Glamorgan advance to healthy 300 for 4 after being inserted by visiting Leicestershire
ECB Reporters Network16-Sep-2019
Samit Patel gets forward•Getty Images
Glamorgan 300 for 4 (Lloyd 66, Patel 66) v LeicestershireGlamorgan, who may need to win this and their final game of the season against Durham to be in contention for promotion, were on course for a respectable first-innings total against Leicestershire at the end of the first day at Sophia Gardens. They will resume on 300 for 4, after two batsmen scored 66, there were four partnerships of 50 or more and three batting points gained with 19.4 overs left to achieve the maximum.Glamorgan were hoping to bat first on a pitch that played better than it looked and is likely to take spin as the game progresses, but the decision was made for them when Leicestershire opted for an uncontested toss.The visitors also decided to omit Callum Parkinson, their recognised spinner, a decision they may regret, especially as Glamorgan recalled offspinner Andrew Salter for only his second Championship game, in addition to the left-arm spin of Samit Patel.Nick Selman and Kraigg Brathwaite made a quiet start to the innings, before Selman accelerated to strike Ben Mike for four boundaries in the seamer’s fourth over. Mike got his revenge in the following over when Selman was well caught one handed by Will Davis at cover for 36.Brathwaite, who averages 39 in first-class cricket and will be remembered for the 134 and 95 he scored against England for West Indies at Headingley two years ago, continued to play watchfully and was at the crease for 3 hours 40 minutes for his 44 before he was trapped leg before by Gavin Griffiths.After Selman and Brathwaite had put on 62 for the first wicket, the second wicket pair of Brathwaite and David Lloyd continued the good work with their stand of 82. The third half-century partnership followed when Lloyd shared 52 for the third wicket with Patel. Lloyd scored 66 from 148 balls, with a six and eight fours, most of them driven with perfect timing through the off side, before he was bowled by Chris Wright.Patel, playing the third of his four games on loan from Nottinghamshire, equalled Lloyd’s score before spooning the first ball of the 81st over to square leg. Leicestershire, for reasons unknown, did not take the new ball until the 90th over, and a fifth half-century partnership was in sight with Billy Root and Chris Cooke sharing 45 for the fifth wicket. When play ended due to bad light with 5.4 overs remaining Glamorgan would have been satisfied with their day’s work.
Whilst those on the pitch attempt to hand Jurgen Klopp a fitting farewell in the form of a Premier League title, FSG's search for the next Liverpool manager is already underway. It's hardly a secret that Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso tops their current shortlist, but with Bayern Munich also interested in the Spaniard, the Reds have now reportedly identified a backup plan.
Next Liverpool manager
Liverpool have reportedly made contact for Alonso and are set to make the Bundesliga leaders an offer for their impressive manager. Things have recently become slightly more complicated, of course, due to the nterest of Bayern Munich. The European giants confirmed the news that they will be parting ways with Thomas Tuchel at the end of the season and all directions have been pointing towards Alonso ever since.
It would be quite the move from Bayern if they were to lure the man potentially responsible for ending their reign of dominance in Germany's top flight into a summer switch. If that does turn out to be the case, then they could start a knock-on effect of managerial changes, with Liverpool likely turning to their next top target.
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According to The Independent's chief football reporter, Miguel Delaney, Liverpool's top Alonso alternative is Ruben Amorim, who has impressed at Sporting since 2020.
Ruben Amorim encourages his Sporting CP side from the sidelines.
The 39-year-old is one of the best young managers around and has restored Sporting's place competing at the top of Portuguese football in recent times, with his side currently sitting level on points with Benfica at the top of Liga Portugal.
With that said, whilst Alonso remains their top choice, Liverpool would be doing no harm in turning to Amorim if they fail to land their former midfielder this summer.
"Very talented" Amorim could bring Inacio with him
Whilst Amorim's preferred formation is a 3-4-3 and Klopp's is a 4-3-3, which has worked wonders at Anfield over the years, the Sporting boss likes to use a similar interchangeable front three threat as the current Liverpool boss. And this has seen the likes of Victor Gyokeres thrive. In fact, no player has managed more goal involvements in Europe's top seven leagues than the former Coventry City man so far this season.
Described as "very talented" by Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, Amorim could also lure Liverpool target Goncalo Inacio to Anfield with him in what would be an ideal double swoop for the Reds. A player that they're reportedly targeting either way, the Sporting defender could slot straight into an Amorim system at Liverpool if both completed summer moves.
Representantes da Gaviões da Fiel e José Colagrossi Neto, superintendente de marketing, comunicação e inovação do Corinthians se reuniram na última quarta-feira, e conversaram sobre o plano da organizada de criar uma vaquinha para ajudar o clube a pagar a dívida da Neo Química Arena. Embora as partes tenham se aproximado, a tendência é que o auxílio dos torcedores não venha desse método, mas sim de outros planos que serão discutidos.
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De acordo com a apuração da reportagem do LANCE!, a reunião foi considerada positiva e foi mais um passo de aproximação da Gaviões com a atual gestão, já que anteriormente a uniformizada já havia se encontrado com o presidente Duílio Monteiro Alves. O diálogo abre caminho para outras discussões e até mesmo para pacificar os bastidores do Alvinegro.
Ainda na noite da última quarta-feira, a organizada corintiana divulgou em seu site os planos que tem para ajudar o Corinthians a pagar a dívida da Neo Química Arena, que atualmente está na casa dos R$ 530 milhões junto a Caixa Econômica Federal. A torcida fala na comercialização de um produto para gerar receita ou na criação de um “vaquinha” virtual, além de estudar qualquer forma proposta ou pelo clube ou por torcedores interessados em auxiliar.
Da parte do clube, a uniformizada gostaria de “ter transparênciasobre o real valor da dívida da Arena, uma empresa independente para auditar e fiscalizar todo o processo, que o dinheiro seja direcionado para uma conta específica com a Caixa, ter uma página online de transparência dedicado para que todos os torcedores possam saber o status do projeto/ação e o acompanhamento e gestão por corintianos notáveis e reconhecidos em sua área de atuação”.
-Mesmo após muita repercussão em redes sociais e na imprensa, o assunto continuou sendo estudado por parte da comissão, que tem analisado as diversas ações que podem ser realizadas para que o clube consiga quitar a curto prazo a Arena – diz o comunicado da Gaviões.
Ainda que o Corinthians tenha visto com bons olhos a proposta da torcida, o que deve acontecer não é uma “vaquinha”, já que o clube prefere algo que gere uma contrapartida para o torcedor, uma recompensa para quem ajudar. Além disso, a “engenharia” para viabilizar o método da chamada “vaquinha” não é fácil e poderia envolver a Caixa, parte interessada no processo.
Dessa forma, a alternativa vista como mais viável é a de comercialização de produtos, além do desenvolvimento de trabalhos conjuntos de marketing em busca de geração de receitas de olho no pagamento exclusivo da dívida da Arena. Nada ainda está fechado e será discutido em outros encontros entre as partes. Fato é que as conversas avançaram e algo deve sair do papel.
Confira o comunicado divulgado pela Gaviões da Fiel:
“Em junho de 2020, foi levantada uma discussão entre os membros da comissão interna formada por sócios dos Gaviões da Fiel (a implementação da comissão foi feita com fundamento no artigo 16º, inciso IX, do estatuto da entidade) de que forma a Fiel Torcida poderia ajudar o clube a quitar a dívida do estádio, entre elas, os projetos que ficaram em evidência foram a “vaquinha virtual” e a comercialização de um produto específico que teria seu lucro destinado ao pagamento dessa dívida. Mesmo após muita repercussão em redes sociais e na imprensa, o assunto continuou sendo estudado por parte da comissão, que tem analisado as diversas ações que podem ser realizadas para que o clube consiga quitar a curto prazo a Arena.
Até o momento não há nenhum projeto estruturado e/ou formalizado por parte dos Gaviões da Fiel, pois ainda há muitas questões que precisam ser aprofundadas, como o contrato entre Corinthians x Caixa / Corinthians x Neo Química, entre outros fatores.
Por conta da pandemia, a comissão dos Gaviões não conseguiu se reunir com os responsáveis para ter acesso às informações necessárias para seguir com a construção do projeto. O que os Gaviões da Fiel têm discutido internamente são as premissas para que uma ação de grande proporção como essa possa acontecer na prática, como por exemplo:
– Ter o valor real da dívida da Arena oficializado;
– Ter uma empresa independente para auditar e fiscalizar todo o processo;
– Que o dinheiro seja direcionado para uma conta específica com a Caixa;
– Ter uma página online de transparência dedicado para que todos os torcedores possam acompanhar o status do projeto/ação;
– Acompanhamento e gestão do projeto por corinthianos notáveis e reconhecidos em sua área de atuação.
Ao longo dos últimos meses, temos buscado ouvir diversas fontes sobre o tema, entre elas, a nova diretoria do Clube, que após reunião realizada nesta semana, já se posicionou de forma positiva e aceitou participar de uma ação conjunta com a Torcida por meio de um projeto que seja viável ao que estamos buscando.
Por fim, gostaríamos de reafirmar que o projeto está direcionado no pagamento da dívida do estádio e não nas demais dívidas do clube – como foi noticiado pelos canais de imprensa.
Além disso, qualquer projeto que entendemos ser um caminho viável para ajudar o Clube a pagar a Arena, contará com o envolvimento e participação dos torcedores por meio de uma consulta pública, aprovação do Conselho Deliberativo da nossa entidade e demais envolvidos no processo.
E lembrem-se que continuaremos abertos para receber qualquer ideia construtiva seja de sócio ou não dos Gaviões da Fiel, pois o nosso maior objetivo é ver o Corinthians forte dentro e fora de campo”
Sunderland will aim to make it back-to-back wins when Michael Beale's men face off against Middlesbrough today in the lunchtime game, an entertaining contest in prospect at the Riverside Stadium between two near neighbours.
The promotion-chasing Black Cats, who find themselves just outside of the playoff picture in the Championship after a wobbly patch of form saw them fall down the division, got their stuttering season back on track last time out with a convincing 3-1 win against Stoke City.
Although Sunderland did end up cruising to a much-needed win, the final moments were made just that little nervier when Jenson Seelt accidentally scored an own goal when Beale's men were three goals in front.
This unfortunate mishap on Seelt's end could see his starting spot sacrificed against Boro, especially with former Leeds United left-back Leo Hjelde joining the Sunderland ranks at the death on Deadline Day.
Jenson Seelt's season in numbers
Signed initially to provide centre-back cover to the likes of Daniel Ballard and Luke O'Nien, Seelt has been thrown into the deep end owing to an injury crisis at left-back recently.
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Beale has relied upon Seelt to come in and do a job as a makeshift left-back with both Niall Huggins and Dennis Cirkin long-term absentees in the Black Cats treatment room, a less-than-ideal situation.
The 20-year-old Dutchman has performed admirably there, but his blunder against Stoke could well signal the end of his extended spell in the first-team fold as an unconventional full-back.
Minutes played
90
Own goals
1
Duels won
8/12
Possession lost
19x
Accurate passes
30/43 (70%)
Accurate long balls
3/7
Stats by Sofascore
Losing possession a grand total of 19 times in the win on top of scoring an own goal, it makes logical sense for Beale to gift Hjelde his debut in a Sunderland strip ahead of Seelt today.
Hjelde was never banging down the door at Elland Road for more first-team minutes, hence Leeds not really putting up a fight to keep their young Norwegian defender, but the 20-year-old did shine prior to moving to Elland Road.
leo-hjelde-leeds-united-championship
Following a loan spell at Ross County – amid his stint at Celtic – the promising defender was even tipped to be the "next Van Dijk" by manager John Hughes, with the hope being that Beale can nurture such a talent over the coming months at the Stadium of Light.
The former Rangers boss will also pray that reintroducing Patrick Roberts to the first team today works wonders, the 26-year-old coming in to add an experienced head to a youthful Black Cats team as the push for promotion goes on.
Patrick Roberts' season in numbers
Roberts hasn't set the world alight when selected this season to date however, meaning this could be a controversial call for Beale to make.
The 26-year-old winger only has one assist to show for his efforts when fit from 23 appearances, with his ineffectiveness in the side only further magnified by Jack Clarke's continued heroics down the left-hand side of the pitch.
Yet, the flashes of brilliance Roberts has shown previously in his Sunderland career mean he's still a worthwhile option to start against Boro today.
Roberts excelled last campaign in the Championship, notching up five goals and seven assists as a crucial figure in the Black Cats side who made it into the playoffs.
Described as being "magic" by former Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray at the peak of his powers that same campaign, Beale will pray that Roberts can come good again with just one standout display then re-energising the wing wizard and boosting his confidence in the process.
Sunderland winger Patrick Roberts.
Starting Roberts would see the Black Cats have to majorly rejig for the trip to the Riverside – with Abdoullah Ba arguably undroppable after starring against Stoke – but it could well be a reshuffle that works if the £12.5k-per-week winger is able to show Sunderland what they've been missing on the way to another win after battling back from injury.
يرى مهاجم وهداف نادي واتفورد السابق، تروي ديني، أنه ليس من السهل على ليفربول تعويض رحيل محمد صلاح عن قلعة “أنفيلد” في المستقبل.
وينتهي عقد محمد صلاح مع ليفربول في 30 يونيو 2025، وبالتالي، سيرحل نهاية الموسم الحالي بالمجان إذا لم يبدأ الريدز المفاوضات معه للتمديد.
اقرأ أيضًا.. فابريزيو رومانو يُطمئن جمهور ليفربول بشأن مستقبل محمد صلاح
وتحدث ديني في تصريحات عبر شبكة “talkSPORT” البريطانية، وقال: “كان هناك حديث خلال الأيام الماضية عن تمديد عقد محمد صلاح، لكن راتبه الكبير يجعل ليفربول مترددًا بعض الشيء”.
وتابع: “محمد صلاح ليس اللاعب الوحيد والمهم الذي ينتهي عقده في نهاية الموسم الحالي هناك فيرجيل فان دايك وكذلك ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد”.
وأضاف: “أرنولد ربما يكون الأسهل لتعوضه إذا رحل، وفي رأيي أن على ليفربول التمديد لـ محمد صلاح أولًا ثم فان دايك وأخيرًا ترينت”.
واستمر: “ليفربول سيحتاج إلى لاعبين مميزين آخرين لتعويض ما يمكن لـ محمد صلاح تقديمه مع الفريق، فان دايك هو المدافع الأهم في الفريق وأي لاعب آخر في نفس المركز هو رقم 2”.
“I don’t think we want to play on wickets like these because it becomes too low-scoring and it becomes slightly difficult for our batters to get going,” the Super Kings captain said
Deivarayan Muthu in Chennai09-Apr-20192:33
Dasgupta: Chepauk conditions shouldn’t have been alien to KKR
Weeks after expressing his displeasure over the slow, low Chepauk track in the season opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni was once again critical of the pitch following another low-scoring match, against Kolkata Knight Riders.After Super Kings inserted Knight Riders, keeping the dewy conditions in Chennai in mind, the visitors laboured to 108 for 9 in 20 overs, with only Andre Russell passing 20. Super Kings’ spinners Imran Tahir, Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja bowled 15 dots each and ended with combined figures of 12-0-53-5.Super Kings’ batsmen themselves struggled to get going in the chase, but opener Faf du Plessis ushered them home with seven wickets and 16 balls to spare.Super Kings and Knight Riders played on the same pitch that was used for the hosts’ fixture against Kings XI Punjab on Saturday. Dhoni likened the pitch to the opening game of the season that produced a mere a 141 runs. The spinners accounted for 10 of the 13 wickets to fall in that game.”Well, again, it became like the first game,” Dhoni said at the post-match presentation on Tuesday. “We were cribbing about the track but we ended up winning the game. And [after] losing Bravo, it’s slightly difficult for us to get the combination right because we’re missing an allrounder and David [Willey] is not here, so it can’t be a straight swap.”So, if you look it looks a good wicket to us. But, I don’t think we want to play on wickets like these because it becomes too low-scoring and it becomes slightly difficult for our batters to get going. And also what happens is that it’s slightly more difficult if you’re batting first. As the dew comes in, it becomes slightly easier in the second half.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Seamer Deepak Chahar, who claimed 3 for 20, echoed his captain Dhoni’s thoughts and said Super Kings want a “better” pitch at home. He put down the sluggish nature of the pitches down to the extreme heat and humidity in Chennai.Ahead of the matches and during practice sessions, the groundstaff have shielded the playing square from getting to dry under the blazing Chennai sun by setting up a tent-like structure.”I’m happy I performed well, but obviously we’re looking for a better wicket,” Chahar said. “Nobody wants this type of a wicket. It’s [because of] the soil and heat and you can’t help it. It’s very hot here and the pitch curators are doing their best job to give us a good track. But, at the end of the day you can’t help it.”
An attempt to deny Barbados the chance to collect more bonus points fell flat in a dramatic and controversial finish to the match
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2019A bizarre declaration from Leeward Islands to lose a match in an apparent attempt to deny their opposition Barbados the chance to build enough bonus points to overtake them in the WICB Regional Four-Day Tournament, has backfired with Barbados securing second place.Whatever calculations took place from Leeward Islands, who were captained by Rahkeem Cornwall, did not work as the result was enough to put Barbados into second place by just 0.2 points with 17.4 points and end with 134.2, which proved to be just enough to overtake Leeward Islands, who collected 2.8 points from the match and ended with 134.After Guyana had been confirmed as champions the previous day following Leeward Islands’ collapse for 90 in the first innings against Barbados, courtesy a career-best 5 for 29 from Keon Harding, it became a battle between the two for second place.Barbados built a first-innings lead of 101 when they declared early on the second day at 191 with two wickets still in hand, after Alazarri Joseph took 4 for 28, before Leeward Islands moved to 83 for 2, still 18 behind, when they declared about 40 minutes after lunch and conceded the match.
Michael Klinger was dismissed in controversial circumstances off the seventh legal delivery of an over when the umpires miscounted
Report by Tristan Lavalette13-Jan-2019A red-hot Ashton Turner and Cameron Bancroft engineered Perth Scorchers’ daunting run chase of 178 with ease to flatten Sydney Sixers on a batting-friendly Perth Stadium pitch.Scorchers’ season was hanging in the balance after an even batting performance lifted Sixers to a seemingly sizeable 5 for 177. Turner and Bancroft, however, flipped the match with a blistering 98-run third-wicket partnership in the chase as Scorchers won their second straight match.Turner, who was called up to Australia’s first ODI against India but not selected, dominated the partnership with a spectacular 30-ball 60.Bancroft sealed the deal in the 19th over with a boundary to finish 87 not out from 61 deliveries – his second consecutive half-century as he returns from the ball-tampering scandal.Sixers rued their batsmen failing to convert starts as they slipped to a 4-4 record, while the rejuvenated Scorchers are back in the finals hunt at 3-5.Steady Sixers as Vince debutsAfter deciding to bowl, a weakened Scorchers attack hoped to make inroads against an unsettled Sixers who lost opener Justin Avendano during the warm-up. The visitors, however, enjoyed a solid top-order effort with late inclusion Jack Edwards combining in a 42-run opening partnership with Daniel Hughes.The towering Edwards, even more eye-catching with his flowing blonde locks, had a slice of luck when he was dropped in the second over but settled to blunt Scorchers’ quicks. There was bounce and movement off the green-tinged wicket although it played slower than in previous BBL matches and last month’s low-scoring Test match.Without Jason Behrendorff and Jhye Richardson, who both starred for Australia in the opening ODI against India, Scorchers looked to out-of-form David Willey for inspiration but the England import was wayward and conceded 17 runs in his first over.After Edwards fell in the sixth over to a spectacular catch diving forward by debutant Cameron Green, James Vince came to the crease in his first match of the tournament after his compatriot Joe Denly departed for England’s tour of the Caribbean.The stylish Vince showcased several of his trademark flowing drives against the quicks, but struggled to pick legspinner Usman Qadir and ungainly used his feet in a bid to break the shackles. Vince looked to hit out against pace at the other end, but fell lbw to quick Matt Kelly in the 13th over. He made 28 off 25 balls and helped lay a platform for the Sixers.Sixers fire at the death despite Tye’s trickerySixers were rolling towards an imposing total through Moises Henriques’s belligerent batting. In a purple patch, he smashed 38 off 21 balls, including consecutive sixes off Nathan Coulter-Nile, before spooning a return catch to Andrew Tye.Much of the burden rested on Tye to restrict the Sixers and he tapped into his bag of tricks with a cross-seam delivery to deceive Henriques. He then removed Jordan Silk to start the 19th over as the Sixers fell to 5 for 150 and appeared to be falling short of their desired score.But Tye faltered on the fifth ball of the over with a short delivery that flew over wicketkeeper Sam Whiteman and conceded five wides. With newfound momentum, Sixers added an invaluable 18 runs after that with Tom Curran and Josh Philippe, who has the second highest strike rate in the BBL, cashing in.Klinger’s rut continues in farcical fashionA chunk of Scorchers’ woes this season can be attributed to Michael Klinger’s struggles. The BBL’s all-time leading run-scorer has failed to fire putting into question his position at the top of the order.Klinger’s poor run continued making just 2 after bizarrely being dismissed on the seventh legal delivery of the second over, slicing a short Ben Dwarshuis delivery to Stephen O’Keefe at third man.O’Keefe dived forward to complete the catch but was unsure if his fingers were underneath the ball. Third umpire Nathan Johnstone was satisfied O’Keefe’s catch was clean but everyone seemed oblivious that Dwarshuis had bowled a seven-ball over – a stunning oversight in modern cricket.”The incident will be followed up in Cricket Australia’s general match review process and feedback will of course be taken on board,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said.Turner demolishes SixersWhen Whiteman fell in the eighth over, Scorchers were 2 for 65 with the match in the balance. Enter, Turner. His bat sizzled from the get go as he thumped an O’Keefe delivery into the stands with ease on his sixth delivery.Turner did likewise to Ben Manenti in the next over as he quickly turned the match around with a pyrotechnics show to flatten a shell-shocked Sixers attack. He reached his half-century in just 22 deliveries before falling in the 18th over with victory in sight.With 210 runs in his past four innings, higher honours await the imperious Turner.
On a day when the bowlers found no real purchase – barring occasional uneven bounce – from the MCG surface, India continued their batting dominance, consolidating their overnight position before declaring just under half an hour from stumps.India rode on the back of a 170-run third-wicket stand between Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara – the overnight pair batted out the first session – before useful contributions from the middle order took them to 443 for 7. Their bowlers then tested Australia’s openers for the last six overs of the day.Australia collected five wickets on the day, and the manner of a couple of them may have caused furrowed brows among their batsmen. Balls that stayed low accounted for Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, and instances of such misbehaviour are only likely to grow more frequent as the Test match wears on.Nathan Lyon, so influential in Adelaide and Perth, struggled for a similar impact on a pitch with much less bounce for him to exploit. As on the first day, India’s batsmen comfortably negated the offspinner, using their feet to reach the pitch of the ball, and drove him through the covers or midwicket almost every time he went too full. A switch to round the wicket didn’t help Lyon either, and it took him nearly 40 overs to earn his first wicket of the game. By the time Lyon struck after tea, trapping Rahane lbw with a ball that kept low, India had already built handsomely on their first-day platform.Kohli and Pujara began the day crisply, flicking and nudging to the long square boundary for a collection of threes, before settling in to protect their wicket. They weathered Australia’s bowlers, adding 62 runs before lunch and ensuring India’s second straight wicketless session.4:00
Laxman: Pujara showed application and looked at ease
Kohli chose to curtail his game after a few outside edges scuttled past the slips. He had collected his 20th Test half-century in the day’s first over, but was troubled by Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins early on. It was an unusually defensive innings but it kept India in control and he walked off at lunch, a smile plastered on his face, having successfully completed the mission India had in mind for the opening session. At the other end, Pujara brought up his 17th Test century, and his second of this series, with a straight drive off Lyon a couple of overs before lunch.After lunch, Kohli was troubled by a sore back that forced the physio Patrick Farhart onto the field. Kohli appeared to be struggling, getting down on his knees between deliveries. In an eventful over from Starc soon after the physio’s appearance, Kohli pulled in front of square for three, then hit another pull for four. By the time the over had ended, however, Kohli had steered an upper-cut right into the hands of third man. It was relief for Australia, a sedate celebration after almost 70 overs of no joy.Pujara would have liked to build on his 17th Test hundred, but he received a delivery from Cummins that he could do little about. It snaked through low off the surface from just short of a good length, and slid under Pujara’s back-foot defence and took out off stump. Cummins didn’t celebrate too hard, perhaps aware that the uneven bounce could pose a danger to Australia’s batsmen too.Pujara’s dismissal brought Rohit Sharma, who had missed the second Test due to injury, into the middle. He took the back seat early on, as Ajinkya Rahane took control till tea. Rohit looked comfortable in the middle – at one point his control percentage was 96 – but nearly fell against the run of play when he top-edged a sweep off Lyon. Substitute Peter Siddle, however, dropped a simple chance at backward square leg, handing him a reprieve on 16.Following Rahane’s dismissal, Rohit went on to add 76 for the sixth wicket with the No. 7 Rishabh Pant, who also enjoyed a bit of good fortune, with Cummins dropping him at long-on off the luckless Lyon.With Australia’s lead bowlers struggling for incision on the largely docile surface, Mitchell Marsh bowled a long spell of stump-to-stump medium-pace in the afternoon, with Tim Paine standing up to the stumps. Marsh finished as Australia’s most economical bowler, conceding only 56 off his 21 overs.With the day coming to a close, Rohit finally began to hit out. He swatted a length ball to deep midwicket to bring up India’s 400, and celebrated his 10th Test fifty, his second in Australia, two overs later. Australia took the third new ball in the 166th over, with Starc and Hazlewood returning for another late spell, but the harder ball only made run-scoring easier for Rohit and Pant. Both creamed fours off one Starc over, before Pant fell for 39, miscuing a leg-side heave. Ravindra Jadeja was out the next over, and at 443 for 7 Kohli declared, having kept Australia on the field for nearly 170 overs.Aaron Finch and Marcus Harris were left to face six tricky overs before stumps. There were two inside-edges in Ishant Sharma’s first over, and from the other end Jasprit Bumrah rattled Harris’s helmet with a short ball. The openers managed to survive this period, adding eight runs by stumps.
Glasgow Rangers return to Europa League action this Thursday, and they will be hoping to gain revenge on Aris Limassol after they defeated the Gers last month in what was a rather surprising result, to say the least.
The Ibrox side were in a crisis then. Michael Beale had been sacked just days before and interim manager Steven Davis was thrown into the deep end and this culminated in a 2-1 defeat against the Cypriot side.
The Gers have gotten their act together since then, however, appointing Philippe Clement as their new manager and going unbeaten across his first eight matches.
The 1-1 draw with Aberdeen in the Premiership at the weekend was the first time the club have dropped points domestically since the Belgian arrived, and he will be looking for an immediate response.
With the fixtures coming thick and fast and several players unavailable due to suspension and not being included in the squad, the 49-year-old will need to make some changes to his starting XI.
With this in mind, we predict that the manager will make four changes from the stalemate against the Dons on the weekend…
1 GK – Jack Butland
Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland
The former Crystal Palace ‘keeper has been a revelation between the posts for the club this season, especially with recent goalkeeping troubles plaguing the side.
Butland has featured in every single match this term, conceding 21 goals across 24 matches, along with keeping 11 clean sheets.
A third group stage clean sheet would go a long way to seeing the Gers achieve knockout football.
2 RB – James Tavernier
James Tavernier
The 32-year-old is currently the top scorer for the Light Blues this season as the festive season approaches, finding the back of the net on 12 occasions so far.
The defender loves Europe’s second-tier competition and was even the top scorer during the 2021/22 edition, finishing with seven goals and remarkably, they all came during the knockout stages.
3 CB – Ben Davies
Ben Davies
The first change to the side will see Davies come in and replace Connor Goldson, who is suspended for the tie.
The centre-back picked up his third yellow card of the group stage against Sparta Prague in the previous tie and this means he won’t be available for selection against Aris.
Clement will replace him with Davies, who has started every match of the group stage so far, yet has made the starting XI just four times in the league.
4 CB – John Souttar
John Souttar
The second change Clement will make is bringing in Souttar for Leon Balogun, as the 35-year-old wasn’t included in the Europa League squad by Beale.
It was a poor decision, especially with Balogun’s experience, yet the Scot will be able to step up and form a solid partnership with Davies.
5 LB – Borna Barisic
Rangers defender Borna Barisic.
The Croatian started against Aberdeen, yet due to yet another error by Beale, who failed to include Ridvan Yilmaz in his Europa League squad, he will be forced to start against Aris.
Barisic only has a few months left of his current contract, and it remains to be seen whether this will be his final season in Glasgow.
6 CM – John Lundstram
Jack Butland
The Englishman has been solid in recent weeks and, under Clement, he has started all eight games and returned to the sort of form which saw him propel the Gers into the Europa League final in 2022.
During that semi-final tie against RB Leipzig, the former Premier League midfielder popped up with the winner with just minutes to go, thus earning cult hero status in the process.
Expect him to retain his place against the Cypriot side.
7 CM – Ryan Jack
Ryan Jack
The third change by the Belgian will see Jack return to the starting XI in place of Jose Cifuentes.
The Ecuadorian is finding his feet at the Ibrox side following a slow start and against the Dons, the 24-year-old looked comfortable at the heart of the midfield, taking 81 touches, and succeeded with 88% of his attempted passes.
Jack has started just once in the competition, yet he has won 88% of his ground duels and Clement may just prefer his experience alongside Lundstram.
8 RW – Ross McCausland
The man of the moment. McCausland will be Clement’s fourth and final change as he will come into the side.
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The youngster has recently signed a new contract which will keep him at the club for the next three and half years, and it is a wise investment by Clement.
He has broken into the first team over the previous few weeks and secured his first start for the Light Blues against Livingston before the international break.
He could add something extra to the attack and don’t be surprised to see him shining yet again.
9 AM – Todd Cantwell
Todd Cantwell
The Englishman started on the right against Aberdeen and while he made five key passes and succeeded with 100% of his dribbles, there was something missing in his performance.
His best position is clearly just behind the striker and he registered eight goal contributions from that role during the second half of last season after joining from Norwich City.
This means Tom Lawrence will drop to the bench to accompany the attacking midfielder. The 29-year-old – who was dubbed as “wonderful” by journalist Josh Bunting – could be an important player for the club this term, and his impact will be useful from the bench tomorrow.
10 LW – Abdallah Sima
Rangers loanee Abdallah Sima.
The on-loan Brighton and Hove Albion starlet has really made the left wing role his own recently. Sima has managed to find the back of the net on nine occasions and he scored during the first two matches of the group stage, including the winner against Real Betis.
He will make yet another appearance in the starting XI against Aris.