Leeds United have finally appointed their new head coach at Elland Road with Daniel Farke tasked with the challenge of achieving an instant bounce-back to the Premier League next season.

The Whites suffered relegation from the top-flight over a tight relegation scrap that saw Southampton and Leicester City drop into the Championship too, so for the three teams – who had all become established Premier League clubs in their own right – it will likely be a tough fight for the automatic promotion spots in the second tier.

In terms of recruitment, Leeds will need to get the ball rolling to make sure they can comfortably compete next season and, as it stands, the club have failed to confirm any incomings during a transformative summer so far.

Bolstering key positions on the pitch and being prepared for potential exits by some of their Premier League-proven talent will be essential in the West Yorkshire club's ability to dominate in Championship football.

One player who has now been linked with a move to the Whites is Liverpool centre-back Nathaniel Phillips, who despite limited game-time at Anfield – where he featured just five times last term – has shown glimpses of his ability to dominate and trouble opponents on many occasions both for Liverpool and in the second tier with Bournemouth.

The Athletic's Leeds reporter Phil Hay claimed this week that Leeds hold an interest in the defender who will cost £10m to sign this summer and revealed that he is a player that Farke has been interested in the past during his time at Norwich City.

Will Leeds sign Nathaniel Phillips this summer?

There is no doubt that improvements need to be made at Elland Road this summer following a real struggle to compete in the Premier League last season and one of the most important areas to repair is the defensive presence in the squad.

No other team in the entire top-flight conceded more goals than Leeds last season (78) despite the side scoring the second-highest amount of goals in the bottom half of the table (48), which is a testament to the troubles their defensive players found themselves in during the fight against relegation.

As a result, the signing of Phillips could be a great opportunity to strengthen and improve the back-line this summer and with the exit of Robin Koch confirmed would be a welcomed new addition.

Whilst Phillips' sporadic appearances at Liverpool make it hard to measure his impact in the Premier League, his six-month loan spell at Bournemouth in their Championship-winning season gives a glimpse of what Leeds can expect from his huge presence in his centre-back role.

Over 17 appearances during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign, the 26-year-old tallied up an 82% pass completion rate, kept eight clean sheets and successfully completed 50% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 4.1 clearances, 1.5 interceptions, 76.1 touches and 5.9 duels won per game, proving that he is a dominant and solid defender when given consistent game-time.

Not only that, the Bolton-born titan has earned high praise from Jurgen Klopp, with the Liverpool manager full of compliments for his out-of-favour centre-back after his display against West Ham United a few seasons ago, stating:

"In the air, he's a monster! He was incredible."

With that being said, it would be a great piece of business for Leeds if they could secure the services of Phillips and with consistent minutes at Elland Road could play a vital role in improving the defensive performances next season.

Unlike the team’s 2013 and 2015 IPL title runs, in 2017 Mumbai did not rely on individual brilliance to carry them to the championship, a point of pride for Rohit Sharma

Arun Venugopal in Hyderabad21-May-2017Mumbai Indians’ third IPL title was a product of a united group combining teamwork with intelligence, their captain Rohit Sharma believes, and this was best exemplified by their plucky one-run win over Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2017 final on Sunday night. While Mumbai’s earlier title wins in 2013 and 2015 were driven by strong individual performances, Rohit took pride in how the latest conquest was achieved by a collective assault.”I personally feel it is how you prepare at the start of the tournament – getting your combinations right and going on to the field is the most critical part of winning the tournament,” Rohit said. “Individual brilliance can win you a few games, but what is required to win this championship is team unity, team work and intelligence.”We spoke about it at the start of the tournament. If you look at the first two titles we won, we probably had one batsman in the top five [leading run-getters]. We didn’t have [even] one batsman in the top-five this time which is a little bit sad, but that goes to show that different individuals have come up at different times and taken up responsibility. That is the hallmark of this team, especially this year.”We’ve never relied on one individual to win us the game. Today was the perfect example. The bowling unit came in together. Again, we have got a few youngsters, a few inexperienced players and a few legends in our bowling unit. It was a combination of both, and we gelled quite nicely. We mixed it up nicely.”In their previous two finals, Mumbai set a target and let the bowlers do their thing. So when Rohit elected to bat on Sunday night, they were merely sticking to a tried and tested template.”In a big game, it’s good to put runs on the board,” he said. “The history at this place is such that there have been 200 runs scored in an innings and also just 140. So if you don’t bat well, you won’t make a big target.” There was acknowledgement in the team talk at the halfway mark that, with 130, they had given themselves only a below-par total to defend. But, that wouldn’t deflate their morale.”I don’t think we applied ourselves too well. Our target was between 140 and 160. If we had tried to overreach to 180, then you could’ve been bowled out for 120,” Rohit said. “So our talk was that we try and make 140 so we may even get to 160. One-hundred and sixty on this wicket would’ve been a match-winning score, as you saw.”When you are playing on a slow pitch, it’s important to believe you can defend any target when you are fielding. So that was the talk when we came into the change room after our poor batting display. We spoke about how we played our last game against one of the better batting units in the tournament – KKR – and bowled them out for 105 [107]. Why can’t we do it here? The guys knew the challenge but they rose to the occasion”.Mumbai’s defence began in nervy fashion with a few fielding lapses. The most glaring mistake was made by Krunal Pandya, who fluffed a simple chance offered by Ajinkya Rahane, who was then on 14, at short extra-cover in the fourth over. Rahane went on to make 44. Rohit said the team had to regroup at the first strategic time-out and address the anxiety. The message was simple: don’t overreach, just force the batsmen to make mistakes.”When you are defending such a low target, it’s so important for the fielders to try and create some magic – taking a brilliant catch or stopping those crucial runs,” Rohit said. “We spoke about it in the change room that we wanted to add 20 runs extra with our fielding. But yeah, the first ten overs we were a little sloppy in the field.”These things can happen, sometimes you are so nervous you try and overdo it. [During] the break we had after six overs, we just got together and asked everyone to be calm. You can’t come and play your shots; it’s such a slow wicket. We always had that belief that things can change anytime.”We had to stay in the game for 20 overs. [It] didn’t matter if they create a partnership for 10 overs or whatever, we wanted to stay in the game. One wicket here and there and things can change. And that’s exactly what happened. We squeezed in and spinners came in and bowled those dot balls, created pressure, which made them play big shots. That’s where they made mistakes.”Rohit Sharma: ‘We always knew we had a great backup in Johnson’•BCCI

One of the key architects of Mumbai’s successful night with the ball was Mitchell Johnson. Entrusted with defending 10 runs off the last over, Johnson conceded four runs off the first ball but hit back with the wickets of Manoj Tiwary and Pune captain Steven Smith off successive deliveries. With four required to win off the last ball, Johnson held his nerve.”Mitchell McClenaghan, who was playing well for us, was injured and unfortunately he couldn’t find a place in the finals, but we always knew we had a great backup in Johnson, who is again a proven customer,” Rohit said. “He has done it for Australia and Mumbai as well. He has been in this atmosphere as well. I could happily rely on him when I needed him the most. The last over was very crucial. Steven Smith was set, batting really well. So is Dan Christian, he has played against him on many occasions.Rohit also lauded the Pandya brothers – Krunal and Hardik – for contributing in every facet of the game. While Hardik has played the finisher’s role and scored 250 runs at a strike rate of 156.25, Krunal has clicked with both bat and ball in the tournament. He made 243 runs from 11 innings with the bat and picked up 10 wickets while being the team’s second most economical bowler behind Harbhajan Singh. In the final, it was his 38-ball 47 that nudged Mumbai towards a decent total following which he bowled a typically tight spell of left-arm spin.”I think both Pandya brothers have something special in them,” Rohit said. “When you see them on the field, they are so excited to play the game. They want to contribute in some or the other way. It’s just not about bowling or batting; they contribute in fielding as well which is such a critical part in this format.”Krunal has become mature now. Last year he was nervous to start with. Now he knows he is a core member of the squad. He just goes out and plays freely. He has got no pressure. Of course, if you drop the catch, there is a chance of coming back and bowling a good over. That’s exactly what he did.”

Paul Stirling, with his maiden Championship century, and Sam Robson put Middlesex in control against Yorkshire

Tim Wigmore at Lord's19-Jun-2017
ScorecardOn Thursday, Ireland’s Test status is expected to be confirmed at The Oval. At London’s other great cricket fiefdom, Paul Stirling provided more welcome news for Ireland: his maiden County Championship century. With Sam Robson serene at the other end in an alliance of 187 which could be match-shaping, the upshot was a perfect day for Middlesex’s bowlers, who had no need to take the field in the scorching sun.Stirling has long been a curious case in first-class cricket. The talent that earned him two ODI centuries against Pakistan before his 23rd birthday has not been in doubt. Yet the discrepancy between his first-class and limited overs returns for Middlesex – before this innings, he averaged 27.77 for the county against the red ball, but 41.46 in one-day cricket – has been infuriating.He has been shuffled around the order, struggled badly when used as an opener in 2015, and suffered from the sheer strength of Middlesex’s batting. Ireland commitments, which have limited his availability and made it tricky for a fringe player to return to the side, have been another complication.He chose an opportune moment to transfer his formidable limited-overs record to the red-ball game. Middlesex have had a curiously underwhelming start to their Championship defence since beginning the season with a round off; their opening five games have brought one defeat and four draws. And at Lord’s they had to confront Yorkshire’s bowling attack with a slightly cobbled-together batting line-up. They were missing three of their normal top five – Nick Gubbins, who’s with England Lions; Dawid Malan, who’s with England; and Adam Voges, who’s with the physio.A good time, then, for Stirling to play a breakthrough innings. In these conditions – the green tinge on the pitch was deceptive, just as in Middlesex’s last Championship game here – he does not need to adapt his limited-overs game much to excel in the first-class arena. His timing, punching the ball through the off side while scarcely bothering to move his feet, was impeccable. This was a distillation of how Stirling can use his natural strengths in red-ball cricket: he greeted Adam Lyth’s offspin by thumping him over mid-on for six and then, with the man moved back, calmly pushed his next delivery to long on for a single.”There’s a lot of people competing. It’s a tough gig to get in,” said Stirling. “I need to score a bit more consistently but I don’t want to take away from my instinct of playing attacking cricket which is the balance that I want to find. James Franklin just told me to take my tempo from one-day cricket into the red-ball game.”A straight drive off Ryan Sidebottom, punched past his follow-through, was the shot of a man too good to be playing his red-ball cricket in the second eleven. His own form, combined with Voges’ injury, means that Stirling will now get the opportunity to prove as much once and of all.Just before Stirling had the joy of a maiden first-class century at Lord’s, Robson completed his tenth at the ground, on which he averages almost 50. It was an innings of typically understated excellence; Robson’s purring cover drives, precise late cuts and sumptuous clips to midwicket have long since been staples of the Lord’s summer. There could be more to come in this innings, too: Robson, spilled sharply by Jack Brooks off his own bowling on 31, ended unbeaten on 152, his gluttony undimmed.Yorkshire were relatively blameless, such is the quality of the Lord’s pitch. Curiously, given that Middlesex took lunch on 82 for 2, it is on their bowling performance in the morning session that Yorkshire will reflect on with least satisfaction. It was a little too easy for Middlesex’s openers to leave the ball alone – something the recalled Nick Compton did plenty of while taking 24 balls over his first run – and set up a position from which Robson and Stirling could flourish.

أكد الدولي المصري السابق ومحلل شبكة “beIN SPORTS”، محمد أبو تريكة، أن الإرهاق والعامل البدني للاعبي آرسنال، يعد هو السبب الرئيسي لخسارة اليوم أمام أستون فيلا.

وخسر آرسنال أمام نظيره أستون فيلا بنتيجة 2/0، في إطار منافسات الجولة الـ33 من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، على ملعب الامارات.

وتجمد رصيد آرسنال عند النقطة 71 في المركز الثاني في سلم ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

اقرأ ايضاً.. فيديو | آرسنال يخسر أمام أستون فيلا ويُهدي صدارة الدوري الإنجليزي لـ مانشستر سيتي

وقال محمد أبو تريكة خلال الأستوديو التحليلي بشبكة قنوات “بي إن سبورتس”: “أستون فيلا فاجأني أمام آرسنال، فوزه اليوم هو فوز مستحق وهي ضربة قوية لآرسنال، لكن هل سيتمكن آرسنال من استعادة توازنه أم لا؟ الإجابة ستكون في مواجهة بايرن ميونخ”.

وأكد أبو تريكة: “لاعبو آرسنال كان لديهم إرهاق اليوم بسبب مباراة بايرن ميونخ أما لاعبو استون فيلا كان لديهم راحة طويلة واستعدوا لمواجهة آرسنال جيداً”.

وأشار أبو تريكة: “أستون فيلا من الناحية التكتيكية يعتبر من أفضل الفرق الحالية، فريق لديه هوية وأسلوب لعب ويملك لاعبين مميزين وخبرة مثل واتكينز وماجين ومارتنينيز الحارس وتيليمانس”.

وأضاف قائلاً: “أستون فيلا يعتبر من فرق القمة هو ينافس على المركز الرابع والصعود لدوري أبطال أوروبا هو ليس مثل كريستال بالاس أو لوتون تاون”.

واختتم قائلاً: “من الطبيعي أن يفوز أستون فيلا أمام آرسنال لكن ليس من الطبيعي أن يخسر ليفربول ضد كريستال بالاس وأعتبر هذه النتيجة مفاجأة كبيرة لي”.

Southampton will 'expect' the likes of defender Duje Caleta-Car to leave St Mary's Stadium this summer ahead of their return to the Sky Bet Championship, according to Daily Express reporter Ryan Taylor.

Will Duje Caleta-Car leave Southampton this summer?

According to Turkish outlet Fanatik, Caleta-Car could follow his ex-teammate Mislav Orsic to Trabzonspor this summer, with an initial loan deal said to be on the table for the £40k-a-week ace.

Pianet Genoa via Football Italia claim that Serie A side Genoa have approached Southampton over the possibility of signing Caleta-Car this window, with a loan deal including an option-to-buy floated as a solution to end his woes on the South Coast.

Caleta Car only joined Southampton last year from Marseille in a deal worth £8 million, signing a four-year contract at the club, as per The Daily Mail. Former boss Ralph Hassenhuttl spoke highly of the Croatia international upon his arrival, stating to the media: "Duje is already a very established and experienced player, who has done an impressive job at his previous clubs. 'He is a big presence on the pitch and he will bring even more quality into our centre-back group."

Nevertheless, Caleta Car couldn't stop Southampton's eventual relegation despite scoring twice in 20 appearances across all competitions in his debut campaign, as per Transfermarkt.

Now, the Sibenik-born defender looks set for a fresh challenge ahead of 2023/24 and it looks as if it'll only be a matter of time before his next destination becomes apparent.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Daily Express reporter Taylor agrees with the notion that Caleta-Car will be moved on and adds that he expects several other players to leave Southampton.

Taylor said: "I think there are some that will leave. I expect players like Caleta-Car to leave. Obviously, Lavia would be a great sell for Southampton because they can generate a lot of cash there.

"There's Walker-Peters as well. I think he'll get a Premier League move because he is a very solid defender. Ward-Prowse would also generate cash, so I think the future is bright for Southampton."

Who else could leave Southampton this window and where could they go?

In an unfortunate situation, it looks like open season has descended on the South Coast as several of their first-team players attract interest from the Premier League and beyond owing to Southampton's relegation.

The Daily Mail report that West Ham United have made a 'verbal offer' for Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse as the Hammers look to replace ex-captain Declan Rice.

Examining the case of young Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, both Arsenal and Liverpool are set to push each other all the way in their attempts to land the Belgium international, according to Football Insider.

Telegraph Sport claimed last month that Ryan Fraser could be offered up to Southampton as part of a swap deal that would see Tino Livramento move to Newcastle United.

Of course, the Saints have made inroads into building a new-look squad for the upcoming season, with Shea Charles and Ryan Manning arriving at St Mary's from Manchester City and Swansea City, respectively.

Nevertheless, the next few weeks will prove to be telling for the Saints as several of their star players get set to walk through the exit door at the club.

Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta are keen on signing Montpellier forward Elye Wahi but face stiff competition for his signature, according to reports out of France.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners have been very busy so far this transfer window as sporting director Edu attempts to back Arteta with marquee additions. Arsenal fell just short of the title to eventual treble-winners Man City last season, despite being in pole position for much of the 2022/2023 campaign.

In response, they've taken swiftly to the transfer market, having put pen to paper on deals for the likes of Kai Havertz from Chelsea, defender Jurrien Timber and a club-record £105 million deal for Declan Rice from West Ham United.

The latter player represents a significant signing for Arteta in particular, with the 24-year-old becoming England's most expensive ever player ahead of both Jack Grealish (Man City) and Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid).

More signings haven't been ruled out, either, as the north Londoners maintain an interest in Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia among others, Though reports suggest they're now looking more at outgoings to balance the books, it is believed Arteta and co are eyeing an electric young striker.

According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, both Arsenal and Newcastle hold an interest in signing Wahi from Montpellier this summer. It is believed the Frenchman is being targeted by both sides, but they may need to hurry and formalise that interest if they're serious.

Strasbourg, recently bought by Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, will attempt to sign the 20-year-old who is also on the list of Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt – if the latter side manage to sell Randal Kolo Muani.

Sharing more on Arsenal's interest, the outlet explains that the north Londoners also have to make a sale before moving for Wahi.

Foot Mercato wrote:

"On the England side, Arsenal (which must sell Folarin Balogun) but also Newcastle (always on the lookout for a good shot) are also on the lookout,"

"Trained at the club, the seventh top scorer in Ligue 1 during the 2022-2023 financial year is, in any case, on the verge of a new challenge in his young career."

How good is Elye Wahi?

The promising young attacker, who bagged a brilliant 19 goals and five assists in 33 Ligue 1 appearances last season, has been praised by members of the media and club chiefs alike for his sky high potential.

"He was two or three years ahead of his peers in terms of what he could do," explains Pierre Ville, former Suresnes club president, to GOAL.

"He quickly outclassed them.

"During a tournament that we hosted, I saw him score a volley with the ball falling vertically out of the sky, like watching [Zinedine] Zidane in the 2002 Champions League final, but the boy was just 11 years old!"

Meanwhile, journalist Andrés Onrubia Ramos has called Wahi a "real beast" of a forward who will "definitely explode".

Ramos wrote on Twitter:

"Elye Wahi (2003). If he manages to polish the definition, we are facing a striker who is going to exceed ten goals per season. A real beast in space that, in addition, associatively also leaves interesting things. It should definitely explode."

It seems Chelsea and its new chaotic ownership are addicted to the headlines.

Relentlessly lurching from one transfer to the next, their commitment to constantly improving is fascinating.

Predominantly, the club has targeted the world’s most exciting young players, with the occasional, more experienced player also added into the mix.

"They've got a twin-track policy," explains Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol. "They go around the world buying up the best young players and they're going to carry on doing that but they want to buy ready-made players as well."

With this in mind, Boehly has done it again, and in an attempt to award Mauricio Pochettino the best chance of progression, he is eyeing a sensational reunion with Neymar.

What’s the latest on Neymar to Chelsea?

According to Le Parisien, the Blues are interested in signing the former Barcelona trickster this summer.

It has been suggested by a different outlet in Spain that Paris Saint-Germain may listen to offers of around €60m (£52m) for the Brazilian.

The soap opera that constantly envelopes the French juggernaut has been heightened in recent weeks due to Kylian Mbappe’s ongoing disputes with the club’s hierarchy. Whilst he reportedly refuses to sign a new deal but wants to stay for another year, the board has ruled out the possibility of losing him on a free transfer.

It remains to be seen how Neymar will react to the fanfare surrounding the loss of arguably the greatest player in the world. The 31-year-old has already seen his two-time former teammate Lionel Messi depart after receiving a torrent of abuse from a fractured and unpredictable fanbase.

Somehow, PSG has done the unthinkable – they have managed to make Chelsea look like a more stable environment and if a deal materialised for Neymar it would be one of the most eye-catching transfers in Premier League history.

Who can Neymar replace at Chelsea?

In an injury-hit season, the winger still retained his impeccable consistency, as he notched 35 goal contributions in just 29 appearances in all competitions.

Meanwhile, the term ‘consistency’ and these sorts of numbers are two things Raheem Sterling could only dream of as he endured the most miserable time of his senior career.

After comfortably surpassing double figures for league goals in each of his last five campaigns, the Englishman scored just six times in his debut campaign for the west Londoners.

In terms of creativity and productivity, the former Santos star massively outperforms the Englishman – the notable metrics are shot-creating actions per 90 (6.18 vs 3.14), progressive passes per 90 (9.41 vs 3.39), progressive carries per 90 (4.58 vs 3.71), successful take-ons per 90 (2.25 vs 1.54), and assists per 90 (0.56 vs 0.14).

It is a damning reflection of the steep decline that Sterling has experienced in recent times and a clear indication of Neymar’s ridiculous quality.

Whilst it likely remains just a sensational dream for the latter man to play English football, he would undoubtedly add a new level of flair and skill to a hugely underperforming frontline.

Described as “unstoppable” by Messi, it would be mouth-watering to see how Premier League defences would cope with one of football’s most dazzling technicians.

ScorecardLuke Fletcher took four Glamorgan wickets [file picture]•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire assumed total control on day two of their Specsavers’ County Championship game against Glamorgan at the SSE Swalec in Cardiff.Having reached 448 all out with the bat, thanks to half centuries from Chris Read and Brett Hutton, they bowled out Glamorgan for 187 and will choose overnight whether or not to enforce the follow on.The Welsh county have yet to win a four-day game this season and on the evidence of their performance on day two, a change of fortune looks highly unlikely. In fact, if they attempt as many high risk shots in their second innings as they did in the first, they will do well to take the game past tea.Aneurin Donald, Glamorgan’s only batsman to pass 50, said: “I felt pretty good out there, but it was criminal to get out in the way I did and when I did. We bowled well for two sessions on Friday and then we lost our way a bit. Today we stuffed up with the bat and didn’t get the job done.”Although the morning’s play was fragmented due to a couple of heavy rain showers and injuries to both Read and Hutton, Notts arrived at lunch on 389 for 6. Hutton, who was struck on the head by Marchant de Lange was the more aggressive of the two players, whilst Read, who reached his 50 off 71 balls with eight fours and a six, thereafter set off in careful pursuit of a three figures.After an early lunch had been taken due to heavy rain, the seventh wicket pair upped the tempo with Read, who was forced to have a runner after damaging a hip, playing a secondary role to Hutton who passed 50 from 80 balls, with six fours.Read eventually departed, at 427 for 7, caught by Will Bragg off the bowling of Lukas Carey for 88 and thereafter, Glamorgan enjoyed their most productive spell of thye day.Stuart Broad was bowled by Colin Ingram for seven, Hutton top-edged Carey to de Lange at backward point for 61 and Harry Gurney was comprehensively bowled by Timm van der Gutgen for one.Van der Gutgen was the pick of the Glamorgan bowlers, finishing with figures of 5 for 101. Carey helped himself to 3 for 100.Keen to make early inroads, with the ball, Notts took less than eight overs to make the initial breakthrough. Luke Fletcher, bowling from the River End, had Nick Selman caught behind by stand-in wicket keeper Rikki Wessels for 7. Thereafter, Glamorgan lost wickets at regular intervals.Bragg committed cricketing suicide when running himself out for five at 20 for 2 and though the host county were only two wickets down at tea, their plight worsened thereafter.Ingram departed for nine, caught by Steven Mullaney off Hutton at 47 for 3, before captain Jacques Rudolph (25) edged Gurney to Wessels at 51 for 4.David Lloyd and Donald batted with a degree of aggression and application to take the Welsh county past the 100 mark in the 34th over, but after Lloyd was caught at slip by Mullaney off the bowling of Broad, for 34, Chris Cooke had his off stump knocked back by the England seamer to leave Glamorgan on 125 for 6.Any faint hope Glamorgan might have had of avoiding the follow on disappeared when Donald (53) pulled Fletcher to the mid wicket boundary where substitute Luke Wood pulled off a remarkable one handed catch.De Lange followed, caught in a similar position, by Cheteshwar Pujara at 158 for 8 and after van der Gutgen gifted Samit Patel his first wicket, shortly after, Carey was last man out at 187, leaving Notts with a first innings lead of 261.

India’s lower order propelled them to 600 before their bowlers left Sri Lanka five down and 247 short of the follow-on mark at stumps on day two

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy27-Jul-20171:38

Maharoof: Disappointed by Gunathilaka and Mendis dismissals

Swing, seam, pace and bounce. Dip, drift, turn and bounce. Ingredients that seemed largely absent when India piled on 600, their second-highest total in Sri Lanka, haunted the home side in their reply, as they ended the second day of the Galle Test five down with the follow-on mark still 247 runs away.Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami took the top order apart, even as Upul Tharanga hurtled along with a profusion of silken off-side boundaries. Then came R Ashwin, going around the wicket to left and right-handers alike, harnessing the sea breeze and testing both edges with drift, swinging arm balls, and the occasional instance of sharp turn. Over the course of an unbroken spell of 18 overs, he gradually discovered the ideal pace and angle of seam to extract the maximum possible help from the Galle pitch, and could have easily ended the day with more than one wicket.Umesh gave India their first breakthrough, in the second over of Sri Lanka’s innings. Swing did Dimuth Karunaratne in, a full ball curling back into the left-hander from over the wicket and forcing him to play around his front pad. He missed and reviewed Bruce Oxenford’s lbw decision, a wasted referral given there was no inside edge, and that the ball had pitched on middle stump and had straightened down that line.R Ashwin got drift and dip to be a constant threat•AFPFor a time, Danushka Gunathilaka, making his Test debut, matched Tharanga shot for shot, as the two left-handers drove repeatedly on the up during a second-wicket partnership of 61 at just under five an over. But he played one shot too many, feet rooted to the crease as he flashed at, and edged, a Shami delivery angled across him.Kusal Mendis, in at No. 4, had the misfortune of getting a Shami special when he was still to get off the mark. It hit the seam in the corridor, seamed away slightly with some extra bounce, and all he could do was nick it. Two times in five balls, Shikhar Dhawan was the catcher at first slip.The next two wickets fell during Ashwin’s long and endlessly tormenting spell. The first began with his drift and dip beating Tharanga in the air. Having jumped out of his crease and inside-edged into his pad, he turned and hurried back as the ball rolled towards Abhinav Mukund at silly point. Abhinav flicked the ball to the keeper, and when the bails came off, Tharanga’s bat, after a momentary grounding on the dive, had bounced up. A cruel end to an innings of 64 and a 57-run fourth-wicket stand with Mathews.Then came the wicket of another left-hander, Niroshan Dickwella, who pressed forward but found himself nowhere near the pitch of the ball, thanks to Ashwin’s dip. Extra bounce grabbed the shoulder of his jabbing defensive bat, and Mukund, diving right at silly point, took a superb, low one-hander.Mathews struggled initially against Ashwin, and on 32 survived an lbw decision reviewed by India when ball-tracking returned an umpire’s call verdict. He slowly grew in assurance, and ended the day batting on 54 with Dilruwan Perera for company. With Asela Gunaratne, who fractured his left thumb on the first day, unlikely to bat, Sri Lanka have quite a task ahead of them.An improved bowling display from Sri Lanka, led by Nuwan Pradeep, who finished with 6 for 132, threatened at various points to limit India’s total. But the lower order, led by Ashwin and the debutant Hardik Pandya, kept counter-punching.India lost both their overnight batsmen, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, inside 12 overs of the morning, both out to seam. Away-seam and extra bounce from Nuwan Pradeep found Pujara’s edge on 153, while Rahane, driving away from his body at a rare full ball from Lahiru Kumara, edged to slip.Despite the selection of Pandya, India stuck with Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha at Nos. 6 and 7, trusting their experience and proven firefighting abilities ahead of the debutant’s promise. Ashwin and Saha had put on three fifty partnerships and one double-century stand, and averaged 47.50 as a pair since the start of 2016. They combined once again to stall Sri Lanka’s momentum, adding 59 for the sixth wicket.Not for the first time in his career, Ashwin began finding the gaps almost as soon as he walked in, and took three fours from successive Herath overs, twice driving him through the off side and once stepping out to clip him between midwicket and mid-on. In all, he would hit seven fours in a 60-ball 47.Both fell in the space of six balls, with lunch imminent, and when Pradeep took his sixth wicket after the break, cleaning up Ravindra Jadeja with the bouncer-yorker double, Sri Lanka may have hoped for a quick end to the innings.As it turned out, India’s last two wickets added 83 in 71 balls in a burst of six-hitting. The quicks leaked runs in an effort to pepper the lower order with the short ball, and Herath kept get hitting back over his head, notably by Mohammed Shami who hit him for three sixes. Pandya hit three sixes too, all off Pradeep, two hooked over backward square leg and one whipped over midwicket.The dismissal of Shami, caught on the square-leg boundary off Kumara, ended a ninth-wicket stand of 62, but Sri Lanka’s ordeal wasn’t yet over. Umesh Yadav, India’s No. 11, also joined in the hitting spree, taking Kumara for a big six down the ground and Herath for the lofted four that brought up India’s 600.Pandya, who had brought up his half-century, off 48 balls, in the same Herath over, fell soon after, finding deep square leg while going after another short ball from Kumara.

Since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over at the club, Wrexham have enjoyed the Hollywood treatment, with fireworks on and off the pitch, culminating in promotion back to the Football League.

Now in League Two, manager Phil Parkinson and co will be hoping to earn back-to-back promotions next season in what would be an incredible campaign. With the summer transfer window well underway, too, they could yet welcome reinforcements to stick to the script of potential glory.

So far this summer, the Welsh club have welcomed Will Boyle from Championship outfit Huddersfield Town, representing quite the coup for the League Two side.

What's more, in an exciting new development, a change in the rules regarding players receiving visas could see Wrexham target players in America, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What did Ben Jacobs say about Wrexham?

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Jacobs said: "A rule change in terms of getting visas also allows Wrexham to now explore the US market as well.

"So I would keep an eye on that, to see whether Wrexham bring on board any American players. That might be one to watch over the coming weeks."

Of course, the club have been spending part of their pre-season in America, squaring up against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, so they would have had plenty of time to potentially take a look at the talent on show around them.

The new rule will allow them to bring in a certain number of players who do not meet the requirements for work permits. Premier League and Championship sides can sign up to four such players, whilst League One and League Two sides can sign up to two.

As of right now, it remains to be seen just who walks through the door at Wrexham this summer, but the rule change at least gives them the chance to really explore the talent in America.

How much are Wrexham worth?

Paying a reported £2m for the club back in 2021, Reynolds and McElhenney have since seen their investment go up in value. The club is now reportedly worth 300% more than the initial price that the Hollywood stars paid in 2021.

It's no wonder that the club has increased to such a level, in truth, following their National League win, with sponsorship deals such as the one with Tiktok also helping financially.

The fact is, Reynolds and McElhenney's continued presence, alongside Wrexham's success on the pitch, has quickly started to awaken a sleeping giant in English football.

Those at the club will hope to take things up another level next season, as they seek consecutive promotions. If they can get to League One, they'd be just two promotions away from the Premier League.

To go from the National League to the third tier of English football in the space of only a handful of seasons would feel like one of the quickest rises in English football history.

They've got the star power in the stands to do it. Now, it remains to be seen whether Parkinson can welcome the right personnel to get the job done on the pitch for the Welsh side on the up.