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With 22 wins as India Test captain, Kohli only has MS Dhoni ahead of him

Bharath Seervi22-Aug-201822 – Tests won by Virat Kohli as captain – the second-most among India captains. He has edged past Sourav Ganguly’s 21 Test wins. Now only MS Dhoni has more wins for India – 27 in 60 Tests. Kohli’s win-loss ratio of 3.14 is the third-best among all captains who have led in a minimum of 35 matches.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2- Bigger Test wins for India against England by a runs margin than the 203-run victory at Trent Bridge. The 279-run win at Headingley in 1986 and the 246-run victory in Visakhapatnam in November 2016 are the only two bigger wins.5- Instances of teams winning by a margin of 200 or more runs in the third Test of a series (four or more matches),after being 0-2 down in the series. India have achieved this twice and both times outside home; the other instance came in Australia in 1977-78. The other three instances were for teams at home.

4- Number of times India have won the third Test after losing the first two Tests in a series of four or more matches. The first three three instances were: against West Indies in 1974-75 at home, and in Australia in 1977-78 and 2007-08.80.21- Control percentage of India’s batsmen in this Test in comparison to England’s 73.34. England had better control percentages than India in the first two Tests. The team with better control percentages have won all three Tests in this series so far.

19- Wickets by India’s fast bowlers – their second-most in any Test. They have only taken all 20 wickets once, at the Wanderers earlier this year. The previous most wickets by India’s fast bowlers in a Test in England was 17 – at Lord’s in 2007 and at Trent Bridge in 2011.2- Successive defeats for England at Trent Bridge, both by large margins. In the Test against South Africa last year they lost by 340 runs. They were undefeated in seven Tests prior to these two matches – won six and drawn one. Five of those victories were by either by an innings or by margins of 300 or more runs or nine or more wickets. Thus, seven of the last eight results at Trent Bridge have been decided by big margins.5- India captains to win Player of the Match in Tests outside Asia, excluding Zimbabwe. Virat Kohli joined the list, which includes Kapil Dev, twice, in Adelaide in 1985-86 and at Lord’s in 1986, Sachin Tendulkar at the MCG in 1999-00, Sourav Ganguly at the Gabba in 2003-04 and Rahul Dravid in Kingston in 2006.

Bangladesh finally found a way to bat like a confident unit and that only happened because they realised they should always be looking for runs, even on tough pitches

Mohammad Isam in Dhaka11-Nov-2018One of the areas that Tamim Iqbal discussed with the Bangladesh batsmen during and after the first Test against Zimbabwe was the pace of their innings. He isn’t a big believer in defending too many deliveries for the sake of survival, which is what Bangladesh tried to do in Sylhet. Tamim feels batting becomes easier when you’re always on the lookout for runs, regardless of the match situation.Bangladesh suffered a familiar top-order collapse on the first day of the Dhaka Test but their recovery from that was simply excellent. They even crossed the dreaded 169, having failed to do so in each of their last eight innings. The 266-run partnership between Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque is the fourth-highest by a Bangladeshi pair. Mominul became the first batsman from his team to get to three 150-plus knocks, while Mushfiqur became only the 10th wicketkeeper to score six Test hundreds.

I found out why he is one of the top five players in Bangladesh. It really affected me. I think his input was important for me. I think it is one of my best hundredsMominul on Mushfiqur’s influence and making runs on a tough pitch

The change in fortune, particularly on an “unpredictable” pitch, was down to Mushfiqur and Mominul recognizing quite early that scoring runs will bring them comfort at the crease and in turn have the opposite effect on Zimbabwe’s bowlers.Mominul was the first to hit a boundary; by lunch he had four – one skewed over gully but the other three timed through midwicket, cover and mid-off. Mushfiqur was more careful, only looking for boundaries after the first interval. He had four fours when he reached his fifty.The pair had a great time in the middle session, scoring 151 runs in 32 overs. Mominul reached his century during this time, and as the partnership went into a higher gear, it became evident that they had cut out the risks and were working hard to grind down the Zimbabwe bowlers.In the last eight innings, the last of which was in Sylhet, the same batsmen had a hard time avoiding loose strokeplay. But here, there was a fine mix of deliveries left alone throughout their long partnership, with Mushfiqur especially careful against the fast bowling of Kyle Jarvis and Tendai Chatara. He reached his hundred after the tea interval, his first Test century since February 2017, against India in Hyderabad. The former Bangladesh captain has been very consistent in ODIs and T20Is during this period, but in Tests, especially with Tamim out injured, he needed to do better. And on Sunday, he most certainly did.Mushfiqur Rahim is pumped up after reaching his hundred•AFP”Mushfiqur bhai guided me throughout my innings,” Mominul said. “I found out why he is one of the top five players in Bangladesh. It really affected me. I think his input was important for me. I think it is one of my best hundreds. It was an interesting innings. It was tougher than some of my other hundreds.”Mominul is an instinctive top-order batsman. He made a good start to the year with his hundred in each innings against Sri Lanka. But apart from a 182 against Ireland A in August, he has had a lean time in 2018. But despite getting out to loose strokes several times in the last eight months, his confidence was evident even in Sylhet. Here in Dhaka, on a far more challenging pitch, Mominul scored freely but always made sure to pick the right balls to hit.”I didn’t see much of a difference [between this innings and the previous Tests]. I should have scored in the last five or six innings. You get out of the rhythm sometimes. Maybe something goes wrong with the routine, which I try to maintain.”I don’t try to complicate my batting. It is easier if you focus only on seeing the ball and playing the ball. You have to be mentally strong. Sometimes people say things when I am not scoring runs but that’s normal. Everyone would.”Still, there were the odd silly mistakes. Mominul survived dropped catches (albeit tough ones) on 9, 25 and 120 leaving no doubt that Bangladesh have a long way to go to become a fully confident Test batting unit. The three early wickets they lost also suggested the same. They were at a virtual standstill with Imrul Kayes and Liton Das finding it hard to get scoring opportunities in the first 11.1 overs. Imrul got out to a fine delivery but Liton and then Mohammad Mithun played poor shots after struggling to get the ball off the square.These were silly mistakes that could have cost Bangladesh heavily. Instead, through the Mushfiqur-Mominul record fourth-wicket stand, the home side have a stronger foothold in the contest.

Dhoni is gearing up for another World Cup, but there are whispers that the third ODI against Australia could be his last international in his hometown

Deivarayan Muthu in Ranchi07-Mar-20192:24

WATCH – Dhoni and co. practice ahead of third ODI

Ranchi, what?When MS Dhoni was becoming the phenomenon he is now, he used to be asked where he hails from, particularly during overseas tours. Dhoni used to explain: “It’s near Kolkata, near Jamshedpur, where Tata originated. It [Jharkhand] is India’s richest state in terms of minerals.”Ranchi was a hockey hotbed, and the craze for the sport grew bigger here after Jaipal Singh led the hockey team to gold at the Amsterdam Olympics in 1928. But, ironically, it needed a schoolboy football goalkeeper-turned cricketer to put an old-world small-town city under international spotlight. Now, Ranchi is Dhoni. Dhoni is Ranchi.After he slugged Nuwan Kulasekara over the wide long-on boundary at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to win the World Cup in 2011, Ranchi looked like this:

That Moment when #India won #WC2011 @MSDhoni view of #Ranchi Firayalal pic.twitter.com/4FCnTGLhkT

— We Are Ranchi ✋ (@WeAreRanchi) August 21, 2013

Eight years later, Dhoni is gearing up for another World Cup, but there are whispers that this could be his last international match in Ranchi. Whispers on the streets. Whispers at press conferences. Whispers at airports.Jasmeet Singh, one of my co-passengers on the flight from Delhi to Ranchi, was born and bred in Ranchi and is now the director of Manikaran Power Limited in Delhi. He’s returning home for personal reasons, but he’s thrilled to have got tickets for the third ODI for his kids. He, too, reckons that this could be Dhoni’s last international appearance in Ranchi. He tells me Dhoni might retire soon – quite possibly after the World Cup – and might serve the army. I nod in approval. After all, Dhoni travels in camouflage pants and even dons camouflage gloves often.There are several hoardings and posters of Dhoni on the way to the south gate of the JSCA Stadium. There are more signposts saying ‘MS Dhoni Pavilion’ than those with ‘JSCA Stadium’ on them. He was supposed to inaugurate the pavilion named after him in the lead-up to the third ODI against Australia, but politely declined the invitation. Instead, on the eve of the match, he turns up for optional practice and keeps biffing the bowlers into that pavilion.The net bowlers – and throwdown specialists Raghavindraa and Nuwan Seneviratne – are all being Dhoni-ed into the stand named after him over wide long-on. The groundstaff lean back on the roller and soak in the monster blows before they are shooed away by the cops.A stand named after MS Dhoni at his home ground, JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi•ESPNcricinfoMoments later, headline-hungry journalists tell Bhuvneshwar Kumar that this will be Dhoni’s last international in his hometown. Bhuvneshwar has a smirk on his face when he asks: “How do you know that?”When the same question is posed to Adil Hussain, the former Bihar and Central Coal Limited (CCL) captain who had played alongside Dhoni at the club for five years, he reminds that you never know what you get from Dhoni. He had retired from Test cricket just like that. He had quit one-day captaincy just like that. Boom. Gone.”Dhoni is fit and can keep going. He can even run faster than the younger guys in the side,” Hussain tells ESPNcricinfo. “He can come back and play in Ranchi, but he can also suddenly spring a surprise and walk away.”Dhoni was only in 11th grade when Hussain spotted him carting bowlers in a schools tournament, and got him on board at CCL in 1997. Hussain gushes that Dhoni’s sky-high confidence right from junior cricket made him a cut above the rest. He recalls a match where a teenaged Dhoni smashed then India bowlers Debasis Mohanty and T Kumaran into smithereens.”He never really bothered about his technique and despite being a junior player, he made his plans and views clear to the senior players,” Hussain said. “In a Sheesh Mahal Trophy match, he took on Kumaran and Mohanty – two India bowlers – and kept hitting them away. Even back at that time before Dhoni became a star, many people came to watch him hit big sixes.”MS Dhoni wraps up a training session in Ranchi•PTI Dhoni had also turned out for Durga Sporting club, launching massive sixes in tennis-ball tournaments. His ability to wallop sixes for fun made him such a popular name in the tennis-ball cricket circuit that when Ranchi hosted its first international in 2013, Dhoni said: “I have grown up here, played a lot of cricket, and of the 40,000 people [here], I must have played tennis-ball cricket with at least 15,000.”So, what does Dhoni mean to Ranchi?”Everything Ranchi has now is because of Dhoni,” Hussain says. “Nobody knew Ranchi before Dhoni, now everybody knows about our city and I cherish those five years playing with Dhoni for CCL. So many kids play cricket here because of him.”And, what does Ranchi mean to Dhoni?It’s mutual: everything. After establishing himself in international cricket, one of Dhoni’s India team-mates asked him why he hadn’t moved out of Ranchi to a bigger city. There was even a bet going that Dhoni would step away. Hell, no!”Something about Ranchi brings me back home,” he said at a promotional event of his biopic MS Dhoni: The Untold Story.”I am still staying in Ranchi and I love the city. I’m more of a small-city boy, and particularly you can get in and out of the house 15 times in a day. If you’re living in Mumbai, you can’t even think about it.”Back in the day, when Dhoni wasn’t cagey, he used to tweet fairly regularly and didn’t shy away from expressing his love for Ranchi.

Thanks for reminding me about kolkata fuchkas but I prefer the ranchi ones,if anyone goes to ranchi then he/she shd try

— Mahendra Singh Dhoni (@msdhoni) November 13, 2011

He used to co-own Ranchi Rays in the now defunct Hockey India League. Ashley Jackson, the English midfielder who was part of that side, is quite a fan of Dhoni, and his team-mates used to even try to mimic the helicopter shot at training.But who isn’t a fan of Dhoni in Ranchi? The buzz here is palpable, and if this turns out to be his last international here, the fans deserve a blockbuster finish from their hero. Of late, Dhoni has been batting as if the weight of the world is on his shoulders. Ranchi wants Dhoni who bats as though the world is at his feet.Will it be happily ever after for Ranchi and its then?

Plus, a look at how two legspinners of contrasting styles made key contributions to their teams

Karthik Krishnaswamy08-May-2019The Deepak Hooda run-out: fair or not?The penultimate ball of the Sunrisers Hyderabad innings was a wide outside off stump from Keemo Paul, a slower ball. Deepak Hooda swished at it, missed, and non-striker Rashid Khan called him through for an extra run. The ball rolled through to Rishabh Pant behind the stumps, and he threw at the non-striker’s end, perhaps reckoning that Rashid had been quicker off the mark and that there was a greater chance of a wicket at Hooda’s end.Pant’s throw hit the stumps direct, and Hooda, who had collided mid-pitch with the bowler, was yards out. Or was he? For a while it seemed as if Shreyas Iyer, the Delhi Capitals captain, was mulling whether to withdraw the appeal and call back Hooda. Then Pant, gesturing vehemently, seemed to convince Iyer that the appeal should stand. Hooda eventually had to trudge back to the dressing room.What are the rules around such collisions? It is up to the umpires to make sure that the obstruction of a batsman by a fielder is deliberate (or not). In this case, Paul was moving towards the path of the ball, with his eyes on the ball, when Hooda ran into him, and in such situations, it is the bowler who has right of way, and the batsman’s responsibility is to find a way past the bowler.In this instance, Hooda was pretty late starting his run, having gone down on his knees in an attempt to play the ball. He may not have made his ground even if Paul had not come in his way.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe Amit Mishra obstruction, explainedIf that dismissal was controversial, how about this one? Here we were again, in another final over, and this time Capitals were very nearly throwing away a sure-fire win. They had needed five when the last over began, but Amit Mishra and Paul were struggling to put away Khaleel Ahmed’s pace variations.Now they needed two off three when Khaleel bowled another slower cutter outside off stump. Mishra slashed and missed, and the batsmen took off for a bye. First up, Khaleel appealed for caught-behind, and umpire S Ravi was unmoved. Wriddhiman Saha, the keeper, rolled the ball towards the stumps at the striker’s end, and missed. Khaleel picked it up in his follow-through, spun around, and aimed to throw at the other end, but appeared to have sent it wide.But wait, here was Khaleel, going up in appeal once again, pointing towards Mishra. What was the issue now?Well, as soon as he passed the bowler while running the bye, Mishra changed course, running diagonally from the edge of the pitch towards the stumps, putting himself between the stumps and the throw. Khaleel was appealing for obstructing the field.And so it went to the third umpire, twice over. First, a Sunrisers review for caught-behind. No edge. Then the umpires’ review for obstructing the field, and it was quickly apparent that Mishra’s change in direction could have had no other intent behind it than blocking the throw at the bowler’s end.Mishra slows it downEarlier, when Mishra came on to bowl at the end of the sixth over, Sunrisers were 54 for 1. Martin Guptill was at the crease, and had hit four sixes in getting to 35 off 17 balls. Capitals needed wickets as well as containment.Mishra provided both. He dismissed Guptill with his third ball, caught on the midwicket boundary. There was nothing obviously threatening about the ball, but it was a difficult one to hit. It was more or less in the slot for the slog-sweep, but at 76.1kph, it was considerably slower than the average speed he would end with for the day (83.5kph), and it gripped and turned fairly appreciably. Guptill, hitting against the turn, was through his shot early, and as a result ended up toe-ending it.Mishra kept varying his pace beautifully through his spell, and the Sunrisers batsmen just couldn’t line him up. There could have been another wicket too, when Kane Williamson edged an attempted glide, but the chance didn’t stick in Pant’s gloves.Regardless, Mishra played a crucial role in keeping Sunrisers quiet through the middle overs, going for just 16 in his four overs and not conceding a single boundary. This shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise; among all bowlers this season, he has the second-best balls-per-boundary figure.Amit Mishra brought Delhi Capitals back into the game after a blazing start from Martin Guptill•ESPNcricinfo LtdRashid Khan hurries ’em upTwo legspinners, two totally different styles, two hugely impressive performances.If Mishra finished the match with an average speed of 83.5kph, Rashid was considerably quicker at 93.7kph. That’s how he always bowls, hurrying the batsmen, giving them no time to adjust if they don’t pick his variations, attacking their stumps.Those ingredients brought Sunrisers roaring back into the match in Rashid’s final spell of two overs. When Williamson brought him back for the 13th over, Capitals needed 66 off 48 with seven wickets in hand, and ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster tool gave them a 79% chance of victory.Rashid bowled out his two remaining overs in one spell, and brought Sunrisers roaring back into the match, bringing his hurrying and harrying skills to the party most decisively. Colin Munro, pinned to the crease, struggled to pick him. Twice he was beaten by Rashid’s zip off the pitch and was struck on the pads. Rashid let out massive appeals on both occasions. The first wasn’t given, and would have returned an umpire’s call verdict had Sunrisers reviewed. The second was given out and stayed out on review.Munro had used up his team’s only referral, and this would prove costly. Axar Patel went on the back foot to try and cut the very next ball, which was too close to him and too skiddy for the shot, and the ball missed his inside edge and lobbed up to the keeper off his back pad. Umpire Bruce Oxenford, however, gave him out caught behind.

Rassie van der Dussen, South Africa’s limited-overs’ vice-captain, talks about how believing in himself and being rational has allowed him to capture his dreams

Deivarayan Muthu in Bengaluru22-Sep-20193:22

Working with Klusener a huge learning experience – van der Dussen

Following the World Cup, you’ve been appointed South Africa’s vice-captain. You are also part of the leadership group at the Lions. How do you handle this extra responsibility?I made my international debut late in my career, but it has been good for me. I’ve come into the team and I know my game, which has helped me adapt to international cricket. Leadership is something that comes naturally to me, I suppose. I always think on the field and think about communicating to the bowlers. A lot of the bowlers here – like Beuran Hendricks and Kagiso Rabada – they play with me domestically back home.I know what these guys think and what their plans are. I know what their strengths and weaknesses are, so that helps me on the field to know what they are thinking under pressure. Sometimes, it just takes one or two words for me to communicate with them and I know what they’re going to do.It has helped me in this vice-captaincy role, supporting Quinny [Quinton de Kock]. He’s obviously very experienced and he has led from the front – he’s that sort of a character and I think captaincy is going to bring more good things out of him.

“I was realistic of the fact that South Africa was a tough team to break into – Faf, AB, Hashim, Quinny were all there. I just made peace with the fact and just wanted to keep persevering and see what happens. If I was still in domestic cricket at 35-36 years of age, I would have still been pushing.”

During the World Cup Faf du Plessis was impressed with your temperament and earmarked you as future captain. How was it to earn du Plessis’ vote of confidence?To hear someone like Faf – someone who has been a hero to me for so long – say something like that, it was unbelievable. It is an honour, but it also bestows the responsibility on me to not shy away from the extra responsibility. Even though I’ve just played for this team for just about a year, there’s no reason why I’m not a senior batsman in this line-up and that’s what I try to do.In Mohali, it was disappointing for me to get out second ball there and us not getting across the line. But, we have another chance in Bengaluru and I really want to do it for my country and team, and level the series.ALSO READ: How Rassie van der Dussen became an all-format specialistWhat was your immediate reaction after receiving the news that you had made it to South Africa’s World Cup squad?It was quite nerve-wracking because you never know what the selectors are going to go for. I was sitting at home with my wife Lara – and the selectors didn’t tell us beforehand – and [we were] watching the squad being announced. The reason why they didn’t tell us was because they were scared there might be some leak.So I was waiting eagerly for my name and when it came up it was a massive, massive moment for me. Representing your country at the highest stage is an honour that not many people get in their lives. The excitement level peaked a bit but at the same time it came with responsibility, especially in the Proteas side where there are so many good players.Lara was just jumping up and was very excited at the news, and straightaway my phone just got going. It’s a special feeling when you realise that something for which you have worked hard all through your life is coming true. As a sportsman, you never know if it’s going to happen, so you always push and it’s also a feeling of gratitude I suppose.Getty Images Players like AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, and Quinton de Kock broke into the South Africa side fairly early in their careers, but you had to wait until 29. How difficult was that wait?I think you are a product of circumstances and throughout my career I’ve always had a major drive to play for my country. I’m very patriotic and a proud South African. I’ve always been a glass half-full type of guy and always looked at positive side of things.The wait didn’t cloud my judgement, but by around April last year, I went to Vincent Barnes, who is our bowling coach on this trip to India. He was the head of CSA high performance at that stage and I sort of phoned him and asked if we could just have a meeting. And I went to him, and after that I was the leading run-scorer in the four-day competition.

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What did Vincent Barnes tell you?I just went to him and asked him if I was part of the plans going forward because I felt I was doing all that I can. But life isn’t fair. It has never been fair and it never will be. He said to me I was in the plans and just told me to keep persevering.After that meeting I had some clarity that they were looking at me, but I was realistic of the fact that South Africa was a tough team to break into – Faf, AB, Hashim, Quinny were all there. I just made peace with the fact and just wanted to keep persevering and see what happens. If I was still in domestic cricket at 35-36 years of age, I would have still been pushing. So I suppose I was fortunate and prevailed to get an opportunity. Do you know that your ODI average is 73.77?I mean I’ve played only 18 matches, but my wife Lara was a former international scorer and I’m sure she knows all the stats (chuckles). In one-day cricket, the middle-over situations tell you what to do. So I always play accordingly and know that if I’m there at the back end, I can capitalise like I did in the New Zealand game and the Australia game.Then it becomes like a T20 game where you know your areas and try to maximise. For me it was all about coming in and adapting to the intensity of international cricket. The numbers will be what they will be, but I just want to contribute to a winning team. If I can do that, the numbers will take care of themselves.

“There are over 30,000 people watching you, there are Aussies around you throwing comments, and then there are guys bowling at 140kph. Then there’s a scoreboard showing you have just 4 off 20 balls or something, it’s a lot happening. You need to take in those extra seconds to think clearly and objectively and that’s what I tried to do.”

How has Justin Sammons (Lions’ batting coach) helped improve your batting?It’s no secret that in the last three years that I’ve worked with Justin, I’ve done really well. He’s the type of coach who looks at you individually and doesn’t have set ideas in his mind. He works around your technique and looks at your strengths and builds on them.For example, my set-up and trigger movement is a lot more technical in red-ball cricket – his eye is sensitive to these finest things. When it’s off, he immediately tells me if my front foot is doing this or my hands push out wider.You were initially a big-hitting top-order batsman at Lions, but later moved to the middle order. How have you managed to fit into different roles?About three years ago, Reeza Hendricks, the current South Africa opener, was at the Knights and Lions signed him. Stephen Cook was our four-day opener and Reeza is one of the best openers I think there is in the world across formats. And coach Geoffrey (Toyana) and Justin came up to me and asked me to consider batting in the middle order as Reeza was signed as an opener. If that’s what is needed to get into the team, I said I’ll take on the challenge and will adapt.I was ready to work on my rotation game and batting against spin; it’s not just about clearing the ropes. That’s where Justin came in and we spoke about game-plans in the middle overs. And batting in the middle order turned out to be a great move for me and it just shows you that in life things happen and you just have to be open-minded and try to adapt to the situation.The middle-order gears were on display during the World Cup game against Australia. You were on 20 off 40 balls and then cranked it up to end with 95 off 97 ballsThat was a vital innings for me. When I came in, Nathan Lyon was bowling really well. He didn’t give any bad balls and (Pat) Cummins was bowling at the other end. I thought I was not able to get away. That’s where Faf came in. He just told me to keep my intent up and stick to my game-plan and stay patient. He also told me when you get the ball in your area just capitalise on that.Getty ImagesThe advice from du Plessis seems so very simple, but isn’t it so very difficult to do against a formidable bowling attack in a World Cup?There are over 30,000 people watching you, there are Aussies around you throwing comments, and then there are guys bowling at 140kph. Then there’s a scoreboard showing you have just 4 off 20 balls or something, it’s a lot happening. You need to take in those extra seconds to think clearly and objectively and that’s what I tried to do.Eventually, I just hit a six off Glenn Maxwell and got going. It showed me I can take some balls to get in, especially in 50-over cricket, and then catch up. I narrowly missed out on a hundred. If I had gotten a hundred there, it might have been a perfect innings; we won the game. I learnt a lot from that innings and also from Faf. Did the AB de Villiers revelations at the World Cup affect you?It didn’t really affect me. When I heard the news, it came as a shock to us because we knew AB had retired. He is the best player South Africa has ever seen. We respect everything he has done for South Africa and he’s a massive hero for all of us in the side, but the news did come as a shock.Suddenly people were saying that’s maybe the reason I was in the team. The thing that my dad told me after AB retired was: “At least one spot will open up and you can fight for it”. I sort of looked at him and said “Yeah”. I don’t want to compare myself to AB, but I’ve had a lot of questions, especially from journalists, if I had replaced AB. I said “No”. Nobody can replace AB, but I can play match-winning innings for my country by being a Rassie and not somebody else.How have you fine-tuned your game against spin?Spin is something you face a lot of when you play in the subcontinent and you have got to make a plan. I suppose you can get better at it by talking to guys who play spin well. Neil McKenzie is a very good player of spin and is a very good sweeper and reverse-sweeper. He uses his feet and he helped me a lot early in my career at Lions. Again, I try to challenge myself. You look at a guy like Virat (Kohli) – he keeps it really simple and to make it look simple at this level, there’s a lot of hard work that goes into it. So, I just try to improve as I go.With the T20 World Cup a little over a year away, how do you assess this talent pool?The emphasis will be on T20 cricket and we have some really outstanding T20 players in this team. We do have the experience and whether it’s the domestic experience or international, the fundamentals stay the same. And the MSL (Mzansi Super League) has been very helpful.We have around 19 T20Is before the World Cup, we need to learn to play with each other. Myself and Temba [Bavuma] have batted a lot together at Lions, myself and Quinny have batted a lot together, but somebody like Dave (David Miller) and Temba haven’t batted a lot together. So it’s about gelling well as a team. That’s going to the biggest thing going forward.What’s the next step forward for you on a personal front?It is the T20 World Cup. Hopefully in the next 12 months I can keep performing and contribute to a winning team and build a positive culture under Enoch Nkwe (new team director); I’ve worked with him previously at Lions. He has brought in a fresh mentality and hopefully I can be there at the World Cup and play a big part there. You never know. Maybe this team can be part of history – something that South Africa haven’t done before.

The outgoing Pakistan batting coach speaks candidly about which players need improvement, his favourite and not-so-favourite memories

Interview by Danyal Rasool15-Aug-2019In 5 years in Pakistan, what did you like best about living here?The friendliness of the people.What was the most frustrating thing about living in Pakistan?The security aspect and the lack of freedom.Proudest personal achievement?Winning the Champions Trophy.Most frustrating day with the Pakistan team?Well, there were quite a few! Getting hammered by the West Indies in the first game of the World Cup that proved to be the nail in the coffin for our semi-final chances.What will you miss the most about working in Pakistan?The passion of the players and the natural flair and their love of the game. It was such a nice thing to see because they’ve got so much to gain by playing for Pakistan and so much to lose by not playing. It’s such a big thing for them and their families.What won’t you miss about working in Pakistan?Some of the backstabbing by ex-players. And a lot of the politics that happens within the TV channels, the journalists and some of the politics in the PCB itself. I won’t miss those, certainly.Where do you rank Babar Azam among the players you have personally coached?He’s probably the best bloke I’ve ever coached – certainly the best Pakistani I’ve ever coached.Which Pakistan batsman doesn’t get the credit he deserves?I think Haris Sohail is probably an underachiever – I think a lot of people haven’t seen the best of him yet.Where do you see Pakistan’s top three in five years? Will it be the same three?I’m not sure about Fakhar (Zaman); he’s got to get his technique a bit tighter, but the other two will definitely be there, no question about that.What can the PCB do to ensure players maximise their potential and Pakistan isn’t left with unfulfilled talents?Getting a stronger domestic structure in place. That will help massively.Waqar Younis or Mickey Arthur?Mickey Arthur.What do you want to do in future?Get another coaching job somewhere. Hopefully improve in some areas I wasn’t as proficient in. Maybe I’ve got to look at myself. Either become a batting coach or head coach elsewhere.Asad Shafiq has a chat with Grant Flower•AFPDid you think you could have taken a firmer line with some of the players who kept making the same mistakes?It depends on your relationship with the players or how you get the best out of them. I think a lot of batting coaching is about confidence. Players having confidence in the batting coach and vice versa. And if you lose that confidence then the players aren’t going to believe in you and talk to you about the problems they’re having. So I think that’s one of the biggest things in coaching, having that relationship with the players.I did do one strong interview after which a couple of players approached me and discussed what they thought of that. I did come hard at them at times, but you don’t want to break that trust, because you’re never going to repair it.Which player improved the most in the five years you were there?Babar Azam’s the obvious one. But also Imam-ul-Haq, I think he’s really improved. You’re going to see a lot more of him because he’s very driven. As long as he doesn’t get too far ahead of himself, I think he’s going to have a really good career.Which player do you think hasn’t kicked on as much as you wanted him to?I suppose I’d have to go for Fakhar Zaman. I’ve worked quite a lot with him, but he’s got such a different technique to others. He’s quite hard to work with, even though he’s a lovely guy. There’s a lot of rawness about him, but his results have been very inconsistent. But I think he’s good enough to make something of it, but he’s got a lot of work to do.What would you like to say to Pakistan’s fans?I just want to wish them all the best for the future and being supportive and passionate, which they already are. And have faith. Have faith in the players and stick behind them. Look for the positives as opposed to the negatives.

Chelsea have held talks over a move to sign a £50m star who doesn’t have a weak foot, according to David Ornstein.

Chelsea close to Conference League semi-final after 3-0 win at Legia Warsaw

The Blues and Enzo Maresca are now in a strong position to advance to the Europa Conference League semi-finals following a 3-0 victory at Legia Warsaw on Thursday evening.

Teenager Tyrique George scored his first senior goal for the Blues shortly after half-time, with Noni Madueke netting a brace ahead of the return leg next week.

Talking after the win, Maresca praised both George and Josh Acheampong, saying: “Very happy first of all for the Chelsea academy because it’s one of our boys from the academy so very happy for him. He was quite good first half, take responsibility, second half in the middle probably was a bit better.

“But the one that I fall in love tonight is Josh Acheampong because for me potentially he can be fantastic player, top player for this club, for the football in general and a good player show you that can play in different position and he can do good, he was full back, good, midfielder, good, central defender, good, so it’s not about I play in that position or in that position, if you are good player you can be in different position.

“And tonight I fall in love with Josh because to be honest since we start I’m in love with him but tonight he show that he can be a very good player for this club.”

Chelsea in talks with striker they were secretly close to signing in January

They nearly got a winter deal done “behind closed doors”.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 11, 2025

Away from the pitch, Chelsea and Todd Boehly are preparing for the summer transfer window and are thought to be eyeing up a £200m triple deal for AFC Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen, Real Madrid winger Rodrygo and Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres. Now, an update has emerged on one of the Blues’ top targets.

Chelsea hold talks to sign £50m Dean Huijsen

According to The Athletic’s reliable reporter Ornstein, Chelsea are one of a number of Premier League clubs who have held talks with Huijsen’s representatives recently.

When asked about the £50m defender, Ornstein said: “I now understand that Liverpool are among the clubs with a firm interest in Dean Huijsen. This has been reported elsewhere and is accurate. Chelsea have enquired and Arsenal are in the mix, too.

“At the moment, those are perhaps the three leading contenders, but not the only ones, with Newcastle and Tottenham also keen. I believe they have all held meetings or conversations with Huijsen’s camp in the past week, but I’m not aware of offers being made just yet, so the direction of travel remains unclear.”

Huijsen, dubbed “phenomenal”, has starred in an impressive Bournemouth side under Andoni Iraola. Transfermarkt state that the 19-year-old, who is a Spain international, doesn’t have a weak foot, so he could potentially partner Levi Colwill at the back, should Chelsea win the transfer race.

The battle at both ends of the Championship is going down to the wire this season, but there may also be a transfer tussle involving three clubs currently fighting it out in England’s second-tier.

Championship run-in heats up as Blackburn thrash Millwall

Only three matches now remain for most teams in the Championship and there is a high level of jeapordy surrounding both the race for promotion and the battle to avoid the drop. Leeds United and Burnley look likely to enter the Premier League automatically, but there is an intriguing battle for the playoff slots.

Emerging as a surprise late contender, Millwall have put together a decent run of results under Alex Neil and still have a shot at entering the picture for top-flight football, but those hopes were damaged badly by a 4-1 defeat at Ewood Park on Friday.

Neil is a specialist in this type of environment, as exemplified at Sunderland and Norwich City in previous years, though there is an acknowledgement that the Lions will now need to be flawless to stand any real chance.

Looking ahead to the summer, Millwall could strengthen their defence by signing Charlton Athletic’s Thierry Small on a free transfer once his contract at the Valley comes to an end.

Millwall leading race to sign "excellent" winger to finally replace Esse

He’s enjoyed an impressive season…

By
Tom Cunningham

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Preston North End are also in hot pursuit of the versatile star, signifying that a number of transfer battles could be about to take place between Championship clubs looking to beef up their pool of talent.

Continuing this theme, Millwall could now face competition from Friday’s victors Blackburn to sign a star who is actually on the books of one of their London rivals, per recent developments.

Millwall and Blackburn fight to sign Morgan Fox from QPR

According to EFL Analysis, Millwall and Blackburn both want to sign Morgan Fox from Queens Park Rangers as the veteran edges closer to leaving his current employers on a free transfer.

Out of contract this summer, the versatile 31-year-old has been offered extended terms at Loftus Road, but it remains to be seen if he signs on amid further interest from Hull City.

Primarily a central defender, Fox is also capable of playing at left-back and has registered a solitary goal in 23 appearances this season across all competitions.

He has previously been labelled a “warrior” by Gareth Ainsworth, giving an insight into his valiant skillbase. With the end of this term on the horizon, you get the impression Fox will take his time before making a decision on where to commit his future.

Millwall earning promotion could be a decisive factor in potential negotiations, and for now, the quartet of clubs involved will focus on their respective duties until the off-season arrives, which could pave the way for plenty of movement in either direction regarding key assets.

Rangers have now made their first move to keep hold of a midfielder, and they think he’ll stay, according to a new report.

Latest on Rangers’ manager search

The Gers have five games left to play before Barry Ferguson’s interim spell in charge of the club comes to an end. Celtic have all but secured the Scottish Premiership title, so apart from pride, there is very little for Rangers to play for in the league, but for Ferguson, it is a chance to further show his credentials as a manager.

"No-nonsense" coach has "50-50" chance of being Rangers manager next season

Is he the right man for the job next season?

By
Henry Jackson

Apr 22, 2025

The Scotsman is likely to be in the running to become the next permanent Rangers manager, but given who else is also being linked with the role, he could come up short.

According to a recent report, former Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is open to the idea of becoming the new Rangers manager. However, the Portuguese will only move to Scotland if he is backed by the 49ers in the transfer market. The Gers are yet to officially make a move for Mourinho, but it could be one they are tempted to do, given all that he’s achieved in the game.

It’s also been reported by TEAMtalk that Steven Gerrard is now ready to return to Scotland and Rangers. Gerrard managed the Gers for three years and guided them to the Scottish Premiership title in 2021, and he now wants to add to his success in Scotland. However, as it stands, the race to become the new Rangers manager very much remains an open case.

Rangers make first move to keep midfielder at Ibrox

But while the 49ers continue their search for a new Rangers manager, the club are also working on keeping some of their talented players. According to The Rangers Review, relayed by Ibrox News, Rangers are set to offer a new contract to midfielder Bailey Rice, and they now expect him to agree to the terms.

The report states that talks between Rangers and Rice are at an early stage, but it is expected that Rice will sign a new deal with the club. The young midfielder is under contract until the summer of 2026, but the Gers want to secure his long-term future at Ibrox and therefore want to tie him down to a long-term deal.

The 18-year-old joined Rangers’ academy in 2022 and has made 10 first-team appearances so far, with him getting his first European start in the first leg of the quarter-final tie against Athletic Bilbao. Rice has been in and around the first team all season, but Ferguson has decided to give the midfielder more of a regular chance to impress.

Rice has appeared three times in Europe this season for Rangers, playing 45 minutes against Manchester United, where, after the game, Rio Ferdinand labelled the midfielder “wonderful” after his impressive performance.

“I’ll tell you what. I like Rice. He’s come on and looking composed, and that left foot looks like it has a bit in it. He’s seeing pictures, playing, and executing. That is a wonderful pass.”

Arne Slot’s achievement of winning the Premier League in his first season as Liverpool manager is nothing short of sensational, offering a seamless transition after taking over from Jürgen Klopp.

The Dutchman has led the side to the title with four games to spare, losing just two games in the process, highlighting the excellent job he’s done at the helm.

Such an achievement has secured the Reds’ 20th top-division league title, putting them level with Manchester United in terms of being the most successful side in English football history.

Undoubtedly, after tasting success in his first season, the 46-year-old will want to make it back-to-back in 2025/26, hopefully having the chance to make the necessary changes to his squad this summer.

Multiple areas of the pitch are in need of investment, with foundations already put in place by the hierarchy for potential incomings over the next few months.

The latest on Liverpool’s hunt for new signings

A striker has been on the club’s radar over the last few weeks, as Slot looks to add firepower to the frontline in place of Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez, who could both depart this summer.

Benjamin Sesko is the latest player touted with a move to Anfield, with the Reds needing to trigger his £55m release clause if they are to secure a deal for his services.

He’s been named as a potential alternative to Alexander Isak, who looks unlikely to swap Tyneside for Merseyside, with Newcastle United demanding £150m for his signature.

Alongside Sesko, Slot could make another Bundesliga addition in the form of Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman, that’s if recent reports are to be believed.

According to CaughtOffside, the Reds are set to make an offer for the 28-year-old in the coming months, with his current employers valuing him at £35m.

It also states that Vincent Kompany’s are willing to let the Frenchman depart during the off-season, with Coman himself considering his own future at the Allianz Arena.

Why Coman could be Slot’s next Gravenberch

Midfielder Ryan Gravenberch joined Liverpool in the summer of 2023 from Bayern Munich, looking to provide key depth in the middle of the park for former boss Klopp.

However, he struggled to break into the side, making just 12 Premier League starts, unable to dislodge Alexis Mac Allister from the role, with Wataru Endo even preferred to the Dutchman.

Slot’s arrival has transformed the 22-year-old’s career at Anfield, starting every single league game to date, and cementing his place alongside the Argentine.

Such a deal has proven to be a huge success for the club, with Gravenberch a key reason in their title triumph – offering a consistent presence in the side during a year of transition.

The manager could land his next version of the star in the form of Coman this summer, arriving as a fringe player from Bayern and looking to become a hit under his guidance on Merseyside.

The winger, who’s been previously labelled “one of the best players in the world” by Oliver Kahn, has struggled for game time this season, making just 12 league starts – unable to force his way into Kompany’s plans.

However, despite his limited minutes in 2024/25, he’s still managed to impress, producing numerous key figures that would bolster the Reds’ attacking department.

He’s still managed to register nine combined goals and assists to date, whilst registering 1.3 shots on target per 90, showcasing his threat with the ball at his feet.

Such a threat is further seen by his tally of 2.4 chances created and 3.1 successful dribbles per 90 – having the tools to further aid the likes of Mohamed Salah in forward areas.

Such a deal would certainly aid the club’s chances of replicating their success in the years to come, having the opportunity to cement themselves as the country’s best ever team.

£35m for a player of his experience and quality is a bargain in today’s market, enabling them to sign a versatile option who could easily replicate the achievements set by former teammate Gravenberch.

A big Diaz upgrade: Liverpool make approach to sign future "£100m" star

Liverpool could be about to make a move for a sensation who could replace Luis Diaz.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 30, 2025