ScorecardShabnim Ismail is congratulated on the wicket of Hayley Matthews•Getty Images
Seamer Shabnim Ismail’s three-for and opener Lizelle Lee’s 38-ball 46 helped South Africa beat Bangladesh by 17 runs and go 1-0 up in the three-match T20I series.Having elected to bat at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley, South Africa openers Lee and Laura Wolvaardt put together 77 by the 10th over. Wolvaardt’s wicket, however, sent them sliding as spinners Rumana Ahmed and Khadija Tul Kubra ran through the top order to pick up four wickets in the space of 20 deliveries.Sune Luus steered them to safety, making an unbeaten 28 off just 23 balls from No. 7 to lift them from 86 for 5 in the 13th over to 127 for 6 at the end of 20 overs.Bangladesh slipped to 14 for 2 in the fifth over, and from there on, South Africa didn’t look back. Ahmed and Fargana Hoque put together 72 off just 68 balls for the third wicket to keep Bangladesh in the hunt, before Ismail returned to rattle the middle order. She had Rumana caught by Mignon du Preez for 36 and then sent Nigar Sultana back for a first-ball duck to stifle them.Bangladesh needed 32 off two overs, but tight overs from Kapp and Ismail closed out the game.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a summer to forget in the transfer window, a feat that could get worse according to new revelations.
After the mutual departure of former manager Julen Lopetegui just five days prior to the club’s Premier League opener against Manchester United.
Gary O’Neil was selected as the man to take the reins from the Spaniard at a time when issues regarding Financial Fair Play (FFP) have consumed the headlines this summer at Molineux, as well as leaving the squad relatively bare.
The Englishman could face issues greater than the financial restrictions plaguing the Old Gold, should new reports be believed, as the side looks set to lose another star talent.
Who could Wolves sell this summer?
After bidding farewell to names as highly-rated at Molineux as Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Adama Traore, Nathan Collins and Raul Jimenez this summer, further figures could be set to exit before the window closes.
There continues to be speculation over Daniel Podence’s future, who is being monitored by Celtic, a new report from Portugal has relayed information regarding the long-term future of fellow winger Goncalo Guedes.
A report from his home country (as relayed by Sport Witness) has suggested that the 26-year-old is ‘very close’ to heading back to Benfica on loan, with Wolves hoping that he succeeds with the Eagles in the hope that they can sell him permanently.
Contracted to Molineux until 2027, the forward has had limited opportunity in the Premier League for a number of reasons, however, the failure of his stint replicates an aura of another failed transfer.
Should Wolves sell Goncalo Guedes?
After joining the club last summer from Valencia for a fee in the region of £27m, the former PSG forward has had a time to forget in England.
There was so much hope that came with his arrival, with him being impressive in Spain just the year prior to his transfer, in which he contributed to 17 goals in LaLiga by scoring 11 and assisting six.
Having been described as being “lightning-quick” among a host of attributes by talkSPORT’s Andy Brassell, the 26-year-old was poised to be another strong acquisition at Molineux from Portugal, however rather than following the legacy of Neves, he seems to be rewriting the history of Pedro Goncalves.
Gonçalo-guedes-wolves
While the woes of Goncalves’ failed transfer came after he left the club through his revelation as one of the most dangerous wingers in Portugal, Guedes has suffered a similar fate to the Sporting Lisbon ace, with the Midlands just not cutting it for his playing style and expectation.
The former Benfica star has made just 18 appearances for Wolves since signing, as well as going on a loan spell back to his boyhood club to pull himself away from the Premier League.
His expected sale comes as a huge disappointment for Wolves, who could have a phenomenal talent at their disposal if it wasn’t for powers out of their control, with the winger being unhappy.
Back in January, Lopetegui relayed that the 26-year-old “wanted to leave” the club, though it doesn’t ease the blow of not getting anything from a £27m signing.
Since leaving Wolves, fellow Premier League runaway Goncalves has contributed to 83 league goals in only 127 appearances, showing just what the club could’ve had, which could happen in the instance the Guedes follows suit.
Ultimately, Fosun doesn’t have an option but to allow the former Valencia man to depart with him unwilling to stay, however it must be a lesson for the Old Gold who have failed to utilise another highly-promising transfer.
Celtic are set for a 'crucial' period of the transfer window as Brendan Rodgers looks to acquire new talent and retain key assets at Parkhead, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
What's the latest news involving Celtic?
The Hoops have been active in the market as Rodgers looks to maintain dominance in Scotland alongside making strides in the Champions League and have brought in six arrivals in the form of Gustaf Lagerbielke, Odin Thiago Holm, Maik Nawrocki, Marco Tilio, Kwon Hyeok-kyu and Yang Hyun-jun, as per Transfermarkt.
Celtic have started the Scottish Premiership campaign in dominant fashion following their domestic clean sweep last term, defeating Ross County 4-2 and claiming a 3-1 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie in their opening two league matches, as per Sky Sports.
Retaining key assets will be an important part of Celtic's summer transfer business and the club have moved to open talks with Reo Hatate and Liel Abada over extending their deals at Parkhead, as per The Daily Record.
Club captain Callum McGregor, star striker Kyogo Furuhashi and Japan international Daizen Maeda have all penned extensions at the Celtic that will tie them to the club for the long-term future.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano has stated that Celtic will place importance on keeping their best players at Parkhead alongside making further inroads to secure arrivals in the latter stages of the window.
Romano stated: “The next few days and weeks are going to be important for Celtic to keep their players at the club. This is crucial, and they know that after the Starfelt deal with Celta Vigo, it’s important for them to keep the players at the club, and then we will see the next moves at the end of the window.”
Who could Celtic sign and who could leave the club this summer?
Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has taken to Twitter X to detail that Celtic are keen on Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Daniel Podence, stating the following: "Celtic are keen on Wolves winger Daniel Podence. He has one year left on his contract & wasn’t included in the squad last night. Wolves want around £12m, but it’s understood Celtic see room for negotiation, if they make an approach."
According to The Northern Echo, the Hoops are believed to be readying a 'formal approach' for Newcastle United outcast Ryan Fraser, who is out of the picture at St James' Park alongside Republic of Ireland international Jeff Hendrick and Isaac Hayden.
Newcastle United forward Ryan Fraser.
Fraser has been training with Newcastle United's second string and Celtic boss Rodgers has identified him as a 'viable target' to strengthen the wide areas.
Nantes full-back Quentin Merlin is also on the radar at Parkhead and has been scouted by Celtic on several occasions; however, it is said that the French youth international will cost in the region of £7 million, according to Mailplus.
Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier is reportedly a target for Celtic, though they will have to fend off competition from the likes of Crystal Palace, AS Monaco, Sporting Clube de Portugal and Saudi Pro League outfit Al Nassr, as per 90min.
Andre Onana is reportedly set to start for Cameroon against Senegal following his 5,000-mile AFCON dash to the Ivory Coast from Manchester United.
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Delayed journey to the Ivory Coast
Left out of matchday squad vs Guinea
Could miss up to four games for his club
WHAT HAPPENED?
The Red Devils goalkeeper delayed his journey to the tournament in Africa, allowing him to figure in a 2-2 draw with Tottenham for his Premier League employers. He was then rushed to a private jet and linked up with his national team ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations opener against Guinea.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Onana was not even named on the bench for that contest, leaving him frustrated and asking questions of why he raced to join the fold, but the claims that the 27-year-old shot-stopper will get his chance in a crucial clash with Senegal.
DID YOU KNOW?
Onana could miss up to four games for United if Cameroon were to go deep into the AFCON competition and make their way to the final. On the flip side, he would not be absent for a single Red Devils fixture if the Indomitable Lions were to suffer a humbling group stage exit.
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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?
United, with Erik ten Hag prepared to hand 2023 summer signing Altay Bayindir his debut if Onana is not available for a FA Cup fourth-round tie with Newport County, will not be back in action until January 28 as they enjoy a short winter break.
Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland has finally returned to training after recovering from a foot injury.
Haaland back in training
Has recovered from foot injury
City in FA Cup action next
WHAT HAPPENED?
Haaland has not played for City since featuring in a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa in December. The striker picked up a foot injury that ruled him out of the Club World Cup but is close to a return. City showed how the striker was back in training ahead of their FA Cup third-round tie against Huddersfield Town in a series of images posted on social media.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
City will be thrilled to have their top scorer back in action even though they haven't fared too badly in his absence. City won the Club World Cup, beat Crvena Zvezda in the Champions League and enjoyed Premier League wins over Luton, Everton and Sheffield United without the striker in their side.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Haaland scored the most goals of any player in Europe's big five leagues in all competitions in 2023, netting 44 times for Pep Guardiola's side.
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WHAT NEXT FOR HAALAND AND MAN CITY?
It remains to be seen if Haaland will return to action against Huddersfield or if he will be kept in reserve. City then take on Newcastle in the Premier League and can cut the gap to leaders Liverpool to two points with a win.
To say that Mykhailo Mudryk didn’t exactly have the best start to life in a Chelsea shirt last season would be quite the understatement.Arriving for a reported £88.5m, whilst still a young player, he was expected to turn the Blues’ fortunes around. Instead, however, nothing changed, apart from the lower amount left in the transfer budget at Stamford Bridge as he failed to score a goal in his first 17 outings.In truth, though, it was always going to be difficult for Mudryk to hit the ground running mid-season in a dressing room overfilled and under-motivated under Graham Potter, and then Frank Lampard.With Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival, the Blues have at least made space in the dressing room, waving goodbye to a total of 16 players so far this summer, and welcoming just four new signings.As the chaos is slowly but surely organised, Mudryk has the chance to get a good pre-season under his belt, and, as a result, find his best form. If Chelsea’s friendly against Brighton & Hove Albion is anything to go by, too, he is nearing his best with every game.
Mykhailo Mudryk impresses against Brighton
Taking on Roberto de Zerbi’s Brighton side, Chelsea came out on top, winning 4-3 in a back-and-forth affair.
Initially taking the lead through Danny Welbeck, the Seagulls were soon hit with a four-goal reply, as Christopher Nkunku found the back of the net, before Mudryk scored his first goal for the club, and strikes from Conor Gallagher and summer arrival Nicolas Jackson followed.
Brighton threatened to complete a comeback when Joao Pedro scored from the spot, before Deniz Undav slotted past Kepa Arrizablaga, but it wasn’t enough as Chelsea secured the win.
One particularly impressive moment from Mudryk came with his incredible show of pace – as shown in the footage above. The winger looked to have knocked the ball too far down the line at first, before somehow turning on the afterburners, and catching the ball with relative ease. The change of pace led to his teammate, Angelo Gabriel, labelling him “Naruto” and “very fast” on his Instagram story.
Whilst we haven’t seen his pace very often in the Premier League, it should not come as any surprise, considering the fact that Mudryk was one of the Champions League’s fastest players last season, coming in at second in the competition (only behind Alphonso Davies) with a speed of 36.6 KM/H.
Mudryk’s goal was also impressive, too, as he struck on the volley from range.
What is the market value of Mykhailo Mudryk?
Arriving at Stamford Bridge for a reported £88.5m in January, Mudryk’s struggle for form has seen his transfer value decrease in the last seven months. According to Transfermarkt, the Ukraine international is now worth €50m (£43.20m), which is less than half the amount that Chelsea initially paid for his signature back in January.
Pochettino will be hoping to see the Ukrainian finally live up to that price tag next season, however, as he looks to take the London club back into the Premier League’s top four at the first time of asking.
Even though it was only a pre-season game, defeating Brighton would have handed Chelsea quite the boost ahead of the season. It’s the type of confidence they can take into their opening-day clash against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
If they can defeat Jurgen Klopp’s side in their first game, too, then they may just enjoy an unexpectedly quick start to the new campaign.
A similar tournament had been scheduled and budgeted for the 2015-16 season, only for it to be scrapped
Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Aug-2017
Sri Lanka Cricket president Thilanga Sumathipala addresses the media at a press conference•Getty Images
Sri Lanka Cricket has reiterated its commitment to starting a condensed, provincial-based first-class tournament in the 2017-18 season.Although a similar tournament had been scheduled and budgeted for the 2015-16 season, the board led by Thilanga Sumathipala had scrapped those plans, and has since failed to organise a high-quality first-class tournament for two seasons running.Next season, however, will see the introduction of a four-team first-class season, SLC vice-president K Mathivanan has said. The teams will be based in Dambulla, Pallekele, Galle and Colombo. This “Super Provincial” tournament will effectively be the centrepiece of the domestic schedule, with the club-based first-class tournament likely to be a three-day tournament only, where usually a portion of it is played across four days.”Since our focus is mainly on the Super Provincial tournament where only the top cricketers will be in action, we will play the [club tournament] as three-day games only,” Mathivanan told . “The 60 [that will play in the Super Provincial tournament] are the cream of our cricketers who will be selected for the national team, Sri Lanka A team and the Sri Lanka Emerging team.”While previous iterations of provincial-based tournaments had been short-lived, Mathivanan said he is intent on making the Super Provincial tournament a long-term success by ensuring “there’s a clear graduation path,” and that there is “loyalty of the players for their provinces – a culture we need to create in this country”.The domestic season will also be more clearly divided into first-class and limited-overs segments: “We do not want to switch from one format to other in a haphazard manner. Unlike previous years, we will be first playing red-ball cricket (first-class) followed by white-ball cricket (List A). This will enable players to have a better focus.”Mathivanan’s words align with those of SLC president Sumathipala, who told ESPNcricinfo in May: “Definitely, we are going to play the super provincial four-team tournament. We are looking at day-night pink-ball cricket for that as well. Initially, for the next two to three years, we’ve decided to distribute the players into the provincial team based on where they come from, as much as we can. The national selectors will then sit together and work out the best possible balance, and assign players accordingly.”However, the present board had also promised to organise a provincial-based first-class competition for the 2016-17 season, and subsequently failed to do so, scheduling only a List A provincial-based tournament instead.Nevertheless, if the Super Provincial first-class tournament is actually played as Mathivanan and Sumathipala have outlined, it is likely to represent a significant step in the development of senior talent. The club-based first-class system has been criticised for its bloated format for several years, and a consensus has formed that the quality of cricket in that competition has declined substantially.And while Sri Lanka’s age-group based tournaments remain relatively healthy – thanks in part to the present board’s investment in that area – cricketers who leave the school system have graduated to one of the weakest domestic structures in the Test-playing world. The club tournament has also been plagued by poor pitches.A four-day tournament, with fewer players and a higher quality of play, aims to fix that. Additionally, as each of the venues at Dambulla, Pallekele, Galle and Khettarama can be directly administered by SLC, this should theoretically mean the Super Provincial competition will be played on good surfaces.
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo can be “challenging” to work with, admits former Juventus CEO Beppe Marotta.
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All-time great moved to Turin in 2018
Inspired those around him
Not always the easiest to work with
WHAT HAPPENED?
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner completed a stunning transfer to Turin from Real Madrid in the summer of 2018. He was one of the last marquee signings put in place during Marotta’s time with the Bianconeri and registered 101 goals for the Serie A giants through 134 appearances.
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WHAT MAROTTA SAID ABOUT RONALDO
Ronaldo delivered two league titles and a Coppa Italia triumph during his time with Juve, but he was not always the easiest to work with. Marotta has told of bringing the all-time great on board and how he acted behind the scenes: “He was a very good player, he still is and above all he is a great champion. The champion is that person who manages to convey beliefs to his team-mates. He was a bit of a leader of the team, he was the most famous and he dragged the others into the game. So, it was challenging, but he didn’t make me angry.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Ronaldo did go on to ruffle feathers back at Manchester United, leading to his release in November 2022, with Paul Pogba doing likewise during his time at Old Trafford. Marotta says the French midfielder was his most difficult piece of recruitment business when first taking him to Turin in 2012. He added: “There is a player today who’s at Juventus called Pogba. It was a very complicated deal. Because he came from Manchester United, he hadn’t signed a contract so there were many teams that wanted him. It was difficult to negotiate his purchase, it was very complex.”
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WHAT NEXT?
Pogba returned to Juventus in 2022, but he has suffered a number of injury issues back in Italian football and is currently serving a ban after failing a drugs test. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is still going strong at the age of 38 with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr.
Mahela Jayawardene, the Mumbai Indians coach, used the phrase ‘wake up call’ thrice, and with good reason, at the pre-final press conference. On the surface, it might have seemed more for effect, as the question to him was about Mumbai Indians’ consistent run in IPL 2017. But, Jayawardene’s iteration was for the three losses they’ve been handed by Rising Pune Supergiant this season.After Rising Pune had nutmegged them off the penultimate ball in their opening fixture, Mumbai went on a six-match winning spree before they were halted again by – no surprises there – Rising Pune. This, too, was a close defeat following which Mumbai went unbeaten in all but two games, but who do they run into in the first Qualifier? Rising Pune.The stakes were higher this time as the winner would get a direct passage to the final. Given how things had panned out, the result wasn’t hard to predict. The consolation for Mumbai, if any, is that they have been comprehensively bested and not handed out a last-over heartbreak. As for Rising Pune, they have now won all their games at the Wankhede. In fact, so absolute has been their dominance over Mumbai that you will have to ferret out a scorecard from last May to look up their only defeat in five games.After a disappointing 2016 season, Jayawardene said Mumbai had made it a point to address their notoriously sluggish starts to IPL campaigns. He also suggested that Rising Pune was the bogey team his team needed to sharpen their competitive edge against. “The first game was against Pune and they gave us a wake-up call,” he said. “We realised that we had to play better cricket than that. We got a little bit of momentum….we won some close matches, made sure we kept going and again they gave us a wake-up call in the middle of the season.”We made sure we regrouped and didn’t slack as a group towards the later part of the tournament. It’s been a good team effort and a lot of boys put their hand up in tough situations and won matches. I think it’s a tough tournament because any team could beat you on the day, home and away conditions are different. But credit to the boys, they have really performed well. And again they gave us a wake-up call in the knockout stages. We had to go to Bangalore, regroup again and play a good game of cricket which is good because it keeps everyone on the toes going into the final.”The Rising Pune question, specifically the defeat in the first Qualifier, was put forth to captain Rohit Sharma as well. Should Mumbai win, this will be their third title – after 2013 and 2015 – with Rohit at the helm. His response to the two questions was a potpourri of processes, results and focus. But eventually, he made the point that Mumbai had never lost a Maharashtra derby, in Hyderabad.”It’s true we haven’t played well against Pune. But now we’re playing them in a neutral venue,” he said. “They have been playing some really good cricket and it’s just that we haven’t been playing too well on those days. Conditions will be different for both teams. The aim is to avoid whatever mistakes we have done in the past against them. Hopefully, we’ve learnt from the mistakes and don’t repeat again tomorrow. We’ve got to make sure we’re better and we play good cricket and focus on what we need to do.”3:37
Tait: Having beaten Mumbai last game, Pune should go in unchanged
Sitting on the other side of the table, Rising Pune coach Stephen Fleming and captain Steven Smith flashed knowing smiles when their counterparts were talking. Fleming said they would continue to stay low-profile in the final like they have all tournament.”We’ve faced a lot of challenges throughout this tournament and we’ve faced them well,” he said. “We’re quietly confident, pretty much like our entire campaign where we have flown under the radar and done things quietly. I don’t think we’ll do anything different when we get up. If we get up because there’ll be a couple of wily foxes [Rohit and Jayawardene] who’ll be trying to stop us. They’re well awake now,” he added for good measure with a laugh.While Rohit conceded there wasn’t much individual brilliance that contributed to Mumbai’s success this year, he saw that as a positive in how the team has collectively pulled its weight. “Whenever they had an opportunity they put their hand up, taken the responsibility and obviously made sure that team crossed that line,” he said. “Guys have come at different points and taken up the responsibility and goes to show that teamwork is so much important whether it’s batting or bowling.”Not everyone can have a good day every day, so it’s important guys coming at different points deliver.[I am] honestly not really worried about the key players not delivering consistently because they have not had opportunities consistently. A lot of the game if you see, the first half was batted by the top three batsmen and the middle order has delivered whenever it had the opportunity.”Rising Pune share a similarity with Mumbai, especially in the way young players have come to the fore. Two of their key youngsters – Rahul Tripathi and Washington Sundar – are playing their first IPL. Washington, in fact, was the thorn in Mumbai’s flesh in the first Qualifier. Smith felt their callowness might actually work in the team’s favour in a high-profile final.”That can play into your favour sometimes because you can just come out and play with freedom,” Smith said. “I thought Washington was absolutely fantastic against Mumbai the other night, for a 17-year old to come out on the big stage against some quality players and to do what he did was outstanding. Those guys, the young guys, have been a real big part of our success throughout this tournament. Hopefully, they can have a bit of success tomorrow night too. “For Fleming, the dynamic between Smith and MS Dhoni, who captained Rising Pune last year, was an integral part of the team’s success. “They’re both fine leaders with their performance. Arguably both are the best in their position. Certainly, MS for a period of time [has been up there with the best wicketkeeper-batsman] and Steve is right up there if not the best batsman in the world at the moment,” he said. “It’s just good communication between the two of them.”Much has been made of their relationship but certainly sitting with them it’s nothing but influential to the younger players and beneficial for the senior players and for me. It has been a great dynamic to be a part of. This is the first time I am working with Steve and I have enjoyed it thoroughly.”As for the coaches, how do they stay insulated from the pressure of producing results on the big night? Fleming felt most of the work was done at the start of the tournament and at the auction, and that this was the time to enjoy the fruits of the labour. “Then you bring the team together and find the right combination. If you’re lucky enough to find that in time, then it pretty much rolls along itself,” he said. “The finals should ideally be a time when you sit back because if you’re in the finals things must’ve gone right at the start. You don’t have to start over-analysing and make changes because it might not be beneficial to the team. Two of the most consistent teams are there and some great players on show. From a coach’s point of view, just a good seat in the house.”Jayawardene concurred with his counterpart’s assessment and said there was plenty of mutual respect between the teams. “You just have to be consistent throughout the tournament. For us as coaches, it’s good that whatever we planned from January onwards, how we wanted to have backups, a lot of boys were leaving, England boys and all that, so to plan all that and to get everything right and for us to be in this position is just brilliant. Right now, it’s just about having a good day tomorrow and letting the boys enjoy themselves.”
James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, has jumped on Virat Kohli’s allegations of Australia’s captain Steven Smith “crossing the line” by seeking off-field advice for DRS referrals, calling them “outrageous”.Currently in India, Sutherland spoke strongly in defence of Smith and the team after the coach Darren Lehmann had also categorically denied any orchestrated use of the team viewing area to deliberate on decisions.”I find the allegations questioning the integrity of Steve Smith, the Australian team and the dressing room, outrageous,” Sutherland said. “Steve is an outstanding cricketer and person, and role model to many aspiring cricketers and we have every faith that there was no ill-intent in his actions.”We reject any commentary that suggests our integrity was brought into disrepute or that systemic unfair tactics are used, and stand by Steve and the Australian cricketers who are proudly representing our country.”Sutherland’s comments came after Lehmann insisted that Australia “play the game the right way” in the wake of serious allegations by Kohli.The adjudicating match referee Chris Broad has reportedly stated that Smith would not face sanction over his attempt to check with support staff off-field whether to review his lbw on the final day of the Bengaluru Test match. However others, including the former captain Michael Clarke, have expressed concern about the young batsman Peter Handscomb’s role in the exchange and other possible instances of the practice.Broad is scheduled to be replaced by Richie Richardson for the final two matches of the series, and ICC management based in Dubai are yet to comment on the episode. Lehmann delivered a staunch denial when asked whether there had ever been communication between the team on the field and the dressing room about referring a decision: “Never ever. No. Never.”He [Kohli] has his opinion and we have ours. At the end of the day we play the game the right way. I’m very proud of the way the lads actually played. Disappointed we didn’t get across the line today. We changed the way we wanted to play with a change of side, a younger side. I’m really pleased with the way we do things now, we’ve never done any of that, and we’ll just get on with the next game. Disappointing today but you move on.”Very surprised to hear it [the allegation] but again, that’s their opinion.”Clarke, who worked alongside Lehmann as captain and coach for more than two years, said Handscomb’s involvement to prompt Smith to look towards the team viewing area worried him. Handscomb has tweeted that he had only done so because he was “unaware of the rule” forbidding players from seeking off-field guidance.”If you look at the footage, Peter Handscomb actually suggested Smith to turn around and look to the support staff. If this was a one-off, I don’t think that would have happened,” Clarke told India Today. “The fact that Handscomb has even thought of asking the Australian skipper to turn around and look to the support staff, I’ve got my concerns.”I think Steve Smith respects the game and if it’s a one-off, then it’s a brain fade. I want to find out more about it. But if Virat is correct and if Australia are using DRS that way, then it is completely unacceptable and it is not a brain fade.”Kohli stated after the Test’s conclusion that he had seen the Australians look towards their viewing area twice earlier in the match when he was batting, and had advised both on-field umpires to watch out for it. When Handscomb and Smith conferred, the umpire Nigel Llong stepped in quickly to stop any communication from taking place.ESPNcricinfo understands that members of the Australian team had discussed seeking advice on referrals in the past, but ruled it out on the basis that it was both against the rules and also impractical on the basis that it would take too long. The ICC had also clarified the illegality of the practice to international teams in briefings several years ago.Lehmann insisted that there had been no orchestration whatsoever, and went on to say that the Australian team had changed much in terms of attitude and on-field demeanour under Smith’s captaincy and the selection of a younger touring team to venture to India.”Probably on their side it might but our side again I’ll say we were very good the way we went about it and trying to play the game the way we want to play it moving forward,” he said when asked if the series would remain tense. “Gone were the days where we used to be the other way, and I was part of that as an Australian side.”So the young guys the way they want to portray themselves and get others to play the game and enjoy the game has been exceptional. I’m very proud of the way they went about it this game, even though we lost. [We want to] be remembered as a side that grows as a group together, doesn’t bite on confrontation and just plays the game.”We want to be remembered as a side that learned and grew together as a group. So for us that’s a challenge. There’s tough times in India no doubt, but how we want to play is a lot like everyone else around the world wants to play, and that’s the brand of cricket people come to watch. It was a great Test match … disappointed but proud of them.”The ugly scenes on the field during the Bengaluru Test marked a major downturn in relations between the two sides, but Lehmann said he had not sought out his opposite number Anil Kumble or Kohli to seek to smooth the waters.”No, we leave that with ICC and that’s the way it goes,” he said. “We’re here to play cricket, we didn’t play it well enough, they outplayed us, the partnership between Pujara and Rahane was fantastic the way they played. We could have bowled better a bit yesterday and batted better today, but they outplayed us so we need to be better.”It’s heated, it’s always heated in India that’s the way it is. So we didn’t cope well enough as a group in the last four or five sessions, pleased the way we bowled to get us back in the game, and we had our chances with the bat and didn’t get across the line.”