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Former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson has urged Liverpool to retain the services of Caoimhin Kelleher this summer. 

The lowdown: So far so good

Added to the Reds’ youth ranks as a teenager from Ringmahon Rangers, the 23-year-old made a combined 51 appearances for the under-23 and under-18 sides prior to becoming a regular part of Jurgen Klopp’s first-team plans.

The Cork native has made 17 senior outings for the Anfield club so far, playing a major role in the Carabao Cup success last season and also becoming a fully-fledged Republic of Ireland international.

Despite those personal achievements and a report from The Athletic claiming that the Irishman is part of the long-term plan, Kelleher remains the understudy to Alisson at Liverpool, but one pundit has backed the talented Irishman to stay put…

The latest: ‘Will get opportunities’

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson – who contributes as a pundit for Sky Sports – has insisted that the Reds must keep the 23-year-old, with reports last month claiming that the Liverpool stopper may want to move elsewhere to get more game-time.

The former England goalkeeper said of Kelleher: “It is imperative that they keep him from a Liverpool point of view. He is so young. He has shown the ability that he has got. There is no doubt about it, he has the ability to play week in, week out as a number one.

“Every Premier League club carries two number one goalkeepers now. It is vitally important that they do because they are playing in so many competitions. Kelleher will get opportunities but it really depends what he wants.

“The number one has changed massively at the big clubs. Managers are not afraid to rotate goalkeepers now. There is always a clear number one at a club but if he is not playing well there is a number two there that the manager is able to put in.”

The verdict: Unfinished business

The pathway to becoming the first choice on Merseyside seems blocked for the foreseeable future given that Alisson is still only 29 years old and in a position whereby players tend to enjoy prolonged careers at the top.

However, Kelleher certainly has what it takes to pressurise the Brazilian for the number one berth and still has plenty to offer the Reds in the short term and in years to come.

Already a serial trophy winner, the eight-cap Irishman – who was dubbed ‘outstanding’ by Klopp for two penalty saves against Leicester City last season en route to Carabao Cup glory – has proven in his short career to be of the level required to perform on a consistent basis, and that could eventually force a move away.

Furthermore, having not been named in the Liverpool travelling party for their pre-season tour of the far east, there could well be concerns over whether the £7.2m-valued Kelleher is indeed content with a continued backup role at Anfield.

Leeds United are preparing a bid for Brighton left-back Zak Sturge, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Sturge profiled

Sturge is 18 years of age and is an England under-18 international despite also having Guyanan citizenship. The teenager, who has also played as a left midfielder for the Seagulls, has made a total of 44 appearances for Brighton’s youth teams.

The majority of his displays have come for the under-18s, for whom he has registered five assists in 41 games. He is expected to leave as a free agent when his contract expires on Thursday, and it looks as if Thorp Arch could be his next destination.

The Latest: Leeds linked with Sturge

Football Insider shared a story on Tuesday morning regarding Sturge after being informed by a recruitment source. They claimed that Leeds have joined Chelsea in the race for the full-back by preparing a bid and are now pushing hard for a summer deal.

The report added that the Whites want to sign a left-back who has the potential to compete for a place in Jesse Marsch’s first-team squad.

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The Verdict: One for the future

Leeds have struggled when it comes to left-back signings in recent years, with Junior Firpo the latest who hasn’t lived up to expectations at Elland Road.

The Spaniard received plenty of criticism during his first season at the club, making just 19 league starts.

He received more yellow cards (11) than any other Leeds player in 2021/22, and although Sturge wouldn’t replace Firpo straight away, it is interesting to see that Orta is looking to address what has been a problem area in the long run with a move for the Brighton teenager.

CBS journalist Ben Jacobs has now made a Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Inter Milan star defender Milan Skriniar.

The Lowdown: Conte hunting centre-back…

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte, setting his sights on a left-footed central defensive star, has been linked to no shortage of options as club chief Fabio Paratici adopts his scattergun approach.

The Lilywhites have shortlisted many names, including Alessandro Bastoni, Josko Gvardiol, Pau Torres, Marc Guehi, Gleison Bremer, Stefan De Vrij and Clement Lenglet (GiveMeSport).

A real priority for Spurs, it appears their defender chase has taken another twist as Jacobs shares news on Skriniar.

The Latest: Jacobs makes Skriniar claim…

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According to his sources, the Lilywhites are eyeing a move for Inter’s colossal defender alongside Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Skriniar is apparently ‘very much for sale’ and the Nerazzurri value him at around £69 million – but they could be forced to accept a lower bid if Dybala and Lukaku arrive.

The Slovakia international, according to Jacobs, apparently wants his future ‘resolved by early July’.

The Verdict: Advance?

Depending on developments, more specifically if Inter lower the player’s £69m valuation, we believe Skrinair would be a brilliant addition for Conte.

Called a ‘monster’ by Italian football writer Carlo Garaganese, the 27-year-old was a mainstay under Simone Inzaghi last season, playing the second-most Serie A minutes behind goalkeeper Samir Handanovic (WhoScored).

The Inter untouchable also made more clearances per 90 than any of his teammates with over five league starts (WhoScored), finishing 21/22 as one of their top ten performers overall (WhoScored).

As Tottenham’s defender chase continues, this may well be one to keep an eye on.

In other news: Significant talks: Tottenham emerge as likelier destination for ‘superstar’! Find out more here.

Manchester United have recently been linked with a move for Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic, and the target man could prove to be new manager Erik ten Hag’s next Sebastien Haller at Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

United are one of several European sides to be linked with the 6 foot 7 forward so far this year, and the Austrian revealed recently that he was “open to everything” as he eyes a summer move away from the Bundesliga outfit.

He is currently training with recently departed coach Ralf Ragnick as Austria prepare to take on Croatia in the Nations League on Friday evening, although his previous comments about the situation and players at Old Trafford might be enough to put the 24-year-old off a move to the Red Devils.

However, with Edinson Cavani having confirmed his departure and Marcus Rashford failing to fire last season, with just six goal contributions in the top-flight, it seems clear that Ten Hag will need reinforcements in attack if his debut campaign is going to be a success.

Ten Hag’s own Haller?

Kalajdzic could perform a similar job to Haller, who excelled under the Dutch manager at Ajax, contributing a superb 47 goals and 16 assists in just 66 appearances for the Eredivisie giants.

The £19.8m-rated Stuttgart man may have struggled with injuries last season but has found the net with regularity during his time at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, notching 24 goals in just 54 appearances for Die Schwaben thus far.

Like Haller, the 24-year-old would provide a serious aerial threat for Ten Hag and would be learning from arguably the best header of the ball in world football in Cristiano Ronaldo if he were to make the switch to Old Trafford.

Journalist and pundit Marcel Reif was highly complimentary of the striker’s ability earlier this year, saying that he can do “crazy things in the air.”

Although Ronaldo was one of United’s only consistent performers in their woeful 2021/22 campaign, it is unreasonable to expect him to start every game at 37 and Kalajdzic could be a great rotation option for Ten Hag if he chooses to operate with a target man like he did with Haller at Ajax.

The young forward also comfortably averaged more aerial duels won per game than any United player managed last season, which goes to show just what he could add to the Red Devils.

If the Austrian proves to be anywhere near as impressive as the former West Ham man under United’s new manager, then he would surely prove to be an excellent signing for next season.

And, in other news… United in ‘direct contact’ with former Ten Hag favourite 

Rangers enjoyed another special night at Ibrox as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men secured their spot in the final of the Europa League on Thursday.

The Gers came into the second leg of the semi-final clash with a 1-0 deficit to overturn and van Bronckhorst pulled off a masterclass as his team ended up winning 3-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate.

James Tavernier scored the opening goal as he made his trademark run at the back post and was picked out brilliantly by Ryan Kent. The right-back made sure that he timed his run to perfection and slotted into a virtually empty net.

Glen Kamara then put Rangers ahead for the first time in the tie as he beautifully rolled a left-footed shot into the far corner from the edge of the box.

Christopher Nkunku made it 2-2 on aggregate in the second-half and, just when it looked like the game was heading for extra-time, John Lundstram sealed the club’s place in the final with a composed finish on the volley after a scramble in the box.

Whilst the ex-Sheffield United man won the match for the Gers, the player who stood out for van Bronckhorst’s side was £5.4m-rated Kamara in the middle of the park.

Kris Boyd, live on Sky Sports, said that Kamara’s strike got Ibrox “rocking” as his strike sent the fans into raptures in Glasgow. His goal was not the only part of his performance that left supporters buzzing, though, as he put in a brilliant display.

Lancashire journalist Cal Gaunt dubbed him an “absolute baller” and he certainly showcased his ability as he ran the show offensively. For Tavernier’s goal, the Finland international brilliantly trapped the ball under pressure and produced a deft touch to send Kent away down the left – eventually crossing for the captain to score.

Couple this with his cultured finish for the second goal and only losing possession every 3.7 touches and you have the makings of a sublime European outing from the ex-Arsenal man.

Off the ball, he also made an impact. As per SofaScore, he won five of his nine individual duels and made one clearance, two interceptions and one tackle. This shows that he was not physically dominated by the opposition and held his own out of possession.

Therefore, he was superb for Rangers throughout the game and got Ibrox rocking with his brilliance, with Kamara surely forcing himself into the starting line-up for the final.

AND in other news, Rangers played an Ibrox blinder with £22k-pw “cornerstone” who’s like “Graeme Souness”…

The India captain produced a masterful display with the lower order to haul his team out of trouble and set a high benchmark for the series

Nagraj Gollapudi at Edgbaston02-Aug-20181:58

Kohli turns his good days into great days – Bangar

Virat Kohli walked to the middle at Edgbaston to the sound of boos. Quickly he took guard. The bowler was already waiting for him. Anderson. James Anderson.Three slips and gully waited for the edge. Anderson ran in. The first ball was 83.6mph. Kohli left it alone. It would be the first of many that he would leave alone, and many of those not of his own volition. Anderson was that sharp. That hungry. That cunning.For the next two-and-a-half hours the battle between the two men, broken at the beginning by the lunch break, lived up to its billing. If you were to remove the bias towards the player and the country of allegiance, the combat between Anderson and Kohli was one of the best spectacles witnessed in Test cricket.Test cricket has enjoyed many such battles: Flintoff against Ponting, Lee against Pietersen, Steyn against Tendulkar, Akhtar against Hayden, McGrath against all the best batsmen in modern Test cricket. These are all consuming bouts, part Test cricket’s hall of fame. They draw you in ball by ball, over by over, session by session.The crowd becomes a part of the contest, too. There is pin drop silence for a moment. Next moment the batsman edges and the home fans erupt, just like the Edgbaston faithful each time Anderson beat Kohli’s outside edge and inside edge.Those emotions reflected the gripping contest in the middle. And the best part came in the first hour after lunch. Anderson had bowled nine overs pre-lunch. Kohli could barely lay his bat on the ball. But Kohli had a plan. Unlike four summers ago where he was laid bare by Anderson, Kohli this time stood out of the crease.He had used that method successfully on the 2014-15 tour of Australia, but here in England the reasons for standing out of the crease are clearly different. Part of the plan was to negate the swing. With Kohli’s desire to stay aggressive at all times initially you also felt that by standing a bit in front of the crease he could meet the ball early.However, it also made him vulnerable as Kohli found out facing the first ball of the second over he received from Anderson. It was an away swinger. Kohli went for the drive. The outside edge flew to the left of Jos Buttler at gully. Anderson leaped with both hands in the air like a long jumper at the end of his stride. The ball did not quite carry to Buttler, but touched the fingertips of his outstretched left hand.Kohli farmed the strikes with the tail-enders•ESPNcricinfo LtdThen off the second ball of the first over he bowled after lunch Anderson swung it away, once again from the fifth or sixth stump. Kohli went feeling for the ball. The outside edge fell short off Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps. A wave of emotion swelled in the stands. The next ball was a short-of-length delivery, which Kohli played with soft hands off the outer edge off the top shoulder of his bat. The crowd clapped at his quick response.But Anderson would not leave Kohli alone. An old man (in fast bowling terms) he might be – turning 36 three days ago – but like a good fisherman he dangled the bait and stayed calm, waiting for Kohli to bite. Kohli almost did. Anderson kept pitching on the same spot, maintaining the same sixth stump line, allowing no space for Kohli to escape, allowing not even a single freebie.Eventually Kohli fell into the trap. He edged a delivery that once again shaped away. The ball was travelling straight to Dawid Malan at second slip. Anderson was already mid-leap, waiting for Malan to clasp the gift. But he spilled the ball. Anderson bent into two, placing his hands on the two creaking knees, hiding all that pain. The English fans let out a loud grimace. It was the final ball of Anderson’s spell – 15 overs broken only by Adil Rashid’s single over before lunch.Kohli placed his bat leaning on to his left leg and put his gloved hands clasped behind his back. This move he did frequently between balls to calm him down.That one hour after lunch was the most breathtaking one of the day. Kohli was attacked by Anderson and Ben Stokes. It was also the hour when the cloud cover was prevalent. England becomes a difficult place to bat when it’s overcast. Kohli was not ashamed at being beaten, at not being fluent.Remember the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ bout between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, where the former took heavy, sinking blows to his body before telling the world never ever to call him an underdog? The duel between Kohli and Anderson was similar. The runs were not coming for Kohli. Anderson had once again left him exposed. Yet, remarkably, Kohli did not once show the urge to play aggressively to force Anderson to change the line. Kohli somehow manage to take the ego out of the contest.As India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar said, the beauty about Kohli’s batting is its vividness. The strength that Kohli possesses, Bangar pointed out, is being flexible in his mind. That helps him stay one step ahead of the opponent, allows him to defeat all the plans of the opposition. And then dominate.That is what Kohli did. And not in the company of the specialist batsmen, the last of whom, R Ashwin, departed with India still 122 runs behind. From there on, Kohli scored 92 runs from 116 balls while the three tailenders scored just eight runs from 37 balls. Malan had dropped Kohli, once again in the slips, this time off Stokes, when he chased a fuller length delivery angled wide. But Kohli did not let that hurt his progress.Kohli outscores his 2014 England tour tally in just one innings of 2018 tour•ESPNcricinfo LtdBatting with the tail allowed Kohli to switch on ODI mode, as if he were chasing a target. He knew the gaps, the areas to score, the bowler to attack. By the time Anderson returned for another burst of six overs, Kohli was in a more confident frame of mind. When Anderson pitched short of length, Kohli finally played the cut for the first time in the day and collected two. When Sam Curran bowled full next over, Kohli flicked to the left of the midwicket fielder to earn an easy four. Next delivery, he would hop and steer another boundary, leaving England captain Joe Root anguished.The hundred now felt inevitable – if he didn’t run out of partners. Of the various emotions Kohli put on display as he reached his maiden Test century in England, one was revealing. Kohli pointed his index finger to his head looking towards the dressing room. To keep his head when Anderson had flattened his ego. To keep his head when his partners were finding ways to get out. To keep his head when has just the tail to bat with, in the face of a growing deficit.One question that will be asked would be: who between Kohli and Anderson was the winner? Both. Both men strived. They set up a contest that has already made this Test and possibly the rest of the series engrossing.If this innings were to be a journey in his life, Kohli evolved a little. He became humble. He became a better Test batsman. En route he scored one of the great centuries in Test cricket.In the end, Virat Kohli walked out head high, with Root and his men joining the standing ovation.

The former Mumbai captain on his recovery from a traumatic car accident how a spell that caught Dilip Vengsarkar’s eye made the difference

Sairaj Bahutule14-Dec-2016I lost hope of playing cricket after being involved in a tragic car accident in July 1990. I was badly inured, but also lost a friend of mine [Vivek Singh, son of singers Jagjit and Chitra Singh]. I had broken my femur, and had a major fracture on my right leg, and needed to have a steel rod inserted in my leg. I also slipped into coma. It was very, very tough.Somehow I persisted, and my parents’ influence helped me. My father Vasant, who played Ranji Trophy for Maharashtra, kept supporting me and believed I could get back to playing cricket. Recovering physically is one thing, then playing cricket is a different thing. One has to be stronger than normal to overcome such an accident, and that’s where my parents came in to the scene.That situation made me a determined player and a person. Every day I would wake up and just wanted to work extremely hard and achieve something. The steel rod was removed a year after my accident as as it used to hurt my glute area, and then I joined BCA-Mafatlal camp headed by coach Frank Tyson. That was a turning point; that camp was where I got my physical fitness levels high and got stronger.During running and training, my leg used to hurt, but I overcame it. I used to train for about seven hours in a day; we used to have practice in the morning and then later in the evening. In the evening, I used to make the extra effort of going to the gym to get stronger.The turning point was an Under-19 tournament in Mumbai, where I picked up 19 wickets in three matches, including a seven-wicket haul against Maharashtra Under-19s. Dilip Vengsarkar was impressed, and was very headstrong in making me play for the senior Mumbai team straightaway. By that time, I recall I was picked in the India Under-19 squad against New Zealand as well.Shishir Hattangadi was my first captain when I joined the Mumbai senior team. I was in Podar college, and Hattangadi was also from Podar college, so it was comforting to have his presence. His encouragement was very helpful.I was very nervous, and my Ranji Trophy debut didn’t sink in till much later. It was surreal to share the dressing room with the same stalwarts who players of my generation grew up watching. We batted first and made 500-plus runs against Gujarat in Surat. Jatin Paranjpe who was also from Podar college, and Vinod [Kambli] hit hundreds. Jatin was my senior at college, and we practiced a lot together. The Podar nets was the best in Matunga, and we were more than happy to make our debuts together for Mumbai.I knew Vinod from schools cricket. We had played a lot of matches opposite each other. I played for St Xavier’s School, and Vinod and Sachin made that famous 664 partnership against our team in the Harris Shield. Then I played together with Vinod on Under-17 and Under-19 tours; he was a tremendous player.I took four wickets in my first Ranji match, and remember Zubin Bharucha taking a very good catch at mid-off from my bowling. It came off a top edge. Once I got a couple of wickets, I settled down. Gujarat managed to hang on for a draw in the end.When I sit back right now, I will have to say the Ranji debut was a dream come true.To wear the Mumbai cap, the lion on the Mumbai sleeve is an amazing feeling. So many greats have played for Mumbai. Sometimes you wonder whether you really deserve it, but something in me struck Vengsarkar sir.God has been kind to me. After that accident, I had a good first-class career, and went onto play for India too. Now, I am able to help youngsters as a coach. I have no regrets at all. It has been an amazing journey.

Stats highlights from the third day of the fourth Investec Test at Trent Bridge, where England won back the Ashes

Shiva Jayaraman08-Aug-20154 Number of away Ashes Australia have now lost in a row; this is the longest such sequence for them since 1896-97 when they had lost the first-six Ashes series consecutively.6 Ashes Tests won by Alastair Cook; among England captains only Mike Brearly (11) and WG Grace (8) have won more Ashes Tests than Cook. Percy Chapman also won six Ashes Tests.5 Number of Ashes series wins Ian Bell has now been part of, which equals the most Ashes series wins for any England player since 1950. Ian Botham too featured in five Ashes wins, from seven series. This is Bell’s seventh Ashes series as well.2 Number of England captains to win two or more home Ashes series before Alastair Cook. WG Grace had captained England in four Ashes wins at home and two of Mike Brearly’s three Ashes wins had come at home. Cook is also only the sixth England captain to win more than one Ashes series.3 Man-of-the-match awards won by Stuart Broad in the Ashes – equals the second-most won by any England player since such awards started being given away. Ian Botham won five such awards during his career. Andrew Flintoff too won three such awards in the Ashes.7 Ashes Tests lost by Michael Clarke – the most by any Australian as a captain. Overall, only three other captains have lost more Ashes Tests than Clarke. Archie McLaren lost 11 Ashes Tests, Mike Atherton lost nine and Johnny Douglas lost eight Ashes matches.1986 Last time in the Ashes a team made a first-innings total lower than England’s 391 in this Test and still went on to win by an innings. On that occasion too, England beat Australia, by an innings and 14 runs at the MCG, after posting a total of 349 in their first innings. Overall, there have been 12 such instances in the Ashes including this Test and only five have happened since the 1900s.1921 Last time before this series a team lost back-to-back Tests in the Ashes, each within three days. On that occasion though, Australia were on the winning side, beating England in three consecutive Tests, each within three days.6/36 Ben Stokes’ bowling figures in Australia’s second innings – his best in Tests. This was also his second five-for in Tests. His first five-for had also come against Australia, at the SCG in 2014. On that too, Stokes took six Australian wickets. Stokes has taken 23 of his 37 Test wickets in the Ashes.5 Number of times two England bowlers have taken six-wicket hauls (or better) in an Ashes Test including Stuart Broad and Stokes in this match. This is the second time in this series that two England bowlers have taken such hauls in a match. At Edgbaston, James Anderson and Steven Finn had taken six-wicket hauls.

Bangladesh picked a lone specialist seamer for the first time in a Test, but their choice of Al-Amin Hossain over the more experienced Robiul was puzzling. The focus seemed more on containing runs

Mohammad Isam04-Feb-2014Seam will play a role – Chandimal

Dinesh Chandimal suggested Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers would have a vital role to play on the slow, low surface in Chittagong. Bangladesh chose only one frontline seam option for the match, but Al-Amin Hossain had the best economy rate of bowlers who delivered more than five overs on the first day.
“As a player, I feel that it’s hard to get runs off the seamers,” Chandimal said. “So we’re looking forward to doing the basics with the ball. It’s similar conditions to Galle, so we have these kinds of pitches back home.”
Chandimal and Angelo Mathews had been dismissed late in the day, and putting his own form down to the fluctuations international cricketers must endure, he suggested Sri Lanka aimed to bat out most of day two.
“Bit disappointed because I played a rash shot and Mathews also got out. But still we have Kithuruwan [Vithanage] and Dilruwan [Perera], so they are going to get more runs tomorrow. It’s difficult to bat in these conditions, but we’ll hope for 200 runs – that might be a good total.”

On many occasions, the short-term in a five-day game is given more priority. Presented with a situation where his bowling attack hemorrhaged 730 runs in the Mirpur Test, the Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim cut down on attacking options in the Chittagong game, thereby underselling his team’s ability.Even on the opening day, it was apparent that wickets were going to be hard to come by. Al-Amin Hossain was the only pace bowler in the attack, the first time Bangladesh were playing a Test match with a single front-line seamer. Spinners Abdur Razzak and Mahmudullah were included in place of Robiul Islam and Rubel Hossain to keep the runs down, probably string together dot balls and hope the batsmen make mistakes.It was strange to see Robiul serve drinks on a ground where he has taken 16 wickets at an average of 20.87. He was the Player of the Series in Zimbabwe three Tests ago and in the Mirpur Test before this he had created enough opportunities to remain an automatic choice.By only including Al-Amin, Mushfiqur has confused the status quo among the pace bowlers. Here is an understudy, without the full physical and technical build-up, being asked to bowl long spells and do a holding job, when he should have had the support of another hardworking pace bowler at the other end.The explanation, through Mahmudullah’s press conference, was that the lack of swing or bounce in the Chittagong wicket encouraged that decision. But Al-Amin, to his credit, did what was expected of him. He made few attempts to drag Kumar Sangakkara out of his driving area, but swerved some deliveries away from the left-handers. He had the openers on a leash by varying his length quite regularly.Nevertheless, it was quite difficult to understand why Robiul wasn’t picked as the team’s leading seamer when his record and form says enough. But a less experienced, more vulnerable pace bowler was chosen ahead of him, because the team management wanted Al-Amin’s control rather than Robiul’s wicket-taking ability.When Razzak walked off with a strained left hamstring after just four overs, Mushfiqur was a bowler short against the might of Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. They duly put on a sizable stand of 178. Mahmudullah, as expected, was insipid. He bowled short to Sangakkara and got punished, but later accounted for Jayawardene against the run of play. To be fair to a middle-order batsman who bowls spin, it is quite harsh to expect him to do a specialist spinner’s job despite taking 12 wickets in his last game, a first-class Bangladesh Cricket League match.He said the new ball spun more than the older one, but he didn’t hold an opinion on the pitch just yet.”It is a little tough to make predictions about this wicket,” Mahmudullah said. “We have to see what happens tomorrow. We hope that there will be spin. This morning it spun for a while with the new ball while it didn’t during the middle period and then later with the new ball. We have to work hard tomorrow so we have to start well. If we can take two early wickets, we can capitalise on that.”On the second day, Bangladesh will depend on Shakib Al Hasan’s dipping flight and ability to extract turn. Sohag Gazi too will have to bowl a less flat trajectory.Mahmudullah said it was the team’s tactic to bowl to cut out runs. “It is not defensive, just a different tactic. They are good players of spin, so it becomes necessary to contain the runs. Then you wait for them to make a mistake.”There were times when we did miss the length. Sometimes when the ball doesn’t turn, spinners get frustrated. We did bowl a few bad balls but when we regrouped, the discussion was to contain the runs. We came back well at the end of the day,” he said.Sri Lanka’s vice-captain Dinesh Chandimal said they too were surprised that Bangladesh picked only one seamer. But unlike Angelo Mathews, Mushfiqur doesn’t boast of fast bowlers topping the speed guns and moving the ball in barren conditions, or spinners who can regularly break partnerships. There could be an attempt to keep Robiul’s axing within the same mindset but it was far too defensive to drop your best fast bowler.

A timeline of the Deccan Chargers saga, from its stirrings to the franchise’ termination

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2012June 15, 2012
News emerges that Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited (DHCL), the owners of the Deccan Chargers side, are exploring the possibility of selling the franchise.July 16, 2012
Former Chargers chief executive Tim Wright wins a case of wrongful dismissal against the franchise and is awarded £10.5 million ($16 million approx), plus legal costs, by the High Court in London. He was dismissed by the Chargers in January 2009; he began legal proceedings against them the following month. In September 2012, Wright registers a ‘foreign decree’ in an Indian court to enforce the judgement passed by the London court.August 15, 2012
The franchise is given until the end of the month by the BCCI to pay its players their dues, as it had defaulted on the scheduled date. The board also seeks an explanation for the owners mortgaging the team ownership rights to two leading Indian banks.September 6, 2012
DHCL, under pressure from lenders to service its debt obligations, puts the franchise up for sale, officially, after approaching the BCCI for help.September 13, 2012
DHCL refuses the sole bid it receives at the auction. The “price and terms” of the bid from PVP Ventures, a company that finances film projects in India, are deemed “not suitable” by the owners. Reports say the offer was for Rs.900 crore (then US$164 million).September 14, 2012
The BCCI terminates the Deccan Chargers franchise, claiming defaults of payments to players, foreign boards and its possible “deleterious” effects on the IPL prompted the decision. DHCL challenges the decision in court the next day.October 9, 2012
DHCL asks a three-day extension to raise Rs.100 crore (US$19 million) as a bank guarantee, one of the conditions set by the Bombay High Court ruling of October 1, to avoid termination from the IPL.October 12, 2012
The Chargers are terminated from the IPL, as their owners fail to produce the bank guarantee. It leaves the BCCI free to invite bidders for a new franchise, with the status of Chargers’ players and staff currently unclear.October 13, 2012
In a countermove, the Chargers approach CK Thakkar, the court-appointed arbitrator, who puts a stay on the termination order passed by the High Court. In turn, the BCCI files for an “urgent” hearing in the High Court, challenging Thakkar’s ruling. The court overrules the arbitrator’s ruling, and the Chargers’ termination stands.October 14, 2012
The BCCI floats a tender, inviting bidders for a new IPL team.October 18, 2012
Bombay High Court overrules the arbitrator’s decision to impose a status quo on their expulsion from the IPL.October 25, 2012
Sun TV Networks Limited, one of India’s biggest television networks headquartered in Chennai, wins the Hyderabad franchise, bidding around $15.9 m for a five-year deal.