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With the Spain star having brought down the curtain on his time at Santiago Bernabeu, Goal breaks down the clubs he could join this summer

After 16 years, Sergio Ramos' time as a Real Madrid player is over, with the defender having bid a tearful farewell to life at Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday.

A four-time Champions League winner with the Blancos, Ramos' status as a legend of the club cannot be questioned, and he leaves as one of the greatest defenders of the modern era.

His career, though, is not over, and as one of the most competitive players of the past decade or so, surely Ramos wants to continue playing at the highest level possible.

With that in mind, Goal's correspondents from around the world have laid exactly why their club will – or won't – be looking to sign Ramos this summer…

Getty ImagesAC Milan

We all know that Paolo Maldini is Sergio Ramos' idol, and that the Spain star really admires AC Milan's history, but their chances of signing him this summer are very low because of his high salary demands.

Milan, too, are spending €28 million (£25m/$33m) to sign Fikayo Tomori, and they already have a defensive leader in Simon Kjaer.

They will be the starting duo for Stefano Pioli next season, so there is no room for Ramos.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesArsenal

Sergio Ramos has been, and remains, a wonderful defender and there is no doubt Arsenal could do with someone of his quality in the heart of the defence.

In a team that lacks leadership, he would add organisation, a will to win and be the type of figurehead who could lead the dressing room in north London.

But it is not, however, a move that is going to happen.

Financially, Arsenal simply would not be able to put a financial package together that could compete with the clubs across Europe who are looking at Ramos.

Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu, meanwhile, are focusing on bringing in young players this summer as part of their squad overhaul, with 23-year-old Brighton centre-back Ben White their priority defensive target.

So while the arrival of someone like Ramos would certainly improve Arsenal, on and off the pitch, this is one transfer race that the Gunners will not be joining.

GettyBarcelona

From an economic perspective, it is impossible for Barcelona to sign Ramos.

From a sporting perspective, it is impossible for Barcelona to sign Ramos.

In short, it is impossible for Barcelona to sign Ramos.

The man even confirmed it himself in his farwell press conference, saying: "As for Barcelona – impossible. You will never see Sergio Ramos in a Barcelona shirt."

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Getty ImagesBayern Munich

Bayern have a good relationship with Real Madrid, good experiences with Spanish players in recent years (Xabi Alonso, Thiago Alcantara, Javi Martinez) and Ramos would definitely be a great transfer in terms of marketing and image… but it is very unlikely that he will come to Munich.

Bayern never showed any interest in Ramos as speculation over his future has grown in recent months, and have just signed Dayot Upamecano to bolster the centre of their defence.

They do not want to pay high salaries – that is why David Alaba and Jerome Boateng are leaving this summer – and with Julian Nagelsmann now in charge, the Bayern hierarchy want him to develop young players, like United States starlet Chris Richards. 

GOAL previews the continent’s stars expected to feature for their respective clubs around Europe this weekend

Getty ImagesPreview of Africans in Europe

The title race in England and Italy concludes this weekend with the continent’s stars central to their sides’ chances.

Riyad Mahrez could celebrate another Premier League win at the expense of Liverpool’s African contingent led by Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, while Franck Kessie, leaving AC Milan at the end of this season, and Ismael Bennacer could end the ’s wait for a Scudetto.

AdvertisementGettyEdouard Mendy and Hakim Ziyech

Both players featured in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Leicester City on Thursday and could keep their spots when the Blues host relegated Watford on Sunday.

The Hornets will want to depart the division on a high having endured a torrid year back in the Premier League.

Thomas Tuchel hinted on Thursday that changes could be widespread at Stamford Bridge this weekend, so it remains to be seen if the goalkeeper and playmaker retain their spots.

GettyThe title race

Manchester City are favourites to end the season with a fourth Premier League title in five years, seeing Riyad Mahrez claim another win with the Citizens.

The winger missed a late penalty last week to complete a turnaround at West Ham United, but the 2-2 draw keeps the race in City’s hands.

Pep Guardiola’s men will be out to avoid any slip against Aston Villa knowing full well dropped points could be capitalised on by Liverpool.

It remains to be seen if Mohamed Salah features, having gone off injured in last week’s FA Cup win over Chelsea, but Sadio Mane is likely to return to the XI against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

A win for both sides mean the Reds will finish the campaign on 92 points, one behind their competitive rivals

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GettyThe race for the final Champions League spot

Admittedly, Tottenham Hotspur are favourites to secure that final top four spot, but Mohamed Elneny and his Arsenal teammates could still take advantage of any underwhelming result from Spurs.

The Gunners host Everton who secured their league status for another year, so Frank Lampard’s men have little to play for on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium.

Success for Arsenal and a defeat for Antonio Conte’s men at Norwich City would put Elneny and his teammates in next year’s Champions League at their rivals’ expense.

Folarin Balogun went from hero to villain in his latest outing for Monaco, as he scored an exquisite goal before missing another penalty.

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United States international broke the deadlockSaw spot-kick saved by Lens keeper SambaDramatic winner from Minamino got him off the hookWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States international was included from the off in a Ligue 1 meeting with Lens and made the best possible start as he broke the deadlock inside 19 minutes. The 22-year-old displayed impressive strength, touch and composure when battling his way down the left wing and crashing the ball into the back of the net.

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Ex-Liverpool star Takumi Minamino doubled Monaco’s lead on the half-hour mark, but they conceded within 60 seconds and blew their advantage entirely in the 77th minute as the home side battled back to draw level.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Balogun was given an opportunity to put Monaco back in front in the 82nd minute, but the USMNT star saw his tame spot-kick saved by the legs of former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba – who earned a reputation as something of a penalty-saving specialist during his time at the City Ground.

David Hopps10-Feb-2014Eoin Morgan has withdrawn from the IPL auction only two days before it is due to take place to try to win a place in the England Test side.Morgan’s reassessment of his career at a time when, at 27, he can be assumed to be reaching his peak comes after the enforced retirement from international cricket of Kevin Pietersen.Morgan will now spend early season playing Championship cricket for Middlesex in the hope of forcing his way into the England side for home Test series against Sri Lanka and India.His decision is a considerable switch of emphasis. Morgan has repeatedly spoken about how IPL has enhanced his game and he has been unshakeable in his determination to play it.The IPL will seek to make light of Morgan’s withdrawal. He has rarely set the tournament ablaze, although did have his most successful IPL season at Kolkata Knight Riders in 2013, averaging 27.90 over 14 matches with a strike rate of 127.91. He had a base price of Rs 15 million ($240,000). He is also only ranked 19th in the ICC Twenty20 rankings. But his abilities are regarded as considerably greater within English cricket.His decision is a huge fillip for England after a challenging week in which the ECB has been widely pilloried for the decision to turn its back on Pietersen because of what has been explained as a breakdown of trust. Perhaps unsurprisingly, however, rather than let the ECB manage the announcement, Morgan told people directly on Twitter.The ECB could not have clearer in expressing their faith in Alastair Cook as Test captain, and would not countenance talk of a change, but for all that Morgan’s tactical acumen is highly regarded and if he breaks into the Test side it would be no surprise to see him immediately appointed vice captain.Many still question whether Morgan has the game for Test cricket – he majors in the sort of deflections and innovations which are the very stuff of the limited-overs game, but if his desire is there he certainly has the mental aptitude.He played the last of his 16 Tests against Pakistan two years ago, a victim of a disastrous Test series against Pakistan in the Middle East, and his average of 30.45 is a modest one. But he still has time to put that right and the curious crouching stance, which he once adopted to seek extra leverage in T20, has already been eradicated from his game.There are few mentally-tougher cricketers in the England dressing room and, If he suggests he can make the adjustment, England will be quick to implant him in what is likely to be a rapidly-evolving team.Morgan always insisted that he would push for Test recognition if he felt he had a serious chance of selection. Somebody presumably has “had a word” in the aftermath of Andy Flower’s departure as team director and a change in the national selector with James Whitaker taking over from Geoff Miller.

I would like to thank @IPL for accepting my request to withdraw from this years auction. Good luck with the tournament.

— Eoin Morgan (@Eoin16) February 10, 2014

Miller was adamant that Morgan blew his chances of Test recognition by remaining at IPL last year. At that point, Flower’s commitment to an attritional game suggested that Morgan’s chances of a comeback were low, but perhaps he feels his time is now.With England’s finest one-day cricketers – potentially Alex Hales apart – all now playing early-season Championship cricket, the likes of Morgan, Ben Stokes at the champions Durham and Jos Buttler, who has moved to newly-promoted Lancashire, will add fresh impetus to the start of the Championship season.Morgan has also been appointed Middlesex’s one-day captain this season but if Middlesex are delighted at his presence in four-day cricket, they must also fear that, if he forces his way into the England side, he will quickly be withdrawn from the T20 Blast – England’s relaunched domestic Twenty20 tournament.Morgan, along with Pietersen, has been the most box office England cricketer at IPL – the list has not been a big one – and it again begs the question as to whether the BBCI and ECB will build on a stronger relationship by negotiating the shift of IPL to early March to avoid a clash with the English season.

Derbyshire’s seamer Tim Groenewald chose the rearranged match against Leicestershire, postponed after the death of Tim Poynton’s father in a car accident, to announce that he would be leaving the county at the end of the season

Press Association08-Jun-2014
ScorecardTim Groenewald will leave Derbyshire at the end of the season•Getty ImagesNiall O’Brien top-scored with 89 as Leicestershire produced a spiritedfightback on day one of their Division Two match againstDerbyshire at Grace Road.Leicestershire found themselves 11 for 3 in just the third over but twocentury partnerships helped them to steady the ship and they eventually posted arespectable 311 all out.Mark Footitt recorded figures of 6 for 65 for the visitors before Derbyshirereached 12 without loss in reply.The home side got off to the worst possible start after winning the toss, withAngus Robson departing to the first ball of the day, his third golden duck ofthe campaign, as Marcus North took a catch off Footitt at gully.Tony Palladino trapped Greg Smith lbw for four in the next over and whenFootitt claimed his second wicket of the day with Ramnaresh Sarwan (five)finding Paul Borrington at short leg, Leicestershire were in trouble.Josh Cobb and Ned Eckersley then put on 100 for the fourth wicket as the hostsrebuilt either side of lunch.Cobb brought up his 50 with a four off Footitt but was gone two balls later,Scott Elstone taking the catch at point.Eckersley (44) was soon trapped lbw by Palladino to leave Leicestershire 113for 5 but Rob Taylor added 40 before Palladino had his third, Alex Hughesclaiming a catch at cover.That brought Ben Raine to the crease and together he and O’Brien added 118 tobring some respectability to the scorecard.O’Brien brought up his 50 off 65 balls before tea and Raine joined him afterthe interval, taking 112 balls to reach the mark.Derbyshire took the new ball and the result was almost instantaneous with Northand Foottit combining again to remove O’Brien when the Irishman holed out tothird man.There was not much wag in the Leicestershire tail and James Sykes went withouttroubling the scorers before Raine (55) and Alex Wyatt (six) soon followed.Tom Taylor recorded figures of 0 for 50 from his 13 overs after beingdrafted in on debut to replace Tim Groenewald who announced earlier on Sunday hewould be leaving the county.Stephen Moore (10 not out) and Borrington (two not out) then saw the visitorsthrough to the close unscathed.This match had originally been scheduled to be the season opener for both clubsbut was postponed due to the tragic death of Keith Poynton, father of Derbyshirewicketkeeper Tom, in a car accident on April 4.

A round-up of the Ram Slam T20 matches on November 30, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2014David Miller’s unbeaten 42 helped Dolphins to their third win of the season, after their bowlers had done well to restrict Lions on a sluggish surface at Chevrolet Park. Lions, having been inserted, lost wickets at regular intervals during their innings, and their highest run scorer was Chris Morris with 37 down at No.7. Morris struck three sixes and a four during his 22-ball knock, but no batsman stayed long enough at the other end for Lions to string together a significant partnership. Robbie Frylinck and Dwayne Bravo picked up two wickets apiece, while Prenelan Subrayen, Ryan McLaren and Craig Alexander chipped in with a scalp each.Dolphins lost the openers early in the chase, but Khaya Zondo (28) and Miller led a recovery with a 54-run stand for the third wicket. The team lost two more quick wickets, but Miller stayed not out till the end, and was aided by a useful 19 from Bravo at the other end, as Dolphins eventually won by five wickets with five balls to spare.A fifty from the opener Richard Levi and a three-wicket haul from Robin Peterson were the cornerstones behind Cape Cobras’ eight-run victory against Knights in Bloemfontein. The win meant that Cobras will stay on top of the table, and will host the final at the Newlands on December 12. Opting to bat, Cobras began brightly, as Levi put up half-century stands for the first two wickets with Andrew Puttick and Omphile Ramela (34). Levi stayed on till the penultimate over, striking two fours and sixes each during his 61-ball 64 to guide Cobras to 145 for 4.Knights began their chase steadily, but were rocked by four wickets in the space of four overs, and fell to 59 for 4 by the 11th over. Rudi Second led a recovery, whacking a 33-ball 50 with three fours and two sixes, and Tumelo Bodibe hit 30, but Knights’ run-rate was kept in check by incisive bowling from Dane Paterson, George Linde and Peterson. Knights needed 18 from the final over, but could manage only nine, meaning they lost their third game of the season.The Warriors bowlers delivered a 20-run consolation win in Bloemfontein. Titans had built a solid base with openers Heino Kuhn and Henry Davids knocking off 75 of the target of 149, but the rest of the line-up crumbled.Rusty Theron and Yaseen Vallie picked up four wickets and conceded only 19 runs in their six overs to ensure the Titans middle-order could not take advantage of a strong start. Only one other player besides the openers could reach double-figures as Titans ended their campaign at the bottom of the table, with only two wins from 10 matches.Warriors’ batting had struggled as well. They lost three wickets in the Powerplay before Colin Ingram provided some stability with 40 off 44 balls. Fast bowler Marchant de Lange was the primary threat, as he finished with a career-best 4 for 31. His spell may well have decided the match had Christiaan Jonker not smashed 49 off 29 balls, with two fours and three sixes. Warriors had been 114 for 5 at the end of the 17th over, but they carted 31 in the next three to give their bowlers the momentum they needed.

Dinesh Chandimal’s 162 from 197 deliveries led Sri Lanka A to a commanding position in the second four-day match, which they now lead by 146 runs with two wickets still remaining in their first innings

Andrew Fidel Fernando15-Oct-2013
ScorecardDinesh Chandimal’s 162 from 197 deliveries led Sri Lanka A to a commanding position in the second four-day match, which they now lead by 146 runs with two wickets still remaining in their first innings. Chaturanga de Silva also hit 76 from 90, and combined with Chandimal in a 148-run stand that took Sri Lanka A well beyond Development XI’s 265. Only Seekkuge Prasanna among the bowlers reaped satisfying rewards for day two’s toil, taking 3 for 67 from his 16 overs.Chandimal arrived at the crease after both openers had been dismissed in the first seven overs of the day. Though he had a significant association with Ashan Priyanjan, it wasn’t until Chaturanga de Silva came to the crease that Sri Lanka A gleaned a substantial advantage in the match. The pair scored at nearly 5.5 runs an over, with Chandimal hitting 19 fours and 3 sixes in his innings, and de Silva striking 11 fours and 2 sixes.They fell to successive Prasanna overs, before Dilruwan Perera marshalled the tail towards the end of the day. He put on an unbeaten 51 for the ninth wicket alongside Vimukthi Perera, to finish with 32 not out.Seam bowlers had prospered on the SSC pitch on day one, but only Kasun Madushanka, among the quicks, made more than one breakthrough for Development XI. Shaminda Eranga’s figures read 68 for 1 from 18 overs at the end of the day, and Twenty-year old offspinner Tharindu Kaushal fared no better finishing with 70 for 1.

In light of the news last week that Liverpool would be without right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold for the next few weeks, The Reds were thrown into a mini crisis. 

The 20-year-old is a mainstay in Jürgen Klopp’s team, and with Nathaniel Clyne unable to be recalled from his loan spell at Bournemouth, the question was to who would slot in as a fullback at Anfield last Saturday against Crystal Palace. James Milner stood up and filled in on the right, however, it was not without its controversy as the 33-year-old picked up a red card in the closing minutes of the game.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”367027″ player=”13308″ title=”Liverpool”]

That now means that Milner misses Liverpool’s next game against Leicester at Anfield, and Klopp again has a job on his hands trying to figure out who occupies the right-back position. One of the main candidates is Fabinho, who deputised as a centre-back in the absence of Dejan Lovren, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip. The Brazilian has some experience of playing as a fullback, but the trouble is that it leaves the central midfield looking severely sparse, as neither Fabinho or Milner would be present.

There is no denying that this is a major setback in Liverpool’s title challenge. Although they sit at the summit of the Premier League table, rivals Man City are haring behind them, and Klopp will know that his side cannot afford any slip-ups in order to secure their maiden Premier League title. Milner’s red card only increases the pressure on Liverpool as they head into a tricky period.

Keegan Meth has resolved to play through the pain as he battles a right knee injury in a bid to ensure Zimbabwe win the series against Bangladesh

Firdose Moonda in Harare26-Apr-2013Keegan Meth has resolved to play through the pain as he battles a right knee injury in a bid to ensure Zimbabwe win the series against Bangladesh. The swing bowler left the field after delivering six overs on the second morning, which was a significant effort under the circumstances.”I could barely walk last night but I managed to get through it this morning,” Meth said. “It’s a problem with the patella (knee-cap) and I’ve taken a painkiller injection and sorted out most of the inflammation because there was a quite a bit. I’ve had the injury before and this seems to be a recurrence of it. It didn’t last too long the last time I had it so hopefully it will come right.”Meth has bowled long spells throughout the series, including a nine-over one on the first day and thinks that may have exacerbated his condition. “Bowling a lot of overs does put a lot of stress on it and that seems to have triggered it off again,” he said.It may limit his movement somewhat, but the niggle will not alter his resolve. Meth has vowed to bowl as much as he is needed and bat in his regular position because of his desire to do well in the longest format. “There is not a lot of Test cricket to come after this, so it’s just a case of getting through it,” he said.Zimbabwe play Bangladesh in three ODIs and two Twenty20s in this series but do not play another Test until August against Sri Lanka. Meth, who is only in his second Test, has impressed with his ability to move the ball both ways.In this match, he has also had to play a leading role as his seam-bowling partner Kyle Jarvis looked off colour, and it was one he embraced and blossomed in. “I know my role pretty well which is to try and take wickets upfront and hold up an end later on. With Kyle not hitting his areas, it puts a bit more pressure on the other guys,” he said.Shakib Al Hasan on Bangladesh

After taking three early wickets, Bangladesh were in a position to dominate Zimbabwe and even though they let them get away, they still hold the upper-hand. “We had a very good start with the ball. One more wicket would have been better but we’ll take it. We need to keep up the pressure and bowl well tomorrow,” Shakib said.
They will rely heavily on their pace spearhead Robiul Islam to inflict more damage on Zimbabwe. “He is doing really well. He has improved a lot since the last time we were here. He has been consistent, so that is the main thing,” Shakib said.
“Bowlers have to work hard to get wickets on this track and our fielders need to take catches. We need to be patient enough and create lots of pressure. To win the game we need to do the basics right. The first session is very crucial. If we take early wickets, we will be on top but then we need to continue the good performance.”

Zimbabwe conceded 41 runs more than they were hoping to on the second morning, after struggling to make inroads on the first day. They found themselves further disadvantaged by their batting blunders but two half-century partnerships, one of which is still on-going, put them back on track but they are still chasing the game.”We’re behind the game at the moment and we understand that,” Meth said. “But that’s one of the reasons we’ve picked four allrounders in the side – so that we bat quite deep. It was good to see a bit of counter-attack by our batsmen so I wouldn’t say we are out of it. The first thing we have to do is pass the follow-on.”Thirty-four runs separate them from the follow-on target but even if they get there, Bangladesh will still aim for a big first-innings lead. Meth hopes the batsmen will be able to “take time out of the game,” but emphasised that whatever happens, the bowlers will have a lot of work in the next innings.”We know they will put themselves in a position to win and by doing that, we might have the chance to knock them over. With these guys, we know if they are not scoring, rash shots will come. If we are taking wickets, we could put ourselves in a position to win.”If they can set themselves up like that, Meth advises emulating from Bangladesh’s leading wicket-taker Robiul Islam. “He has found his rhythm and what we can learn from is that he has hit the right areas. He has found a very good length and he hasn’t let the guys settle down,” Meth said.

India’s next generation pummelled West Indies into submission at the Wankhede stadium, but the cricket has rarely felt this anti-climactic for Indian fans

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran15-Nov-20130:00

Vintage Tendulkar in final Test

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Sachin Tendulkar walked off the field to deafening applause•BCCIIndia’s next generation of batting talent flourished as West Indies were pummelled into submission but even the delectable strokeplay of Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli couldn’t wipe out the anti-climactic feel of much of the second day’s play.During the first hour, however, Test cricket had rarely felt so alive. With Sachin Tendulkar playing what could be his final Test innings, his legion of fans were put through the emotional wringer. This whole series has been drenched in Tendulkar nostalgia, and every vintage shot he played today only highlighted what fans are going to miss in the days ahead. Every mis-step – like two attempted upper cuts off Tino Best – caused massive anxiety. Fans were uncertain whether they wanted Tendulkar to be on strike – so they could lap up a few more of his shots – or at the non-striker’s end as the tension was close to unbearable when he batted.The assuredness with which Tendulkar played had made it seem inevitable that there would be a fairytale century in his final Test. You’d think the year-long wait for the 100th hundred would have taught Indian fans to be wary about expecting fairytale Tendulkar centuries. Clearly they hadn’t, and like at the Wankhede in 2011, a slip catch from Darren Sammy cut short Tendulkar’s innings on 74 and stunned an expectant crowd into silence. The mute-button was on only for a few moments though, as the crowd regained its voice to appreciatively roar Tendulkar off the field. Tendulkar muttered a few words to himself, but as has been the case over virtually his entire career, he maintained his poise after being dismissed, acknowledging the adoring crowds as he trudged off.His partner for the entire innings was Cheteshwar Pujara, who perhaps would have been more worried about making a wrong call to run Tendulkar out and risking the wrath of Wankhede than about the challenge posed by the ineffectual West Indies attack. Pujara’s every single was cheered with the fervour that usually accompanies centuries, and he remained mostly under the radar. When he played the straight drive for four, you were reminded – unfairly for Pujara – about how much more pristine and non-violent the shot was when Tendulkar played it.Still, it was a cracking innings, full of controlled aggression. He pounced on the width routinely provided, adroitly playing the cut past point, as he kept he run-rate brisk. His one moment of fortune – thanks to a frankly awful decision from the third umpire – was when he was adjudged not out on 76, though replays clearly showed Kieran Powell’s fingers under the ball as he grasped a chance at short leg.Pujara wasn’t perturbed by all the emotion over Tendulkar’s dismissal, and continued his march towards his fifth Test century, underlining his reputation as a man for the big score. Of the eight times he has reached fifty in Tests, he could have converted seven of them into hundreds, but two of those innings were unbeaten half-centuries in successful chases. He was scratchy against the tireless offspinner Shane Shillingford after reaching triple-figures today and a leading edge resulted in a caught-and-bowled chance that ended his stay on 113.Kohli, the man tipped to take over Tendulkar’s No. 4 spot, began with a series of boundaries to help Pujara maintain the momentum. Like in his one-day innings, where his high scoring-rate surprises given the lack of big shots, he zipped to his half-century at nearly a run a ball almost unnoticed. He was looking untroubled but he too perished to a Sammy slip catch, undone by a straighter one from Shillingford.If the first half of Pujara’s innings was overshadowed by one Mumbai batsman, his innings will recede further in fans’ mind due to an astonishing century from another Mumbai batsman. Rohit began his long-awaited Test career with a game-changing 177 in Kolkata, but there seemed little chance of him making another century in Mumbai as he was only on 46 when the No. 11 Mohammed Shami walked in.By then Shillingford had taken his fifth successive five-for, matching a feat last achieved by Alec Bedser in 1952-53, and Sammy had equalled the record for the most catches by a non-wicketkeeper, snapping up five. India had lost three wickets in two overs either side of tea, and West Indies looked likely to have to bat almost an entire session.Instead, Rohit scripted a masterclass in batting with the tail to inflate the total by 80 runs, and joined an exclusive club with two hundreds in their first two innings. Shami is not the worst No. 11, but Rohit skilfully farmed the strike, so much so that in the first seven overs Shami only faced seven deliveries. Even when the partnership was close to 50, Shami was still on 0.West Indies were desperate to get Rohit off the strike. In the 99th over, when Rohit gently tapped the final ball past the closely packed field for a single, West Indies’ dispirited fielders weren’t keen on chasing it down though it wasn’t going to reach the rope. Briefly, Rohit contemplated whether he had time to take three.In between protecting Shami, Rohit unleashed a blizzard of strokes which he commonly shows off in limited-overs matches. His one moment of panic was when he holed out to deep midwicket when on 85, only to be reprieved when the replays showed Shillingford had overstepped. Soon after, he reached his hundred with a six over long-on – it had taken him only 118 deliveries, and Shami had only made 1 in a 64-run stand.The innings finally ended on when Shami whipped a catch to deep square leg, and the lead was a massive 313. West Indies had about an hour to bat out, but even in that short space lost three wickets to the spinners. Once again, R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha had the ball spinning and turning, and on the evidence so far, West Indies will do well to stretch this game as long as the end of the third day.