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A maiden Test fifty from Mohammad Mithun and Mahmudullah’s first Test hundred in eight years drove Bangladesh to a dominant position, allowing them to declare their innings for a second time in the match

The Report by Liam Brickhill14-Nov-2018AFP

Bangladesh ended the fourth day in Dhaka in a strong position in their bid for a series-levelling win, reducing Zimbabwe to 76 for 2 at stumps. Mahumudullah’s first Test hundred in eight years allowed them to declare their innings for the second time in the match and set Zimbabwe a target of 443, or – more realistically – four sessions to survive. Either result seemed unlikely when the visitors lost Hamilton Masakadza and Brian Chari before the close, with Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz extracting significant turn to trouble the visiting batsmen.Faced with a Herculean task, Zimbabwe’s openers cobbled together stand that stretched to 68 as Bangladesh’s seamers created a couple of chances, but weren’t backed up in the field. Masakadza fended a rising delivery in Khaled Ahmed’s fourth over to Mehidy in the gully, but the ball was grassed and Khaled’s wait for a maiden Test wicket went on. That was Bangladesh’s ninth drop of the game (as compared to five from Zimbabwe), and the third off Khaled’s bowling.As he had done in the first innings, Chari first set down an anchor and then looked to transfer a little pressure with some calculated hitting. He brought up the fifty stand with a quick single into the covers in the 17th over of the innings, but Bangladesh’s spinners – and particularly Taijul – found enough in the surface to suggest that chances would keep coming.Mehidy was the first to strike, removing Masakadza for 25 with a regulation bat-pad catch by Mominul at short leg. Chari then missed a paddle sweep against Taijul to be lbw for 43, the Zimbabwe opener failing to get the decision overturned on review. With close-in fielders surrounding the batsmen and the light starting to fade, Taijul and Mehidy bowled in tandem, getting the ball to bite and spit at Brendan Taylor and Sean Williams. They managed to survive, but the signs for the batting team were ominous.Bangladesh had decided not to enforce the follow on this morning, and their batsmen had struggled in similar fashion against Zimbabwe’s new-ball bowlers. It took a 118-run fifth-wicket stand between Mohammad Mithun and Mahmudullah to repair the innings after they had slipped to 25 for 4, with Kyle Jarvis and Donald Tiripano picking up two early wickets apiece.Mithun’s debut had got off to a shaky start with his four-ball duck in the first innings, but in the second dig he applied himself much more effectively. His knock was not without its iffy strokes, but he put the bad ball away whenever the spinners missed their lengths.Mahmudullah played the more adventurous role early in the partnership. He had gone 10 Test innings without a fifty before this one, and finally reached the mark from 70 deliveries. Mithun had also reached his own maiden Test fifty by then, from 91 balls, and with the partnership pushed beyond 100 the time came to step on the accelerator.Mithun fell in the pursuit of quick runs, and after Ariful Haque was quickly bowled around his legs, Mahmudullah found an able partner in Mehidy, and they added a further 73 as Bangladesh’s lead ballooned. Mahmudullah continued to take on Zimbabwe’s spinners, hitting his second six off Mavuta and then slicing an uppish drive through point off the final delivery of the second session to bring up his ton.With that came the declaration. Despite a gritty opening stand from Zimbabwe, Bangladesh will go into the final day confident that they can pick up the remaining seven wickets, with Tendai Chatara’s injury making him unlikely to come out to bat. Zimbabwe, on the other hand, need a miracle.

James Anderson concedes that he and senior partner Stuart Broad might face rotation in Sri Lanka but he is still keen to ‘put in the hard yards’ for England

George Dobell in Galle03-Nov-20181:49

Butcher: I’d pick Stone over Broad for first Sri Lanka Test

James Anderson has admitted he feels he “hasn’t quite cracked” the challenge of bowling with the Kookaburra ball.Despite recently overtaking Glenn McGrath to become the most prolific seam bowler in the history of Test cricket, Anderson accepts that his record at home – where he has claimed 368 Test wickets as a cost of 23.76 apiece – is far better than his record away (196 wickets at 32.62). One of the reasons for that home success is the use of the Duke’s ball, which swings for longer than the Kookaburra and other varieties, in England’s home Tests.Partly as a result of that, Anderson had no hesitation in declining the opportunity of skipping the tour of Sri Lanka. While he knows there may be some tough days ahead, he said he gains more satisfaction from “a good day here” than when “bowling on a green seamer in England in April”.There had been talk ahead of the tour that either Anderson or Stuart Broad, perhaps even both of them, could be rested in order to protect them in light of the challenges ahead – notably an Ashes series in England in 2019 – and to take a look at their possible successors.Anderson also acknowledged that, aged 36, he may not have many more opportunities for such tours and that with his white-ball career behind him – at international level, at least – the workload expected of him and Broad was far more manageable.”There was a question asked if I was keen to go on tour in the winter and I said, ‘Yes’,” Anderson said. “And that was pretty much the end of it.”The amount of cricket I play at the moment – and Stuart Broad would say the same for himself – means there’s no reason why we can’t be fit for all the Test cricket. We don’t play any white-ball cricket and there are plenty of gaps in between Test series for us to rest and recuperate and get fit for the next one.”It may be my last trip to Sri Lanka – or my penultimate one, anyway [England return in early 2020] – it’s a great place to tour and I’m going to enjoy it while I can.”It is a huge challenge for seam bowlers out here, but when you have a good day here you get more satisfaction than bowling on a green seamer in England in April. When you’re dripping with sweat, covered in mud, you know you’ve had a hard day, I think you get more out of that. You’ve put in the hard yards for the team.Stuart Broad and James Anderson could be rotated during the Test series•Getty Images

“The surfaces are very dry and the two we have played on this week have been really flat, too. So it’s a challenge. And the different challenges the Kookaburra ball brings are something I feel I haven’t quite cracked. That’s something for me to keep trying to work on.”Anderson also pointed out that he and Broad were the only two members of the England squad to have been part of a Test tour of Sri Lanka and suggested, with three spinners expected to play in Galle, the workloads for seamers should mitigate against any need to rotate them during the series. He did concede, however, that one or other of them may have to accept missing out in a Test or two.”You can’t go into a game thinking the spinners are going to do everything,” he said. “When we won in India [in 2012] the seamers still had a big role. We have to use that new ball – it will swing for the first 10 overs or so – so we have to make their batsmen play as much as possible.”Stuart and I are the only ones who have made a Test tour here before. So it’s down to us to pass on as much information as we can.”In terms of selection, you have to go with the conditions. On present history, we think it’s going to spin. There will probably be some tough decisions to make. Stuart and I are well aware of that. It’s international sport and you have to take it on the chin if you’re not selected.”But we want to keep improving as a team and to win. I don’t see the workloads being too much, so we’ll try and play our strongest XI every game.”It would be huge, a really big achievement to win here.”

Manchester United star Raphael Varane has responded firmly to FIFA president Gianni Infantino's latest speech against racism in football.

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• Infantino denounces racism in latest speech
• Varane issues strong response to FIFA president
• United defender says "actions speak louder than words"

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  As racism continues to stain the game in all corners of the world and up to the highest levels of the sport, FIFA president Infantino released a video announcing their plans to tackle the issue at the next FIFA Congress. But while Infantino underlined "FIFA's commitment to eradicate racism", Varane responded by saying those words are simply not enough. The United defender feels concrete action is needed for an issue that still happens week in, week out.

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• WHAT FIFA SAID

  Alongside a video on FIFA's official Instagram page, Infantino is quoted as saying: "We know very well that football unites the world, and especially in our fragmented and divided world, football has a responsibility to unite – now more than ever.

  "At the next FIFA Congress which will be held on 17 May in Bangkok, FIFA will present a stance against racism to all our 211 FIFA Member Associations from all over the world. We want to unite the world in this stance against racism because we have seen too many incidents of racism and discrimination to simply call it a reflection of society or offer any other poor excuse.

  We have the tools; we need to put them in place, and we need to get the world – the football world, in this instance, united in our fight against racism. On this, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, I want to reiterate FIFA’s commitment to eradicate racism once and for all from football."

• Getty
  

  WHAT VARANE SAID

  The United defender was firm in his response, writing on his Instagram story: "Actions speak louder than words. As supporters have big expectation on us to perform, we as players have big expectations of our leaders to use their power for good. We will be following closely and hoping for action for change."

  IG:raphaelvarane

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Varane's words ring true amid a calendar year that has already seen several incidents of racist abuse, barely three months in. Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior was again the victim of vile taunts from Atletico Madrid fans – during a game he wasn't even playing in – earlier this month. Mike Maignan forced AC Milan's game with Udinese to be paused after being racially abused in January, and just this week Napoli's Juan Jesus accused Inter defender Francesco Acerbi of a racist remark during their Serie A clash.

Richarlison welcomed Brazil's decision to appoint a squad psychologist as he shared his personal experience of receiving therapy.

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CBF appointed new squad psychologistRicharlison welcomed decisionShared personal experience of consulting psychologistWHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazilian FA (CBF) revealed on Monday their new technical staff who will be working under head coach Dorival Junior, and announced that Marisa Lucia Santiago will be their squad psychologist. Brazil and Tottenham tar Richarlison hailed the CBF's decision to bring in a psychologist as he claimed he benefited after receiving therapy.

AdvertisementWHAT RICHARLISON SAID

Speaking to , Richarlison said: "It's very important for the national team to have a psychologist to help the players. Only we know the pressure we suffer, not just on the pitch but off it. I suffered more even outside. It's important to have a psychologist. We know the prejudice that exists when someone says they are looking for help – I myself had it, but I don't have it anymore. As a national team player with an active voice, I tell people to seek help because it saved my life. I was already at rock bottom."

(C)GettyImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

In September 2023, the striker had 'vowed' to consult a psychologist after struggling to find form for club and country for over a year. He was left in tears after being subbed off during Selecao's 5-1 win over Bolivia. Since then, the striker's form has picked up as he scored nine goals in his last 12 Premier League appearances.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BRAZIL

The five-time World Cup winners are scheduled to play two international friendly matches against European giants England and Spain on March 23 and 26, respectively.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has an issue of trust with one first-team player who could now exit the club in January, according to a report.

Manchester City updates: Liverpool clash twist, Kroos on radar, Vermeeren latest

As per The Daily Mail, Manchester City's upcoming Premier League clash against Liverpool on November 25th has been moved from a 5:30 pm start to a 12:30 pm kick-off due to potential fan trouble at the Etihad Stadium.

Arsenal were originally scheduled to face Brentford at 12:30 pm; however, both fixtures will now effectively swap times and prevent the chances of trouble in and around the ground between rival supporters.

In a shock Manchester City transfer update emerging out of Spain, Real Madrid veteran Toni Kroos is believed to be a target for the Citizens once his contract expires at the Santiago Bernabeu next summer.

The report states that the Germany international could receive around double his wages at Manchester City if he was to move to England in 2024. During the summer transfer window, Kroos rejected advances from the Saudi Pro League and Major League Soccer to pen a 12-month extension to his deal at La Liga giants Real Madrid. Nevertheless, Guardiola and his recruitment team are now said to be leading the chase for the former Bayern Munich star.

Royal Antwerp midfielder Arthur Vermeeren is claimed to be attracting attention from Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur alongside a host of clubs in mainland Europe as he continues to make waves in his homeland this campaign.

Manchester City top scorers 2023/24

Player

Appearances

Goals

Erling Haaland

12

8

Julian Alvarez

13

6

Rodri

10

3

Jeremy Doku

8

2

Phil Foden

8

2

Manchester City transfer news – Kalvin Phillips potential exit

According to a Manchester City transfer update on Kalvin Phillips from Football Insider, it is believed that the England international is likely to leave the Etihad Stadium in 2024 after falling out of favour under Citizens boss Guardiola this term. The report states that Phillips now finds himself essentially frozen out at Manchester City due to the summer arrivals of Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes.

Guardiola left Phillips out of his side's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last weekend at the Emirates Stadium, instead opting to utilise Rico Lewis and Bernardo Silva in a double pivot, which the outlet indicates is a sign that the former Barcelona boss doesn't trust Phillips to perform and could now pave the way for his eventual departure.

Since joining Manchester City from Leeds United for a fee in the region of £43 million in 2022, Phillips has gone on to make just 26 appearances in total for his current employers and is yet to register a single goal or assist (Phillips statistics – Transfermarkt).

Despite being hailed as "superb" by Barcelona manager Xavi back in 2021, it is hard to see a way back for Phillips at the Etihad and he may now have to seek a new challenge in the near future to avoid a prolonged career stagnation.

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a blistering start to life under Ange Postecoglou, who managed to mastermind yet another emphatic result over the weekend with a late win against Sheffield United.

Despite it being a clash they were largely expected to dominate, the Lilywhites seemed to fall into old habits as the visitors led against the odds.

It seemed set for a classic home loss for the north London outfit who boast an unfortunate history of faltering in key moments, but their newfound energy, attitude and quality under the Australian tactician helped them turn the game on its head.

Richarlison, who had been the subject of huge media interest in the week for outlining his struggles, came from the bench to equalise and then set up the eventual winner. Dejan Kulusevski was the man to score it, sending the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium into raptures.

The Swede would even rush to laud his manager, despite being hailed as the match-winner.

However, it has not been completely perfect for Postecoglou, who did suffer one or two blunders in a summer full of successes.

Who left Spurs this summer?

Although incomings were obviously of huge importance to Spurs last window, there were a number of players who were widely recognised as dead wood, having disappointed through numerous regimes now.

The injection of freshness and excitement that the new leadership has promised was evident through the acquisitions of James Maddison and Micky van de Ven among others, but whilst the likes of Davinson Sanchez and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg hung around, it felt like a dark cloud remained.

This duo were understood to have little future in north London, with the latter the most surprising addition to the unwanted group given how important the 28-year-old had been since joining in 2020.

Jose Mourinho was keen to make the Denmark international one of his key additions during his first summer in charge, adding the combative midfielder to a squad lacking a strong spine.

Immediately he shone, and although the legendary Portuguese manager would eventually be dismissed, Hojbjerg remained a mainstay under Antonio Conte too.

How good has Hojbjerg been at Spurs?

The peak of the general’s powers arguably came during the 2021/22 term, with his 7.19 average rating boosted by a 90% pass accuracy and four goal contributions alongside 1.3 interceptions, 2.2 tackles and 1.4 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

Such form was bound to draw praise, with pundit Paul Robinson noting: “He is playing to a level that we have never seen before. He is playing his best football in a Spurs shirt. He is having an amazing season.

“He brings so much offensively and defensively. [Rodrigo] Bentancur is giving him a bit more freedom. I was at the Frankfurt game and he left the pitch to a standing ovation.”

Despite that, the interest that Manchester United held in him during the summer clearly tempted Postecoglou, who was reportedly open to the midfielder’s exit. Despite talks of a £35m move to the English giants, it never materialised, marking a failed opportunity to recoup a sizable fee for a player hugely out of favour and ill-fitting for the new philosophy.

After all, it is not like the former Bayern Munich ace has been completely free of criticism during his tenure, with 90mins Jude Summerfield lamenting one particularly "awful" performance in 2022.

How much did Tottenham pay for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg?

As Mourinho sought to build upon a solid first six months in north London, he was unsurprisingly keen to use his transfer war chest smartly whilst entering the unprecedented season during the pandemic.

Hojbjerg was one acquisition set to underpin their new-look midfield, as the steely metronome to dictate play, retain possession and thwart opposition attacks.

There were few better options on the market to fulfil all three of these attributes, so for just £15m, the 6 foot 2 enforcer marked a major coup.

How much was Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg worth at Southampton?

What makes this deal a particularly shrewd one is just how meteoric the midfielder’s rise has been, from Brondby IF to Bayern Munich, before shining on the south coast and earning a move to the apex of the top flight.

When he was first welcomed into English football, his value sat at just €15m (£12.9m) as per Football Transfers. This would take a small dip, but as performances increased and interest grew, so too would his value.

Four successful years with the Saints even saw him named captain for a period too, as if to emphasise both his leadership as well as his technical superiority.

What is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s market value now?

However, that aforementioned figure is one that has been truly blown out of the water now, which admittedly should come as no surprise.

After all, Hojbjerg has now made 150 appearances for the Lilywhites, actually accumulating 222 in the Premier League and now ten in the Champions League.

2023

€49.1m (£42.3m)

21% decrease

2022

€62.8m (£54.1m)

10% increase

2021

€56.9m (£49m)

298% increase

2020

€14.3m (£12.3m)

24% increase

2019

€11.6m (£9.9m)

N/A

As such, the €49.1m (£42.3m) value that is currently attached to his name is one merited. At his peak though, it did reach an astronomical €63.5m (£54.7m) in early 2023. The former figure marks a 182% increase on the initial transfer fee paid to secure his services three years ago now.

Why is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg worth that much?

All of the aforementioned praise serves to explain why Hojbjerg has amassed such a huge valuation, with his work on the international stage also meriting praise.

After all, the experienced veteran has not only shone within the English top flight, having mustered an impressive 69 caps with Denmark. His former manager at that level, Age Hareide, has been effusive in his praise for the combative star in the past.

The 69-year-old claimed: “Pierre plays with a big heart and immense passion.

“I think he has also developed his personality very significantly. I am particularly pleased to see how much Pierre is concerned that we must constantly improve in all possible areas.”

With glowing recommendations wherever Hojbjerg has gone, despite his dwindling influence at Tottenham, his contribution throughout the three years spent in north London cannot be faulted. However, that does not mean that Postecoglou did not make a huge error by not pushing harder to see his sale confirmed.

The writing was on the wall the moment you saw Gautam Gambhir, Ricky Ponting and Delhi Daredevils CEO Hemant Dua walk out for a press conference two days before the team’s second home game of the season. Gambhir, the astute leader who turned around Kolkata Knight Riders’ fortunes, was struggling with the bat and his side was down, having won just one out of six matches. It was clear Gambhir was going, but the big question was whether he was jumping or being pushed or jumping before the push could come.The franchise, the coach and now the former captain were emphatic in dismissing any suggestions Gambhir was under pressure to resign. In fact, Ponting and Dua went a step ahead and said it was unprecedented in Indian cricket for a player of his stature to put the team ahead of himself and resign.And then there was Gambhir’s statement: “Absolutely my decision. I was the one who initiated the meeting. I thought I haven’t contributed enough. At the same time, the performance of the team. I had to take the responsibility as the leader of the ship. I owe that responsibility. I should. As a leader. I feel it was the right team because we are still very much in the competition. Absolutely my decision [to resign], no pressure from the franchise, they have been absolutely supportive about it. But sometimes when your conscience says it is the right time, and you just take that.”Gambhir was candid enough to admit it gets difficult to turn things around as a player gets older. Released by Daredevils eight years ago, he did turn it around not just for himself but for the entire Kolkata Knight Riders team, winning them two titles. Now, though, he felt he might have been too desperate to repeat it.”Maybe the only thing I can point to is, I was too desperate to turn things around,” Gambhir said. “And at times it can backfire as well because sometimes you are too keen and it makes you too hard on yourself. Sometimes you realise that maybe I just couldn’t handle the pressure that came with the position, the responsibility I was given.Gautam Gambhir is all smiles while leading his team back to the pavilion•BCCI

“Maybe coming back to Delhi was an emotional decision as well. Sometimes when emotions get better of you and you are too desperate to turn things around, that is the only thing I can think of at the moment. Too early in the tournament to reflect on what went wrong but one thing that came to mind is this. When I joined KKR, I was 28. Now I am 36. That could be one of the reasons. You can handle more pressure when you are 28 than when you are 36.”There is one recent precedent in IPL of a captain resigning mid-tournament, and that came from the man sat next to Gambhir. Ponting had quit as the Mumbai Indians captain when he, and consequently, his team were struggling in 2013.”I think Gautam deserves a lot of credit for the way he has handled this situation,” Ponting said. “It is unheard of in Indian cricket for a senior player to put his hand up and say I don’t feel like I am playing well enough. And for the team’s sake I am going to stand down. I did it when I was at Mumbai as a player. I knew that I had better players that I was keeping out. I decided to do the right thing.”It doesn’t happen everyday, it might not happen again in Indian cricket or in IPL for someone of his stature, of his talent, of his ability, of his overall record, just to say it is time for a change of direction for this team. I am proud of what he has done. I am sure his younger team-mates are exceptionally proud of the fact that he came out and said that to the team today. And he has created an opportunity for one of India’s best young players (Shreyas Iyer) to captain his franchise.”The franchise has been under pressure too, and CEO Dua was asked if he, too, was going to resign. He said he would be happy to resign and let the owners take a call should they fail yet again, and also stringently defended Gambhir.”I knew these questions were going to come that the franchise has pressurised Gautam,” Dua said. “It is his decision. You should respect when somebody takes the decision and give him the due credit. That’s the problem with all of us. When somebody takes that decision, respect that. Because this kind of decisions are not taken in India. We totally back and salute Gautam. And I think it is important that the media notes that.”Gambhir took the call after the last Daredevils defeat, chasing a below-par total against Kings XI Punjab at home. “I have always set very high standards for myself as a player, and if I am not able to achieve that, it puts doubt in your mind if you have put enough weight to be in the team. Obviously when I spoke to my wife, she said as a leader you have given opportunities to other players, you have given 14-15 opportunities, why only four to yourself? And my only answer was I have set different standards for myself than I set for other players. Sometimes when you are not able to achieve those standards, you have got to put your hand up and say I was not good enough.”

Big Picture

The tri-series began with something of a whimper, though Australia certainly roared to victory in between the Sydney showers. A team packed with Big Bash talent pinned New Zealand to the ropes, keeping them to just 9 for 117 from their 20 overs, before Chris Lynn and Glenn Maxwell applied the finishing blows with the bat.Standout among a clutch of impressive performances was that of the skyscraping Billy Stanlake, whose speeds pushed above 150kph (90mph) during an opening three-wicket burst that effectively scuppered New Zealand’s chances of a more competitive total. Australia’s T20 form has been indifferent – arguably since their World T20 final appearance in 2010 – but with Stanlake, AJ Tye and Ashton Agar impressing alongside contributions from the more experienced Lynn and Maxwell, this was an exciting glimpse into a possible future.David Warner, the stand-in captain, does remain in a rut with the bat against the white ball, but he marshalled Australia well in the field, bringing his IPL experience to bear and energetically celebrating his team’s success. A chance to exact some revenge after their drubbing by England in the ODI series should add to Australia’s motivation.For England, this extended spell of T20 is an opportunity to rediscover some focus, two years after they came within the width of Carlos Brathwaite’s bat of lifting the trophy in Kolkata. Their record reads P9 W4 L5 since then, as they have taken the opportunity to experiment with the line-up and blood new players. To an extent, without Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, that will again be the case – but the tri-series provides a window to further embed England’s aggressive white-ball approach, with Sam Curran (brother of Tom) the newest potential inductee.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WWLWL
England LWLWL

In the spotlight

David Warner spoke passionately about turning around Australia’s T20 fortunes before the start of the series and his captaincy was central to orchestrating their impressive victory at the SCG. His limited-overs form continues to be a concern, however, with a tentative 6 off 11 balls following five ODI innings against England in which he tallied 73 runs. It is almost two years since Warner made so much as 30 in a T20I (although he has only batted nine times in that period) and a reminder of his abilities in this format seems long overdue.His ODI role has become more one of providing squad support but David Willey remains a key asset for England in T20. His ability to swing the new ball for a couple of overs while the opposition are looking to go hard and then return to deliver his variations later in the innings gives his bowling a sharper focus, while the knock of 79 off 36 at opener that saw him hit Nathan Lyon for 6-6-6-6-6-4 in the warm-up match in Canberra suggested England could do worse than throw him up the order as a pinch-slogger.

Team news

Australia got off to a flying start against New Zealand on Saturday and there may be a temptation to stick with the same XI. Travis Head, fresh from leading Adelaide Strikers to the BBL title, is an option to bolster the batting.Australia (possible): 1 David Warner (capt), 2 D’Arcy Short, 3 Chris Lynn, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Ashton Agar, 8 Andrew Tye, 9 Kane Richardson, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Billy StanlakeAlex Hales, Jason Roy and Chris Jordan are all expected to be fit after injury but Liam Plunkett is still working his way back from a hamstring strain suffered during the ODIs. England’s main dilemma is how to best deploy their resources: Sam Billings would strengthen the batting (and fielding), Tom Curran the bowling, while the uncapped Sam Curran offers a bit of both.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Sam Billings/Tom Curran/Sam Curran, 7 Liam Dawson, 8 David Willey, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Chris Jordan, 11 Mark Wood

Pitch and conditions

Hobart traditionally offers something for seam bowlers, though a T20 track is likely to be much flatter; Morgan said the pitch “looked completely different” on Tuesday to Monday and would likely change again come the start of the match, with a warm forecast for the day. The long straight boundaries may also encourage spin bowling.

Stats and trivia

• Morgan is set to captain England for the 28th time in T20s, taking him past Stuart Broad into second behind Paul Collingwood (30).
• Chris Lynn’s 44 against New Zealand was his best score in six international innings for Australia.
• Australia beat England by 13 runs in their most recent T20I at Bellerive Oval, in 2014, a match in which Lynn made his debut.
• England have only won one of their six T20s in Australia, at Adelaide Oval in 2011.

Quotes

“I’m still trying to adjust to international cricket but I definitely have confidence in what I’ve done out here throughout the last couple of weeks.”
“In a tournament basis you have the carrot of a final at the end, so I’m all for them. If we could play more, we would but I don’t think it’s viable with travel schedules around the world.”

Celtic are reportedly closing in on their seventh new addition of the summer transfer window as Brendan Rodgers attempts to bolster his playing squad.

Who have Celtic signed this summer?

The Hoops head coach has already been able to snap up Odin Thiago Holm, Marco Tilio, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, and Hyun-jun Yang all on permanent deals to add to his midfield selection.

Central defenders Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke have also been brought in to strengthen the defensive side of the team, which needed to be addressed after Carl Starfelt's move to Spanish outfit Celta Vigo.

Aris left winger Luis Palma is now said to be on the verge of completing a switch to Parkhead after the club agreed a £3.5m deal with the Greek side.

The Honduras international appears set to improve Rodgers' options at the top end of the pitch after his impressive performances in Greece throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

How good is Luis Palma?

Based on his form for Aris last season, the 23-year-old wizard has the potential to come in as a big upgrade on current Hoops winger Daizen Maeda.

The exciting dynamo showcased his ability as both a scorer and a creator of goals, with the former being his biggest strength. Palma racked up an impressive 11 goals in 20 league starts in the Greek top-flight, which also included nine substitute appearances.

Only Kyogo Furuhashi (27) scored more league goals for Celtic during the Scottish Premiership campaign last term and the £3.5m-rated talent's tally of 11 was also three more than Maeda managed in 35 matches for the club.

The incoming Hoops signing could, therefore, provide a greater goal threat than the Japan international if he is able to translate his form over to Scottish football and deliver a similar level of production in the final third.

Palma also displayed his creativity with 1.4 key passes per game for his teammates throughout last season.

Only two current Celtic players (Matt O'Riley and Anthony Ralston) produced more per outing than the Honduras international and Maeda ranked 15th within the squad with 0.8 per clash.

This suggests that the 5 foot 10 maestro could offer more than the 25-year-old winger when it comes to being a playmaker for his fellow attackers, as he has the quality to regularly split open the opposition's defence to create opportunities in front of goal.

Palma's superiority was also reflected in his average Sofascore rating as he ended the season with a score of 7.12, which was considerably better than the current Hoops forward's rating of 6.78 and would have placed him within the top ten in the squad.

The Aris star, who was praised for his “brilliant” goal contributions last term by agent Paulo Hernandez, has also started the current campaign in fantastic form with two goals and three assists in five matches in all competitions, whilst Maeda has zero goals and one assist in four outings so far.

These statistics over the last 12 months or so suggest that Palma has the quality to be a big upgrade on the Japanese marksman with his average performance level and his goal contributions at the top end of the pitch, which is why this could be an excellent signing for the club.

In the post-lunch session, at least five of their fielders came out wearing masks and a little later they appeared not to have enough healthy players to put on the park

Sidharth Monga in Delhi03-Dec-20172:25

Not normal for players to suffer like this – Pothas

India were almost forced to declare their innings in bizarre circumstances as Sri Lanka ran out of players healthy enough to field in the polluted Delhi air on day two of the Test. There were two stoppages – 17 minutes and five minutes – before the eventual declaration even as Sri Lanka trainer Nick Lee changed into his whites to step in as the 11th player on the field. The fielding coach Manoj Abeywickrama was also prepared to take the field.In the post-lunch session, at least five of their fielders came out wearing masks. At 12.32pm, fast bowler Lahiru Gamage expressed concerns to his team, the physio walked out and looked after him, which caused a 17-minute delay. One more stoppage later, the other fast bowler Suranga Lakmal just walked off, leaving only 10 Sri Lanka players on the field. At 1.28pm, Virat Kohli, the India captain who fell for 243 during this stop-start period, called his unbeaten batsmen back in, seemingly suggesting they were okay to field in these conditions. Incidentally, Kuldeep Yadav, India’s 12th man, wore a mask when he came on to the field with drinks in the first session. This was even before the first drinks break, when physio Patrick Farhart came on to check on Kohli’s back.Play was held up briefly due to the smog in Delhi•BCCIPollution in Delhi has been a major health concern in recent winters. In November this year, the government had declared a public health emergency; schools were shut for a week, and the Delhi half marathon almost didn’t go ahead. Back then, the air quality in Delhi had almost reached severe levels. On Sunday, air quality in some parts of Delhi was reported to be hazardous, and very unhealthy in the ITO area adjoining Feroz Shah Kotla.During the interruptions, the match referee David Boon was seen talking to a doctor, who had a stethoscope around his neck, presumably for advice on how big a health hazard the current pollution was. Animated discussions between players and the match officials took place during these interruptions. At one point, India coach Ravi Shastri walked out to the middle. Nic Pothas, the Sri Lanka coach, was also seen talking to the umpires.Last year, two Ranji matches – Bengal versus Gujarat, and Hyderabad versus Tripura, were called off because of heavy smog, but the air quality was much worse at that point.Air Quality Index (AQI) in India is measured considering eight particularly harmful pollutants. The index ranges between 0 and 500. During the health emergency last month, the AQI nudged 400, which is considered severe. The air quality on Sunday was higher than 350 in most parts of Delhi, but in the early 200s in the surroundings of Feroz Shah Kotla.The Central Pollution Control Board rates such conditions as “very poor”. According to CPCB, exposure to them for a prolonged period can trigger respiratory illness. The most dominant pollutants are PM2.5 and PM10. These are ultrafine particulates, 30 times finer than a human hair. The concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 were 223 and 383 micrograms per cubic metre at 1pm. The acceptable highs are 100 and 60.It didn’t help that Sunday was a still day. Breeze usually helps dissipate the particulate matter in the air. Even the sun couldn’t properly break through the haze. Floodlights were turned on around quarter past one in the afternoon.