Category Uncategorized

ScorecardJack Taylor made his third first-class hundred (file photo)•PA Photos

Moeen Ali struck an unbeaten century to guide Worcestershire to a draw on the final day of their County Championship match with Gloucestershire in Bristol. The England all-rounder came to the rescue with his side in trouble at 49 for 3, chasing an unlikely 352 to win in 63 overs, hitting a fluent 136 from 144 balls in a quality knock that featured just one chance.Earlier, Jack Taylor had lashed 13 fours and two sixes in an explosive 105, his second fifty coming off just 27 balls, to help Gloucestershire from a perilous 217 for 6 overnight to 382 for 7 declared. Chris Dent was unbeaten on 138, having shared a seventh-wicket stand of 162 with Taylor. It was Dent’s second hundred of the season and took his run tally in five Championship innings to 402 at an average of 101.75.The early loss of openers Brett D’Oliveira and Daryl Mitchell, both to Liam Norwell, left Worcestershire batting to salvage a draw but they closed on 210 for 4. Gloucestershire took 12 points from the second game at Bristol this season to be dominated by the bat and Worcestershire 13 points.Dent and Taylor batted the home side out of trouble in the morning session, which began with them leading by only 186. The seventh-wicket pair stayed together until after lunch, overcoming the second new ball and adding 140 in attractive style.Dent reached a rock-solid hundred off 225 balls, with 13 fours, having begun the day on 81, and never gave a semblance of a chance. But he was eclipsed by the big-hitting Taylor, who cut loose after reaching a half-century off 69 balls. He took 17 off an over from Moeen, which cost 21 runs, and a second six off the England man in the last over before lunch took him to three figures.At lunch Taylor was unbeaten on 101, while Dent was 122 not out. The declaration came soon after the interval, Tom Kohler-Cadmore having taken an excellent diving catch over his shoulder running back at mid-on to dismiss Taylor off Ed Barnard.Norwell then briefly raised Gloucestershire hopes of victory with a five-over opening spell from the Ashley Down Road End that saw him claim 2 for 16. The seamer bowled D’Oliveira for 4 and then clipped Mitchell’s off stump on 8 as the Worcestershire captain shouldered arms to a ball that nipped back.When first-innings centurion Joe Clarke was bowled by Josh Shaw, also for 8, Worcestershire were 49 for 3 and in a spot of bother. But Kohler-Cadmore helped steady things and Moeen looked in little trouble, his two moments of anxiety coming when he pulled a short delivery from Norwell for six, the ball just clearing Hamish Marshall at fine leg, and a sharp caught-and-bowled chance to Shaw on 54.Having brought up his hundred from 106 balls, there was even time for Moeen to launch two big sixes in succession off Taylor in the closing overs. Sweet revenge for what had happened earlier.

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale has endured an excellent start to life in the Ibrox hot seat, remaining unbeaten in the Premiership and losing just once since December.

His team have clicked and been bolstered by the additions of Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell in January so next season could be wonderful, especially if he can strengthen in the summer.

One area that badly needs rejuvenating is in the goalkeeper department, with Allan McGregor conceding 41 goals and Jon McLaughlin conceding 18 across all competitions this term.

With a combined age of 76, it's time that the duo are moved on and someone younger is brought in who can establish themselves as the new number one.

It is a conundrum that will have Beale scratching his head as to who he should sign to take over from the pair, and it could be a search that continues all through the summer.

If only he had the opportunity to utilise a former Gers 'keeper who will surely go down as one of the finest in the club’s vast history – Stefan Klos.

Is Stefan Klos a Rangers icon?

The German enjoyed both domestic and European success at Borussia Dortmund between 1990 and 1998, winning two Bundesliga titles along with the 1997 Champions League, firmly establishing himself as one of the best shot-stoppers on the continent.

When Dick Advocaat arrived at Rangers in the summer of 1998, he had money to spend and plenty of it, although he had to wait until near Christmas to lure Klos away from the Bundesliga, ending a near year-long interest in the player.

He was certainly worth the wait, becoming the undisputed number one and winning a league title and Scottish Cup in his first six months, before repeating the feat the season after.

His performances earned him the playful nickname ‘Der Goalie’ which was a reference to former Gers hero Andy Goram, and he went on to enjoy his finest season during the treble-winning campaign of 2002/03, appearing in all but one match as the club endured one of the best seasons in their history.

He was still going strong into 2005, however, a serious knee injury suffered in training ensured he missed the title run-in and was limited to just a handful of games after, finally retiring in 2007.

Dubbed “excellent” by the official Rangers Twitter page, only McGregor has come close to succeeding the German in terms of ability and if Beale had a prime Klos at his disposal in the present day, the Light Blues would undeniably have an excellent chance of winning back the Premiership title.

At the beginning of the month, one prominent Manchester United fan account appeared to take a not-so-subtle dig at the club’s biggest summer signing, Antony.

In a post that presented Alejandro Garnacho scoring against West Ham United in the FA Cup, it read: “Gentle reminder that our star boy didn’t cost £100m.”

The meaning is unclear but when you consider the aforementioned Brazilian cost £86m, the pieces begin to fall into place.

In truth, Garnacho has had a bigger impact at Old Trafford this term. The teenager who despite being Argentinian, idolises Cristiano Ronaldo, has scored four times and registered five assists across all senior competitions.

Antony, by comparison, has six goals and just one assist as a marker of his lack of end product.

In the goals department, he is currently beating his younger colleague, but he has also played around 800 more minutes throughout 2022/23.

There have been flickers and indications of his brilliance but against Liverpool, a bold call may well have to be made.

Will Antony play against Liverpool?

To put it simply, the £200k-per-week earner must be dropped for such a seismic clash this afternoon.

The fact of the matter is that Erik ten Hag now has better options at his disposal. Wout Weghorst has shown he is no mug in attack with his relentless work rate only something Antony can dream of.

Marcus Rashford is simply undroppable while Bruno Fernandes has also occupied a role on Antony’s favoured right-hand side of late. That’s not forgetting the impact Jadon Sancho has had as a number 10 either.

Throw Garnacho into the mix, a man who oozed confidence against the Irons a few days ago, and it’s hard to see how Antony gets in.

The Brazilian did indeed score in the Europa League win over Barcelona but that is his only goal in the last ten outings.

The 23-year-old has only played the full 90 minutes once since the World Cup too, with that a glaring indication that Ten Hag does not trust him to provide quality over long spells.

Liverpool have been rather hopeless defensively at times this term – notably conceding five to Real Madrid at Anfield – and as such a swashbuckling offensive strategy from United must be chosen.

Antony dazzles with his trickery but his inability to then carve out a chance or fashion a shot is what holds him back.

Instead, he finds himself going back for more. That was seen at Wembley last weekend where despite beating Dan Burn all ends up at one stage, then decided to try and do it all over again before being sent to the deck by Joelinton.

There is, of course, the famous spin that he does, a trick that debuted in United colours during Sheriff Tiraspol earlier this season.

For that rather comedic moment, Ian Darke on BT Sport suggested he was playing as though he was on the television show “Strictly Come Dancing.”

Always the showboater and very rarely the man for the big occasion, other options have to be favoured this weekend.

United are still the favourites but without Antony, the odds will surely only rise in their favour.

Cricket in Jammu and Kashmir has struggled against the odds for decades, but with poster boy Abid Nabi ready to take the step up to the big league, things may be about to take a turn for the better

Nagraj Gollapudi05-Dec-2006

Abid Nabi is 20. He stands 6 feet 2 inches tall, has wide, strong shoulders, and wants to bowl fast. A year ago he caught Dennis Lillee’s attention at an MRF Pace foundation bowling camp. Lillee alerted Greg Chappell, and soon Nabi was bowling in the India nets.He is nippy, bowls with a smooth and clean action, and along with Punjab’s VRV Singh, who has already played for the country, he represents hope for Indian cricket in its quest for that ever-elusive species: the genuine fast bowler.But Nabi is not merely a fast-bowling prospect. He may not be aware of it, and may not want to contemplate the significance of it, but it is more than merely India’s fast-bowling hopes that are riding on his shoulders.Nabi is no ordinary cricketer. He represents Jammu and Kashmir, a state locked in a bloody conflict over identity, one where the concepts of patriotism and nationalism are shrouded in grey, and where overt allegiance to the Indian mainstream brings perils. For years Jammu and Kashmir has had only a token presence in the Ranji Trophy. No international match has been played in the state since 1986. Rains forced the abandonment of the fifth ODI of the India-New Zealand series in Jammu in 1988. No cricketer from the state has ever come close to being picked for India.Much depends on whether Nabi succeeds. It could potentially revive cricket in Kashmir. More importantly, he can be a bridge, a symbol. That cricket can heal was demonstrated by India’s historic tour to Pakistan in 2004. During that last international in Srinagar in 1986, the crowd cheered for the visiting side, Australia. Would they do the same if Nabi is part of the team?***Ghulam Nabi Ahanger, Nabi’s father, has always been a keen follower of cricket. In 1983, when international cricket came to Jammu and Kashmir for the first time, he bought a 50-rupee ticket to watch India play Clive Lloyd’s West Indies. But more than a decade later, when his son started showing a liking for the game, he tried to dissuade him.The Nabis, who come from fairly humble circumstances, felt there was no scope in taking sport seriously, especially in troubled times. “We thought then that education was the best option for our children,” Ahanger says over tea at the family’s three-storey house in Srinagar, which they share with three of Nabi’s maternal uncles and their families.In the beginning Nabi did not think of playing cricket for a living. But as encouragement came his way from his coach and senior team-mates, he began to dare to hope. “I became hopeful that I can become someone and get good things,” he says.In the limited opportunities he has found to play for his state, he has already made some strides. This season he narrowly missed out on a place in the Challenger Series teams and the North Zone Duleep Trophy squad.Bowling in the nets at Mohali, in the presence of his heroes, Nabi learned valuable lessons. “Every senior told me to look after my physical fitness, and that if I continued to work hard, I could get a chance anytime.”***Does Nabi’s ambition go against the grain of the local thinking in his state? Does it mark a departure from a way of life that is thought to be conditioned towards seeking azaadi from the Indian mainstream?

Ehsan Mirza, the treasurer at the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) doesn’t think so. Mirza’s family owns a successful carpet business, and Mirza also runs the popular Amateur Cricket Club (ACC), where Nabi, among others, plays. Mirza says that at this point in time he perceives no opposition to Nabi – or anyone else from the state – playing for India. “The state’s politics has never influenced JKCA matters,” he says.
Dar Yasin, who took the photographs that accompany this feature, quit playing cricket after a police encounter near where they were playing a Sunday match in the early 1990s left one dead. He thinks the common man is getting increasingly desperate to see a Kashmiri face in the Indian dressing room. “People have been complaining for a long time that nobody has been selected from Kashmir. There’ve been some good players, but they were rejected on the basis of being Kashmiri,” he says.Terrorism has ripped holes in the delicate fabric of Kashmir’s beauty. It has dried up investment and employment opportunities that may otherwise have come the state’s way. That India is taking its place as a global economic power is not lost on young Kashmiris, who are ready to take risks to better their lot.Samiullah Beigh, 20, a tall, upcoming fast bowler, and Nabi’s team-mate, thinks they can’t move forward by playing safe all the time. “If I want to be a great player, I have to sacrifice something.” Beigh is in his final year at engineering college, and aims to devote all his time to the game once he graduates.Mirza understands that if things don’t improve in the state’s cricket soon, youngsters will start looking elsewhere. “They are very ambitious and try to excel at everything they do,” he says. The Nabis are impatient too. They have gone through hardship, lived with fear – and continue to do so. Now there is hope, in the form of their son. They cherish dreams of the day when he finally plays for the country and makes Kashmir proud.Will Nabi live up to the expectations and turn into India’s next pace sensation? Only time will tell. For now, he is the poster boy of Jammu and Kashmir cricket and has become something of a benchmark.Nineteen-year-old Mohammed Mudasir, who started to take a serious interest in the game two years ago, and attended the MRF camp in 2006, says his parents are now asking him to work harder and follow Nabi’s example.Nabi understands the responsibilities of being a role model. Sitting on the grass at the picturesque Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, he talks of how happy he feels when young cricketers approach him for advice. He himself hardly had the benefit of such inputs when he was rising through the ranks.***For every Nabi who makes it to the verge of the big time, there are dozens who fall by the way. The lush environs of Jammu and Kashmir have produced abundant talent, but it has often withered away for want of nurture.Players such as Abdul Qayyum Bagoo and Surinder Singh Bagal – who Sourav Ganguly once said was the fastest bowler he had faced – may not have become household names, but they did make it to the fringes of national selection. They may have gone all the way had they had support. Who knows what such talent would have achieved with proper guidance?”We were sidelined because we came from a weaker state,” says Idrees Gundroo, a Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler of the 1980s. “Had we got these opportunities now, as the board is giving these days, we would’ve made it to a decent level.” It is only now that the likes of Nabi have Farooq Abdullah, the JKCA President, throwing their weight behind them.Still, being a cricketer in Kashmir is hardly easy. The years of conflict have taken their toll. The JKCA has been reduced to a two-room office after the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) took over the complex. Cricketers have to walk past hoops of barbed wire that cordon off the association’s premises. CRPF jawans stand guard outside, not letting even officials and players in without identity cards.

Apart from the pitch at the Sher-i-Kashmir, which was once fast and is now flat, the entire Kashmir region doesn’t have a single turf wicket. Back in 1996, when after a seven-year lull some senior cricketers and JKCA officials came together to get cricket going at the stadium again, they found it difficult to locate the playing square under the grass, which had grown two-feet tall.Sher-i-Kashmir continues to languish: the wicket lies barren; the stands are the ones that were installed for the first time in 1983; the scoreboard is lost among the branches of the beautiful Chinar trees that circle the ground; there are no toilets or drainage facilities, no dressing room for the players, no showers. The B ground adjacent to the main one has two practice wickets, but both of cement.The JKCA says its hands are tied since nothing can be done without the army’s permission, even if it is the association that owns the land. Mirza says the JKCA has been asking the security forces to vacate the premises for the last six years in vain.As an alternative arrangement, Mirza has signed a contract with Kashmir University (KU) under which the JKCA will maintain and use the university’s two grounds for the next three years. A new turf wicket and two practice wickets have already been constructed at the KU grounds for the use of the ACC.It may be too little too late, though. Their patience wearing thin, the likes of Nabi and Beigh are now looking to play outside the state as much as possible. Nabi made his Times Shield debut this year in Mumbai. He thinks playing outside the state more “will fast-forward my development”.Says Beigh, “Earlier we used to play just for the sake of pride and honour and it was a big thing to play one match for the state. Now, after being at the MRF for four months, I am more hungry to prove myself on the national front. I never felt the other bowlers [at MRF] were any special.”If Nabi does eventually make it to the Indian side, he could be the harbinger of a new chapter in the history of Jammu and Kashmir cricket. “If we get one break – Nabi – then there will be a stream of players following him,” Mirza says. Abdul Majid Kakroo, the former India football captain, who played between 1981 and 1989, and once was on a terrorist hitlist, says sport can only help unite. “If Nabi goes on to play for India, it will silence the skeptics who feel that India treats Kashmir as an outsider.”As for Nabi himself, he only wants to take his state forward. Kashmir is the rabbit of Indian domestic cricket and Nabi aims to change that. “I want Jammu and Kashmir to move forward. Aage ka toh pata nahin (I don’t about what will happen in the future).”

Alex Davies, Jordan Clark and Joe Mennie all threatened match-winning hands, but all fell to Porter as the defending champions held on by 31 runs

Alan Gardner at Chelmsford22-Apr-20182:57

Defending champions Essex off the mark

ScorecardThree times during this third and final day at Chelmsford, Lancashire began to seriously raise hopes of pulling off a chase for the ages. Three times Jamie Porter thundered in and found the ball to quell Essex fears. Alex Davies, Jordan Clark and Joe Mennie each scored valiant half-centuries but all three were victims of Porter’s indefatigable seam bowling, as the defending champions claimed victory in the sort of hard-fought, sun-drenched contest after which victory beer slips down like ice water.It can’t be long before they start serving pints of Porter porter at the Spinner’s Bar. The 24-year-old collected 9 for 80 to continue the form that saw him lead the Division One wicket-taker’s list in 2017, celebrating the dismissal in particular of Davies with a throaty roar. That left Lancashire 139 for 5 and although Clark took them to within 77 of victory with three wickets still standing, Porter speared a delivery into his pads to ease the tension.Still Lancashire kept coming, with zombie determination, as the Australia seamer Mennie clubbed his way to fifty, bringing the requirement down to 38 with the arrival of the second new ball. Eight deliveries was all it took for Porter to rattle the stumps and finally end Mennie’s resistance.”He digs in and has a crack,” was the assessment of Porter’s team-mate, another Australian, Peter Siddle. “That’s what you want from your main fast bowler. Coming off a big year last season, needed to come out here and start well, and he was tremendous. He tries hard and deserves every wicket he gets.”Lancashire have now lost two from two but certainly found some fibre to fortify their batting, after failing to reach 200 in three previous innings. They had been left with too much to do, stretched out of shape by the eighth-wicket stand of more than 100 between James Foster and Simon Harmer on the second evening. Keeping Harmer to just a single wicket in the fourth innings on a wearing pitch was little consolation.Davies could have been accused of giving his wicket away in the first innings, chipping tamely to mid-off having faced 17 balls, but he was the only member of Lancashire’s top order to demonstrate the required graft second time around. There was plenty of class on display, too. Porter was thrashed for three successive fours – two pulls and a drive – and Davies also played Harmer deftly, using his feet to cut the spinner with regularity.Lancashire had given themselves a solid platform, reaching lunch on 82 for 2 with Davies playing beautifully and the captain, Liam Livingstone, reining in his attacking instincts. Those Essex supporters sitting in the Tiptree jam stand could be forgiven for feeling a bit sticky around the collar, with the sun shining and the pitch having eased after 18 wickets fell on the opening day.There was also a suspicion that Essex were a little light on bowling beyond the frontline three of Porter, Harmer and Siddle, with the tall left-armer Paul Walter only in the side after Sam Cook fractured a finger in training the day before the game. Walter was unused during the morning session, but he needed only three ball to break the third-wicket stand: a bouncer and a gentle half-volley pushed for two was followed up by good-length ball that drew another drive and a thick edge from Livingstone.Walter made it two in as many overs when he won an lbw decision against Shivnarine Chanderpaul, not quite such an eternal presence at the crease these days, and the main scoreboard promptly broke down – something Chanderpaul refuses to do, although he has now collected scores of 11, 0, 8 and 1 this season.In the dark about the score, the muttering from the home fans increased as Davies coasted to his half-century and began to open up. He had laced 38 from 30 balls faced after lunch and was looking to be the pivotal figure of the chase, only for Porter to produce a thunderbolt of a yorker that knocked Davies off his feet and sent him back for a fine 71.Dane Vilas fell soon after, a second wicket for Siddle, who then produced a marvellous bit of fielding to leave Lancashire seven down. Having been denied an lbw appeal against Clark, Siddle hurtled across to his right and threw down the stumps with Tom Bailey a yard short having been sent back. Clark might have fallen on 19, but Varun Chopra was unable to hold a fast edge off Ravi Bopara.The morning began with Lancashire required to make the highest score of the match – and significantly more than they had managed in three previous innings this season – in order to inflict Essex’s first defeat since September 2016. The mantra at Essex over the last two seasons is that “no one gets through the new ball” and Porter ensured that held true when he flattened Haseeb Hameed’s off stump in the third over. It was a good enough strategy come the end of the day too.

Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Santos striker Deivid Washington and a new update has provided more details on his imminent move to the Premier League.

Who is Deivid Washington?

Washington is an academy graduate at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium having worked his way up through the various youth ranks to get promoted to Paulo Turra’s first team back in April, but despite still having another three years remaining on his contract, he’s been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.

At the start of August, Fabrizio Romano reported that the Blues had agreed personal terms with the 18 year-old centre-forward and had submitted a bid which was set to be accepted by his club, with the idea being that he would immediately join Todd Boehly’s Strasbourg on loan where he could be closely monitored as part of the owner’s multi-club project.

The Brazilian, however, is yet to have wrapped up his move to SW6 as a result of the Blues focusing all of their attention on big-money deals for the likes of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, though with those players now successfully through the door, it sounds as if the attacker could be the next to follow in their footsteps.

Are Chelsea signing Deivid Washington?

Taking to X, Romano revealed that Chelsea have everything in place regarding the arrival of Washington, whilst sharing the last stages that need to happen in order for him to be announced as the newest member of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad. He wrote:

“Deivid Washington already completed medical tests at Chelsea — it’s about final documents, formal steps then the Brazilian striker will be unveiled as new #CFC player. Santos to receive €16m fixed fee plus €4m add-ons [£17m total]."

How many goals has Deivid Washington scored?

Since the start of his career, Washington has scored eight goals in 29 appearances, so there’s no doubt that he’s a real star in the making and has a bright long-term future ahead of him. But, right now, Chelsea would be making the correct decision to send the striker out on loan to aid his development and increase his exposure.

The youngster has recorded a total of 17 shots over the course of the current campaign which is the third-highest tally throughout his squad, via FBRef, not to mention that he has the qualities to become a physical presence up top where he's averaging 1.1 aerial wins per league game.

Read The Latest Chelsea Transfer News HERE…

Santos’ “talented” prospect, as lauded by football scout Jacek Kulig, also has the ability to operate out wide on the left wing alongside his usual role through the middle, so should he return to become a member of the first team when he's matured, he would provide the boss with welcomed versatility.

The Blues are believed to be closing in on the signing of New England Revolution goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, who is set to undergo his medical today, but he’s not the only fresh face likely to be introduced to supporters before September 1st.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies is reportedly expected to renew his contract amid transfer interest from Real Madrid.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Madrid tracked Davies for monthsBayern offer Canadian superior dealDefender expected to extend stayGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Spanish giants have been tracking the 23-year-old for months now in an effort to sign him this summer. With the left-back's contract at Bayern expiring in 2025, multiple clubs are keeping tabs on him but it seems the German side may keep him after all. The Athletic's David Ornstein claims the Bundesliga outfit's offer is 'superior' and unless that changes the expectation is Davies will renew.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Davies is, and has been for years now, one of the best left-backs in the world and he remains a key player for the Bundesliga club. He has made 178 appearances for the club in total, scoring eight goals and providing 28 assists.

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Davies was born to Liberian parents in a refugee camp in Ghana and is the fourth youngest of six siblings. His family fled during the Second Liberian Civil War and in 2005 they emigrated to Canada. At the age of 14, Davies relocated to Vancouver to join the Whitecaps FC Residency program and in January 2019 he signed for the mighty Bayern, where he has since flourished.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT?

Off the pitch, the January transfer window shuts in a week's time, meaning teams don't have much time to sign the Canadian international. On the pitch, Davies is set to be back in action for Bayern on Saturday away to Augsburg in Bundesliga action.

M Vijay and Virat Kohli added 283 for the third wicket, utterly dispiriting Sri Lanka until Lakshan Sandakan gave them something to cheer with two quick wickets late in the day

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy02-Dec-20172:12

Chopra: Vijay showed he’s India’s No. 1 opener

In deference to the Indian team management’s wishes, there was grass on the Feroz Shah Kotla pitch, but Virat Kohli, at the toss, wished there could have been more. It certainly wasn’t enough to turn New Delhi into Newlands, and India, instead of fighting for survival against snarling South African fast bowlers, settled into a typically subcontinental bat-first, bat-big pattern against a limited Sri Lanka attack, facing more spin (59 overs) than seam (31) on day one.For most of the day, Sri Lanka had nothing to cheer as M Vijay and Virat Kohli added 283 for the third wicket, their partnership an exhibition of relentless self-control and a hunger for runs that never tipped over into greed. India rattled along at more than four an over, and as the shadows lengthened, it seemed as if India would end the day only two down.But wristspin can do strange things, and Lakshan Sandakan, whose figures at that point read 20.5-0-109-0, sent down a deliciously-flighted wrong’un, slanting it across Vijay and asking him to reach out to drive. He didn’t pick the direction of turn, groped for the ball, and missed, dragging his back foot out of the crease in the process. Niroshan Dickwella, quick and nimble, did the rest.In his next over, Sandakan repeated the trick against Ajinkya Rahane. The line was a little wider this time, but again the ball landed on that perfect length, broke in the direction the batsman did not anticipate, and again Dickwella removed the bails with the batsman’s toe on the line. India had gone from 361 for 2 to 365 for 4. Sandakan, whose bowling until that point had made Sri Lanka yearn for the control of the absent Rangana Herath, was now doing what he had been picked to do.Still, this was India’s day. At stumps, Kohli was batting on 156, his third hundred in a row and the quickest – he only took 110 balls to reach three figures – of his 20 in Tests. In the process, he also became the fourth-quickest Indian batsman to 5000 Test runs, getting there in his 105th innings.Until the moment of Sandakan’s transformation, Vijay and Kohli had looked utterly secure. Aside from a couple of clearly not-out lbw shouts, their dominance had gone unchallenged, and, in an indictment of the two specialist spinners, the one bowler who had come remotely close to creating chances was the part-time offspinner Dhananjaya de Silva.On 122, Vijay drove early and sent the ball looping towards midwicket rather than the intended direction of cover; it fell just short of the diving Dinesh Chandimal. Then, on 154, he sent an uppish flick in the same direction. This time it eluded the fingertips of the debutant Roshen Silva. In between, de Silva also found Kohli’s leading edge, which fell between the bowler and mid-off.Bowling exclusively from around the wicket, de Silva ended the day with figures of 0 for 45 in 15 overs. Sandakan and Dilruwan Perera finished with a combined 3 for 207 from 44 overs.The foundation of Kohli’s innings was his supreme reading of the spinners’ length, and thereafter his footwork to pounce on marginal lapses. Before lunch, for instance, he took a massive stride out to a good-length ball from Lakshan Sandakan and bisected wide mid-on and deep midwicket with a whip of his wrists. On 68, he went the other way, deep into his crease, to shorten the length of an otherwise decent Dilruwan Perera delivery and bring his wrists into play once more to find the gap between short fine leg and deep square leg.For the quicker bowlers, a “good” length was a fairly small area on this pitch. When they strayed remotely off that area, Kohli and Vijay were quick to put the ball away. Vijay gave a good demonstration of this with a pair of boundaries in the 23rd over, off Lahiru Gamage: a cover drive, followed by a wristy on-drive, both off balls that were far from half-volleys. Kohli, meanwhile, raced from 43 to 55 courtesy three fours off one Gamage over, the pick of them an on-the-up drive through the covers.Vijay went to tea on 101, and resumed with a flurry of attractive boundaries – an inside-out cover drive off Dilruwan, a square-drive off Gamage, a reverse-paddle off Dilruwan. He would only hit one more four after that, though, as he took the singles on offer and made sure he would do everything in his power to keep his quest for that long-yearned-for maiden double-hundred alive. This time, it would really take a good ball to get him out.This hadn’t been true of Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara, who both got off to breezy starts before falling against the run of play.Once it became clear there was little help in this pitch for the quicks, Dhawan and Vijay were quickly on their way, driving freely on the up and hitting eight fours in the first ten overs. Sri Lanka brought on spin as early as the eighth over, and Dilruwan continued to worry his team with his inconsistent lengths, Dhawan picking up two fours behind point in his first two overs. But he grew a little greedy, and picked out deep square leg with a top-edged sweep on 23. Suranga Lakmal briefly lost the ball in the hazy atmosphere, and lost a shoe while hurriedly changing direction, but managed to hold on.It was Dilruwan’s 100th Test wicket. He might not be the most frugal of spinners, but he has the knack of taking wickets – his 100th had come up in his 25th Test, and no Sri Lankan had got there quicker. Muttiah Muralitharan had taken 27 Tests.In walked Pujara, whose last four partnerships with Vijay read 107, 178, 102 and 209. They seemed to be continuing from where they left off in Nagpur, while scoring twice as quickly, and Pujara in particular was putting the bowlers through the shredder, hitting four fours in the space of three overs, including two back-foot whips off marginally short balls from Dilruwan. But this time, the partnership would only get as far as 36.Lahiru Gamage broke it, Sri Lanka profiting from the same plan that had brought them Pujara’s wicket in the second innings in Galle in late July. Then, he had flicked a full ball from Lahiru Kumara to leg gully. Now, he tucked one off his legs in the same direction, just uppishly enough for Sadeera Samarawickrama to take a sharp catch falling to his left.

Ange Postecoglou has explained what happened when he became involved in an explosive touchline row during Tottenham's win over Bournemouth.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Postecoglou involved in touchline rowTottenham beat Bournemouth 3-1Spurs boss booked for his outburstWHAT HAPPENED?

Tottenham ended 2023 with a 3-1 win against Bournemouth on New Year's Eve, but tensions boiled over in injury-time when Postecoglou had to be dragged away from a touchline row with Bournemouth staff. Spurs were incensed that Bournemouth didn't put the ball out when Alejo Veliz went down injured, with Postecoglou, Giovani Lo Celso and Bournemouth staff member Shaun Cooper all booked following the ensuing row.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPWHAT POSTECOGLOU SAID ABOUT THE ROW

The Tottenham boss played down the shocking incident after the match. When asked about the touchline confrontation, Postecoglou joked to reporters: "We all just came together to wish each a Happy New Year mate. Make some resolutions."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Spurs bounced back from a disappointing 4-2 defeat to Brighton with the 3-1 win in north London. The victory, coupled with Arsenal's 2-1 loss to Fulham, saw Postecoglou's side move to within a point of the Premier League top four.

Manchester United are edging ever closer to getting a deal over the line for Rasmus Hojlund this summer, with The Independent reporting that the side is in "advanced" talks over a move for the striker with just finer details left to finalise.

What is the latest Manchester United transfer news?

The Red Devils have been linked with numerous players already this summer, as they look to build on what was a solid 2022/23 season in the Premier League. They finished in the top four and bagged themselves a place in the Champions League, and whilst there was no silverware to show off, they did go far in the FA Cup and will have an eye on getting their hands on a trophy next time around.

It means that there has been plenty to talk about this summer window in terms of United already. For starters, they now appear to have an interest in signing Federico Chiesa, despite already having a wealth of wingers. Newcastle and Liverpool had been the two frontrunners for his signature, but the Juventus man is now on the radar of the Red Devils too.

They have yet to lodge an official bid, but he could be available for sale with the Turin outfit needing funds. They have also had Leon Goretzka on their wanted list, but that move now looks unlikely. Even though it looked like Bayern would be willing to flog the attacking midfielder, the player himself wants to stay with the German outfit and that has now put the Red Devils off making a move for him.

Is Rasmus Hojlund joining Manchester United?

The big name that looks to be heading to Old Trafford, with things progressing, is Rasmus Hojlund. It was reported that United were preparing to make an official bid for the attacker, with the youngster himself happy to move to England and to the Red Devils this summer. All that was left to do was to sort out the financial side of things with Atalanta, with the Italian outfit wanting money and not a player exchange.

Now, according to a report from The Independent, talks between the two clubs are "advanced" and the smaller details are being ironed out. Hojlund himself appears ready to move to United once a deal has been sorted out and it might even cost the Red Devils less than they anticipated too, with a fee touted in this report at £60m.

There are set to be add-ons though, which is what are still being worked out, but with talks moving forward a deal could be done to soon send him to the Premier League.

It appears as though the sky could be the limit for Hojlund. Everybody has been quick to rave about the striker if they have seen him play, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig labelling the forward as a "monster in the making" for his physical traits – the striker has been likened to Erling Haaland due to his mixture of size and speed.

He's already bagged goals for club and country and the youth football writer added that 2023 is "his year".

It shows that he is highly thought of already and that it looks like there could be more to come from the wonderkid. United will want that to be with them and if he can continue this upward trajectory, then he could not only solve their goalscoring issues now but help lead their line for the forseeable future too.