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Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Mohamed Camara to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by LUFC FANZONE (via MOT Leeds News), who stated that the Red Bull Salzburg central midfielder’s agent has revealed Victor Orta has been in contact with the Austrian Bundesliga side regarding a move for the 22-year-old this summer.

The agent then claims that, at present, no offer has been made by Leeds, however, he also stated his hope that a concrete bid would arrive from the Whites in the not too distant future.

In their tweet, LUFC FANZONE said: “Speaking exclusively with LUFC FANZONE, Mo Camara’s agent has told us: ‘Leeds have been in direct contact with RB Salzburg and like the player’s profile. They have only demonstrated their interest and have not yet made an offer – we hope to have an answer very soon’.”

“On KP’s level”

Considering just how impressive Camara was for Salzburg last season, in addition to the 22-year-old appearing a very similar player to Kalvin Phillips – who looks increasingly likely to move onto pastures new this summer – it is not difficult to understand why Orta would be interested in a deal to bring the Mali international to Elland Road this summer.

Indeed, over his 25 Austrian Bundesliga appearances in 2021/22, the £24.3m-rated talent was imperious in the heart of Matthias Jaissle’s side, scoring one goal, registering three assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.9 shots, making 1.0 key passes and completing 1.8 dribbles per game.

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The £2.9k-per-week defensive midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.9 tackles, 45.8 passes, 4.8 long balls and winning 6.4 duels – at a success rate of 61% – per fixture.

These returns saw the player who Conor McGilligan dubbed “on KP’s level” and “underrated” average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.20, ranking him as the tenth-best player in the league last time out.

Furthermore, in a recent article for Leeds Live, journalist Kyle Newbould also stated his belief that Camara would be an “an ideal successor to Kalvin Phillips” due to his “tight control” and “composure” when dropping “into the same positions Phillips” in front of the defence, while the 22-year-old’s ability to play both “long, raking passes” and “short, line-breaking passes” are also stated as reasons why the Salzburg starlet and the England international are similar types of deep-lying playmakers.

As such, should Phillips indeed go on to join Manchester City this summer, it would very much appear as if a move for Camara would make a great deal of sense for the Whites – leading us to believe that the news the Orta is currently in talks with the Austrian champions concerning a deal for Camara is fantastic news for both Jesse Marsch and supporters of the club alike.

AND in other news: Phil Hay drops big Leeds United update on £32.25m transfer target, it’d be a huge coup

Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to back Antonio Conte with an abundance of new signings this off-season…

What’s the word?

That’s according to reliable Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, who delivered a fresh claim on Spurs’ transfer plans to GIVEMESPORT over the weekend.

“I do think they will back Conte with five or six new signings, I’m just not sure they will all be in before pre-season, it will rumble on,” he said.

“We might see swap deals as well, Paratici has shown that he likes the open negotiating instead of paying straight money.

“If Spurs have got deadwood in their squad, which we know they do, there’s a lot of players that could leave and they could look to exchange those for players they actually want to sign.”

Conte will be buzzing

The north London outfit have already secured their first arrival in Ivan Perisic, a veteran wing-back who Conte has worked with before at Inter Milan, and now appear to be close to announcing Fraser Forster as Hugo Lloris’ backup next term.

And based on the aforementioned update, the Lilywhites’ hierarchy – largely sporting director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy – aren’t close to being done yet.

After securing Champions League qualification on the final day, the 52-year-old is set to receive a massive boost with the club seemingly prepared to sign further options to his squad, something that’ll be needed if they are to compete on all fronts.

This should leave the manager absolutely buzzing as he can expect four or five new names following their Perisic swoop.

A left-footed central defender is thought to be high on the priorities, with Alessandro Bastoni and Josko Gvardiol very much top targets for the role, whilst an alternative to Harry Kane wouldn’t go amiss either.

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It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Conte land a right wing-back either, amid interest in newly-promoted Nottingham Forest loanee Djed Spence, whilst names like Youri Tielemans, Christian Eriksen and Lautaro Martinez have all been mooted, too.

The Italian head coach must be excited to see how the summer pans out heading into his first pre-season in charge of Spurs.

AND in other news, Spurs now eyeing £27m-rated “tank” who’s like Van Dijk, he’s way better than Bastoni…

Newcastle United ‘remain interested’ in signing Wolves forward and Barcelona loanee Adama Traore, claims 90min journalist Graeme Bailey.

The Lowdown: Traore to leave Wolves

The Spain international spent the second half of the 2021/22 campaign in La Liga, after he joined his boyhood club Barcelona on loan until the end of the season.

However, it appears that the Catalan giants are not going to trigger the option to buy clause in the 26-year-old’s contract, which requires a £29m transfer fee.

Therefore, Traore will return to the Molineux Stadium ahead of next season.

The Latest: Newcastle remain interested

Taking to Twitter, 90min journalist Graeme Bailey has revealed that “Tottenham, Leeds and Newcastle all remain interested in Adama Traore.”

In the adjacent article, Bailey claims that Wolves will now turn their attention to offloading the Spaniard on a permanent deal.

It is understood that Newcastle previously enquired about the 26-year-old’s services.

The Verdict: Great signing

Dubbed by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp as “unplayable”, with the German further claiming that “the speed of Traore is actually undefendable in moments”, the winger will certainly be on a whole host of Premier League shopping lists this summer.

As per FB Ref, the Wolves forward ranks in the 99th percentile for dribbles completed and in the 97th percentile for progressive carries when compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year.

With Eddie Howe targeting direct attackers, Adama’s strength and speed fits Newcastle’s criteria perfectly. Therefore, with PIF already having made contact, this could be a great and realistic signing for the Tyneside club, but it won’t come without strong competition.

In other news: Newcastle United: Magpies send scouts to watch Ben Nelson

Leeds United are back in Premier League action later this afternoon as they make the trip to the capital to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Jesse Marsch’s men head into kick-off only two points clear of Everton, who play Leicester City at the same time, and the relegation zone but the Yorkshire outfit can be buoyed by the fact that they have only lost to league leaders Manchester City across their last six outings.

That was last time out, where the Whites were thrashed 4-0 at Elland Road, though the Gunners will be no easy task as they are fighting it out with their arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur for a place inside the top four.

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A victory for the visitors would also see them move three points clear of relegation rivals Burnley and that would seriously bolster their chances of survival with just five games to go after this weekend.

Marsch could also boost their safety bid by unleashing young striker Joe Gelhardt from the off down in north London today.

Leeds have rued the absence of last season’s top goalscorer Patrick Bamford (17) for the majority of the campaign but it’s been evident that the likes of Rodrigo and club-record signing Daniel James are not up to scratch as out-and-out central strikers.

The 20-year-old, however, could be a big threat against a side that hasn’t kept a clean sheet in any of their last six outings – and he has already proven himself against some of the best teams in this division.

For example, against Wednesday’s opposition – Chelsea – he scored his first professional goal for the club as he bullied his way past their backline in the game’s dying stages. He then scored the crucial winner in injury time against rock-bottom Norwich City.

Gelhardt has certainly caught the eye already, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp describing him as a “human wrecking ball,” he said:

“He’s like a human wrecking ball. I like him, he’s really exciting. He’s fast, he’s aggressive, he gets on the ball, he takes people on. Once he gets into the box, he loves it. That’s where he can do most of his damage.”

Meanwhile, according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, he has been “banging on the door”, whilst LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross believes he looks “absolutely outrageous” and is a big talent indeed.

Arsenal have struggled to keep out the opposition since March 19th, conceding three goals to Crystal Palace, two to Brighton & Hove Albion and two to Chelsea in the last six games.

It’s clear that Gelhardt possesses the sort of skill set and ability to do serious damage to Mikel Arteta’s men, but it’s on Marsch to unleash him down in the capital this afternoon.

Forget James or Rodrigo, it’s the young striking sensation who must feature in the starting XI today. As a result, his presence could seriously bolster their survival bid.

AND in other news, Marsch dealt another setback ahead of Arsenal clash…

India A and South Africa A will step into a weird universe where personal gains can trump those of the team

Deivarayan Muthu in Bengaluru03-Aug-2018″A lot of these [‘A’ team] tours aren’t necessarily about winning,” India A coach Rahul Dravid had told ESPNcricinfo, after his side secured the one-day tri-series title – involving England Lions and West Indies A – in London. It’s a different universe, where personal gains often trump those of the team. A universe where the second strings seek to catch the eyes of the selectors in order to break into the senior team. A universe where the selectors search for the missing pieces in the jigsaw. A universe which players use to hit form.In July 2015, Virat Kohli requested the selectors to include him in the A side for the second four-day match against Australia A in Chennai. And just like that the game was shifted from the SSN College ground, which is cut off from the city, to the MA Chidambaram Stadium, which is located in the heart of Chennai. For the record, Australia A, ultimately, won by 10 wickets and sewed up the series 1-0. But Kohli got what he wanted: game-time ahead of the Sri Lanka tour. Gurinder Sandhu, who was the top wicket-taker in that series, ditched fast bowling for offspin and even turned the ball sharply. Welcome to this weird universe.India A and South Africa A – led by internationals Shreyas Iyer and Khaya Zondo respectively – will step into this universe, starting with the first of the two four-day matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru from Saturday. This will be followed by a quadrangular one-day series, involving India A, India B, South Africa A and Australia A in Vijayawada. Later in September, India A are set to face Australia A in two four-dayers in Vizag. These A-team series will then lead into a bumper domestic season.Iyer was part of the victorious one-day A team in England, but he managed only 93 runs in five innings, of which 44 came in the title bout. He subsequently did not get a game in the ODI series against England with the senior team. Earlier in the year, he wasn’t awarded a BCCI central contract despite showing flashes of brilliance against Sri Lanka and South Africa in ODIs at home and away. He now makes his way into an A series, having last played red-ball cricket in November 2017.”My approach towards the red-ball game has always been positive,” Iyer said. “I’m very flamboyant in terms of my shot-making and have always backed myself. Regarding selection in the senior team, it’s not in my hands. I will just do my job, keep performing and the rest will follow.”We had two good-quality sessions here [in Bengaluru] and the wickets we batted on had a lot of cracks on them, and not at all easy to play on. So batting in such conditions will make us positive when we play on the centre wicket because it will be considerably better than what we batted on. And obviously, inputs from Rahul sir have helped every individual in the team.”Khaya Zondo at the pre-match press conference•PTI While Iyer has suffered quite a few setbacks recently, he has also grown as a captain. After leading Bandra Blasters to the playoffs in MCA’s inaugural Mumbai T20 league earlier this year, Iyer took over as Delhi Daredevils’ captain following Gautam Gambhir’s resignation. Captaincy can make a young man feel like he’s shouldering the weight of the world – ask South Africa’s Aiden Markram. In his first match as Daredevils’ captain, however, Iyer batted like the world was at his feet, and launched the bottom-placed Daredevils to the second-highest total of the IPL season.”The transition process of captaincy has been really great,” Iyer said. “I think captaincy has changed me mentally and so I’m planning my innings accordingly. You have to take a lot of responsibility as captain and you need to set an example for your team. It not only helps me on the field but also off the field.”Then there’s the curious case of Haryana team-mates Yuzvendra Chahal and Jayant Yadav. Chahal has established himself as a match-winner in limited-overs matches for India and Royal Challengers Bangalore, so much so that his captain in both teams (Virat Kohli), hinted that he could find a place in the Test squad for England. The Test call-up did not happen eventually, and instead, Chahal is now with the A team for his first red-ball match since the Ranji quarter-final against Jharkhand in 2016.As for Jayant, after a stress fracture of the finger sidelined him from the entire 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season, he is now steadily working his way back. He has returned to Bengaluru, where he had spent about three months rehabbing at the NCA with Narendra Hirwani. Could this series be the first step in a return to the national reckoning?Zondo admitted the visitors were also looking at the tour with a similar lens.”A tours, in general, are good experiences, especially for guys who are coming down from the internationals to get some form and get back into the [senior] team or guys who are just trying to make their international careers, coming from professional level and going up,” he said. “And it’s a good stepping stone for the internationals because you come across some really good players who’re playing in this series. So definitely, there will be competitive and good-quality cricket.”At AB de Villiers’ second home’, South Africa will look at possible options to fill the middle-order crater created by his shock retirement and also build towards “Vision 2019”. Zondo himself is a strong candidate, having made a compact half-century against India in Centurion in February. He was particularly fluent against the wristspinners Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, scoring 41 off 51 balls against them.He also started this tour with a fluent half-century against the Indian Board President’s XI in the warm-up game. The likes of Cape Cobras batsman Zubayr Hamza, who averages 51.01 in first-class cricket, CPL-bound Lions batsman Rassie van der Dussen, the top-scorer in South Africa’s 2017-18 first-class season, and wicketkeeper-batsman Rudi Second, who has been a consistent performer for Knights over the last four seasons, will press for higher honours.

Halting displays by Australia against the spinning ball in the Caribbean will only encourage more turning tracks when Steven Smith’s men seek to prove their ability to adapt to India next year

Daniel Brettig12-Jun-2016On the face of it, a limited-overs triangular series in the Caribbean would seem to have very little to do with a Test series in India more than eight months away. Yet the itinerary for Australia’s trip to the subcontinent in February 2017 came at a portentous moment for Steven Smith’s team, given they were about to be left red-faced by a trio of South African spinners on a sharply turning Guyana pitch.The choice of Bengaluru, Dharamsala, Ranchi and Pune as host cities for the next instalment of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy meant the Australians will be part of history in each of the last three venues, taking part in the first Test matches to be held at those grounds. Irrespective of that, the events at Providence Stadium likely confirmed that the pitches Australia would face in India would be similar to the tracks of 2013, when savage spin and uneven bounce contributed to a 4-0 drubbing that would have played out even without the unsavoury dramas of “Homeworkgate” in Mohali.That season, as with this one, Australia’s visit was preceded by an England tour to India, and Alastair Cook’s side were able to prevail on a quartet of pitches that seemed far more equitable in character. This was no accident, as proven by the following exchange between an Indian selector and his Australian counterpart towards the end of the series.”We were worried about England’s spinners, so for those games we tried to prepare decent wickets. But we knew your inadequacies against spin, and our spin bowling was better than yours. We knew if we made sure the wickets were extreme you couldn’t beat us.”Whether England can expect the same treatment now that Graeme Swann has retired is one thing, but the ongoing tri-series has all but confirmed that Australian “inadequacies against spin” still remain. The loss to South Africa revived memories of 2013, as a succession of batsmen struggled to find a viable method of survival. Critically, they were unable to see off the vital first few deliveries, when defensive techniques needed to be tight and time had to be spent to read the pace of the pitch, the breadth of spin and the challenge offered by each bowler.The most glaring example of this failing, however, had come in Australia’s opening match. Faced with Sunil Narine’s spin at the closing stage of a relatively comfortable win for the visitors, Glenn Maxwell met his second ball with a firmly planted front foot and a waft through the line as if he were playing on the truest and most Australian of surfaces. Narine breached the yawning gap between bat and pad. The middle stump was disturbed.It was a moment that recalled nothing so much as the scenario Smith has spoken about often, where Australian instincts overrule more cerebral learnings about how to handle such surfaces. “I think you have your plans, but when you get under pressure you get back to what you know and what you’ve learned, what you’ve grown up with,” he had said last year. “So you have to try to get away from that as much as possible to make sure that when you’re under pressure you’re able to do what you’ve practised.”Smith, the interim coach Justin Langer and others have all discussed this adaptation doctrine in the Caribbean, and it will surely be heard again over the Test tour of Sri Lanka in July and then the India trip next year. But words must be backed up with actions and so far in Guyana – at times even during their Saturday victory over South Africa in St Kitts – the battle between instinct and thought seemed to be getting away from the batsmen.One difference from the Australian teams of 2013 and 2016 is a contingent of improved spinners•AFPThis is not to say that Cricket Australia is unaware or uncaring about the problems glimpsed over the past week. On the contrary, the team performance manager, Pat Howard, and the staff at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane have spent considerable sums trying to create spinning environments for batsmen to learn from. But there are wider forces at work that can detract from any such due diligence.An irony of the cricket schedule in the 21st century is that most top Australian cricketers spend more time in India than any previous generation, but do so while playing on IPL pitches that bear no resemblance to subcontinental Test tracks. Next year’s schedule calls for the touring team to arrive for the first of four Tests in early February and leave in early March – precious little time for an effective warm-up period.Among the men best placed to be ready for a trial by spin are Joe Burns and Adam Voges, who are not with the one-day side in the West Indies. If they are not required for the limited-overs matches at the back end of the home summer either, they may be able to commit to specialised training regimens ahead of the India trip, much as Ed Cowan did three years ago. Another variable will be how long Voges chooses to continue his remarkable Test career – the slow-wicket skill he demonstrated on debut against West Indies in Dominica last year will be highly useful in India. But as Michael Hussey showed at the end of the 2012 Boxing Day Test, it is always possible for a valued player to retire ahead of the team’s expectations.One area of difference for Australia between 2013 and now is a much improved set of spinners. Nathan Lyon is no longer that hesitant figure of three years ago, but Australia’s most prolific Test match offspinner. Steve O’Keefe, chosen for Sri Lanka, is a canny operator and well-traveled cricketer. And most promising of all is the young legspinner Adam Zampa, who, in the words of Brad Haddin, “forces batsmen to make decisions off the stumps” and changes his pace artfully.Zampa has not been chosen for Sri Lanka, but it is not difficult to imagine him on the plane to India next year, provided he can claim a useful haul of wickets for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield back home. He has already enjoyed success in the IPL, on tracks far less helpful than those likely for the Tests. In short, Australia’s retaliatory spin bowling deterrent is stronger than it has been for some years.Nevertheless, events so far in the Caribbean are likely to encourage the preparation of more tinder-dry pitches for the Australians to face when they venture to India in 2017. Short of internal BCCI turf wars that infamously helped in the unveiling of a rare grassy pitch in Nagpur in 2004, the only way Australia can encourage the use of any other sorts of surfaces is to demonstrate the adaptability Smith and others have so ardently advocated. Given that St Kitts and Barbados will not spin like Guyana, they are running out of opportunities to do so.

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Apr-2015England used a review to the first ball of the day, which was turned down, but kept the pressure on in the opening exchanges•Getty ImagesMarlon Samuels was made to wait a long time in the 90s but eventually went through to a battling century, his seventh in Tests•Getty ImagesBut James Anderson picked up Samuels – and gave him a little send off – with the second new ball as England fought back with a run of wickets•AFPStuart Broad finished with four wickets as West Indies slid from 223 for 5 to 247 for 9•AFPBut there was another riposte to come from the hosts as Shannon Gabriel and Devendra Bishoo put on a half-century stand for the final wicket to lift West Indies to 299•Ricardo Mazalan/Associated PressEngland had 30 overs to face after tea and Alastair Cook began well, moving up to second in the England Test run-scoring table. He and Jonathan Trott played comfortably to the close•Getty Images

Pakistan’s seamers failed to create opportunities as a unit. Their bowling coach Mohammad Akram reiterated that the bowlers let Sri Lanka off the hook by not maintaining any pressure

Umar Farooq in Dubai09-Jan-2014Saeed Ajmal went wicket-less. Junaid Khan was tidy. Bilawal Bhatti was ineffective. Mohamamd Hafeez was under-bowled and Rahat Ali was unlucky. That was the tale of Pakistan’s bowlers on the second day in Dubai. They managed to take only three wickets, conceded 261 as Sri Lanka walked away with a decent lead of 153 runs and six wickets in hand. Pakistan walked away with few positives in terms of the bowling, on a pitch that is expected to get flatter and test them further.Pakistan stumbled to 165 after losing the toss yesterday – an improvement from their 99 after opting to bat first against South Africa on the same pitch in October. The toss was the difference but bowlers toiled hard on both occasions to mend the mistakes made by the batsmen from day one.The chatter in the press box was mainly about Rahat being ‘unlucky’. He toiled for 26 overs with little success, with several edges dropping in front of the slips and a regulation take that was spilled by the wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed. Ajmal was economical but unsuccessful. Bhatti, playing in his second Test, was the quickest – clocking 147 kmph – but lacked discipline. Coach Dav Whatmore said before the Test that his bowlers had the ability to take 20 wickets to win the contest but today, the bowlers struggled to take half that number to try and restrict the Sri Lankan batsmen.”The pitch played better than yesterday and it was very obvious when they (Sri Lanka) won the toss and bowled first,” Mohammad Akram, Pakistan’s bowling coach, said. “There was a bit of juice in the pitch yesterday. We knew that the pitch will get better (for batting) but still, our bowlers held them well. But yes, they needed to be more disciplined.”There was occasional seam movement but the lengths didn’t work and the bowlers rarely troubled the Sri Lankan batsman. Rahat was in fact lucky when Kumar Sangakkara’s bat was stuck under his boot, only to be trapped in front of the stumps. It was Rahat’s only wicket. Akram said the bowlers didn’t put in enough effort.”When you are bundled out for 165, there is a bit of frustration (among bowlers), and you look to pick up wickets,” Akram said. “That’s the time when you really need to be disciplined. At times we bowled too many loose balls as well but the effort was there as the bowlers still ran in with their heads up.”We lacked disciplined in the bowling. You can’t offer a loose ball early in the day and let the batsman get set. The pitch is far different today to what it was on the first day so had we batted sensibly and survived, it could have been a different scenario for us.”Our bowling attack is still the best in the world. But what we are lacking is the experience and if you add the number of matches the seamers have played it is hardly 17 or 18. Unless these bowlers play, they won’t thrive.”Akram wasn’t worried about Ajmal being off-color, acknowledging that the conditions had challenged him. Ajmal had picked up a six-wicket haul in the Test against South Africa.”Ajmal is our main bowler, but there was a lot of grass on the pitch and hence not much purchase for Ajmal,” Akram said. “The seamers had to do the job. We need not panic and there is no reason to be frustrated if he (Ajmal) isn’t picking wickets. It happens and you can’t judge him on these two matches as he has done a lot in the past.”

Having felt let down by their side in losing the 2011 World Cup final, Sri Lankan fans are back behind their team hoping for their party to climax

Andrew Fernando in Colombo06-Oct-2012There is an unnatural hush in the Khettarama locale of the Premadasa Stadium. The area is often a crush of commotion; tuk tuks spluttering around a labyrinth of roadside stalls, produce vendors squawking out prices to a tangle of passersby, and in the evening, the Muslim mosque and Buddhist temple on opposite ends of the ground go toe-to-toe on loudspeakers. On the eve of the first major final the stadium has hosted, only the yelps of children playing with a taped up tennis ball and homemade bat pierce the quiet. Here at cricket’s coalface, the suspense is unmistakable. Over the past few days, it has spread swiftly from the tournament’s nerve centre to every corner of the island. Sri Lanka are in another final, and this time, they’re playing at home.For many fans, the pain from the 2011 World Cup final loss was still raw when this tournament began. They had expected Sri Lanka to win that trophy, imagined the team arriving triumphantly and parading along Galle road as it had done in 1996. Many had stockpiled fireworks to set loose at the clinching moment. Others sprung for new televisions and antennas to behold the spectacle in the highest number of pixels their money could buy. What stung them most was not that Sri Lanka lost, but that the team had seemed so limp in the field – hapless against a more determined India. Many swore off cricket that day. Unfairly, there was even a hint of betrayal because they felt the team had not really tried.That is not a criticism anyone will level at Sri Lanka in this tournament. There have been all the hallmarks that make the hosts such a watchable side – a mystery spinner bagging the format’s best ever haul, a captain who seems to fashion savagery from silk and a gifted teenager who has taken the pressure of international cricket on the chin. But this time, Sri Lanka have backed their flamboyance with an iron will. When tested, they have shoved back harder, and like lovers who spurned-then-returned after realising they couldn’t do any better, Sri Lanka’s fans have flocked to support the side once more.Mahela Jayawardene has been on the forefront of the team’s new resolve, and for all his instinct and brilliance on the field, it is his understanding and focus that has snapped Sri Lanka out of a post-World Cup funk, and brought the joy back into their cricket. He has his own reasons for wanting to rid himself of the reins, but while he has been at the helm, Jayawardene has coaxed the best out of the individuals under him, and cultivated a resilience the team had missed. Youngsters like Thisara Perera and Lahiru Thirimanne have flourished on Jayawardene’s watch. At the older end of the scale, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Rangana Herath have revelled in the freedom to be themselves.Part of the attraction of Sri Lanka’s campaign has also been the breadth of contributions they have benefited from. Unlike West Indies who have fired or failed largely on the strength of Chris Gayle’s blows, there is no obvious talisman for Sri Lanka. Kumar Sangakkara and Ajantha Mendis prospered in the tournament opener, Dilshan and Lasith Malinga shone in the first Super Eights match, the middle order proved their mettle against England and Herath and Angelo Mathews bowled the hosts into the final against Pakistan. Along the way, fringe players like Jeevan Mendis and Akila Dananjaya have also made their presence known.They have all added to the texture of Sri Lanka’s campaign and the fans have taken notice. After Sri Lanka’s victory in the semi final, the party in the stands spilled raucously into the streets. Tickets are selling for four or five times their retail value on the black market. Suddenly, thousands of people are wearing Sri Lanka team shirts and the anxious excitement preceding a final has taken hold.”Playing in Sri Lanka is not an added burden for us at all,” Jayawardene said. “We are very lucky to be able to do that. Playing in a final with our home fans gives the team strength and confidence. It’s unfortunate the capacity is only 35,000. The enthusiasm is so much people who come in will have a great time, and the rest of the fans will find a way of supporting us as well. Their thoughts and prayers will be with the team and I really appreciate that. We enjoy having that kind of atmosphere playing at home.”Jayawardene’s men will not read into three failures in recent finals, and perhaps rightly so. On each previous occasion, they were defeated by a team much better than themselves. This time, things are different. They are the form team of the tournament, and have proven themselves against a variety of opposition at three distinct venues. On Sunday night, Sri Lanka will watch once more. Perhaps this time, their fireworks will have lit up the night.

Stats highlights from the first day’s play between India and Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad

Siddhartha Talya16-Nov-2009

• India’s 385 for 6 on the first day in Ahmedabad is their second-highest total in a single day of a Test. They fell one short of the 386 against South Africa, which they achieved on the third day of the Chennai Test in 2008. On a flat deck, they reached 468 for 1 at stumps after beginning the day on 82 without loss. Earlier this year, India managed 375 for 9 on the opening day of the third Test against New Zealand in Wellington, their second-highest overseas total in a day, behind the 378 against England on the third day of the Oval Test in 1936. (They began the day on 156 for 3, were bowled out for 222 and made 312 during the follow-on).
• Rahul Dravid’s 27th Test century was only his second against Sri Lanka in 15 Tests. He’s edged ahead of Mahela Jayawardene and Garry Sobers – who have 26 Test centuries to their name – in the list of players with most hundreds in Test cricket.
• Dravid, upon getting to 177, reached 11,000 runs in Test cricket, the fifth batsman, and the second Indian, to do so. He is now fourth on the list of highest run-getters in all cricket (Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals) with 21,765.
• Dravid also reached a personal best of most runs scored in a single day of a Test. He went past the 156 (43 to 199) he scored against Australia on the third day of the Adelaide Test in 2003 during his epic 233.
• Dravid was involved in two century stands today, with Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni, which took his Test tally to 78 and stretched his lead against Ricky Ponting (who has 75) by three. Ponting reached 75 by being involved in five century-stands this year; Dravid, too, has five to his name in 2009, but in fewer Tests – four, as opposed to Ponting’s nine. Sachin Tendulkar is third on the list of batsmen with most century-stands, 71, followed by Steve Waugh (64).
• The 224-run sixth wicket stand with Dhoni was Dravid’s 12th in excess of 200. It ranks No.3 in the highest sixth-wicket stands for India, overtaking Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin’s 222 against South Africa in Cape Town in 1997.
• Dhoni’s 159-ball 110 was only his second century in 38 Tests, and his first in more than three years. Among Indian batsmen who have played 40 or fewer Tests with more than 2000 runs, only two other batsmen have done worse: Chetan Chauhan and Ajit Wadekar. However, Dhoni’s career is still ongoing unlike most others in the list.
• Dravid was his most aggressive against the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers, Chanaka Welegedara, scoring 44 off 40 balls. He took Muttiah Muralitharan for 45 off 61, and was most watchful against Angelo Mathews, who conceded 26 off 45. Dhoni was harsh on Dammika Prasad, scoring 26 off 24, but was eventually dismissed by him. He took the two frontline spinners, Murali and Rangana Herath, for 66 in 106.