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The stand-in India captain also spoke about why Ajinkya Rahane was left out, and what MS Dhoni’s innings meant

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-20171:40

‘Games like these will teach us a lot’ – Rohit

At 29 for 7, India were in danger of plummeting to the all-time lowest ODI total. While they managed to avoid the ignominy thanks to MS Dhoni’s stubbornness down the order, a total of 112 proved woefully inadequate even in bowling-friendly conditions; Sri Lanka chased it down with 29.2 overs to spare. Rohit Sharma, in his first ODI as captain, admitted such matches were an “eye-opener” but refused to read much too much into it.”Credit should go to the Sri Lankan bowlers, they made full use of the conditions but, as a team, as a batting unit, days like these will teach us a lot of things. We as a team want to thrive in such conditions and come out on top,” Rohit said at the end of the match. “Today was not the ideal day and hopefully boys can learn from it and next time we are put in this situation we know how to tackle that and come out of it.A noticeable feature of India’s innings was the slow scoring rate right from the start. At the end of 10 overs, India were on 11 for 3 – the lowest in a match featuring two Full Members in the last five years – and they ambled to 29 for 7 by the time the 20th over was completed. Rohit said the idea was to weather the early storm before cashing in once the pitch eased out. The loss of wickets in quick succession though meant that plan didn’t fall in place. “We knew conditions were going to be tough but sometimes when you are put in such situations, you have to bat to the situation, which means we’ve got to respect the bowlers,” he said. “If you notice, any bowler who would have bowled in that channel would have got wickets. For us, we were trying to survive in those conditions because we knew that if initial overs get over, the wicket will get better. But we we lost wickets and we were also not scoring at pace, which put us in even more trouble.”I don’t think we played any rash shots, they bowled in the right channel, kept us guessing all the time and batsmen were made to play all the time. It is an eye-opener, we will learn from it. It is a young batting group, the guys, including myself, will learn and play us out of these situations well next time.”With Ajinkya Rahane missing out in difficult batting conditions, Rohit faced the inevitable questions on that front. While Rahane has struggled in Test cricket recently, his ODI form has been good: he has scored half-centuries in each of his last four innings. Rohit clarified that Rahane was dropped only because they couldn’t find a place for him in the opening slot. “I think we made it clear in Sri Lanka that he is an opening batsman and we don’t want to keep changing his batting slot. It plays on anyone’s mind not just his, if one’s batting order keeps on changing.”We have identified him as a top-order batsman and that’s the only reason he has to sit out. Having said that we understand the runs he scored in the past few series. We want to give these guys [Manish] Pandey, [Kedar] Jadhav, [Shreyas] Iyer fair amount of games before we start touring abroad. It’s important that they take the opportunity.”Even as seven India batsmen fell for single-digit scores, Dhoni stood out with his 87-ball 65 sprinkled with 10 fours and two sixes. His innings was particularly impressive for the way he marshalled the lower order and relatively steered India out of a potentially embarrassing situation. Rohit was unsurprised by Dhoni’s calm in the circumstances. “He has been in that situation so many times and he has proved himself again and again,” he said. “First of all I never understood that whether there was talk of him being in our plans or not. Once he gets runs, the whole conversation changes. He showed us again. I wish one of our top order was batting, so that we could have got more runs. We’ll learn from it and move forward.”

Having kept it locked up all through this tour, Sri Lanka finally reminded everyone of the batting quality they possess, as centuries from Dinesh Chandimal and, at long last, Angelo Mathews helped them avoid the follow-on at the Feroz Shah Kotla

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy04-Dec-20171:58

Chopra: ‘India’s slip cordon becoming a game of musical chairs’

Having kept it locked up all through this tour, Sri Lanka finally reminded everyone of the batting quality they possess, as centuries from Dinesh Chandimal and, at long last, Angelo Mathews helped them avoid the follow-on at the Feroz Shah Kotla.Given how long they were kept on the field, India would probably not have enforced the follow-on anyway. The Chandimal-Mathews partnership alone consumed 79.1 overs.And yet, once they found a way past that stand – having missed numerous opportunities to do so previously – India reasserted their dominance. R Ashwin, underbowled for most of the innings, led the way, taking three wickets on a pitch that only gave the spinners modest assistance, and the other three bowlers made valuable incisions too. Wriddhiman Saha, on a day when India’s catchers kept letting down their bowlers, made three quality grabs behind the wicket.Having got through the first session wicketless, and nearly doing so again in the second, Sri Lanka lost wickets in a clump, sliding from 317 for 5 and ending the day at 356 for 9, with Chandimal still at the crease on an outstanding unbeaten 147.Right since his belated introduction on the second afternoon – he only came on in the 28th over – Ashwin had worried Mathews with his round-the-wicket angle, getting the ball to dip and land on an awkward length that made it difficult to deal with his natural variation. Some balls turned in, others carried on with the angle. The dismissal arrived courtesy the one that kept going across Mathews, who sent a thin edge through to Saha, who made a difficult chance look easy.It was a moment of joy for Ashwin, and perhaps one of vindication too, for this was only his 19th over of the innings. Ravindra Jadeja, at that point, had bowled 34, Ishant Sharma 23, and Mohammed Shami 22. Perhaps the presence of two right-hand batsmen at the crease for such a long period had made Virat Kohli reluctant to turn to his offspinner, but again he had shown his ability to threaten both edges of the bat.As always, Ashwin began finding more bite after getting a few overs under his belt and working out what pace to bowl at, with what trajectory. On this Kotla pitch, he began delivering his offbreaks with far more overspin than sidespin. This overspin, which led to dip and bounce, sent Roshen Silva on his way for a duck on debut, caught bat-pad. Two wickets, two right-handers. The next one was a left-hander, Niroshan Dickwella, who lost his off stump while trying to cut Ashwin’s round-the-wicket arm ball.BCCI

Chandimal added a brisk 61 with Sadeera Samarawickrama, who came out at No. 6, having been off the field since being hit on the helmet at short leg on day one. Having hit seven fours in an attractive 33, however, Samarawickrama edged Ishant while chasing at a widish ball, and Saha dived to his right to take a spectacular low one-hander. A little later, another dive to his right sent back Suranga Lakmal, who edged an away-seamer from Shami.Jadeja grabbed the ninth wicket, typically an lbw as the batsman, Lahiru Gamage, propped forward and played for non-existent turn.Given how quickly the lower middle order disintegrated, India may have wondered what the match situation might have been had they held on to all their chances.In all, they let Mathews off three times. Virat Kohli had shelled him on 6 on the second day, at second slip, and Rohit Sharma repeated the trick when he was on 98: at the same position, off the same bowler, Ishant, when Mathews made a similar mistake, poking away from his body without moving his feet. This was a straightforward chance, at chest height, when India had just taken the second new ball.Then, on 104, Mathews looked to hit Jadeja over mid-off, but didn’t get the elevation he desired. Vijay Shankar, substituting for M Vijay, timed his jump well and got his fingers to the ball at full stretch, but failed to hold on.It was that kind of innings for Mathews, an innings defined by struggle. In the first hour, he was beaten more than once by Shami, who bowled a spell of testing line, the odd bouncer, and just a touch of seam movement, all at high pace. Camped on the back foot against Ishant Sharma, he reached out for full balls and skewed and sliced them squarer than intended.As the session wore on, Ishant packed the leg side and peppered him with short balls. Perhaps he overdid it, but there were still a few awkward moments, such as a pull that flashed narrowly wide of the man at short fine leg.But Mathews grew in assurance thereafter, utilising all his know-how to keep India’s bowlers out, but it was seldom pretty. He was quick to punish anything on his legs, and targeted Ashwin for his rare flashes of adventure, such as a delicate lap-sweep to go from 83 to 87. Otherwise, it was sheer, stubborn resistance.Like Mathews, Chandimal was troubled by Shami early on. A short ball from wide of the crease smacked him on the glove, and three balls later he was a little slow getting on the front foot to a full ball in the channel, the resultant edge falling short of first slip. At one point, the smoggy atmosphere caused him some difficulty too, bringing the physio onto the field. Otherwise, he looked composed as he settled into the kind of defensive innings he has now become adept at playing – think SSC, 2016, or Abu Dhabi, a couple of months ago.Occasionally, he unfurled an eye-catching attacking shot – such as a cover drive off Shami or a twinkle-toed whip against the turn off Jadeja – but otherwise it was all vigilant defence as he moved to his third successive half-century of the series, looking increasingly secure.After lunch, he picked up his scoring too, as the bowlers’ workloads began occasionally to tell on their accuracy. Ishant dropped short a couple of times, and Chandimal put him away to the point and fine leg boundaries, but the shot of his innings, Sri Lanka’s innings, and perhaps even the match, came off Shami. It wasn’t a bad ball, banged in close to off stump, extracting a good amount of bounce, but Chandimal, feet off the ground, got off his feet and punched it to the cover boundary.

Arsenal have been dealt a sizeable blow in their preparations for the new Premier League season, with manager Mikel Arteta set to have to make do without centre-forward star, Gabriel Jesus in the early knockings of the campaign.

Following what has been a largely positive summer for the Gunners thus far – with the likes of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber having all been brought to the club – the loss of the Brazilian will be an unwanted headache for the former Manchester City assistant.

What's the latest on Gabriel Jesus' injury?

As confirmed by Arteta, the 26-year-old is set to be out of action for "a few weeks" after recently undergoing knee surgery, with the ex-City striker having seemingly been impacted by the same issue which kept him on the sidelines for much of the second half of the season.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

While not a "major" concern – in the words of the Gunners boss – it will be of real frustration to have to make do without the 59-cap international yet again, with Jesus having already missed 15 games during his debut season at the club last time out.

Who will replace Gabriel Jesus?

The question now will be as to just how Arteta will go about dealing with the loss of the 5 foot 9 sensation, with the Emirates outfit forced to fill the void of a player who scored 11 goals and contributed seven assists in just 26 league outings in 2022/23.

The obvious choice for the role would be Jesus' usual understudy, Eddie Nketiah, although the Englishman was hardly prolific when given an extended run in the side, having scored just four goals in 30 league games last season.

Equally, while exciting prospect Folarin Balogun – who scored 21 Ligue 1 goals last season while on loan at Reims – is currently part of the first-team squad, Arteta appeared to hint that the 22-year-old's future won't be impacted by the injury to Jesus, with a move away from the club looking likely.

Suitors appear to be lining up to land the United States international – who has been valued at around £50m by the Arsenal hierarchy – hence ensuring that the club may need to look elsewhere to find someone else to lead the line in Jesus' absence.

One perhaps left-field option could well be that of 19-year-old academy star, Khayon Edwards, with the teenage marksman having proven rather prolific in the youth set-up of late.

Who is Khayon Edwards?

The £5k-per-week starlet is yet to make a competitive senior appearance for the Gunners to date, although he was previously drafted into the first-team squad by Arteta last season after being named on the bench for two Europa League group stage ties.

That promotion had no doubt been deserved as the Hale End gem boasts a tally of 23 goals and nine assists in just 41 games for the U18s, while also making a promising start to life at a higher age group with five goals in 21 games for the U21 side.

Described as "deadly" in front of goal in the past by football.london's Kaya Kaynak, Arsenal's official website also states that the local lad is 'a hard-working, natural goalscorer with pace to burn'.

That work ethic could well make Edwards a dream replacement for Jesus through the middle, with the one-time Palmeiras ace also rather relentless when leading the line, ranking in the top 3% for tackles and the top 9% for interceptions made per 90 among his European peers.

Equally, much like the latter man is able to bring others into play – as he ranks in the top 6% for assists – Edwards also seems to possess that creative prowess, with the club's official website writing that: 'Khayon also showed he was able to play deeper as a No. 10, impressing with his link-up play.'

Those shared traits between the Englishman and the Brazilian would indicate that if handed the chance, young Edwards could certainly have a good crack at filling the shoes of the stricken Jesus.

Everton defender Ashley Young may be played 'in more than one position' this term as Sean Dyche seeks to maximise his 'versatility', according to journalist Paul Brown.

What's the latest news involving Ashley Young?

Earlier this window, Young became Everton's first summer signing after joining on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract at Aston Villa.

Speaking to Everton's official website, Young expressed his delight at being able to join the Toffees, stating: “I'm delighted to be an Everton player and to have joined this massive club. I can’t wait for the season to start and walking out at Goodison Park is going to be an unbelievable feeling and to hear the passionate fans behind me. The manager was important in me signing. I know him and know what his passion and desire is like. His honesty, will to work hard and his hunger for the game is second to none."

BBC Sport understand that Premier League newcomers Luton Town and Saudi Arabian clubs had shown interest in Young prior to his move to Everton.

Last term, Young made 32 appearances in all competitions for Aston Villa and managed to notch a solitary goal in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Young scored on his debut for Everton last weekend against Wigan Athletic in a 1-0 pre-season victory at the DW Stadium and featured on the flank during the affair, which was where he operated in the earlier portion of his senior career before being converted into a full-back, as per The Daily Mail.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown reckons 38-year-old Young may 'occasionally' fill in as a winger for Everton due to his 'versatility' and crossing ability.

Brown told FFC: "He's still a great crosser of a ball. It wouldn't surprise me if occasionally we see him end up on the wing, but I do think he signed more to play as a cover full-back, possibly even to put pressure on one of the starters and play instead of one of them, but his versatility means that he could play more than one position this season."

What next for Everton?

Everton boss Dyche will hope to recruit some additional quality to add to his squad as he looks to avoid his side being dragged into yet another relegation battle.

According to Football Insider, the Toffees lead the race to sign Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto, who had impressed Dyche with his ability to function in several different positions.

Taking to Twitter X, journalist Alan Myers has delivered an update regarding Everton's pursuit of Almeria striker El Bilal Toure, stating: "Everton remain in negotiations with Almeria for El Bilal Toure' despite reports suggesting the player had already decided to join Atalanta The 21-year-old Mali striker is set to decide his future in the coming days with Everton having agreed a deal with Almeria, EFC still in it."

Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho has been identified as a potential alternative to Toure and is admired by Goodison Park chiefs, as per FootballTransfers.

In the next few weeks, we are likely to see progress on prospective arrivals as Everton gear up for the new Premier League campaign to commence.

Celtic have their eyes on another new defensive target this summer, with the Hoops now tracking Maik Nawrocki, according to reliable journalist Pawel Golaszewski.

Who is Maik Nawrocki?

The 22-year-old currently plays his football for Legia Warsaw in Poland, but has criss-crossed between Germany and his native country over the course of his career. He's been in the Ekstraklasa though since he was 19, starting with Warta Poznan. Despite being only in his teens at the time, he was brought in from the Werder Bremen Under-19 outfit and played three times for them and managed to bag a goal to boot.

It prompted his switch to Warsaw and he instantly became a more frequent member of the first-team squad. He managed 19 league games in his opening campaign and, once more, he bagged himself a goal and an assist along the way. Having proven himself in that top division, he then built on those appearances a season later and helped drag Warsaw up to second in the table. He featured 25 more times in the league and added four more strikes to boot. It means that despite only being early on in his career, he already has nearly 50 games in Poland to his name and has proven he can get on the score-sheet from set pieces.

The youngster has yet to make his mark on the national team setup. He has been able to break into the fold for their Under-21 side in the past, making his debut for them in 2021 and featuring four times for them in total. However, he has been unable to make the step up and play for their main eleven. Nawrocki though could be about to switch clubs and countries – and that could lead to him being on the radar of Poland's selection team more.

Are Celtic signing Maik Nawrocki?

That's because, according to reliable Polish journalist Pawel Golaszewski, the defender could be snapped up by Celtic this transfer window. With the Scottish Premiership outfit desperate to add more options to their backline this summer, they have identified the 22-year-old as a potential target – and his report also states that they could be the "last days" of the talent's time at Warsaw.

The Hoops though will face competition for his signature from Galatasaray in Turkey, as the reporter said via his personal Twitter account: "In addition to Galatasaray, Celtic Glasgow entered the game for Maik Nawrocki. It seems that these are really the last days of the defender in Legia Warsaw."

Nawrocki would be a versatile option for Celtic if they were to seal a deal for him. He can play in either central defending position, having been used on both sides in the past, and has even been pushed out wide onto the right flank when needed.

It means that he could be a good option to provide depth in several areas, a sure boost to Brendan Rodgers' options back there. Even better is that he has also been used as a defensive midfielder too – so if there is no room for him in the backline, he can still get onto the field and provide a barrier for the opposition before the back four. The Poland man then could be a bit of a coup for the Hoops if they do make a move.

Domestic cricket in Bangladesh should be scheduled during the cooler part of the year, and venues must have better facilities, the former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud has urged. Mashud has asked the BCB to make these changes after many players suffered in the ongoing heat wave across the country.In the 2016-17 season, the National Cricket League first-class tournament began in September but took a break to accommodate the Bangladesh Premier League T20 competition, which was held from November 8 to December 9. The NCL ended after a second phase that stretched from December 20 to January 6.The Bangladesh Cricket League, the four-team first-class competition, then took place from January 28 to March 8. The Dhaka Premier League, which began this season on April 12 and is likely to end in mid-June, has a history of scheduling delays as the major clubs want the top cricketers to participate in the List A competition. Since September last year, the Bangladesh team has been busy playing home or away, so it was hard for the BCB to make the clubs agree to start the DPL in March, when the top cricketers were in Sri Lanka.Mashud, who is also Prime Bank Cricket Club’s coach, said the major domestic competitions such as the DPL and the two first-class competitions must be completed by mid-April.”Implementing the domestic calendar during the season is everyone’s priority,” Mashud wrote in a Facebook post. “It won’t be possible to hold back the [Dhaka Premier] league this season but these concerns should be addressed ahead of the next season. I would urge the BCB to finish the longer-version and one-day competitions by mid-April. They can think of a T20 tournament when the weather gets hotter. I believe such a step will help Bangladesh cricket.”The temperature in Bangladesh touched 38 degrees last week. Mashud cited the examples of Gazi Group batsman Jahurul Islam and Prime Bank wicketkeeper Zakir Hasan, who suffered severe cramps during DPL matches. Zakir was particularly affected during Prime Bank’s May 21 match against Gazi Group Cricketers, suffering seizures despite being given an ice massage in the dressing room. He still hasn’t recovered from his cramps.The DPL has had to deal with other issues too. Avishek Mitra, the Mohammedan Sporting Club batsman, suffered a hamstring injury at the BKSP ground, where there was no ambulance to take him for treatment. In the end, the team had to improvise and use a cycle-van.Mashud also pointed out the effect of power failures, at the BKSP and Fatullah grounds, on players.”Like every other place in the country right now, power failure is also affecting the stadiums,” he wrote. “Cricketers don’t get adequate rest after returning from fielding for 50 overs. While there are generators in place for international matches, it is not the case for domestic games.”It is quite embarrassing to find such a situation in the only List A tournament in the country in which local and foreign stars participate. A bigger challenge awaits from May 24 when the Super League begins. Ramadan is also starting on May 27 which is a major concern for me as a coach.”

Bayern Munich have prepared "a second offer" for Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, with the German club being the England international's "preferred destination" should he leave the Premier League, according to Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news – What's the latest on Harry Kane?

Earlier this week German giants Bayern made an initial verbal offer to Spurs for the services of their talismanic captain and all-time leading goals scorer, Kane.

According to the Daily Mail, the opening offer was in the region of £60m, which was swiftly rejected by the north London side, who maintain their position that they would rather lose the player for free next year than sell him for a figure that low.

The publication also revealed that personal terms between the player and club had been agreed 'in principle', leaving the ball firmly in Daniel Levy and Co's court.

It would appear that the Bundesliga champions see the Englishman as one of their key targets this summer, as they are reportedly set to make a second offer to the north London club imminently.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, reporter Mark McAdam revealed the latest information on this unfolding transfer saga: "We are now being told by Sky Germany that there is a second offer being prepared, and this is a more formal offer in writing from Bayern Munich to Tottenham Hotspur.

"Their information is also that Harry Kane would be open to the move, and should he leave the Premier League, Bayern Munich would be his preferred destination.

"Of course, Spurs' stance has always been the same, they do not want to sell Harry Kane, they want to keep him, Ange Postecoglou would like him as part of squad for next season, and that they would be more happy to let him go on a free next season when his contract comes to an end.

"He is of course in the last year of his current Tottenham Hotspur deal at the moment and to try and find a replacement for man that scored 30 Premier League goals is almost impossible."

Just how good was Harry Kane last season?

In a season that saw headlines dominated by the sensational exploits of Erling Haaland, it has flown under the radar somewhat just how good of a campaign it was from an individual point of view for Kane.

The Walthamstow-born machine scored a seriously impressive 30 goals for a lacklustre Lilywhites side, coming up with a further three assists.

According to WhoScored, he averaged a rating of 7.51 across his 38 league appearances as well, highlighting that he wasn't just hiding behind a good goal tally.

His temporary boss Cristian Stellini certainly appreciated his goals in his short tenure, hailing the player as a "GOAT in this league" following their shock 1-0 win over Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

Guardiola is another great of the game that has never hidden his admiration for the England captain, lauding him as "exceptional" and "one of the best I have ever seen."

It is hard to argue against Kane being one of the Premier League's greatest ever players, and with that, it is easier to understand Spurs' position of being happier to lose him for free next year if they can get another year of exceptional service out of him.

Whatever happens, and wherever Kane plays next season, he will likely be challenging for the golden boot all over again.

Aston Villa have reportedly shown an interest in Borussia Dortmund ace Thomas Meunier, in a move that could significantly strengthen Unai Emery’s side.

The Villans are expected to have a busy summer, with Monchi set to team up with his former Sevilla colleague in the bid to continue the progression at Villa Park.

What’s the latest on Thomas Meunier to Aston Villa?

As reported by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Aston Villa have emerged as a potential suitor for Dortmund defender Meunier.

The report claims that the £165k-per-week Belgian is ‘studying’ options this summer after informing the club of his desire to leave.

Villa are named alongside Inter, Juventus and AC Milan as clubs that have ‘asked’ about the player’s situation, with a fee reported to be as low as €2m (£1.7m).

What could Thomas Meunier offer to Aston Villa?

Lauded as a “machine” by members of the media, the 31-year-old could prove to be a valuable asset to Emery’s squad, acting as a significant upgrade at right-back.

In 408 recorded career appearances, as per Transfermarkt, the Belgian has played at the top level against and among some of the continent's best talents, making him an individual with heaps of experience.

With Premier League veteran Ashley Young leaving the club this summer, Emery may opt to recruit added experience to his defence. He could achieve that by signing Meunier and equip the right side with a player capable of dethroning current options in doing so.

Matty Cash made 26 Premier League appearances for Villa this season at right-back, performing adequately as communicated by his average match rating of 6.76, via Sofascore.

The Poland international has been called “inconsistent and naive” in the past by Talent ID Andrew Ashburn, and as supported by his statistics, could find himself replaced should Meunier opt to make the move to the Midlands.

As per FBref, the former Paris Saint-Germain full-back averages 66.66 attempted passes per 90, ranking him in the top 11% of full-backs in Europe over the past year, showing his desire to be involved in game play.

Based on their numbers over the past year, the 31-year-old averages marginally higher than Cash in a variety of attributes required to excel as a successful full-back, averaging 2.79 tackles to the 25-year-old’s 2.72 per 90 and 1.44 interceptions to his 1.29 per 90.

Being a strong full-back in the Premier League nowadays relies a lot on an individual's ability to be progressive in play, with managers opting to hand inverted roles to their wide defenders in the bid to support offensively.

Meunier averages higher than the Villa right-back when it comes to progressive passes, recording an average of 3.94 to Cash's 3.71 per 90, with a similar pattern evident in progressive carries, scoring 2.31 per 90 to Cash’s 2.08.

For a limited price, Emery could capture an experienced and established full-back in the Belgian, who could upgrade and provide depth at right-back ahead of next campaign.

Rain brought day two to an early end after three wickets in two overs from Shakib Al Hasan had left the second Test delicately poised

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy21-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:33

Isam: New Zealand are under fire

Rain brought day two to an early end after three wickets in two overs from Shakib Al Hasan had left the second Test delicately poised. Replying to Bangladesh’s 289, New Zealand had slid from 252 for 4 to 260 for 7 when bad weather arrived some 20 minutes from scheduled close of play, ending a seesawing day in which New Zealand had routinely held the upper hand only for quick losses of wickets to stall their progress.Taylor climbs up the table

3 New Zealand batsmen with 6000 or more Test runs. Ross Taylor got there in this match and only Stephen Fleming (7172) and Brendon McCullum (6453) sit above him on the list.

6 Fifty-plus scores for Tom Latham in his last seven Tests. No other New Zealand player has made more than four such scores in the same number of successive matches.

3/32 Shakib Al Hasan’s figures, his best across four Tests in New Zealand. This was his maiden three-wicket haul in the country, having picked up only five wickets in previous matches. All three wickets came in the space of nine balls after he was used for only four overs in the first 66 of the innings.

2 Fifties for Henry Nicholls in this series; equaling the number of fifties he had made in nine Tests and 14 innings previously.

First, New Zealand had capitalised on two dropped catches and moved to 46 for 0 before Kamrul Islam Rabbi pegged them back with two wickets in three balls. Then a 106-run third-wicket partnership between Tom Latham and Ross Taylor, which rattled along at 4.41 per over, put Bangladesh on the back foot only for both to fall, against the run of play, in the space of 8.5 overs. Shakib’s triple-strike came after another meaty partnership – 75 for the fifth wicket between Henry Nicholls and Mitchell Santner. Nicholls was batting on 56 at stumps, with New Zealand seven down and trailing by 29 runs.Shakib, Bangladesh’s most experienced bowler, had only been used for four overs when he came back into the attack to start the 67th of New Zealand’s innings. His under-utilisation may have had something to do with the fact that left-handers comprised four of New Zealand’s top six, but if that was the case, it reflected one-track thinking from their captain Tamim Iqbal, for within four balls of his new spell, Shakib dismissed a stodgy left-hander.Playing for turn, Santner went on the back foot to work Shakib, bowling from left-arm over, into the leg side. The lack of turn, however, left him in a fully open position and he ended up playing across the line and missing by a long way. The ball hit his back pad in front of middle stump. Reviewing Paul Reiffel’s out decision, Santner had to walk back without technology either upholding or rejecting it, as ball-tracking failed to materialise. Umpire’s call seemed the likely outcome, with the ball looking like it may have gone on to clip leg stump. New Zealand got their review back, but not their No. 6.Bowling with a low arm from around the wicket and getting the ball to skid on towards the stumps, Shakib gobbled up BJ Watling and Colin de Grandhomme in his next over. Both played for the turn, and both were bowled playing unneccessarily aggressive shots. Watling chopped on an attempted cut, de Grandhomme played a loose drive, leaving a massive gap for the ball to sneak through.If the scorecard at stumps was an indictment of New Zealand’s batsmen for frittering away their starts, it also flattered Bangladesh’s bowlers, who were frustratingly inconsistent for most of the day. They began excellently in the first session, lost their discipline in the second, and seemed to be letting the game drift in the third before Shakib intervened.Shakib Al Hasan removed Colin de Grandhomme for a three-ball duck•Getty Images

Taskin Ahmed, though, was excellent with the new ball, beating the outside edge four times in his first three overs, and finding Jeet Raval’s edge in his sixth, only for Sabbir Rahman, moving to his right from second slip, to grass a knee-high catch. Taskin troubled the two left-handed openers so frequently because of his line, which didn’t allow the comfortable leave despite his angle across them, his length, which was usually on the fuller side of good, and every now and again a bit of seam movement towards the slips. He did overpitch on a few occasions – Latham in particular capitalised with three splendid, full-faced drives to the straight boundary – but that did not cause him to pull his length back at any point.Mehedi Hasan opened the bowling with Taskin, extracted bounce, and created a chance in his first over, provoking a drive away from the body from Raval that resulted in a low chance that Mahmudullah, rising too quickly at second slip, shelled. Raval didn’t do much with his two lives. The opening partnership had stretched to 46 before Kamrul, coming on as second change, broke through in the 15th over, his first. Trying to pull one that was perhaps not short enough, Raval was cramped for room and only managed a bottom-edge onto the stumps.Two balls later, New Zealand were two down. Kane Williamson may be among the hardest players in the world to dismiss, but even he could do little when confronted with the perfect late outswinger – full enough to draw him forward but not so full that he could get close to the pitch of it, its initial line close enough to off stump to force him to play, and its movement late enough to prevent him from adjusting and withdrawing his bat. Wicketkeeper Nurul Islam tumbled to his right to take his first catch in Test cricket.Latham batted serenely through the first session, never following the ball with his hands even when he was beaten, and had only one real moment of discomfort, when the slingy Rubel Hossain bowled a bouncer that didn’t rise as much as expected. Latham was unable to sway away in time, and the ball crunched into his helmet grille and sent the protective attachment at the back of his neck flying.By lunch, Latham and Taylor had added 23, and had seen out some tight bowling from Bangladesh’s quicks. Their discipline suffered after the break, though, and boundary balls grew frequent. Taylor, who has looked in excellent touch since the series against Pakistan – thanks in part to adopting a consciously side-on approach, with front shoulder pointing down the pitch rather than opening out to mid-on – drove fluently through the covers in addition to showing off his usual strengths of cutting and working the ball off his legs.The first 13 overs of the post-lunch session brought 83 runs at 6.38, including nine fours and two sixes, and New Zealand seemed to be running away with the game, when Bangladesh profited from a loss of concentration from Latham on 68. Looking to cut one that wasn’t quite wide enough for the shot, he top-edged Taskin in the first over after drinks.Taylor could have followed him seven overs later, when he misread the flight of an offbreak from Mehedi and whipped it in the air to deep square leg, only for Kamrul, diving forward, to drop the low chance. He was on 75 at that point, had already brought up one landmark – becoming the third New Zealander to pass 6000 Test runs – and seemed set to bring up another and equal the late Martin Crowe, his mentor, on 17 Test hundreds. But that wasn’t to be; he had added only two runs to his score when he drove too early at Mehedi in his next over and spooned a catch to short midwicket.

There has been an update regarding Manchester United's interest in Atalanta sensation, Rasmus Hojlund…

What's the latest on Hojlund to Man United?

According to The Football Terrace's Terry Flewers, the Red Devils are believed to be in "talks" to sign the Denmark international this summer, with there a chance that both the 20-year-old and Harry Kane could be on their way to Old Trafford.

Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider stated: "Manchester United have started concrete talks with Rasmus Højlund's team and are very keen to sign him this summer, thus the deal is on & active.

"Harry Kane is still the number 1 target and United could sign both."

This follows a previous report from the Manchester Evening News which revealed that the former Sturm Graz striker – who has been valued at around £60m by his current employers – has already held video calls with Erik ten Hag regarding a potential move to England.

Would Hojlund be a good signing for Man United?

While not a household name like the aforementioned Kane, Hojlund has certainly put himself on the map following an impressive debut campaign in Serie A, having scored ten goals and provided four assists in 34 games in all competitions for the Bergamo-based side.

Hailed as "scary quick" by journalist Sacha Pisani, the promising starlet – who also has five goals to his name in just four appearances for his country at senior level – has also caught the eye due to his apparent likeness to Manchester City's Norwegian machine, Erling Haaland, with Hojlund himself stating:

"I see parallels between myself and Erling Haaland. He is fast, left-footed, tall, has a good nose for goal and is a classy finisher. His mentality is also completely insane!"

As for as United are concerned, the hope will be that the one-time Copenhagen gem can emulate another Scandinavian striking machine in the form of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the latter man having also arrived in Manchester as something of an unknown quantity back in 1996.

While many will remember Solskjaer's mixed stint in charge of the club – which ended back in November 2021 after the one-time Cardiff City boss was relieved of his duties – the 'Baby-faced assassin' remains a cult hero due to his playing exploits, having memorably scored that winner in the Champions League final in 1999.

Having been signed from Norwegian side Molde for just £1.5m at the age of 23, the ruthless marksman ultimately proved a real bargain after scoring 126 goals in 366 games over the next 11 years under the watchful eye of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Much like Hojlund – who has been described as "clinical" by talent scout Jacek Kulig – Solskjaer was also truly lethal in front of goal in his pomp as his goal record illustrates, with the hope being that the Atalanta man can make a similar impact if he is to link up with Ten Hag this summer.

There is also a likeness between the pair as Solskjaer was seemingly signed by Ferguson after the legendary Scotsman missed out on top target Alan Shearer in that same summer, while Hojlund could represent a cheaper, younger alternative to leading option, Kane – who has been valued at around £100m.

Of course, as Flewers suggested, the Tottenham Hotspur talisman could still be signed in tandem with the Dane, although either way the signing of the 6 foot 1 speedster could well prove to be United's next Solskjaer.