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New Zealand’s training session, meanwhile, was cut short because of what Stead said were “not really acceptable” practice pitches

Matt Roller12-Jun-20242:19

Powell on what a home World Cup means for West Indies

Rovman Powell believes that his West Indies side are facing an “undercooked” New Zealand at the perfect time after their heavy defeat to Afghanistan.Both teams were forced to cut their preparations short at the Brian Lara Stadium ahead of Wednesday night’s Group C fixture. New Zealand abandoned their afternoon training session an hour before schedule due to “unacceptable” practice strips, while heavy rain wiped West Indies’ floodlit session out altogether.It is the start of the rainy season in Trinidad and the national meteorological service issued a yellow-level adverse weather alert on Tuesday morning, signalling the likelihood of thunderstorms. There was a brief downpour during New Zealand’s session – when the pitch was uncovered – and longer, heavier ones followed after they left. Wednesday night’s forecast is much better.Related

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Underdone New Zealand already on the brink

“We had that downpour for about five minutes, and the practice wickets got wet out in the middle,” Gary Stead, New Zealand’s coach, said after returning to the team hotel in Port-of-Spain. “I know the priority was obviously for the match wicket to get covered, but when we went back and tried them they were pretty slippery to stand up on.”New Zealand briefly tried to use the practice strips but swiftly gave up. “The balls were going through the top of the surface, so we had a good fielding training instead,” Stead said. “It was deemed not really acceptable to get anything out of the nets… The guys worked out pretty quickly that there wasn’t going to be a lot of point in it”An 84-run defeat to Afghanistan in their opening match on Friday means that a loss against West Indies would effectively – if not quite mathematically – eliminate New Zealand from the World Cup. Powell, West Indies’ captain, believes that his side can exploit New Zealand’s slow start to the tournament.”Definitely, if there’s a good time to play New Zealand, I think it’s now,” Powell said. “As you said, they’re a little bit undercooked. The pressure is really on them, because this game decides whether they go on: yes or no. Having said that, we’re not focusing on New Zealand: we’re focusing on what we have to do.”With New Zealand’s limited preparation for the tournament already under scrutiny, their batters have barely been able to face fast bowling in the nets since arriving in Trinidad. They travelled from Guyana on Saturday and trained on Sunday, but faced similar issues.”Again, the pitches weren’t great,” Stead said. “Balls were rising up around throat height regularly, so it was more facing the slower bowlers and throws. It comes back to making sure that mentally we get in a good frame of mind and ready for this match tomorrow night.”England racked up 267 against West Indies at the Brian Lara Stadium in December but Stead believes that score was an outlier, and expects a much lower-scoring game on Wednesday.James Neesham is in contention to be back in the XI against West Indies•ICC/Getty Images

“If you look at the history of the ground here… it’s certainly not a 200 wicket or anything like that. The pitch looked interesting. For us, it’s about making sure we’ve got our bases covered.”Powell also hinted towards a low-scoring game. “With the rain around, that can play a part in the scores,” he said. “If the groundsmen don’t have sufficient time to produce good wickets, that’s also a problem with the rain around. You don’t get enough time to sun. Hopefully tomorrow is a very good day in terms of the weather.”New Zealand’s management have made clear that they expect all 15 players in their squad to play a role in the World Cup and are set to bring Ish Sodhi into the side on Wednesday night. James Neesham could also come into contention, with Stead suggesting that selection will be heavily influenced by West Indies’ potential weaknesses.”Every game, we try to go in and work out what our best match-ups are,” Stead said. “That comes from the data analysis and videos that we do in our scouting. I would expect there will be some changes.” He also hinted heavily at Sodhi’s inclusion: “When we look at the West Indies team, [he is] a guy that matches up well against a number of their opposition players.”New Zealand’s net run rate took a significant dent against Afghanistan, to the extent that winning their remaining fixtures – against West Indies, Uganda and Papua New Guinea – might not be enough to qualify for the Super 8s, depending on other results in Group C.”We know what’s in front of us: we have to win three games and win them well,” Stead said. “It’s [about] still holding the belief and the confidence within the group that we can go out there and do this. We know things are stacked against us at the moment but that’s the challenge; that’s the cards we’ve been dealt. We now have to go out there and put in a performance that we’re proud of.”

In what would be one of the most surprising moves of the summer, Nottingham Forest have reportedly joined the race to sign a striker who once silenced the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest plotting shock striker move

With nine games to go, Champions League qualification is currently theirs for the taking and after enjoying victories over Manchester City and Ipswich Town before the international break, Forest look unlikely to relent. And with their place among Europe’s elite growing more and more likely, it’s no surprise to see the transfer rumours coming thick and fast.

Names as big as Viktor Gyokeres have even been mentioned in recent weeks in what would be among the moves of the summer. The Sporting Club forward is one of the most clinical strikers that European football has to offer and Champions League qualification would leave Forest in a realistic race for his signature.

It seems as though adding another forward to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side is set to be among the priorities this summer too, whether it’s Gyokeres or another option. As impressive as Chris Wood has been this season, there’s no telling how long his peak will last now that he’s 33 years old.

With that said, the Midlands club have reportedly set their sights on a shock target. According to TeamTalk, Nottingham Forest are now plotting a move to sign Darwin Nunez, whose Liverpool exit has become inevitable in recent months amid links to Al-Hilal and other Saudi Pro League sides.

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Joined by Atletico Madrid and potentially Newcastle United, Forest will reportedly chase the forward’s signature in pursuit of ending his Anfield nightmare. The 25-year-old is into his third season at Liverpool and with the excuse of settling in no longer available, Arne Slot looks destined to show his out-of-form forward the door this summer having originally spurned Saudi clubs’ advances in January.

Liverpool’s trash could quickly become Forest’s treasure, however, if they swoop in and get the best out of Nunez.

Signing Nunez would be major risk

After reportedly arriving for around £85m in 2022, it remains to be seen just how much Liverpool will demand to sell Nunez this summer but there’s no doubt his valuation has dropped. In three years at the club, the former Benfica man has scored just 25 goals in 88 appearances in the Premier League. Wood in this season alone, meanwhile, has scored 18 goals in 29 league games.

That said, for all the negativity surrounding Nunez, Forest managed to get a first-hand glimpse of what he’s capable of last season when he came from the bench to score a last-gasp winner to silence the City Ground.

Earning a reported £140,000-a-week at Liverpool, Nunez’s status as transfer flop looks destined to be confirmed this summer. Whether Forest or another side take advantage of that and attempt to turn that narrative on its head remains to be seen.

At a crossroads, the 25-year-old striker has a crucial decision to make when the transfer window arrives.

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

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2024

Nic Maddinson marked his return to Shield cricket with a century•Getty Images

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.

Manchester City now want to make a move for a “really exciting” forward who is a major target for Ruben Amorim at Manchester United, according to a report.

Man City considering new wingers

Amid the speculation building over Jack Grealish’s future at the Etihad Stadium, Man City have identified the need to sign a new winger this summer, and a number of potential targets have been picked out.

Jacob Ramsey, who has exclusively featured on the left wing for Aston Villa this season, has recently emerged as a target for the Sky Blues, but the Englishman will not come cheap, as his current employers value him at over £50m.

SC Braga’s Roger Fernandes is the most recent name to join the list, with City plotting a move for the 19-year-old, who is valued at £34m, however, there could be fierce competition for the youngster’s signature from Manchester United and Liverpool.

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Fernandes is not the only winger Man City could be set to battle their rivals for, as a report from The Boot Room has revealed they now want to make a move for Sporting CP’s Trincao, who is a target for Amorim at Man United.

Pep Guardiola’s side are reported to be huge admirers of the winger, who is expected to leave Sporting at the end of the season following an impressive campaign in Portugal.

Aside from Chelsea, the rest of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ have expressed an interest in the Sporting star, so there could be a huge battle for his signature this summer, and it has previously been revealed the Portuguese club could demand £66m.

In the same report, it is detailed that Amorim is personally pushing INEOS to sign his former player, but City could now be set to hijack the move.

"Really exciting" Trincao on fire in Portugal

Despite Amorim’s mid-season departure, Sporting are in a strong position to win the Liga Portugal for the second season on the spin, and Trincao has emerged as one of their key players.

The Portuguese winger has 23 goal contributions to his name in all competitions, having scored nine goals and registered 14 assists, and he previously received high praise from former Wolves technical director Scott Sellars upon signing for the club.

“He’s a really exciting player. It’s an area we’d like more competition, in terms of wide players. I think the fans are going to enjoy watching him play. He drives with the ball well and has good creativity.”

The only concern over the potential signing of Trincao will be the fact he didn’t set the world alight during his previous stint in the Premier League, picking up just two goals and one assist in the 2021-22 campaign, although he has clearly developed since then.

كشفت تقارير صحفية تطورات جديدة تخص مستقبل قائد فريق مانشستر يونايتد، برونو فرنانديز، بعدما ارتبط مؤخرًا بإمكانية الرحيل والانتقال إلى الدوري السعودي لكرة القدم، هذا الصيف.

وخاض مانشستر يونايتد، أمس الأحد، مباراته في الجولة الثانية من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز ضد فولهام، حيث تعادلا بهدف لمثله.

وأهدر برونو فرنانديز ضربة جزاء لصالح مانشستر يونايتد، في الشوط الأول، بعدما سددها بطريقة غريبة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

من جهة أخرى، ذكرت تقارير صحفية خلال اليومين الماضيين أن برونو فرنانديز مطلوب من جانب نادِ في الدوري السعودي، رغم رفضه الانتقال إلى المملكة العربية السعودية قبل أشهر، وتحديدًا الهلال.

ولكن التقارير الجديدة أفادت بأن هناك اجتماع إيجابي قد تم بين برونو فرنانديز ووكيل أعماله، ومسؤولي الاتحاد، لبحث فكرة انتقاله إلى النادي.

وحسبما ذكرت شبكة “ذا أثلتيك” العالمية، فإن مانشستر يونايتد لا يتوقع رحيل برونو فرنانديز عن ملعب “الأولد ترافورد” قبل الموعد النهائي للميركاتو الصيفي، يوم الإثنين المقبل.

وأوضحت أن مصادر في السعودية تشكك كذلك في جدية تلك التقارير، التي تشير إلى إمكانية انتقال النجم البرتغالي لنادي الاتحاد في الميركاتو الصيفي الجاري.

 

Newcastle United aren’t exactly in amazing form heading into some tough games in March which includes an opportunity to pick up some honours in the EFL Trophy final versus Liverpool.

Indeed, it’s been very hit-and-miss as of late for Eddie Howe’s Magpies, with home wins against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest in league and cup soured by losses to Manchester City and Arne Slot’s convincing league leaders on the road, alongside the club’s recent FA Cup exit to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Danny Welbeck and former employee, Yankuba Minteh, broke Toon hearts with an extra-time winner for the Seagulls, as Newcastle just didn’t have enough in their tank come the end of the 120-minute marathon, which wasn’t helped by Anthony Gordon’s petulant dismissal.

Anthony Gordon's poor performance vs Brighton

This reckless red card for Gordon means he will now likely miss his club’s trip to Wembley, although Howe and Co are apparently going to appeal this sending off in a bid to try and get the 24-year-old back for the final.

Regardless, it was a poor showing from the ex-Everton man against Fabian Hurzeler’s determined visitors, as he failed to complete a single dribble, before being given his marching orders late on after a scuffle with Jan Paul van Hecke.

Away from this incident, Gordon does have nine goals and six assists from 34 games to shout about this campaign, but potentially missing out on the upcoming final against his ex-club’s fiercest rivals will be a huge kick in the teeth.

Minutes

83

69

Goals

0

1

Touches

50

32

Shots

1

1

Accurate Passes

19/26

12/18

Key Passes

1

2

Successful Dribbles

0/4

1/2

Ground Duels Won

3/10

4/7

Aerial duels won

0/1

0/0

Tackles

1

2

He will surely return to the starting XI very soon, but Howe’s side would no doubt be boosted in attack more if they had a former flop on the scene who has resurrected his playing days away from St James’ Park.

Newcastle flop is now just as exciting as Gordon

The Magpies attack at full throttle this season has been an absolute treat to watch, with Alexander Isak firing in 22 goals in all competitions from the main striker spot, alongside Jacob Murphy also chipping in with some meaningful contributions next to the standout Swede.

But, Newcastle would potentially be elevated to another level if former flop Florian Thauvin was back and at his current excellent best, with his original stint on Tyneside completely forgettable when amassing just one goal from 16 games.

Now, however, he’s a different beast altogether playing out in Italy with Udinese with his goal and assist haul across 2024/25 to date not far off Gordon’s ever-rising amount, with his own tally up at eight strikes and five assists from fewer matches (25), which included a curled strike hitting the back of the net in December.

Constantly twisting and turning defenders with ease, it’s safe to say the “unbelievable” star – as he was once heralded by former teammate Moussa Sissoko – hasn’t allowed his bruising Magpies experience to impact him one little bit.

Indeed, his form out in France right off the back of his short stay in England was equally as breathtaking as his peak in Serie A.

20/21

38

8

9

19/20

2

0

0

18/19

37

18

9

17/18

54

26

17

16/17

43

15

12

15/16

20

4

0

14/15

38

5

7

13/14

41

10

6

Looking at the table above is evidence enough that the electric French attacker never let his Tyneside demons get the better of him, with an outrageous 147 goals and assists coming his way during eight largely successful campaigns at Marseille after moving back in a £9m deal. All in all, he’s scored 88 times since moving away from the north east.

Gordon is deep into his second campaign back at Newcastle, with the 24-year-old striving to get back into his groove after all the drama surrounding this red card is over, whilst his equally as exciting counterpart aims to see out his career in style with Udinese.

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Ballon d'Or winner and Barcelona star Aitana Bonmati has admitted she was "surprised" to see Arsenal reach the Women's Champions League final.

Article continues below

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Article continues below

Bonmati surprised to see Arsenal reach Champions League finalArsenal beat Lyon to reach the finalBarcelona have won three titles in last four seasonsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Arsenal stunned European giants Lyon to reach the final of the Women's Champions League for the first time since 2007. They overturned a 2-1 deficit to beat the French giants 4-1 in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final fixture to reach the final, where they will now face reigning champions Barcelona.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While Renee Slegers' side did a commendable job to reach the final of the competition, they now face an uphill task as the Gunners are all set to take on a star-studded Barcelona side, who have won three Champions League titles in the last four seasons. Ahead of facing the Women's Super League giants, Blaugrana star Bonmati expressed her surprise at seeing Arsenal reach the final.

WHAT AITANA BONMATI SAID

Speaking to , Bonmati said: "For me, it was a surprise Arsenal reaching the final. They absolutely deserve it, because scoring four goals against Lyon in the second leg is not easy at all. I congratulate them for that because I think it was a big surprise, but a well-deserved one."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Barcelona and Arsenal are all set to lock horns in the grand finale on Saturday in Lisbon.

Manchester City conceded two late goals as Real Madrid came from behind to win 3-2 in the first leg of their Champions League play-off tie, courtesy of match-winner Jude Bellingham.

55%

Posession

45%

11

Shots

20

4

On target

8

9

Fouls

6

6

Corners

5

Man City player ratings Ederson – 5

Was on course for a fine evening of work before gifting Real Madrid and former Blue Brahim Diaz their second by uncharacteristically conceding possession late on.

Josko Gvardiol – 7

Once again the defender was at the heart of all of City’s impressive work going forward and even got an assist to his name for Haaland’s opening goal.

Nathan Ake – 6.5

Faced a difficult time up against Vinicius and didn’t always have things his own way, but Ake stood firm for the majority of his time on the pitch before he was replaced by Mateo Kovacic.

Ruben Dias – 7

City have missed their commanding defender and even as injuries fell around him, Dias often remained solid despite shipping what were frustrating goals.

Manuel Akanji – 7

Summing up their injury issues, Akanji became the second City player forced off with injury at the break to add to Pep Guardiola’s woes. Prior to that, however, the Swiss – to his credit – did well up against an energetic Vinicius Junior.

John Stones – 8

In the defensive midfield role as Guardiola’s latest attempt to replace Rodri, Stones’ performance puts him in good stead to once again feature in what could provide a crucial solution for Man City at the heart of their midfield.

Savio – 5

The Brazilian endured a frustratingly quiet game for his standards, struggling to get on the ball and make the desired impact as Real Madrid pushed him back with offensive outlets of their own.

Kevin de Bruyne – 6.5

For all his hard work when he got himself on the ball, De Bruyne struggled to do exactly that one too many times. In the end, his lack of influence proved costly on a big night for his side.

Bernardo Silva – 6

A midfielder who’s struggled to maintain his standards at times this season, Silva once again performed below what he is capable of just when Guardiola needs his most experienced men to step up.

Jack Grealish – 7

Forced off after just 30 minutes, Grealish didn’t need beyond the half hour mark to make his mark on Real Madrid having played Gvardiol in behind in the build-up to Erling Haaland’s opener.

Erling Haaland – 9

In truth, there wasn’t a lot more that Haaland could do. Finding the opening effort in routine fashion, the forward then stepped up to take responsibility from the penalty spot and score what many believed would be the winner.

Substitutes: Phil Foden – 7, Rico Lewis – 6.5, Mateo Kovavic – 6.5

Real Madrid player ratings Thibaut Courtois – 7

Although it was a rarity, the goalkeeper did well – as ever – to keep out the majority of Manchester City danger. Up against Haaland, the Belgian could do nothing to stand in the way of both goals.

Federico Valverde – 7

You wouldn’t know that Federico Valverde was out of position based on his performance up against the Premier League champions – albeit the hurt champions – with the midfielder enjoying an impressive display.

Aurelien Tchouameni – 7

Like Valverde, Tchouameni performed well out-of-position and highlighted how Madrid have been doing well to solve problems of their own in recent weeks.

Raul Asencio – 6.5

A young defender alongside an out-of-position midfielder, not many will have any complaints about Asencio’s performance at The Etihad as he largely kept Manchester City at arm’s length.

Ferland Mendy – 6

Whilst he didn’t struggle defensively, Mendy was guilty of spurning a chance that should have been converted in the opening period which Carlo Ancelotti would have wanted to fall to almost anyone else.

Rodrygo – 7

Mbappe and Bellingham will get the credit, but Rodrygo stood out in his own right throughout a frantic affair.

Eduardo Camavinga – 7

As the old guard in Real Madrid’s midfield bow out, Camavinga has stepped up on the biggest stage to make his mark in their place.

Dani Ceballos – 6.5

Back on English soil, Ceballos loses marks for conceding the penalty on what was otherwise an well-rounded evening from the former Arsenal man.

Jude Bellingham – 7.5

The match winner to turn a quiet game into an electric evening, Bellingham was always likely to have his say at The Etihad and that he did.

Vinicius Junior – 7

In front of fans who were quick to remind him about his recent failures, Vinicius was among the stars of the show as he laid down a marker in front of an on-watching Rodri.

Kylian Mbappe – 7

Although wasteful at times, Mbappe still made his mark with a well-timed equaliser in somewhat scrappy fashion.

Substitutes: Luka Modric – 6, Brahim Diaz – 8, Fran Garcia – 7

Hobart Hurricanes have been able to shore up their BBL list by re-signing in-demand power hitters Tim David and Ben McDermott beyond next season.David, 27, has signed a one-year extension to take his contract through until the end of the 2024-25 season. McDermott, 28, has committed to the Hurricanes until the end of 2025-26.David has become a global T20 phenomenon since making his name at Hurricanes in 2020 after starting his career as a fringe player with Perth Scorchers. He has become a mainstay in Australia’s T20I side over the last 12 months.Related

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Despite being part of the Mumbai Indians franchise and playing for MI Cape Town in the SA T20 last year, after he had completed his BBL commitments, as well as MI New York in the upcoming Major League Cricket in the United States, David will continue to commit to the BBL with Hurricanes for the next two seasons.”I am very happy to be extending with the Hurricanes for the next couple of years,” David said.”While I am playing a lot of my cricket overseas, I feel at home among my teammates and support staff in the Hurricanes setup, and I am hopeful that I can contribute more to this group going forward.”Ben McDermott goes on the attack•Getty Images

McDermott has committed to Hurricanes long-term despite leaving Tasmania after eight years to relocate to Queensland with his young family to play his domestic cricket for the Bulls.McDermott said it was difficult to leave Tasmania but remaining with Hurricanes provided a silver lining.”I haven’t spoken a whole lot publicly about it, but it was genuinely a really difficult decision to make,” McDermott said. “Ultimately, family comes before everything, which I know everyone down in Tassie was really understanding and supportive of, but it was a really hard decision given how long I was down there, how much I grew as a cricketer during my time in that program, and the fact that a lot of the guys I played with for all of those years are some of my best mates.”The fact that competitions like the Big Bash allow players to move around a little bit is perfect for me – there’s a lot of similarity between the Tigers and Hurricanes squads, so I’m rapt that I will still have the opportunity to play with a lot of those guys and spend some quality time down in Tassie over the next few years.”Plus, on-field, I really believe we have a great team that can make history for the Hurricanes. We had pretty much all of the ingredients last year, and things just didn’t quite go our way when it counted. With a couple of tweaks here and there, I’m really excited about what we can achieve not just in BBL 13, but beyond that as well.”Hobart Hurricanes squad: Tim David, Paddy Dooley, Nathan Ellis, Peter Hatzoglou, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade

Visitors had scored two runs more than the DLS par score when bad weather ended the game

Sreshth Shah18-Aug-2023
Rain had the final say but not before adding to a dramatic finish in Malahide, where India got over the line with a two-run win over Ireland.Craig Young’s back-to-back wickets moments before rain had stopped play loosened India’s grip, but in the end the powerplay hits from India’s openers and the bowling effort, led by Jasprit Bumrah on his return, proved just enough for the No.1 T20I side to finish ahead of Ireland.Bumrah’s double-wicket blow in the first over put India ahead for most of the game, but Ireland’s lower order, led by Barry McCarthy and Curtis Campher, resisted the early collapse. From 59 for 6, they helped drag Ireland to 139 for 7. McCarthy made a career-best unbeaten 51 off 33 balls while Campher contributed 39 off 33 balls.

The tense finish

There was always a sense that rain could be a factor in the game, but despite a drizzle through the afternoon the umpires didn’t stop play until it became heavier. When five overs of India’s chase was completed, a result was guaranteed.At that stage, India were favourites with both Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal finding their groove after a sedate start to the chase. They had finished the powerplay with a six apiece in the last two overs of that phase, lifting India to 45 for 0 in six overs.Young then had Jaiswal caught at midwicket on 24 with a short ball. The chase tightened when Young had Tilak Varma gloving down the leg side to the wicketkeeper for a duck. At that point, India were only three runs ahead of the DLS par score, and another dismissal would’ve put Ireland ahead in the game.Sanju Samson, though, survived the hat-trick ball and guided a single to backward point. Ruturaj defended the next delivery before rain ended the game.

McCarthy’s new high

McCarthy had scored just fifty – and one century – in his career before Friday. He came into bat 59 for 6 and scored four fours and as many sixes. He had the solid Campher for company, but both batters found it tough to score off spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar early on. However, when Bishnoi bowled one googly too many, McCarthy hit the game’s first six by hammering one over long-on, and from thereon, both batters scored the occasional boundary to push the team’s total.Though Campher ruined Bumrah’s spell with a four and six off consecutive balls in the 16th over, it was McCarthy who was causing more damage consistently. He gave debutant Prasidh Krishna a teaser of his power when he pulled him for four in the 15th over, and then he crunched two fours and a six off him in the 17th. The bowlers tried to vary their pace against both McCarthy and Campher and though they were successful to some extent, both batters gave Ireland late impetus.An Arshdeep Singh yorker eventually ended Campher’s stay and suggested that India would finish the bowling innings strong, but it wasn’t to be. McCarthy tore into Arshdeep in the 20th over with a four and two sixes – including one off a free-hit – to give the home fans something to cheer about.

India bowling blows hot and cold

Bumrah, India’s captain for the series, started the day on the right note by winning the toss. After choosing to bowl, he made the best use of conditions by blazing through the Ireland top order. In his first over, he recovered from a first-ball four to knock Andy Balbirnie over with an inswinger and in the same over he had Lorcan Tucker paddling one behind to wicketkeeper Samson.Harry Tector then joined Tucker in the dugout following another failed ramp, this time off Prasidh. Bishnoi then struck with his second ball to deceive Paul Stirling with a googly and flatten his stumps. The pair soon added to their tally when Prasidh had George Dockrell hitting a short ball to cover and Bishnoi had Mark Adair adjudged lbw in the 11th over on review.However, India would’ve been disappointed at letting the seventh-wicket stand to last for 7.2 overs. Arshdeep changed his pace and often bamboozled McCarthy and Campher, but both batters managed to find the occasional boundary. It wasn’t until the 18th over that Campher was dismissed, and by then Ireland were already on course for a respectable total. Campher’s 22-run final over off Arshdeep indicated that there were still some concerns for India in the bowling department.