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The West Indies fast bowlers embarrassed India’s batsmen for the second time in three weeks, setting the foundation for a series-levelling win

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga28-Jun-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outThe joke was on the Indian batsmen as the fast bowlers had them in all sorts of troubles•AFP

The West Indies fast bowlers – even without Fidel Edwards – embarrassed the Indian batting line-up for the second time in three weeks, setting the foundation for a series-levelling win. They bowled aggressively and smartly, reducing India to 82 for 8 before a 101-run ninth-wicket stand between MS Dhoni and RP Singh kept the match alive. Chris Gayle and Runako Morton replied with a 101-run partnership of their own, ensuring there was no late drama in a game that was mostly dominated by West Indies.Two days ago 658 runs were scored on the same Sabina Park pitch by the same set of batsmen, but the early swing exposed some technical flaws with the Indian line-up. There were personal milestones for Ravi Rampaul and Denesh Ramdin along the way, Rampaul taking career-best figures of 4 for 37 and Ramdin five catches.Gayle’s captaincy stood out early on. He employed two slips as soon as he saw some swing. Jerome Taylor didn’t need any of the slips in the first over, when he bowled the perfect outswinger to Dinesh Karthik, shaping in, pitching off, moving away, making the batsman play, and getting the edge through to the keeper.If Karthik had no option but to play at Taylor, Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma played unnecessary shots to Rampaul in the next over. Bowling to Rohit, Rampaul wanted the second slip out, but Gayle persisted. And how it worked. Rohit chased a wide outswinger, Ramdin went too hard at the catch, but the second slip took the rebound. Seven for 3 in 1.4 overs, and there was still a long queue outside the Sabina Park.By the time the crowd finally settled, Yuvraj Singh was promising another treat. By the end of 12 overs India seemed to have weathered the storm, only momentarily. Yuvraj had reached 35 off 32, quite a contrast to Dhoni’s 11 off 31. It was all fine until then, because the partnership read 47 off 62.But neither Gayle nor Taylor was done yet. Taylor was asked to bowl his seventh over on the trot, and he got Yuvraj with the first ball. Gayle was not going to wait for mistakes now. Back came Rampaul, in came a leg gully and a slip, and out came the open secret: the bouncers. After an edgy nine-ball stay, Yusuf Pathan edged an accurate bouncer from Dwayne Bravo. Ravindra Jadeja repeated his dismissal from the first match, pushing at a delivery away from his body. After the second slump of the innings, India stood at 70 for 6, and Dhoni looking for some support from the other end.Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar didn’t show any appreciation of the fact that there were close to 30 overs still to go, getting out to flashy shots, and soon India were 82 for 8. But Rampaul’s fourth wicket came in his tenth over, a maiden, and Taylor and Bravo were nearing the completion of their quotas as well.Dhoni took the batting Powerplay in the 23rd over, and farmed strike, even refusing singles to RP. Gayle got through the Powerplay overs without much damage, but had to opt against an all-out attack because Bravo and Taylor had only two overs each to go. He also seemed to have sensed that the pitch had eased out, and was happy to contain. Dhoni and RP, meanwhile, batted sensibly.Dhoni wasn’t in the cleanest of touches, but took charge of the rescue work. RP hung around him, and between them they brought up only the fifth 100-run stand for the ninth wicket in ODI history. RP’s 23 was his personal best, and Dhoni looked set for what would have been a fifth century. But Bravo and Taylor came back well, making sure India didn’t play their full quota. Dhoni was the last to go, for a responsible 95, to a perfect slower ball from Taylor in the 49th over.If India thought they were carrying some momentum into the defence, they had another think coming. The maiden bowled at the top of the innings, by Praveen Kumar to Gayle, was a false start too. When Morton stood tall and slapped the first ball he faced for four, it confirmed that the pitch held no horrors, at least not after the first few overs in the morning.That being the case, Gayle took a liking to the medium-pace of Ashish Nehra, RP and Praveen. In the over after that maiden, Praveen’s quick reflexes saved his life: the straight pull from Gayle reached the boundary even before one could say “thank god”. Gayle immediately put his hand up to apologise.There was no sense of apology in the way he took the left-arm medium-pacers for 37 runs in their first five overs, killing the contest right there. When Gayle finally fell for a 46-ball 62, Morton had scored just 30. Morton stayed solid after his captain’s fall, getting to his tenth fifty and taking West Indies home with 15.5 overs to spare.

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to revisit their interest in Nahitan Nandez this January…

What’s the word?

That’s according to CalcioNapoli24 (via Sport Witness), who claim Spurs are in the mix to sign the Cagliari midfielder but they are facing competition from Serie A rivals Napoli and Inter Milan.

It’s thought that the north Londoners are ready to complete a move for Nandez in the winter transfer window, though it remains to be seen how much he would command.

Transfermarkt currently value him the 44-time Uruguay international at £19.8m.

Imagine him and Hojbjerg

Nandez is a player that Spurs boss Nuno Santo would surely love to sign, he could well be the ideal partner to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg at the base of the engine room.

The diminutive 5 foot 7 dynamo can be a livewire in midfield, having the same sort of skill set as N’Golo Kante at Chelsea.

The 25-year-old enforcer has continued his fine form from last season and has proven his credentials in taking control of matches.

For example, he has averaged 2.6 aerial duels won, 1.6 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per league game this term, showing his defensive capabilities but he has also shown an ability to bring the ball forward to contribute in the opposition’s half, having also averaged two dribbles and one key pass each outing, as per WhoScored.

It’s no wonder he has been called a “machine” by Serie A expert Conor Clancy, who told This is Futbol:

“I like him a lot. I think he’s only about five foot seven, but you wouldn’t know it if you just watched clips of him, he is a little bit of a machine. He’s so powerful but at the same time, has really, really good ball control.”

Hojbjerg is regarded as one of the more defensively sound options in the middle, so adding a player like Nandez could be really complimentary.

In some ways, there may be further comparisons to the influence of Joao Moutinho in Nuno’s Wolves system – a similar sort of short but quality presence in midfield.

Nuno would surely love a move for the Uruguay beast this winter, so Lilywhites sporting director Fabio Paratici must look to seal a swoop for him in the upcoming window.

AND in other news, Signed for £22m, now worth 248% more: Daniel Levy struck gold with Spurs’ “revelation”…

Match facts

May 12, 2009
Start time 16.30 (14.30 GMT, 20.15 IST)

Big Picture

Mumbai will wait on the fitness of Zaheer Khan, who missed the last two games. If he comes in, Dhawal Kulkarni may have to make way•AFP

The scramble for the semi-final spots picks up pace with the Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians, ranked fifth and sixth respectively, taking on each other in Centurion. Seven teams still have a chance of making the semi-finals, with only Kolkata ruled out of the competition. With the tournament entering its business end, any slip-ups here will affect the teams’ chances of qualifying.For Mumbai, it’s essential they continue the momentum because they have a game each against Delhi and Chennai, the top two teams in the competition. They made refreshing progress with their batting in their previous game but they will have to summon up some consistency in their forthcoming matches.A victory for Punjab will push them up to No.4 but a defeat will see them slip one notch below. They too have tough games coming up, so staying afloat will be a challenge. They still haven’t figured out their strongest line-up, going by the number of changes in the batting. It’s time for the experimentation to end.

Form guide (completed matches, most recent first)

Kings XI Punjab – WLLWLThe relief was palpable in the Punjab camp when they stuttered to victory against Deccan Chargers after two successive defeats, but the composition of their top order is still a worry. In the last five games, they have tried out three different opening combinations and perhaps the only player who has cemented his position is Simon Katich. Karan Goel and Sunny Sohal have been inconsistent, while Kumar Sangakkara was also tried out, only to be pushed down the order. On the positive side, Mahela Jayawardene has returned to form after a quiet start and the bowling wears a more settled look.Mumbai Indians – WLLLWThree successive defeats threatened to derail Mumbai’s campaign but the tournament’s underachievers overcame their batting woes to script a 16-run win against Royal Challengers Bangalore. They reworked their batting order, promoting Ajinkya Rahane and reinstating Sanath Jayasuriya to the top, and lost only two wickets in the innings. The bowlers picked up wickets at regular intervals and later strangled the runs.

Watch out for

JP Duminy: The third-highest run-getter in the IPL has scored the most half-centuries (4) in the tournament. His ability to finish off an innings in style came in handy in his team’s last two victories.

Team news

Mumbai will wait on the fitness of Zaheer Khan, who missed the last two games. If he comes in, Dhawal Kulkarni may have to make way.Mumbai Indians 1 Sachin Tendulkar, 2 Sanath Jayasuriya, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 JP Duminy, 5 Abhishek Nayar, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Harbhajan Singh, 8 Yogesh Takawale (wk), 9 Chetanya Nanda, 10 Dhawal Kulkarni/Zaheer Khan, 11 Lasith MalingaPunjab may retain their winning line-up, but the one main worry is Sreesanth’s inconsistency.Kings XI Punjab (probable) 1 Sunny Sohal, 2 Simon Katich, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Mahela Jayawardene, 6 Irfan Pathan, 7 Wilkin Mota, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Sreesanth, 11 Ramesh Powar

Stats and trivia

• Giving away extras may prove to be the Achilles heel for Punjab in the run-up to the last four. They have the dubious distinction of giving away 19 against Rajasthan in Durban, the highest in the tournament so far. They have also given away the third-highest number of freebies – 17 against Mumbai in Durban.
• Mahela Jayawardene has not only been in supreme form with the bat, he needs two more catches to go level with AB de Villiers of Delhi Daredevils for the most number of catches this season.
• Mumbai have the highest margin victory in terms of runs, when they thrashed Kolkata by 92 in Port Elizabeth. Chennai also had a similar margin of victory against Bangalore at the same venue.

Head-to-head record

Mumbai have lost all three games against Punjab so far. In their earlier meeting in this tournament, in Durban, Yusuf Abdulla helped Punjab clinch a last-over thriller. Few would have given them a chance after they managed just 119. Despite Duminy’s composed fifty, Mumbai fell short by three runs. They played out a similar thriller in Mumbai last year, with Punjab winning by one run. Punjab won the first encounter between the two teams last year by 66 runs.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em tempos de bares gourmet, ingressos caros e “torcedor nutella”, Joel Santana e Ronaldo Angelim foram fotografados em um momento muito “torcedor raiz”. Sentados na calçada de um bar no Ceará, ‘Papai Joel’ e Angelim assistiram à vitória do Flamengo sobre o Coritiba, no último sábado (22), pela 16ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. A imagem viralizou nas redes sociais.

Joel Santana está no Ceará para a realização de amistoso da equipe Black Gold Oil FC, dos Estados Unidos, que o treinador está comandando atualmente. A equipe de Joel empatou com a Portuguesa do Crato em 0 a 0 e enfrenta o Iguatu, na próxima quarta-feira, em novo amistoso.

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Queens Park Rangers have been handed a double boost ahead of their upcoming Championship fixture.

What’s the latest?

According to a report by West London Sport, both Charlie Austin and Moses Odubajo are set to make a return to Mark Warburton’s matchday squad for the visit of Bristol City this weekend.

The 30-year-old Austin was absent from QPR’s mid-week loss to AFC Bournemouth due to a family bereavement, while right-back Odubajo also missed the 2-1 defeat due to a knock picked up in last weekend’s 3-3 draw with Reading.

Meanwhile, Luke Amos has not been deemed fit enough for Saturday’s fixture, with the midfielder’s return to first-team action being earmarked for the Rs’ Carabao Cup meeting with Everton next week, while Sam Field and Lee Wallace are also unavailable due to injury.

Speaking about the current state of his squad, Warburton said: “Hopefully everyone’s fit and well. Sam and Lee are a few weeks away but Luke did 90 for the B team, so he’ll look to get involved from Tuesday onwards. Other than that we’ve got a full squad to pick from, so we’re in good shape.”

Warburton will be buzzing

With Warburton undoubtedly hoping that his QPR side can bounce back from their first loss of the Championship season with a win against Bristol City this weekend, the return of both Austin and Odubajo is sure to have left the 59-year-old manager buzzing.

While Austin has not been in the best goalscoring form of his career over his five league appearances so far this term, having found the back of the net just once, the addition of a player who scored eight goals and registered one assist over 21 Championship fixtures last season is undoubtedly a major boost for Warburton.

Meanwhile, considering the poor display of stand-in right-back Osman Kakay against the Cherries, with the 24-year-old earning a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.2 for his efforts in the fixture, the return of summer signing Odubajo will also please the Rs boss.

As such, it would very much seem as if the reintroduction of both players to Warburton’s matchday squad will increase the 59-year-old chances of picking up a positive result against the Robins, something which is sure to delight everyone involved with QPR.

In other news: Warburton must unleash “positive” £18k-p/w ace vs BCFC, he could solve big QPR problem

Taking to Twitter, Fichajes reporter Ekrem Konur has made a interesting Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: Vlahovic chased by Spurs…

Towards the end of the summer transfer window, reports indicated that La Viola’s star forward was very much a wanted man at Spurs.

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Indeed, talks were apparently held over a move for the Serbian powerhouse and there are claims that a bid was even made to bring him to north London by managing director Fabio Paratici.

Now, Konur has shared some news on Vlahovic in another update involving Tottenham.

The Latest: Konur drops interesting Spurs transfer claim…

Taking to his social media, the Fichajes journalist has made an interesting out-of-window claim with Spurs ‘preparing’ an offer to sign him.

The Turkish reporter says that the Lilywhites and Paratici are currently plotting an eight-figure bid of £30 million for Vlahovic despite some reports indicating he could cost over double that amount (Calciomercato.it).

It appears Spurs are planning to play low ball with the 21-year-old still yet to officially extend his stay with Fiorentina.

The Verdict: Certain rejection…

If Tottenham do submit an opening bid that low, we believe it is almost certain to get rejected considering how well he performed in Italy last year.

Vlahovic bagged 21 goals in Serie A alone over 2020/2021, with Italian football expert Conor Clancy calling him a ‘really exciting player’ when he spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern.

£30m is an optimistic first offer to say the very least for one of Europe’s hottest young strikers.

In other news: Spurs now want ‘outstanding’ 29 y/o who Pochettino wanted to make one of his highest earners, find out more here.

Cricinfo previews the second ODI between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe

Cricinfo staff20-Jan-2009Match facts January 21, 2008
Start time 9.00am (0300 GMT)
Will Zimbabwe put it across Bangladesh yet again? © AFP
Big PictureWill Mirpur produce another nail-biter? The low-scoring contests have been thrilling, but the letdown for the crowds has been the fact that the home team has failed to convert strong positions into wins. Bangladesh had the opposition down to 6 for 5 and 44 for 6, but still failed to defend totals of 152 and 124 against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. While the first defeat robbed them of a chance of winning a tournament, the second left them facing the prospect of an embarrassing series loss to Zimbabwe, a team ranked below them in the ICC ODI rankings.At the start of the tour, Zimbabwe captain Prosper Utseya had outlined two goals: reaching the final of the tri-series and beating Bangladesh in the subsequent three-match contest. The first goal seemed accomplished when they upset the hosts, but an inspired effort from Shakib Al Hasan kept them out of the final. They are on the verge of the second, and Utseya would want his team to step up and complete the task. His side stretched Sri Lanka at home last year – although a scoreline of 5-0 does not suggest that – and a series win here would indicate they are perhaps ready for more frequent contests against Test-playing nations. Also, a series loss will be a big dent in confidence for Bangladesh, with critics already saying they don’t deserve to be playing Test cricket.If they win tomorrow, Zimbabwe would clinch their first series victory in over two years – the last was against Bangladesh at home in July 2006.Form guide (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)Zimbabwe WLWLL
Bangladesh LLWLLWatch out forThe others bowlers may have come up with the headline-grabbing performances, but Mashrafe Mortaza has been the steady bowler for his team, chipping in with tidy economical displays when not among the wickets. His three top-order strikes set the way for the upset over Sri Lanka, and a similar showing could be the early punch needed to floor Zimbabwe.Like Bangladesh, the batting will be the worry for Zimbabwe as well. Tatendu Taibu has been unable to come up with substantial scores in recent games. He has failed to go past 40 in his last nine innings since his 74 against Ireland in Nairobi, and a match-winning score seems due from one of Zimbabwe’s premier batsmen.TeamsWith opener Junaid Siddque having a best of 3 in his last four innings, Bangladesh might consider replacing him with Mehrab Hossain jnr, who has shown some application in Tests. Another worry for captain Mohammad Ashraful is the bowling towards the end of the innings – Bangladesh have been found wanting in the final few overs more than once. Rubel Hossain leaked vital runs against Muttiah Muralitharan, and Bangladesh did not manage to wrap up the tail in the previous game against Zimbabwe.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Junaid Siddique/ Mehrab Hossain jnr, 3 Mohammad Ashraful (capt), 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Raqibul Hasan, 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Naeem Islam, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza, 10 Nazmul Hossain, 11 Rubel Hossain.Zimbabwe’s bowlers have performed well, and it’s unlikely they will tweak a winning combination.Zimbabwe (probable) 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Tatenda Taibu (wk), 4 Stuart Matsikenyeri, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 Keith Dabengwa, 8 Prosper Utseya (capt), 9 Ray Price, 10 Tawanda Mupariwa, 11 Ed Rainsford.ConditionsMohammad Ashraful”s decision to bat first in the last game raised eyebrows, with the conditions in Mirpur having generally favoured the fast bowlers in the morning. Ashraful misread the conditions, and the batsmen struggled yet again. Perhaps hosting a Test and five ODIs in the past 20-odd days has not left much time for preparation for the ground staff at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.Stats and Trivia Ray Price’s all-round brilliance – 4 for 22 and an unbeaten 23 – sealed the game for Zimbabwe the last time around. They were his career-best bowling and batting figures. Shakib Al Hasan has been the star allrounder for Bangladesh in the past year. His 3 for 11 off ten overs – a career-best effort – against Zimbabwe followed up a miserly 2 for 22 against Sri Lanka. The opening batsmen have had a torrid time in Mirpur this year. In ten innings, ten opening stands add up to a measly 118 runs, with a best of 51 and three no scores. The top three batsmen average 12.26. Quotes”I think we are a more disciplined side and if we continue to be like that then we should win the series.”
“We just have to get a decent score on the board. That is the only area where we are struggling.”

The ICC has asked the 2011 World Cup organising committee to begin preparations for the tournament for which they are already ten months behind schedule.India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will be jointly hosting the World Cup expected to be held in February-March 2011. Saleem Altaf, the Pakistan board’s director-general, said normally the committee started the work three years before the tournament. “The ICC reminded us that we are behind schedule on the organisation of the World Cup,” Altaf said after attending a two-day meeting of the World Cup organising committee held under the chairmanship of ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat earlier this week.”The ICC has issued clear-cut directives that the World Cup secretariat should start functioning soon, and Lahore has been chosen as the city for this purpose,” Altaf said.Apart from Altaf and Lorgat, N Srinivasan, BCCI secretary, Nizamuddin Chowdhury, Bangladesh chief executive, and Duleep Mendis, Sri Lanka Cricket’s chief executive, Campbell Jamieson, ICC’s general manager-commercial, and IS Bindra, principal advisor to Lorgat, attended the meeting.

Some Liverpool supporters are unhappy that Nat Phillips has signed a new deal with the Reds, with many claiming that it makes no sense.

The 24-year-old became something of a cult hero at Anfield last season, having been thrown into the team by Jurgen Klopp.

A host of long-term injuries to the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip meant that Phillips was called into action more than expected, but he helped Liverpool finish third in the Premier League.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

With those key centre-backs fit again and Ibrahima Konate signed from RB Leipzig, though, Phillips now finds himself as fifth-choice in his position.

Despite this, Liverpool confirmed on Tuesday [via the club’s official Twitter account] that the Englishman has signed a new long-term deal at Anfield, with no other clubs willing to buy him on transfer deadline day despite him being linked with an exit in recent weeks.

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Liverpool fans unhappy with Phillips update

These Reds fans took to Twitter to show their unhappiness at Phillips being given a new contract amid an absence of new signings on deadline day.

“Love you Nat but this club is gonna throw me off the edge”

Credit: @MoThiagoA6_

“Sorry, what?”

Credit: @dpgingo1

“This club is just laughing at the fans today aren’t they?”

Credit: @jayreid1987

“I’m tired of this club”

Credit: @twlsjf

“Nah I’m speechless”

Credit: @monsutaendo_

“This is the nail in the coffin”

Credit: @fcDavee

In other news, one Liverpool player is set for a deadline day exit – find out who it is here.

Ex-Manchester City player Steve Howey believes it’s always good to see players come in and do well, following Samuel Edozie and Cole Palmer featuring for Manchester City in the Community Shield match against Leicester.

Both featured for Manchester City’s academy last season, with Edozie getting seven goals and five assists and Palmer getting 13 goals and six assists. The duo also featured in City’s first Premier League 2 match of the season last weekend, a 0-0 draw away at Liverpool.

Their performances on the pitch last term helped Manchester City’s EDS squad win the Premier League 2, with their form being rewarded with a place in Pep Guardiola’s starting XI at Wembley Stadium for the Community Shield.

And Former Cityzen Steve Howey believes the duo will be looking forward to the season ahead, exclusively telling Football FanCast: “Yeah, I mean, I thought it was a decent game.

“It’s always good to see people come in and do really well. So, because of that, they’ll be looking forward to the season and see what they can do.”

Manager Pep Guardiola has given academy players minutes in the first team in previous seasons, with the likes of Phil Foden and Liam Delap both featuring.

Cole Palmer has already had some first-team minutes in both the Carabao Cup and the UEFA Champions League, and after starting the Community Shield, if the duo can have good seasons for the academy, they could be the next players to transition permanently from the academy into the first team at the Etihad Stadium.