The former batting star’s role with the state had been announced before the season

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2023Australian ODI great Michael Bevan’s appointment as a coaching consultant for struggling New South Wales is over before it began.The former Blues great revealed he is yet to be brought into the state set-up this season as their winless Sheffield Shield streak extended to 15 with a thumping defeat to Victoria last Sunday.”It was announced pre season that I would be working with @CricketNSW as a batting consultant  – to date, this hasn’t happened,” Bevan posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.Related

Edwards praises work with 'childhood hero' Watson amid early-season surge

Watson and Bevan called in to revive New South Wales

“Given the timing, I feel it is important that the current coaches are afforded every opportunity to stamp their quality and be allowed to guide cricket nsw back to a position of strength within @CricketAus.”Unfortunately this means, this year they won’t be receiving the magical bevo “finishing” methodolgy (sic). Maybe next year.”Cricket NSW trumpeted Bevan’s position in September following the embarrassment of the state’s first winless Sheffield Shield season since 1938-39.New South Wales’ struggles

Victoria, MCG: lost by 205 runs
South Australia, Adelaide Oval: lost by 186 runs
Queensland, Cricket Central: match drawn
South Australia, Karen Rolton Oval: match drawn
Victoria, Albury: lost by 10 wickets
Queensland, Gabba: lost by five wickets
Tasmania, SCG: match drawn
Victoria, Junction Oval: lost by 69 runs
Western Australia, SCG: lost by 133 runs
Tasmania, Hobart: match drawn
South Australia, Wollongong: match drawn
Queensland, Drummoyne Oval: match drawn
Western Australia, WACA: lost by eight wickets
South Australia, Adelaide Oval: lost by five wickets
Western Australia, Bankstown: match drawn

The 53-year-old, and fellow Australia white-ball great Shane Watson, were announced as consultants to coach Greg Shipperd, who himself was rushed into the top job midway through last summer after the axing of Phil Jaques.Bevan was supposed to be acting as a batting coach, while Watson, who has been commentating in India during the World Cup, was given the role of mentoring and mindset coaching for players.In a statement, Cricket NSW said: “Earlier this year, Cricket NSW announced that former great Michael Bevan would begin work as a consultant, working as a batting coach with the NSW Blues squad.”Unfortunately, Cricket NSW and Bevan were unable to come to a timely agreement on commencing work with the Blues. Cricket NSW values and acknowledges the experience and skillset that Michael Bevan can bring and look forward to the potential of working with him in the future.”During a 50-over career for Australia spanning 10 years, Bevan averaged 53.58 – the seventh-highest ODI average in history – across 232 games. He scored 19,147 first-class runs, the majority of them for NSW.

Let us take you back to 2007. Gareth Bale has learned his trade at Southampton and is still effectively a boy. He’s only 17. But here he is, signing for Tottenham Hotspur.

A £10m move at the time didn’t exactly blow Spurs fans away but it was a deal that would change the modern landscape of this football club.

It took a while for that to occur, however. Bale didn’t win any of his first 24 games in Spurs colours. He was a jinx, perhaps even a curse.

However, he managed to turn his career around after a rocky start and is now perhaps only second to Harry Kane in terms of modern icons at White Hart Lane.

When Real Madrid came calling in 2013, lodging an £85m bid, Spurs banked a ridiculous amount of profit but said farewell to one of their greats.

Taking into account the Welshman’s second stint in north London – a loan spell – he featured across 237 games, bagging 71 goals and posting 53 assists.

So, where’s the next Bale coming from? Well, the Lilywhites have a number of top young stars, notably Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Mikey Moore.

Moore is perhaps one of the most exciting.

Mikey Moore's debut campaign in the Spurs first-team

Last summer marked Moore’s emergence in the Spurs first-team. Ange Postecoglou loves him and couldn’t wait to unleash the teenager in the senior game.

He did so for the first time against Manchester City, bringing the 17-year-old from the bench in the last two games of the Premier League campaign.

Moore played a more prominent role during the club’s pre-season preparations, dazzling defenders by scoring against both Hearts and Vissel Kobe while also posting an assist against QPR. It was some start to life as a first-team player.

While the teenager has not been a regular contributor in terms of goals and assists since, failing to find the net in the Premier League but scoring twice in all competitions, he’s still looked incredibly promising.

Injury and illness have stunted Moore’s development across the new year but he’s left not just a lasting impression on fans but also his teammates.

Speaking after their 1-0 win over AZ Alkmaar in November, James Maddison remarked: “From minute 45 to 65 I thought we had Neymar on the left wing. He was brilliant. Just demanding the ball and fearless.”

Still only 17 years of age, the future is certainly bright for the England youth international, named among GOAL.com’s top 50 wonderkids around the globe.

Still, one of the players on that list could be an even bigger talent.

Spurs have a bigger talent than Mikey Moore

Featuring on GOAL’s list were five Spurs players, chief among them Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall. Those two are certainly further ahead in their development so it makes sense for them to be included higher up.

However, we want to talk about Luka Vuskovic, the young defender who’s yet to be seen in Spurs colours.

Yang Min-hyeok

#43

Luka Vuskovic

#26

Mikey Moore

#22

Lucas Bergvall

#17

Archie Gray

#13

It was back in September 2023 that Spurs first announced they had agreed a deal to bring a then 16-year-old Vuskovic to the club from Croatian side Hajduk Split.

He won’t officially transfer clubs until the summer of 2025 so we are still waiting for his Spurs debut, but now aged 18, he’s showcasing the immense potential many expect from him.

A centre-back by trade, the teenager is on loan at KVC Westerlo in Belgium’s first tier where he’s not just demonstrated himself to be a capable defender but he also has a habit of finding the back of the net, scoring seven times in 28 appearances.

So, why is there such hype? Well, standing at 6 foot 5, he’s been described as a “freak athlete” by data analyst Ben Mattinson and an “insane talent” by scout Jacek Kulig.

He’s got the imposing frame to terrify defenders, the goalscoring ability to impact things at the opposite end of the pitch and he’s dominating even when he’s not finding the net.

Indeed, according to Sofascore, he’s achieved the highest match rating in a single game among defenders in Europe’s ‘top ten leagues’ in a game where they didn’t find the net or assist a goal.

That was during a 0-0 draw with OH Leuven where the young centre-back completed 91% of his passes, won ten of his 12 aerial duels, completed a key pass and successfully made all seven of his long balls.

This is an elite talent in the making, a comfortable passer, a menacing header of the ball and a goalscorer. What more could you want?

Those in his homeland are already getting excited and who can blame them? Croatian media have been quick to celebrate his performances, crowning Vuskovic as “a talent who is born once in 100 years”.

Perhaps, like Bale, he is blessed with the potential to play for a club like Madrid. Spurs will hope they get a few years of service out of him before anything like that happens.

Ange has found a "mind-blowing" star at Spurs who could be the next Defoe

The talented forward could replicate the Spurs icon.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 21, 2025

Big picture: 4-1 or 3-2?

After three run-fests, Raipur finally provided an even contest between bat and ball as India sealed the five-match series with a game to go. But expect the runs to start flowing again, and with some intensity, as India and Australia travel to Bengaluru for the fifth and final T20I.A turnaround time of under 48 hours isn’t ideal but the Australians, Travis Head and Tanveer Sangha, in particular, might not complain. The duo are the only ones in the current squad who have been in India since the start of the ODI World Cup – Head as part of the 15-man squad, Sangha as travelling reserve – and will keenly be looking forward to going back home.Australia have tried as many as 19 players so far in the series, ringing in the changes in a bid to give some of their exhausted players a break. They made five changes for the Raipur T20I but the reinforcements coming in failed to level the series. While they’ve taken the fast bowlers to the cleaners consistently, the Australian batting has been found wanting against the spin duo of Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel.Related

• Five-horse race – who will open for India at the 2024 T20 World Cup?

• Axar, Bishnoi, Rinku give India series win

• Axar and Bishnoi's spin charge leaves Australia with little answers

They could, however, expect some respite from the Bengaluru pitch, which has historically not aided spin as much as some of the other surfaces they’ve played on as Australia look to end their tour of India on a high.While India haven’t been as clinical, what would please Suryakumar Yadav the most is the individual players standing up under pressure. Jitesh Sharma, playing his first game of the series came in and smashed a 19-ball 35 in Raipur while Rinku Singh showed that he was not just a finisher and had the technique to set up a total as well.The fast-bowling unit is probably one area where the boxes haven’t been ticked, but Deepak Chahar’s return after an injury layoff will give India reasons to be happy. He didn’t have the best of starts to his spell but came back well later and struck two important blows. The team management will hope for a more rounded show from the fast-bowling attack come Sunday.

Form guide

India WLWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Australia LWLLWYashasvi Jaiswal has a powerplay strike rate of 174.62 in the series so far•Associated Press

In the spotlight: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Aaron Hardie

Barring the third T20I, Yashasvi Jaiswal has given India a quick start in every game this series, but is yet to make it out of the powerplay. No other batter in the series has scored more runs in the first first six overs than Jaiswal while his strike rate of 174.62 during this phase is only second to Head’s 194.11. However, the Indian management might want him to convert his starts into something more substantial. Jaiswal has had a terrific start to his T20I career – two fifties and a century in 11 innings. Bengaluru gives him a chance to add to those numbers.Aaron Hardie hasn’t set the T20I stage on fire yet, but the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is probably one venue where he will feel most at home. He likes pace on the ball and the ball coming onto the bat, and the conditions in Bengaluru are likely to provide him with that. Hardie had a tremendous 2022-23 BBL season, finishing as the top run-getter. He hasn’t fully shown that big-hitting potential in the two T20Is that he has batted this series, but the surface in Bengaluru and the boundary dimensions could help him unleash some of those hit-through-the-line maximums. A few wickets with the ball, and Hardie could well be the player to watch out for.

Team news: Expect more changes

India made four changes to their side for the fourth T20I, and with the series in the bag could well make a few more for the final game. They might be tempted to give Washington Sundar a game in place of one of Axar or Bishnoi, while Tilak Varma could also get a game, in case the team management wants to rest any of the players in the top order. India went with Mukesh Kumar, Chahar and Avesh Khan as their fast-bowling options in Raipur and are unlikely to make any changes on that front.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Shreyas Iyer/Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Axar Patel/Washington Sundar, 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Mukesh KumarAustralia don’t have the scope to make a lot of changes, considering they have only 13 players in the squad left. They could consider bringing in one of Kane Richardson or Nathan Ellis in place of Sangha.Australia (probable): 1 Josh Phillippe, 2 Travis Head, 3 Ben McDermott, 4 Aaron Hardie, 5 Tim David, 6 Matthew Short, 7 Matthew Wade (capt,wk), 8 Ben Dwarshuis, 9 Chris Green, 10 Jason Behrendorff, 11 Tanveer Sangha/Nathan Ellis/Kane Richarson

Pitch and conditions: Another run-fest in the offing

Runs, runs and runs have been the theme at the Chinnaswamy Stadium of late. With short boundaries and a placid surface, another run-fest could well be on the cards on Sunday. In the IPL this year, scores in excess of 180 were breached in nine of 14 innings, and even in the ODI World Cup batters enjoyed their time here.While the overhead conditions are likely to remain cloudy, there is no threat of rain with the temperature expected to hover around the 18 to 22 degree mark on the Celsius scale.

Stats and trivia

• Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored all his runs (117) in this series in the first powerplay, at a strike rate of 174.62.
• Jason Behrendorff has the best economy rate of all bowlers – 5.75 after three matches. He has also picked up four wickets.
• Rinku Singh has scored 49 runs off 20 balls in the death overs in this series, striking at 245.00.
• Suryakumar needs just 20 runs to reach 2000 runs in T20Is. If he gets there on Sunday, he will be the quickest Indian to the mark.

Quotes

“Throughout the series, he has been bowling very well. And our partnership has also been great. He’s bowled in the powerplay so have I, and that combination has been good.”

فجرت تقارير صحفية، مفاجأة قوية منذ قليل، فيما يخص مستقبل لاعب فريق مانشستر سيتي إيلكاي جوندوجان، وإمكانية رحيله في موسم الانتقالات الصيفي الحالي.

ومن المقرر أن تُغلق نافذة الانتقالات الصيفية في إنجلترا بحلول الساعة التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، على عكس المعتاد، حيث كان من المفترض انتهائها منتصف الليل.

وذكرت تقارير صحفية تركية مختلفة، منذ قليل، أن جوندوجان في طريقه للرحيل عن مانشستر سيتي في اليوم الأخير من الميركاتو الصيفي، حيث سينتقل إلى الدوري التركي.

اقرأ أيضًا | ضربة جديدة.. إصابة لاعب مانشستر سيتي وشكوك حول مشاركته في الديربي

وأوضحت أن جالطة سراي عرض على إيلكاي جوندوجان راتبًا سنويًا قدره 5 ملايين يورو، حيث لا تزال المفاوضات جارية بين الطرفين.

وأفادت بأنه بمجرد أن يتوصل جالطة سراي إلى اتفاق مع جوندوجان حول الشروط الشخصية لصفقة انتقاله، فإن مانشستر سيتي سيوافق على رحيل اللاعب الألماني.

ويمتلك جالطة سراي الوقت الكافي لإتمام صفقة جوندوجان، حيث أن الانتقالات الصيفية في تركيا ممتدة حتى يوم 12 سبتمبر الجاري.

وعاد جوندوجان إلى مانشستر سيتي الصيف الماضي بعدما قضى موسمًا واحدًا فقط في صفوف برشلونة تحت قيادة المدرب تشافي هيرنانديز.

Dempsey questioned Donovan's absence ahead of the 2014 World Cup, when the forward took a sabbatical one year out from the competition

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Dempsey criticizes Donovan on podcastBrings up 2013 sabbatical, questions former teammateChristian Pulisic's father, Mark, raised similar criticismFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Clint Dempsey criticized former U.S. men's national team member Landon Donovan for his choice to take a sabbatical away from the game in 2013. The move, which many at the time questioned, ultimately cost Donovan a spot on the 2014 World Cup roster, ex-manager Jurgen Klinsmann confirmed in 2024.

Donovan was absent for 144 days, and on his podcast , Dempsey sounded off on his former teammate.

"The analogy I use is you have the opportunity to go plant the crops, harvest the crops, and then you're sitting at the table it's time to eat, and you're showing up when it's time to eat," he said. "It's kind of like, 'Where were you when we were grinding in the sun, putting that stuff out there, the away games, your back against the wall?'

"I don't know what he was dealing with and what he was going through, but to build your teammates' trust and all that, you've got to go through the wars with them, the battles with them. You've got to be able to look and say, 'Hey, they're not going to flake on you. When your back's against the wall and you need to win, they're going to be right there with you.' So I can't say what the situation was, but that's how I looked at that."

The comments, made last week, echo a recent spotlight on Donovan after he had critcized current USMNT star Christian Pulisic for requesting to skip the Gold Cup due to fatigue.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

On a FOX broadcast Sunday, Donovan aimed a dig at Pulisic on-air while Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal were celebrating their EURO Nations League title.

“This is what it means to represent your country,” Donovan said on air. “If you don’t want to take it seriously as a professional soccer player and someone who gets the opportunity to wear the jersey, then don’t come in.”

He added, “I can’t help but think about our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It’s p*ssing me off.”

Pulisic's father, Mark, responded to Donovan on social media Sunday, bringing up the American's 2013 sabbatical as well while telling him to "look in the mirror."

WHAT DEMPSEY ADDED

Dempsey, however, did agree with Donovan on his remarks about Pulisic's absence. The former striker claiming he "doesn't understand" why the AC Milan star would need a break due to fatigue, one year out from the World Cup.

“I’m a big fan of Christian. I think what he’s been able to do for both club and country has been amazing,” Dempsey said on the podcast. “And in terms of American players playing abroad, him and Antonee Robinson have been the most consistent and the top players in terms of flying that flag for us.

“In terms of his situation, I can’t say what it is. I don’t know the ins and outs of it. But in terms of my situation, when I played in Europe and came back, there were times where I was tired. I had to get a PRP injection in my adductor. I had to maybe rest for some of the friendly games so that I could be fit to play in the tournaments."

Dempsey is one of the most decorated players in U.S. history, winning three Gold Cups and helping the Americans finish as a runner-up in the 2009 Confederations Cup to Brazil.

“Whether it was Gold Cup, whether it was Copa [América], whether it was the Confederations Cup, whether it was the World Cup," he said. "I wasn’t gonna miss competitions. That’s just the kind of guy that I always was. So for me, I don’t understand it because that wasn’t my mentality. I always wanted to play in those games."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

The USMNT plays in an international friendly against Switzerland Tuesday, followed by the CONCACAF Gold Cup beginning early next week.

Manchester United have been given a big opportunity to sign a “world-class” striker, as his price tag is set to drop by around £38m in the summer, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Man Utd in need of a striker

It would be fair to say very few players have impressed in a Man United shirt this season, considering Ruben Amorim’s side have picked up just 30 points in 26 Premier League games, and their strikers are no exception, having consistently struggled to find the back of the net.

Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund have scored a combined five goals in the Premier League this term, with neither striker netting in 2025, so it is clear that Amorim will need to upgrade his forward line when summer comes around.

Several top strikers have been linked with moves to Old Trafford, and there is a belief United could trigger Matheus Cunha’s £62.5m release clause if Alejandro Garnacho leaves, following interest from Napoli and Chelsea in January.

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Now, Romano has dropped an update on the Red Devils’ pursuit of Victor Osimhen, with the transfer expert revealing United will have a big opportunity to sign the forward for a cut-price fee this summer.

Osimhen has a €120m (£100m) release clause in his current contract, but if Napoli are unable to get him off the books before the end of June, it will fall to €75m – €80m (£62m – £66m), meaning a £38m price drop could be on the cards.

Romano states that nothing is concrete or advanced between United and the Nigerian, contrary to some reports from elsewhere, as he is focussed on winning the league with Galatasaray, but meetings to discuss his future are set to continue in April or May.

Osimhen's insane goal record

It is clear to see why a number of top clubs are interested in the 26-year-old, given his exceptional goal record across spells with Charleroi, Lille, Napoli and Galatasaray.

The Nigeria international has hit the ground running since moving to Turkey, with his side in a strong position to win the league title, and he has been lauded as “world-class” by football writer Matt Barlow, while also receiving praise from analyst Statman Dave.

United can’t afford to pass up the opportunity to sign Osimhen for a reduced fee, given their struggles in front of goal this season, so they should go all out to sign the prolific striker this summer, should he still remain keen on the move.

The Australia quick underwent scans but Victoria coach Chris Rogers said “it’s nothing too serious”

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2024

Scott Boland is dealing with “wear and tear” in his knee and is yet to bowl in the second innings of Victoria’s Sheffield Shield match against South Australia where the home side are well placed after a brilliant century from Nic Maddinson.Boland left the field on Saturday after being unable to complete his 17th over on day one at the Junction Oval. He was cleared of any major damage after undergoing a precautionary scan, which revealed “acute inflammatory signs around his patella tendon”.”It’s really just low-grade wear and tear in his knee,” Victoria coach Chris Rogers said on commentary of the Shield match. “It’s nothing too serious.”But Boland didn’t bowl any of the 20 overs as South Australia went to stumps on day two at 66 for 2, trailing Victoria by 49.Victoria took a 115-run first-innings lead after former Test batter Maddinson smashed a century in his first Shield match since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in a BBL game on New Year’s Day 2023.Maddinson struggled for form during his return to cricket in the BBL for Melbourne Renegades, but was back to his best in the longer form of the game. The left-hander brought up his 16th first-class century after lunch, pushing Victoria past South Australia’s first-innings total of 173.Maddinson was out for 104, while Sam Harper, who suffered a frightening concussion during the BBL while training with the Melbourne Stars, impressed with 46 in his return match.Allrounder Liam Scott was the pick of the Redbacks bowlers on a hot day in Melbourne, taking 4 for 18 from 12.3 overs.Boland has not played for Australia since the third Test of last year’s Ashes, but has remained around the squad during the summer. The 2021 Boxing Day Test hero was limited to three Big Bash League games after last playing for Victoria in the Shield in November. He did bat on Sunday, making 5.”He hasn’t bowled that much in games recently…it’s a little issue, but he should be fine,” Rogers said.

With their sights set on promotion, Leeds United are set to be handed the boost of a returning player when they square off against Queens Park Rangers this weekend.

Leeds recieve fresh injury boost

There may have been a sigh of relief around Elland Road when Leeds overcame Millwall to win 2-0 and instantly got back to winning ways after suffering shock defeat against Portsmouth just days before. Back on track, Daniel Farke’s side now sit two points above second placed Sheffield United and four clear of Burnley in third with just nine games left to play in the Championship.

Those in Yorkshire will be more aware than most that it’s not done until their place in the Premier League is confirmed and, as ever, they face a nervous final stretch towards potential promotion.

With nine finals remaining, Farke will need to use the quality of his squad more than ever. It is a side full of talent, from the likes of Manor Solomon – who has rediscovered his best form – to important midfielder Ao Tanaka. Now, that side must simply hold their nerve.

What will undoubtedly help them do just that is the boost of recent injury news. As revealed by Farke, Isaac Schmidt is now set to make his return against QPR after returning to training. The defender missed the victory over Millwall through illness but has seemingly since recovered in time for this weekend.

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Speaking to reporters about his side’s injury status, Farke said: “As it stands I hope I have that whole group plus Isaac Schmidt to pick from for the travelling squad.

“In terms of the starting line-up and who has recovered, we’ll make some late decisions. This turnaround is a bit more tricky. We had more or less 80 hours to recover for Millwall, this time around just over 60 hours. It will be a bit more tricky. Travelling is involved of course.”

Every player counts for Leeds in vital run

Whilst Schmidt hasn’t been one to steal the headlines throughout the current campaign, often watching on from the bench, he could be thrust into Farke’s side at any given moment and he, like others, must help the Whites in their push for promotion.

Having arrived in the summer, Schmidt has found himself at the centre of Farke’s praise even whilst playing a cameo role. The former Norwich City boss told reporters earlier this season: “Great guy, a bit like I mention also about all our new signings.

“I think still at a really good age because he is more likely still on his way up the hill in his career. Great mentality, also desperate to play for the shirt, desperate to play for us, great character, so really nice guy and really nice team-mate.”

Now back from a brief absence, Schmidt will no doubt have his sights set on putting every minute that he does receive to good use as he aims to leave his mark on Leeds’ promotion push.

MatériaMais Notícias

da wazamba： Nesta quarta-feira (1), o Ceará levou a melhor e venceu a Caldense. As equipes se enfrentaram pela 1ª fase da Copa do Brasil. A bola rolou no Ronaldão, em Poço de Caldas. Janderson, Vitor Gabriel e Luvannor balançaram as redes.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasAtlético MineiroAtlético-MG vence o Carabobo e avança à terceira fase da LibertadoresAtlético Mineiro01/03/2023Seleção BrasileiraInterino na Seleção em 2000 opina sobre desafios que Ramon Menezes encarará na equipe canarinhaSeleção Brasileira01/03/2023Futebol LatinoEm noite de Benedetto, Boca Juniors bate Patronato e fica com a Supercopa ArgentinaFutebol Latino01/03/2023

da imperador bet： Após garantir o triunfo, o Ceará avança para a segunda fase, onde vai enfrentar o Ituano, que garantiu um empate, em 1 a 1, com o Princesa do Solimões-AM. A Caldense volta com foco total para o Campeonato Mineiro, único campeonato na temporada.

Confira a tabela da Copa do Brasil

Na primeira etapa, a Caldense tentou ficar mais com a bola e teve as primeiras chances de perigo. Mayco Félix, Bruninho e Fábrício tentaram e deram trabalho para a defesa do Ceará. Depois da pressão, o time alvinegro conseguiu controlar e partiu para o ataque. Aos 27, Vitor Gabriel e Erick fizeram boa jogada. A bola sobrou para Janderson, que bateu para o fundo das redes. O Vozão ainda teve uma bola na trave, com Warley.

Na segunda etapa, o Ceará voltou sem dar chances para os adversários. Antes do relógio completar dois minutos, Vitor Gabriel anotou um golaço. O atacante infiltrou a área da Caldense, cortou Patrick Marcelino e bateu de chapa, não deixando chances para o goleiro Elisson. Já no final, aos 41, Luvannor aproveitou rebote do goleiro e bateu para o fundo das redes.

continua após a publicidade

With a day off followed by rain, it is possible that on match day, Virat Kohli may have last seen the pitch 72 hours ago, but India remain circumspect in their approach and insist there is no complacency

Sidharth Monga in Pallekele11-Aug-20172:45

Agarkar: Play Kuldeep, he’ll be useful in away Tests

India have travelled to the hills to play the final Test of the second series in a row. When they did so last, in Dharamsala against Australia, they had all sorts of questions to answer. Virat Kohli raced against time to be fit, a race he would eventually lose. The pitch was not a typical Indian track, so the selection was tricky. On the line was a series against Australia, who had shocked India by first taking the series lead, and then frustrated them by holding on to a draw in the third match.In the seemingly endless rolling green heights of Pallekele, though, things couldn’t have been more different. India have already won the series against a side whose inadequacies have been accentuated by injuries to key players. India’s first-ever overseas whitewash in a series of three Tests or longer is now a distinct possibility. There is one selection question because of the suspension of Ravindra Jadeja, but there are many takers waiting for the opportunity to get into the side.It is no big surprise then that when it rained a little on the morning before the Test, India called off their training. It is possible that on the morning of the the Test, captain Virat Kohli will have last seen the pitch about 72 hours ago. The day after their only training session in Pallekele, India went to visit a temple that originates from the mythological book Ramayana.While they were away, the groundsmen at Pallekele International Stadium unveiled a lush green pitch, one that could rival the hills around. But over the next three hours, they studiously clipped off a lot of the grass. Sri Lanka’s chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya stood there by the pitch, almost overseeing the process.This is not quite the same as Napier 2008-09, when India chose to reach the city of the Test on the afternoon before the match, but you suspect India’s preparation – rain or no rain – would have been different had Sri Lanka put up a stiffer fight in the series.At least India this time didn’t justify not looking at the pitch like MS Dhoni had done in legendary fashion in 2008-09. “The mind doesn’t know if it’s Napier or what you’re feeding. You come and say ‘this is Napier’, and it believes it’s Napier. If you see, it’s an abstract.” Famous last words. Dhoni pulled out of the Test with a bad back, and Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman had to dig deep to salvage a draw.India this time are a little more circumspect. “Not really,” Kohli said when asked if he remembered the last time he went into a Test without having had a look at the pitch a day before the toss. “I mean, it’s quite a different situation, but the management has gone to the stadium to have a look. We heard there were some changes to the pitch so they have gone to check how things look at this stage, so we will have more clarity on what we need to go in with. But I haven’t yet really gone in without looking at the wicket at least 8-10 hours before the game before this. So it’s probably a different kind of situation.”Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal inspects the pitch even as the groundstaff works on it•Associated PressAll this means India will likely travel to the ground on Saturday morning without a fixed XI in mind. The fact that India have been playing so much cricket of late means they can afford to take a day or two off when it comes to training.”You can say we are certainly better placed to be able to afford a couple of days off,” Kohli said. “Yesterday, we took an off voluntarily, and today, it just happened to rain. But the day before that, we had a good practice. Also, what you need to understand in places like Sri Lanka, it is very hot and humid. People sometimes end up doing too much at practice, and then, maybe, you don’t recover for a game. It might just be a good thing for those who needed more rest, especially the bowlers who have massive workload during Test matches.”For us, I feel it’s more of a positive thing than a hindrance that we didn’t have practice a day before the game because we are in a good zone. Everyone is playing good cricket and everyone is bowling well. So we feel absolutely comfortable going into the Test match even though we didn’t practice today.”Kohli assured there was to be no complacency when he insisted India were not going to make wholesale changes to the XI now that the series has been secured. “We have to understand that to play consistent cricket, you need to make sure that people are playing on a regular basis,” he said. “Those who are preforming and those who are doing well should continue in more games than not. To be a consistent side, I think we need to have continuity as well, unless the situations where things are not controllable arise.”So we certainly don’t want to take anything lightly. We want to play the same kind of cricket that we have, and hopefully, retain the team that played the last game as much as we can. So we are certainly not thinking of too many changes at all, especially in this format because you don’t want to start taking things for granted and lose that momentum. We certainly are not thinking of drastic chances at this stage.”Kohli said thinking of a first away whitewash was a distraction they could do well without. It is just another Test match for them, Kohli said. And, as they do with every other Test, they want to win. Yet, there is a bit of a stamp of a 2-0 lead in the preparation for it.