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Jadon Sancho proved too expensive for Borussia Dortmund as sporting director Sebastian Kehl explained why the German side opted against signing him.

Sancho to join Aston Villa on loanDortmund end chase due to hefty financialsMan Utd green light Sancho's moveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Sancho's transfer saga is nearing its end as Villa and United reportedly reached an agreement for an initial loan deal for the winger. Dortmund's sporting director earlier hinted at a possible move for the Englishman but has now confirmed the club won't be signing him given the amount of money involved. 

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Roma had appeared the most interested side to sign Sancho at one point and waited until late in the transfer window for his green light. Sancho appreciated Roma's offer but didn't give them a final response which prompted the Serie A side to drop their interest in the ex-Dortmund player. Sancho was reportedly willing to take a pay cut as Dortmund hoped to bring him back for a third spell but the financial requirements prevented the deal from getting over the line and the England international looks set to stay in the Premier League instead.

WHAT KEHL SAID

Speaking to , Dortmund director Kehl said: "Jadon Sancho will not move to Borussia Dortmund. Ultimately, we have to stay within our financial means and can't do anything crazy. I understand everyone's wishes, but Jadon Sancho will not move to BVB."

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While Sancho looks to seal a deadline day move to Villa Park, United are looking to get rid of another member of the bomb squad, with Antony's deal to Real Betis also being in the advanced stages. The Brazilian has reportedly agreed to take a wage cut to accelerate the move.  

“I’ve talked to the selectors about this, but I haven’t got a response yet”

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Mar-2023Dimuth Karunaratne wants to step down as Test captain after the Ireland Tests next month. It is an ongoing conversation with the Sri Lanka selectors, who have not accepted his resignation yet. But after four years in the job, and with a fresh World Test Championship (WTC) cycle looming, Karunaratne – who turns 35 in April – wants to hand over to a new captain for the next cycle, with the Ireland Tests not a part of the current WTC.”I’ve talked with the selectors about stepping down as captain after the Ireland series. In the next WTC cycle, you’ve got to do two years,” Karunaratne said. “I think it’s best if a new captain does that whole cycle than for me to do half and hand over. I’ve talked to the selectors about this, but I haven’t got a response yet. My preference is to hand over to a new leader after the next series.”Karunaratne has led Sri Lanka to some stability after the turbulent period that had gone before. His greatest achievement as captain remains the 2-0 win in South Africa in 2019 – his first series in the role. No team outside of England and Australia have ever beaten South Africa at home.All up, his record as captain so far is ten wins and losses each, and six draws. Only Sanath Jayasuriya, Arjuna Ranatunga, Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews have won more Tests as Sri Lanka captain, and they had all captained in at least 34 Tests. Part of his desire to step down as captain may be to focus on his batting, and perhaps to explore opportunities overseas, with Sri Lanka playing only two-Test series in the next WTC cycle.Karunaratne had played grade cricket in Australia since his most-recent Test before the New Zealand series which ended earlier in the day after Sri Lanka were trumped by an innings and 58 runs in the second Test in Wellington. It had been a long Test hiatus, but he still managed three fifties in four innings in this series. Sri Lanka are scheduled to play six Tests in 2023, and only four of those count towards the next WTC.”I played Tests after eight months. I only got to play one innings in a four-day match in between,” Karunaratne said. “I’m someone who gets a big one after getting a start, so I think I don’t have that patience at the moment, and I need to go back to domestic cricket and develop that again.”After eight months, although I made some runs here, I could have done more, I think. Twice, I think I could have turned half-centuries into hundreds, and I wasted them.”

Christian Pulisic has been told ruling himself out of USMNT duty is a "bad look", with Alexi Lalas using Lionel Messi as an example of commitment.

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Tough season in Italy coming to a closeHas been granted rest over the summerCoutdown on to home World Cup in 2026Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

On the back of a long season at AC Milan, which has seen him post personal bests on the goal front, Pulisic – who captained his country at the Copa America in 2024 – has decided that he needs to take a rest.

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As a result, he will not form part of Mauricio Pochettino’s plans when another trophy is chased down this summer. Pulisic has not been included in the United States squad for their Gold Cup campaign, as the countdown to the 2026 World Cup finals on home soil continues.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Former USMNT star Lalas is disappointed to see star names withdrawing from international duty, with Argentine icon Messi – who has 191 caps to his name – proving that it is possible to nurse your body through gruelling schedules on an annual basis.

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WHAT ALEXI LALAS SAID

Lalas has told his podcast: "When it comes to Christian Pulisic, here’s the problem I have. He is, when all is said and done, going to go down as the best male American soccer player in history. There will be some argument there, but it’s heading in that direction. He is, without a doubt, a starter for this team and he changes the game when he is on. He has been starting with this team since he was a teenager, he has brought it forward.

"Christian Pulisic, because of how good he is, and fairly so, has been treated differently. However, I cannot relate to someone in his position, who is a national team player, opting out, not wanting to represent your team.

"I played in a different time, but I would bring up the fact that the time I played in, it was bad! It wasn’t even close to the resources and the opportunity and, let’s be honest, the protection that the players have – chartered flights, or the way the games are referred, or the amenities that they have, or the medical. Yes, they play a lot of games. But you know who plays a lot of games? Messi."

Ex-Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey has agreed a surprise move to Mexico as he looks to continue his playing career at Pumas UNAM.

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Ramsey agrees deal with PumasFormer Arsenal midfielder looks to keep playingWas not offered full-time coaching role at CardiffFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

As per the PA news agency, the Welsh midfielder has agreed on a move to Liga MX to end a two-year stint back at boyhood club Cardiff City in the Championship. Ramsey was unable to save the Bluebirds from relegation after being named player-manager for the final few games of the season after the sacking of Omar Riza. There had been speculation that he would be offered the full-time position, but the club and Ramsey appear to be heading in different directions.

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Pumas will become Ramsey's seventh different club in a career that has taken him across Europe. He was snapped up as a teenager by Arsenal after impressing for Cardiff and spent 11 years with the Gunners. He wrote himself into the club's deep history for his role in three FA Cup titles – scoring the winning goal in both 2014 and 2017. A move to Juventus in 2019 brought mixed success and, after a loan spell at Rangers, he made a permanent move to OGC Nice. He returned to South Wales in 2023 after just one season in France.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ramsey will now play outside of Europe for the first time in his career. The 34-year-old will hope to add silverware in Mexico to the trophies he has already swept up in his career. Aside from the three FA Cups at Arsenal, he won Serie A and the Coppa Italia with Juventus and added a Scottish Cup at Rangers. He will also be determined to avoid being on the losing side at Pumas after tasting final defeats at Cardiff, Arsenal, Juventus and Rangers.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RAMSEY?

As he looks to wind down his long career, Ramsey may be casting his eye to coaching. The Welshman has already had a taste of management at the Bluebirds, but may look to return to the dugout after he retires.

Heather Knight hopes Dukes ball will aid England’s quest for 20 wickets

Valkerie Baynes21-Jun-2023She brings an element of the unknown to the opposition, but it was Lauren Filer’s abilities as an impact bowler that have earned her an international debut for England in the Women’s Ashes Test.With nearly 15,000 people set to attend over the course of the five-day contest against Australia at Trent Bridge, this is some stage for Filer, who beat another young but more experienced quick in Issy Wong for a place in the side. But Heather Knight, England’s captain, expressed plenty of faith in Filer on match eve.”It’s hugely exciting for her,” Knight said. “We’ve gone for her because we think she’s a real impact bowler. I guess she’s a bit of an unknown but she bowls wicket-taking deliveries and for me she’s, if not the quickest, one of the quickest in the country. She gets bounce, and she’s got skills, moves the ball both ways, and ultimately we need a team that’s going to take 20 wickets and we feel like she gives us that. She can bang the ball in as well, there’s not too many people queueing up to face her in the nets. I’m really excited for her to see how she goes.”Related

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Filer has taken eight wickets for Western Storm from four matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy so far this year at an average of 28. 62 and she took five wickets from as many matches in the Charlotte Edwards Cup at 24.80. Last season she claimed 11 wickets at 22.63 in the RHFT and one wicket in two Charlotte Edwards Cup appearances.On the flipside of the career spectrum, Danni Wyatt will make her Test debut after 245 white-ball games for her country. Wyatt adds firepower to an England top seven all capable of scoring quick runs.”I think probably at one point Danni probably felt like she was never going to get a Test cap,” Knight said. “We picked her because we want her to play exactly how she does in the middle order in ODI cricket. She’s one of the best players, and the best attackers, of spin in the world game for me and she makes it very tricky to set fields, she scores in quite unusual areas. That’s exactly how I want her to play, how she does in white-ball cricket, have a little bit of a counter-punch and use her experience there as well.”Knight hadn’t spoken to men’s counterpart Ben Stokes since his side lost their opening Ashes Test to Australia by two-wickets in a last-evening thriller at Edgbaston on Tuesday. But she has picked the brains of seam spearhead and Nottinghamshire native Stuart Broad in the build-up to this game.”I’ve spoken to Stuart about the conditions, he’s played a lot of cricket here and this is my first ever game at Trent Bridge,” Knight said. “Lots of really useful stuff on how to bowl on this pitch, how the pitch changes over the course of the cricket that he’s played here.”Danni Wyatt prepares to make her Test debut after 245 appearances for England•ECB via Getty ImagesThe pitch was showing patches of green grass 24 hours out from the toss, which had given Knight more to think about ahead of the clash which carries four points for a win to kick off the multi-format series. The last time these sides met in a Test, 18 months ago over four days at Canberra’s Manuka Oval in the middle of the series, it ended in a nail-biting draw.”It’s probably a little bit patchier than I expected and probably the groundsman wanted it,” she said. “Actually we asked for a pitch with just good carry. The Canberra wicket was awesome for women’s Test-match cricket, a bit of pace, the bowlers could get a bit out of it but you could also score runs if the bowler missed. So we wanted a similar wicket to that, but generally it’s a pretty good wicket to bat on and I look forward to getting out there.”In terms of the pitch, you want a nick to carry because sometimes we’ve played on softer, duller pitches where actually it’s really hard to score runs if you bowl straight but also really hard to take wickets and that’s not really the pitches, we don’t have as much pace in the women’s game that’s conducive to get a result. The Dukes ball is a really great addition. The bowlers have certainly enjoyed bowling with it and you can get a little bit out of it for a lot longer. Probably the biggest challenge in Women’s Tests has been taking 20 wickets and I think the Dukes will help that.”All of England Women’s recognised batters have scored runs in the lead-up to this match, most notably opener Tammy Beaumont, who retired on 201 not out off 238 balls against Australia A in a three-day warm-up on a lifeless Derby pitch last week, where Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley and Amy Jones all reached the 70s and 80s.”The tempo that we went at and the pace we scored at was brilliant without being overly risky and aggressive, that was awesome,” Knight said. “We want to go on and make real match-defining innings, not just get a hundred if you can get a real big one. That puts the team in a great position. I’m really happy with the group and hopefully we can go out and replicate some of that in the next five days.”

Per MLS rules, any player who does not participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval is ineligible for the next match

MLS sanctions Messi and Alba for skipping ASGDuo not available for selection Saturday All-Star absences were not approvedGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Major League Soccer confirmed on Friday that both Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba have been suspended one match each for skipping the 2025 MLS All-Star game, and neither will be available when Inter Miami host FC Cincinnati Saturday night.

In a statement, the league said the two players were sanctioned "due to their absence at this week’s Major League Soccer All-Star Game. Per league rules, any player who does not participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval from the league is ineligible to compete in their club’s next match."

Earlier Friday, Miami coach Javier Mascherano had said both players would be able to play against Cincinnati, adding that Messi was dealing with fatigue and Alba sustatined a minor injury against the New York Red Bulls last weekend.

"Look, players always have discomfort, especially when they play every three days,” Mascherano told reporters on Friday. “But luckily, he is returning today. Let's hope he can train alongside the group so we can count on both of them for tomorrow's game. We haven't received any [sanction.]"

In 2018, then-LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic was suspended one match for skipping the All-Star Game without approval.

Just hours before the ASG on Wednesday, MLS Commissioner Don Garber declined to say whether Messi or Alba would be disciplined, but admitted the league should have been more proactive in confirming the players' status ahead of its marquee summer event.

MLS didn't publicly announce that Messi and Alba would not play in the All-Star game until the roster was confirmed Wednesday morning, and offered no specifics behind the absences. Garber said at the time that MLS and Inter Miami were communicating on the issue, but pointed to Miami's heavy schedule – playing nine matches in just more than a month – spread across the Club World Cup and MLS play.

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Neither Messi nor Alba trained until Friday this week, according to Mascherano, who added that "Messi showed normal fatigue from the number of games and minutes he's been playing."

The Miami manager said that, while he supports the All-Star Game, it needs to be scheduled in a different window.

"What I think is that if they want to do this type of event, it's great to do it, and the truth is that it's great for the league," he said. "There shouldn't be a date in the schedule. It's crazy. We've been playing four of the last five games away. We've been playing four away. We've been playing practically every three days."

Mascherano suggested that the annual event be held on the weekend, and that the league should not return to regular-season games so quickly after the contest. The ASG was Wednesday, and the league has games scheduled Friday and Saturday.

"Stop for the weekend, the All-Star Games is played on the weekend, and we come back," he said. "Because after Wednesday, today, 48 hours after having played, there are teams that are going to play today, and it's not enough rest for the players either. So, the first thing we have to think about is that football belongs to the players. And if football belongs to the players. Without players, it doesn't exist."

Inter Miami will be without three key starters on Saturday – Messi, Alba and defender Maxi Falcon, who is suspended for one match due to yellow card accumulation.

DID YOU KNOW?

Since the start of the season in February, Miami has competed in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, MLS regular season, the FIFA Club World Cup, and has one match left before participation in the 2025 Leagues Cup.

Since the start of the season, they have played in 33 matches across all competitions. The Vancouver Whitecaps, 2025 Champions Cup finalists, meanwhile, have played in 34 across all competitions this season.

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Miami and FCC kick off at 7:15 p.m. ET Saturday in a meeting between two Eastern Conference contenders. FCC sit atop the Supporters' Shield standings, and last week defeated Miami 3-0 at home.

The visitors lost three early wickets in the chase but Ellyse Perry managed the rest of the innings

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-2024Australia allrounder Sophie Molineux made a triumphant return to ODI cricket in a six-wicket trouncing of Bangladesh.Molineux, in her first ODI since 2021, claimed 3 for 10 from 10 overs to help bowl Bangladesh out for 97 in 44.1 overs in Mirpur.Australia were 39 for 3 in the 13th over of the chase but got home comfortably to take a 2-0 lead in the three-game series.Molineux returned to the Australian set-up last month for the first time since October 2021 after suffering a foot stress fracture and then a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in a knee.After being overlooked for game one of the Bangladesh series, the 26-year-old on Sunday produced a top-shelf spell of left-arm spin bowling which included five maiden overs.Molineux claimed three of the initial five wickets to fall and Bangladesh at one stage had slipped to 61 for 8 in the 32nd over. It followed a successful WPL where she was a key part of Royal Challenger Bangalore’s success with a player-of-the-match display in the final. It’s form she has carried forward.”It’s definitely helped,” she said. “I think just getting some match experience in as well. I think that’s one thing you sort of miss out on when you don’t play for a while. Trying to keep up and catch up with the game. So I think going over there, [it] probably helped to have a few more matches under my belt, with some intensity as well.”Her feats came as Megan Schutt, Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham and Alana King collectively overwhelmed the Bangladesh batters.Only No. 9 Nahida Akter passed 11 runs with 20 extras – 18 wides and two leg byes – the next-highest contributor.”We just want to keep asking questions of the Bangladesh girls,” Molineux said. “We know that they’ve got a really solid defence and put a price on their wickets. So, we knew it was going to be hard to take all ten wickets today and we’d have to stay pretty patient. There wasn’t too many bad balls in there and I think the spinners were able to adjust and use their variations particularly well.”Australia’s batters then reeled in their target with Ellyse Perry top-scoring with an unbeaten 35 from 50 balls.Phoebe Litchfield’s lean run continued when she was run out for 5 while Tahlia McGrath also went the same way. But Perry combined with Gardner to steer the Australians to a comfortable victory.Australia won the opening ODI by 118 runs three days ago with Wednesday’s third game to be followed by three T20Is.

Jason Holder takes three in 12 balls but Somerset respond to post 309

ECB Reporters Network26-Apr-2024Worcestershire 14 for 0 trail Somerset 309 for 9 declared (Banton 92, Holder 3-72) by 295 runsTom Banton continued his bright start to the season to hold the Somerset innings together after West Indies allrounder Jason Holder had threatened to put Worcestershire in a position of strength on day one of the Vitality County Championship encounter at Kidderminster.Holder, available for the first five Championship matches, produced another devastating spell with the ball as he found the ideal length and backed up the excellent bowling throughout the day of Joe Leach and Matthew Waite.He had dismissed Durham’s David Bedingham, Graham Clark and Paul Coughlin in quick succession on the opening day of last week’s fixture at Chester Road, and repeated that success by sending back Andy Umeed, James Rew and Lewis Gregory in the space of 12 deliveries immediately before tea to reduce Somerset to 181 for 6.But Banton ensured there was no complete collapse by the visitors and produced a series of glorious strokes and brutal hitting in making 92 from 140 balls. He had managed only 46 runs from his first four Championship innings of the summer but found his touch with 83 against Nottinghamshire at Taunton last week.Related

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His knock, plus some late order big hitting by Migael Pretorius, enabled Somerset to recover and claim two batting points before declaring late in the day. Jake Libby and night-watchman Adam Finch safely negotiated five overs.Worcestershire rested leading wicket-taker Nathan Smith, who had played in the opening three games, and handed a first start of the season to left armer, Ben Gibbon. Kashif Ali, who scored two centuries against Warwickshire at Edgbaston in the opening game, returned after recovering from a back problem in place of spinner Josh Baker.Somerset rested Craig Overton and there was a return to the side for Kasey Aldridge, their leading wicket-taker with 10 at 14 runs apiece, and a first start of the campaign for Andrew Umeed. Worcestershire captain, Brett D’Oliveira, won his first toss of the campaign and put the visitors into bat on a wicket with a bit more grass than last week’s game versus Durham.It was a move that should have paid dividends in the first over during an impressive spell from Joe Leach but first slip Adam Hose put down Sean Dickson before he had scored. It did not prove a costly miss as Dickson fell lbw for 16 in Waite’s first over. Dickson took a stride forward and aimed a stroke to leg but he was undone by a delivery which straightened on him.Matt Renshaw was initially given a searching examination by Matthew Waite but gradually opened up with two boundaries off the former Yorkshire player. But the return of Gibbon led to a second breakthrough as Renshaw (30) was squared up by a testing delivery and Adam Hose held onto a low chance at first slip.Matt Waite celebrates a breakthrough with his team-mates•Getty ImagesLeach returned to the attack after lunch and picked up some tangible rewards for his earlier efforts as Tom Lammonby drove hard and perished to a sharp catch by Holder at second slip. New batter Banton was beaten twice in an over from Waite as Worcestershire searched for further success.It was Holder who struck just before tea when Umeed, having battled away for two-and-a-half hours for 47, pushed forward and keeper Gareth Roderick did the rest. It left Umeed three runs short of registering his first first-class half century for Somerset.Rew (3) then nibbled at a Holder delivery and provided Roderick with another catch and it became three wickets in 12 balls for the allrounder when Gregory played back and was lbw. Worcestershire tried to press home the advantage after tea and there was a second deserved wicket for Waite as Aldridge (9) went lbw to a delivery angled in.But Banton continued to play with aggression and freedom and a four to third man enabled him to complete a 91-ball half-century. Pretorius decided ultra aggression was the best policy and raced to 49 off 34 balls before the new ball denied him a half century, the safe hands of Holder low down at slip accounting for an edge off Leach.Banton looked set for a century but on 92 he pushed Gibbon to mid-off and failed to beat D’Oliveira’s direct hit to the non striker’s end.

Marc Guiu is expected to choose between Sunderland and RB Leipzig as he looks for regular first-team minutes away from Stamford Bridge.

Guiu weighing up a move to Sunderland or RB LeipzigChelsea only open to loan spellStriker scored six goals in six UECL games last seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 19-year-old joined Chelsea from Barcelona last July for €6 million, but struggled for consistent game time in the Premier League, playing just 71 minutes. However, the Spaniard did enjoy a strong run in the Conference League, netting six goals in six appearances before a hamstring injury cut his campaign short.

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With Chelsea signing Joao Pedro and Liam Delap this summer, Guiu is way down in the pecking order. The Blues, therefore, are open to a temporary move away from Stamford Bridge for the Spanish striker. The club will reportedly only sanction a straight loan with full salary coverage as they still see Guiu as a potential star.

According to , Leipzig are keen to bring in a young striker as they prepare for the likely departure of Benjamin Sesko, who is being linked with Manchester United and Newcastle. Meanwhile, newly-promoted Sunderland have made Guiu one of their top targets and are one of three clubs to have made formal enquiries.

DID YOU KNOW?

Chelsea's biggest signings in what has been a busy summer have been Brighton forward Joao Pedro, left-winger Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund and Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap. However, they have already recovered almost half of that amount by winning the Club World Cup, where they are estimated to have pocketed £96m in prize money.

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The Blues continue to be active in the transfer window, with their next big target set to be Leipzig's midfielder Xavi Simons. They are scheduled to face Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan in friendly matches before they kick off their 2025-26 Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace on August 17.

England’s bowlers and Mohammad Kaif reaped the rewards of keeping it tight

On the Ball by S Rajesh03-Mar-2006When play began on the third day, with Wasim Jaffer and Rahul Dravid well-entrenched at the crease and many stars to follow, few would have thought that India might at one stage be in danger of following on. That they were in such a position was largely due to outstanding efforts by Matthew Hoggard and Monty Panesar.As the graphic below shows, both had impeccable control over the lengths they bowled. On a slow track, it was imperative to pitch the ball up to the bat, and cut the short deliveries to a minimum. Both Hoggard and Panesar managed that superbly. When they did err – and it wasn’t often – it was on the fuller side.Not only was Hoggard’s length spot on, his line was exceptional too – out of 180 deliveries, 170 pitched around middle-and-off or further off side. To make it even worse for the batsmen, he moved the ball both ways – 58 deliveries came back into the batsmen, while 40 moved away. It was the perfect combination of accuracy and seam and swing, and the Indians had no answer.They still managed to end the day in a comfortable position, thanks to Mohammad Kaif and Anil Kumble. Struggling to cement his place in the side, Kaif was understandably watchful for much of his innings – after 104 balls he had scored just 20, before he found a higher gear. His strokes chart indicates he played the percentages well – he eschewed the horizontal-bat shots and was well on his way to a century before Panesar produced a peach to sour the day.