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Manchester City have now identified a “top-level midfielder” as a priority target, joining a number of Europe’s top clubs in the race for his signature.

Man City set sights on Yaya Toure-esque midfielder

Despite his well-documented fallout with Pep Guardiola, Yaya Toure is undoubtedly a Man City legend, winning three Premier League titles, three EFL Cups and one FA Cup during his time at the Etihad Stadium.

The Ivorian, who is now working as Saudi Arabia’s assistant manager, posed a threat going forward throughout his time in England, scoring a whopping 20 goals during the 2013-14 Premier League season, while also amassing nine assists.

Since then, City’s style of play has changed, with Guardiola’s side reliant on Erling Haaland to provide the majority of their goals, and the Norwegian certainly hasn’t disappointed so far this season, averaging 1.05 goals per 90 in the Premier League, having found the back of the net 15 times.

However, Man City have now joined the race for an up-and-coming central midfielder with shades of Toure, according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states they have identified Trabzonspor’s Christ Inao Oulai as a priority target.

Bayern Munich and Manchester United are also rivalling City for the 19-year-old’s signature, with all three clubs identifying him as one of their key teenage targets in Europe.

In his hometown of Yopougon in the Ivory Coast, the teenager is known as ‘Le Petit Yaya’, while City view him as a long-term partner for Rodri in midfield, and believe he could replace the Spaniard on a long-term basis.

Pep's a big fan: Man City leading race for "superstar" and ready to bid £65m+

City have moved into pole position in the race for a new defender, with a bid now being prepared.

By
Dominic Lund

3 days ago

It could be difficult to get a deal over the line, however, with Trabzonspor unwilling to sanction a departure in January, and looking to receive £35m.

Christ Inao Oulai already a "top-level midfielder"

Former Premier League midfielder Michael Essien is a keen admirer of the Trabzonspor star, saying: “He’s a top-level midfielder, and he’s only 19 years old. I hope to see him one day wearing the Chelsea jersey.”

The two-time Ivory Coast international has emerged as a key player for the Turkish side this season, displaying his attacking prowess by chipping in with one goal and two assists in eight Super Lig matches.

Bernardo Silva’s future at Man City is up in the air, given that his contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and it has been suggested that Guardiola is willing to let the Portugal international move on.

As such, it could be a savvy move to bring in a central midfielder with attacking qualities in January or the summer, and Inao Oulai is exhibiting very promising signs in the Super Lig.

Chelsea fans have called on the Premier League to 'act and investigate' Todd Boehly over his ownership of an 'unauthorised' ticket resale website.

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• Boehly part of website selling tickets at inflated prices
• Chelsea fans report club owner to Premier League
• Want action taken against 51-year-old

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Boehly is an investor and director of an "unauthorised" US-based website called Vivid Seats that resells Premier League tickets to foreign tourists at vastly inflated prices which has caused anger among some fans. Chelsea supporters have now written an open letter calling on the Premier League to "act and investigate" in a bid to ensure "that a major shareowner of a Premier League club ceases facilitating the sale of tickets for significantly above face value."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Chelsea fans have complained that Boehly's actions are a "breach of trust" and "a clear conflict of interest." The letter also accuses Vivid Seats of "contravening Chelsea FC ticketing policy" and undermining efforts to combat ticket touting.

  A spokesperson for the Chelsea Supporters Trust said: "Vivid Seats continues to list Premier League tickets for above face value at significantly inflated rates and our members have continued to indicate that Mr Boehly’s connection with Vivid Seats is a breach of trust and a clear conflict of interest. Not only does this undermine the efforts of Chelsea FC, The Premier League, and The Metropolitan Police to combat ticket touting, but Vivid Seats contravenes the Chelsea FC ticketing policy, and is explicitly named by the Premier League as a known unauthorised ticket website. We believe that now is the time for the Premier League to act swiftly and ensure that a major shareowner of a Premier League club ceases facilitating the sale of tickets for significantly above face value.”

• WHAT THE CHELSEA SUPPORTERS' TRUST SAID

  The open letter to Richard Masters, Chief Executive Officer of the Premier League, reads: "We have received a significant amount of correspondence from concerned CST members and supporters from the wider Chelsea FC fan base on this issue that cannot be ignored. Since its inception, the CST has been in regular dialogue with Chelsea Football Club, the Premier League, the Football Supporters’ Association, and other key stakeholders regarding the ongoing battle against ticket touting and the illegal sales of tickets on third-party websites.

  “We were therefore dismayed when, in early February, it was highlighted that Todd Boehly sits on the board of directors of Vivid Seats. It has also been reported that through his holding company, Mr Boehly owns approximately 41 per cent of Vivid Seats. Vivid Seats currently lists tickets for every Premier League fixture for the remainder of the season and most tickets are being sold for above face value at significantly inflated rates. For example, a ticket for Liverpool’s final home fixture of the season is currently listed on Vivid Seats for almost £20k. Most notably, Vivid Seats currently lists hundreds of Chelsea FC general admission tickets at significantly inflated prices. As these tickets are not sold by the Chelsea FC website, they are considered by CFC to be ‘illegal sales’.

  “To further compound matters, Vivid Seats is also explicitly named on the Premier League website as ‘a known unauthorised ticket website’. Many CST members are clearly infuriated by this connection and have written to us to say that Mr Boehly’s association with Vivid Seats is a ‘breach of trust’ and ‘a clear conflict of interest’.”

  “As a director of Chelsea FC and part-owner, Mr Boehly’s connection with Vivid Seats is totally inappropriate and significantly undermines the efforts of Chelsea FC, the Premier League, and the Metropolitan Police to combat ticket touting. Mr Boehly has been contacted directly by the CST and has been offered multiple opportunities to both publicly and privately address supporters’ concerns. Neither Mr Boehly nor his representatives have, however, acted on these requests, and thousands of tickets remain for sale on the Vivid Seats website. 

  “The CST firmly believes that it is now time for the Premier League to act and investigate. We would welcome your views as chief executive officer of the Premier League on this matter and anticipate that the Premier League would take this opportunity to act swiftly and ensure that a major shareowner of a Premier League club ceases facilitating the sale of tickets for significantly above face value.”

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA

  The Football Supporters’ Association also backed the call and said: "The Football Supporters' Association is right behind the points made by our members at Chelsea Supporters' Trust. It is crystal clear that the Premier League needs to take action. Clubs, supporters' groups, the police and the Premier League itself has worked hard in recent years to combat ticket touting – there is no excuse for a club owner to be involved in such activity."

  Chelsea's next home game is against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on April 3.

Stats highlights of Australia’s collapse for 85 on the first day of the second Test against South Africa in Hobart

Gaurav Sundararaman12-Nov-201685 Australia’s total, their lowest in a home Test in 32 years. They were bowled out for 76 by West Indies in Perth in 1984. In all home Tests, they have been bowled out for less than 85 only ten times.

197 The number of balls South Africa took to dismiss Australia. It was Australia’s second shortest innings at home in terms of balls faced since 1936, after the Perth Test against West Indies in 1984. Till 1936, they had seven such instances.11 Instances of Australia being bowled out in under 200 balls in a Test innings since 1950. Only two of those have been at home, while six have been in England.

17 The lowest score at which Australia have lost half their side in the first innings of a Test. The previous lowest was 21, against England at Trent Bridge in 2015. Their score at the fall of the sixth wicket in Hobart – 31 – was also their second lowest at home.1978 The previous instance of Australia losing six of their top-seven batsmen for single-digit scores at home – against England in Brisbane.8 Instances of an Australian batsman scoring a higher percentage of the team’s runs than Steven Smith. Smith contributed 48 unbeaten runs out of Australia’s 85 (56.47%). The last time an Australian batsman contributed a higher percentage was in 1999, when Michael Slater scored 123 out of Australia’s 184 (66.84%) against England in Sydney. In team totals of below 100, this is the fifth-highest contribution ever: only Asanka Gurusinha (63.41%), Mohinder Amarnath (61.85%), Len Hutton (57.69%) and Trevor Goddard (56.56%) have done better.

6 for 43 Australia’s worst first session of a home Test since the 4 for 58 against England in the Boxing Day Test in 2010. There have been only three worse first sessions for any team since then. Australia were dismissed in the first session at Trent Bridge, Pakistan lost 6 for 36 at Edgbaston, and New Zealand were dismissed for 45 at Newlands.15 Wickets that fell on the first day of this Test, which is the most ever in a day at the Bellerive Oval. Thirteen wickets fell on a day in each of the first two Tests in Hobart – on the first day in 1989, and the third day in 1993.2 Runs by Australia’s openers – the fewest they have scored since the game against England in Nottingham in 2015. Before that, both openers were dismissed for no runs against Sri Lanka in Kandy in 1999.3 Number of innings in which the opposition has been dismissed for fewer than 100 and Philander has taken a five-for. Apart from today’s game, Philander took 5 for 7 against New Zealand and 5 for 15 against Australia.

Celtic are now reportedly plotting a 2026 move to sign a Manchester City ace, who Pep Guardiola called “world-class”.

Celtic targeting Premier League goalkeeper

There’s a lot of work for Wilfried Nancy to do in the transfer window and that work may well include signing a new goalkeeper next summer. As things stand, current No.1 Kasper Schmeichel is set to leave Celtic as a free agent at the end of his contract next summer, handing the Bhoys the task of finding a replacement.

The former Leicester City man has been an excellent servant since replacing Joe Hart in 2024, but looks destined to bow out of Scotland at 39 years old.

Celtic star with 'high ceiling' could be biggest winner of Nancy's arrival

This promising young Celtic talent could be the biggest winner of Wilfried Nancy’s arrival at the club.

By
Dan Emery

6 days ago

Celtic may also have no choice but to target attacking reinforcements in the January transfer window, amid reports that Daizen Maeda could leave the club. The Japan international has plenty of admirers in the Premier League and could yet deal the Bhoys an undeniable blow this winter.

Speaking about the January transfer window and potential additions after arriving, new manager Nancy told reporters: “Each organisation, the idea is to improve.

“I’m going to have to assess the team. I know them as a team because I’ve watched many games. Now it’s about knowing them as a person. After that we’ll see what is the best for the team. I like to take my time. I know that I don’t have a lot of time.

“It’s not a secret I want to play in a certain way. Proactivity, try to put [pressure] on the opposition, try to attack the ball as soon as possible and after that also be disgusting to play against when we defend – because we’re going to have moments when we’ve got to suffer.”

With that said, it could be a busy 2026 for those at Celtic Park and one that includes the arrival of Man City’s Stefan Ortega, according to reports.

Celtic plotting Ortega move

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Celtic are now plotting a move to sign Ortega when his current Man City contract expires next summer. The 33-year-old could come straight in for Schmeichel as the Bhoys turn to English football for yet another shot-stopper.

Whilst Ortega has dropped down the pecking order at the Etihad, Guardiola hasn’t held back from praising the experienced goalkeeper in the past – telling reporters just last year: “Ortega is a world-class goalkeeper. An exceptional, exceptional goalkeeper.”

For Celtic, the move makes perfect sense. Their move for Hart worked out for all involved, so too did their move for Schmeichel. Now, it looks like they’re ready to follow the blueprint by signing Ortega.

After reporting the news, O’Rourke told Football Insider: “Ortega would be a good fit, you would think, especially if he does become a free agent in the summer.

“He’s basically just fallen totally out of favour at Man City, with Gianluigi Donnarumma and James Trafford ahead of him, and Marcus Bettinelli has been travelling with the squad.

“If Celtic are looking a new goalkeeper come the summer when Schmeichel’s contract is up, Ortega could be a really good pick up on a free transfer.

Liverpool agree terms to sign "aggressive" Celtic teenager in first Nancy exit

Coach played key role in developing Stokes as a teenager, along with other future England stars

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2025John Windows, the long-standing director of Durham Men’s academy, is stepping down from his role for health reasons, after a 27-year stint in which he helped to develop the careers of a range of the club’s greatest players, including Ben Stokes, Mark Wood and Liam Plunkett.Windows, 49, started out as a batter in Durham’s second XI, but with the club still relatively new to the first-class scene, the focus on developing home-grown players became a means to fast-track the team’s long-term viability. He became an academy coach in 1999, under the leadership of Geoff Cook, and progressed to the role of academy Director in 2007.On his watch, the academy became one of the most prolific pathways for young talent in the country. Steve Harmison, Paul Collingwood and Graham Onions were among the first graduates to forge successful international careers, while more recent successes include Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and Ben McKinney, the former England Under-19 captain.Windows himself was instrumental in recruiting Stokes as a raw 17-year-old, utilising the strong relationships that he had helped to build with neighbouring counties, including Cumbria, where Stokes’ family had lived after arriving from New Zealand in 2003.In a statement, however, he revealed that a recent medical diagnosis had left him needing to step away from his hands-on role at the academy. He will remain involved with the club in a mentorship capacity.”It is with great sadness and regret that I am having to stand down from my role as men’s academy director,” Windows said. “I have enjoyed every day of my coaching career at Durham, it has been a privilege to work with such a great club and contribute to its success.”Unfortunately, I no longer have the physical capacity to support our young talent. The role is multi-faceted but to do it successfully I have always felt you need to be active on the shop floor as well as working strategically behind the scenes.”Stepping back from a full-time role will give me more time to recharge my batteries and look after myself. I feel this is essential if I am going to maintain any sort of ‘normal life’.”Marcus North, Durham’s director of cricket, said: “John has decided that now is the right time to step away from his role as men’s academy director, due to his ongoing medical condition.”Over the course of nearly 30 years with the club, John has played an extraordinary role in shaping the journeys of hundreds of young cricketers, many of whom have become professional and international players.”His vision, passion, dedication, and care for developing players have left a lasting mark on our pathway and on the club as a whole.”Although he will no longer be leading the academy, we are delighted that John will continue to be part of the club and share the wisdom and experience that have inspired so many.”I would like to personally thank John for everything he has given to the club, and for the remarkable commitment and energy he has put into making our men’s academy the best in the country, a legacy that will live strong for future generations.”

In a deal that would commence the Graham Potter era with a bang, West Ham United have reportedly been offered the chance to sign “one of the best strikers in the world” at a cut price in the January transfer window.

West Ham transfer news

Bringing Julen Lopetegui’s tenure to an end following defeats at the hands of Liverpool and Manchester City on top of poor results throughout the current campaign, West Ham have since turned towards Potter, who has taken his first job in football since being shown the door at Chelsea in 2023.

Back in the technical area and back in the Premier League, the pressure will be on the former Chelsea boss to avoid a repeat of his Stamford Bridge failure and instead enjoy similar heights to the ones that he took Brighton & Hove Albion to in the past.

Addressing the fans for the first time, Potter told West Ham’s official website: “I am delighted to be here. It was important to me that I waited until a job came along that I felt was right for me, and equally that I was the right fit for the Club I am joining. That is the feeling I have with West Ham United.

“My conversations with the Chairman and the Board have been very positive and constructive, we share the same values of hard work and high energy to create the solid foundations that can produce success, and we are on the same wavelength in terms of what is needed in the short-term and then how we want to move the Club forward in the medium to long term.”

West Ham make shock contact in race to sign first Potter target this month

He could rediscover his best form under Potter…

By
Tom Cunningham

Jan 9, 2025

With the January transfer window open, meanwhile, the new manager may not have to wait long until he gets his first signing through the door. According to GiveMeSport, West Ham have now been offered the chance to sign Jonathan David at cut price from Lille, who have one final chance to profit from their forward this month before he leaves on a free deal in the summer.

David would be an instant upgrade

Dubbed “one of the best strikers in the world” by podcast host and Canadian football expert Tony Marinaro, there’s no denying that David would be an instant upgrade on West Ham’s current options, having scored as many as 17 goals in 27 appearances throughout the current campaign – more than Jarrod Bowen and Niclas Fullkrug combined.

Still just 24 years old, the Canada international would be an incredible coup for the Hammers. He could solve their goalscoring problems for years to come and finally ease the responsibility on Bowen, who has carried their frontline more than once over the years.

At a cut price too, West Ham should jump at the chance to secure the forward’s signature ahead of the chasing pack waiting to snap it up for free at the end of the campaign.

Plays of the day from the second T20 international between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, in Auckland

Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Jan-2016The swirler
Eden Park is a well-enclosed ground, but in the fifth over, Tillakaratne Dilshan managed to get a ball into the windswept higher reaches of the stadium. This ultimately worked to his advantage. Spotting a short-of-a-length delivery from Mitchell McClenaghan, Dilshan swung hard across the line and gave up a big top edge. The ball shot up in the direction of third man, and Trent Boult peeled off from gully to chase it. It looked like it would be a comfortable running catch, until the ball had risen enough for the wind to catch it. It’s descent was several metres to Boult’s right. He dived to intercept it, but managed only to get fingertips to the ball.The gate

Aiming a wild stroke over the legside, Danushka Gunathilaka left a gaping space between bat and pad in the second over, for Adam Milne to slip a length ball through. Gunathilaka’s bat was some distance from the ball that clattered into his stumps, but the dismissal was also a gate for other reasons. He was the first of several Sri Lanka batsmen to get out slogging.The spurned chance
When Martin Guptill top edged his own hoick across the line in the first over of New Zealand’s chase, Sri Lanka had an opportunity to dismiss the opposition’s form batsman cheaply. Perhaps due to a lack of confidence, the wrong fielder went for the ball. Thisara Perera sprinted in from long-on and had the ball fall just short of him, but it should have been Shehan Jayasuriya pursuing it from midwicket. The ball had dropped only about seven metres away from where he had been originally standing.The flamingo shot
Colin Munro blasted three sixes from four Jeffrey Vandersay deliveries in the eighth over, but his most memorable shot came against Isuru Udana soon after. Munro ran at the bowler and made room to swing the bat, but when Udana sent a full delivery wide of off stump, Munro had to manufacture a shot. He threw one leg backwards, in the air, and leaned over to strike the ball towards wide long-on, connecting well enough to fetch himself another six.

“He is supremely confident about his own ability – the fact that he is fully fit now makes a massive difference,” Shastri says of Hardik

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-20235:13

Runorder: Ravi Shastri wants Hardik to be India’s full-time T20I captain

Ravi Shastri feels that with the next men’s T20 World Cup just over a year away, Hardik Pandya will be handed the captaincy of the India team immediately.”Everyone can qualify to play, but I think Hardik will lead,” Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo’s . “The next two World Cups [after the 2023 ODI World Cup] are T20 cricket. He’s already [standby] captain of India [in T20Is], so he will continue unless he is not fit. I think they [the selectors] will look into a new direction. There’s a lot of talent among the youth at the moment. You might have a pretty much new team; there will be some new faces if not a new team.”There will be still plenty who played in the last T20I match that India played, but there will be some new faces because what we’ve seen here in this year’s IPL is some refreshing young talent.”Related

• Shastri: Keep Kohli, Rohit for Tests and ODIs; 'current form' all that matters for T20I squad

• Hardik 'more than happy' to take over full-time captaincy

• The Hardik evolution: 'I don't mind playing the Dhoni role'

• Gambhir unsure if Kohli, Rohit, Rahul fit in 2024 T20 WC plans

Rohit Sharma is India’s designated captain across formats, but he hasn’t played a T20I since the 2022 T20 World Cup. KL Rahul was his deputy at the tournament; his last T20I, too, was at the World Cup. In the meantime, India have played eight T20Is, and Hardik has led in all of them with Rohit resting. Of those eight, India have won five, lost two, and tied one.At the last T20 World Cup, India’s intent with the bat had come under scrutiny, not for the first time. In the semi-final, they scored 168, which England chased down with ten wickets and four overs to spare.Since then, India have tried many fresh faces, with good results. And Shastri suggested “the 2007 route” for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Then, with Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and some others opting out, India had named a relatively inexperienced side for the inaugural T20 World Cup, and India lifted the trophy under MS Dhoni’s captaincy.”I feel they will go the 2007 route, where they will identify talent, and Hardik will have lots of choices when it comes to the selection,” Shastri said. “Because his ideas will be different; he has played the IPL as a captain of a franchise and seen a lot of the other players. He will have his inputs.”Hardik Pandya has led India in every T20I they have played since the last T20 World Cup•Getty Images

When asked if it’s Hardik then who should have a conversation with the senior players about the future, Shastri said, “Obviously. Because he is the guy who is going to take the guys out on the park. Whatever he says has to be given importance and listened to.”Until IPL 2022, Hardik had no captaincy experience at the senior level. But he created a stir when he led Gujarat Titans, one of two new teams that season, to the title. This season, too, Titans are all but through to the playoffs with the last few league-stage matches to go.The only concern with Hardik could be regarding his workload management, given he is expected to play a big role for India at the upcoming ODI World Cup as well and his struggle with injuries is well known. Shastri said it should not be an issue, given he no longer plays long-form cricket.”It is not that he is playing three formats,” Shastri said. “Everything now is separate. You have Test matches, so the moment a Test series comes, he gets a corridor of a month to rest and recuperate. He is supremely confident about his own ability. The fact that he is fully fit now makes a massive difference. Form plays an important role. When he is fit, then he is arguably one of the best T20 players in the world.”In November last year as well, Shastri had said that “there is no harm in identifying a new T20I captain, and if his name is Hardik Pandya, so be it”.

Ramírez says team’s poor form has directly impacted Hernández, who has scored just three goals in 33 appearances

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• Chivas currently sit in 12th place with 17 points
• They haven’t won a Liga MX title in eight years
• During span, América lifted the trophy four times

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Although Javier Hernández’s second stint with Chivas hasn’t gone as fans, the board, or the player himself would have hoped, club legend Ramón Ramírez has come to his defense, saying the striker has been dragged down by the team’s poor form.

  “We all wanted to see him (Javier Hernández) finish his career on a high note,” Ramírez told TUDN. “He’s a successful player, with all the credentials and a great attitude. Unfortunately, he’s caught up in the dynamics of a team that rarely wins and is suffering because of it, so ‘Chicharito’ is being dragged down in that sense.”

  Ramírez, a key figure for Chivas in the 1990s, pointed out that the team’s overall struggles have directly impacted Hernández, who has scored just three goals in 33 appearances.

  “Regardless of what’s happening in Guadalajara and how his career ends, I won’t take away the merits he’s earned, but I would have loved to see him in a winning, proactive Chivas – succeeding and achieving important things. He’s not exactly a victim, but he’s definitely being dragged along by the negative inertia surrounding Guadalajara.”

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Club América is enjoying a golden era in its Liga MX history after winning three consecutive league titles, Chivas still lives in the shadow of its last championship, which came eight years ago in the Clausura 2017, when Matías Almeyda was the team’s head coach.

  El Rebaño has lost its standing in Mexican football and has struggled to find an identity and playing model that can bring them back to the top. Ramírez, a club legend, expressed his frustration over the state of the team, which remains second on the all-time list of Liga MX title winners with 12 – though they’ve fallen behind their archrival, América, who now boast 16.

  “Yes, it hurts that your biggest rival is doing things right,” said Ramírez. “Chivas should commit to playing one or two tournaments with young players and really withstand the blows if results don’t come. Right now, with no promotion or relegation, you have that opportunity… Guadalajara needs to be a contender.”

• Getty
  

  WHAT RAMÓN RAMÍREZ SAID

  "Guadalajara has to do things right, and they should be hurt by what América is doing. That's what we’d like to see from Chivas. For many years, I saw instability in América, but today they’re setting the example… Right now, head-to-head, Chivas can’t compete," Ramírez said.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR CHIVAS?

  With two matches left to play in the Clausura 2025, the team coached by Gerardo Espinoza risk missing out on the Liguilla once again. El Rebaño must take all three points when they host Puebla in Matchday 16 to keep their hopes alive and avoid another disappointing campaign.

No Indian batsman in the Kings XI line-up is close to threatening a spot in the T20I team, and it showed in the way they tied themselves in a mess in the middle overs against Gujarat Lions

Sidharth Monga in Mohali11-Apr-20161:26

‘Bravo’s spell was the turning point’ – Finch

Two yorkers. One fast, one slow. Both at the base of the stumps. Glenn Maxwell and David Miller gone. It will be tempting to surmise that Dwayne Bravo, rightly being hailed as arguably the best bowler in this IPL, won Gujarat Lions the match in one over, but it is important to also look at events that led to this big over and those that followed it. Kings XI Punjab’s Indian batsmen – not one of them is anywhere close to threatening a spot in the Indian T20I side – will have to take a lot of the blame.M Vijay and Manan Vohra got off to a dream start with the new ball coming on to the bat, when all that was required to do was clear the infield. In T20 cricket, especially on Indian pitches, the bowling side is not overly bothered by these kind of starts, so long as the batsmen are going at under 10 an over. The best bowlers are saved for the overs immediately after the Powerplay. This is when lesser T20 batsmen get stuck.There is no time for batsmen to relax in a T20 game. If you do have a slow period in the middle, you better trust your game as much as Virat Kohli does, and you better be that good. If you cannot hit boundaries, you should be able to keep working the twos and be able to go at a strike-rate of about 120 before you can open up again. As they got stuck into Sarabjit Ladda and Pradeep Sangwan, Vijay and Vohra took Kings XI to 52 for 0 in six overs. Then, Gujarat Lions went to their best bowlers: Ravindra Jadeja and Bravo.In the sixth over, Vijay hit his final boundary. Until then Vijay batted beautifully, his flicks languid, his drives free-flowing. Even opponent Aaron Finch said for some time it was beautiful to watch. In T20s, though, there is not much room for the niceties of the high elbow.Vijay eventually fell in the 11th over, trying to hit Jadeja inside-out – a low-percentage shot unless you are playing with a wet ball or on a perfectly flat surface. Vijay scored 10 off the last 14 balls he faced. Vohra enjoyed some luck in a slow start – he was dropped early by Bravo – but he too relied just on the big shots, and perished to the wily Jadeja. Ajinkya Rahane faces criticism for similar dismissals in T20Is.By the time Miller and Maxwell came together, Kings XI had fallen behind on a pitch where 190 was about par. They were ideally the men to be doing the big hitting at the end, but were obliged to look for those big ones earlier than they would have wanted. That task was made even more difficult because they came up against Gujarat’s best bowler, Bravo.Just before Miller was done in by the Bravo slower one, the field had changed. Midwicket had gone back, and third man had come in. It was apparent Bravo was going to bowl a slower ball. This was also the last ball of the over. Who knows if, in another circumstance, Miller would have just looked to pick a single? A proper batsman should not be getting so befuddled by a slower ball when it has been telegraphed.What followed was a reminder that Wriddhiman Saha, despite being a plucky Test batsman and despite one great IPL season, is a limited T20 batsman, especially when the field has been spread out. His 20 off 25 was one of the prime reasons Kings XI fell 30 short of a par score. They now have a problem at hand. Their Indian batsmen will have to pull their weight, and their two big star batsmen will have to pull themselves out of an ordinary run of form.