West Ham United are now keen on a summer move for an “exceptional” Premier League player, who could be available for a fee of around £15m, according to a report.
West Ham chasing new defenders
Signing a striker may be the first port of call for Graham Potter this summer, with Lille’s Jonathan David recently being identified as the manager’s top target, but the manager is also interested in refreshing his defensive options.
Millwall’s Japhet Tanganga is one of the players on the shortlist, having emerged as a key player for the Lions in the Championship this season, although it remains to be seen whether West Ham will be able to lure him away from a rival club.
West Ham open talks with striker's agent amid potential £62m discount
He could leave for millions less than his release clause.
By
Emilio Galantini
Feb 21, 2025
Tanganga has Premier League experience from his time with Tottenham Hotspur, and there are now suggestions the Hammers could also be eyeing a player who is currently plying his trade in the top flight.
According to a report from The Sun, the Irons are keen on a move for Southampton centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who could be keen on a move away from his current club this summer, with the Saints looking extremely likely to drop to the Championship.
Southampton's TaylorHarwood-Bellislooks dejected as he applauds fans after the match
Harwood-Bellis has recently changed agent, which can indicate a player is set to pursue a move, and Southampton would be likely to demand a fee of around £15m, which would make him an affordable option for West Ham, who are keen on new additions at the back.
West Ham United’s upcoming Premier League fixtures
Date
Leicester City (h)
February 27th
Newcastle United (h)
March 10th
Everton (a)
March 15th
Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)
April 1st
AFC Bournemouth (h)
April 5th
Harwood-Bellis impressing for club and country
It has been a far from ideal season for the Saints, who look set to be relegated from the Premier League, but the 23-year-old has been one of the only shining lights in a poor side, ranking among their most consistent performers.
The Englishman’s form earlier this season earned him a Three Lions call-up, and he certainly made the most of the opportunity, scoring the fifth goal in a 5-0 battering of the Republic of Ireland.
The former Manchester City man has been a consistent goal threat over the past year, ranking in the 85th percentile for non-penalty goals per 90, while his defensive ability has also been on display, placing in the 99th percentile for blocks, when compared to his positional peers.
The Southampton ace has also been lauded as “exceptional” by members of the media in the past, and his performances this season indicate he definitely deserves another chance in the Premier League.
As such, West Ham should pursue a deal for Harwood-Bellis this summer, particularly considering a £15m asking price is very reasonable, and the Saints are set to be in a weak negotiating position if they drop back down to the Championship.
da gbg bet： With no Premier League football on the menu due to the international break, most of the talk in the air at Manchester United in recent days has centred in on transfer gossip.
da supremo： Indeed, the rumour mill has linked the Red Devils with a whole host of new personnel particularly in the centre-forward department, with Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike one possible purchase that is being intently looked at.
Another potential signing that is being talked about non-stop is the ongoing pursuit of Everton powerhouse Jarrad Branthwaite, with the Toffees warrior perhaps intrigued by the prospect of calling the Theatre of Dreams his new home if fresh reports are to be believed.
Man Utd's ongoing pursuit of Branthwaite
New reports seem to suggest that the 22-year-old centre-back is considering his long-term Toffees future having been snubbed from Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad.
A move away from Goodison Park could well boost Branthwaite’s chances of more Three Lions opportunities, therefore, with the Red Devils still interested in clinching a deal for their long-term target, alongside the likes of Liverpool now amazingly taking a look.
A deal would well depend on how much United are willing to splash the cash on the Carlisle-born centre-back, with past rumours suggesting that Branthwaite would be available for around the £50m range.
Whilst that isn’t eye-watering money at the end of the day for a club of United’s prestige to splash, they might have a homegrown alternative already to the 22-year-old that will save them plenty of hassle down the line.
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite
Man Utd are brewing their very own Branthwaite
Everton have reaped their rewards now for persevering with Branthwaite when he was still just a raw, wide-eyed defender attempting to cut his teeth.
Amorim and Co will hope their willingness to launch young and hungry talents into their own first-team picture pays off too, with the likes of Ayden Heaven at the back benefitting greatly from the Portuguese manager’s fearlessness in chucking youth products into the main team.
Now, with the teenage sensation finding himself out of action with an injury, Amorim could look elsewhere for a new starlet defensively, with 17-year-old Godwill Kukonki perhaps ready for his moment in the spotlight.
After all – back in December of last year – Amorim proclaimed that the imposing 6 foot 5 presence was adult enough to “handle the Premier League’s demands”, with the potential for Kukonki to take to the top-flight in a similar way to Branthwaite when he was given his breakout moment at Goodison back in 2023.
Senior centre-back options available to Amorim
Player
Age
League games this season
Clean sheets
Leny Yoro
19
14
0
Lisandro Martinez
27
20
5
Harry Maguire
32
20
1
Matthijs De Ligt
25
27
3
Victor Lindelof
30
8
1
Jonny Evans
37
6
1
Sourced by Transfermarkt
The United target would never look back when entering into the Everton first-team picture with seven clean sheets under his belt in league action this season, whilst Amorim’s current selection consistently let him down when looking at the table above.
With Victor Lindelof also out of contract at the end of the campaign, the time could now be right to start gifting Kukonki more and more senior chances away from the stale senior set-up, potentially winning the Red Devils a cost-effective Branthwaite subsequently.
Celebrated for his aggressive front-footed nature by data analyst Ben Mattinson – an attribute Branthwaite has in abundance – time will only tell if Kukonki can go on to prove himself as a Premier League calibre talent.
But, with United’s terrific track record of youngsters going on to make the grade on their side, the 17-year-old well might be Amorim’s next superstar.
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“It’s not a crime to make mistakes as long as you learn from those mistakes,” said Pakistan’s director of cricket after the side’s underwhelming World Cup campaign
Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Nov-2023Babar Azam is still learning as captain, and deserves to be backed. This is what Pakistan’s director of cricket Mickey Arthur said, after wrapping up an underwhelming World Cup campaign with a 93-run loss to England.Pakistan finished with five losses in nine matches and had struggled through the middle of the league stage, losing to India, Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa all in a row. Babar’s own form wasn’t quite to expectation, given the extremely high standards he often sets in white-ball cricket. He averaged 40 and struck at 82.9, hitting five fifties and making a high score of 74.As a result, Babar’s captaincy has come under significant scrutiny at home. He had been the top-ranked ODI batter, and Pakistan had been the top-ranked ODI side as recently as September. But poor campaigns in both the Asia Cup and World Cup have now changed the outlook on his leadership.Related
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“I get behind Babar – he is very, very close to me,” Arthur said after the loss to England. “He’s a young guy that needs to be taken on the journey with. He needs to be shown the ropes. He’s still learning all the time. We know he’s a very, very fine batsman. He learns every day with his captaincy.”Babar has had the ODI reins for over three years now, and at 29 has played international cricket for more than eight years.”He’s growing and we have to allow him the time to grow,” Arthur said. “And in order to do that, you make mistakes. It’s not a crime to make mistakes as long as you learn from those mistakes and as a group, we’ve made a lot of mistakes this World Cup. But if this group grows and learns from it, we’ve got the core of a very, very good side.”In terms of what went wry for Pakistan in this campaign, Arthur made two major observations. The first was that Pakistan only appeared the kind of side that can put up a seriously big score – as teams like India, South Africa, and Australia frequently do – when Fakhar Zaman plays a big innings.”Batting-wise, we have to become a 330-350 team,” he said. “The teams that are doing that and doing that consistently are the teams that are in the semi-final. And I don’t think we’ve done that consistently enough. We do that when Fakhar Zaman comes off and we can’t just be relying on one-on-one player.”The second observation was on the bowling. Naseem Shah’s injury-forced absence, Arthur said, put Pakistan’s attack off kilter. Among those who are seen to have underperformed the most in this Pakistan campaign, is Haris Rauf, who took 16 wickets at 33.31, but went at 6.74 an over.”The one thing we know is that Haris Rauf doesn’t normally bowl with the new ball. When you lose Naseem Shah, you have to find somebody to bowl with a new ball. We’ve been working hard on him with a new ball, and he bowled okay in patches. But when he bowls with an older ball – that’s what he’s used to.”It’s not an excuse. Our bowling equilibrium was out of kilter because Naseem Shah provides the consistency, where it allows Shaheen Shah [Afridi] to attack, and then you can attack with your legspinner and you attack with Haris Rauf. So, the equilibrium was upset but that is no excuse at all because quite frankly we haven’t played well enough.”
If Champions League football is secured at the City Ground for next season, it could be a very busy summer, and plans are already being put in place as Nottingham Forest are eyeing a move for a “sensational” £20m player, according to a recent report.
Update on Morgan Gibbs-White’s Nottingham Forest future
It has been an outstanding season for the Reds, and at the heart of that success has been midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, who has not only been an excellent captain but has produced moments of quality that have helped Forest remain in the race for a Champions League place.
Club in contact with Nottingham Forest "monster" who has uncertain future
He’s found minutes hard to come by this season.
ByBarney Lane Mar 17, 2025
The 25-year-old, who has five goals and seven assists in 25 Premier League games, has gained admirers from top teams in England given his performances this campaign, but according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Forest are going to “do everything they can” to keep hold of Gibbs-White this summer.
Morgan Gibbs-White for Nottingham Forest.
Manchester United and Liverpool have been mentioned as teams interested in the midfielder and will hope they have the resources to lure him to their clubs. However, if the Reds do secure Champions League football this season, then O’Rourke states that the Midlands side would be well-placed to retain their best players for next season.
Gibbs-White has just earned a call-up to the England squad, despite missing out initially, and Forest will be hoping that his international recognition doesn’t mean it will become harder for them to keep hold of their star player.
Nottingham Forest eyeing move for "sensational" £20m star
As the Reds and owner Evangelos Marinakis plan to keep hold of Gibbs-White, they are looking at players who could form a good partnership with the Englishman in the middle of the pitch, and according to TEAMtalk, Nottingham Forest and Marinakis are eyeing a move for Sunderland’s Jobe Bellingham ahead of the summer transfer window.
The report states that Forest are among the four Premier League teams who are all watching and tracking the young midfielder, with Manchester United, Brentford, and Brighton also keen on Bellingham. All four clubs would be interested in a deal should the Black Cats fail to seal promotion to the Premier League.
The 19-year-old, who has been labelled “sensational” by journalist Josh Bunting, would be interested in a move, as he is looking to play at the highest level. Meanwhile, the Black Cats are not interested in negotiating any deal for the midfielder, and they will demand a high fee for the player, with it being previously reported that they want £20 million. Bellingham is under contract until 2028, meaning the Black Cats do hold the power when it comes to negotiating a transfer.
Apps
34
Starts
34
Goals
4
xG
2.61
Shots per game
1.4
Assists
3
xAG
2.24
Touches per game
56.3
Big chances created
4
Key passes per game
1.3
Bellingham’s potential arrival at the City Ground would see him provide competition for the likes of Elliot Anderson, Danilo, Nicolas Dominguez, and Ryan Yates. But given how highly he is rated and obviously how well his brother Jude has done, Bellingham could be a starter wherever he moves to, as he will want to continue developing his career.
da dobrowin： O Ipatinga lutou muito no Campeonato Mineiro desta temporada e, comandado pelo técnico Waguinho Dias, conseguiu cumprir o principal objetivo traçado pela diretoria do clube: garantir a permanência na elite do estadual.
Waguinho Dias chegou ao clube com a missão bem definida e para isso contou com uma série de fatores que ajudaram na conclusão da tarefa, o treinador comentou sobre o objetivo alcançado.
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da cassino online： – Cheguei ao Ipatinga com a missão de garantir a permanência e consegui. Contei com o auxilio de uma estrutura funcional, salários em dias e trabalho e empenho de pessoas e atletas imbuídas em um mesmo propósito, aí não tem como dar errado – afirmou.
Waguinho é multi-campeão e dono de acessos por onde passa, caso do Guarani, Brusque – onde conquistou o título do Campeonato Brasileiro da Série D e o último título Catarinense da equipe -, Tubarão, Marcílio Dias, e o objetivo conquistado pelo Ipatinga também entrará no hall de sucesso da carreira do treinador.
– Sabemos que não é uma conquista a nível de título ou acesso, mas para quem vive o Ipatinga é, com certeza, um grande fato a se comemorar, só nós sabemos o quanto essa permanência ajuda o clube em seu projeto esportivo – explicou o treinador.
Waguinho Dias deve deixar o comando do Ipatinga e retorna a Sumaré, sua cidade natal. Sondado por alguns clubes de Série B, C e D, o treinador deve, em breve, anunciar seunovodestino.
The allrounder plundered his fifth T20I century then West Indies’ chase faltered with too many early wickets
Tristan Lavalette11-Feb-2024
Glenn Maxwell switch hits for six•Getty Images
An unstoppable Glenn Maxwell equalled Rohit Sharma with a record fifth T20I century as Australia wrapped up the series after a comfortable victory over West Indies at the Adelaide Oval.Maxwell flattened a full-strength West Indies in perfect batting conditions with eight sixes and his unbeaten 120 runs off 55 balls was the second highest T20I score for a batter at No.4 or lower.Australia’s 241 for 4 was their highest on home soil and proved well beyond the reach of West Indies despite an attractive 63 from 36 balls from skipper Rovman Powell.Marcus Stoinis claimed three wickets, while left-arm quick Spencer Johnson, in his first home international, took 2 for 39 as Australia clinched the series following their 11-run game one victory at Bellerive Oval.There was late controversy when Alzarri Joseph was short of his ground attempting a tight single, but he remained at the crease after umpire Gerard Abood said there had been no appeal. Tim David insisted he had appealed as Australia remonstrated in heated scenes, but the incident ultimately didn’t affect the match’s outcome.The series has effectively started T20 World Cup preparations for both teams with the third and final game to be played in Perth on Tuesday.Marsh dominates powerplay before Maxi magicJosh Inglis started well in Hobart to kick-start the race over who will partner opener David Warner at the T20 World Cup. He hit 39 off 25 balls in the series-opener but couldn’t back up and fell for 4 in the second over.The dismissal brought captain Mitchell Marsh to the crease, who did not bat in the powerplay in game one and played having tested positive to Covid-19. He was feeling better and relished batting in the powerplay by blasting 29 off 12 balls.He smashed a first-ball boundary before unfurling his power with a six over backward point and another over the legside boundary. Attempting to maximise the powerplay, Marsh holed out in the sixth over and Australia soon fell to 64 for 3 when Warner was dismissed in the next over.Maxwell started slowly and should have been run out on 10 when wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran missed a shy at the stumps. He capitalised on the next delivery with an incredible sliced six over cover point off Romario Shepherd to ignite his innings.Maxwell completely dominated a half-century partnership with Stoinis and targeted Powell with a trio of boundaries, including a clever reverse sweep.He raced to his half-century off 25 balls before producing another inventive stroke with a switch hit for six off left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein. Maxwell notched an incredible century off 50 balls in the penultimate over of the innings to reach a second T20I ton in his last three innings.Rovman Powell gave West Indies a glimmer of hope•Getty Images
Joseph bowls rapidly, but West Indies fall awayDespite his attack conceding 213 for 7 at Bellerive Oval, Powell again decided to bowl but he bafflingly stuck first up with Hosein who was hit for six on the second delivery by a reverse swat from Warner.But their seamers had much better success against Warner, who had blasted 70 off 36 balls in Hobart, as they bowled a straighter line with Joseph producing swing and hitting speeds close to 150 kmh. A frustrated Warner groaned loudly when he fell to a slower Shepherd delivery, but West Indies were then monstered by Maxwell.With Maxwell in a mood, West Indies were made to look helpless and there probably wasn’t a lot they could do. But some of their tactics were head-scratching, including often not having a third man despite their strategy of bowling wide yorkers.Hometown hero Johnson impressesWest Indies, of course, came out swinging and smashed 42 off the first over fours. That was despite Josh Hazlewood delivering a wicket-maiden in the second over as left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff’s tough series continued with his first two overs costing 31 runs.Johnson entered the attack in the fifth over and immediately started with a 143 kmh short delivery. Two balls later he had Pooran spooning to midwicket before nicking off Sherfane Rutherford with a line and length delivery that was more reminiscent of the longer formats.Having debuted for Australia late last year and then starring for BBL champions Brisbane Heat, Johnson is a bowler of considerable interest across formats and he might be in the frame for a T20 World Cup spot.Dre Russ provides big hitting in vainAndre Russell had only played one T20I in Australia before the series. He had been a fan favourite in the country due to the BBL, but only faced two deliveries in Hobart.Coming to the crease with West Indies at a forlorn 63 for 5, Russell started with three boundaries off Johnson. With no helmet or cap, he whacked legspinner Adam Zampa for six over deep midwicket before clubbing a short delivery from Stoinis into the second tier.But he succumbed to the short delivery later in the over to end an entertaining 37 off 16 balls. An overshadowed Powell then took over, but West Indies never threatened.
The Red and Whites secured the Argentinian's signature on a two-year contract.
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He will now join a growing list (six) of Argentine managers in Liga MX
Guided Atlético Mineiro to the Campeonato Mineiro title in 2024
Milito is expected to be officially unveiled in the coming days
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Getty Images Sport
WHAT HAPPENED?
Chivas have finally ended their search for a new manager. Argentine coach Gabriel Milito will lead into the Apertura 2025, as confirmed by multiple sources, following a disappointing Clausura campaign in which the team failed to reach the Liguilla and cycled through two managers without success.
César Luis Merlo, who first reported the news, revealed the Guadalajara-based club improved its initial offer to Milito – who had turned them down days earlier – and ultimately secured his signature on a two-year contract. The 44-year-old Argentine had also attracted interest from Boca Juniors, but opted for the challenge of leading Chivas through what has been described as a critical phase of restructuring.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Milito takes over at a turbulent time for Chivas. The club not only missed out on the Liguilla, but also failed to qualify for the Play-In round in the Clausura 2025, leading to the dismissal of then-coach Gerardo Espinoza. In the aftermath, Chivas explored various options to fill the vacancy. Talks were reportedly held with Guillermo Almada, Domenec Torrent, and Juan Carlos Osorio, but none of the negotiations proved fruitful. Other names like Jaime Lozano and former club icon Matías Almeyda were also mentioned but ultimately passed on the opportunity.
After a series of unsuccessful attempts, the Guadalajara-based club has finally secured a new leader in Milito—a former FC Barcelona defender known for his tactical discipline and emphasis on structured play. His challenge will be not just to deliver results, but to help reshape a team that has struggled to define its identity in recent seasons.
Chivas began their preseason this week, and Milito is expected to be formally introduced and integrated into training sessions in the coming days, once all contractual details are finalized.
AFP
DID YOU KNOW?
Milito arrives at Chivas carrying a well-rounded managerial background. The Argentine tactician has helmed clubs such as Estudiantes, Independiente, and Argentinos Juniors in his home country, along with O’Higgins in Chile. Most recently, he led Atlético Mineiro in Brazil, guiding them to the Campeonato Mineiro title in 2024. While his coaching résumé is impressive, this marks his first foray into Mexican football. He will now join a growing list of Argentine managers in Liga MX, including Eduardo Berizzo (León), Nicolás Larcamón (Necaxa), Pablo Guede (Puebla), Guido Pizarro (Tigres), and Antonio Mohamed (Toluca).
Getty Images Sport
WHAT NEXT FOR CHIVAS?
will kick off their Leagues Cup campaign on July 31 against the New York Red Bulls. The group stage will also see them face MLS sides Charlotte FC and FC Cincinnati.
An “unbelievable” Chelsea player is now keen to leave the club this summer, with intermediaries involved in talks over potential moves to Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid, according to a report.
Maresca set to reshape squad this summer
Despite confirming the additions of Sporting CP duo Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo, the Blues continue to be linked with a number of new additions ahead of the summer transfer window, with Enzo Maresca clearly keen on reshaping his squad.
However, given the need to abide by the Premier League’s PSR rules, Maresca may have to oversee some departures before spending big on new arrivals, and several players could be axed in the summer.
Joao Felix, who is currently on loan at AC Milan, has now given the green light to join Galatasaray on a permanent basis, with the same report revealing fellow forward Christopher Nkunku could also be in line for an exit.
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Speculation has also been mounting over Noni Madueke’s future in west London, with Aston Villa now believed to be in pole position to sign the winger, as the Blues become increasingly tempted to cash-in.
Chelsea could be willing to sanction Madueke’s departure, but they may also have to brace for interest in a player they are less keen to see leave, with a report from The Boot Room revealing Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are interested in Enzo Fernandez.
Fernandez would be keen on a move to Spain, with intermediaries currently talking to the two Spanish clubs about a potential deal, but Maresca’s side won’t make it easy, with the maestro’s deal not set to expire any time soon.
The Blues have no plans to green light the Argentina international’s departure, and given that he is contracted until the summer of 2032, they remain in a strong negotiating position.
"Unbelievable" Fernandez has kicked on this season
The west Londoners spent big to get a deal for the £180k-per-week midfielder over the line, shelling out £106.8m, and he has started to justify his hefty price tag this season, having emerged as one of the side’s most consistent performers in the Premier League.
The 24-year-old has also impressed on a number of key metrics for midfielders over the past year, most notably regularly providing goals and assists.
Statistic
Average per 90
Non-penalty goals
0.15 (81st percentile)
Assists
0.23 (93rd percentile)
Progressive passes
6.90 (86th percentile)
Shot-creating actions
4.49 (96th percentile)
As such, it is little wonder some of Europe’s top clubs are queuing up for the “unbelievable” midfielder’s signature, but Chelsea should rebuff any approaches this summer, given his importance to the side.
With Fernandez contracted until 2032, there is little reason to sanction his departure unless he is unsettled, and Maresca will be hoping he is able to build on a much-improved 2024-25 campaign next season.
He countered Vidarbha’s bowlers with a 37-ball half-century, and then struck with the new ball along with Dhawal Kulkarni
Deivarayan Muthu10-Mar-2024 Shardul Thakur rescued Mumbai with the bat for the second game in a row after their middle order had collapsed either side of lunch on the first day of the Ranji Trophy final at the Wankhede Stadium. Fast bowler Yash Thakur and rookie left-arm fingerspinner Harsh Dubey had set Mumbai up for that collapse by sharing six wickets on a grassy surface.Captain Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer fell for 7 each, but Mumbai waded past that passage of play and finished with a respectable 224, thanks to Shardul’s 37-ball half-century. When Shardul was lining up Vidarbha’s spinners, just like he had done against Tamil Nadu’s in the semi-final, Mumbai were in with a chance of posting a 250-plus total. But Umesh Yadav eventually had him holing out for 75 off 69 balls to restrict them as Shardul was the last Mumbai batter out.Shardul then struck with the new ball, as did Dhawal Kulkarni, who was playing his farewell game for Mumbai in place of the injured Mohit Avasthi, to leave the final dangling on a razor’s edge. Vidarbha were 31 for 3 at stumps, with Atharva Taide unbeaten on 21 and nightwatcher Aditya Thakare unbeaten on 0. Kulkarni, in fact, had struck twice to dismiss Aman Mokhade (8) and Karun Nair (0). Taide could have also been dismissed on 8 had Shardul latched onto a difficult one-handed return catch in the seventh over.Kulkarni, 35, pushed the ball too wide of off in the early exchanges against the left-hander Taide, but had both right-handers Mokhade and Nair nicking behind with perfectly-pitched deliveries.Earlier, after having opted to bowl, Vidarbha didn’t glean as much movement with the new ball. Umesh and Thakare offered Prithvi Shaw and Bhupen Lalwani freebies, allowing them to settle in. Shaw was particularly severe on anything that was remotely full from the quicks, while Lalwani was more circumspect was the other end.Mumbai were 75 for 0 at the first drinks break, but Yash struck soon after the resumption, having Lalwani tickling one behind, with Akshay Wadkar pulling off a spectacular one-handed grab inches from the turf. Shaw then tried to slog-sweep Dubey against the turn and ended up seeing his off stump knocked back for 46 off 63 balls. Dubey had got it to drift in, dip, and then break away past the bat-swing of Shaw.Umesh Yadav got two wickets, including that of Shreyas Iyer•PTI
In his next over, Dubey pinned Musheer Khan lbw for 6 with an arm ball from wide of the crease. Dubey also had Rahane slicing a catch to mid-off to vindicate his selection, ahead of veteran offspinner Akshay Wakhare, against a right-hander heavy Mumbai line-up. Dubey, 21, is playing only his eighth first-class game, but has been a consistent performer for Vidarbha in age-group cricket. He also has exposure outside of Nagpur, having worked with India spinner R Ashwin in club cricket in Chennai.”I enjoyed dismissing Rahane,” Dubey said after the first day’s play. “I had thought before the game that I would dismiss him. I was determined to do it and it was one of my best dismissals in Ranji Trophy. I tried to get him to drive since the ball was coming off slower at that length and I was successful in what I had planned.”Soon after, Umesh bested Iyer with a brute of a delivery – a length ball that reared up and seamed away to hit the outside edge near the shoulder of the bat. A crease-bound Iyer simply hung his bat out to give Nair slip-catching practice. Thakare also probed away outside off and was rewarded with the wicket of Hardik Tamore (5).When Shardul walked out to bat, Mumbai had lost six wickets for a mere 30 runs, but that didn’t stop him from stepping out to his third ball and pumping Dubey to the left of Dhruv Shorey at wide long-off. Shardul then crashed Dubey to the square-leg boundary, and Aditya Sarwate over long-on for six. Shardul had similarly dismantled R Sai Kishore and S Ajith Ram with vicious slog-sweeps and down-the-track lofts in the semi-final.Yash, though, tested Shardul more with hard lengths and extra bounce outside off, but Shardul kept slashing him through or over gully. Yash even drew a leading edge from Shardul in the 50th over, but it eluded the reach of Dubey at mid-off. Yash worked his way around Shardul and got rid of Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian.Umesh, the leader of the pack, then returned to apply the finishing touches. He stuck out his right boot in his follow-through, and deflected the ball on to the non-striker’s end to catch Tushar Deshpande short in the 63rd over. In his next over, Umesh banged the ball into the pitch and had Shardul splicing a pull.But Shardul wasn’t done yet. He trapped Shorey lbw for a duck with an inducker, and saved the day for Mumbai once again, along with Kulkarni.