A round-up of the final round of Ranji Trophy matches from Group B on December 7, 2016
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2016
Vinay Kumar overtook Madan Lal to become the leading wicket-taker among seamers in Ranji Trophy history•Getty Images
A total of 18 wickets fell in Vadodara as four wickets each from medium-pacers Sumit Narwal and Pradeep Sangwan saw Saurashtra fold for 92 before Delhi went to stumps on 194 for 8 with a 102-run lead.Delhi, who need an outright win to be assured of a playoff spot, chose to field. Wicketkeeper Snell Patel (26) and Kishan Parmar (12) scored 24 runs for the first wicket, but the latter’s dismissal saw Saurashtra quickly fall to 35 for 4. Narwal and Sangwan removed the top seven batsmen, before part-time offspinner Nitish Rana took two wickets with the score on 81 in the 30th over. Saurashtra folded for 92 inside 34 overs. Prerak Mankad top-scored for the third Saurashtra innings in a row with his 33.Shikhar Dhawan and Gautam Gambhir opened Delhi’s innings and were out in consecutive overs after scoring 16 runs each. Their wickets were part of a collapse that saw Delhi go from 38 for no loss to 57 for 4. Rishabh Pant then hit a 28-ball 40 to take Delhi past Saurashtra’s score before Kushang Patel had him caught. Kushang finished the day with four wickets as he troubled Delhi’s middle order who were 128 for 7 at one stage, before a 62-run stand for the eighth wicket between Manan Sharma (33) and Sangwan (39*) took them to stumps with a sizable lead.Vinay Kumar took his third five-wicket haul this season as Karnataka dismissed Maharashtra for 163 before finishing the day on 67 for 1 in Mohali. The spell also saw him move past Madan Lal’s tally of 351 wickets to become the leading wicket-taker among seamers in Ranji Trophy history.Maharashtra, who also need an outright win to qualify, were put into bat. Openers Swapnil Gugale (25) and Rohit Motwani (32) added 42 runs for the first wicket before the former was caught behind off Stuart Binny. The next six overs saw only 3 runs, before Vinay picked up three middle-order wickets as Maharashtra lost six batsmen before they reached 100. Motwani, the innings’ top scorer, was removed by Binny as the team’s seventh dismissal on 113, which was followed by a brief resistance from the lower order before they were wrapped up for 163.Although Karnataka lost debutant opener Arjun Hoysala in the first over to Anupam Sanklecha, his partner Ravikumar Samarth (33*) put on 67 with Kaunain Abbas (30*) to cut Karnataka’s deficit to 96 runs.Noida saw only 46 overs of play due to inclement conditions. Play only began after the scheduled lunch time, and Rajasthan were bowled out for 140 by Vidarbha.Each of Vidarbha’s five bowlers had wickets to their name, as Rajasthan’s wickets fell within 98 runs after openers Amitkumar Gautam (18) and Manendar Singh (27) had put up 42 runs for the first wicket. This included collapses of 4 for 5 and 6 for 50 on either side of a 43-run fifth wicket stand between Rajat Bhatia (26) and Siddharth Dobal (19). Left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate finished with 3 for 22 while Shrikant Wagh, Rajneesh Gurbani and Lalit Yadav took two wickets each.In response, Vidarbha openers Sanjay Ramaswamy and Faiz Fazal played out the day’s last four overs and took them to stumps on 14 for no loss.
علق مجدي عبد الغني، نجم منتخب مصر السابق والإعلامي الحالي، على أزمة انضمام محمد صلاح قائد الفراعنة للمعسكر المُقبل، موجهًا نصيحة لـ حسام وإبراهيم حسن.
وكان ليفربول قد أرسل خطابًا رسميًا للاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، يطلب فيه عدم استدعاء محمد صلاح لمعسكر مارس المُقبل، بسبب استمرار عملية تأهيله عقب الإصابة التي تعرض لها مؤخرًا، ولكن حسام حسن مدرب الفراعنة أعلن استدعاء اللاعب.
وقال عبد الغني في تصريحات عبر برنامجه “ملعب الشمس”، على قناة “الشمس”: “أشرف صبحي يوأد الفتنة، حسام وإبراهيم حسن في تحد كبير ولا يريدان أن يفشلا، ويعشقان النجاح، لكن هذه دورة ودية نحن لا نختبر محمد صلاح”.
طالع أيضًا | منتخب مصر يفشل في الاتصال بـ محمد صلاح
وتابع: “فلو محمد صلاح أراد أن ينضم للبطولة الودية أهلًا وسهلًا، وإذا أراد أن يواصل التأهيل في ليفربول فلا مانع، لن نفعلها أزمة، هذه مباريات ودية، لا نحتاج أن نضم صلاح لنراه مع الفريق، لأنه نجم النجوم وأيقونة مصر”.
وأضاف: “علينا أن نوأد الفتنة، وحسام وإبراهيم عليهما ألا ينشغلا بأي صراعات غير تكوين فريق محترم (عشان محدش يتلككلهم) اختارا الجهاز الذي يريدانه، أطلب منكم التركيز حتى تنجحا، لا تشغلا ذهنكما بـ موقف محمد صلاح”.
واختتم: “محمد صلاح لو سليم يشرف وهو قائد منتخب مصر على رأسنا جميعًا، ولو ليس جاهزا يستكمل علاجه في ليفربول، على حسام وإبراهيم أن يقولا ذلك”.
Virat Kohli has rated India’s players eliminating their hunger for personal milestones as a major highlight of his tenure as Test captain
Sidharth Monga in Mumbai12-Dec-20162:10
Captain Kohli’s winning streak continues
Virat Kohli has rated India’s players eliminating their hunger for personal milestones in favour of the team’s cause as a major highlight of his tenure as Test captain.India sealed the series against England 3-0 in Mumbai with one match still left, and despite what the scoreline suggests they have had to work very hard. They lost three tosses out of four, they have made comebacks with the bat and their bowlers had to be highly disciplined to take wickets on good pitches. Kohli felt getting the better of such difficult situations required a bit of selflessness.”One thing that I really wanted the team to do was express themselves in Test matches and not think about personal performances,” he said, when asked what uncertainties he had when taking over the captaincy and when he thought he had nailed them. “Because a lot of the times, you have an hour in the Test match where you can take the game away and you are still not willing to go for it because you are close to your milestone or things like that. These are the things that we have gotten out of our system completely.”We just look at the situation and play and that’s why we have been in winning positions more often than not. Even with the teams that we have played, we have made quite a few changes and the guys have bought into it. So as a captain that gives you total freedom to play the XI according to the conditions that you are going to play in, and the ultimate aim has been to win games and win series.”The other demand Kohli made of his men was to not be satisfied with winning one Test in a series and sitting on the lead. “That’s why we have won five [series] in a row,” he said. “And as I said, it’s been an outstanding effort by the guys so far. Long it may continue because we are going to play for another eight-10 years, and this mindset needs to continue for us to be a top-quality consistent side.”Kohli was delighted that India’s bowlers were able to do very well on fair pitches•AFP
Considering the effort India had to put in – across three back-to-back Tests – on fair pitches, Kohli believed the 3-0 over England was the team’s best result in recent times.”Out of the five that we’ve won, this is the best by far,” he said. “Because of the quality of the opposition, and the kind of cricket that we’ve played as well. We’re very proud of that, and for me as a captain, this is definitely on top.”I think the pitches have been far more true than the New Zealand series. That is something that I observed immediately. All wickets have been good cricket wickets and we have had to play good cricket to win these three Tests, and none of the matches have been surrendered by the opposition. We have had to work hard for it, and the bowlers have had to work harder in this series, I feel, to get batsmen out and to control the flow of runs as well. We have used more in-out fields in this series than we did in the New Zealand series so it’s pretty evident that the wickets have been better.”Kohli was pleased with how India maintained constant pressure because England, he said, were not going to break down on their own. “We have been put under pressure many times,” he said. “I think I would give my team a lot of credit for bouncing back from those tough situations. We haven’t got anything on the platter. We have had to work hard for it. And it’s been a result of constant pressure that we have forced the opposition to make mistakes.”With the bat as well we have shown really good character to come back into the game, showing enough patience, more than the opposition, so I would credit my team more than calling it an easy series. No series win is easy, especially not this one. We know England is a quality Test side, and we knew that they would try to bounce back. Even in this game after being 2-0 down, they put 400 runs in the first innings. This is not a team that will throw in the towel. They will fight, and we saw another example of it. We were tested but we came out on top.”One of the key factors in the resilience India have shown with the bat has been Kohli himself. He has made 640 runs in four Tests, scoring a double-century on a square turner in Mumbai, a big ton from 22 for 2 in Visakhapatnam, and a scarcely believable 81 in the second innings when he kept hitting shooters for fours.Still Kohli cherishes his hundred in the second innings in Adelaide more. Chasing 364, he took India within striking distance of a win, but a collapse in the end left him heartbroken.Best of the lot: Kohli made 145 in Adelaide in December 2014•Getty Images
“I am still personally very attached to the one in Adelaide in the second innings because that was the beginning of this transition,” Kohli said. “This has been an on-going process, so I have only gained from the energy around in the change-room and from the team-mates as well. But this probably can be second-best, in my heart I still rate the one in Adelaide in the second innings higher than the ones I have scored elsewhere.”This innings was really satisfying. It was a test of patience. Knowing we are 2-0 up, we can’t be taking anything for granted going into the last Test. You don’t want to leave one Test with the opposition still having a chance to level the series. So from that sense, it was very important to wrap it up here.”Vijay was going great guns, I was enjoying batting with him but then that collapse happened in the middle. So all sort of things come into your head, whether you’re going to be able to reach 400 or if you want to get close to the target. The lead was never in mind at that stage, we just wanted to get close to 400.”Things shaped up nicely, and then we thought a 40-50 run lead will be great. But eventually, we got 231 of them. That for me was a revelation of me understanding that ‘yes, you can bat for longer periods than what you might have thought initially’. If you’re focused on what the team needs, you don’t realise, you don’t feel the tiredness, you don’t feel the fatigue. It’s all about what the team wants, and in that process, you can go on for longer than what you think otherwise.”An advantage for India in keeping a focus on those small targets was that it helped them not to get dragged into the “revenge series” that the marketing machinery kept building an England tour as.”That’s all for TRPs [ratings],” Kohli said. “I feel all these little visuals that you see on Star [host broadcaster] and TV before the series, a lot of the campaigns are pretty exciting for people to watch actually. They like those sort of things, people talking about the series and saying this one will thrash this one.”As cricketers, honestly, it’s far from what we think about. We understand how the game goes, and how minute these moments can be in Test cricket of winning and losing games. If you focus on that, you’re already taking your mind off what you’re going to do. These things are just to spice things up for viewers, which is great. It engages fans well, but as cricketers we should understand what to pay attention and what not to. We can’t expect these things not to be shown or displayed. It’s our responsibility to focus on our job and the viewer should get what they want, which is exciting cricket and the campaign should help things spice up a bit as well.”
Manchester United are in the midst of changing hands at ownership level and 'the process is moving' despite a lack of public clarity at Old Trafford, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
What's the latest ownership news involving Manchester United?
According to Reuters, Manchester United are in the process of negotiating an exclusivity agreement with Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and The Nine Two Foundation, who have been fighting to gain full control of the club.
The report states that a deal remains 'uncertain', though also intimates that Sheikh Jassim's offer is viewed more favourably by the Glazer family than that of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm INEOS.
ESPN claim that several minority investment funds remain in the running to plough financial capital into Manchester United and are waiting to see whether they have been successful in their endeavours to win the minds of the Glazers.
American-based investment firm Carlyle, US-based Elliott Management, American investment organisation Ares Management Corporation and global investment firm Sixth Street have all submitted various proposals for consideration.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs has stated that the takeover process is continuing on despite a lack of public clarity over the status of preferred bidders.
Jacobs told FFC: "So just because it's quiet and there may not be any public clarity doesn't mean things aren't moving behind the scenes. I was told that it was unlikely we would get any public clarity before the transfer window opened over the course of last weekend and that's proven to be the case. Although Manchester United fans are frustrated, the process is moving."
What next for Manchester United and Erik Ten Hag?
Ultimately, Erik Ten Hag and his playing squad will have no say in matters above their head and will instead focus on preparing themselves for 2023/24.
The Red Devils have published their retained list which details that both Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones will leave the club this summer upon the expiration of their contract. David De Gea remains in talks with the club over a new deal; however, his future remains unclear at present.
Man United's David De Gea
Identifying prospective arrivals will also be at the top of Ten Hag's agenda in the coming weeks and Mason Mount has emerged as a target for Manchester United, who saw a £40 million bid turned down by Chelsea as they try to acquire the England international, as per Telegraph Sport.
Manchester United were also keen on Tottenham Hotspur marksman Harry Kane, though it now looks like they have abandoned their pursuit due to Spurs' tough stance in negotiations, as per The Independent.
Whatever happens in the coming weeks and months, Manchester United look set for significant change as the ownership process continues at Old Trafford.
West Ham's season may only have finished a week ago with victory in the Europa Conference League final, but already preparations are in full swing for the 2023-24 campaign.
It may well be that the Hammers strengthen in every position in the summer window as they look to get their squad ready for another season of European football, while at the same time improving on last term's disappointing 14th-place finish in the Premier League.
In terms of central-defensive targets, links with Manchester United's Harry Maguire refuse to go away, but it may well be that West Ham have found an alternative in the same price bracket.
West Ham were first linked with Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie last month, although they may have to pay in the region of £50m if they are to sign him this summer.
Where would Piero Hincapie fit in at West Ham United?
Hincapie is also said to be on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and other Premier League clubs after a couple of impressive seasons in the Bundesliga.
The Ecuador international played 30 times for Leverkusen last season and showed his versatility by also filling in at left-back on ten occasions, as per WhoScored.
Leverkusen had one of the better defensive records in the German top flight last season, and Hincapie played a part in that with 0.73 shots blocked per 90 minutes, as per FBref, which was behind only Daley Sinkgraven (2.11) among his team-mates.
While Hincapie more than holds his own in terms of purely defensive statistics, ranked as he is in the top 10% among his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues for tackles per 90 minutes (2.32), he also catches the eye with his attacking play.
Indeed, with an average of 1.85 progressive carries – defined as moving the ball forward at least ten yards – the 21-year-old is among the top 3% compared to other centre-backs across the continent.
West Ham could do with that type of player in the heart of their defence, or indeed at full-back if required, with the impressive Nayef Aguerd appearing the best bet to partner him going forward should he arrive.
Hincapie completed 54.2 passes per 90 minutes on average last season, which compares to 37.4 for West Ham's highest-ranked defender – Thilo Kehrer – while also winning 2.16 aerial duels per 90 minutes to put him in a similar bracket to Angelo Ogbonna (2.55).
What should get West Ham fans particularly excited is that Hincapie averaged 43 carries per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga last time out. To put that in perspective, no United player in any position could top that last term, with Manuel Lanzini performing best with 41.4 while the aforementioned Aguerd registered the most of any centre-back (29.5).
As such, it could well be that Moyes and co are unable to unearth one of the most progressive defensive passing networks in the entire division.
The Ecuadorian's talent has been clear to see from an early age, as pointed out by football talent scout Jacek Kulig in 2021 when describing Hincapie as a "future legend" due to his promising displays at international level at such a young age.
If West Ham are willing to pay the price, they will have a player on their hands who can stand up to the test defensively and also bring something a little different to their back-line in an exciting period for the club.
According to The Athletic journalist David Ornstein, Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba has turned down the offer of a new contract and wishes to leave the club this summer.
The Lowdown: Forest secure promotion
Samba arrived at the City Ground from Caen back in 2019, where he has featured 133 times for the club during his three-year spell in the Championship.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a hugely successful season with the Reds as they managed to secure promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years following a 1-0 victory over Huddersfield Town at Wembley.
However, now entering the final 12 months of his contract with Steve Cooper’s side, a decision regarding his future with the Midlands outfit will soon have to be made, and following a fresh update, it appears as though the shot-stopper knows exactly the next steps he wants to take.
The Latest: Samba’s decision revealed
In a post on his personal Twitter account, Ornstein confirmed that Samba doesn’t have any intentions of staying at Forest.
“EXCL: Nottingham Forest suffer major blow as goalkeeper Brice Samba informs club he won’t be signing new contract (deal ends 2023) and reluctantly intends to leave this summer. NFFC still hopeful but 28yo deemed recent offer unacceptable.”
Expanding further in his column for The Athletic, the journalist stated that the keeper’s decision to turn the new proposal down is said ‘not to be financially motivated’, but more based on respect for his ‘achievements, importance and popularity’ at the club.
The source claims that Forest have directly told them that ‘talks are taking place’ with the player, and that they ‘remain determined’ to retain his services beyond the upcoming window.
The Verdict: Samba’s penalty heroics
Samba has become a favourite amongst fans during his time in England and played such a key role in the jump up to the top-flight, most notably for his incredible penalty shootout heroics against Sheffield United.
The Linzolo-born talent made 45 outings across all competitions for Forest this season, keeping a total of 16 clean sheets, as per Transfermarkt, and effectively played the number one role having been chosen as first-choice keeper by the Welsh boss.
Cooper has a great relationship with Samba, but whether that will be enough to convince him to stay at the club for their first campaign back in the Premier League yet remains to be seen.
In other news… a club have reportedly made an offer in a bid to sign one of Forest’s 2021/22 standout performers.
According to BBC pundit Alan Hutton, it would be a ‘huge blow’ for Liverpool if they were to be without Thiago Alcantara for the Champions League final on Saturday night.
The Lowdown: Thiago injured
The Reds are set to take on Real Madrid in the Paris showdown this weekend after securing a 5-2 aggregate victory over Villarreal in the semi-finals to book their place at the Stade de France.
However, they might have to try and get their hands on the trophy without the 31-year-old maestro, who suffered an Achilles injury in the Premier League clash against Wolves which forced him off early on the final day of the domestic season.
According to the Liverpool Echo, the Spain midfielder is facing an uphill battle to be fit in time for the match in Paris.
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The Latest: Hutton praises Thiago’s quality
Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton admitted that Thiago would be a big loss in the middle of the park for Liverpool, but he thinks that the Spaniard will do everything within his power to make himself available for selection.
The former Scotland defender said of the midfielder: “He gives you that calming influence. He’s got that quality a lot of people could only dream of.
“So to not have him fit and available will be a huge blow, I think. You have to look at the other way and be positive. It’s an opportunity for somebody else to come in and shine.
“They’ll do everything they can to get Thiago fit. I think if there’s even a little chance of playing, you’re going to give it a try.
“I just see it as an opportunity, they’ve got a strong squad. It’s a chance for somebody else to come in and play in the Champions League final. It’s the biggest game you’ll ever play in your life.”
The Verdict: Big-game player
The 46-cap Spain international has been an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI this season, so if he isn’t declared fully fit in time to take on Carlo Ancelotti’s side on Saturday, the Reds will have a huge void to fill in midfield.
Thiago has made nine European appearances during this run to the final, scoring one goal (as per Transfermarkt), showing that his performances on the Champions League stage have played a vital role in helping the Reds make it all the way to their third such final in five years.
Having won the trophy twice before (with Barcelona in 2011 and Bayern Munich two years ago), he has shown that he can come to the fore on the big occasion, just as he did in the FA Cup showpiece at Wembley a couple of weeks ago. Therefore, Kopites everywhere will pray that he can feature against Real Madrid in Paris this weekend.
In other news… one Liverpool first-team star is expected to sign a new deal with the club
Andrea Radrizzani’s proposed sale of Leeds United may be put on hold if the Whites suffer relegation from the Premier League this season.
What’s the latest?
That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that, should Jesse Marsch’s side fail to secure survival on the final day of the Premier League campaign, Radrizzani will likely put his plans to sell to the club to the San Francisco 49ers enterprise on hold, as the Italian would not be able to command anywhere near the reported £475m figure that had previously been stated as Leeds’ price.
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In the article, Mike Keegan wrote: “Longer-term projects, such as the expansion of the stadium, may have to be put on the back burner. And plans to sell the club will also take a back seat. Having done the hard work in lifting them out of decades of Football League gloom, Andrea Radrizzani would not be able to command anywhere near the price he would be looking for with the club in the second tier.”
Supporters will be fuming
Considering the fact that the 49ers are expected to invest a significant amount of funds into the club upon their proposed takeover of the Whites, in addition to the fact that the Elland Road faithful made their feelings abundantly clear regarding Radrizzani’s position as the owner of the club during the 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion last time out, the news that a takeover would be put on hold in the event of relegation is sure to have left supporters fuming.
Indeed, many of the Leeds faithful have been frustrated by the lack of investment from the Italian both last summer and in January, and, considering the club’s precarious position towards the bottom of the Premier League table, it is not difficult to understand why, in a recent poll ran on Football FanCast, the vast majority of the Whites’ fanbase revealed they would like for Radrizzani to sell up this summer.
As such, with Jesse Marsch’s side simply having to secure all three points against Brentford this Sunday if they are to have any hope of remaining in the Premier League come 2022/23, it would now appear that it is not only the club’s status on the line but also their long-term ownership – making the crucial trip to west London all the more important.
AND in other news: Huge setback: Leeds dealt further big blow in relegation fight, Marsch will be fuming
TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crook has now claimed a ‘beast’ of a player could now be open to joining David Moyes at West Ham United this summer.
The Lowdown: Hammers eye striker…
As per reliable reports, the Hammers are eyeing a new forward for manager Moyes after the club failed to seal the deal during what was a whirlwind January transfer window.
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Last minute moves for the likes of Darwin Nunez (Benfica) and Duvan Zapata (Atalanta) fell through, leaving West Ham with just Michail Antonio as their only natural senior striking option for the remainder of the Premier League campaign.
For next season, club owners GSB and head of recruitment Rob Newman will be looking to change this as they reportedly set their sights on attacking targets.
One of them is Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah with the Englishman set to leave north London as a free agent past 2021/2022.
The Irons are apparently in pole position for Mikel Arteta’s ace, according to The Mail, with Crook now also making an enticing claim.
The Latest: Crook makes claim…
Speaking to GiveMeSport, the talkSPORT reporter says Nketiah could be open to joining West Ham and a move ‘would appeal’.
He explained, when asked if the 22-year-old could eye a London Stadium move:
“Yeah, I do, because obviously he’d still be in London, still a big club, could go there and be the main man, play European football. I think that would appeal to him.
“How do you find a role for him and [Michail] Antonio in that team? I think because Antonio is not a natural centre-forward and his goals have dried up a bit since the turn of the year, I think that [bringing in Nketiah] would still work.”
The Verdict: Finalise it?
The forward, called a ‘beast’ in training by Arteta, may well be a decent option for West Ham at zero cost.
He’s still young, a hungry player and has finished this season in fine form – scoring four goals in his last six league matches as Arsenal hope to somehow usurp Tottenham in the hunt for Champions League qualification.
It’s quite a risk free move and one that surely must be considered by Moyes.
In other news: West Ham now believe they can sign phenomenal international with agents set for imminent club talks…find out more here.