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Ahead of India’s home ODIs against New Zealand, captain MS Dhoni has said it is difficult to find players to slot into a finisher’s role

Arun Venugopal in Dharamsala15-Oct-20162:19

‘I can bat up the order in this team’ – Dhoni

Ahead of India’s home ODIs against New Zealand, captain MS Dhoni has said it is difficult to find players to slot into a finisher’s role. The nature of cricket in the subcontinent, he said, meant lower-order batsmen had few opportunities to get used to the pressure of finishing games.”You talked about [the examples of Jos] Buttler and [Glenn] Maxwell. You have to see consistent performances,” he said. “It [finishing] is one of the most difficult things to do in cricket. It’s not about six months or one year. You have to be used to that role and responsibility, and you have to have that self confidence to keep on doing what is required of you, usually over a period. Once you find a good finisher, they are the ones that will keep batting at that slot for 8-10 years.”I think one of the biggest challenge is that the cricket that we play in the subcontinent, more often than not, a finisher is someone who bats at 5, 6 7, to some extent, maybe No. 4. A lot of times in India, the lower order doesn’t get a chance to bat.Dhoni himself had made his reputation as a finisher but, with his striking power having dimmed over the last few years, he has indicated a preference for batting higher up the order; his reasoning is he can hold the innings together before hitting out in the end, while the batsman coming in at numbers 7 or 8 could go for the big hits from the start. He said the team management had identified a few players for the finisher’s spot, but refused to divulge their names so as to not put pressure on them.”It becomes more and more difficult for a youngster to come in and fill in that place. The reason being he may not get an opportunity, but you start counting opportunities – say if we are four or five down for 40 runs, it’ll be counted as a big opportunity by you. In 15-20 games, [the youngster] gets an opportunity like that and you expect the youngster to do well, score a 100-150; you say” ‘That was a perfect opportunity in front of you.'”Dhoni is averse to using the word “experimentation”, but with India having only eight ODIs to play before the 2017 Champions Trophy in England, he admitted to there being pressure to identify the best combination of players in a short span of time. When it was pointed out India had played 31 different players in ODIs since the World Cup 2015, Dhoni said that was a necessary exercise to look at new talent as well as rest key players.”Quite a few of them would have gone to Zimbabwe. All of a sudden, 14 or 15 were there and then a few injuries here and there… It’s not a realistic number but at the same time, there are a few individuals who we are very keen to see what they have on offer.”With the Indian team, it’s difficult to give chances, let’s be fair about it, because we have to win games while also looking at the process. So we try our best to do what is in favour of the result and the team at the same time. Now there’s slightly more pressure because we only have eight games. This is a season when we’ll play a lot of Test matches. It’s a different challenge, but we’re open [to experimenting] and we’ll use games in the best possible manner.”

It was a wild first season back in the Championship for Sunderland this year and one that almost ended in play-off promotion back to the Premier League.

However, their fairytale was cut short by Luton Town's even more improbable rise up the football league pyramid, and so they've got to prepare for another season in England's second tier.

Even worse for the Black Cats is that one of the players responsible for their great end-of-season form, Amad Diallo, is heading back to his parent club, Manchester United for next season.

One of the players that could potentially replace the Ivorian winger in the northeast is Swansea City's Morgan Whittaker, according to Sunderland Nation.

What's the latest on Morgan Whittaker?

According to the report, the Derby-born winger is also on the radar of fellow Championship outfit Plymouth Argyle, where he enjoyed a fruitful loan spell for the first half of the season, having scored nine times and created seven assists in just 25 League One appearances, via Transfermarkt.

His excellent form for the Devon-based club caused Swansea to cut his loan spell short in January and bring him back to South Wales.

It obviously wasn't a decision the player was too happy with himself as he posted to his Instagram that he was 'devastated' to be leaving the Pilgrims at the time.

His return to Wales has yet to work out for him, however, having started just two games for the club, in which he has scored one goal.

The other team rumoured to be interested in the 6 foot 3 winger is Scottish giants Rangers. Michael Beale has been a longtime admirer of Whittaker after he lauded him as "excellent" back in January this year.

The Glaswegian giants are surely a more likely destination for the player, as Argyle does not have the resources to compete with the stalwart of Scottish football.

Sunderland, on the other hand, do.

Would Morgan Whittaker be a good signing for Sunderland?

Whilst his time back in the Championship hasn't been quite the success he nor Swansea might have been hoping for, he certainly looked impressive in the Southwest.

According to WhoScored, during Whittaker's time with Plymouth, he averaged an impressive match rating of 7.02, earning himself four 'Man of the Match' awards in just 19 starts.

His former boss Steven Schumacher is certainly a big fan of the player, saying in December: "He has a left foot to die for."

With the growing interest of Rangers, Sunderland better get a move on if they want to get this deal done for manager Tony Mowbray before it's too late.

The first four-day match between Pakistan A and Zimbabwe A ended in a draw at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Peter Moor stood out with 157 in Zimbabwe A’s strong first-innings batting performance•AFPThe first four-day match between Pakistan A and Zimbabwe A ended in a draw at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, as the hosts got some valuable match practice ahead of the Test series against Sri Lanka.Zimbabwe A, fielding a full squad of Test players, opted to bat first and were reduced to 193 for 5 before Peter Moor took charge of the game and scored 157, studded with 11 fours and eight sixes. Contributions from Richmond Mutumbami (38) and Graeme Cremer (54) helped Zimbabwe put on 251 for the last five wickets and reach 444. Legspinner Shadab Khan took 4 for 114 and left-arm spinner Mohammad Asghar took 3 for 112 for Pakistan.Pakistan’s response started with the loss of two quick wickets, but opener Zain Abbas scored his second first-class century as he set up partnerships with Shohaib Maqsood (54) and Saad Ali (62) to take them out of trouble. He scored 137 before falling to Cremer, who ended with 4 for 82. Allrounder Fahim Ashraf scored an unbeaten 61 to take Pakistan to 358.Malcolm Waller scored an unbeaten 87 in the second innings that lasted 75.2 overs before Zimbabwe declared on 219 for 5. Sikandar Raza (40) and Craig Ervine (38) managed to get some time in after veteran Hamilton Masakadza got out without scoring. Asghar had an impressive outing once again, taking four of the five wickets that fell.Fakhar Zaman (40*) and Zain Abbas (39*), the Pakistan openers, took them to 72 for no loss before play ended.

Manchester United are clearly in the market for midfielders this summer with a move for Mason Mount reported heavily, and now the Red Devils are looking on course to capture another Chelsea star.

What's the latest on Man United's interest in Mateo Kovacic?

According to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Man United are plotting to hijack Manchester City's attempts to sign Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic this summer.

As per the report, the Reds are competing with not only the Premier League champions but Bayern Munich too for the player's signature and are stepping forward to make it known they are willing to spend heavily to provide Erik ten Hag with a high-quality squad.

Would Kovacic be a good fit for Man United?

The Croatian midfielder – once dubbed a "revelation" by Garth Crooks – could present himself as an ample solution for the problems that Man United have faced this season by providing some sound physicality, as well as adding another player with a strong winning mentality into the dressing room and on the pitch.

Ten Hag's long-standing interest in Frenkie de Jong demonstrates the profile of player that the Dutch coach is desperate to deploy in the midfield and Kovacic could be an incredible alternative when considering not only his obvious qualities but also his relationship with Casemiro formed at Real Madrid.

The former Los Blancos teammates often competed for the defensive position alongside Toni Kroos and Luca Modric in midfield, but on occasions were deployed as a partnership – winning a trio of Champions League trophies and a league title during their time together.

Now, Ten Hag could reunite the duo and form a dream midfield partnership for Man United that could inspire an incredible run in Europe next season owing to their unrivalled experience of winning the prestigious competition on many occasions.

Whilst Casemiro is a solid force in the deepest midfield role, having a player like Kovacic by his side who can progress the ball and cover the ground needed to both retain and win possession comfortably would be massively advantageous to the team.

As per Sofascore, the 29-year-old ace – who has a reported price tag of £35m – has strengths in ball control and playmaking with two assists, four big chances created, an 86% pass completion rate and has successfully completed 66% of his dribble attempts over 27 Premier League appearances this season.

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer to bring Kovacic to Man United summer if the opportunity arises, as his successful experience of playing with Casemiro and diverse midfield qualities make him the perfect player to improve the team.

TalkSport pundit Tony Cascarino has expressed his bafflement as it looks as though Chelsea could let Mason Mount leave this summer.

What's the latest on Mason Mount?

With the midfielder's contract due to expire at the end of next season, and negotiations at a bit of an impasse, it appears he could be sold this summer.

The latest report from The Athletic suggests that he is now "leaning towards" a move to Manchester United and talks are expected between the two clubs soon enough – though Bayern Munich and Arsenal are also in the mix.

Earlier in the season, according to the Daily Mail, Mount reportedly rejected a contract offer of £200k-p/w as he wants something closer to teammates such as Raheem Sterling (£300k-p/w) and Reece James to £250k-p/w).

It appears Chelsea still haven't put something good enough on the table to convince him to stay and now it looks likely that he'll be leaving this summer.

Amid all that, while speaking on the TalkSport YouTube channel, Cascarino slammed the Blues for not just getting a deal across the line.

He said: “I'm staggered. Like Andy [Townsend] said really, it's really weird. You know they've invested all this money in all these transfers in buying players, Mason's just 24. He's an England regular – or was, you know, certainly leading in the World Cup. I know he lost his place. But I thought we played really well when he played for England in Qatar.

"I knew there was issues at the start of the season, there was things going on with Mason, that didn't seem right. And Chelsea didn't seem to, you know, want to get too involved in negotiating then. And it sort of stayed there. And I don't get it.

"Because think about it this way. There's Bayern Munich apparently interested as well, so Bayern Munich, Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal, you could argue four of the biggest 10,15 clubs in Europe, if not in the world, want him.

"But Chelsea are not going to push the boat out to keep him, I don't get that.”

Why won't Chelsea offer Mount more?

With so many top Premier League clubs after Mount, it certainly shows that other teams appreciate him even if Todd Boehly and Chelsea don't quite seem to grasp just how valuable their asset it.

Still only 24 years of age, the player has already won the Champions League and the Club World Cup and has played 36 times for England.

With that experience under his belt, plus the fact that he counts as a homegrown player, you would think Chelsea would be desperate to keep him around.

However, if they aren't quite putting enough money on the table regarding a new contract offer, it does seem Mount will back his bags and head elsewhere this summer.

Wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich and Roston Chase were the beneficiaries on the second day of West Indies’ drawn warm-up match after getting a workout with the bat in the second innings against Emirates Cricket Board XI

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Roston Chase scored 36 and picked up a wicket on the second day of West Indies’ warm-up match•Associated PressWicketkeeper Shane Dowrich and Roston Chase were the beneficiaries on the second day of West Indies’ drawn warm-up match after getting a workout with the bat in the second innings against Emirates Cricket Board XI.Resuming on 56 for 7, the ECB XI crossed 100, thanks to Rohan Mustafa’s patient, unbeaten 44. Spinners Jomel Warrican and Devendra Birshoo took the three remaining wickets to fall on the second day to bowl the ECB XI out for 117.Leon Johnson and Shai Hope, who struck fifties in the first innings, were dismissed for 10 and 0 respectively. Jermaine Blackwood and Jonathan Carter then struck boundary-laden cameos, but it was Chase and Dowrich’s 49-run stand off 85 balls that ensured West Indies didn’t collapse.Left-arm spinner Ahmed Raza took three wickets, including that of Chase, who struck an 81-ball 36. Dowrich hit six fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 52.West Indies declared their second innings at 173 for 7, setting the ECB XI a target of 306. West Indies’ spinners got 14 overs in, before the game was drawn.West Indies will play a three-day warm-up match against a PCB XI from October 7, before the first Test against Pakistan, which begins on October 13.

West Ham United’s pursuit of Frankfurt’s Djibril Sow is quickly gaining momentum.

What’s the latest on Djibril Sow to West Ham?

According to Bild, the 26-year-old “dreams” of playing in the Premier League, and the German outfit are prepared to start negotiations with the Hammers.

It is also understood that the midfielder is “looking forward to the next step” in his career, so the stars appear to aligning for a life-changing transfer to the London Stadium.

The report suggests that it could take a bid of €20m (£17m) to prize Sow away from the Bundesliga.

Would Djibril Sow be a good addition to West Ham?

The 36-cap Switzerland international has made 45 appearances in all competitions this season, appeared in every game of his nation's World Cup campaign, and was a crucial component of the Frankfurt that won the Europa League last year.

Since his breakthrough as a professional football, he has always sent shockwaves around his homeland. The titan was named the Swiss Super League Young Player of the Year in 2019, which led to a move to the Bundesliga that year.

Upon his arrival, former Frankfurt board member Fredi Bobic said: “We're absolutely convinced of his ability to perform and his potential to develop further. His technical, strategic, and athletic abilities will strengthen us."

From a West Ham perspective, a talent of this versatility and calibre would be a welcome addition. This is further showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 26% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive passes per 90, as well as the highest 33% for interceptions per 90, according to FBref.

To seal his signature would be another blockade to Flynn Downes, however, who has been reduced to a barely significant role since his £12m move to the Irons.

The former Swansea star has only started six Premier League games and has been unfancied by David Moyes.

Dismally, the £25k-per-week man ranks in the bottom 1% for successful take-ons and progressive passes per 90, as well as the lowest 5% for progressive carries – so it is easy to see why his game time has been so limited.

If West Ham finalise a deal for the "combative" Sow – as dubbed by journalist Sam Smith – it would be extremely unlikely that he would be benched for the relatively unknown Englishman, who has failed to make an impact on the management in his debut season at the club.

Warwickshire and Ireland fast bowler Boyd Rankin will miss the remainder of the county season after suffering a fracture of his left tibia

George Dobell16-Aug-2016Warwickshire and Ireland fast bowler Boyd Rankin will miss the remainder of the county season after suffering a fracture of his left tibia.Rankin, 32, suffered the injury in training ahead of Warwickshire’s current Championship match against Surrey at Edgbaston, with subsequent scans revealing that he will miss the Bears’ final matches as well as Ireland’s upcoming fixtures against Pakistan, Hong Kong, South Africa and Australia.Dougie Brown, Warwickshire CCC Director of Cricket, said: “It’s extremely frustrating to lose Boyd during such a key point in the season. He will now go through a rehabilitation programme with our medical team to rest, strengthen and be ready for our 2017 pre-season schedule.”Warwickshire, however, received a boost with news that batsman Sam Hain is in contention for Wednesday’s Royal London One-Day Cup quarter-final against Essex after recovering from a shoulder injury, while allrounder Chris Woakes has been released by England to play following his Man-of-the-Series performance in the Investec Test series against Pakistan.

Wolves forward Hee-Chan Hwang has been praised for his performance in his side's draw at Molineux, with his work-rate and energy drawing particular applause from journalist Liam Keen.

How did Hwang play against Everton?

Everton scored a late equaliser to deny Wolves a win in their final home game of the season, but Hwang gave a good account of himself, and opened the scoring in the first half, finishing as the ball rebounded to him after a sensational run and shot from Adama Traore.

The 26-year-old was given a 7.2 rating by SofaScore, as he scored, completed 82% of his passes, and won two fouls in a toughly contested battle.

Speaking on Express & Star after the match, Keen singled out Hwang as Wolves' best player, and praised his commitment to the side.

"Four goals this season, three in the Premier League. all three of them have been tap-ins. I can't criticise Hwang for not scoring worldly goals either, he's in the right place at the right time," he stated.

"He has good instincts, good finishing and on his overall play today, Hwang, I thought he was excellent. He was probably Wolves' best player, he ran himself into the ground and had to come off in the second half because he was so knackered."

Can Hwang be an option for Wolves next season?

Hwang's strike was his third of the season in just ten league starts, with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Diego Costa and Raul Jimenez preferred to him throughout the campaign.

The former Salzburg forward has hardly been prolific for Wolves, scoring just eight times in 61 games, and despite his strong display against Everton, it remains doubtful that he can be a starter for Julen Lopetegui's side next season.

Jimenez may depart the club as he enters the final year of his deal, and Wolves could dip into the market for a more prolific goalscorer, but Hwang could prove to be a solid rotational option.

The South Korea international can provide cover across the front line, having played near-equal amounts on either wing or through the middle, and if he can continue to deliver committed displays like he did against Everton, he could endear himself to Lopetegui and the Wolves fans for next season.

Wolves secured Premier League safety, but will be looking to kick on next season and avoid a relegation battle again, and more quality additions are necessary in the summer.

Rob Keogh’s maiden List A century led Northamptonshire to a thumping Royal London Cup victory over Durham by 170 runs at Wantage Road

ECB Reporters Network24-Jul-2016
ScorecardRob Keogh made his maiden List A hundred (file photo)•Getty ImagesRob Keogh’s maiden List A century led Northamptonshire to a thumping Royal London Cup victory over Durham by 170 runs at Wantage Road. Keogh’s 134 helped the home side post 355 for 6 before five wickets for Azharullah saw Durham bowled out for just 185.Keogh’s career-best helped Northants to their third-highest List A total, a score they defended with ease after two early Richard Gleeson wickets and three from Azharullah that took out the middle order. None of the Durham batsmen were able to get the visitors into the chase and they were bowled out in 35.3 overs – taking a significant blow to their net run rate.Victory for Northants revived their campaign after only one win from three completed matches previously. Keogh was the star, his 134 the joint-seventh highest one-day score for the county. He rebuilt the innings in a stand of 149 with Rob Newton for the fourth wicket and went to his second fifty of the competition in 57 balls with six fours.But the acceleration towards a century was most impressive – it took only 31 balls with six further fours and a six, lifted over midwicket during an over from Scott Borthwick that was taken for 18. A long-hop was also pulled to the midwicket fence before a full toss was planted over mid-on. Another four came via a drive wide of the same fielder.A square-driven boundary backward of point brought Keogh’s maiden century and an enthusiastic ovation. Keogh found the fence three more times before being caught at deep midwicket. It was a special innings.He shared a record fourth-wicket stand for Northants against Durham with Newton, whose 65 in 46 balls was his third List A fifty and best effort of the competition this year. He skipped down the pitch to gracefully strike Ryan Pringle into the sightscreen for six, one of four maximums that also included a hook over deep square leg.Newton’s was the third half-century of the inning after Josh Cobb’s 56 gave Northants’ a heathy start. He turned the second ball of the innings for four, added consecutive boundaries off Chris Rushworth’s and lifted Jame Harrison for a handsome six over deep square leg. His second fifty in this year’s competition was raised in 53 balls with five fours and a second six, flicked over long leg. But, trying to force Borthwick down the ground, Cobb presented a return catch to the bowler.Cobb’s wicket saw the innings stagnate as 19 runs came from the next six overs and captain Alex Wakely chipped Pringle tamely to midwicket for 11. It left Northants 133 for 3 after 27 overs before Keogh and Newton began a fine recovery. Rory Kleinveldt finished the innings off perfectly with 32 in 13 balls, including six fours.Early wickets were always likely to kill Durham’s chase and Gleeson found two: Mark Stoneman hurried trying to pull, caught at mid-on, and Borthwick caught behind trying to leave. Phil Mustard also chipped a catch to mid-on for 20 and at 44 for 3, Durham were struggling. Azharullah’s 5 for 43 ripped out the middle order and Graeme White chipped in with two more victims as Durham were rolled over.