings. “I think for him to show that level of courage. He had a serious dislocation, he had to go to the hospital to get that set right, stitches in his hand, a couple of injections to go out and bat. Credit to him, he was really determined to go out and have a go and take a chance and it’s amazing how close he got us with that innings, it was an absolutely phenomenal innings by the skipper. Great courage to be able to go out there and give us a chance.”Rohit came back for this ODI series after skipping the white-ball tour of New Zealand, which was right after the T20 World Cup in Australia. This is only the third ODI series he is playing this year of the eight India have played. His last ODI series was in England in July and, with a focus on T20s because of the World Cup, he skipped three games in the West Indies, three in Zimbabwe, three at home against South Africa, and the recent ODIs in New Zealand.Chahar, meanwhile, has had a tough time with injuries this year. First, he tore a quadricep muscle during India’s T20Is against West Indies in February. Then, he picked up a back issue while undergoing rehab for the quad injury at the National Cricket Academy. He missed the IPL that followed and did not play again until India’s tour of Zimbabwe in August. But in October, a stiff back ruled him out of the final two ODIs against South Africa. He was expected to travel to Australia at the end of the series along with other reserve players for the T20 World Cup.

Things just haven’t gone Arsenal’s way this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side finally put an end to their Premier League dip with an emphatic 5-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, and while fans should be delighted with such a display, the mood has once again soured.

Early on in the first half, club poster boy Bukayo Saka came off with what looked like a hamstring injury, and then yesterday afternoon, it was confirmed that he would be out for “many weeks.”

Such an injury threatens to derail the club’s entire campaign, but should they make the right signings in January, they might be able to keep things ticking over, and the good news is that they were linked with the perfect candidate last month.

Saka's form this season

It’s bad enough to lose one of your attackers to injury, but it’s a whole other level when the star you lose is unquestionably the team’s most important player, which is exactly what Saka is for Arsenal.

For example, in his 24 appearances across all competitions so far, the Gunners’ “future legend”, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored nine goals and provided 13 assists, meaning he was averaging a goal involvement every 1.09 games.

Unsurprisingly, this made him both the top scorer and provider of assists in the North Londoners’ squad, with the next best attacker being Kai Havertz with 11 goals and three assists.

In short, trying to replace the Hale End icon is almost an impossible task, but that does not mean the club shouldn’t try, especially when a player they’ve already been linked to this year would do an excellent job at chipping in with goals.

The Premier League star who could solve Arsenal's Saka problem

So, to get straight to the point, the player we are talking about is Brentford’s goalscoring extraordinaire, Bryan Mbeumo.

The good news is that the Gunners were actually linked with the Cameroon international late last month; the bad news is that according to a report from Football Insider in October, the Bees will demand around £60m to sell him in January.

Now, that is undoubtedly an awful lot of money to spend on a player mid-way through a campaign, but given the circumstances and what could be on the line in terms of major honours this season, the club have to spend.

With that said, why would Mbeumo be an excellent stand-in for Saka over the coming weeks and months?

Well, firstly, like the Hale Ender, he is a left-footed attacker who primarily plays off the right, and he has done so with aplomb this season.

Appearances

17

16

Goals

10

5

Assists

2

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.70

0.93

For example, in just 17 league games this year, the 25-year-old “machine,” as dubbed by football producer Michael Johnston, has scored ten goals and provided two assists, which isn’t a million miles off the Englishman’s five goals and ten assists in 16 league appearances.

Furthermore, the “unstoppable” Avallon-born dynamo, as dubbed by Premier League legend Alan Shearer, isn’t just getting lucky at the moment either, as in just 25 league games last season he racked up a haul of 15 goals and assists for a team that struggled as well.

Lastly, while the exciting goalscorer would be brilliant cover for the next couple of months, he’s also good enough to compete with the Gunners’ number seven when he’s fit again, and he has the positional versatility to challenge whoever’s off the left and down the middle to boot.

Ultimately, apart from the likes of Lamine Yamal and Mohamed Salah, there might not be another winger in world football who could replace Saka at this point in time, but Arsenal have to try.

Therefore, of all the options possibly open to them next month, signing the free-scoring Mbeumo from Brentford seems like the best.

Arsenal target incredible £115m "nightmare" who's a bit like Mbappe & Kane

The sensational striker would supercharge Arsenal’s attack.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 20, 2024

Tottenham Hotspur are chasing a “top defender” for the January transfer window with his price tag now expected to drop, as Ange Postecoglou’s side seek to bring in a quality left-sided alternative to star man Micky van de Ven.

Postecoglou shares van de Ven and Romero update out of Tottenham

Spurs face Man United in an all-important Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this evening, with Postecoglou looking to make good on his promise and deliver Lilywhites silverware for the first time since 2008.

Club chief confirms he wants to open talks for "fantastic" Tottenham player

He’s “sent a first document” asking Spurs if they wish to negotiate.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 18, 2024

Ruben Amorim’s side head into the contest on a run of better form, having also just won the Manchester Derby with a dramatic 2-1 victory at Man City, but Spurs’ tails will also be up after they thrashed Southampton 5-0 at St. Mary’s Stadium on Sunday.

Postecoglou has endured a rough ride in terms of injuries and suspensions lately, with Guglielmo Vicario, Ben Davies, Richarlison, Wilson Odobert, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero and van de Ven all sidelined, while Rodrigo Bentancur continues to serve his domestic ban (Premier Injuries).

Tottenham’s next five Premier League games

Liverpool (Home)

Nottingham Forest (Away)

Wolves (Home)

Newcastle United (Home)

Arsenal (Away)

Fortunately for Tottenham, despite his mixed form, it will be a boost having Yves Bissouma back in contention to play United tonight. The Mali international has served his own suspension for picking up five yellow cards, and he’s now available for selection.

Spurs will be desperate to have star central defensive duo van de Ven and Romero back at the earliest opportunity, after both players succumbing to fresh injury setbacks in their 4-3 defeat at home to Chelsea, but Postecoglou says they won’t be back until 2025.

“(Micky) Van de Ven and (Cristian) Romero are still chugging along,” said Postecoglou on van de Ven and Romero.

“I think both will be in the new year. Not as a significant injury as last time with Micky, but obviously having a setback the medical team is going to make sure he is right to go. So both of them in the new year at some point.”

Postecoglou has been forced to utilise teenage summer signing Archie Gray as a makeshift centre-half, with Radu Dragusin being their only fit, natural senior central defensive option right now.

This has prompted reports that Tottenham are planning to sign a new centre-back in January, and there have even been suggestions that Getafe defender Omar Alderete is in talks to join Spurs next month.

Tottenham want to sign Feyenoord defender David Hancko after price drop

According to The Boot Room, the north Londoners are after a new defensive ace who can come in and play as a back-up to van de Ven – leading to their serious interest in Feyenoord star David Hancko.

Tottenham are eyeing a January move for Hancko, with his £35 million price tag from the summer also expected to drop.

The 48-cap Slovakia international, who played against England at Euro 2024, dazzled under Liverpool manager Arne Slot at Feyenoord – completing more passes than any other player in the Eredivisie last season (The Athletic).

He was and is a crucial part of their spine, consistently transitioning the play from defence to attack, with Hancko tallying more progressive carries out from the back than any other Dutch top-flight star in 2023/2024 (The Athletic).

“He is so stable and can basically do anything. I just think he is a top defender all-round,” said ex-Feyenoord defender Tim de Cler to SoccerNews.

“I think he can easily handle a club just below the top six in Europe. Then I’m talking about a club like Atlético Madrid or Liverpool. He can certainly handle that.”

Video plays from the three-match Test series between Sri Lanka and India

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2015The goodbye
In a way this series was all about Kumar Sangakkara and his farewell. Fittingly, in his last Test, the umpires and the Indian players joined together to give him a guard of honour.The pitch invasion
On the third day of the first Test in Galle, just as Dinesh Chandimal and Jehan Mubarak were building Sri Lanka’s lead, an unexpected long-tailed visitor showed up on the field of play.Record-breaking hands
Ajinkya Rahane started the three-match series in style on the field, claiming eight catches in Galle, setting a world record in the process. Five fielders had previously taken seven catches in a Test.Sangakkara conquered
Sangakkara, in his last series, would have been hopeful of at least one big score but R Ashwin had different ideas. Ashwin took Sangakkara’s edge in his final innings to have him out for the fourth time in four innings.A case of déjà vu
Learning from previous dismissals in Test cricket is imperative to a batsman’s growth but some of the Indian batsmen failed in that regard in the third Test. As many as four batsmen had an uncanny similarity between their first and second-innings dismissals.Incensed Ishant
Ishant Sharma might have been on fire with the ball, but that fire extended to the way he interacted with the Sri Lankans too. Did he go too far? The match referee certainly thought so and handed him a one-match ban.Mishra gets a lift from Rahane
Following India’s memorable 2-1 series win, Rahane and Naman Ojha decided to have some fun with Amit Mishra during a television interview…

وجّه لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، رسالة مؤثرة لجماهير القلعة الحمراء، بعد اقتراب رحيله إلى صفوف سيراميكا كليوباترا خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.

ومن المقرر أن يدخل الأهلي معسكرًا في تونس يوم 18 من يوليو الجاري، استعدادًا لمنافسات الموسم الجديد، وسيخوض المارد الأحمر 3 مباريات ودية خلاله.

وكتب كريم الدبيس عبر حسابه الرسمي على موقع “إنستجرام”: “شكرًا من القلب لجمهور الأهلي العظيم على كل الحب والمساندة.. كنت فخور بوجودي وسطكم وأنا واحد منكم وأهلاوي طول عمري، وأتمنى دعمكم يستمر ليا في اللي جاي، ولنا عودة في القريب العاجل بإذن الله”.

طالع أيضًا | خالد عبد الفتاح عن رحيله من الأهلي: “الدكة وحشة”.. وزيزو لاعب كتوم

وجاءت رسالة الوداع بعدما توصل اللاعب لاتفاق نهائي مع نادي سيراميكا كليوباترا، عقب جلسة عقدها مع مسؤولي النادي خلال الساعات القليلة الماضية، تمهيدًا لإعلان الصفقة بشكل رسمي.

وكان كريم الدبيس قد انضم إلى الأهلي في صيف عام 2022 قادمًا من وادي دجلة، ونجح في التتويج مع الفريق بعدة بطولات محلية وقارية، أبرزها 3 ألقاب للدوري الممتاز، ولقب دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

The last 20 years have not been particularly prosperous for Tottenham Hotspur in a trophy sense, but their fans have been blessed with some of the best footballers in the Premier League.

The likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min became one of the most dangerous attacking duos in the league’s history, while the eternally underrated Mousa Dembélé bossed midfield up and down the country, and the defensive partnership of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld looked unbeatable at times.

However, when it comes to out-and-out star power and the ability to get fans off their feet at any moment, one Spurs star stands above all others in the last 15 years: Gareth Bale.

So, when another up-and-coming attacker was compared to him in late 2013, there was understandable excitement, although to say that comparison has since been proven wrong would be a colossal understatement.

Gareth Bale's Spurs career

In May 2007, Spurs paid around £10m for an incredibly exciting 17-year-old by the name of Bale, who was still primarily seen as a full-back at the time.

The Cardiff-born teenager made a decent start to life with the Lilywhites, scoring three goals and providing one assist in 12 winless appearances, but a torn ankle ligament put an end to his season in December, and when he returned, things weren’t so easy.

The goal involvements dried up, and it took until his 25th appearance for him to be on the winning side, which had led to some in the game, including Alex Ferguson, labelling him a bad luck charm.

Fortunately, things did start to improve for the 6 foot 1 magician, and following a decision from Harry Redknapp to move him to the wing, he took off.

Overall, the Welsh icon scored 71 goals and provided 53 assists in 237 appearances for Spurs, equating to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.91 games.

Bale’s Spurs record
Appearances	237
Goals	71
Assists	53
Goal Involvements per Match	0.52
All Stats via Transfermarkt

However, it was in his final campaign, in 12/13, that he cemented himself as a world-class talent.

In just 44 appearances that season, the Lilywhites’ talisman scored 26 goals and provided ten assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.22 games, which helps to explain why Real Madrid paid a world record £85m for his services that August.

Bale was undoubtedly one of the best Tottenham players of the 21st century, so when an exciting youngster was compared to him just a couple of months after he left, there was more than a little bit of excitement.

The Spurs ace who was the next Bale

So, to get straight to the point, the player in question is former England international Andros Townsend.

The 33-year-old was a part of Tottenham’s academy system, and after four years of sporadic appearances and loan moves between 2009 and 2013, he was finally given a proper chance to impress in the first team and, to begin with, things looked incredibly promising.

For example, it was around this time that Roy Hodgson handed the then-22-year-old his first two senior England caps, and then, after a particularly impressive showing away to Aston Villa that included a goal from the winger, Spurs star Vertonghen made the comparison to the Welsh superstar, simply saying “Andros can be our new Gareth Bale.”

Now, while the centre-back might have been trying to encourage his teammate, all he did was hand him an impossible task, as over the following seasons, it became increasingly clear that the “fearless” Leytonstone-born star, as dubbed by former manager Andre Villas-Boas, would never reach that level.

In fact, it didn’t take long before he fell out of the starting lineup, and by the time he was sold to Newcastle United for £12m in January 2016, he had produced just 24 goal involvements for the club in 93 appearances.

The next nine years saw the 13-capped international become a regular starter for Crystal Palace and Everton before making a move to Luton Town as a free agent last season, where his four goal involvements in 27 league games were not enough to prevent the team from being relegated.

However, instead of going down with the Hatters and fighting to get back to the Premier League, Townsend made the surprise decision to join Turkish side Antalyaspor.

Townsend’s senior career
Club	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Crystal Palace	185	16	24
Tottenham Hotspur	93	11	13
Luton Town	32	1	3
Everton	27	7	4
Leyton Orient	26	2	1
Birmingham City	16	0	4
Ipswich Town	16	1	2
Newcastle United	13	4	2
Queens Park Rangers	12	2	2
Millwall	11	2	2
Yeovil Town	10	1	0
MK Dons	9	2	2
Antalyaspor	11	1	0
Leeds United	7	1	1
Watford	3	0	1
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Unfortunately, despite having plenty of top-level experience, the 5-foot-11 attacker is struggling to make an impact with his new side and currently has a single goal to his name in 11 appearances, five of which have come off the bench.

Ultimately, while Townsend was able to make it in the Premier League and can boast a senior career most players would love to have, it would be fair to say that the comparisons to Bale in 2013 were miles off the mark.

Their own Palmer: Ange must rue selling Spurs' "unbelievable" game-changer

The sensational international is tearing it up away from Spurs this season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 7, 2024

England batters re-write Lord’s record books to set up third-day victory push

Valkerie Baynes02-Jun-20231:36

Why England didn’t bat longer vs. Ireland

It had to be six. In England’s new Test era, his double-century just one run away it was only fitting that Ollie Pope passed the milestone with a skip and a heave to dispatch Andy McBrine all the way down the ground. This was Bazball, only it wasn’t – because it didn’t need to be.So as Pope and Ben Duckett etched their names among records and onto the Lord’s honours board, the only takeaways from England’s mismatch with Ireland were ruminations over what will happen against Australia in exactly a fortnight’s time – and a bit of gold leaf.In fairness, there were also a maiden Test wicket – plus two more – for debutant seamer Josh Tongue, forced to wait until Ireland’s second innings after 13 impressive but fruitless overs in the first, as well as a trip to the medical room for opener James McCollum, who twisted his right ankle horribly swivelling on an abandoned pull shot in Tongue’s second over of the day to deepen Ireland’s considerable woes.Related

• Crawley keeps riding the purity of Bazball's high notes

• Is Broad brewing something spectacular ahead of the Ashes?

• England drive home a point on back of Broad five-for

Tongue replaced Stuart Broad – as he did in Ireland’s first innings where Broad claimed a five-wicket haul – in the seventh over and struck with his first and sixth deliveries, trapping PJ Moor lbw with one that kept low and drew an outside edge as Andy Balbirnie played away from his body only to find Jonny Bairstow’s gloves. An England review secured his third when Ultra-Edge revealed the ball had brushed Paul Stirling’s glove as he attempted a pull and Bairstow collected behind the stumps again so that at the close Ireland still trailed by 255 runs.Ben Stokes declared with a lead of 352 when Pope fell, immediately after bringing up his 200 off 207 balls, again shimmying out of his crease as McBrine tossed the ball up outside off stump and Lorcan Tucker whipped off the bails.Having reached his half-century – and 11,000 Test runs – just before tea, Joe Root fell just three balls into the evening session, bowled by McBrine as he came down the pitch to one that turned between bat and pad and into the stumps.Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope cashed in on the second day•PA Photos/Getty Images

It was Duckett who set the tone though, sharing a 252-run stand for the second wicket with Pope after the pair resumed on 60 and 29 respectively and with England 20 runs in arrears overnight. Duckett scored 101 in the morning session as he and Pope added 173 runs from 29 overs.But this wasn’t the muscular, chest-thumping, roaring aggression we have become accustomed to in the year since Stokes assumed the captaincy and Brendon McCullum became head coach. Only occasionally did Duckett and Pope look like they were trying to make things happen. Mostly they cashed in on some loose Ireland bowling as the gulf between the sides was laid bare.Pope saw Duckett’s 182 and raised it. He survived an Ireland review for lbw on 76 when debutant Fionn Hand struck him just above the knee roll with one that came back sharply as ball-tracking showed it was going just over the top of middle stump. Having lunched on 97 not out, Pope comfortably navigated the six balls he faced across two overs after the interval to bring up his ton by advancing and whipping McBrine past mid-on for a single.Duckett helped himself to 14 off three deliveries in McBrine’s next over, including a slog-sweep for six, and it took the replacement of a misshapen ball for Ireland to remove him, trying to cut Graham Hume’s delivery which pitched on a length and angled in to find a thick outside edge and ricochet onto off stump.Fastest Test 150s at Lord’s•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The replacement ball kept Pope and Joe Root on their toes for a time as the Ireland bowlers found more movement. But the England duo settled into a 50-run stand off 49 balls with Root, who faced 15 balls for his first five runs, contributing 16 off 23. From there they found their stride with Pope and Root each peeling a six off McBrine, Pope down the ground and Root wide over mid-on.The first of back-to-back fours off Curtis Campher took Pope past the 150-mark in 166 balls, equalling the previous record for the fastest 150 in Tests at Lord’s held by Sir Donald Bradman and which Duckett had smashed by reaching the milestone at a-run-a-ball in the morning session.Pope also equalled Duckett’s earlier feat of adding 100 runs in a session shortly before tea, but there was still time for Root to bring up his half-century and take England past the 500-mark with a pulled four off Campher. Next ball, a leg-side single left Root unbeaten on 52 at tea.By the time Root fell, he had added 146 runs with Pope and, as England maintained a staggering run-rate of 6.34, it was done with an air that was more clinical than brutal. There is no doubt whatsoever that the hosts will be preparing to unleash the beast once more when the Ashes begin.

For the fifth time in the last year and a half, India had their opponents five down for less than 100 only to let the lower order off the hook

Sharda Ugra at the SSC30-Aug-20152:12

‘Enjoy bowling with new ball’ – Ishant

For all those who love cricket numerology, a special treat. Explain the correlation between these figures: 108, 586; 123, 272; 154.A clue, then: these numbers belong to Wellington, Galle and Colombo. These numbers are from February 2014 onwards. In case you are interested, there are more of their kind going back several years, but this is the most recent lot.These happen to be the number of runs that India have conceded to their opposition’s last five pairs, having had them five down for less than 100. The ESPNcricinfo stats team produced this pearl when Kusal Perera and Rangana Herath were tearing up the Indian bowling after they had reduced Sri Lanka to 47 for 6 and sent Dhammika Prasad back to his dressing room, one ball later, with an injured finger. Prasad was to return later and bat like an axe-murderer.Every opposition will do its damnedest to build partnerships. To concede 150 to the last five when the top five are found searching for collective touch, though, is wasteful.India have ended day three at the SSC with a bowling performance of two halves. The efficient, smooth and ruthless first session and the freeze of the second when faced with Perera and Herath’s in-your-face response. It has meant that what promised to be a juicy lead was pared down to 111; sizeable on a wicket of this tempestuous nature, but by no means safe. The end of day reflected the teetering-tottering Test match in the fact that India have lost three wickets and have their last specialist pair at the crease with the the lead stretched to only 132.At the end of the day’s play Ishant Sharma, who had a bristling, edgy five-for to show for his efforts, was asked what made up a good score to defend. He said that the team was not thinking of targets yet and would only make calls according to what the situation demanded. Then he spoke hopefully, like a bowler, “Maybe you can say whatever we scored in the first innings, maybe 300.” In the light of the game, where wickets have fallen today in a steady Sri Lankan drizzle, a target of 300 is a dream-on kind of number, but maybe Amit Mishra has other ambitions.In the wider context of the team’s performances, India’s allowing lower-order runs to leak should worry the management that has backed playing five specialist batsmen and enough bowlers. In the narrower context of the series, this is the second time this has happened to India; they were blindsided by a Dinesh Chandimal dazzler in Galle, while on Sunday they were dealing with a debutant wicket keeper and a specialist bowler. Mind you, Kusal Perera is now famous in the wider world as the first triple-centurion in Sri Lankan domestic cricket, batting at No. 4. He has also endeared himself to the scatter of a Sunday crowd by taking the Indian bowling to the cleaners in the one way he thought had the best chance of working, aka long handle.In Galle, Sri Lanka had the benefit of two decisions going in their favour; here at the SSC, India had two wickets with decisions that were, at the very least, debatable. What the Indians were presented in Galle was a street-smart, innovative batsman. At the SSC, what they had was a debutant – whom they dropped on 9 – along with a street-smart lower order batsman, but with the experience of Galle and the options available to them.Like turning to Amit Mishra earlier in the piece if only to give Perera a different bowler to deal with after he had heaped his affections on Umesh Yadav. If only to give yourself a chance of re-building pressure after it had been released with some adventurous hitting. Like trying the yorker as an option other than the short balls when they were going to the fence off both edges. Or going for the stumps at the sight of the batsman making room to play.After the day’s play Ishant offered this explanation, saying Perera had nothing to lose. “He was just going after the bowling. If you see, he was hitting the ball even when we were hitting the length. You can’t really do anything about that. What we can do is just keep on – on a wicket like this, you just need to keep on hitting that length and keep on believing that you will get an edge.”He said that Perera got out in exactly the same way, “still slogging the ball. So still you can’t say anything about it, you can’t do anything about it.” In situations like this he said, “what you need to do is like set a field, set a plan and bowl according to that plan so that captain doesn’t look like a fool in the ground. So even if you set a plan like tail is coming, if you are bowling bouncers, keep on bowling bouncers. If you are tired, just tell the captain that you are tired, you can’t bowl anymore. You need to keep things very simple so it will be easy for the captain as well.”The “nothing to lose” argument was made, it must be remembered, for Chandimal too. India’s bowling lines may have been exceptional in the first session in parts, particularly Umesh and his penetration and accuracy, but in the second their equanimity had been unsettled. Early on, Herath and Ishant went into an eyeball-for-eyeball discussion, separated by very little except about 12 inches in height and Ajinkya Rahane’s intervention. After Perera was dimissed following a 79-run stand with Herath, Kohli kicked the ball, swore under his breath (unfortunately, not out of the sight of TV cameras), with the departing batsman and Ishant having words. The general order of the series was eventually restored with Ishant and Herath having a shorter and far more fruitful peace talk than India-Pakistan diplomats can manage these days. Kohli patted Herath on the back when he was the ninth batsman out. The scoreboard said the last three wickets made 74 between them. A day like this leaves a possibility in the air that word may get out that the best way to throw India off any kind of hard-worked and hard-earned disciplined lines or momentum is to go madcap on them.This has been a terrific Test match, though – two completed innings in just over six sessions of play, with a pitch that allows seamers to dictate the course of play and snatches of excellent Test match batting too. The SSC may still have a little bit of madcap left in it.

The January transfer window officially opened for business last week and there have already been plenty of rumours around Celtic’s potential moves, inwards and out.

A return to Parkhead for Kieran Tierney is the most tangible incoming rumour to date, with reports that the club are expected to sign the Scotland international on loan from Arsenal this month, before his contract at The Emirates expires at the end of the season.

The Premier League full-back is not the only player who has been linked with a move to Glasgow before the end of the window, however, as the Hoops are also reportedly keen on Burnley captain Josh Brownhill, who is another star heading into the final months of his deal.

Brendan Rodgers has also been linked with an interest in reuniting with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, whom he worked with at Leicester City, as he has struggled for game time with Chelsea this season.

There could also be movement on the way out of Parkhead as the Celtic boss may look to move players on from the club in order to make room for new signings to come in and bolster the team.

One player who has been touted with an exit from the Scottish Premiership champions before the end of the January transfer window is Luis Palma, who has attracted interest from elsewhere.

Latest on Luis Palma's future

According to a recent report from Honduran outlet Diez, as relayed by The Scottish Sun, Celtic have already rejected two offers from unnamed clubs for the left winger this month.

Transfer Focus

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It was claimed that the Hoops are hoping to keep hold of the Honduras international until the end of the season, despite him having started one of his six league appearances, unless a suitable offer comes in that can change their mind on his short-term future.

The outlet added that the Scottish giants would want to recoup a fee in the region of £3m, which they paid to sign him from Aris in the summer of 2023, to allow him to leave.

Whilst the original report from Diez did not name any of the interested parties, The Scottish Sun mentioned that Genoa, Atlanta United, and Orlando City have interest in a permanent deal for the winger, whilst Rayo Vallecano are hoping to sign him on loan.

It has previously been reported that Celtic would only allow Palma to move on from Parkhead in the January transfer window if they can bring in players in his position, so as not to leave Rodgers short in that area of the pitch heading into the second half of the season.

With this in mind, the Hoops should swoop for one of their reported targets to allow the Northern Irish boss to sanction a transfer for the winger, amid plenty of interest in him, before the end of the window.

Celtic's interest in £8.5m forward

At the start of December, Football Insider reported that Celtic have set their sights on a swoop for versatile Brondby forward Mathias Kvistgaarden in January, as they look to add to their current options at the top end of the pitch.

The report claimed that the Bhoys are keeping tabs on the Danish star’s progress with his current club and are interested in a deal to bring him to Parkhead to bolster Rodgers’ squad ahead of the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.

It was revealed that the Celtic manager wants to add further strength in depth to help insure his team against injuries, with the Premiership, the SFA Cup, and the Champions League still to play for in the months to come.

Football Insider added, though, that the Scottish side are prepared to wait until the end of the season to strike a deal for him if they cannot get a transfer over the line before February’s deadline.

This interest in Kvistgaarden is nothing new, however, as the Hoops were linked with an interest in the Denmark U21 international in the summer transfer window, at which point the youngster was said to be valued at around £8.5m.

Rodgers must, now, push for the board to finally seal a deal to bring the Danish dynamo to Parkhead before the end of this window, because his arrival could allow the manager to sanction an exit for Palma.

Why Celtic should sign Mathias Kvistgaarden

The 22-year-old forward is a versatile attacker who could provide the Celtic manager with another option in all three of his frontline forward roles, as he can play through the middle as a centre-forward or on either flank as a winger.

Interestingly, Kvistgaarden has scored five goals and provided one assist in ten matches as a left winger in his career to date, which suggests that he can provide a strong attacking presence in that role – despite it not being his natural position.

With Daizen Maeda the first-choice on the left flank ahead of Palma, Celtic do not need to sign a guaranteed starter on the left to sanction an exit for the Honduras international.

Signing Kvistgaarden, who could predominantly be used as a centre-forward, would allow the club to move the former Aris ace on this month, because they would then have a quality option who could be utilised in that position if Maeda needs to be dropped or rested.

The Brondby dynamo, who has been described as “absolutely sensational” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has been in fantastic form in the Danish top-flight this season, which suggests that he has the ability to step in and offer Rodgers a quality option through the middle or out wide.

Starts

12

Goals

10

Big chances missed

6

Conversion rate

26%

Assists

4

As you can see in the table above, Kvistgaarden has provided a regular threat at the top end of the pitch with a staggering 14 goals and assists in 12 starts in the Superliga.

Meanwhile, Kyogo Furuhashi has scored eight goals and missed 15 ‘big chances’ in 19 Premiership matches, which suggests that the £8.5m-rated star could come in as an upgrade on the Japanese dud if he can translate his form over to Scottish football.

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Therefore, Kvistgaarden could be a terrific signing for Celtic because he could offer versatility that would allow Rodgers to sanction a sale for Palma and quality that could improve the team in the centre-forward position.

da betcris： Everton are now holding talks to land a new striker for newly returned boss David Moyes as they look to battle relegation from the Premier League, a fresh report has revealed.

David Moyes plans Everton turnaround

da bet7： After the news that Sean Dyche was relieved of his duties in charge of Everton just hours before their FA Cup tie against Peterborough United, David Moyes was quickly re-installed into the Goodison Park hotseat.

The legendary Toffees boss, who managed over 500 games during an 11-year stint on Merseyside between 2002 and 2013, rejoins with the club just a point above the relegation zone, and without a win in their last five games.

Scoring goals has been a major concern for Everton, with only Southampton (12) having managed fewer than their 15 so far this campaign, meaning that despite the Toffees conceding the fifth fewest goals in the division, they remain well in contention to drop out of the Premier League in their final season at Goodison Park.

Fewest goals scored in the Premier League 24/25

Southampton

12

Everton

15

Ipswich Town

20

Crystal Palace

21

Manchester United

23

They are set to enter the transfer window this month, with the reliable David Ornstein explaining:

“There is some money being made available by the new ownership, The Friedkin Group, led by Dan and Ryan Friedkin, but they still have to comply with profitability and sustainability rules. There is some work to do there. I think we could see a couple of new faces come in, certainly on the attacking side, maybe one for the here and now ready to hit the ground running. Maybe one for the future as well.”

And, with the focus on finding a goalscoring striker, it appears that they are ready to loosen the purse strings.

Everton hold talks to sign 11 goal striker this month

Now, Everton are believed to have held talks to sign Leicester City striker Tom Cannon this month, as they face competition from a range of Championship sides for his signature.

That is according to GiveMeSport, who report that the Toffees “have entered the race” to sign the 22-year-old, who has thrived since leaving Everton in 2022 and found the net 11 times on loan at Stoke City in the first half of the campaign.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Jan 15, 2025

It is claimed that “Everton have held talks over making a move for Cannon within the last 24 hours”, amid ongoing speculation over the futures of both Beto and Dominic Calvert-Lewin on Merseyside. During his time with Preston last season, Cannon was hailed as “outstanding” by Hull City boss Liam Rosenior, and there is understood to be significant interest in his signature this winter.

Sheffield United have tabled a bid to sign him, while Sunderland are also keen on landing the free-scoring forward, with the race for his services described by one Sheffield United journalist as a “fluid situation that’s changing rapidly”.

Everton will have to move fast too, with the report suggesting that the Toffees “are facing an uphill battle to come out on top” as sources suggest “he is more likely to seal a switch back to the Championship”.

However, with Everton likely to be able to outspend sides in the division below them, they could yet gain the upper hand in the race for their former academy talent, while his £8,000 a week wages are unlikely to be much of an obstacle for the Toffees either. Would he want to return to his former side?