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Fabrizio Romano has some exciting transfer news for Leeds United fans this week…

What’s the word?

The Italian transfer guru recently appeared on CBS Sports’ football podcast, ‘Que Golazo’, where he revealed that the Yorkshire giants were targeting a further three new signings.

“But let me say for Leeds that from what I’m told, they will invest on three players now,” Romano said.

“So they already signed three players and they want to sign three more players after selling Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips. They will reinvest [a] big part of the money they’re receiving.

“So I think it’s a very good and smart strategy. They want to restart with new talents. They already signed three and they’re going to continue in the coming days.”

Elland Road will be bouncing

Indeed, the Whites have already made some exciting moves in the transfer market, signing RB Salzburg duo Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen for a combined £35m, as well as bringing in Marc Roca from Bayern Munich.

Leeds manager Jesse Marsch is expected to lose two of his key stars in Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips, both of whom are seemingly set to join Premier League rivals in the coming weeks, if not days.

They will both need to be replaced, and some intriguing names have been linked as a result.

Club Brugge sensation Charles De Ketelaere is thought to be among the priorities, as per Belgian journalist Alexandre Braeckman, whilst PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo is being touted as a potential successor to the top-scoring Brazilian.

Meanwhile, the links to Marsch’s former club aren’t slowing up either, as RB Salzburg midfielder Mohamed Camara has emerged as another target according to the Daily Express’ Ryan Taylor, who also suggests that Leeds have been “in direct contact with his representatives”.

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All three players would be eye-catching additions at Elland Road, and given the fact that Romano believes the club will make at least another three signings, it’s certainly going to raise excitement and expectations around the club’s supporter base.

Whilst Raphinha and Phillips appear to be on their way out, Leeds’ hierarchy is doing all it can to bolster Marsch’s playing squad heading into the new season on August 6.

AND in other news, Leeds now leading race for “indispensable” £25m target, it’d be an “amazing signing”…

Reliable journalist Rob Dawson of ESPN has now shared a big Manchester City transfer update involving Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong.

The Lowdown: Sky Blues eye more signings…

City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, having watched the Blues retain their Premier League crown in such dramatic fashion, later confirmed that there will be even mores summer signings after Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez.

Fernandinho’s glittering nine-year stay at Eastlands has now come to an end with the fan favourite set to leave, prompting manager Pep Guardiola to set his sights on a midfield heir to the Brazilian.

Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips and West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice have both been linked with moves to Eastlands as well as Barcelona sensation de Jong.

Sharing news on the latter man, Dawson has a big update.

The Latest: Dawson shares big de Jong update…

According to the ESPN reporter, a Man City correspondent, the marquee Catalans star has been ‘offered’ to Guardiola and co with Barcelona desperately trying to raise £70million for new arrivals.

However, despite Barca handing City a chance to sign de Jong, the La Liga giants have only received positive responses from Man United and Paris-Saint Germain.

The Verdict: Reconsider?

As the Netherlands international gets placed on the table, we believe City sporting director Txiki Begiristain and Guardiola should, at the very least, consider a move carefully.

De Jong has been a mainstay under Barca boss Xavi, playing the fourth-most league minutes over 2021/2022 behind veteran stars Sergio Busquets, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Jordi Alba (WhoScored).

His impressive pass accuracy of 91.3% is also on par with crucial City stars like Rodri, Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias – backing how seamlessly de Jong would fit into Guardiola’s starting eleven (WhoScored).

Called a ‘phenomenal’ player by Spanish football expert and ex-Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell, the only red herring to this potential deal would be the 25-year-old’s lofty €85 million (£73m) price tag.

In other news: Journalist: Man City ‘offer’ on the cards to sign ‘unplayable’ star, Pep called him ‘incredible’…find out more here.

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.

Liverpool have bought out their sell-on clause from Kaide Gordon’s transfer from Derby County, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Gordon impressing at Liverpool

The 17-year-old made the move from Pride Park to the Reds in February 2021, with the striker considered one of the most exciting prospects in the country.

Gordon’s first-team playing time at Liverpool has been understandably limited but he has still managed four appearances – including one in the Premier League –  scoring once in that time.

A fresh update has now emerged regarding the youngster’s move to Anfield.

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The Latest: Liverpool buy out Gordon sell-on clause

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Romano confirmed that Liverpool have paid £500,000 to get rid of the 20% sell-on clause which originally existed in the deal. The journalist revealed:

“Excl. Liverpool have bought out the sell on clause from Kaide Gordon’s transfer from Derby County. #LFC Been told Liverpool & Derby County have agreed £500,000 for the removal of the 20% sell on clause which appeared in the original deal.”

The Verdict: Massive future ahead for Gordon

This is yet more shrewd work from Liverpool in the transfer market, ensuring that they don’t have to pay Derby a substantial amount should they eventually sell Gordon in the future.

However, the hope is that the teenager becomes a superstar at Anfield and that the Reds will never actively want to sell him, with Virgil van Dijk hailing him as a ‘great talent’.

The 17-year-old has looked the part whenever he has been given a chance, possessing a great left foot and an eye for goal, while a tally of seven goals and three assists in 10 appearances for Liverpool’s under-18s further outlines his potential.

In other news, one Liverpool player is likely to leave permanently this summer. Find out who it is here.

After getting trolled on social media, being criticised over picking too many 30-plus players, losing out on home advantage and more, CSK have made it to yet another IPL final

Deivarayan Muthu26-May-20181:05

CSK’s journey studded with individual brilliance

First they were trolled on social media for picking a squad with an average age of 33 after the first day of the auction. Then they surprised everyone by scooping eight uncapped players on the second day. Then they had their home advantage snatched away. Then their slow-moving legs came into the spotlight. Two of their key players – Mitchell Santner and Kedar Jadhav – were then sidelined from the tournament. How did Chennai Super Kings even make the final of IPL 2018? ESPNcricinfo looks at the key factors behind their rather unexpected surge this season.Dad’s Army, really?Having picked 11 players over 30 in their roster, fielding was always going to be a bugbear for CSK. In their first match of the season against Mumbai Indians, they posted Mark Wood at backward point and later in the qualifier they had Harbhajan Singh at that position. CSK’s ground fielding was full of bloopers, but they have tried to cover up for that with their catching. Having taken 82.7% of catches in the league stage, CSK are among the best catching sides this season. Only Mumbai have fared better.

They’re 35-36, not 55-56. A massive amount has been made of it. I’m here to win the competition for the franchise. And that’s why we value experience because we think it gives us the best chance… Dwayne Bravo, Shane Watson and MS Dhoni all these guys still have a lot of cricket left to playStephen Fleming on CSK’s ageing squad

CSK have managed to hang on to the pressure catches. For example, when Sunrisers Hyderabad needed 33 off 13 balls in Hyderabad, CSK’s gun fielder Ravindra Jadeja swooped in from long-on, dived forward, and dismissed Kane Williamson for 84 to tilt the match in CSK’s favour. More recently in the qualifier, Dwayne Bravo tumbled in his follow through to pluck a spectacular return catch and remove Yusuf Pathan. And the experienced players have also rolled out clutch performances with the bat.Rayudu’s hot streak
Setting the pace at the top: check. Anchoring the innings in the middle: check. Teeing off at the end: check. Having his CSK team-mate Wood and the Durham dressing room singing, “I just can’t get enough of Du Du Du Du Du Du…Ambati Rayudu”: check.Do you remember that Rayudu was Suresh Raina’s captain in the Under-19 World Cup in 2004? Raina then went on to play two senior World Cups and established himself as CSK’s MVP. Fourteen years later, Rayudu has become the new MVP for the franchise with his most prolific IPL season: 586 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 153. What has been special about Rayudu is that he has converted even good balls into boundary balls with his nifty footwork. He has stepped down the track to 50 balls this season and has hit 133 runs without being dismissed.

I rate him very highly as he can play fast bowlers and spinners very well. He is someone who doesn’t look like a big hitter but almost clears the field every time he plays the big shot.MS Dhoni endorses Ambati Rayudu’s big hitting

Watson’s second wind
In Shane Watson’s own words: “2017 was his worst IPL” and he wasn’t quite sure if he would be back in 2018. Sure, he found some form in the Big Bash League (331 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 139.07) and the subsequent Pakistan Super League (319 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 135.16), but there were still questions over whether he still had it. Stephen Fleming, however, relentlessly kept bidding for the Australian allrounder at the auction and ultimately bought him for four times his base price of INR 1 crore. And Watson has repaid the faith, featuring in all but one match for CSK this season, scoring 438 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 145.03. He had single-handedly won the game for CSK against his former franchise Rajasthan Royals in Pune with a 51-ball century.Signs of vintage Dhoni?
In 2017, MS Dhoni had a dot-ball percentage of 46.4; this season it has dropped to 36.4. More importantly, he’s the top-scorer in the death overs this season with 297 runs off 148 balls, including 24 sixes and 16 fours, at an average of nearly 100. The power game that seemed to be fading resurfaced against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where Dhoni helped CSK pillage 71 off the last five overs. Having made 455 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 150.66, Dhoni is now just seven runs away from his most prolific IPL season.

We haven’t seen it [Dhoni at his best] as much, the gaps between [such] innings have been bigger, but in this IPL his batting has been excellent, and the innings was one of the best ones I’ve ever seen.Fleming on Dhoni’s unbeaten 70 off 34 balls in Bengaluru

Chahar: swinging ’em with ball and bat
Who’d have thought Deepak Chahar would start the season ahead of an India international in Shardul Thakur? Who’d have thought Chahar would become Dhoni’s go-to bowler? Who’d have thought Chahar would be the second-highest wicket-taker in Powerplays with 10 wickets at an economy rate of 7.33? If not for a hamstring injury, Chahar could have caught up with Umesh Yadav’s chart-topping tally of 14 wickets in the first six overs. Who’d have thought Chahar’s batting contribution would help CSK secure a top-two finish in the league phase?With his ability to swing the ball both ways and often get it to skid off the pitch, Chahar has grown to become the leader of the CSK pack. His smooth swings with the bat, meanwhile, have added more depth to a line-up that is yet to be bowled out this season.

Deepak Chahar is not a slogger like most think. He is a talented batsman capable of surprising the best of the bowlers in the #IPL18.Chahar’s first Ranji Trophy captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar on his batting, on Twitter

‘The luxury spot’
At the auction, CSK packed their side with spin and were ready to unleash them at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Their plans were later thwarted when they were forced to shift base to the MCA Stadium in Pune, which does not offer as much assistance to spin. So, one spot became a “luxury”, as Dhoni puts it.

There is a luxury spot in this team, sometimes on good day a bowler bowls three overs and if possible four, sometimes he doesn’t bowl. We have Bravo at the end [overs] but he doesn’t need to bowl four overs always as wellDhoni on the ‘luxury spot’

Ravindra Jadeja had bowled just 24 balls in CSK’s first four games put together. Some even joked that he was playing as a specialist fielder. Karn Sharma did not bowl against Delhi Daredevils in Pune and bowled only one over each against Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders. In CSK’s most recent game against Sunrisers, Harbhajan did not bowl a ball at the Wankhade Stadium. A surfeit of options offered CSK a safety net and allowed them to identify their best combination ahead of the playoffs.

New Zealand began the fourth day in Indore way behind but still determined not to give up. By the end of the day, they finally parted ways with their spirit, allowing India to savour the fruits of their hard work

Sidharth Monga in Indore11-Oct-20161:42

Agarkar: New Zealand approach made Ashwin’s job easier today

Test cricket is a difficult place; you fight and fight session after session, but then you happen upon days like the fourth day in Indore when everything begins to seem easy. It’s like enjoying that last stretch of the marathon when you know nobody is going to chase you down. You can relax, you can let your thoughts wander, you can contemplate what you are about to achieve, think of all the training and the hard work, plan your celebrations. On Tuesday in Indore, as New Zealand finally gave in, India got to enjoy that home stretch where everything went to plan. They didn’t even have to keep at those plans for long. That, though, began later in the day.When you take a 258-run first-innings lead and bat again primarily to let the pitch deteriorate more, it can make for two-three sessions of cricket where you can look away, read the newspapers and wait for the declaration. Teams stronger than New Zealand have played the waiting-for-declaration game because there is no motivation left for them, but the morning session featured one final push from New Zealand. There were soiled shirts from desperate dives, direct hits, fielders running in from long-on and deep midwicket to back up throws. New Zealand were not going to roll over and die, they were not going to let India race away to a declaration. Every economical over would mean less time to survive, though it was anyway going to be a massive ask whenever they were going to begin batting one last time.It wasn’t quite a lark in the park for India’s batsmen. There was one man with an injured shoulder, just given a career lifeline through injuries to two other openers. There was no way he was going to stroll through this. The next Test is almost a month away; the other openers are liable to regain fitness, so Gautam Gambhir had this last chance to press a claim. There was another man who has suffered because, of late, he has not converted his struggles on the team’s behalf into big innings for himself. Cheteshwar Pujara wanted a century after having failed to convert ten scores of over 20 and six over 40 into hundreds.The New Zealand resistance had to break at some point. Having retired hurt on day three, Gambhir came back to get himself a fifty to go with his 29 in the first innings. Pujara showed power and deft touches to finally get to his hundred. Virat Kohli, the captain who might have put him under pressure earlier, duly waited for him to get to that landmark and declared immediately after. It wasn’t all easy, as Pujara’s soiled shirt, from dives to make his crease for the runs he wouldn’t always take, showed.Then, given 45 overs plus a day to survive, New Zealand finally parted ways with their spirit. Suddenly, it all became too easy. Every plan India might have made in the lead-up to the series or on the fly began to work as if to provide them a highlights reel.All series, India’s quicks have gone around the wicket to try to trap Tom Latham lbw, falling over and on the crease. All series, Latham has proved a hard nut to crack, the only New Zealand batsman to reach 50 in each of the Tests. Mohammed Shami is the man to execute this plan as he did it in Kolkata, but here, Umesh Yadav did it, only more emphatically. Latham just missed a straight ball on the angle.Kane Williamson resumed one final duel with R Ashwin just before the tea break. Ashwin has left the cut open for him, getting him bowled twice when he has tried to play that shot. This time, he opted for a silly point, which meant he had one man fewer on the leg side, only five now. Williamson hit him for two boundaries there. Ashwin came back after tea with the original plan, just the slip, cover and mid-off, reinforcing the leg side, taking away the freedom Williamson had exercised earlier. Soon enough, he went back, played circumspectly and was out lbw. Out to Ashwin all four times he has batted, all four times off the back foot.Ross Taylor came out hitting like he had nothing to lose. He hadn’t. He played some excellent shots that might have put India on the back foot if they weren’t so far ahead. You wondered if it would have made any difference if Taylor had played so freely with the games in balance. Then again, would he have been able to enjoy this freedom, which nothing to lose brings, when the games are actually in the balance?Taylor used his feet well, drove gracefully, picked gaps, but then a small field change brought about his dismissal. He had just driven a full Ashwin offbreak through cover for four. Ashwin packed that area. One ball later, Taylor chose to hit into the leg side, and was bowled when sweeping. Ashwin’s farewell celebration suggested it had been too easy.Martin Guptill has had a wretched series. Not being the most comfortable batsman against spin, he didn’t need the added misfortune of getting out caught because his boot lobbed the ball up, bowled off his elbow, and run out by the bowler’s unintended deflection on to the stumps at the non-striker’s end when he had actually batted well to score a half-century. He resisted for 60 balls here, but fell to the old Ravindra Jadeja strategy: bowl at the stumps, let some turn, let some go straight on. Guptill lbw to the straighter one.By now, the word had spread in Indore that India could wrap the match up on the fourth day itself. The smallest crowd of the Test soon swelled into a rambunctious appeal and celebration almost every ball. Catches began to fly exactly where fielders were placed. The only ball that stayed low hit the stumps too. New Zealand’s batsmen, after all their desperate fight, started playing crazy shots. Ashwin and Kohli began to work the crowd. This was the time to savour all the hard work. To plan your dash towards the stumps you want as souvenirs as soon as the last wicket falls. One home Test series down, three to go.

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-2015However, Kyle Coetzer joined by Matt Machan extricated Scotland from the early losses and steadily rebuilt the innings with a 78-run stand•AFPCoetzer then switched to top gear as Scotland plundered 50 runs off the batting Powerplay•Getty ImagesAided by cameos from Preston Mommsen and Richie Berrington, Coetzer kicked on to record Scotland’s first World Cup century•Getty ImagesHe was finally dismissed for 156 in the 45th over, holing out to deep midwicket•Getty ImagesHowever, that did not prevent Scotland from scooting to 318 for 8•ICCSoumya Sarkar, who was bumped up to open in the absence of the injured Anamul Haque, fell in the second over of the chase•Getty ImagesTamim Iqbal, though, rattled along at a brisk rate to keep his side in the hunt•Getty ImagesHe added 139 with Mahmudullah – the highest partnership for Bangladesh in World Cups•Getty ImagesScotland then hit back, dismissing both the set batsmen. To make matters worse, Anamul was ruled out of batting after dislocating his shoulder while fielding•AFPMushfiqur Rahim, however, diffused the tension, making 60 off 42 balls•AFPThough he couldn’t stay till the end, Shakib Al Hasan brought his experience to the fore, clawing the equation down to 30 off 30 balls•AFPSabbir Rahman gave him good company as Bangladesh sealed their highest ODI chase with 11 balls to spare•Getty Images

Plays of the Day from the third day of the Chittagong Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong11-Oct-2013The forgotten markWhen Bangladesh moved past 269, the follow-on mark, on the third afternoon, there was no customary cheer from the Chittagong crowd. Even a couple of years ago, the crowd used to get involved whenever they got past the danger mark. This time when Mushfiqur edged the ball past slips, it was only noticed by a few and not celebrated. Bangladesh had a bigger target in their sights.The short celebrationMominul Haque is a man of few words. While no one expected a Michael Slater-style celebration from him, what he did after scoring his maiden Test century was amusing to everyone, even his teammates. He took the helmet off, raised his bat towards the dressing-room, and exchanged a few words with Marshall Ayub. That’s it. He then went back to take the again. It was batting as usual for Mominul.The dropBrendon McCullum handed Mominul his first life, by trying his luck with one-handed attempt at slips. The New Zealand captain jumped right in front of Ross Taylor at first slip, but dropped the chance. Mominul was on 172 at the time, and Trent Boult, whose delivery he edged, was left ruing his luck.The debutant connectionMarshall Ayub’s awkward dismissal to Corey Anderson was a case of one debutant taking the wicket of another. It was Anderson’s first major contribution in the game, after having scored just one in the first innings. Marshall innings was cut short on 25 after promising much solidity on the second day.

Five key factors and observations from the Test series between Sri Lanka and Pakistan

Kanishkaa Balachandran14-Jul-2012The Decision Review System
Pakistan’s coach Dav Whatmore demanded to know why it wasn’t available. Mohammad Hafeez was more moderate but shared his coach’s views. During the first Test in Galle, both of them said the inconsistent implementation of the DRS was affecting the game. The system was available, without Hot Spot, in Sri Lanka’s previous home series, against England. When Pakistan arrived, three months later, Sri Lanka Cricket couldn’t provide it because of the costs involved. Pakistan had reason to feel aggrieved. They had seven decisions going against them in the first three days of the Galle Test, with several inside edges on to pad going undetected and doubts over the trajectory of the ball during lbw decisions.It was quite a contrast to Pakistan’s previous Test series, against England in the UAE, in which the DRS played an integral part. In that series, the host board (the PCB) secured sponsors to offset the high costs of the technology needed for DRS. Perhaps SLC and other boards can follow suit.The umpiring errors aside, Pakistan were beaten in Galle because some of their batsmen failed and they collapsed for 100 in the first innings. They were also missing Misbah-ul-Haq, who was banned for an over-rate offence. Better umpiring and DRS could have at least minimised the damage.Barely days after the pleas from Hafeez and Whatmore, the proposal for a universal implementation of the DRS fell through at the ICC’s executive board meeting in Kuala Lumpur. The issue wasn’t even put to vote.Weather and scheduling
The groundstaff was kept busy right through the tour. Rain washed out the third one-day international in Colombo, and the clouds were unwelcome visitors in two of the three Tests. The weather didn’t effect the Galle Test, but in spoiled the contests in Colombo and Pallekele. It ruined several hours of play on the second, third and fourth days at the SSC, making a draw inevitable. The flat pitch raised doubts about the likelihood of a result, but with Pakistan taking a 160-run lead, they could have tried to force a result if it wasn’t for the stoppage time. In Pallekele, rain wiped out the entire second day, which meant both teams were short of time to push for a result.SLC could learn from this experience and keep June and early July – the months of the southwest monsoon – free from international cricket. Pallekele, however, continues to baffle. The location of the country’s newest Test venue, around half an hour from Kandy, was chosen because it’s one of the drier regions in the district. Ironically, all three Tests played there have been rained-affected draws. The region was going through a drought before the third Test began.Pakistan’s youngsters
Though Pakistan lost the ODIs and Tests, the Test series defeat wasn’t as demoralising because of the performances of their younger players. Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali have been on the national circuit for the last two years, and their performances made up for the patchy form of Misbah and Younis Khan. Azhar impressed with his temperament and patience needed to play long innings; Shafiq displayed similar qualities and tightened his technique. Their innings in the final Test gave Pakistan the belief that they could save the game. Junaid Khan was a revelation with his pace, swing and aggression. Inspired by Wasim Akram, he got the ball to reverse from the round the wicket to the right-handers. He overshadowed Saeed Ajmal with his top-order strikes but lacked support. Junaid had to shoulder a lot of the burden because Aizaz Cheema, Umar Gul and Mohammad Sami turned in underwhelming performances.Jayawardene steadies Sri Lanka
When Mahela Jayawardene took over the leadership after the tour of South Africa early this year, he was Sri Lanka’s third captain in the last 12 months. His task of restoring the team’s competitiveness was made tougher by the payment crisis. SLC was having financial problems and its national players were the biggest victims. The results, however, began to improve – Sri Lanka made the finals of the CB Series and won a Test against England. Jayawardene wanted a series win, which had eluded them for nearly three years. His aggressive and innovative fields showed that he was trying to create opportunities. His decision to call off Sri Lanka’s chase of 271 in Pallekele had puzzled many, including Misbah, but having secured a 1-0 lead, Jayawardene didn’t want to wreck several months of hard work for the sake of adventure.Sri Lanka move on from Murali
Muttiah Muralitharan can relax now. Sri Lanka had found it hard to cope with his retirement two years ago. Ajantha Mendis’ form was erratic and his fitness poor, leaving Rangana Herath with most of the responsibility. Herath has done well to come out of Murali’s shadow and lead the spin attack. His challenge will be to create a threat on pitches that may not be as spin-friendly anymore. With Murali’s departure, the emphasis has started to shift from spin to pace, and Sri Lanka will need more support from their seamers going forward. Bringing in the allrounder Thisara Perera for the third Test was an inspired move. His 4 for 63 and attacking 75 were good for his transition to the Test squad as a lower-order hitter and opening bowler. Nuwan Kulasekara was incisive in Galle, challenged at the SSC, but he is only building his experience at Test level. When Chanaka Welegedera and Suranga Lakmal return from injury, the competition for places will increase.

How thin is the line between victory and loss in an ODI game? It’s the line that separated Ishant Sharma and Thilina Kandamby on Saturday at the R Premadasa Stadium

Sriram Veera in Colombo01-Feb-2009

How thin is the line between victory and loss in an ODI game? It’s the line that separated Ishant Sharma and Thilina Kandamby on Saturday at the R Premadasa Stadium.Kandamby ultimately finished on the wrong end of the line, but his superb unbeaten 93 is a huge boost for the struggling Sri Lankan middle order. If he continues to bat the way he did today, the pressure will lift from Mahela Jayawardene’s shoulders and the captain can then ease himself back into form rather than fret over what his lack of runs is doing to the team. And when the classy Jayawardene eventually reaches there – there were enough glimpses in his 52 that his journey back to form had begun – the likes of Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara can play with more freedom, knowing that the innings won’t collapse after them.Chamara Kapugedera’s barren run with the bat remains a problem though – he averages a mere 22.30 from 56 games – but Kandamby’s presence has significantly eased the worry. Like Kapugedera, Kandamby has been struggling to make the transition to international cricket. A talented schoolboy cricketer, he was at the risk of being labelled as a boy who could never grow. His march to maturity could not have come at a better time for Sri Lanka, and Jayawardene was an understandably happy man at the end of the day.”Today he [Kandamby] showed he has the maturity in him. He did not panic and showed lot of courage in the middle,” Jayawardene said. “It was an amazing knock from him. I should have waited for a bit longer before I started trying something. It got a bit too much for Kanda in the end; if we had another batsman left in the end we could have probably done it.”Kandamby had scored only a solitary fifty in ODIs prior to this game and he walked into a pressure-cooker situation today. The top three departed early and he and Jayawardene had no choice but to consolidate, even as 88 balls flew by without a boundary.Kandamby has a backlift identical to Sangakkara’s, and he showed similar composure today. He was dropped early, a tough chance off Ishant Sharma, and dug in after that, making good use of the fact that Mahendra Singh Dhoni used irregular bowlers in the middle overs.”After Mahela left, I was trying to tell the others to try and hit a boundary; with the tail in the end I was just telling them to give me the strike, and I will try to do something,” Kandamby said. He nearly did, showing immense maturity in waiting for the batting Powerplay, which Sri Lanka took in the 42nd over. He unfurled three fours in four balls – a pull, a deft late glide and a biff over mid-off – and threatened to hunt down India. He picked 45 from the last 38 deliveries he faced, but ran out of steam and partners at the end.Kapugedera played a fine hand too, but his lack of consistency might force Sri Lanka to send Tillakaratne Dilshan, their main attacking weapon after Jayasuriya, back down the order to make better use of the middle and end overs.Sri Lanka haven’t sorted out all their problems, but their display today indicated they are ready to step it up a notch to match India. Asked whether he has begun to feel at home in international cricket, Kandamby said, “If I score more runs, then I will”. He is already getting there, and the line separating the two teams is getting thinner. Which is perfect for this series.