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The Sri Lanka captain said his team discussed “using the sweep and reverse sweep shots heavily” in the second innings, and went on to execute that plan well

Andrew Fidel Fernando at the SSC06-Aug-20173:06

‘India outplayed us in the first innings’ – Chandimal

There had been surprise in the Sri Lanka camp about how quickly the SSC pitch become a vipers’ nest, but a recalibration of Sri Lanka’s batting strategy helped yield better returns in the second innings.Sri Lanka had collapsed to 183 in 49.4 overs, not long after the likes of Wriddhiman Saha, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja struck fluent half-centuries for India. But faced with a rapidly-deteriorating pitch, Sri Lanka’s batsmen still managed 386 in the second dig – by far their best innings in the series. Dinesh Chandimal, the captain, said the sweep shot was key to that comparative success.”After the second day’s play we felt it was tough to bat on the pitch,” Chandimal said. “We tried to play straight but we couldn’t score well. Before the second innings we had a discussion and had a chat about what was the best way to score runs. Everyone agreed that the best way moving forward was by using the sweep and reverse sweep shots heavily. We executed really well in the second innings, and we fought back hard.”What was clear, however, was that India’s spinners gained much more assistance from the surface than Sri Lanka’s had. Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin took one five-wicket haul apiece in this match, and had begun to make the ball spit off the track as early as the second evening. This is after Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera and Malinda Pushpakumara – Sri Lanka’s three frontline spinners – had collectively conceded 457 for 7.”We were surprised as well because the pitch started turning more than we thought – more than it was in the first one-and-a-half days,” Chandimal said. “At the moment we have in attack two experienced bowlers – Rangana Herath and Dilruwann Perera. We had a wicket that turned and we expected them to come, into the game. But we couldn’t execute those plans.”If Sri Lanka emerged from the match with a little pride in-tact, that was largely due to their second-innings century makers. Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis shared a 191-run stand, which is the highest partnership by or in Sri Lanka, when a team is following on. They were also Sri Lanka’s first centuries of the series. “It was a really good effort by both Kusal and Dimuth,” Chandimal said. “I still feel that everyone fought very hard but we kept losing wickets.”Before the match, Chandimal had recoiled at suggestions his team could lose the series 0-3. The very mild upshot of losing this game inside four days, is that Sri Lanka have a little more time to focus on the Pallekele Test, which begins on August 12.”We have four days to train now,” Chandimal said. “We try to win every match. Even over the next few days we are hoping to spend a lot of time and energy in training. If we can win even one match against a team like this, we will be able to really boost the confidence in the team. They are the No. 1 team. The staff and everyone else will be really committed in training.”

As part of Tottenham Hotspur's summer spending thus far, new boss Ange Postecoglou notably sanctioned the permanent capture of Sweden international, Dejan Kulusveski, with the 23-year-old signing on a £25m deal after spending the last 18 months in north London.

The wing wizard was originally snapped up by former boss Antonio Conte on loan from Juventus back in January 2022, with the Lilywhites having opted to bring the forward to England alongside teammate, Rodrigo Bentancur.

While Conte – and ex-sporting director Fabio Paratici – are no longer at the helm at N17, it looks as if the Premier League side are still scouring the Serie A market in order to find possible recruits, having already sealed a deal for Empoli goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario earlier in the window.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

Postecoglou and co could again look to Italy to try and secure a repeat of their Kulusevski masterclass, amid reports that the club are interested in Juve full-back, Andrea Cambiaso.

Who is Andrea Cambiaso?

According to a report from Italian outlet, Tuttosport last week, Tottenham have been named alongside Nottingham Forest as the clubs who are interested in signing the 23-year-old this summer, with the former Italy U21 international having spent last season on loan at Bologna.

As per the piece, the Old Lady are looking for a fee in the region of €20m (£17m) if they are to part ways with the former Genoa ace over the coming weeks, with the emerging talent having yet to make a first-team appearance for his parent club since making the move to Turin last year.

While Cambiaso is yet to try his hand outside of Serie A – much like Kulusveski prior to joining Spurs – the promising defender could prove to be another wise investment as far as Daniel Levy is concerned.

How good is Andrea Cambiaso?

Having splashed the cash on Kulusevski of late, the Lilywhites seemingly liked what they saw from the wide man over the last year-and-a-half, with the one-time Parma ace having warranted that strong show of faith.

Despite enduring a difficult 2022/23 campaign, the 6 foot 1 dynamo was still able to contribute a respectable haul of two goals and seven assists in 30 Premier League games, having previously registered 13 goal involvements in just 18 appearances in the competition in the tail-end of the previous season.

Lauded as "a real player" by pundit Paul Robinson, the hope will be that Kulusevski can kick on again next term now that his future is secure, with the Stockholm native having clearly shown more than just glimpses of his quality in a Tottenham shirt to date.

While making the transition to life in the Premier League from Serie A may not be easy, Kulusevski has shown the benefits of looking to the Italian market, hence why snapping up Cambiaso – who has been "on fire" of late according to talent scout Jacek Kulig – could prove a wise move.

The Juve ace notably registered three assists in the league last season during his spell at Bologna as a marker of his creative threat, having also chipped in defensively after averaging 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game – a greater record than Ben Davies achieved, for instance, for Spurs (1.5 tackles and interceptions per game).

A player who is comfortable on the ball and can easily beat a man down the flanks, the £31k-per-week machine notably ranks in the top 15% among his European peers for pass completion, as well as in the top 14% for successful take-ons.

Such traits could well help the Genoa native slot in nicely into Postecoglou's attack-minded, 4-3-3 formation, with the hope being that he can replicate Kulusevski's impact at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

There is much to be excited about at St. James' Park.

Newcastle United have qualified for the Champions League and manager Eddie Howe is proving a success story for the ages following his revitalisation of a formerly beleaguered outfit.

Sporting director Dan Ashworth has provided a similarly emphatic effect, with his transfer business providing steel framework from which the performance on the pitch has blossomed from.

The Premier League high-fliers have signed playmaker Sandro Tonali for £55m from AC Milan, while winger Harvey Barnes has departed from relegated Leicester City to pen a £39m deal with the Magpies.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

The defence was imperious last season but is yet untouched this summer, but the club have now identified a new centre-back to wedge their way into first-team reckoning.

What's the latest on Oumar Solet to Newcastle?

According to the Daily Mail, RB Salzburg starlet Oumar Solet is attracting interest from a host of European clubs after impressing in Austria.

Newcastle are joined in their interest by Everton, Inter Milan and Torino, though Newcastle could be in the driving seat given the player's preference to move to the Premier League.

Who is Oumar Solet?

It remains to be seen just how Newcastle will look come the closing of the transfer window in less than a month's time, though the squad that fought tremendously last term looks set to keep its nucleus.

However, with 31-year-old centre-back Fabian Schar entering the final year of his contract, prudent steps are being taken to ensure that there is now a continuation of the increments made over the past two years.

And in Solet, Newcastle might just find the perfect heir, with Sofascore recording his average rating in the Austrian Bundesliga last term at an impressive 7.42. The 23-year-old also completed 88% of his passes, succeeded in 66% of his ground duels, and won 1.9 tackles, 2.6 interceptions and 3.4 clearances per game.

When comparing this to Schar, the rounded skill set and technicality of Solet becomes apparent, with the Swiss international commendable in the Premier League last season with a 7.13 average score but only completing 78% of his passes while still averaging 1.4 interceptions, 1.3 tackles and 3.8 clearances per game, also succeeding with 65% of his ground duels.

Clearly, Schar is at the top of his game right now and has been hailed to have "eliminated" the flaws in his game by journalist John Gibson after being described as "disillusioned" with the club prior to Howe's arrival.

The £40k-per-week star has indeed been revitalised and now ranks among the top 6% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 2% for shot-creating actions and the top 9% for aerials won per 90, and he could mentor Solet in his ascent to prominence and nurture the offensive side of his game.

With no contractual resolution in sight, Schar could find himself gracing the Tyneside grass for the final day this season and Solet certainly looks to be the perfect replacement.

The 6 foot 3 Frenchman has been dubbed "dominant" by one journalist, and Howe must now take his interest in the rising star one step further and snap him up before rival suitors get their hands on him

Tom Abell’s leadership singled out by coach as Somerset ease relegation fears, and end Lancashire’s title bid, with seven-wicket victory

Paul Edwards at Taunton15-Sep-2017
There was no need to dust off the Lazarus metaphors. Neither tempests nor tailenders could stop Somerset completing their seven-wicket defeat of Lancashire on Friday morning, a result which absolutely confirmed Essex as the 2017 County Champions. There may be a few thick heads in both Baddows this weekend.But even as Somerset’s director of cricket, Matthew Maynard, was offering his congratulations to the new champions on another blissful morning in the West Country, his own priority was, of course, fixed firmly on the impact of his own side’s win on their battle to avoid relegation. Likewise the skipper, Tom Abell, who for a lovely few hours on Friday afternoon could glance at the First Division table and see his side occupying fifth place. What were the odds against that a couple of weeks ago?Abell, one suspects, has learned a lot about himself since April. Already a proficient captain, he has over the last five months become a leader of cricketers, some of whom are a generation older than their skipper. As he reflected on the two victories that have revived Somerset’s season, Maynard identified Abell’s address to his players before the Warwickshire match ten short days ago as a pivotal inspiration.”The skipper’s speech at Birmingham set the tone,” said Maynard. “He told the batting group that they couldn’t be fearful. That was absolutely brilliant and they are the things that people don’t see. I can’t take credit for the response we’ve produced to our defeat at Essex. I think the captain’s address to the team played the biggest part in that.”Yet neither captain nor coach can take a group of cricketers where they do not wish to go. Somerset’s players outfought those from Lancashire this week in as tough a game of professional cricket as one could wish to see, a match which mocked the domestic game’s detractors.That toughness was evident on the final morning when Craig Overton ran in from the Pavilion End and plucked out Kyle Jarvis’s off stick with a laxatively rapid delivery. It was plain yet again exactly six overs later when Overton reverse-swung a ball into Tom Bailey’s pads to leave Somerset needing 68 to record their first win of the season at the County Ground. After the game Maynard spoke about the possibility of Overton being named in England’s Ashes squad and the idea is not silly in the slightest. Instow’s finest all but decapitated a couple of Yorkshire’s batsmen at Scarborough. What price on him unsettling a few Australians at Melbourne?Not, you understand, that most people at Taunton cared much about England’s Ashes prospects this Friday morning at Taunton. They were more bothered that the forecast rain stayed away long enough to allow Somerset to complete the win they deserved. And early in Somerset’s second innings, they were also grateful that Abell’s batsmen were not chasing a hundred runs more. A pitch which gave Jack Leach and Dom Bess plenty of help on Thursday was no less generous to Matt Parkinson, who turned one inside Eddie Byrom’s airy off-side drive and hit his leg stump. Four overs later Marcus Trescothick slog-swept Parkinson into the Somerset Stand but then clipped the next ball, a low full toss, straight to Liam Livingstone at square leg. James Hildreth edged his first delivery to Haseeb Hameed in the gully and the game had to be finished by Abell and George Bartlett, the latter making 27 not out.”I thought the attitude of the team throughout the game was first class,” said Maynard. The bowlers did a great job for us, but it showed most in our fielding. You expect your younger players to excel in that department, but when the older guys like Tim Groenewald are throwing themselves around to prevent runs it really means something.”Craig Overton set the tone for us with the ball in both innings. He would have been a tired lad going out there this morning, but still took two wickets with a brilliant aggressiveness. A big shout-out to our two spinners as well. We now go to Surrey in a really positive frame of mind, but with a lot of work still to do.”Some of that work will be done by Abell, who must now seek to inspire his players again for their matches against Surrey and Middlesex. The job may be easier than it was before Edgbaston – victories in September do wonders for morale – but no one will remember this victory over Lancashire very fondly if Somerset are relegated. Abell, though, takes all his responsibilities very seriously When there was almost no one left in the County Ground the young skipper, still in his whites and Wyverns, was trotting over to thank each member of the groundstaff for their work. But as Maynard pointed out, it is the things you don’t see that often make the most difference.

Manchester United have held "positive" talks to sign a new defender, with Erik ten Hag personally wanting a deal to go through.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news?

The Red Devils appear to be on the search for a new defender to join the three new players already through the Old Trafford door in Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund. The club need to sell before they can make their next move, though, with midfielders Donny van de Beek and Fred two who could soon be on the way out.

Another player who is on course to leave Manchester is former captain Harry Maguire. An agreement in principle worth around £30m has been reached with West Ham, although the defender still needs to discuss personal terms over a move to the London Stadium.

Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE…

A new defender to replace Maguire is seemingly on the cards, and the versatile Benjamin Pavard from Bayern Munich appears to be an option. Fabrizio Romano said on Wednesday that Pavard was one of three names being considered.

“Manchester United have three options in the list for new centre back. Benjamin Pavard, Jean Clair Todibo and Edmond Tapsoba are being considered as possible names to replace Maguire.”

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg took to X to provide a further update specifically on Pavard, revealing that positive Man United talks have taken place and that the Red Devils are the favourites for his services.

“Man Utd, at this stage the favorite in the poker for Benjamin Pavard! Pavard can really imagine to join #MUFC as Ten Hag wants him.

“Concrete talks are ongoing and positive. Price valuation: Around €30m. Tuchel wants to keep him. Pavard wants to leave Bayern. Would be a massive loss for the club.”

Who is Benjamin Pavard?

Pavard is primarily a right-back but can also turn out as a centre-back and is into the final 12 months of his Bayern contract. The 27-year-old has won the World Cup and Champions League during his career and has made over 250 club appearances during his career, with more than 100 of those coming as a centre-back.

The player also has plenty of self-belief, personally claiming he is better and more complete at right-back than Liverpool’s Trent Alexander Arnold and Paris Saint-Germain’s Archaf Hakimi, but adding that he is naturally a centre-back.

“My position is a central defender. It always has been, this is where I feel most comfortable, where I take the most pleasure. This is where I find myself the best. I think we see more of my qualities in this position.

“If the great coaches put me on the right side, it is because they have confidence in my abilities. With Deschamps I have always been a holder. If he trusts me it’s not for my beautiful eyes or my hair. He is aware of my qualities. After that I have to improve in certain areas: I have to take more risks, more initiatives, I am aware of it and I work on that on a daily basis.

“A defender must first defend well. On paper, Pavard may be less sexy than Hakimi, Arnold, but I find that defensively I am more complete.”

Therefore, a Man United move for Pavard could be a shrewd one, as not only would he provide an option to rival Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, but the France international could also challenge Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and by the looks of things, the Red Devils are working on a deal.

The West Indies captain thinks his team will have to show a lot of patience to get the wickets they need to seal victory on the final day

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo01-Nov-2017Jason Holder and Shane Dowrich set a few new records on the fourth day of the second Test at Queens Sports Club. The two are close friends away from cricket, and the experience of watching his friend reach a maiden Test hundred was a “really enjoyable” experience for Holder.”Shane has obviously not had the best time in the recent past and was in need of a score, so it was good to be out there,” Holder said. “That was my determination – to get him to a score. We were under pressure, the Zimbabweans bowled well yesterday. We really needed a partnership to get back in the game and it was down to me and Shane to put one up. For me it was just getting Shane in and then from there we were able to relax and flow.”The pair put on 212 for the eighth wicket – a new record for West Indies. This was also only the second time in history that Nos. 8 and 9 have both scored hundreds in the same innings of a Test. But Holder wasn’t focused on records.”I wasn’t really aware of them,” he said. “We just wanted to bat some time and put a big partnership together. We got to 100, then 150 and up to 200, which is a remarkable achievement, especially on that pitch with the way the Zimbabweans had bowled. Having said that, we were disappointed to lose our wickets at that stage. We wanted to lead them by at least 150 runs, but I’ll still take 120. At the end of the day I think it was a special effort given where we were.”West Indies had been in the doldrums at 230 for 7 when Holder and Dowrich got together, but it was Zimbabwe who ended the fourth day in trouble. A 94-run stand between Sikandar Raza and PJ Moor gave the hosts a slim 18-run lead, and Holder suggested that patience would be key in taking Zimbabwe’s remaining six wickets.”Tomorrow’s first session will be really crucial,” Holder said. “We need to break this partnership – Raza’s playing really well and so is PJ Moor. If we break the partnership early then we’re in with a really good shout of winning the game. Having said that, it’s not a pitch where you can go and blast out people and look for wickets. It’s turning really slowly for the spinners, and for the seamers it isn’t really carrying. We’ve got to be patient, use the surface as much as possible.”Holder will at least have the experience of Kemar Roach to bank on going into the last day. While he has not run through Zimbabwe, Roach has filled the role of senior seamer well, removing both openers in Zimbabwe’s second innings.”Kemar has done a remarkable job,” Holder said. “The seamers who have been successful here have struck with the new ball. Kemar has been able to do that for us today. Coming back with the older ball he has created a lot of pressure and kept things very tight. He’s been outstanding. Every time I call him he gives 110%.”

Glasgow Rangers look like they are prioritising a defender as the end of the summer transfer window edges ever closer.

Michael Beale’s side have endured a mixed start to their 2023/24 Premiership campaign, claiming just one win from their opening two matches, and it was a defensive mishap in the box against Kilmarnock which could force Beale into the market.

The 42-year-old might also be looking at bringing another attacking option to Ibrox, especially with the recent departure of Fashion Sakala.

How many more players could arrive at Rangers?

Defenders Jake Cooper, Harry Souttar and Zak Vyner are the latest names to be linked with a move to the Gers amid the need for another centre-back at the club.

it isn’t all just defenders who have been touted with moves to Glasgow recently however, as Beale is a big admirer of young Hamilton Academical talent Ryan One.

According to TEAMtalk earlier this month, the Light Blues have shown interest in the teenage striker, although they will have to compete with sides such as Burnley, Celtic and Brighton and Hove Albion, while Liverpool and Newcastle United have made enquiries.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

He wouldn’t be a first-team option, at least not straight away, yet his potential is surely worth taking a gamble on amid Sakala's exit.

Why did Sakala leave Rangers?

Sakala is the latest player to leave Rangers this summer, and although he often perplexed supporters, there is no doubt his enthusiasm shone through.

He did offer a reliable goal threat under Beale last season having been frozen out by Giovanni van Bronckhorst during the first half of the campaign.

Under the Dutchman, he scored and assisted once apiece, yet by the end of 2022/23 he added 11 goals and seven assists by shining under the Englishman.

Decent, if hardly world-beating totals, yet it looks as though the manager is moving in a new direction and the likeable Zambian heads off to Saudi Arabia with best wishes.

Who is Ryan One?

One may not be ready for the rigours of the Premiership quite yet, but he has already experienced plenty of senior football for Hamilton.

Having just turned 17 in June, the teenager has already amassed 34 senior appearances for the club, scoring three goals and grabbing an assist, showing remarkable maturity to thrive among the physicality of Scottish football.

Lauded as “fast” and a “craftsman” by coach Ioannis Kyrapoglou, he has showcased the talents which have allowed him to perform well in the lower leagues and perhaps a move to Ibrox could give him more of a challenge.

A goal and an assist already this season suggests he isn’t slowing down and One is fast becoming one of the most talked about talents in the Scottish game.

With seven caps for the Scotland U17 side which included matches at the recent U17 European Championships, the 17-year-old is on the fast track to becoming a teen sensation, if not one already.

The Rangers B team has talents such as Zak Lovelace and Ross McCausland thriving in the setup and One could soon join them, with the goal of becoming a long-term heir for Sakala.

Joe Root was as surprised as anyone to see pictures of Ben Stokes at Heathrow on Sunday but accepts there is no point dwelling on the possibility of him returning during the current Ashes series

George Dobell30-Nov-2017Joe Root was as surprised as anyone to see pictures of Ben Stokes at Heathrow on Monday and thought it may be a “wind up” at first.But although Root would “love to have” Stokes back, he accepts there is no point dwelling on the possibility of him returning during the current Ashes series.Stokes’ appearance with his England kit sparked speculation that he could be about to bolster the Ashes squad, but those suggestions were soon scotched when it was confirmed he was heading to New Zealand. Initially that was said to be for a “family” visit, but it soon emerged he had been handed a No Objection Certificate by the ECB to pave the way to play domestic cricket.A deal with Canterbury was confirmed on Thursday and Stokes is set to appear in the Ford Trophy for Canterbury against Otago on Sunday. But the news a few hours before that agreement was announced that Avon and Somerset Police had passed his case onto the CPS for “charging advice”, following the incident in Bristol on September 25 which led to Stokes’ arrest, has made it ever more unlikely that he will play a part in Australia.”From my point of view, anytime you can have Ben in your side it would be great,” Root said. “When I saw the pictures I was wondering whether he was going on holiday with his England bag just to wind people up.”But I would personally love to have him back. As a team, we’d love Ben to be part of the squad. Travelling to play in New Zealand just shows how much it means to him to play for England and how desperate he is to do well for his country. It is testament to his character. Fair play to him to do everything he can to get himself in the best possible place to play cricket again.”But we have to move forward and make sure guys stand up. These things are completely out of our hands and we just have to move on. All of our planning and preparation has been without Ben and how we go about things won’t change.”While the case is in the hands of the CPS – and their decision could take a number of weeks to be confirmed – Stokes will remain unavailable for England selection. There had been much debate that he could be available for Perth in mid-December but that timescale appears to have vanished.”Without the investigation being closed or moving forward, he won’t be able to play for England,” Root said. “So whether he’s here in Australia or in New Zealand or back home, the stance is the same. Until that changes there is no point in thinking otherwise. I know these things can take time.”

India completed a 2-1 T20I series win after their bowlers defended 67 in a decider shortened by rain to eight overs a side

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy07-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:47

Harris: Rohit’s catch won India the game

Just over a week ago, Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah were India’s bowling heroes in a gripping, high-scoring ODI series decider in Kanpur. On Tuesday they combined to deny New Zealand once again, this time in an eight-overs-a-side dogfight on a damp, grippy surface in a rain-shortened maiden international game at the Greenfield Stadium.Sent in to bat, India struggled to force the pace against square turn from Mitchell Santner and canny changes of pace from Tim Southee and Trent Boult. Virat Kohli got off to a bright start, clattering Ish Sodhi for four and six off his first two balls, but holed out on 13, and the rest of the batsmen couldn’t quite find their timing on a difficult surface.If the conditions and the bowling weren’t hard enough to contend with, they also ran into Santner who had a storming day in the field. He took two good catches to send back the openers off successive balls, and later pulled off a spectacular assist to remove top-scorer Manish Pandey, sprinting from long-on, throwing himself to his right, plucking the ball out of mid-air and flicking it to Colin de Grandhomme coming the other way from deep midwicket.All this left New Zealand 68 to win their first proper series, in any format, in India, and Chahal and Bumrah led the defence with combined figures of 4-0-17-2. New Zealand scored 44 off their other four overs, but it wasn’t quite enough.Colin Munro began the chase ominously, stepping out to the first ball he faced and launching Bhuvneshwar Kumar over the midwicket boundary. Bhuvneshwar pulled things back through the rest of the over with a succession of knuckle balls, the last of them sneaking past Martin Guptill’s slog and rattling his off stump, and New Zealand were 8 for 1.Munro’s power made him a key wicket for India, and Bumrah prised him out with three excellent balls – all of them hitting the deck just short of a good length and forcing the left-hander to hit against the right-arm-over angle. Two dots forced Munro to charge out, Bumrah saw him coming and shortened his length, and his cross-bat heave skewed over mid-on, from where Rohit Sharma sprinted to complete a tumbling stunner. Only three came off that over.Chahal, relishing the grip and turn on offer, kept the ball wide of off stump to both right- and left-hander, and didn’t concede a single boundary in his two overs. Every second ball he bowled was a dot, and this was especially commendable given the pressure he bowled in.Colin de Grandhomme had just launched Kuldeep Yadav for a flat six over long-on – perhaps the cleanest hit of the night – when Chahal came on to bowl the sixth over with New Zealand needing 32 off the last three. He beat the bat with his first two balls to de Grandhomme, both on a length too short to hit down the ground but not short enough to hit square, both pitching outside off and making him reach, one a slider and one a ripping legbreak.India used Bumrah in the penultimate over, and even though it wasn’t his best over – it included a wide, a succession of byes, and a full-toss flicked for four by Tom Bruce – it still only cost 10 runs, and left New Zealand 19 to get off the last six balls.Kohli went for Hardik Pandya rather than Kuldeep, and the allrounder closed it out, though not without a couple of alarms. De Grandhomme stung Pandya’s left hand with a powerful straight hit, and next ball clubbed a slower one over the square leg boundary to bring the equation down to 14 off three. A wide next ball made it 13 off three, but Pandya pulled himself together and found the lengths to deny de Grandhomme and Santner any more big hits.

Leeds United could be set to secure a fine coup, opting for a Championship-proven star to spearhead their return to the Premier League…

Who else will Leeds United be signing this summer?

Having already welcomed four new faces to Elland Road, it could be easy to assume that this window has been a successful one thus far for Daniel Farke.

However, that has been far from the case. With players refusing to show up for matches, and others forcing loan exits to avoid the mess they created, the atmosphere in Yorkshire is far from ideal for the new German manager.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

That being said, some positivity does remain, with TEAMtalk now offering a beacon of hope by referencing them as one of the interested parties looking at Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill.

They are said to be very keen on the 27-year-old gem, who FootballTransfers value at €10.9m (£9m). However, they will have to battle with a host of top-flight clubs to secure his signature.

How good is Josh Brownhill?

Having spent the last few years of his career at Turf Moor, it feels like only recently has the midfield general began realising his potential after spells at Preston North End and Bristol City

After all, last season did mark a standout one for the one-time Manchester United academy graduate, who shone by showcasing his improved creativity.

Clarets boss Vincent Kompany is the man responsible for such an upturn, as he was thanked by the midfielder:

"He’s liberated us, because he believes in us, he believes we’re good players and we can win games. The lads who are still here were devastated by relegation last season. We just wanted to get back up and I’m very happy we did."

A key cog in that promotion push, already that pedigree will have caught Farke's eye, as he seeks to replicate that form.

Should Brownhill join and translate his form from Lancashire to west Yorkshire and they will certainly be in a fine position to do so.

After all, the Warrington-born machine did score seven times in the Championship during the 2022/23 campaign alongside a further eight assists. This helped him earn his 7.27 average rating as he also added 1.8 key passes and 2.2 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

Sky Sports' EFL pundit Lee Hendrie had predicted such a starring year as he claimed back in 2021:

"Josh Brownhill, I think he is a fabulous player, I really do. Out of [Sander] Berge and him, I'd take Brownhill all day just because Josh Brownhill reminds me of John McGinn.

"He's very energetic, he's very neat and tidy on the ball, he gets up and down the pitch well and you know what you're getting when you're getting a player from Burnley, Sean Dyche, what he expects."

Such offensive impetus from deep could easily draw comparisons with Ilkay Gundogan, who too earned praise for how his scoring numbers improved to help Manchester City claim a historic treble.

Whilst the German has already made his switch to Barcelona, he left the Etihad a hero, having posted 18 goal contributions across all competitions.

Then, to compare his underlying figures with Brownhill's, it is clear to see the similarities. He too posted a 7.13 average rating in the Premier League, buoyed by 1.3 key passes and one tackle per game, via Sofascore.

City boss Pep Guardiola led the praise for his midfielder and captain, noting:

"Ilkay shows again, again and again his quality and his importance. His commitment to all of us at the club. It's not just scoring goals, he has his momentum because against Leeds, he was the player and again here. He can do everything."

Whilst he starred on a far larger stage, Brownhill shares enough of those starring attributes to suggest he could emulate his figures once again under Farke and help spearhead another promotion charge.