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Mushfiqur Rahim, returning from a thumb injury, looked comfortable during his 58, and Soumya Sarkar played some attractive shots, but Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah failed to build on starts in the tour game against India A

The Report by Mohammad Isam in Hyderabad05-Feb-2017
Scorecard
Aniket Choudhary took 4 for 26 on the first day•AFPThe sight of Imrul Kayes studiously watching his batting footage in the first session suggested the sort of day Bangladesh had at the Gymkhana ground on their first day of cricket on their first bilateral tour to India. Kayes was the first wicket to fall against India A, when he picked out the only fielder in the deep – Hardik Pandya at long leg.It was a carbon copy of his dismissal on the first day of the Wellington Test last month, when he picked out Trent Boult, who was the only man in the outfield, in the same region. Bangladesh’s concerns about the inconsistency of their batsmen hasn’t abated, with only four days to go for the one-off Test.The day belonged to India A’s left-arm quick, Aniket Choudhary who generated extra pace and bounce using his height to claim four wickets. Mushfiqur Rahim, who was ruled out of the Christchurch Test because of a thumb injury, marked his return with a half-century. Top-order batsman Soumya Sarkar also struck a fifty while Sabbir Rahman and Liton Das, who has not played international cricket since 2015, made cameos before Bangladeshis declared on 224 for 8 with more than 60 minutes remaining in the first day. In reply, India A, led by Priyank Panchal’s unbeaten 40, reached 91 for 1 before stumps. Abhinav Mukund was the only Indian to fall, caught at first slip off seamer Subashis Roy.It wasn’t the kind of tune-up Bangladesh were looking for, ahead of the Test. After opting to bat on the sluggish pitch, they lost wickets at regular intervals. Five overs after the fall of Kayes, Choudhary bowled Tamim Iqbal 13 and then surprised Mominul Haque with extra bounce. Choudhary later returned to test Mushfiqur with extra bounce and had him edging to Rishabh Pant. He then trapped Mehedi Hasan Miraz for a first-ball duck.Mushfiqur, though, looked comfortable on his comeback from injury, striking eight fours and a six during his 106-ball 58. Sarkar, meanwhile, played some attractive drives in the arc between covers and mid-off during his 52 off 73 balls, including nine fours and a six. But Tamim, Mahmudullah and Sabbir Rahman didn’t convert starts, after briefly looking comfortable, as the India A bowlers preyed on their patience, or the lack of it.

Arsenal are reportedly eyeing Barcelona sensation Aleix Garrido, as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his side that challenged for the Premier League title last season.

The Gunners had the joint-youngest squad last campaign, with an average age of 24.4 on par with Southampton.

Arteta and Edu could maintain the trend of nurturing youngsters to world-class ability by signing Garrido, who has a talent that’s valued highly by his club.

Placing a €400m (£340m) release clause in the contract of a teenager makes it known the level of potential that’s predicted.

And indeed, it's Arsenal who could pounce on that potential with it reported by Spanish outlet Sport last week that the Gunners are one of the clubs interested in the 19-year-old starlet, stating that the north Londoners understand the player’s ‘capacity for growth’.

Having risen through La Masia, Garrido made his La Liga debut for his boyhood club last season, playing nine minutes against Elche in April in a memorable moment for the youngster.

What could Aleix Garrido offer to Arsenal?

Named as being part of an “extremely talented” group at Barcelona by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the teenager could thrive in Arteta’s side that promotes and showcases its budding talent.

The central midfielder excels in ball playing and vision, areas that are attributive to his six assists and one goal in just half a dozen appearances in last campaign’s UEFA Youth League.

His efforts saw him lauded as a "wonderful" talent by scout Antonio Mango, equipped with an innate passing ability that sees him ‘stand out’ amongst others.

While his CV is short of senior European appearances, it wouldn't be the first time that Arsenal have found a hidden star.

In 2019, the Gunners secured the signing of 18-year-old Gabriel Martinelli from Brazilian outfit Ituano in a deal reported to be worth around £6m.

Fast forward four years and the winger is valued at €150m (£129m) and ending the Premier League season with 20 goal involvements in 36 appearances as Arsenal’s hero.

The left-winger eased his way to the top with his electrifying performances on the flank, cementing himself as a firm starter in Arteta’s side but also one of the most terrorising attackers in the league.

Placing trust in a young player and allowing them room to trial first-team football is something that has benefited the Gunners greatly, with both Martinelli and Bukayo Saka making their presence known in the side at such a young age.

Arsenal could follow suit by signing Garrido, who too could succeed in the youthful aura at the Emirates, in a team surrounded by young players that have been trusted with the task to take the club forward.

Nottingham Forest have reignited a target from the January window, if reports are to be believed as we head into the madness of the summer transfer period.

Steve Cooper will hope to strengthen his side during the break ahead of another busy Premier League season, in the hope to push on from near survivors to an established club in the top-division once more.

The latest talent linked with a move to the City Ground is a familiar face to England, and one that could form a strong partnership in the Welshman’s plans.

What’s the latest on Romain Saiss to Nottingham Forest?

As reported by Turkish outlet Sabah Spor this week, Forest are interested in Besiktas defender Romain Saiss.

The report claims that the Premier League outfit are getting closer to reaching the club’s €4m (£3.4m) price tag of the centre-back, with the Moroccan having his ‘mind set’ on a return to England.

Forest were in contact with the Turkish side in January over the availability of the 33-year-old, according to reports.

What could Romain Saiss offer to Nottingham Forest?

Having been lauded as “incredible” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers commander could bring talent as well as a host of experience to Forest’s back line.

The 33-year-old titan made 206 total appearances for Wolves, gaining a heap of Premier League experience and impressing during his stay in England.

Last season, the Morocco star was monstrous at Molineux before making the move to the Super Lig where the colossus has continued to show his worth in central defence.

Despite finding his form towards the end of the season in Istanbul, the Morocco captain is reportedly eyeing a move back to the comforts of the Premier League, where he could prove to be a powerful introduction at the City Ground.

Predominantly lining his central defenders in a back three, Cooper could bolster his defensive ranks by securing the signature of Saiss, who could form a fearsome partnership alongside the talents of Joe Worrall.

The 26-year-old made 21 starts this campaign for the Tricky Trees and could cement himself as one of Cooper’s untouchable defenders in accommodating the arrival of Saiss.

When comparing the duo via FBref, the numbers suggest that due to their opposing strengths in playing at centre-back, the pair could form a strong in-play bond that could higher the level of performance in defence.

The Englishman comes out on top in terms of typical defensive attributes such as tackling and duel winning, averaging 2.14 tackles per 90 to the 33-year-old’s 1.33 in the Premier League last season, as well as winning 61% of his total duels this campaign to Saiss’ 57%, with an average of 3.8 won per game.

However, the experienced defender could provide Worrall with a composed outlet to induce progressive play in the back line, as hinted by his 4.56 progressive passes per 90 to the Nottingham-born gem’s 2.71, via FBref, meaning he could provide a fresh approach at the back.

Having a ball-playing defender is essential in the Premier League, with a lot praised by teams playing out from the back to build wave after wave of attack.

Cooper could, therefore, add another dimension to his defence by placing an colossal individual as savvy on the ball as Saiss to play alongside Worrall.

Poor form coupled with the availability of KL Rahul, Karun Nair and Manish Pandey has led to Robin Uthappa’s exclusion from Karnataka’s 16-man squad for the Ranji Trophy quarter-final

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Dec-2016Robin Uthappa has been left out of Karnataka’s 16-man squad for the Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Tamil Nadu, which starts on December 23 in Visakhapatnam. The team’s line-up will be boosted by the availability of KL Rahul, Karun Nair and Manish Pandey, all of whom are currently with the India Test squad in Chennai.Karnataka squad for quarter-finals

Vinay Kumar (capt), KL Rahul, R Samarth, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair (vice-capt), Stuart Binny, CM Gautam (wk), Kaunain Abbas, Abhimanyu Mithun, S Aravind, K Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Pavan Deshpande, Abrar Kazi, David Mathias, Mayank Agarwal

Rahul and Nair, who made 199 and 303 not out respectively in the final Test against England, will join the squad directly in Visakhapatnam along with Pandey. The 13 other players and the support staff will fly out on Tuesday, following the conclusion of a five-day training camp at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.”With the three batsmen back, selection was a tough process. We collectively decided to rest Robin since we couldn’t play him in the XI,” R Sudhakar Rao, KSCA’s chairman of selectors, said on Monday. “The newcomers have done well and it would have been unfair to drop them, so we have taken the decision keeping the future of Karnataka cricket in mind.”Uthappa, the side’s highest run-getter last season, has made 328 runs in 12 innings at 27.33 in 2016-17. His only century came against Assam in October. With no fifty-plus score in eight innings since, he was left out of Karnataka’s final league fixture against Maharashtra in Mohali.”There is nothing wrong with his batting, but sometimes numbers matter, especially when people are waiting to get a chance. It’s just the numbers,” head coach J Arunkumar said. “Last year, at the start of the season, he was trying out a few things. After a point, I told him to stop focussing on that and focus on making runs. Soon after that, he started making runs. Even this season, I was hoping something like that would happen.”We thought that one game before the knockout we should try somebody out just in case of an injury, or if somebody is not allowed to play because of national duty. We just wanted to try Pavan Deshpande and Arjun Hoysala to see if the guys belonged in that space and if they are confident enough.”We wanted to make sure we are going in prepared for the knockout stages. Otherwise Robin is batting really well. He’s getting off to great starts and he’s getting out to some odd balls. It’s sad that we have to rest a big player. We need big players like him, because they have been there and done that.”

After the MCA and TNCA objected to the recheduling of two Ranji Trophy league matches being rescheduled, Ajay Shirke has said the BCCI’s senior tournament committee will look into the matter

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-2016The BCCI’s senior tournament committee will review the decision to reschedule the two Ranji Trophy league matches that had earlier been abandoned in Delhi due to smog and pollution. BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke took the decision during the board’s Full Members’ meeting in Delhi on Friday.The two matches – involving Gujarat and Bengal from Group A and Hyderabad and Tripura from Group C – had been rescheduled to be played from December 15 to 18, four days after the completion of the final round. That led to protests from the Mumbai Cricket Association and the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association saying it would give the said teams “unfair advantage” to qualify for the knockouts.While Mumbai have already booked a quarter-final berth by leading the Group A table with 29 points, Tamil Nadu, placed third with 23 points, need an outright win against Gujarat, second with 24 points, or a first-innings lead and other results going in their favour. The last round of the league stage will be played from December 7 to 10.”Some members raised the issue in the meeting and in response to complaints received from members, our senior tournament committee will review the decision,” Shirke told the .”We are going to have a full, detailed inquiry of this. The whole problem has come because the match referees (P Ranganathan for the Gujarat-Bengal game and Sanjay Sharma for the match between Hyderabad and Tripura) didn’t wait to go into day three and day four. We are going to convene a meeting of the senior tournament committee, which is responsible to look into all such things. And once we hear from the persons concerned, we will take an appropriate decision in the matter. We are going to call the complainants also, who made the allegations.”Shirke is one of the members of the BCCI’s senior tournament committee, which is chaired by Gautam Roy, also a board vice-president.While the BCCI had stated in a press release dated November 6 that the board’s technical committee rescheduled the matches, Sourav Ganguly, the committee’s head, later told ESPNcricinfo that they had not made the decision to postpone the two matches.

Tottenham Hotspur's lacklustre season culminated in an eighth-place Premier League finish and a continuation of the absence of silverware that has plagued the north London outfit for the past 15 years.

News of Harry Kane's possible departure has been filtering in like an acrid smell over recent weeks too, with just one year left on the world-class talisman's contract and European giants reportedly pursuing the England captain.

Ange Postecoglou has left Celtic for a shot at steadying the Lilywhites ship, and now has the summer transfer market to rectify the mounting wrongs under chairman Daniel Levy as well as fashioning an outfit capable of competing at the top of the table and sustaining pursuits of silverware – a domestic cup run will surely be among the priorities next year.

One player who could help to return the club to greener grass is Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie, with the Ivorian titan failing to make his mark at Camp Nou this season and consequently being linked with a move away.

According to Spanish outlet AS, the 26-year-old, who is valued at €35m (£30m), could make the summer switch and earn a more prominent role with Spurs – one which could bear fruit for all involved parties.

Should Tottenham sign Franck Kessie?

Hailed as an "amazing player" by former Spurs shot-stopper Paul Robinson, Kessie's sensational performances for AC Milan in the 2021/22 campaign led to La Blaugrana snapping him up on a free, and while he perhaps hasn't taken to life in La Liga as anticipated, he remains a first-rate star.

As per Sofascore, he recorded an average Serie A rating of 7.07 as Milan won the Scudetto, scoring six goals, completing 88% of his passes, averaging 1.3 tackles per game and succeeding with 73% of his dribble attempts.

And while he has made 43 displays for Xavi's distinguished side this term, winning the league and scoring three goals and assists apiece, Kessie only started seven times in La Liga, as well as on three occasions in the Champions League – opening the door for an exit just one year into his contract.

As per FBref, the £149k-per-week ace still ranks among the top 27% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past 12 months for non-penalty goals, as well as the top 12% for touches in the attacking box and progressive passes received, which, if replicated in north London, could allow him to flourish at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as a box-crashing midfield force, adding a new dimension to Postecoglou's budding system.

Likened to former Spurs star Etienne Capoue by FBref's 'Similar Players' model, Tottenham could finally have a player in the mould of the aggressive Frenchman to transcend his two seasons at White Hart Lane, where he played just 36 times before being shipped off to Watford for around £6m in 2015.

Since conquering the Europa League with Villarreal and becoming an integral part of the Yellow Submarine's system, the 34-year-old was something of a late bloomer, but appears to boast many of the attributes Kessie does despite entering the twilight phase of his career.

Indeed, he ranks among the top 12% of midfielders for pass completion, the top 25% for non-penalty goals, the top 22% for progressive carries and the top 15% for successful take-ons per 90, with a striking similarity to the physicality and imposing demeanour on the pitch to that of Kessie.

Hailed as a "warrior" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 60-cap Ivory Coast international could be the perfect addition to an already robust midfield consisting of the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma, and Tottenham must sign to complete their midfield under Postecoglou.

A round-up of the third round of Ranji Trophy 2016-17 Group C matches which ended on October 23, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2016Haryana needed only 22 overs on the fourth day to wrap a 161-run win over Chhattisgarh in Guwahati. Haryana captain Mohit Sharma and seamer Harshal Patel took two wickets each on the final day to bowl Chhattisgarh out for 117 in their chase of 279, after they had been reduced to 50 for 6 by stumps on the third evening. No. 3 Abhimanyu Chauhan resisted with a top score of 46, while wicketkeeper Vivek Naidu was unbeaten on 23. Mohit, who had taken three wickets on the third day, completed his five-for, conceding 27 runs in 11 overs.Unbeaten fifties from Anshul Gupta and Rahul Singh helped Services battle out a draw against Goa after they were asked to follow-on the fourth day in Cuttack. Resuming from an overnight score of 267 for 7, Services were dismissed for 279 and conceded a 327-run first-innings lead. Goa got early breakthroughs after enforcing the follow-on, reducing Services to 52 for 4 by the 16th over, but Gupta and Rahul batted out more than 50 overs and added 136 runs to ensure Goa only got points for the lead.Himachal Pradesh also played out a draw after following-on, against Tripura in Kalyani, riding on a century from opener Ankush Bains and fifties from Prashant Chopra, Nikhil Gangta and Rishi Dhawan to end with a score of 349 for 5 in their second innings. Himachal’s runs came at a brisk pace of 4.36 per over, after they began their day at 19 for 1. Chopra and Bains stretched their partnership to 76 before the latter shared two more half-century stands – with Paras Dogra and Gangta. Bains was the fifth wicket to fall, trapped lbw by Gurinder Singh, who took all four wickets on the day. Rishi Dhawan then struck a run-a-ball 54, with eight fours, in a sixth-wicket partnership of 107 runs with Gangta, to take Himachal to stumps.Balchander Anirudh’s maiden first-class century helped Hyderabad hold Kerala to a draw in Bhubaneswar. Anirudh’s 120 not out came in the second innings after Kerala had enforced the follow-on, having restricted Hyderabad’s first-innings total to 281. That Hyderabad got to a total of 281 was largely down to Mehdi Hassan’s 58, which helped them add 50 runs to the team’s overnight score. With a first-innings lead of 236, Kerala got an early breakthrough in Hyderabad’s second innings before being thwarted by Anirudh, who shared a 122-run third-wicket partnership with his captain S Badrinath. Anirudh’s knock came off 192 deliveries with 14 fours and two sixes.DB Ravi Teja’s 73-ball 50 steered Andhra’s successful chase of 191 against Jammu & Kashmir in Mumbai. Teja’s fifty in the four-wicket win complemented the efforts of left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt and seamer DP Vijaykumar who bundled J&K out for 111 in their second innings. J&K began the fourth day at 31 for 2 but Bhatt’s 5 for 60 and Vijaykumar’s three wickets triggered a collapse that saw J&K lose seven wickets for 38 runs. Parvez Rasool troubled Andhra’s chase with 4 for 55 but Andhra’s target was a bit too low for his wickets to have an impact.

Manchester United appear to be looking to strengthen their options at right-back this summer, following an update on the club's reported interest in Monaco star, Vanderson.

What's the latest on Vanderson to Man United?

According to Brazilian outlet, Zero Hora, the Red Devils are said to have proposed a potential offer to the Ligue 1 outfit for the signing of the 21-year-old, albeit with that unofficial bid having seemingly fallen short of the selling club's €50m (£43m) asking price.

As the piece adds, however, there is still hope for United that a deal can be agreed for the former Gremio ace, with it said that the promising full-back is 'likely' to seal an exit from Stade Louis II in the coming weeks, with a move to Old Trafford seemingly 'possible'.

The report does also go on to note that Erik ten Hag and co will face competition for the defender's signature, however, with a host of Premier League clubs also keeping tabs on his progress.

Who is Vanderson?

The 5 foot 8 Brazilian could well represent a long-term solution for Ten Hag on the right side of the defence, with the youngster having previously been hailed as a "complete full-back" by talent scout Jacek Kulig as a marker of his exciting potential.

With United having only recently handed fellow right-back Diogo Dalot a new long-term deal until 2028, it would appear that the signing of Vanderson would then spell bad news for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, despite the Englishman's resurgence of late.

The latter man had previously looked certain to move on heading into the January transfer window after making just a solitary, four-minute cameo appearance prior to the World Cup break, although the 25-year-old has since established himself as a regular fixture in the side, having even started in the FA Cup final clash last weekend.

Even so, however, The Athletic revealed back in April that Ten Hag was keen to find a more 'attacking' option in that right-back role, with there a potential for Wan-Bissaka to be moved on if a suitable target could be found.

Vanderson, therefore, could well be the man to push the former Crystal Palace ace out the door, having offered a far greater attacking threat of late after scoring once and registering four assists in 31 league appearances this season as well as creating six big chances, while Wan-Bissaka failed to score or register an assist, while also creating just one big chance in 19 league outings.

Interestingly, the Monaco man could also prove more effective in a defensive sense after averaging an impressive 2.7 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game in 2022/23, with a greater record than the current United man, who averaged just 2.1 and 1.2 for the same two metrics, respectively.

Having made an "exceptional adaptation" to life in France over the last 18 months or so since his arrival from his homeland – according to former boss Philippe Clement – the hope will be that Vanderson can slot in just as comfortably if he is to make the move to the Theatre of Dreams this summer.

If that deal is to come to fruition, Wan-Bissaka will certainly be fearing for his place at the club…

Aston Villa have been linked to a fellow Premier League ace ahead of the summer transfer window, as Unai Emery aims to improve his squad.

The Spaniard has introduced joy that not many could have predicted since arriving in the Midlands in October, and with European football confirmed next campaign, the only way is up.

While Villa’s achievements have been rightly lauded, the club will reportedly look to bolster the squad this summer, as relayed by Emery reportedly being handed a £150m kitty.

With quality comes a price, and the four-time Europa League winner could find a significant midfield upgrade in a certain Premier League-winning star.

What’s the latest on Kalvin Phillips to Aston Villa?

As reported by Football Insider earlier this week, Aston Villa are “not put off” by Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips’ desire to remain at the club.

The site reported the initial news of Villa’s interest in the 27-year-old back in April, and have claimed that the Englishman remains a “key midfield target”.

The report suggests that despite his desire to stay, the former Leeds United man may still be sold by the champions with concerns about whether he will fit into Pep Guardiola’s style of play.

What could Kalvin Phillips bring to Aston Villa?

After signing for City last summer for a reported £45m, the midfielder anticipated that his game time was not guaranteed, despite being a top performer for Leeds that prompted the big-money move.

Almost a year down the line and the Englishman has made just two starts for the Sky Blues, with them both coming on occasions after City had won the Premier League title, showing the midfielder’s placement in the exemplary squad.

While the 27-year-old’s worth in comparison to Rodri is incomparable to Guardiola, the Leeds-born gem has a quality that could be exemplary to a squad less flawless than that on show at the Etihad.

The midfielder is in a critical stage of his career, where game time is essential and where there is interest should be an opportunity to either prove his talent to Guardiola elsewhere or find a club more suitable for his situation.

Villa would be a perfect place for the potential £35m man to find his form, in a midfield with a licence for freedom under Emery.

While John McGinn has been a revelation for Villa in midfield, the Scotsman could be forced to the sidelines in order to accommodate the potential arrival of Phillips.

Comparing the 28-year-old’s numbers this season to the City midfielder’s in his final year at Leeds reveals the step-up that Emery could discover if the deal was to pull through this summer.

In the 2021/22 campaign, Phillips showcased his talents at Elland Road to the Premier League, excelling in deep midfield as highlighted by his monstrous averages of 3.05 tackles, 1.35 interceptions and 2.09 blocks per 90 – as per FBref.

In comparison, when playing in central midfield, McGinn averages 2.21 tackles, 0.80 interceptions and 1.33 blocks per 90, showing the levels that the “phenomenal” Yorkshireman – as per Fabio Capello – can produce.

Emery will face a battle in luring Phillips away from City, with the player evidently keen to continue to push for game time, however, there is little to doubt just what the Spaniard could retrieve from the Englishman at Villa Park.

Australia A’s bowlers, led by Mitchell Swepson and David Moody, restricted India A to 230 with the pink ball after Manish Pandey’s 76-ball 77 on the first day in Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Sep-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:25

Watch: India A bundled out for 230

Australia A’s bowlers, led by Mitchell Swepson and David Moody, restricted India A to 230 with the pink ball after Manish Pandey struck a 76-ball 77 to get his side off to a good start on the first day of the first unofficial Test in Brisbane.After opting to bat, India A began promisingly when openers Faiz Fazal and Akhil Herwadkar added 65 in a wicketless first session. However, Australia A struck back after the lunch break, removing both of them in quick succession.Pandey shared a 70-run, fourth-wicket stand with Karun Nair to stabilise India A after they stumbled to 3 for 118 from 0 for 74. Pandey’s brisk 77, which included 13 fours and a six, helped India A to 3 for 188 at the tea interval.Seamer Chadd Sayers had Pandey caught off the first ball after the break to spark India A’s collapse. Legspinner Swepson removed Nair and Pandya off consecutive overs as India A fell away dramatically.Swepson finished with figures of 4 for 78, while David Moody took the last two wickets in three balls to return 3 for 26. India A lost their last seven wickets for 42 runs.Joe Burns and Cameron Bancroft struck five fours between them in six overs to cut Australia A’s deficit to 205 at stumps.