While the Premier League starts on Friday night, Manchester United's season began on Saturday with a closely fought loss to Manchester City in the Community Shield.

Erik ten Hag's side may have come out of the match empty-handed, but they looked competitive, and with several signings expected to join in the coming weeks, they could be in for a successful campaign.

The biggest name set to join Sir Jim Ratcliffe's revolution is Matthijs De Ligt, but another name recently touted for a surprise transfer to Old Trafford is Sander Berge.

The Norwegian midfielder is a talented player, but it could be argued that he's not of the level to help take the club forward, which is why fans should be excited about recent reports which have now linked a far more impressive midfielder with the Red Devils.

Manchester United transfer news

According to a recent report from Football Insider, United are now targeting AS Monaco's Youssouf Fofana.

The report claims that Ten Hag is now prioritising a move for a new number six, and one of the players the club is looking at is Fofana, who has been impressing for Les Monégasques for years.

However, Ratcliffe and Co will need to present a compelling case to the 25-year-old, as the report has revealed that he is currently leaning towards a move to Italian giants AC Milan.

The potential price is not mentioned in the story, but reports from last week revealed that a fee of around £30m should be enough to complete the deal. While that's not an insignificant amount of money, if the club could bring in Fofana over Berge, it would be worth it.

How Fofana compares to Berge

Okay, so while both players are primarily central and defensive midfielders, let's kick off this comparison by looking at their raw output, as while their main job will be to help out with defensive work and breaking up the opposition's attack, in the modern game they'll be expected to help out in attack themselves at points.

In this battle, it's an easy win for Fofana, as in his 35 appearances for Monaco last season, he scored four goals and provided four assists, equating to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 4.37 games.

In contrast, Berge could not provide much attacking impetus for Burnley last year, scoring just two goals and providing two assists in 40 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every ten games.

Okay, how about their underlying numbers, then? When we compare what's going on under the hood, is the Frenchman again the clear winner?

Unsurprisingly, in practically every relevant metric, the Paris-born "monster," as data analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed him, comes out ahead, including non-penalty expected goals plus assists, actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes, shots and shots on target, key passes, passes into the final third and penalty area and shot and goal-creating actions all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.28

0.13

Non-Penalty Goals + Assists

0.27

0.09

Progressive Carries

1.77

1.92

Progressive Passes

8.30

4.91

Shots

1.74

0.75

Shots on Target

0.43

0.09

Passing Accuracy

81.2%

88.1%

Key Passes

1.33

0.87

Passes into the Final Third

6.47

3.86

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.43

0.48

Shot-Creating Actions

3.34

2.01

Goal-Creating Actions

0.33

0.24

Tackles Won

1.30

1.38

Blocked Passes

0.93

0.87

Blocked Shots

0.23

0.60

Interceptions

1.23

0.69

Errors Leading to a Shot

0.03

0.06

Successful Take-Ons

1.30

0.60

Aerial Duels Won

0.57

1.92

Ball Recoveries

7.67

6.05

Moreover, even in the slightly closer fought defensive metrics, the former Strasbourg ace does well, blocking more passes, making more interceptions, completing more ball recoveries and making fewer errors that lead to an opponent's shot, also per 90.

Ultimately, whether by pure output or their underlying numbers, it's clear that Fofana is a vastly superior midfielder to Berge. Therefore, if United have the opportunity to sign him for around £30m this summer, they must take it, as he'd be a brilliant addition to Ten Hag's side.

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The Egyptian is a role model to team-mates for his dedication to fitness and nutrition and it is little wonder fans are desperate for him to stay

Say the names Real Madrid and Mohamed Salah to any football fan and one image races to the front of the mind: that of the Liverpool forward being hauled to the floor by Sergio Ramos in the 2018 Champions League final and writhing in pain from a dislocated shoulder. The short and long-term ramifications were huge. It was 0-0 when Ramos pulled what Jurgen Klopp described as “a wrestling move” on Salah and forced him off in the 31st minute, paving the way for Madrid to go on and win the final 3-1.

Salah was left with physical and emotional scars. It torpedoed his preparations for the World Cup with Egypt as he missed the first game against Uruguay, later confessing he "cried on the bus and on the toilet" before that game. Although he scored in the other two games against Saudi Arabia and Russia, he was far from the peak of his powers as his side limped out of the tournament at the first hurdle, having lost all three group-stage matches. Salah later called it "the worst thing to happen to a player", and when Madrid and Liverpool were paired in the 2022 Champions League final, the Egyptian wrote on Twitter: "We have a score to settle".

Salah has not been able to settle that score. Liverpool lost that final too, and have been beaten by Madrid in five of the six games played since the Egyptian has been with the Reds, with an aggregate score of four to 13.

Wednesday's game at Anfield, however, is the perfect occasion for the Reds and the red-hot Salah to at last exact revenge and beat European football's aristocrats. Liverpool are top of the Premier League table and led the Champions League standings after four rounds too, having won 16 out of 18 games in a record-breaking start to the campaign under new boss Arne Slot.

Whatever happens on Wednesday will not erase the memory of what happened in Kyiv. The final had a lasting effect on Salah, and for all the misery it caused him, it has made him the man he is today: the best player in the Premier League once again, in the best shape of his life and with Liverpool fans urging the club to do whatever it takes to tie him to a new contract and keep him.

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  Fuelled by Kyiv

  The wrangle with Ramos made Salah think seriously about his physical shape and turned him into the outstanding physical specimen he is today, the perfect picture of health and an unbelievable footballer who has already directly contributed to 22 goals this season.

  According to sources, Salah went away after Kyiv and made a vow to himself that he was going to come back and never limp off or kicked out of a game in that way. The clash accelerated a certain kind of training from the forward, who decided to strengthen his upper body and his joints. He was in good shape when he came to Liverpool, but there's no doubt that in the last three, four or five years, he's gone up several levels in terms of physique. Being forced off early in the biggest game of his career and then having to miss half of the World Cup is believed to have played a big part in his obsession with being stronger and more well built. "Everything happens for a reason, I believe, and you have to deal with it," Salah told in 2022.

  To get an idea of how much Salah has bulked up in the last few years, look at the difference in his physique between when he first ripped his shirt off to celebrate a goal at Southampton in April 2019, and when he did the same after burying his penalty in the 3-2 win on Sunday. His shoulders are broader, and his abdominal muscles are bigger and more pronounced.

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  Everything linked to performance

  Some players joke about Salah having his shirt off all the time, but there is a deep respect for his professionalism. The Egyptian is always the first player to arrive at Liverpool’s AXA training ground, often reporting two hours before a group session to either go to the gym, do yoga, have an ice bath or do pre-activation.

  The forward has become a role model to many players, past and present, when it comes to nutrition and diet. In the canteen, both experienced players and youngsters will ask the staff what Salah ate and then order the same. They will also look to mimic his fitness routines.

  Salah has been described as "absolutely obsessed with training and fitness", with everything he does linked to his performance, be it to eke out an extra year in his career, or an extra 10 goals in a season. The forward has spoken of being inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo, who is still breaking records at the age of 39, and Francesco Totti, who kept going until he was 40.

  Salah said earlier this month: "Cristiano was also the one when I started playing in Europe more, you see the way he dedicated everything to football is insane, the way he looks after himself. You can see everything, his numbers. But these guys I looked at when I was young and I just wished to play one game with them, or to be like them one day. I had a good opportunity to play with Totti and I played with him for two years in Rome. It was an incredible time, I just loved it."

  Salah is also described as being a big voice in the dressing room, a loud and upbeat character, not a brooding superstar who keeps to himself.

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  Self-help gurus and chess

  As well as taking the physical side of the game deadly seriously, Salah believes in mental training. He is an avid chess player, a passion he shares with Premier League coaches Pep Guardiola and Enzo Maresca. It means he is always switched on and is ahead of the game; the fact his brain is always engaged has helped his evolution.

  When he arrived at Liverpool, he was seen as a dribbler above all and then he became a poacher, scoring a then-Premier League record 32 goals in his debut season while contributing 10 assists. He has become even more creative in the last few years, setting up 35 league goals in his last seasons. This season, Salah already has 10 assists in all competitions in addition to his 12 goals. He has also worked more on creating goals with the outside of his foot, and more recently improving his shooting with his right foot.

  Salah's quest to always improve can be seen in how he studies success coaches like Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar and Napoleon Hill. There is a lot of cynicism about self-help gurus, but for Salah it has worked. He also sought the advice of someone with more relevant experience…

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  'Great players stay in the game'

  Arsene Wenger visited Liverpool's old Melwood training ground after he had left Arsenal, and Salah asked him what separated the great players from the very good players. Wenger told him, 'great players stay in the game right to the end. Even if a game is not going their way, even if they're having a bad day, the great players will still be there until the final whistle.'

  Salah has taken that advice on board: his last five goals in the Premier League have been scored in the final third of matches. Three of them have come in the last 10 minutes and made a huge difference to the scoreline: the equaliser at Arsenal, the clinching second goal against Aston Villa and the winner at Southampton. The things he does to engage his brain off the pitch, to test his concentration, have surely helped.

  "I know there are some games I don't have the momentum, but I'm always focused in the game to finish stuff," Salah said in a club interview with Andy Robertson and Alisson this month. "I always find the momentum. I'm not always very good in the game, it's normal, but I always try to find a way to change a game. Some players don't accept the feeling and keep fighting it, but if you accept it, it's nothing. It's more your imagination. It's ok to feel that way, It's OK to have a bad game, but the most important thing is to stay in the game and try to make a difference."

  That attitude explains why Salah is so rarely substituted, even when it does not appear to be his day. This season he has only been taken off three times before the 90th minute, and only when Liverpool were already winning.

There are a few days to go until the Premier League returns, and at the moment, Tottenham Hotspur appear fairly well-equipped to hit the ground running.

Ange Postecoglou's side looked good in preseason, and Dominic Solanke's recent £65m addition could be a real game-changer for the North Londoners.

However, there's always room to improve, and based on reports from earlier this month, the Lilywhites could complete a move reminiscent of the one that brought Gareth Bale back to the club in 2020.

This deal would also be the perfect way to secure an upgrade on German international Timo Werner.

Spurs' potential Bale-esque transfer

The player in question is Wilfried Zaha, who was touted for a move to Spurs, among several other clubs, earlier this month in a report from journalist Graeme Bailey.

Now, before the pitchforks come out, we are not claiming that the former Crystal Palace ace is anywhere near the level Bale was, nor are we saying that the pair play in very similar ways, but should this move happen, there are a few similarities to the move in 2020.

The first is very simple: the return of a former Premier League player to the league following a stint with a huge club abroad, Real Madrid in the Welshman's case and Galatasaray in the Ivorians.

Moreover, when the former Saints gem returned to North London, he was on the fringes of things at the Bernabeu and not necessarily enjoying his football, and while the £120k-per-week Abidjan-born star was reasonably productive in Turkey last season, it's been widely reported that he wants a return to English football.

The next similarity is the fact that both players would be 31 at the time of their respective moves and seen more as a luxury addition to the club's attacking contingent, someone who can start games here and there or come off the bench and make something happen before inevitably being moved on.

Lastly, the final similarity depends on the business side of this potential move, as the dream scenario for Levy and Co would surely be to do what they did in 2020 and bring the former Premier League star in on a one-year loan deal, thus avoiding a hefty transfer fee and any longer-term commitment to a player who's on the wrong side of 30 – although whether Galatasaray would agree to a loan remains to be seen.

However, aside from the parallels to the move that brought Bale back to N17 four years ago, there is another reason Zaha would be a great addition to Postecoglou's squad this season: He could replace Werner.

How Zaha compares to Werner

Yes, being a natural left winger, Zaha could be the dream backup option to Son Heung-min at Spurs and, in the process, take Werner's place in the squad entirely, as while he had his moments last season, he wasn't all that impressive.

If we compare the pair's raw output from last season, it's the "unplayable" Ivorian, as former professional James Collins dubbed him, who comes out on top.

For example, in his 42 appearances for the Turkish giants, he scored ten goals and provided five assists, meaning that even though he wasn't having the best of seasons, he still averaged a goal involvement every 2.8 games, which is impressive regardless of the league.

Zaha vs Werner 23/24

Player

Zaha

Werner

Appearances

42

28

Goals

10

4

Assists

5

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.35

0.28

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In contrast, the former Chelsea ace scored four goals and provided four assists in his 28 appearances for Spurs and RB Leipzig last season, which equates to an average of a goal involvement every 3.5 games.

Moreover, for those who do not believe the former Palace ace's numbers in Turkey are comparable to those in Germany and England, you only need to look back one season further to his final campaign at Selhurst Park, when he scored seven goals and provided three assists in 28 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 2.8 games.

Obviously, Zaha is not on the same level as Bale was, but if he joined Spurs for just this season, he could perform a similar role to the Welshman when he returned and provide little bits of magic here and there like he used to for the Eagles while also acting as a short-term upgrade to Werner – oh, and he has a habit of turning up against Arsenal.

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Gloucestershire in total control at Cheltenham after England call for unlikely pair

Paul Edwards06-Jul-2021

Brooding skies above Cheltenham College•Getty Images

With the charming eccentricity that is entirely characteristic of county cricket, the College Ground boasts a number of signposts, none of which are much use. Instead of telling spectators the distances to splendid nearby villages like North Cerney or Elkstone, they inform them how far it is to the six traditional Test grounds. Mileages are also indicated for more distant destinations: Motera (India), 4329, for example, and even Cheltonians might consider the latter a little ambitious for a half-holiday jaunt. But in the school attended by Edward Wilson, one of Scott’s men, the simple mention of such locations is probably thought an inspiration. The omission of Cardiff from the list, however, appeared an unfortunate oversight on the second morning of this game, when both John Simpson and David Payne received utterly unexpected calls to the England squad that will play Pakistan at Sophia Gardens on Thursday.Meanwhile the two teams contesting the match followed the advice of Winston Churchill and kept buggering on. Such slightly coarse language may seem inappropriate in these classical surroundings – Churchill himself used “plodding” when ladies were present – but it is nevertheless fair enough when applied to a game thrown into slight disarray by the isolation of the national team. Dominic Goodman replaced Payne in Gloucestershire’s side and James Bracey assumed the captaincy. Middlesex’s Robbie White took over the gloves from Simpson, whose overdue call-up was greeted with particular pleasure from those who suspected this very fine cricketer’s chance had gone.In truth Simpson’s colleagues missed his batting rather more than his keeping. For if we may civilise Churchillian phraseology, Gloucestershire’s cricketers went about their business with far greater resolution than their opponents, gaining a first-innings lead of 147 and then extending that to 345 by the close. It is a quintessentially match-winning position and one that has been achieved without the skipper, Chris Dent, who has a broken finger, and Ryan Higgins, whose wife gave birth at 4.48am – how can they be so precise? – on Monday morning.This day’s play – quite possibly the whole game – hinged on the 10.3 overs that bridged the luncheon interval. At the beginning of that period Middlesex were 76 for 2 having lost the debutant Josh de Caires, who was leg before to Matt Taylor in the fourth over of the day, and Stevie Eskinazi, whose authentic leg glance off Goodman was athletically caught by a diving Bracey. The only other noteworthy incident early in the day saw Gloucestershire penalised five runs after Dan Worrall had hurled the ball back at Eskinazi and appeared to hit the batter on the back.An hour later even more painful injuries followed for Middlesex who lost their last eight wickets for 25 runs with the final seven batsmen falling either leg before wicket or caught in the keeper-and-slip cordon. Gloucestershire’s bowling was excellent. Having failed to remove Eskinazi by a method that would have earned him an appointment with his Housemaster in this school’s distant past, Worrall returned at the College Lawn End and employed more conventional methods to dismiss both Robson, who was bowled between bat and pad, and Daryl Mitchell, whose maiden first-class innings for Middlesex lasted one ball. The New Zealander clearly thought he was too far down the wicket to be give leg before but replays indicated otherwise and Graham Lloyd’s finger, which had earlier been wagged in Worrall’s direction, now brought the bowler joy illimited. White, who a few hours earlier may have been looking forward to a gentle day of squeezing sanitiser bottles, prevented the hat-trick.Related

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Yet that was as far as Middlesex’s resistance extended. On the resumption the visitors folded up their tents and disappeared like the bedouin in the night. Faced with confident seam bowling on a typical Cheltenham pitch that rewards excellence but offers no exculpation for carelessness, six Middlesex batsmen were sent packing in less than half an hour. Peter Handscomb received a fine ball from Taylor and nicked it to Bracey; Martin Andersson attempted the careless drive typical of a man desperate to find form. The non-specialist batsmen were swept away by Taylor and Tom Price, the latter taking his second, third and fourth first-class wickets in 17 balls. Middlesex have now been bowled out for less than 175 in eight of their 15 completed first-class innings this summer.Gloucestershire’s cricketers, by contrast, for all that they lost their last two Championship matches by an innings, are enjoying themselves hugely this season and cricket is so revelatory of character that their pleasure is evident in almost all they do. Miles Hammond’s 46 included a lovely pick up over square leg off Ethan Bamber and an equally fine cover drive in the next over. George Scott, Tom Lace and Glenn Phillips were all dismissed for single figures but those reverses were more than countered by the batting of Bracey, whose 88 included four fours in one Mitchell over, and Jack Taylor who clearly had licence to pillage and made 40 off 29 balls before he edged Mitchell to White. The New Zealander celebrated that wicket with the enthusiasm of a man putting his bins out but rather more joy attended the dismissal of Bracey, who was caught at point by Eskinazi eight balls before poor light ended the day’s play.Neither of those last two wickets affected the price of fish very much. The two sessions that comprised Gloucestershire’s second innings were watched with quiet satisfaction by paying spectators and members, most of whom were sitting at the Chapel End. For their part the Middlesex players might enquire whether Henry Prothero’s most famous piece of architecture is open to the public. One fears their chances in this match have entered the Land of Lazarus.

Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that another £51 million player has also agreed to join Chelsea after Pedro Neto, in what has been a whirlwind last 72 hours at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea sign Pedro Neto as Samu Omorodion deal collapses

On Sunday, the big-spending west Londoners officially confirmed the signing of Neto in an initial £51.3 million deal from Wolves, coming after RMC Sport reporter Fabrice Hawkins originally broke the news last Friday.

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The transfer was completed in quick-fire fashion, with Neto agreeing to join Chelsea sharply and the Portugal international was unveiled as a new player soon after, just two days after Hawkins' report. Head coach Enzo Maresca expressed his delight over Neto's arrival, claiming he can offer the team "many things" whilst hailing the 24-year-old's versatility.

“I’m very excited, he can offer many things,” said Maresca on Chelsea signing Neto.

“He can play on the right side, he can play on the left side, he’s very good one-on-one. It is one more option we have because there will be many, many games in the season, so we need a big squad."

Player

Average match rating (WhoScored)

Cole Palmer

7.48

Conor Gallagher

7.13

Nicolas Jackson

7.07

Moises Caicedo

6.85

Noni Madueke

6.84

In quite a turn of events, Neto's signing isn't actually the biggest transfer story to come out of the club within the last few days. Indeed, Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion looked set to join Chelsea with Conor Gallagher heading to Spain, but the transfer domino has taken a real turn.

Chelsea's signing of Omorodion, as reported by an array of reliable media sources, has now collapsed – and this could have a big effect on Gallagher's La Liga switch.

It is believed the England midfielder is waiting to complete his move to Atletico after Omorodion's move got called off, with Diego Simeone's side now needing to find a different source of cash to complete Gallagher's signing (Fabrizio Romano).

The move is not off, but Chelsea and Atletico are still working to find a solution. This has prompted them to open talks over re-signing Joao Felix from the Spanish heavyweights as they set their sights on another one of Simeone's players – which could re-open the door for Gallagher to leave.

Joao Felix agrees to re-join Chelsea from Atletico Madrid

According to Romano, taking to X with an update on the situation, Felix has already agreed to re-join Chelsea with negotiations ongoing.

He adds that this is "crucial" to the Gallagher deal as well, but it is unclear how much Atletico will demand after reports earlier this summer that the Portuguese could cost as much as £51 million.

"João Félix has already said yes to Chelsea return," said Romano.

"His agent Jorge Mendes was informed yesterday. Negotiations ongoing between Chelsea and Atléti, as revealed last night — it’s up to Chelsea now. This is also crucial for Conor Gallagher deal."

Felix spent the second half of 2022/2023 on loan at Chelsea, scoring four goals in 16 Premier League appearances for the club, all while averaging a solid 2.9 shots per 90 according to WhoScored.

Looking to continue their trend of stealing the headlines in the transfer window, Aston Villa have "moved" to sign a defensive reinforcement worth a reported £25m in recent days.

Aston Villa transfer news

Fresh from Champions League qualification, the Villans have been flexing their new-found European muscles this summer to welcome a total of eight fresh faces, with standouts such as Ian Maatsen and Amadou Onana arriving. They've also managed to avoid any potential profit and sustainability issues courtesy of Douglas Luiz's and Moussa Diaby's departures to Juventus and Al-Ittihad respectively.

Diaby's sale, worth a reported £50m, may have injected even more money into Villa's summer spending fund too, which could see even more reinforcements arrive. Those in the Midlands have been linked to the likes of Joao Felix and even a free move for former Real Madrid star James Rodriguez, but it is a defensive reinforcement who could be next through the door.

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According to Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa have now "moved" to sign Dean Huijsen in recent days. The Juventus teenager is reportedly valued at £25m by the Italian giants and has attracted interest from Bournemouth and Liverpool on top of Villa, with Huijsen set to decide on his next move "very soon".

Standing at 6ft 5in, it's no surprise that Huijsen has attracted such interest following an impressive loan spell at AS Roma last season. As Juventus look to raise funds, Villa could take full advantage by signing the 19-year-old this summer.

"Dominant" Huijsen can make immediate Villa impact

Whilst it would be easy to suggest that Huijsen is one for the future at 19 years old, his form at Roma last season proved that he's ready to compete for a place in first-team football, possibly at Aston Villa. Alongside the likes of Pau Torres and Diego Carlos, the teenager is more than capable of impressing Unai Emery enough to break into the Spaniard's side, especially given the number of games that Villa will have to manage in the coming season.

If the praise of Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig is anything to go by, describing the defender as "extremely dominant in the air", then £25m could quickly look like a bargain deal if Villa step up their move even further.

After making 14 appearances in Serie A last season, Huijsen may now get the chance to step into both the Premier League and Champions League at Villa Park.

Big picture

It appears the narrative of this series is set. England have committed to being the marauders and India are, as they’ve always been, the pragmatists. It’s like cricket’s own version of a buddy cop show.In the absence of Eoin Morgan, who split the webbing on his right hand on Tuesday, Jos Buttler will lead the troublemakers. The ones that don’t play by the rules but by their own. A set of fearless, gung-ho entertainers who truly believe in – and as a result, enhance the threat of – the firepower at their disposal. If ever there was a team that could touch 500 in an ODI, it is this lot. And no amount of collapses or defeats will sway them off this path. Better these wounds than those of 2015.Virat Kohli’s men are a little more straight-laced. They go by the book. They dot the I’s, cross the T’s because that’s how they have learned to get the job done. But lately, even they’ve been thinking about taking part in the shenanigans. Funnily enough, they’re doing by the book too.Ishan Kishan was selected for India on the day he nearly scored a double-hundred in a one-day domestic game. Krunal Pandya captains his state side and he’s here after racking up an average of 129 and a strike-rate of 117 in this season’s Vijay Hazare Trophy. India have understood the need for evolution. They are on the lookout for players with a 360 degree game and the ability to bring it out from ball one. Their talent pool knows it too. They know what they have to do to earn their cap and they are proving themselves ready for it.Ever since the 2019 World Cup, ODI cricket has been on a significant upswing. Now with teams like England re-imagining the limits of the game and India finding a new superstar every other day, there is no telling how much fun is in store.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches first)India: WWLLL
England: LLWLL

In the spotlight

Everyone has something to say about KL Rahul. And they are all mostly good. The team management backs him to the hilt. The experts see him as an all-format player. He himself has been expanding his game – taking on wicketkeeping duties and indulging in IPL captaincy – to make sure his cricket touches a new level. But you get the feeling he sometimes thinks too much, and that if he lets himself go for just a bit – play on instinct like the way Rohit Sharma does – he could unlock something glorious.In a game that was choking with headline-grabbing events, there was a moment of weirdness. Ben Stokes fumbled a ball coming straight at him and it went for four. He does not do that. He is more pluck the type to darn thing out of thin air while being suspended parallel to the ground. He is box office. But that’s not been as readily apparent in this series. There was that blitz in the first Test. Then he threatened to single-handedly win the fourth T20I, but a boss-mode performance from the world’s premier allrounder hasn’t quite come to pass. There’s still time though.

Team news

Shreyas Iyer’s shoulder injury opens up a spot in the middle order, and as replacements go, Rishabh Pant probably ain’t so bad. Kuldeep Yadav didn’t look in his usual rhythm in the first ODI and as such his place may be in jeopardy, especially with Yuzvendra Chahal waiting in the wings.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Prasidh KrishnaMorgan has been ruled out of the rest of the series with his hand injury, and Sam Billings will miss the second game at least after jarring his collarbone on Tuesday. Liam Livingstone will make his ODI debut, and Dawid Malan – newly promoted from the reserve list – is likely to come back for his second ODI appearance. England may also be thinking about adding some variation to their bowling attack and can – if they want – call upon left-arm quick Reece Topley. Matt Parkinson, who has been an ever-present bubble member, is also in line for a call-up as England seek to assess their options.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Ben Stokes, 4 Dawid Malan, 5 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Tom Curran, 10 Adil Rashid/Matt Parkinson, 11 Mark Wood/Reece Topley

Pitch and conditions

Tricky to start. Gets flat as the game goes on. Glorious under lights with the dew. That’s been the Pune pitch in one-day cricket. So it may be another game to win the toss and chase.

Stats and trivia

• Since Jonny Bairstow (2654) began opening the batting for England in ODIs on 14 June 2017, only one man has scored more runs at the top of a batting order – Rohit Sharma (3831). And some of that is thanks to more innings played.
• Virat Kohli remains without an international century since November 2019.
• India have played ten ODIs since the start of 2020 across which they have picked only four wickets in the first ten overs. Their average (154) and run rate (6.16) in this period is the worst among 17 teams in this period.

Quotes

“I prefer the Virat who doesn’t get runs. That would be good.”
Ben Stokes on which version of the Indian captain he likes“The extra 40-45 runs that Krunal and I got in the end ended up being very crucial and ended up making the difference. When you win games like that, you as players, we as a team, realise that we have the potential to do that even if our top order doesn’t fire.”
KL Rahul says the performance from the lower-middle order in the first ODI will give more freedom to the top order

Marnus Labuschagne earlier scored a hundred with these two sides now all-but certain to meet again in the field

Daniel Brettig05-Apr-2021Mitchell Swepson’s fierce spin brought a turgid Sheffield Shield encounter to fresh life on the third evening in Wollongong, as Western Australia’s first innings slide against Tasmania in Perth all but assured the Blues and the Bulls of meeting once again in the competition final.Western Australia had needed to rattle near enough to 450 in 100 overs in order to claim the first innings points they needed to squeeze past New South Wales. But after they got nowhere near this tally, proceedings against Queensland took on something of a perfunctory air as the visitors climbed past the NSW total thanks to a century from Marnus Labuschagne and supporting hands from Usman Khawaja and Jimmy Peirson.Nathan Lyon, twirling his way through no fewer than 48.2 overs, was rewarded with six victims to extend his lead on the wicket-taking aggregates for the Shield this season with 39 wickets in eight games. Lyon’s steadiness and accuracy underlined why he has been a fixture in the Australian Test team for nearly a decade now, but the exciting alternative offered by a quality legspinner was to be showcased when NSW batted again in the final hour.Playing his first Shield game of 2021 after missing several months with a neck injury, Swepson had been somewhat short of his best in the first innings. But granted a generous helping of foot marks to use against the all left-handed NSW top three, he was rapidly into the fray for the eighth over.Based on the length and width of Swepson’s third ball, Daniel Hughes had a right to rock back and think about cutting. However the vicious fizz and turn snapped back at nearly right angles to slice through Hughes’ hurried attempt to defend and rattled the stumps in a manner reminiscent of Shane Warne’s classic to Shivnarine Chanderpaul at the SCG in 1996.A couple of subsequent deliveries to Kurtis Patterson and Matt Gilkes threatened to make a similar impact, missing the stumps by centimetres as they shouldered arms. Patterson needed medical attention at the other end as a Brendan Doggett bouncer struck him under the helmet grille, but was looking sturdy enough when he shaped up again to face Swepson.This time a top spinner or wrong’un from Swepson did not spin back as Patterson expected, going past his bat and prompting a frenzied celebration from Queensland and, eventually, the raising of the umpire’s finger. Patterson looked aghast, seeming to think his bat had brushed his pad, but the wicket was a further reminder of the kinds of scenes a leg spinner can create.Swepson, despite his injury, now has 27 Shield wickets in just four matches this season – only Lyon, Jackson Bird and Scott Boland are ahead of him.

Eoin Morgan’s 47 not out off 40 balls steered the Kolkata Knight Riders to victory with five wickets and 20 balls to spare after his bowlers restricted the Punjab Kings to 123 for 9 in the first game of IPL 2021 in Ahmedabad.It wasn’t a smooth ride though. At one stage, the Knight Riders were 17 for 3 but a 66-run stand between Morgan and Rahul Tripathi shut the door on the Kings. During his innings, Morgan also completed 7000 runs in T20 cricket and helped his side climb from the bottom of the points table to the fifth spot.

Eoin Morgan believes IPL can go on

With India experiencing a significant second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan was posed a question at the post-match press conference about whether he thinks the IPL should go on. He responded: “When we came out of our first lockdown period, I remember the first sport was probably in New Zealand and then in Australia, the rugby union and the rugby league. Then slowly the Bundesliga started and the premier league started and that almost displayed you can play a sport when the country is almost in full lockdown. So if there is a template to make that happen, it has happened but also as long as it doesn’t disturb what’s happening in the public eye.”

Earlier, the Kings innings never really took off after they were asked to bat first. The Knight Riders’ seamers restricted them to 37 for 1 in the powerplay and 56 for 3 after ten overs.Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy then proved too good for the Kings’ middle order. Despite the dew setting in the second half of the innings, the spin duo finished with combined figures of 3 for 46 from eight overs. A cameo from Chris Jordan proved too little, too late.Knight Riders seamers strike at top
The Ahmedabad pitches were conducive to seamers during the recent India-England T20I series, and it was no different on Monday.Shivam Mavi, bowling at a brisk pace, hit the good length consistently and kept the scoring rate down. KL Rahul tried to cut loose against Pat Cummins. He managed a six over third man but fell on the very next ball while going for another big shot, giving Cummins his first powerplay wicket in the tournament.From the other end, Mavi dismissed Chris Gayle for a first-ball duck. Pushing away from his body, Gayle ended up bottom-edging to Dinesh Karthik behind the stumps.Mavi was done by the seventh over, finishing with figures of 4-0-13-1, but there was no relief for the Kings. In the next over, Prasidh Krishna removed Deepak Hooda for 1, Morgan holding on to a low catch at backward point to leave the Kings 42 for 3.Eoin Morgan steered his side to victory•BCCI/IPL

Narine, Chakravarthy’s mystery engulfs middle order
After three wickets in 13 balls, the onus was on Mayank Agarwal to bail the Kings out. He launched Krishna for a six over deep midwicket to take the side past 50 in the tenth over. In order to push the run rate, Agarwal tried to take on Narine too but Tripathi’s tumbling catch sent him back for a 34-ball 31.Soon after, Narine bowled Moises Henriques through the gate to make it 75 for 5.Nicholas Pooran had three ducks in four innings coming into this match. Here he hit Chakravarthy for a six and a four on successive balls but the spinner had the last laugh when he uprooted Pooran’s off stump as the batter failed to connect a slog.It was only because of Jordan’s 18-ball 30, which included three sixes and a four, that the Kings could cross 120.Knight Riders stutter at the start
Given the small target, the Knight Riders’ openers had the opportunity to get their eye in and find some form. They failed to made use of that though. Nitish Rana got a full toss from Henriques in the first over that he hit straight to short extra cover. In the next over, Shubman Gill ended up playing across the line to Mohammed Shami and was lbw for 9.Narine was peppered with the short ball right from the start. He managed to connect one well against Arshdeep Singh but Ravi Bishnoi sprinted to his right from deep midwicket before putting in the dive to complete a stunning catch. Suddenly, it looked like the Kings could pull off a surprise.Morgan, Tripathi dash Kings’ hopes
Morgan and Tripathi had other plans. The two didn’t hesitate coming down the pitch to fast bowlers and found boundaries regularly to keep the Kings on the back foot. That Bishnoi let a couple of fours slip in the field didn’t help either. The Knight Riders’ finished the powerplay on 42 for 3.The flow of runs didn’t stop even after the field restrictions were lifted. Jordan’s first over, the eighth over of the innings, went for 13. Hooda finally broke the stand when Tripathi holed out to long-on for a 32-ball 41. Andre Russell tried to smash almost every ball he faced but found either an under edge or a fielder. He was run-out for 10 off nine balls but by then the Knight Riders needed just 24 from 35 balls. Morgan and Dinesh Karthik hit a flurry of boundaries to take knock them off.

Player was using one of four training hubs, but had been in close contact with players using other hubs

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Apr-2021

Ireland suspended elite men’s training sessions after a player tested positive for Covid-19•Cricket Ireland

Ireland has temporarily suspended elite men’s training sessions after a player registered a positive test for Covid-19.Cricket Ireland said that the player, who was not named, had only been using one of four training hubs, but he had been in close contact with players using other training hubs and sessions had been halted across the country as a precaution in line with Covid-19 protocols.Richard Holdsworth, Cricket Ireland’s High Performance Director, said the action was taken as soon as the governing body was notified of the result and the player would be re-tested to ensure it was not a false positive.”While the player was only using one of our four training hubs, he had been a close contact with players using other training hubs – so out of an abundance of caution we have stopped training for a few days across all hubs while tests are undertaken” Holdsworth said in a statement.”We have a busy period of cricket in May, and World Cup Super League matches set for early June, so it’s vital that we provide our senior players with as much time outdoors training as we can. However, this will not come at the risk to their health and safety, and that of their families or close contacts. We will provide an update on the player’s condition and training status in due course.”Ireland’s next international fixtures are scheduled for early June with three ODIs in the Netherlands before hosting South Africa for three ODIs and three T20Is in July.