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Opener says the pitch holds no demons and it’s batting mistakes that have put Bangladesh in a spot

Mohammad Isam12-Feb-2021Bangladesh went into the second Test against West Indies with a spin-heavy attack, but two days into the game, the tactic hasn’t worked, with the home team finding themselves 105 for 4 in reply to West Indies’ 409 all out.Tamim Iqbal, who was dismissed in the last session of the second day for 44, said that the pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium hasn’t matched his side’s all-out spin plan, and although the surface couldn’t be blamed for the four wickets Bangladesh lost on the second day, the mismatch has had a bearing on their overall strategy going into this game.Related

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“The wicket is extremely good even when we went out to bat today,” Tamim said. “None of our batsmen got out to great deliveries or due to something out of the wicket. All four were errors by the batsmen. If we were two down, we would have felt that we were in a better position. Since we lost four wickets, they are on top. We will get back into the game if we can have a 100 or 150-run partnership.”Like they have done in the past five years in home Tests, Bangladesh picked an XI with three spinners and one pace bowler in this game too. But over the first two days, they have only found slow turn with a bit more bounce than the pitch at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium where the first Test was played.”Our plan wasn’t for this wicket,” Tamim said. “When a home team is picking three spinners, it is not rocket science to know that we expected from the wicket. We went ahead with a plan, but now that the wicket didn’t support the spinners, there’s bound to be talk about it. We went with the same combination against West Indies in 2018, and we were very successful.”

“None of our batsmen got out to great deliveries or due to something out of the wicket. All four were errors by the batsmen.”Tamim Iqbal

The opener also credited West Indies’ batting, which has been on an upswing since a remarkable chase of 395 to win the first Test.”We wanted to take early wickets today but the wicket was really good,” he said. “It didn’t help our spinners. They also batted exceptionally well. (Alzarri) Joseph played well for his 80-odd, and the wicketkeeper (Joshua Da Silva) did well. Not everything happened because of our mistakes. Credit where it’s due.”They played some exceptional cricket on the last day in Chattogram, otherwise we were on top for the first four days. However, they have played better cricket than us in this Test.”The nature of the surface offered hope for Bangladesh’s middle order to rescue the team, with the team relying on the fifth-wicket pair of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mohammad Mithun to stitch a substantial partnership together.”The wicket hasn’t behaved in a way that should worry us,” Tamim said. “Our first session is very important. We have lost four wickets, and we don’t have much batting left. A lot depends on this partnership, which will have a bearing on the rest of the game for us.”You must have the belief. Liton is a very capable batsman. Mehidy had a good first Test. It is our fault that we are in this situation. We are in this position because of our errors.”Tamim, who blamed himself for playing an uppish drive off Joseph after he had been set on 44 off 51 balls, said that positive intent was the way to go for the Bangladesh batsmen.”I didn’t think I was aggressive. I had good intent,” he said. “Apart from the shot that I got out, I probably didn’t play too many false shots. I thought we shouldn’t go into this innings with a very defensive mindset. If you keep on playing to the merit of the ball, you are going to be fine. But the shot that I played, was not on.”

Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji has been praised for his immediate impact on the team by Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson. 

The Lowdown: An immediate impact for City

City signed the centre-back towards the end of the previous summer transfer window from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth a reported fee of just over £15m.

Since then, the 27-year-old has made 11 appearances for the Blues across the Premier League and Champions League.

Given how much of a regular figure he has quickly become in Pep Guardiola’s side, the defender has now found himself on the end of some heavy praise.

The Latest: Praise for Akanji

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson had this to say about Akanji and his performances for City.

“His performances have surpassed expectations. Pep spoke very highly of him. Pep clearly trusts him.

“He is young but he has settled into that team so quickly. He has kept [Ruben] Dias out of the team at times.

“Akanji has been almost the first-choice centre-back. He is a top-class centre-back and I think there will be more to come from him. He will only get better under Pep Guardiola’s management.”

The Verdict: A masterclass signing

Across the six Premier League games that Akanji has played for City, the centre-back has racked up the fifth-highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (17) at the club, as well as having the second-highest passing accuracy percentage (94.4%).

His performances in the league have earned him a season rating of 6.81/10 from WhoScored, which is higher than the likes of John Stones (6.71/10), Nathan Ake (6.67/10) and Aymeric Laporte (6.34/10).

Having been praised by Guardiola for the “magnificent” ability he has on the ball, it’s easy to see why Robinson has shared his own praise for the City defender.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that Akanji, who will be hoping to have a successful time with Switzerland in the upcoming World Cup, has had a very strong start to life at City and will look to continue that throughout the remainder of the season.

Australia came desperately close, with Marcus Stoinis and Peter Handscomb playing good hands in the middle order, but they couldn’t pull off a tough chase

The Report by Daniel Brettig05-Mar-20195:17

Hodge: Kohli’s timing puts him head and shoulders above the rest

Virat Kohli’s 40th ODI century and a collective failure of Australian nerve saw India take a stranglehold of the ODI series in Nagpur, after the visitors found a way to lose despite needing only 33 from 34 balls with five wickets in hand at one point.On a dry, slow Nagpur pitch that had always seemed likely to aid the team bowling second, the Australians wrestled gamely with India for most of the match in the face of Kohli’s brilliance and the wiles of Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav.However, the team led by Aaron Finch and coached by Justin Langer will spend considerable time pondering how they came to lose a match where they appeared to be in full control when Marcus Stoinis and Alex Carey were together. Even the wicket of Carey drew only muted celebration by India, but it heralded the loss of 5 for 24 in 30 balls to hand India a 2-0 series lead.Bumrah was once again supreme, critically claiming two wickets for just one run in the 46th over of the innings and then cornering Stoinis into playing out another over worth one in the 48th, while Kuldeep’s three wickets counterbalanced greater expense than usual. They set things up for Vijay Shankar to take the final two wickets while defending 11 off the last over.India had lost Rohit Sharma in the first over and regular wickets for much of their innings, but Kohli found enough support from the likes of Vijay and Ravindra Jadeja to take his side to a defendable tally in hot weather.Virat Kohli goes through the leg side•Getty ImagesOccupying 120 balls, Kohli’s 116 took him into equal second place with Rohit Sharma behind Sachin Tendulkar’s nine for the most 50-over centuries against Australia with seven apiece. Pat Cummins was Australia’s outstanding bowler with four wickets and considerable economy, while Nathan Lyon was also more than useful on his recall to the team.Adam Zampa claimed two wickets in as many balls including MS Dhoni for a golden duck, but he was otherwise expensive, as was Nathan Coulter-Nile. Glenn Maxwell’s part-time off-breaks were more parsimonious than either.Facing enormous pressure following an extended run of low scores, Finch was at least able to give his side a start to their chase in the company of Khawaja as the pair added a smooth 83 in 14.3 overs before being separated when the captain kneeled to sweep and was given out lbw.When Khawaja followed shortly after by chipping tamely to cover, the innings appeared likely to lose momentum, but Shaun Marsh and Handscomb were able to rotate the strike effectively in a stand more useful than its mere numbers – 39 in 50 balls – suggested. Maxwell lasted only briefly before his pull shot was tunnelled under by Kuldeep, but Handscomb formed another effective stand with Stoinis, to take the game deep.On the cusp of a half-century, Handscomb gambled on Jadeja’s precision left-arm and paid for it with a direct hit, before Stoinis found another ally in Alex Carey. Together they ransacked 15 from Kuldeep’s penultimate over to bring the target down into the run-a-ball region, only for the wrist spinner to respond in his final over by coaxing Carey to drag a sweep shot onto the stumps.Coulter-Nile lasted only an energetic four balls before trying to cut Bumrah off the stumps, leaving 28 required from as many deliveries, and when Cummins touched Bumrah behind two balls later the game tilted firmly towards India.Vijay Shankar is elated after dismissing Marcus Stoinis•Getty ImagesStoinis was still in occupation and raised only the second half-century of the match as the equation tightened further. But his determination not to expose Lyon allowed the requirement to blow out to 20 off 12, and 11 off the final over. In the hands of Vijay, his first ball was stump to stump, and Stoinis’ big swing and miss brought an lbw decision. Zampa was bowled two balls later to give Vijay’s bowling a boost and Australia plenty more to think about.Concerns about defending a target among the visitors appeared to have overruled the state of the Nagpur pitch, which looked dry, cracked, and likely to take increasing amounts of spin as the game went on. Oddly given Finch’s decision to bowl at the toss, the Australians chose two spinners for an exceedingly rare occasion in 50-over matches, with Lyon and the fit-again Marsh returning in place of Jason Behrendorff and Ashton Turner. India were unchanged.Behrendorff’s omission meant a rare outing with the new ball for Cummins, and he was to strike in the first over of the game. First beating Rohit Sharma with a full away swinger, he then dropped short and coaxed an upper cut that sailed unerringly into the hands of third man.Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan seemed to have shrugged off this early reverse in some style, but the introduction of spin brought another change. Glenn Maxwell straightened a quicker offbreak enough from around the wicket to win an lbw verdict against Dhawan via the DRS, after the bowler insisted “that’s out” to his captain Finch.Ambati Rayudu was likewise deceived and dismissed lbw after forming the beginnings of a partnership with Kohli, this time given out on the field and seeing the decision upheld after his own review. Kohli, meanwhile, pushed through with typically well-chosen strokes, alert running between the wickets and deft placement for the occasional boundary in Nagpur’s considerable heat.A more lasting union grew between Kohli and Vijay, the pair managing to avoid falling prey to the slowness and turn of the pitch while also lifting India’s run rate. Kohli and Vijay appeared to be in so much control that the latter’s exit, a run-out backing up when the captain’s drive was deflected onto the stumps by Zampa, was a genuine surprise in both its eventuality and its manner.Zampa took advantage of the breathing room by coaxing Kedhar Jadhav to loft a catch to cover, and the very next ball the previously impassable MS Dhoni cuffed straight to Usman Khawaja at slip. Jadeja averted the hat-trick, and stayed with Kohli as he went to make his 40th ODI century, making him the only man other than Tendulkar to get this far. India’s acceleration was measured rather than absolute, again underlining the difficulties of the pitch.Kohli looked quite drained by the experience of fighting his way to three figures in such conditions, suggesting that it would be a difficult chase for an Australian side without anything like the same confidence as India’s leader. A further indicator of the same was offered by how the Indian innings folded after Kohli’s exit, the final three wickets claimed for two runs.

Aston Villa have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their upcoming Premier League meeting with Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon.

What’s the latest?

According to the French publication Le Equipe, this weekend could see the return of Lucas Digne following the injury he suffered in mid-September.

Whilst there was initial doubt over whether he would be fit for the World Cup, this new update is a big boost for both club and country.

He now has a run of games under the new manager to prove why he should be selected for France, all the while helping to take the Midlands club return where it belongs.

It could change their season 

For Steven Gerrard, the absence of both Digne and Matty Cash spelled the beginning of the end.

The 42-year-old relied heavily on his attacking full-backs to provide the width in his narrow system, so in their absence, his style of play crumbled.

Whilst Emery will likely set up his side in a very different way, the return of such a talented and creative defender will surely help him in his task of turning around this miserable campaign.

Thus far, Villa sit just three points above the relegation zone, having won just twice in their last ten Premier League games.

With the Frenchman’s absence felt all the heavier during this run, his return will be a welcome boost to the likes of Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins, who have struggled for goals this campaign.

Before last weekend’s double salvo against Brentford, the former had just one goal in ten league games, whilst the latter still only has two in 12.

For his previous club, whilst operating as a classic modern full-back would, he was lauded for his ability to deliver crosses to perfection.

Across his 127 games for Everton, he provided 20 assists, with his final full season seeing him assist seven under Carlo Ancelotti.

This kind of contribution could be integral to Emery’s plans, with Digne boasting vast Premier League experience and quality far beyond that of Ashley Young.

In the wake of arguably one of the toughest games you can face at the moment, the 29-year-old returning to fitness ahead of a trip to an in-form Newcastle United is undoubtedly great news for Emery.

Aston Villa journalist Gregg Evans has shared his praise for Ollie Watkins and Jacob Ramsey for their efforts in Villa’s 3-1 win over Manchester United in the Premier League. 

The Lowdown: Emery’s dream start

Unai Emery saw his tenure in charge of the Midlands club get off to a flying start as the Villans beat the Red Devils for the first time in the league since 1995.

Goals from Leon Bailey, Lucas Digne and Ramsey secured the three points for Villa, who will be taking on Erik Ten Hag’s side again on Thursday in the Carabao Cup.

As Villa picked up this impressive victory, Evans took to Twitter to share his praise for two players he thought were instrumental for the third goal of the game.

The Latest: Praise for Ramsey and Watkins

With Ramsey scoring Villa’s third goal of the game, Evans had this to say about it on Twitter.

He said: “A stunning finish from Ramsey, who just loves that one-touch smash into the top corner. But my word, what a run and assist from Watkins who has been excellent today.”

The Verdict: A great day for Villa

Focusing on Ramsey’s overall performance, not only did the midfielder score Villa’s third goal and provide the assist for Bailey’s opener, he also managed to win seven out of the eight duels he was involved in and made five tackles in total, which is more than any other Villa player won.

The only unfortunate moment for him came when he cost his side a clean sheet with an own goal on the stroke of halftime.

With Watkins also helping out in an attacking sense by providing the assist that Evans raved about in his tweet, it’s safe to say that it has been a great day at the office for Villa and their new manager.

Moving forward, it seems likely that Emery will want to see this sort of performance from his players throughout the rest of the season.

Manchester United gained some form of revenge on Aston Villa with a 4-2 victory in their EFL Cup clash on Thursday evening following their Premier League defeat to the same opposition last week.

With Sunday’s match against Fulham their last until after the World Cup, Erik ten Hag will be aiming to go into the break off the back of a win and a solid performance.

The Dutchman should switch things up slightly for tomorrow’s match, with Jadon Sancho coming back into the squad following a bout of illness and he will be determined to make up for missing out on a spot in England’s World Cup squad.

On the chalkboard

Sancho should be unleashed against the Cottagers as he will be determined to prove to Gareth Southgate that he should have been on the plane to Qatar.

The World Cup heartache will be tough to take for the winger, and his exclusion is probably justified by his lacklustre displays this season combined with the form of other players.

The 22-year-old has shown glimpses of what he is capable of, however, scoring the opener against Liverpool at the start of the season while chipping in with three goal contributions in ten league appearances so far.

Sancho ranks third in the United squad for key passes per game this term (1.4) and ranks fifth for successful dribbles (0.7) proving his worth to the team.

Football writer Drake Hills previously dubbed the winger as “dangerous” and although he has yet to demonstrate to the Old Trafford faithful that he has been worth the £73m United shelled out on him last year, there is plenty of time for him to improve.

Who knows, maybe missing out on the World Cup may be a blessing in disguise for the player and he could come back even stronger.

Only time will tell, and the first step to redemption is putting in an excellent performance against Fulham and leading the club to all three points.

Liverpool have been dealt a possible blow in their attempts to sign Jude Bellingham, with journalist Graeme Bailey claiming that the 19-year-old could stay at Borussia Dortmund.

The Lowdown: Bellingham on the move?

The Englishman has again stood out for Dortmund this season, scoring four goals in the Champions League, excelling in his all-round game and being called a ‘generational’ talent by journalist Raphael Honigstein.

Bellingham’s future continues to be a huge talking point and Liverpool have long been linked with an audacious move for the 19-year-old, along with many other clubs.

However, a fresh update suggests that those keen on signing the midfielder could have to wait another while longer to get their man.

The Latest: Bellingham could stay at Dortmund

Taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding article for 90min, Bailey claimed that Dortmund are increasingly confident of keeping Bellingham beyond 2023, even though he has largely been expected to leave at that point.

The reporter tweeted:

“Understand that Borussia Dortmund remain confident that they can keep Jude Bellingham at the club beyond the end of this season.”

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The Verdict: Would be a big surprise

It has almost felt like a given that Bellingham would leave Dortmund at the end of the season, so this update will come as a potential blow to Liverpool and other prospective suitors such as Manchester City and Real Madrid.

That being said, it would seem still a big surprise if the England international decides to stay on at Dortmund, with next summer surely the right time for him to enjoy a fresh challenge at an even bigger and more successful club.

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Liverpool need to keep working hard on a deal for Bellingham – their focus should be on him over anyone else  – with the teenager someone whose energy, quality and general influence could transform the Reds’ ageing and injury-plagued midfield.

Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho is set to sign a new deal at Old Trafford following his impressive start to the season. 

The Lowdown: Garnacho’s emergence

So far this term, the winger has made eight senior appearances for Erik ten Hag’s side across all competitions.

In those outings, the 18-year-old has chipped in with two assists and two goals, the latest of which saw him grab a late winner in United’s 2-1 victory at Fulham and ultimately receive praise from the manager.

As a result of his efforts in the first-team this season, it appears that the Red Devils are looking to see the teenager sign a new deal at the club.

The Latest: Man United preparing new Garnacho deal

According to a report from the Daily Star on Saturday, Garnacho is close to signing a new deal at United which would see his weekly wages increase tenfold.

The report adds that negotiations are well underway with the teenager’s representatives, and the Old Trafford hierarchy are optimistic that those will be successfully completed before the end of the year.

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The Verdict: Great move from United

Hailed by journalist Steven Railston for his “electric” cameo against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup earlier this month, Garnacho has the highest rate of shots on target per 90 minutes for United in the current Premier League campaign (2.14).

This highlights the attacking talent that he offers and how much of a threat he carries for opposition defenders and goalkeepers, as Fulham found out at Craven Cottage a week ago.

Given the promise and potential that the youngster has started to show in the senior team this season, it makes sense for the club to try and tie him down to a new deal.

If the player does sign the proposed new contract, this could be a great long-term investment for United, as long as he keeps taking every opportunity that he gets to impress Ten Hag.

Tottenham Hotspur have been backed to land a transfer deal for Everton winger Anthony Gordon by talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor. 

The Lowdown: Spurs’ previous interest in Gordon

The Lilywhites were linked with a move for the winger during the previous summer transfer window but didn’t end up signing him.

Earlier this month, Alasdair Gold revealed that the north London club are still keeping tabs on the Toffees star. Now though, it appears that Antonio Conte’s side have been backed to finally secure a deal for Gordon.

The Latest: Spurs backed to land Gordon

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor had this to say on the situation surrounding Gordon and a potential move away from Goodison Park. He said:

“If Spurs are interested in Anthony Gordon I would definitely sell him. I feel like he hasn’t done anything really since he got linked with a move to Chelsea.

“Lampard’s been playing him from the bench in the last few games. That’s strange with the quality that he’s got.

“He’s not been putting in the performances. Did the big-money transfer links get to his head? There are questions to be asked there.

“He needs to sort himself out because clubs might be interested but they might not if they see your performances can drop so easily. I think if Everton can get a decent amount, they would sell him.”

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The Verdict: Spurs should be cautious

Across the 14 league games he’s played in for Frank Lampard’s side this season, Gordon has found the net three times but has yet to provide an assist.

Having completed 179 of the 249 passes he’s attempted, this has left the Englishman, who Chelsea were reportedly willing to pay £60m to sign in the summer, with one of the lowest passing accuracy percentages (71.9%) at Everton.

In a similar fashion, Gordon has one of the lowest percentages (22.2%) for dribbles completed at Everton having successfully pulled off just eight of the 36 dribbles he’s attempted.

Taking all of this into account, we feel that Spurs should think carefully over whether they choose to launch a move to sign the Everton attacker, especially if it would take a significant amount of money to do so.

Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams is believed to be attracting interest from Inter Milan over a potential move to Italy.

The Lowdown: USA captain

Adams is currently away with the USA at the World Cup in Qatar alongside Leeds team-mate Brenden Aaronson. The 23-year-old was named captain before the tournament and has helped his country into the last 16, where they will face the Netherlands, after playing every minute of action so far.

His display against England resulted in praise from both Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, and it looks as if Inter’s sporting director Piero Ausilio is keen on Adams’ services.

The Latest: Inter linked with Adams

The Boot Room relayed an update from Gazzetta dello Sport regarding Adams on Tuesday. They claimed that Ausilio has been really impressed by the Leeds maestro in Qatar and really wants to sign the defensive midfielder.

However, the report adds that it will be hard for Inter, who are in the Champions League last 16, to lure Adams from Elland Road.

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The Verdict: Didn’t take long…

It seemed to be just a matter of time before Adams was linked with a move away from Elland Road following his World Cup group stage performances.

Leeds hold all the cards when it comes to a potential exit, though, with the energetic midfielder under contract until 2027.

The Whites forked out £20m to bring the USA international to Yorkshire, and it looks as if that move is already proving to be a steal following his consistent displays for club and country in recent months.