All posts by h716a5.icu

West Ham United fell to defeat against Manchester City last time out in the Premier League, but David Moyes' side's first loss of the term should do little to discredit the fine start following the £105m sale of midfield talisman Declan Rice to Arsenal.

The Hammers had won three in a row after drawing away to Bournemouth in the opener, and look well drilled and oiled this year, raring for further success after winning the Europa Conference League in June, defeating Fiorentina in the final.

That triumph clinched a spot in this year's Europa League – United's third successive European campaign – with the group phase now nigh, and Serbian side Backa Topola are the first to wage continental battle against the English side this term.

What is the West Ham team news vs Backa Topola?

Moyes has confirmed that veteran shot-stopper Lukasz Fabianski is in line for his first appearance of the campaign after losing his place to Alphonse Areola in the Premier League.

Rice's £35m replacement, Edson Alvarez, will not be available as the Mexican enforcer is currently serving a suspension after being sent off in the Europa League against Union Berlin in February while playing for Ajax.

£38m

£35m

£30m

£17m

N/A

Speaking on his squad's collective fitness, West Ham's Scottish manager said, “We’ve got everybody available — everybody fit and ready to play. All the players are ready to go.

“I want to keep them all pushing. I think it’ll be a good opportunity for some of the players to show what they can do.”

With a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool looming large at the weekend, the Irons will likely field a much-changed starting XI, and it could be the perfect opportunity for exciting summer signing Mohammed Kudus to make his full debut.

Will Mohammed Kudus start vs Backa Topola?

Kudus has only made two appearances for West Ham since completing a £38m deal to move from Ajax in August, both from the bench, but bagged a hat-trick in Europa League qualifying for the Dutch giants against Ludogorets in a resounding swansong.

He can now continue his rich exploits on the continental stage and truly announce himself to the Hammers faithful, having posted four goals and two assists in the Champions League last term – scoring against the likes of Liverpool, Napoli and Rangers.

The 24-cap Ghana star is a dynamic and incisive player, capable of thriving down the right channel and in a more central role, and has been praised for his "electric" pace by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Across all competitions last season, the 24-year-old scored 18 goals and supplied seven assists, despite only playing 29 times from the starting whistle, praised as his side's “star boy” by former teammate Calvin Bassey.

Against Topola, the £90k-per-week asset can continue his European purple patch and prove to Moyes that his qualities warrant further roles from the get-go, ranking among the top 7% of positional peers across leagues similar to the Dutch Eredivisie over the past year for goals, the top 2% for pass completion and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

His directness and guile might also play to the strengths of exciting young striker Divin Mubama, who is also pushing for his first start of the term tonight.

The 18-year-old forward has been on the bench four times this season but is yet to make his first display, having enjoyed a tremendous breakout year last term that saw him make six senior appearances for West Ham, scoring a goal and assist apiece.

Heralded for his "instrumental" role for the United youth side by Academy manager Kenny Brown, Mubama will be hoping for regular minutes in the Europa League group phase as he continues his development and rises closer to the fore.

With Kudus and Mubama heading the Irons attack tonight, Moyes will surely get off to a winning start, with the club now looking to better last year's momentous success and challenge for the next level in European competition.

The band left the stadium after being silenced, only to return in dramatic circumstances

Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth10-Mar-2018Port Elizabeth’s signature brass band was told to pipe down – not for the first time – much to their own and the crowd’s dismay during the second day’s play at St George’s Park.The umpires first silenced the band during the second session, which responded by leaving the staidum. In the lead up to tea, this decision resulted in the loud chants of “we want the band,” from the crowd inside the stadium. The band returned in the over after tea to cheers and immediately began playing as Josh Hazlewood bowled the second over of the evening session. Play was stopped twice in that over as the umpires, Kumar Dharmasena and S Ravi, who is standing in place of an ill Chris Gaffaney, met to discuss their options. The band stopped and started sporadically during the over, which ended with the caught-behind dismissal of Dean Elgar.While AB de Villiers made his way onto the field, match referee Jeff Crowe, who has had his fair share of work in this series with four disciplinary issues, addressed the umpires. The band restarted after that, during and between overs. The third session is traditionally when the band play their loudest, often accompanied by song and fanfare.

The next time 100000 people at The great Eden Gardens, start making too much noise(which is far more deafening than St George’s), please can officials stop the game. Ridiculous! Wake up Dharmasena! You should know better, you played!

— mark boucher (@markb46) March 10, 2018

The band is popular among South African fans and players and former wicket-keeper Mark Boucher leapt to their defence on Twitter. “The next time 100000 people at The great Eden Gardens, start making too much noise(which is far more deafening than St George’s), please can officials stop the game. Ridiculous! Wake up Dharmasena! You should know better, you played!” Boucher tweeted.The Port Elizabeth brass band in full flow•Getty ImagesAmla confirmed the umpires had asked both the batting and fielding sides about the band because the officials felt the music was disturbing them.Players on both sides indicated the band was no bother to them. “I love my music, so I’ve got no problem with that,” said Mitchell Marsh, who revealed that he played tuba in school, while Hashim Amla confirmed the batsmen were also unaffected. “The band thing didn’t affect any of the batters,” he said. “When you are batting in the middle, you’ve got more important things to worry about it. It didn’t spoil any rhythm.”However, the band is not to everyone’s taste, especially not match officials. In December 2016, in a Test match against Sri Lanka, the band was told to play during breaks and not while play was on. Sixteen years before that, in 2000, New Zealand’s batsmen complained that they could not concentrate because the music was too loud and the band was asked not to play during their innings. They were allowed to play when South Africa batted.Silencing bands is not uncommon in cricket, with umpires Sri Lanka’s bands frequently facing silencing over the last three years. Perhaps the furthest extent of silencing was when, during the 2007 World Cup in West Indies, musical instruments were banned from stadiums.

The band and crowd respond to the umpires. #SAVAUS #BandGate pic.twitter.com/H76euNpAbo

— Jay Mueller (@bad_producer) March 10, 2018

The band’s treasurer, Cole Ingram, told SEN radio that the band spoke to the match officials in the morning and “had a good understanding of what’s expected from us during the day,” but that the umpires said they “can’t hear anymore because of us,” in the second session. He called it “impossible,” to restrict the playing to be between overs. “That’s our purpose, to entertain the crowd. And at the moment we can’t do that,” Cole said.

Everton's summer transfer window focused on the crux of the Premier League club's problems last season; sorting out the toothless attacking impetus, as was anticipated.

Having struggled for form and fluidity up front, the Toffees languished to a 17th-placed finish, finishing the term as the division's second-lowest scorers, and to combat this, manager Sean Dyche returned for a failed January target in Arnaut Danjuma.

Why did Everton sign Arnaut Danjuma?

When Dyche was appointed in the endmost days of January, he demanded signings to rewrite the narrative of Everton's season, but signings he did not get; as the winter market slammed close its shutters, the Goodison Park side were the lone Premier League outfit to not make an acquisition.

Dyche called on fans to "stick by the team", claiming that efforts were made to bring in fresh faces after selling homegrown winger Anthony Gordon to Newcastle United for £45m, but success was not found.

One player who almost wound up on Merseyside was Arnaut Danjuma, who signed for Tottenham Hotspur on loan in the market's late stage despite agreeing terms on a short-term deal with Everton, with the uncertainty of Frank Lampard's dismissal – who played a large role in convincing the player to join the club, unravelling the prospective move.

While Danjuma did not enjoy a fruitful spell in north London, scoring twice from just 12 displays, he had been an effective figure in Spain, clinching 22 goals and supplying four assists for Villarreal after joining in a £21m deal from Bournemouth, having posted 17 goals across the 2020/21 campaign with the Cherries and been praised for his "exceptional" efforts by Jonathan Woodgate.

Having now completed a season-long loan transfer to Everton, Danjuma, aged 26, has started impressively and netted twice from five matches, including an equalising goal in the side's recent 2-2 draw at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United.

4 games

1 goal

3.5 shots per game

7% goal conversion

0.5 key passes per game

All stats above via Sofascore (Premier League only).

The £52.5k-per-week winger has been hailed by pundit Kevin Phillips, who said: “Danjuma is a very, very good player. On his day he is a nightmare for defenders. He can create and score goals. He can hurt any defence with his pace and directness."

Given the Dutchman's fluidity across the frontline and incisiveness, perhaps Everton have unearthed the solution to Richarlison's £60m sale to Tottenham one year on, having been praised as the "complete striker" by former Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti, who also dubbed him "clinical" for his exploits on Merseyside.

How many goals did Richarlison score for Everton?

It's fair to say that Richarlison's time in north London has been anything but successful, having posted just four goals and assists since his transfer last summer and been branded a "joke" by talkSPORT's Tony Cascarino, and the Brazilian is not the one laughing.

12

4

2

20

7

3

59

20

4

56

21

4

5

1

1

All stats via Transfermarkt.

There couldn't be greater disparity from his time at Goodison Park, where the 26-year-old was revered for his menacing presence in the offensive third, netting 53 times from 152 outings and playing an instrumental role in the club's seasonal battles.

With 20 goals from 44 Brazil caps, including an “unstoppable” – as was said by journalist Sacha Pisani – acrobatic overhead strike against Serbia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he is a talented forward and it just isn't working out right now.

Competent down the left channel and in the central striking role, Richarlison boasts a dynamism to match Danjuma's, who has started life under Dyche's stewardship with promise and could now grow into his skin, adopting the mantle left by the £90k-per-week ace.

Both progressive presences, Richarlison records 2.37 progressive carries per match, while Danjuma, who ranks among the top 7% of positional peers in Europe for that metric at 2.87, clearly looks like a player capable of driving the ball into promising positions and instigating dangerous openings.

Richarlison was an impressive component of the Everton machine and remains a fan favourite, but Danjuma could now prove to be the perfect heir and play a talismanic part in the fight for success this season.

South Africa coach Ottis Gibson insisted that while they asked for surfaces that would assist their pace attack, the exaggerated bounce and lateral movement was unexpected

Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg26-Jan-2018South Africa insisted that the uneven and excessive bounce and seam movement at the Wanderers in the third Test was not part of their request for helpful pitches. Though South Africa admitted to asking for surfaces that would assist their attack, they maintained that all they wanted was pace and bounce, and not the lateral movement or exaggerated bounce that this surface provided.”Everybody is making a big issue of grass but we’ve never asked for grass, we asked for pace and bounce. If you’re a groundsman and we ask you to make a wicket with pace and bounce, and you feel that the best way to do that is leave grass on the wicket, that’s it. Then we get on and play with it,” Ottis Gibson, South Africa’s coach said. “The Test in Cape Town only went three days, but we thought it was a good wicket. We asked for a similar wicket in Centurion, and it was more like Mumbai than anywhere else, and it was a great Test match as well. With this one, the wicket has unfortunately got worse as the match has gone on.”Asked whether the pitch may have been a result of extra pressure placed on the groundsman by the knowledge that South Africa would not settle for anything less than bowler-friendly conditions, Gibson did not think that was the case. “I can’t speak for groundsman. We asked for a certain type of pitch and then the groundsmen have a month to try and get it right,” he said.But there is some expectation within the home camp that the scrutiny on the surface will not let up, even after play resumes on day four. “There is no doubt that questions are going to be asked about the preparations of the pitch, Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa’s team manager said. “When we got here on day one, it looked like a sporty wicket, and from a South Africa perspective, all we wanted was a wicket with pace and bounce. Obviously, the ICC will rate it and there will be some form of repercussion.”South Africa stopped short of criticising the Wanderers surface and reiterated their willingness to play on. But between the two sides, they placed more emphasis on safety after Dean Elgar was struck on the grille of the helmet in the ninth over of South Africa’s chase. The incident caused play to called off 19 minutes before the scheduled close.Initially, it appeared that the ball had veered up off a crack, but television replays showed that it had pitched at a back of a length, and Elgar had gone forward fairly far, which may have made it look worse than it actually was.”Dean went forward and the ball took off from a length. Whether it was 8m or not, even on a third-day pitch, you are not expecting the ball that pitches at 8m to take off and hit the batsman on the head without the batsman even having the time to take evasive action” Gibson said. “At the end of the day, the umpires will make a decision, which they did. Before you go on about India batting twice on the same pitch, yes they did. And there were balls that were taking off from a length, and our captain was saying that, ‘I’m not sure that this is fair either.’ So it’s not like we are sour grapes or anything. We felt this morning that when balls were taking off off a length, it was obviously a little bit tricky and a decision would have to be made.”Elgar was the only batsmen to be hit above the throat in the match, but players on both sides copped body blows. Hashim Amla was hit on the ribs, Ajinkya Rahane on the elbow, M Vijay on the hip, and several others on the gloves. South Africa’s concerns appeared to have begun then, especially because they felt batsmen did not have time to defend themselves.”When I spoke to Faf at lunch, he said that if a ball is going to hit you on the finger and the bowlers are bowling at 140 and you haven’t got time to react or respond or take evasive action, then the umpires have to think that they have to look after player safety,” Gibson said. “If you think it’s getting a bit dangerous – and the umpires in the middle were saying that before lunch – Faf said, ‘A couple on the fingers, we can get away with, but when the ball rears up and hits you on the face then it’s a different situation.”And after all that, Gibson said the team are “absolutely not” making excuses for the position they find themselves in now on an increasingly difficult pitch.”Throughout the whole game on both sides, we saw batsmen wearing a few on the body, and we are not complaining. I hope you are not sitting here thinking we are complaining. But obviously Dean got hit in the face when he wasn’t able to take evasive action, and there was one before that that he went forward to that he was going to leave that bounced up and hit him on the hand. But again he wasn’t able to take evasive action. Once they (the match officials) tell us what the decision is, we’ll get on with it.”And on the fourth morning, they will have to.

Liverpool supporters might have thought that the last-gasp summer swoop for Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch was the culmination of the club's transfer activity, but there might be one more trick up Jurgen Klopp's sleeve.

What's the latest on Dan Neil to Liverpool?

According to the Daily Telegraph's Mike McGrath, Liverpool are monitoring the situation of Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil after previously sending scouts to watch the 22-year-old in action; Burnley have already had a loan offer with an obligation to buy rejected.

Meanwhile, journalist Pete O'Rourke has corroborated the claims and revealed that the Anfield side are indeed pushing for the Englishman in what would be a "shock" deadline day move.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

"Liverpool are among a number of Premier League clubs exploring a shock deadline-day move for Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil. #LFC #SAFC Liverpool now want to sign Sunderland star Dan Neil in 'shock' move," he revealed on social media.

This comes after an agreement was found with Bayern for the £34m transfer of Gravenberch, who joins midfield summer signings Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo on Merseyside.

How good is Dan Neil?

The Reds have been following Neil's progress over the past 12 months and view the industrious midfielder as someone who can restore the equilibrium of the midfield following captain Jordan Henderson's £13m transfer to Saudi Arabian side Al Ettifaq in July.

Having played a central role across his 110 displays for Sunderland as they have risen from League One to the Championship play-offs, where they lost to top-flight newcomers Luton Town last term, Neil has started the current campaign with aplomb.

As per Sofascore, the "fantastic player" – as said by journalist James Copley – has recorded a tremendous average match rating of 7.40 thus far, posting a goal and assist apiece from his four outings, taking 2.8 shots per game, completing 90% of his passes, creating 1.5 key passes and making 4.3 ball recoveries per outing, also succeeding with 67% of his attempted dribbles.

It is this level of rounded prowess, an all-encompassing style, that has left Klopp's side so interested in signing him, given that Henderson was himself signed from the Black Cats in a deal worth around £20m back in 2011.

A man who has had his doubters right throughout his career, Henderson completed 492 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 33 goals and supplying 61 assists, and captained the side to the whole gamut of silverware under Klopp's stewardship.

Described as a "beacon of hope" for Liverpool by the Times' Henry Winter, the 33-year-old boasts a career pass success rate of 83.7%, having also made 1.7 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and taken 1.1 key passes each game, as per WhoScored.

Neil already looks a refined star and could provide the depth Klopp needs to challenge for silverware across four competitions this year, having lost Fabinho, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain alongside Henderson this summer.

By moving to Liverpool, Neil could emulate his distinguished confrere and rise to the fore, providing the all-action angle to the Reds' centre, having been hailed as a "starry-eyed kid" by his former Sunderland boss Lee Johnson.

It initially looked as though Gravenberch would be the final piece of business for Liverpool, but if an astute deal can be agreed for a burgeoning star in Neil, the Merseyside outfit's midfield could truly enter a new, illustrious phase.

Southampton have made an offer for one of Russell Martin's key targets as the Sky Bet Championship outfit aim to round off their transfer business with a flourish, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Southampton?

Saints are looking to build a squad capable of bringing success and ultimately promotion to St Mary's Stadium as former Scotland international Martin aims to take his side back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

So far, Southampton have signed off on four additions this window in the form of Joe Lumley, Shea Charles, Ryan Manning and Flynn Downes on loan from West Ham United, and two more arrivals are set to be finalised imminently, as per Transfermarkt.

As per Football Insider, Everton defender Mason Holgate has agreed to join Southampton despite interest from Leeds United and will arrive on a season-long loan deal that will include an option to buy at the South Coast outfit.

Sheffield United were also keen to entice Holgate to Bramall Lane; nevertheless, the 26-year-old will head to Southampton after being frozen out by Sean Dyche at Goodison Park.

Newcastle United outcast Ryan Fraser is also imminently expected to arrive at Southampton on a loan basis after falling out of favour under Eddie Howe in the North East, according to The Daily Echo.

No buyout clause is going to be inserted into the deal, though Fraser will offer plenty of experience and versatility on the flank across the duration of the 2023/24 campaign.

In-form Southampton striker Che Adams has been offered a three-year contract extension by his current employers and has been given the promise of inheriting the vice-captaincy at the club in order to ward off suitors courting the Scotland international, The Daily Echo have revealed in a separate report.

Who else does Martin want?

Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett has indicated on X that Southampton have submitted another offer for Swansea City defender Nathan Wood, who boss Martin has previously worked with at the Welsh outfit, as he stated:

"SaintsFC have improved offer for Swans def Nathan Wood. Total bid is still worth £10m but initial £7m payment now followed by more achievable add-ons. Wood has made it clear to Swansea he wants to leave, but has not handed in a formal transfer request."

Saints could be set for a raft of departures from their backline in the next few days. The Daily Mail report that Armel Bella-Kotchap is a target for both Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich while Lyanco is attracting interest from both Europe and Brazil – Duje Caleta-Car and Mohammed Salisu have already said their goodbyes and left the building.

Wood has been a solid presence for Swansea City in the heart of their defence and has made 47 appearances in all competitions for the Jacks, registering one goal and a solitary assist, as per Transfermarkt.

The squad looks to be getting stronger at Southampton despite the large turnover of players, and Wood could be an astute piece of business in their quest for promotion.

Sri Lanka have lost each of their last five T20Is, but they are up against an Indian side without Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The Preview by Karthik Krishnaswamy19-Dec-20172:37

Dasgupta: Good time for India to test youngsters

Big PictureIndia haven’t lost a bilateral series in any format in 2017, but that’s only if you discount the one-off T20I against West Indies in Kingston, where an Evin Lewis century blew them away. A 6-4 T20 record this year would suggest this Indian side is at its most vulnerable in the shortest format. Sri Lanka, having let slip a few chances to push India harder than they did in the ODIs, should therefore allow themselves to feel just a bit more hopeful than they otherwise might when they line up for the first T20I in Cuttack.This, moreover, is an Indian T20 side without Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan or Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and with a long list of unproven names. Between them, Basil Thampi, Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar and Mohammed Siraj have played a total of two international games, while Shreyas Iyer only made his India debut in November, and Jaydev Unadkat has played nine games across formats since his debut in December 2010.Sri Lanka will look at those names and tell themselves they have a more-than-realistic chance of winning this series. There’s just one hurdle they’ll have to cross if they are to do so, however; they have lost each of their last five T20 games.Form guideIndia WLWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLLLIn the spotlightAfter a low score in seaming conditions in Dharamsala, Shreyas Iyer scored breezy, innovative half-centuries in the second and third ODIs, and didn’t look anything like a batsman playing his debut series in the format. If he transfers that confidence and that ability to manipulate the opposition’s fields into the T20 format as well, India might be closer than ever to solving their long-term middle-order issues in limited-overs cricket.During the ODI series, it was hard to tell if Danushka Gunathilaka was in form or not. He scored 1, 16 and 13, and was out all three times to Jasprit Bumrah, twice while attempting over-ambitious shots. He might need to temper his approach in the 50-overs game, but it might serve him well if he continues to go for his shots in the T20I series.Team newsHaving missed out on ODI selection, KL Rahul returns for the T20Is, and should return in his natural role at the top of the order, alongside Rohit Sharma. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar rested, India will have to choose between Thampi, Siraj and Unadkat to partner Jasprit Bumrah in the seam attack.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Dinesh Karthik, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Jaydev Unadkat/Mohammed Siraj/Basil Thampi, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal.A number of senior players have returned to Sri Lanka’s squad after sitting out the T20Is against Pakistan. Their line-up should closely resemble the one that played the ODIs, by and large, but without Suranga Lakmal, they will have to choose between the pace and bounce of Dushmantha Chameera and the left-arm swing of Vishwa Fernando to partner Nuwan Pradeep with the new ball.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Sadeera Samarawickrama/Kusal Perera, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Thisara Perera (capt), 8 Sachith Pathirana, 9 Akila Dananjaya, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Nuwan Pradeep.Pitch and conditionsCuttack has only hosted one T20I, in which South Africa bowled India out for 92 before strolling to a six-wicket win, amid crowd trouble, in 2015. It was an atypically bowler-dominated game at the venue. Either side of it, India have made 350-plus scores in ODI victories over Sri Lanka and England.Stats and trivia After 63 T20Is, Thisara Perera has taken 45 wickets while conceding 8.95 runs per over. Among bowlers who have bowled in a minimum of 20 T20I innings, only two – Elton Chigumbura and Andre Russell – have a worse economy rate. AB de Villiers has 72 dismissals (7 stumpings, 21 catches as wicketkeeper, 44 catches as fielder) in T20Is, the most dismissals in the field by any keeper or fielder. MS Dhoni, however, could soon go past him. He is currently on 70 (45 catches as wicketkeeper, 25 stumpings). Sri Lanka won four of their first seven T20Is against India, but have lost four out of four since then. Quotes”As senior players, we try and help these young guys as much as possible, but all the young guys who’ve come in have come in with a lot of IPL games behind them. Some have played 20, some have played 30 games, so they’re not as perturbed as they used to be in earlier days.”

Only 11.5 overs of cricket was possible in the first two sessions of the Kolkata Test, but they were 11.5 difficult overs for India, asked to bat on a damp green pitch under overcast skies

The Report by Sidharth Monga16-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
4:47

Chopra: Lakmal was absolutely top class

Only 11.5 overs of cricket were possible in the first two sessions of the Kolkata Test, but they were 11.5 difficult overs for India, asked to bat on a damp green pitch under overcast skies. Suranga Lakmal made good use of the conditions to send back the openers and Virat Kohli without conceding a run in his six overs. If the impression that India had been thinking of South Africa even before finishing this series is correct, they were given a decent simulation with the ball seaming around quite a bit.It was only the third Test in India since 2006 that a side winning toss had chosen to bowl. That decision was arrived at four hours after scheduled time with rain keeping the players indoors. With Lakmal running amok, India were lucky to avoid a more persistent examination thanks to further drizzle and deteriorating light.All this time waiting for the game to begin and resume might make India rethink their opening strategy. M Vijay and KL Rahul had been stellar in the last home season, but an injury to Vijay opened the door for Shikhar Dhawan to barge in with two hundreds on the tour of Sri Lanka in July-August. India persisted with Dhawan and Rahul even with Vijay fit now, but Dhawan proceeded to play a loose drive to be bowled for 8. A cover drive away from the body is just the shot India might be advised against when they go to South Africa.Before that, Rahul had got the perfect delivery to start the Test. Lakmal bowled it on a length, just outside off, making the batsman play. The seam movement from the juicy surface did the rest to take the edge. The golden duck ended Rahul’s run of seven successive half-centuries in Test cricket.Cheteshwar Pujara, at the other end, showed the discipline required on such a pitch, playing only two scoring shots in the 43 balls he faced. That he could do so was thanks in part to Lahiru Gamage, Lakmal’s new-ball partner, who didn’t make the batsmen play often enough. He was generally too short, and also provided width. Pujara used that to get his eye in, leaving balls alone studiously before he opened the mark with a soft edge past third slip off the 22nd ball he faced. Twenty-seven out of the 43 balls that Pujara faced came at the easier end.Dhawan too cut the bad ball for four but, at the other end, against good bowling, and not to ignore the significance of intent on such pitches, he picked the wrong one to go hard at.Kohli walked out to a nightmare delivery that seamed away from a fullish length. He played the line as opposed to following the movement, which helped him avoid the edge. Soon rain brought an early tea break, but when play resumed, Kohli got the one that seamed back in from a similar length. This time – having scored 0 off 10 balls, stuck at Lakmal’s end all the while – he drove at it. A defensive shot would perhaps have produced an inside edge and prevented the lbw.Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane didn’t have to fight for too long before bad light brought an early end to an extraordinary day’s Test cricket. Sri Lanka had gone into it with Dasun Shanaka, a seam-bowling allrounder, alongside two specialist quicks, a combination India could have chosen had they not rested Hardik Pandya keeping South Africa in mind. Who would have known back then that weather and the re-laid Kolkata surface would provide them preparation for South Africa during home Tests?

Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth has shared what he's heard on the possibility of Ajax star Mohammed Kudus joining West Ham this summer.

Who will West Ham sign?

It's set to be a busy final few weeks of this summer window for manager David Moyes, transfer chief Tim Steidten, sporting director Mark Noble and the Hammers hierarchy.

Indeed, after sealing deals for both Mexico international Edson Alvarez and ex-Southampton star James Ward-Prowse, there have been suggestions that West Ham could make five new signings in total before September 1.

Journalist Dean Jones, commenting on the club's links to Trevoh Chalobah recently, claimed to GiveMeSport that Moyes' side could be set for a "massive" month.

"It feels like a good opportunity West Ham could take advantage of," said Jones.

"I think he could actually survive at Chelsea, just about, but I also think he has bigger aspirations than that, and I’ve heard he has been open to listening to new opportunities.

"We’re looking at a massive month ahead for the Hammers, they will sign five players and have to find a way to make this all add up so they have a much stronger squad."

This comes as Brazil international star Lucas Paqueta, after just one year at West Ham, could follow both Declan Rice and Gianluca Scamacca out the door.

The former Lyon star has agreed personal terms with last season's imperious treble-winners Man City, meaning West Ham need to start looking at possible replacements.

Kudus, as reliably reported by the press, could be that player with Sky Sports reporter Sheth dropping a small update on X.

The journalist claims one source has told him that the Ghana international could be open to joining West Ham after they opened talks for his signing.

"West Ham remain in talks with Ajax over the signing of midfielder Mohammed Kudus," wrote Sheth.

"One source has told us West Ham are getting encouragement that he's open to the move."

How good is Mohammed Kudus?

The 22-year-old dazzled for both Ajax and Ghana last term.

Indeed, Kudus set his name alight on the biggest stage during Ghana's 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar late last year, where he managed two goals in three group games.

The African also scored 11 goals and assisted three others in Eredivsie outings last season, all while completing more successful take-ons per 90 than any current Ajax player over 2022/2023 (WhoScored).

Former Ghana star Derek Boateng was particularly impressed with Kudus at the World Cup, as the ex-Black Cats star told Sky Sports just how popular the player is back home.

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"Kudus is massive here," said Boateng.

"Every time he is playing, it does not matter whether it is the Champions League or a friendly match, you will see all the kids get up and watch Kudus. Just Kudus.

“They just want him to score. When he scores, everyone is all over the place.”

Depending on the possible price tag, Kudus would be an exceptional signing for West Ham, and could provide that cutting edge threat in the final third if Paqueta does indeed depart for the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester United have reportedly identified their latest transfer target after getting their season underway in questionable fashion against Wolves.

Despite claiming three points at home to Gary O’Neil’s new side, the Red Devils were far from impressive, falling short to last campaign’s lowest scorers on expected goals over 90 minutes, via Sofascore.

Erik ten Hag saw his side put to the test by the struggling Midlands club at home, sparking rumours that further reinforcements should be made while the opportunity is present late in this summer transfer window.

Who could Manchester United sign this summer?

While it has been a busy summer at Old Trafford, the opening day signalled that the additions aren’t quite enough to see proof that the squad had been bolstered over the break.

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With Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and Andre Onana captured already, another Onana could be on the way to Manchester, with the club linked to Everton midfielder Amadou Onana.

As reported by journalist Jacob Steinberg via The Guardian, United have approached the Blues over the prospect of signing the 22-year-old in the bid to improve his squad in the middle of the park.

The report claims that a bid in the region of £50m would need to be made in order to even be considered, with Everton not keen on selling the influential midfielder just a year after capturing him from Lille.

What is Amadou Onana’s style of play?

Having previously been described as “brilliantly versatile” and a “physical specimen” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the 6 foot 4 commander impressed during his debut season in the Premier League.

Deployed in central midfield, the Belgian possesses the attributes key to conducting play in the engine room, being a competent passer as well as a combative force protecting the back line.

In 33 appearances for the Toffee’s last campaign, the 22-year-old won an average of 57% of his total duels with an average of 6.0 wins per game, as well as making 2.2 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

Maintaining a pass completion rate of 84% last term, the United target ranked in the top 1% of midfielders in the Premier League in terms of the average percentage of dribblers he tackled per 90, with 71.4%, via FBref.

The numbers tell the story of just how mature the Everton gem’s talents are at such a young age, making him a strong acquisition for Ten Hag to chase this summer.

Following the opening fixture on Monday night, club legend and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville blasted the midfield on show as being “non-existent” and a team that needed some added “balance” in the engine room.

In a three made up of Casemiro, Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes, only the Brazilian could be classed as a defensive-minded player, suggesting just how much of a helping hand the arrival of Onana could be to the 31-year-old powerhouse.

The former Real Madrid commander was an integral addition to the side last season, where he averaged a monstrous 3.77 tackles and 1.44 interceptions per 90 in the Premier League, excelling in areas identical to the Everton starlet.

Combining the two could be Ten Hag’s ticket to identifying perfect balance in the midfield once more, in a move that could benefit not just United, but their influential Brazilian general too.