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He also hopes to have Karunaratne, Chandimal, and Mathews’ support for 3-4 more years

Mohammad Isam03-Apr-2024It was only apt that a Sri Lankan fast bowler sealed a 2-0 series win in Chattogram. When Lahiru Kumara yorked Khaled Ahmed, it was 11.15am local time on the final day. It was always going to be a quick end to the game after Sri Lanka took seven of Bangladesh’s fourth-innings wickets on the fourth day.Kumara finished with a four-wicket haul to take their fast bowlers’ tally for the series to 33 scalps. It is the most by a Sri Lankan pace attack in a two-match Test series. The fast bowlers’ success was well complemented by a strong showing by their batters.Not only did Kamindu Mendis get adjudged Player of the Match and Player of the Series, but the team also totalled four hundreds and eight fifties. Bangladesh, on the other hand, managed only four fifties. The other big difference between the two sides was the number of batting partnerships that lasted at least 20 overs. Sri Lanka had six, and Bangladesh just the one.Related

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Apart from Kamindu, it was captain Dhananjaya de Silva who stood out with the bat. While they dominated the Sylhet Test without much support from the other batters, the issue was resolved with six of Sri Lanka’s top-seven batters reaching fifties in the first innings in Chattogram.”We are very satisfied with the win,” Dhananjaya said. “There are many areas for us to improve, and I have talked about those with the team and the coaches are working towards that. If we can learn day by day and raise our game by 1%, we can make winning a habit. When we came to Bangladesh, we know it was going to be good for the batsmen. Their idea is always to get runs. They were disappointed because they didn’t get runs in Sylhet. But they came back, and it was pretty easy for me to handle the other things.”Kamindu’s story of waiting for nearly two years before this breakthrough tour is a major highlight of this tour, but Dhananjaya said that Kamindu had to bide his team away from the Test side as better players kept him out.Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva put on partnerships of 202 and 173 in the first Test•AFP/Getty Images”These are the best players for Test cricket in Sri Lanka,” he said. “They’ve been performing in the domestic arena as well. Kamindu had to wait a little while. He got a fifty in his first innings, but when the replacement came in he had to go back. But he has been practicing well.”Sri Lanka are shaping up a batting unit that doesn’t necessarily have to only depend on the experienced trio of Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, and Angelo Mathews. The captain however wants them to continue for a long time, as they also help him in leading the Test side.”They have been great servants for Sri Lanka for a lot of years,” Dhananjaya said. “I don’t know how long they will play. I’d love to play with them for 3-4 years into the future. They have been performing well in the past and they have been great in these series as well.”They didn’t interfere with my captaincy. They just give me their ideas. It is very helpful in Tests, because you have to play five days. Sometimes my mind goes here and there, so getting that advice from them is very valuable.”Dhananjaya’s captaincy also stood out during this Test series. He embraced the conditions in Sylhet which favoured the fast bowlers. He said it excited him more. He also handled Bangladesh’s fast bowling well as a batter. In a more batting-friendly Chattogram, he devised tight fields to keep the Bangladesh run rate down. It worked wonders as the fast bowlers responded well too.Some also observed that Dhananjaya didn’t shy away from being a tough taskmaster with his team-mates when needed. “Sometimes you have to be a little aggressive. In a country like this where you are playing in heat, sometimes some players get lethargic.”But if in the field me or someone else dives around a little bit and makes a good stop, everyone gets a little boost. I’m trying to keep the other 10 players in the game. I’m not saying I need to be harsh, but I do think you need to have a bit of aggression when you lead,” Dhananjaya said.It has been quite a first tour as captain for Dhananjaya. He scored runs and led well but also calmed things down when the talk of rivalry surfaced during the Test series. Visibly on the field too, the teams didn’t clash in the Tests, like they did in the limited-overs series. Dhananjaya’s insistence that “it is not a rivalry” kept the situation calm, and allowed for a smoother time on and off the field.

Marseille have confirmed their stance on Mason Greenwood's future amid transfer interest from Serie A and Saudi Arabia.

Marseille want Greenwood to staySigned for Ligue 1 side last yearScored 22 goals in all competitionsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Marseille's sporting director has insisted the club does not want to sell Greenwood and see the English forward as a key part of their squad. The 23-year-old signed for the Ligue 1 side from Manchester United last year and enjoyed a productive first season in front of goal, but over the summer transfer window, he has seen his name linked with clubs in Italy, specifically recent Champions League runners-up Inter, as well as teams in Saudi Arabia.

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Marseille forked out £27.5 million (€31.6m/$36.6m) to sign Greenwood from United and French publication recently claimed it would take an offer of £44 million (€50m/$58.4m) to consider parting ways with the forward. However, club director Medhi Benatia seems to have effectively ruled out a departure, insisting Les Phoceens have no desire to sell a player who bagged 21 Ligue 1 goals last season.

WHAT BENATIA SAID

Benatia told : "Greenwood will stay with us. He is not for sale. We want to keep him and consider him a key part of OM's project for the upcoming season."

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Greenwood has been scoring goals regularly in pre-season, bagging six so far. Three of those came in a hat-trick against Dutch outfit Excelsior Maassluis last month, while he also netted a header during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Sevilla. He recently received praise from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who called him a "star boy" after the former Arsenal striker rejoined the club on a two-year deal.

Leeds the scene for Jofra Archer, Haris Rauf comebacks – so long as the weather plays ball

Danyal Rasool21-May-20241:29

Can Kirsten get the best out of Babar?

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The last time England played Pakistan in this format, nearly 90,000 people turned up to watch, with a global audience potentially in the hundreds of millions. It came at the MCG in the 2022 T20 World Cup final, and as the Pakistani tears and wild English celebrations demonstrated, what was on the line mattered.That won’t quite be the case at Headingley on Wednesday, and not only because the Yorkshire weather might put paid to the possibility of a game altogether. A lot has happened in the following year and a half, and little of it has served to bolster these sides’ credentials as World Cup champions and runners-up. The two have won a combined two T20I series out of a possible nine, each boasting sizeable losing records since they played at the MCG. They were both eliminated from the following ODI World Cup at the first hurdle. England’s match-winner from that warm Melbourne night isn’t currently a part of the T20I setup, while Pakistan’s captain was briefly dethroned before inexplicably having the crown handed back to him a few months later.It’s risky to judge a team solely on T20I results in bilateral games; even this series, after all, serves almost entirely as a warm-up to the T20 World Cup less than a fortnight away. But given their struggles in T20I cricket, both teams would benefit from a series win and are duly taking the series extremely seriously.Related

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England haven’t played a T20I all year, though they did take on upcoming World Cup co-hosts West Indies in a five-match T20I series in December. What Jos Buttler’s side want to avoid is a repeat of their calamitous ODI World Cup with a similarly disjointed T20 World Cup defence. England were so keen to get their full squad together they risked the ire of the IPL by recalling them well in time, and Jofra Archer has been managed in a way to allow him to return for his first T20 game in over a year just in time for the lead-up to the World Cup.Pakistan’s frenetic administrative setup and impassioned fanbase mean they never quite have the luxury of not taking any international seriously, but with the World Cup around the corner, a bilateral T20I series could scarcely matter more. Pakistan, after all, remain the only one of 20 teams not to have announced their World Cup squad yet; they will wait as long as possible – until after the first game of this series – to make it official, ensuring they make decisions based on maximum information.And that World Cup, ultimately, is the direction every aspect of this series will be slanted towards. That night at the MCG assures both teams they have what it takes to stand atop the mountain, and though Leeds isn’t close to that peak, it may well be an important stepping stone.Jos Buttler is set to take the gloves against Pakistan•Getty ImagesForm guide
England LWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WWLWLIn the spotlight
A year since his last T20, and four since his last international game on English soil. Jofra Archer will be the unquestionable star attraction at Leeds after captain Jos Buttler confirmed he would make a much-anticipated return in the first game. After a prolonged injury nightmare, it appears England have finally managed to nurse Archer back to full fitness, and the way his team-mates talk about him, he’s as formidable a prospect as he ever was. Sam Curran mentioned the value of the “fear factor” his extra pace instills in the opposition, and an overcast Headingley may well be the ideal occasion to ease him in.Pakistan, too, have an express pace bowler returning from injury who is expected to start in this game after an extended layoff. Haris Rauf has had a tumultuous last six months, beginning with a board dispute that saw him lose his central contract, followed by a shoulder injury during the PSL, and ultimately the reinstatement of aforementioned central contract. He was part of the group that travelled to Ireland but wasn’t fit enough to get a game. By all accounts, his injury has healed faster than the initial prognosis, and a pace-off between two of cricket’s most fear-inducing bowlers is worth tuning in for.Team news
England will not rush Liam Livingstone back as he recovers from a minor knee issue. Mark Wood has not played since March and will be managed through the series due to a knee niggle of his own, which is not considered serious. Buttler has confirmed that he will keep wicket.England: 1 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 2 Phil Salt, 3 Will Jacks, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece TopleyHaving eschewed the opportunity to include Mohammad Haris in the squad, Saim Ayub’s return to form cannot come soon enough with this game the last Pakistan play before the official squad announcement. Rauf is expected to return, making this potentially the first time since the Asia Cup that he has featured alongside Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah.Pakistan: 1 Mohammad Rizwan, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Fakhar Zaman, 5 Azam Khan (wk), 6 Iftikhar Ahmed/Shadab Khan, 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Shaheen Afridi, 9 Haris Rauf, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Naseem ShahPitch and conditions
The biggest question mark concerns the weather. It was overcast in Leeds on Tuesday, and the forecast suggests rain through much of Wednesday.Stats and trivia England won more T20I games at the 2022 World Cup (5) than they have in the 18 months since (4). Babar Azam has 46 wins as T20I captain, more than any other international captain. Both captains are close to approaching personal batting milestones. Babar is 45 runs away from becoming the second player to 4000 T20I runs, while 73 more would see Buttler become the first Englishman to 3000. Quotes
“That pride was obviously dented and it was a really disappointing competition. But life moves on: it’s a chapter in the book and there’s lessons you learn but we’re presented with a new opportunity, a different format. We go to the West Indies and want to give a better account of ourselves.”
“We’re looking forward to facing him. He’s coming back after about a year. As a team we are excited to play against him. We’ve played well against him in the past and I’m sure it’ll be a good contest in the coming games. We have that pace of bowlers in Haris Rauf and Shaheen, so I wouldn’t say we’re fearful, but we are excited.”

Maya Jama has given fans a rare look into Ruben Dias’s glittering trophy cabinet, sharing a behind-the-scenes snap from the Manchester City star’s home. The Love Island host posted a casual Instagram Story, but fans were quick to spot the Premier League and Champions League silverware proudly on display in the background.

Maya shares rare look inside Ruben Dias's trophy roomTrophies include Premier League, Champions LeagueThe couple met at the 2023 EMAs, romance now publicFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Jama uploaded a photo of herself enjoying a drink from a Co-op mug while sitting inside Dias’s trophy room. The snap revealed replica trophies including four Premier League titles, a Champions League, an FA Cup and a Community Shield. Also on display were Player of the Match awards and multiple medals from his time at Manchester City.

Instagram (@mayajama)

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Jama and Dias reportedly met at the European Music Awards in November of last year. Dias was said to be smitten after their encounter, and they’ve been romantically linked ever since. Their relationship went public in April after they were spotted sharing the love at KSI’s Baller League event.

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Jama has since attended several Manchester City games to support Dias. Their chemistry was clear in more footage earlier in the summer where they were seen embracing warmly as Dias kept a low profile in casual attire, while Maya seemed happy to flaunt the new romance.

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WHAT NEXT?

Fans may get more glimpses into the couple’s private life via social media. With Jama regularly posting, more cosy moments could follow. Their relationship appears to be growing stronger heading into the new season.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has hailed Lamine Yamal as a “genius” and his Ballon d’Or pick after the teen’s standout performance.

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Barcelona president Laporta has publicly backed the Spanish sensation Yamal to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or, declaring the 18-year-old “a genius” who possesses “something only a Ballon d’Or winner has.” Barca, who claimed a domestic treble last season under Hansi Flick, have four nominees for the men’s award in Yamal, Pedri, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, but they face stiff competition from Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and others. 

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Laporta has made no secret of who he believes should lift the 2025 Ballon d’Or. Speaking after the Joan Gamper Trophy on , the club chief hailed the prodigy as the standout figure in a star-studded squad and insisted the teenager has the traits of a future winner:The one who remains at Barca and will continue to be the team's big star is Lamine, who put in another exhibition. I think the Ballon d'Or has to go to a Barca player. We have four nominees. Lamine is at the level of a genius and he shows it in every game. He has something that only those who win the Ballon d'Or do, which is that he gives everything in training. He plays the way he trains and he gets better and better every time. I hope the Ballon d'Or goes to Barca."

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Yamal has been central to the club’s recent success, but he faces tough competition with French hero Dembele boasting better goal contribution and conversion stat. While Barca’s strong winning campaign underlines their credentials,  PSG’s Champions League victory could be noted to give their players a clear edge in the race for football’s most prestigious individual honour.

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

Barca begin their La Liga title defence on Saturday away to Mallorca, likely without injured striker Robert Lewandowski. In the next three months, Yamal will continue to build his Ballon d’Or case, while team-mates Pedri and Raphinha push their own claims. The Catalan club’s early-season form could prove decisive in swaying voters before the September 22 awards ceremony in Paris, where the winner will be announced.

Ex-Germany boss Joachim Low has rejected an offer to coach Uzbekistan, turning down the chance to lead them after their first World Cup qualification.

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Former Germany coach Low, who led his nation to the 2014 World Cup title, has rejected an offer from Uzbekistan’s Football Association to take charge of their national team, according to . The Central Asian side recently qualified for the World Cup for the first time in their history and had high hopes of landing the experienced tactician.

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Uzbekistan, 55th in the FIFA world rankings, are eager to make an impact at the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The nation’s football officials, with assistance from their embassy in Berlin, held talks with Low about leading their debut campaign. Despite a positive online meeting, the 65-year-old ultimately declined the offer.

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Low is regarded as one of the most respected coaches in world football. He guided Germany to World Cup glory in Brazil in 2014, the same year he was honoured as FIFA Coach of the Year. Low oversaw the national team from 2006 to 2021, delivering consistent success at both the European Championships and World Cups. He stepped down in March 2021 and has not taken charge of any club or national side since.

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AFPWHAT NEXT?

The Uzbekistan Football Association will continue its search for a head coach ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Low remains open to future national team roles but appears to be waiting for the right opportunity.

Fridolina Rolfo, Manchester United's marquee summer signing, is set to miss next week's Champions League qualifiers in a huge blow.

Rolfo to miss Champions League qualifiersEx-Barca star is Man Utd's marquee summer signingUpdates on fitness Clinton & more also providedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Marc Skinner's side will face PSV Eindhoven on August 27, with the winner then likely to take on Hammarby, who made the group stages last term, three days later for a place in the second round of UWCL qualifying. It's a tricky draw for Man Utd and it looks like they are set to be without at least one of their biggest stars for the challenge, if not more.

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The Red Devils were without a number of notable names for Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Liverpool in their latest pre-season friendly and it will have concerned fans to see all of Rolfo, Grace Clinton, Leah Galton, Melvine Malard and Rachel Williams absent. Speaking about those missing after the game, Skinner explained that while most of those players should be back soon, Rolfo is "probably a few weeks away yet".

WHAT SKINNER SAID

"Mel was a little bit of a hip [issue]. Hopefully [she] will be back for the PSV game," Skinner said, rattling through the absentees. "Leah, we're just watching. [She] may be back for the PSV game, and I look at Fridolina, she's just come in so we're assessing her. She'd had a knock when she was going into the Euros, so we're just making sure she's healthy and she's probably a few weeks away yet – but we'd rather treat her carefully as she's going to be an excellent signing. Grace had a little niggle, so we're just protecting her as well, and obviously Rach has been back on the field."

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There was some positive news on Wednesday, though, as Millie Turner returned to action. The centre-back was in contention for England's squad at Euro 2025 before suffering a foot fracture at the end of May which ruled her out of the tournament before the squad was revealed. She came off the bench in the 2-2 draw in what is a boost to the Red Devils ahead of next week's big games.

"All in all, they're coming back," Skinner said. "There's nothing really sinister. We're just going to make sure, especially at the start of the season, we don't risk too many people too soon, but they'll be ready in the next few weeks and they'll help us massively."

Three former Red Devils coaches have now been fired in the space of a few days amid what was another wild week around the continent

It's still very early days across Europe's top leagues, but some very interesting narratives are already emerging in Spain, Italy, Germany, France – and all across the continent, in fact.

Napoli, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have all made flawless starts to their respective title defences, but Barcelona have allowed Real Madrid to steal an early march on them in La Liga – while Atletico Madrid are in an even worse predicament.

As usual, the latest round of action has provided us with plenty of talking points, so let's get straight into it with the biggest winners and losers from the weekend's games…

WINNER: Joao Neves

Joao Neves's hat-trick in Paris Saint-Germain's 6-3 win at Toulouse on Saturday may not have been technically 'perfect', but it did earn the Portuguese one of those very rare perfect 10 ratings from .

"It's not just the three goals," PSG coach Luis Enrique coach told his club's media channel, "but the way he scored them." Indeed, the first two were over-head kicks scored after teeing the ball up for himself with his chest – which is just ridiculous – while his third was a thunderous strike from outside the area.

Given Luis Enrique believes that finishing is something Neves needs to improve, the Benfica product was unsurprisingly feeling pretty pleased with himself after matching his Ligue 1 tally for the entire 2024-25 season just three games into the current campaign.

"Over-head kicks are something I practice in training," he revealed, "and it paid off tonight!"

If Neves adds regular goals to his already outstanding game, it really won't be long before the 20-year-old is regarded as the finest central midfielder in world football – because he wasn't far off as it was. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: Ex-Man Utd managers

A matter of hours after Besiktas failed to qualify for the Conference League proper, having already been dumped out of the Europa League, the Turkish outfit sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after just eight months in charge. The following morning, another Super Lig side, Fenerbahce, announced that they had parted company with Jose Mourinho – just two days after their Champions League elimination by Benfica in Lisbon.

Remarkably, the last three permanent Manchester United managers are now out of work, with Erik ten Hag having been dismissed by Bayer Leverkusen on Monday. The Dutchman only officially took over from Xabi Alonso on July 1 but he's paid the price for the 2023-24 double winners' disastrous start to the new Bundesliga season.

After opening with a 2-1 loss at home to Hoffenheim, Leverkusen were held to a 3-3 draw at Werder Bremen on Saturday – despite twice holding a two-goal lead while Werder played the final quarter of the match with just 10 men.

Ten Hag pointed to the fact that there has been an awful lot of upheaval at the Bay Arena over the summer (which is undeniably true) and that his revamped team would need time to gel. He also claimed that some of his players were not in good physical condition. However, the writing was on the wall for Ten Hag as soon as captain Robert Andrich publicly revealed that the squad simply wasn't united and that many of his team-mates "are concerned only with themselves" – which obviously reflected horribly on the coach.

There were also reports that some Leverkusen directors had been left less than impressed with the former Ajax coach's communication skills and motivational powers, making Ten Hag's embarrassingly early exit almost inevitable. 

AFPLOSER: Diego Simeone

Just like Ten Hag, Diego Simeone makes our list of losers for the second time this season. Of course, unlike Ten Hag, Simeone has an enormous amount of credit in the bank at Atletico Madrid. However, it's very telling that the Argentine is already calling for "time and patience" after watching his team draw 1-1 at Alaves on Saturday.

The result means that Atleti are still waiting for their first win of the season and, with just two points on the board after three rounds, they currently sit 17th in the Liga standings – which is nowhere near good enough for a club that has spent approximately €180m on new players in each of the past two summer transfer windows.

What's particularly worrying is that the Rojiblancos' performances have been as disappointing as the results and, as Simeone matter-of-factly pointed out, "It's difficult to win while playing badly."

The two-time Liga winner is adamant that his team will come good, but the home game against Villarreal immediately after the international break – which comes four days before a Champions League trip to Anfield – is already looking like a must-win game for Atleti, who were meant to mount a sustained title challenge this season.

"I trust the guys who have come in," Simeone insisted. "We're going to keep working, and with hard work, we'll start picking up points." That needs to happen sooner rather than later. Otherwise Simeone will find himself facing some seriously awkward questions about his future.

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Getty Images SportWINNER: Cremonese

Four teams in Serie A boast 100 percent winning records. Incredibly, Cremonese are one of them.

The Grigiorossi were in the second tier last season and only came up through the play-offs – but new coach David Nicola masterminded a magnificent opening weekend win over AC Milan at San Siro that came courtesy of a stunning scissors-kick from Federico Bonazzoli.

Then, on Friday, Cremonese went top of the table (for 24 hours) after beating fellow newcomers Sassuolo 3-2 with a 93rd-minute penalty from Manuel De Luca.

"In Milan, we didn't expect to take home all three points," Nicola admitted to . "We achieved more than expected. But, tonight, I asked the team to be competitive and we produced a lot, so I think the victory was fair and deserved. We're not yet at our best physically, but I saw the right attitude, and it's a win that makes us happy. We're a team under construction, and we need to improve in everything, but we're only at the beginning."

It certainly feels like the start of something special, given Cremonese are also on the verge of signing Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy. For a club that's never won a major honour and is probably still best known for producing Gianluca Vialli, these really are crazy days.

And in Tim Southee, they may have also found a solution for the end-overs issues that plagued them through the first half of the season

Shashank Kishore in Bengaluru02-May-20181:27

We were adaptable with our bowling – Southee

“” (This time the cup is ours) is a popular slogan Royal Challengers Bangalore have adopted from Bengaluru Football Club (BFC), their next door neighbours. BFC proudly wore the tag during a stunning debut season in the Indian Super League, which ended in a heartbreaking loss in the final.The slogan has resonated across the city, so much that even AB de Villiers’ son and wife were proudly saying it loud to their autorickshaw driver in Kannada. If RCB are now looking for a new one for the second half of the season, “we can defend totals” won’t be a bad place to start.For five successive games at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, going back to the previous season, they had failed to do so. Two nights ago, Virat Kohli went to the extent of calling his team’s bowling “not good enough” and “shocking” after seeing a defence of 175 go cold against Kolkata Knight Riders. Last week, he called the bowling “criminal” as MS Dhoni’s brutal ball-striking took Chennai Super Kings home with four balls to spare in a chase of 206, after needing 71 off the last five overs.Now, against Mumbai Indians, a win was non-negotiable if RCB had to keep their playoff ambitions burning, and Kohli, surprisingly, was at his calmest.At the halfway mark, a sense of calm emanated from his team even as Mitchell McClenaghan sat on his haunches, having conceded 24 off the final over, of which Colin de Grandhomme, his New Zealand team-mate, had smacked 21.At the dugout, two other Kiwis, Brendon McCullum and head coach Daniel Vettori, exchanged fist bumps even as another, their former team-mate and current Mumbai bowling coach Shane Bond, scribbled furiously into his notepad. RCB had put up 167, which Bond later said was “15 above par.”Where Mumbai’s quicks tried to change pace and hit hard lengths, Tim Southee went full. This length allowed him to swerve one back in to clean bowl Ishan Kishan in the first over. It was up to Umesh Yadav to keep up his side of the bargain. For the third time this season, he struck off consecutive balls in the Powerplay, dismissing Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma with good-length deliveries that cut back in sharply.As was the case on Sunday, there was grip and turn off the surface. Yuzvendra Chahal turned it square and bowled out by the 13th over with figures of 4-0-23-0. Umesh was done by the 15th, with 2 for 29.The game wasn’t yet in RCB’s bag, since the offspinner Washington Sundar, who had replaced M Ashwin, had endured an off day, conceding 15 in his first over. Where a bit of air and revs could have helped him extract turn off the surface, he had bowled flat, into Hardik Pandya’s hitting arc.ESPNcricinfo LtdWith Kohli not trusting Sundar with another over, he finally turned to de Grandhomme, who hadn’t bowled a ball in his first two matches of the season – with Corey Anderson trusted at the death ahead of him – and in this game had batted behind Southee. Given de Grandhomme’s international form and T20 record, those moves – especially the latter – might have puzzled Anderson and Southee, his New Zealand team-mates, as much as anyone.Having earlier shown what he could do with the bat, de Grandhomme now conceded only 11 off his first two overs, somewhat making up for a third over, the 16th, that went for 17. The game was now in the balance, with Mumbai needing 45 off four overs with Hardik on 40 off 33 and his brother Krunal on 16 off 10.Kohli had solved one problem, but now had another. Bowling out Umesh by the 15th over meant he had look Mohammed Siraj’s way despite him going at an economy rate of 9.44 in his five games so far. His death bowling may have raised questions over his utility, but he sent down a reasonable 17th, conceding only 10 to set it up for Southee, who was to bowl the 18th and the 20th over.The equation was within the reach of the Pandya brothers, but Southee made it 30 off 12 with an outstanding 18th over, mixing up slower offcutters and two searing full ones, in or around the blockhole. The pressure told on Krunal, who fell trying a scoop over short fine-leg off Siraj in the next over, and RCB could breathe a little easier. Defending 25 off the last over, Southee dismissed Hardik first ball, caught at long-off, and closed out the game with dots off his third, fourth and fifth balls.For the first time, a bowling attack that Kohli had referred to as RCB’s “best ever” before the season had delivered. It was also perhaps the first time this season that Kohli wasn’t constantly in his bowlers’ ears at all times. It was also the first time this season that bowling coach Ashish Nehra sported his trademark wide grin in the dugout. It might be too early for their fans to chant “”, but RCB’s fate was still in their hands.

Ahead of New Zealand tour, the high altitude and cold weather, and the pace, bounce and movement, offered conditions they are likely to face there

Madushka Balasuriya23-Feb-2023Sri Lanka’s cricketers and coaching staff provided a glowing endorsement of the country’s latest training facility in Radella, Nuwara Eliya, following a week-long training camp at the newly renovated ground.Located some 4000 feet above sea level, the Radella Cricket Ground – home to Dimbula Athletic & Cricket Club – is among the most picturesque in the world; its immediate surroundings comprise the trademark greenery and mountainscapes of Sri Lanka’s hills, with waterfalls and tea estates aplenty, ready to greet those who venture further out.But more than the scenery, it was the conditions at the ground which most pleased those in attendance. Ahead of the team’s departure to New Zealand – where they will compete in two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is – the combination of high altitude and cold weather, along with the pace, bounce and movement present at Radella, offered the players as close a facsimile to the conditions they are likely to face in the coming month.Related

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“The wickets we’ve been playing on have been excellent,” Sri Lanka head coach Chris Silverwood said on the sidelines of the training camp. “Decent pace, good bounce, little bit of movement, and obviously the climate has suited us as well as training at high altitude; very similar to what we may face in New Zealand.”The renovation work has been headed by Godrey Dabrera, Sri Lanka Cricket’s manager of international venues and facilities. Having started on the work towards the end of last year, Dabrera headed a 20-member team in relaying four centre-turf wickets as well as installing five practice wickets, all of which was completed in a span eight weeks.”The work that Godfrey and the team have done here has been absolutely fantastic, to get this place up and running, to give us the conditions and the facilities we have here,” Silverwood said. “They’ve done a great job in such a short period of time as well.”Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne echoed his coach’s thoughts, and was particularly pleased at his bowlers being afforded extra time to get used to colder climes.”I think the bowlers benefitted quite a bit. For the fast bowlers, it’s not like bowling in warm conditions; bowling in colder conditions is a little harder,” Karunaratne said. “Even for the spinners, gripping the ball can be difficult in a colder climate. So things like that were very useful. We also have a lot of young players in the squad who haven’t played in New Zealand, so this was a very useful experience.”Sri Lanka completed their training camp on Thursday, and will now head back to Colombo to continue their preparations. The tour of New Zealand begins with the first Test from March 9 in Christchurch.