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Today at 3pm, Nottingham Forest make the trip to South Yorkshire to take on Sheffield United in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final.

On both occasions that the teams have faced each other this season, they have drawn 1-1, so there is nothing to split the two sides going into today’s clash.

With the stakes now raised, it really will be a case of stick or twist for both managers coming into this fixture.

Injury news

As per Nottinghamshire Live, both Ryan Yates and Jack Colback will be available to feature in the Reds’ match against the Blades at Bramall Lane this afternoon.

Speaking about the health of his squad going into the crucial play-off clash, and addressing the aforementioned duo to begin with, Forest manager Steve Cooper said:

“They are making progress. We’ll give them every chance to be available. They’re obviously desperate to play, as you can imagine. Everybody is desperate to play.

“Max [Lowe], Keinan [Davis] and Lewis [Grabban] are as they were, still injured. Scott [McKenna] is fine – he was fine to be on the bench last week. Djed [Spence] is the same. And Steve Cook will be available. He had some personal stuff going on and he cracked his head open at Bournemouth, so he didn’t play at Hull for a couple of reasons. But he’s back with us now and is looking good.”

Forest predicted XI

Will Cooper make any changes to the team which started in the 1-1 draw against Hull City last Saturday? Here is how we at Football Fancast believe Nottingham Forest will line up in the first leg of the Championship play-off semi-final game against Sheffield United.

Forest XI (3-4-1-2): Samba – Worrall, Cook, McKenna – Spence, Yates, Garner, Colback – Zinckernagel – Johnson, Surridge

Our predicted XI sees Forest make seven changes from the side which drew 1-1 with Hull City last time out, with Cooper having rested many of his starters a week ago in order to have them ready for this very game.

With the positive injury boost regarding Yates and Colback, they are expected to slot straight back in, with the likes of Brennan Johnson, Spence, Cook, McKenna and £12.7k-per-week “machine” Sam Surridge all expected to retain their usual starting positions in a 3-4-1-2 system. The likes of Xande Silva, Alex Mighten, Joe Lolley, Cafu, Richie Laryea, Jonathan Panzo and Tobias Figueiredo all drop out, having started against Hull in Cooper’s rotated line-up last time out.

The 42-year-old is expected to deploy his strongest line-up for what is the most important game of the Reds’ season so far, and arguably, this is his best XI.

In other news: Forest can land the new McKenna in “outstanding” 19-year-old prodigy, Cooper surely ecstatic

Rayudu failed, but has had a solid series in New Zealand while Pant’s keeping woes spilled over to his batting

Deivarayan Muthu14-Mar-2019Since the Champions Trophy in June 2017, India have tried out 11 players at No. 4, but none have staked claim to that position, or so it appears, with India having completed their complement of matches leading up to the World Cup.The situation so dire that Virat Kohli briefly returned to No. 4 in Mohali, but didn’t get going. Picked ahead of Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant had an opportunity to leave his imprint in the series decider in Delhi, but failed.It may appear that Kedar Jadhav is a certainty, along with MS Dhoni and Kohli. This leaves Ambati Rayudu, dropped after three poor outings, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, Pant and Karthik scrambling for middle-order berths. ESPNcricinfo examines how they all fared in India’s last ODI series before the World Cup.Getty ImagesAmbati Rayudu
Kohli has often stated Rayudu has the game to bat at No. 4, but a key ingredient seems to have gone missing suddenly: strike rotation. In the first three ODIs, he laboured to 13, 18 and 2. He ate up 40 dots out of 59 deliveries faced and was subsequently left out.The competition is so stifling that he may yet find himself in a spot despite being the top scorer in New Zealand in January. He managed 190 runs in five innings, including a match-winning 90 on a Wellington track that aided pacers, after the top order had floundered.Vijay Shankar
He played each of the five matches against Australia, caught the eye with his strike rotation, lofted hits, sparkling cameos, rocket throws from the deep and the ability to save runs on the field. With the bat, he isn’t quite the power hitter, but has shown how he can use the touch game to great effect. That he can bowl a few overs and sometimes win games – like he did in Nagpur – might give him the edge.His 46 off 41 balls on a fairly two-paced Nagpur deck stood out. He unfurled a variety of shots – none more delightful than the pair of straight-bat punches over midwicket off Marcus Stoinis.According to , Vijay played a mere 4.1% false shots in that innings, and the last time an Indian who wasn’t Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan or Kohli scored as many runs with that much control was Hardik Pandya in the Champions Trophy final.In the series decider, he had an opportunity to put little doubts to rest, but he fell after miscuing a pull to long-on. This after he’d just hit a rousing six onto the sight screen off Adam Zampa. Overall, he is quite a package nonetheless.Getty ImagesRishabh Pant
When Pant smokes massive sixes, he makes a mockery of the stable base that coaches are fond of. He provided glimpses of those during his 24-ball 36 in Mohali, but his wicketkeeping came under sharp scrutiny. He missed two stumpings, and the recipient of one of them – Ashton Turner – not only won Australia the game but also gave Justin Langer and co. a few selection headaches.Pant fared much better behind the stumps in the series decider in front of his home crowd, but couldn’t click with the bat again as he was snuffed out by Nathan Lyon’s dip and turn. His returns: 52 runs in two innings. However, the Indian team management rates him highly and he was recently rewarded with a Category A central contract – the second-most lucrative retainer.Is that alone a sign that he’s still in their plans? What of Karthik and his finishing abilities? Kohli insists that IPL will not impact World Cup selection, but given Pant hasn’t got enough game-time in this series, will the toss-up continue in the IPL too?Getty ImagesKL Rahul
He lit up the T20Is with knocks of 50 and 47, but had one innings to prove himself in the ODIs. That innings came at No. 3, a position he wasn’t auditioning for. It also came on the back of a mammoth 193-run opening stand that left him fewer overs to negotiate. Rahul likes the new ball ball coming onto the bat and isn’t as fluent against the old one, at least initially. He could well be India’s back-up opener in the World Cup, but there are still question marks over how he can fit into the middle order.

Pakistan’s marks out of ten following their 3-0 loss in Australia

Osman Samiuddin08-Jan-2017

9

Azhar Ali
Has there been a better performance by a Pakistani batsman in Australia, that too by an opener? Azhar Ali’s evolution over this last year, in which he has had to assume opening duties, has been one of Pakistan’s happiest gains. In Australia he was outstanding, not least with the MCG double in which his straight-driving, in particular, reached heights he has never hit before. He looked good for another big one in the first innings in Sydney until cut short by poor running. But by series end, he was the wicket Australia wanted most – no Pakistani less deserved to be whitewashed.

6

Younis Khan
By his own admission, he came to the party late. And it says plenty about his stature that, for one of the very few times in his career, his hundred in Sydney was meaningless for Pakistan. It was still a very good one, a reminder that he is not yet quite done. More than ever, his start is the key: if he survives the first half hour or so, he looks fine, which is why he will be especially disappointed at a pair of 20s at the MCG. A couple of his dismissals were not great looks but if Misbah-ul-Haq goes, it won’t be a bad idea for Younis to stay on. Not much action in the slips, though he did drop a chance in the final Test.Asad Shafiq
He started the series magnificently, with an innings that will not be soon forgotten. But his tailing away thereafter will have disturbed Pakistan, especially as he looked so resolute in his first-innings 50 at the MCG. That one was ended by a good ball, but his three subsequent dismissals hinted at carelessness, and in situations where he is now expected to be extra careful. He still seems not quite to be over the bump produced by being shunted up and down the order. With Misbah on the verge of leaving, Pakistan desperately need him to acquire the kind of ruthlessness Azhar has shown in the last year when cashing in on good form and good starts.Wahab Riaz
By a distance the best of the worst bowling performance by a Pakistan bowling attack. By the last Test, he was the only one of them who looked up to the task of playing Test cricket. He was at the heart of Pakistan’s best bowling day of the series, the second at the Gabba. He was also at the heart of their most indisciplined phase, the third afternoon at the MCG where he imploded with a blitz of no-balls. It was, frustratingly, an outstanding spell of full-length, super-fast bowling, but little of it was legal and it was a big part of the reason Pakistan ceded advantage there and with it, the series. In Sydney, he showed off his range, slowing down and concentrating on keeping the run rate down. It felt like a coming of age, but a very strange one.If Misbah goes, Younis should stay•AFP

5

Sarfraz Ahmed
Don’t be fooled by the high batting average. That was the result mainly of a pointless but pretty unbeaten 72 in Pakistan’s last innings of the series. This was a poor series for Sarfraz, one where his glovework to spin especially was shown up alarmingly. It has always been poor but here, he looked lost. He missed three stumpings in Sydney, hardly even moving for them, and shelled what was, in hindsight, the most critical chance of the series; that of Steven Smith in the first innings at the Gabba, when he was on 48 and dinner just round the corner. He looked as he always does with the bat and ordinarily, Pakistan would be fine with his returns. But those missed chances are becoming impossible to ignore.Mohammad Amir
Once he had taken four wickets at the Gabba, it seemed finally as if the glut of wickets he had been threatening would come in this series. Instead, he took one more in the second innings and then none in the 57 overs he bowled in the series after that. At the MCG he was especially unlucky, tormenting David Warner in a wonderful opening spell and beating the bat through Australia’s mammoth reply. But a heavy workload finally caught up with him and in Sydney he bowled as poorly as he has done since his return. His batting, though, has come along nicely, raising hopes that Pakistan may finally have a handy No. 8 in their lower order.

4

Sharjeel Khan
He is not, as we all knew, Pakistan’s David Warner. He is, however, an intriguing option as Test opener. As that second-innings blitz in Sydney showed, he has more shots than are attributed to him. It is an experiment Pakistan can continue with.

3

Yasir Shah
What a fall. This was always going to be a tough series for Yasir, but could anyone have imagined he would be treated the way he was? He went at over 4.5 per over and it honestly felt like he was going for more than that. He claimed the strange, defensive leg-side line but that is difficult to believe given how Misbah manages his spinners. At least if, between them, they had attempted to attack when the series was alive, it would be some consolation. But Yasir became a stock bowler by the end of it, a man to just get the overs in because nobody else was around. Azhar and Nathan Lyon spun the ball more than him and Azhar genuinely has a better googly. Pakistan will hope desperately that Warner’s assault on him in the second innings at the SCG is not the undoing of Yasir.Yasir Shah had the wrong kind of flight going for him•Getty Images and Cricket AustraliaSami Aslam
Mickey Arthur was at pains to point out Aslam does have a long-term future with Pakistan and he is right: he does. But he needs to bring a little bit of the expansiveness that he does possess into his Test game. He bats too long for too few runs, a fatal flaw for an opener.Sohail Khan
Nothing new emerged from his single outing here. He is, as the management has said time and again, not fit enough and that outweighs whatever he brings with the new ball. Australia exposes bowling and fielding fitness like no other country and so it did with Sohail. Shame because with his tonking abilities with the bat, as a fun maiden fifty showed, he can be a real asset.

2

Misbah-ul-Haq
Easily the worst series of his career. With the bat he continued making a string of regrettable choices, an indication that mentally he is not quite in the right place. But it was his decisions as captain that inflicted more harm upon Pakistan’s cause. In particular, the strategy for Yasir made no sense and no amount of justification that they wanted to curtail Warner’s scoring areas will make that better. Never has he led by rote as much as he did here; Yasir would always come on after 10 or 11 overs and the fast bowlers never bowled in tandem beyond the shine of the new ball. It should be his last series and if it is, it will be a sad way to go.Babar Azam
Who knows what damage Pakistan may have done on this batting diamond of theirs by playing him at one down through the series? Australia is no place for inexperienced men at that position. He got three starts and lived up to the hype in each, but the sense of building an innings is not complete just yet. By the end, Josh Hazlewood had worked him over thoroughly around his pads.Rahat Ali

Emblematic of the problems of Pakistan’s pace attack when operating outside the UAE. He has consistently given away the advantage on the first day of Pakistan’s away series by not working out which lengths to bowl and he did again at the Gabba. Needs to become sharper about his game.Imran Khan

This is what happens when you keep a fast bowler in the squad but never play him. Imran has been in Pakistan squads over the last year and more, but played only a handful of times. In between he has hardly played any first-class cricket and it showed in Sydney where it became clear that his pace – never extreme – has faded away alarmingly.

A proud South African record has come to an end, but they will be keen to rekindle their spark for their summer of Test cricket has a lot more ahead

Firdose Moonda in Delhi02-Dec-20152:20

Results haven’t justified our preparations – Amla

The overwhelming feeling in Delhi is that some things in the city are not as they should be. It’s not supposed to be this warm at this time of year. There shouldn’t be so much smog but there is and perhaps because of it, kids shouldn’t be going to school. And the Test series between India and South Africa shouldn’t have petered out this way.The scoreline is not the issue. The home fans are delighted with 2-0 and rightly so, but India’s success has been overshadowed by the surfaces it’s been achieved on. Even the team has been left disappointed that the focus has been pulled away from their performance; from what what India call their own excellence to exploit home conditions or South Africa’s inability to adapt to them. Instead Virat Kohli and his men find the neutrals comforting the vanquished and not celebrating the victors.The swathe of sympathy has given South Africa some breathing room. Amid ‘tough conditions,’ and even the ICC has agreed where Nagpur was concerned, the tourists have not had to look deeper into whether they could have done things better to avoid their current predicament. “Whatever happened in the last Test match, I don’t think will leave any tattoos on the team because it was a difficult Test match for everybody,” Hashim Amla said.Amla could even afford an answer which may not have been entirely serious when he was asked what it is like to to be a batsman in these circumstances. “Exciting,” he said, complete with a diplomatic reasoning. “It’s a lovely challenge facing good bowlers on difficult tracks.”It wasn’t long before Amla seemed a little more earnest and even with the series gone, overcoming India in such conditions was firmly on his bucket list. “We want to get in. On wickets like this, you are never quite in. You can scratch around some runs,” he said. “Whereas on other wickets, that are a bit more truer, you can set your innings in and dig deep. It’s been very difficult at times, but been exciting and a good challenge for our batters. After this tour, a lot of us and younger guys will take a lot of experience out of it.”The truth is South Africa will not simply brush this off as an aberration on an otherwise outstanding record on the road. This was a crucial series for them, perhaps the most important of the last few years and certainly the most important of Amla’s tenure as Test captain. It was supposed to exemplify of how well they have transitioned, instead it has shown that their next generation of players are not yet up to scratch. To have fallen so far short of where they would have wanted to be will not sit well with them regardless of what they may say in public.They were bystanders in their own big show and on the eve of the Delhi Test, that became clear in the most cruel way. There are no South Africans in the ICC’s Test team of the year, mostly because in the time period under consideration – September 2013 to September 2014 – South Africa played just five Tests. They won two, to claim a series win over West Indies, and drew three, including two rain-affected games in Bangladesh, which explains why they were overlooked but it would be little consolation. After all, even without much cricket, players like AB de Villiers – who scored two hundreds in the two wins – and Amla would make most teams.Again, Amla’s answer revealed something about where South Africa stand. “The number of games played in the period is probably the most important criteria in something like that. That’s not a lot of cricket compared to the other teams, so I don’t think it makes much of a difference. When you play more games you score more runs or take more wickets.”Perennially, one of South Africa’s problems has been that they don’t play as much Test cricket as the big three despite their ranking. This season was supposed to change that. Two successive four-Test series to make up a mega summer. But the first half has given disappointing returns, which means South Africa have a lot of ground to make up in the second segment – at home against England.Nothing they physically experience in Delhi will prepare them for that series. The conditions, the opposition and the atmosphere will be completely different but somehow South Africa have to find a way to take something out of here.It may be something as small as a single spell from one of their reserve bowlers – and some of them will be in operation because Dale Steyn has been ruled out again – or it may be something much bigger about the spirit they show and the pride they salvage. The thought that the series is not at stake may sit uncomfortably with South Africa but they have to stomach it. It was not supposed to be this way but it is.

New Zealand’s Test series against West Indies will be a huge test for their spinners, and of the ability of their batsmen to play spin

Bishen Jeswant07-Jun-2014Coming off a couple of torrid tours against India and New Zealand where they suffered three innings-defeats and never came anywhere near winning a single game, West Indies will now be looking to use their home advantage to set things right under Denesh Ramdin, their newly-anointed captain. For inspiration, they needn’t look beyond New Zealand’s previous tour to the Caribbean, when the visitors were beaten 2-0.West Indies and New Zealand have played each other in only 12 Tests since the turn of the century, and five of these games have come after January 2012. By the end of this series, these teams would have played each other eight times in less than two years – a marked change considering they met only seven times in the 12 years before that. In the 12 games in the 21st century, New Zealand have had the upper hand, winning five and losing only two, while drawing the remaining five. However, in the 42 Tests the two teams have played against each other, West Indies have the edge with 12 wins against New Zealand’s 11. The contest has been fairly even in recent times, with both New Zealand and West Indies having won a couple of games each on their respective home turfs since January 2012.

West Indies v New Zealand – Head to head

SpanMatchesNZ WinsWI WinsDrawsOverall42111219Since Jan 200112525Since Jan 20125221The recent Test records of both teams have been dismal, with both having lost more than they have won since January 2012. West Indies have won a couple of games each against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and New Zealand in this period and have eight losses against the higher-ranked nations. New Zealand have had fewer wins than West Indies in this period despite having played more games. However, New Zealand’s victories include an away win against Sri Lanka (in Colombo), something that even South Africa have not been able to do since 2000. They also had a 1-0 series victory against India and a closely fought 1-0 series loss to South Africa, both at home.

Tests between West Indies and New Zealand since Jan 2012

TeamMatchesWonLostDrawWest Indies17683New Zealand245109One department in which West Indies have suffered the most is pace. Till 2000, the West Indian pacers averaged 26.61, but since then it’s dropped to 37.03. This changing trend is also a reflection of the local pitches. Till 2000, spinners averaged 44.64 at the Sabina Park, the venue of the first Test in this series. The number has since improved to 28.16.All through the 20th century, the West Indies were known for their pace bowling, to the extent that West Indies played 10 matches during that period where not a single over was bowled by a spinner. In that era, their fast bowlers took more than three times the number of wickets their spinners took; since January 2012, pace has accounted for only 15 more wickets than spin. The tables below brings out this difference.

Spin v pace for West Indies (1928 – 2000)

Bowling typePlayersMatWktsAveEconSR510Pace105366401626.552.6959.1016119Spin82356122837.292.2798.10546

Spin v pace for West Indies (2012 – current)

Bowling typePlayersMatWktsAveEconSR510Pace91713534.623.2863.261Spin121712030.203.0259.982

While West Indian spinners have become more proficient, New Zealand’s spin battery for this series comprises of Kane Williamson, Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig, all of whom average more than 40 at the first-class level. The New Zealand spinners took only five wickets, compared to 54 for the seamers, during the home series against West Indies in December 2013.Also interesting is that opposition spinners have averaged 29.75 against New Zealand’s batsmen since January 2012. Zimbabwe are the only team against whom spinners have done better in this period. In conditions likely to favour spinners, New Zealand’s spin bowling and their batting against spin will both be put to the test during this tour.Among the individuals players, West Indies’ Shane Shillingford has made a significant impact at the world stage. Among bowlers who have taken 50-plus wickets since January 2012, Shillingford is the only one who has played fewer than 10 games. He has taken two ten-wicket hauls in this period, with only Saeed Ajmal and Rangana Herath having taken more.

Top wicket-takers for New Zealand and West Indies since Jan 2012

PlayerMatInnsMdnsWktsAveEconSR510TA Boult21381677826.932.9255.3031TG Southee16301257223.972.9049.5031S Shillingford915895125.602.8953.0062N Wagner1426985035.003.4860.3010KAJ Roach918594222.693.1842.7031DAJ Bracewell1527663444.263.5075.8000TL Best1118322932.003.6452.7020DJG Sammy1728842549.363.0397.7000CS Martin712402327.863.3250.3010SP Narine611602140.523.0978.5020Among the batsmen, only one West Indian – Shivnarine Chanderpaul – features in the list of top 20 run-getters in Tests since January 2012. The list does have a few New Zealanders though – Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson – which is partly down to the fact that New Zealand have played a fairly high number of Tests during this period. Only Australia and England have played more matches than New Zealand’s 24 in this period.

Top run-getters from New Zealand and West Indies since Jan 2012

PlayerMatInnsRunsAveSR10050BB McCullum2442174243.5558.6739LRPL Taylor2137172959.6255.9366S Chanderpaul1627151079.4748.4456KS Williamson2341147637.8441.9749MN Samuels1423115952.6853.2337DM Bravo142585637.2144.8122KOA Powell163084729.2052.2830BJ Watling152384740.3344.0035D Ramdin142275344.2952.7333DJG Sammy172769727.8870.5414Chanderpaul’s batting average of 79.47 is the highest for any batsmen during this period (minimum 200 runs). The top five players in the above table have had more than ten 50-plus scores. There have been 19 such players in the world since January 2012. In the recent series between these teams in New Zealand, Ross Taylor was in belligerent form scoring 495 runs in three matches at an average of 247.50, including three centuries. Keeping him quiet will be one of the priorities for West Indies.Chris Gayle is on the verge of reaching a couple of milestones during this series. The next Test match that Gayle plays will be his 100th, and he is also only 67 runs shy of 7000 runs in Tests. On a quirkier note, if Gayle does not bowl in this match (and this seems likely considering his recent injuries) and scores exactly 81 runs, both his Test batting and bowling averages will become exactly 42. As of today, no Test player (past or present) has the exact same batting and bowling average.

Plays of the Day from the second day of the Newlands Test between South Africa and Pakistan

Firdose Moonda at Newlands15-Feb-2013Catch of the day
Pakistan’s batsmen were struggling against the new ball and probably didn’t want too much else to think about but that was not all they had to contend with. Alviro Petersen added to their woes at the start of the day with a piece of superb fielding that will go down as one of the moments of the series. Sarfraz Ahmed was the last recognised batsman but even he was uncertain against Vernon Philander, pushing at one and getting an outside edge. Petersen moved to his right, stuck a hand out and caught the ball inches off the ground to leave Sarfraz in disbelief that he had been dismissed.Novelty sighting of the day
South Africans have been waiting for a few weeks to see Mohammed Irfan in action, out of curiosity at what someone taller than Morne Morkel would look like. He did not play in the Wanderers Test and when Graeme Smith chose to field first, it meant at least another day of waiting. Irfan finally had his moment, with bat in hand, seven minutes before the scheduled lunch and delivered on all the novelty value he promised. He looked almost twice as tall as Saeed Ajmal and AB de Villiers and stood head, shoulders and waist above the rest. His first shot was as aggressive as expected as he looked to swipe over mid-on but missed completely.Team-mates tussle of the day
With a second collapse against the new ball in full swing, it was understandable that Pakistan’s batsmen were getting tetchy. Tanvir Ahmed appeared the most irritable. When Umar Gul was given out lbw against Philander, he wanted to consult with Tanvir but the No. 8 wanted no part in it. He turned his back on Gul and walked away from the non-striker’s end. He only turned to address to his colleague once Gul had asked for the referral. Tanvir did not seem happy with that at all and the two held a heated discussion in the middle while the third umpire reviewed the decision and upheld the on-field call.Body blow of the day
Saeed Ajmal was brought on in the 12th over of the South Africa innings but the damage was not immediately sustained by the batsman. Alviro Petersen swept his third delivery straight on to short leg Azhar Ali’s knee and the fielder went down as concerned team-mates converged. Petersen joined the group to check on Azhar but Graeme Smith was not overly concerned. Azhar was treated on-field and a drinks break was taken but he has back under the helmet immediately aftewards.Catch of the day II
If there was any pain lingering in Azhar’s knee to hamper his movement, he didn’t show it and gave Petersen some of his own treatment. When Petersen played Ajmal on to his pad, in an attempt to glance the ball down to fine leg, Azhar responded as quickly as Petersen had earlier. He moved forward quickly to pouch the ball one-handed in front of him and Petersen did not hesitate a moment in walking off.

Twenty numbers from the IPL matches so far

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan02-May-2011*All stats updated till the end of the 39th match of IPL 2011, played between Chennai and Deccan on May 1.Lasith Malinga has the highest number of bowled dismissals across all seasons of the IPL•AFP19 – The most runs scored in the first over of matches in this edition of the IPL, by Kolkata against Bangalore. Rajasthan have scored the highest across all seasons (22 runs) against Kolkata in Durban in 2009.298 – In the match between Delhi and Punjab in Delhi, 298 runs were scored in fours and sixes, which is the highest number of runs scored in boundaries in a match in IPL 2011 and the joint third-highest across all editions. The highest overall is 336 runs in the game between Chennai and Rajasthan in Chennai in IPL 2010.3 – The number of hundreds scored in defeats in all IPLs so far. Andrew Symonds’ 117 for Deccan against Rajasthan in 2008 is the highest individual score in a defeat.242.85 – Adam Gilchrist’s strike rate during his 85 against Delhi in the semi-final in IPL 2009. This is the highest strike rate for a captain for a fifty-plus score in the IPL. Sachin Tendulkar’s century against Kochi in IPL 2011 is the only hundred by a captain in the IPL so far.10.16 – The scoring rate per over of Paul Valthaty in the first six overs in IPL 2011, which is the highest among batsmen who have scored at least 100 runs in the first six-over phase in this edition of the IPL.19 – The number of successful chases by Rajasthan across the four editions of the IPL, which is the most games won by any team while chasing. Bangalore are second with 18 wins.6 – Number of century partnerships in Kolkata and Hyderabad, the most at any ground in the IPL.13 – The number of wickets that have fallen in the first over of IPL matches. Praveen Kumar has picked up three wickets in the opening over across the four editions of the IPL.1.34 – The number of fifty-plus scores per match in IPL 2011 so far, which is the second-lowest after IPL 2009 (1.29). The corresponding ratio for IPL 2008 is 1.53 and 1.53 for IPL 2010.158.4 – The runs scored in boundaries per match in IPL 2011, which is the second-lowest figure among all seasons after IPL 2009 (145.6).27 – The number of bowled dismissals for Lasith Malinga, the highest for any bowler in the IPL. Irfan Pathan is next with 16 bowled dismissals.48 – The number of sixes conceded by Praveen Kumar across all seasons of the IPL, the most by any pace bowler. Irfan Pathan and RP Singh are next, having conceded 47 and 43 sixes respectively.726 – The number of runs scored by Delhi in boundaries in IPL 2011, which is the highest for any team in this edition. Chennai are next, with 678 runs in boundaries.7 – The number of five-wicket hauls in IPL. Three of these have come in IPL 2011. The best bowling is Sohail Tanvir’s 6 for 14 for Rajasthan against Chennai in 2008.11 – The number of times teams have been bowled out for scores below 100 in the IPL. Three of the 11 scores have come in IPL 2011.116 – The lowest total successfully defended in the tournament, by Chennai against Punjab in IPL 2009. In 2011, the lowest total to be defended successfully so far is 129 by Deccan against Kochi.167.06 – Virender Sehwag’s strike rate, the highest among all batsmen who have scored at least 400 runs in the IPL. Yusuf Pathan is next, with a strike rate of 160.08.4 – Tendulkar, David Warner and Jacques Kallis have each held four catches in an innings, the most by a fielder in a single innings in the IPL.70 – The number of runs scored by Mumbai against Deccan in the last five overs, the highest for the last five-over period in IPL 2011. Chennai are next, with 69 runs in the same phase in their game against Deccan. Kolkata’s 86 runs against Deccan in 2008 is the highest in the last five-over period across the four seasons.5 – The number of matches in IPL 2011 in which at least 15 wickets have fallen. The highest number of wickets to fall is 17 in the matches played between Deccan and Kochi and Delhi and Kochi. The match between Deccan and Rajasthan in Nagpur in 2010 is the only one in which all 20 wickets have fallen.

Rajasthan have invested in the youth and are willing to withstand initial failures

Jamie Alter in Mysore02-Dec-2007

Oh that one bleeding run: Robin Bist missed a maiden ton by a run, against Karnataka in Mysore © Nishant Ratnakar/Bangalore Mirror

“I just wanted to get it done with,” says Robin Bist, when asked about the miscued pull that ended a determined innings on 99. His cheeks turn red momentarily, the way they did when that one lapse in concentration cost him a maiden first-class hundred, as he looks down at his feet. “It was a silly shot, but batting in the nineties is so very tough that it seems like you’re stuck there for ages and you just want to get past the hundred.”For nearly five hours Bist had defied Karnataka, weathering two mini-collapses and displaying maturity beyond his 20 years, but getting out one short of the deserved landmark was tough for the rookie to digest. Slamming his bat into the ground with a yell, Bist stood alone for a lonely minute before walking off. “I couldn’t believe it. I had played well to get there and it feels bad. Hopefully more chances will come.”The way Bist batted, it seems they will. Bist was one half of a defiant fifth-wicket partnership that overcame a collapse on day one, after a 120-run opening stand between debutant Manish Sharma and Vineet Saxena. Bist lost his overnight partner Rohit Jhalani for 62 early in the day, but didn’t err in his task of consolidating Rajasthan’s position. At 288 for 7, Karnataka, favourites on experience and Ranji form, had a prime opportunity to skittle out the tail, but Bist shepherded the tail.”I’ve always been an aggressive batsman, it’s my style, but here the situation was different and the pitch wasn’t easy to bat on.” Short and compact, Bist tackled the pace bowlers and spinners with aplomb, getting right inside the line of the ball and picking the gaps like a seasoned pro. His major scoring shots were the flick and cut, and he used these aplenty against a jaded Karnataka attack.Impressively, his strokeplay was matched by an ability to bat with the tail. With medium-pacer Pankaj Singh, he crafted a 46-run eighth-wicket partnership. Effortlessly, Bist kept hold of the strike until he became confident of Pankaj’s abilities. “Pankaj can bat, he’s an aggressive allrounder. He got a half-century last season, but I just told him to stay at the wicket and not think about scoring that much. ‘I will handle that,’ I said. We were in a tough situation and I asked him to just support me.”That partnership inspired Pankaj to dig further, and with his captain, veteran Mohammad Aslam, he added a further 52 to frustrate Karnataka. “393 is a good total, but I feel we could have gotten more,” says Bist, his eyes focused on the 22-yard strip in the background.

When experience and youth met: Vineet Saxena, 26, and Manish Sharma, 19, on their way to a 120-run opening stand against Karnataka © Nishant Ratnakar/Bangalore Mirror

Rajasthan’s batting has let them down this season, and with no points from three games they languish at the bottom. Bist, with 234 runs at 33.42 in his fourth game, is one of the three youngsters who have contributed in this game. “Most of this team is made up of youngsters, such as Manish [Sharma], Rohit [Jhalani] and I, all in our first season. We’re all positive and ready to learn from seniors, like Gagan Khoda. We believe we can do well for Rajasthan.”The belief may not be the answer to Rajasthan’s worries, but it’s a positive start. Watching Rajasthan wind down after play offers a glimpse into the mentality of a young and inexperienced side. During a modified version of volleyball, played with a football and a row of plastic chairs, every player cheers and at the same time, has a dig at his team-mates, with coach and assistant coach involved. Laughter fills the cool Mysore air and the camaraderie can be seen.”This all started last season, after we became Ranji one-day finalists,” says Bist. “We lost [to Mumbai in Jaipur] but we were all so enthusiastic that it became something of a superstition for us. We’re all so young and want to do well, that we make sure to laugh both on and off the field. It’s very important to be happy.”KP Bhaskar, a former Delhi captain who took over as Rajasthan coach this season, believes youth is the way forward. “The game has changed; there’s so much evolving and more is expected of the players. It’s good to have youngsters like Robin and Manish do well. We’ve got a core group of young players we’ve identified as key going forward. Youngsters put pressure on seniors, which is a good thing. At the same time they have so much to learn from experienced players.”I’m here as part of a plan, and I’m confident we can develop Rajasthan cricket. It’s going to be an interesting journey.”With youngsters like Bist on the way to becoming the aces that Rajasthan so badly need, Rajasthan seem headed on the right track. There will be bumps along the way, but it will be interesting to see if what’s important for the youngsters today stays important.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been told that his career is entirely in his own hands, insisting no one can tell the Portugal star when to retire.

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Ronaldo in search of new club at age 40Still captains Portugal and may play at CWCShearer says retirement is his decisionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo is still going strong at 40 and may be on his way to a new club this summer, having hinted that he will not stay on at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr following his expiring contract. He has been linked with a short-term move to a club competing in the upcoming Club World Cup, including Saudi side Al-Hilal and Morocco's Wydad, though the possibility of him extending with Al-Nassr is reportedly back on the table.

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Even at national team level, Ronaldo remains a key part of the Portugal squad, having been called up for the Nations League finals in June, when they will face Germany and then either Spain or France. Retirement, it seems, is far from the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star's mind, and ex-England striker Alan Shearer insists it's all up to the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to decide when he hangs up his boots.

WHAT SHEARER SAID

"Ronaldo has hinted at an exit from his current club, what’s next for him? I don't know," he told . "He's not as good as he was obviously. It's impossible to be at that age but he's still going somehow and still scoring goals at that level. I haven't got a clue what's going on with him. He's still playing for Portugal, they won't retire him, he'll have to retire himself.

"Whether he wants to play in the Club World Cup, the World Cup next year… I don't know but it'll be really interesting to see what happens with him and what his next step is. You have to be surprised to see him still doing it at his age. To be playing at 40 at any level is remarkable. To still be playing and scoring for Portugal is remarkable but he's been just that all through his career."

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Ronaldo will hope to have his future clarified soon, but it remains to be clear if he aims to appear at the Club World Cup, seek a whole new challenge, or commit to a new deal with Al-Nassr.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed what saved him from the sack last season after a torrid 2024-25 campaign.

• Man City had tough 2024-25 season
• Guardiola says he was nearly sacked
• Manager reveals what saved him

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  By their lofty standards, City had a wretched season in 2024-25 as they finished the campaign without a trophy and came third in the Premier League table. They also went on a run of nine losses in 12 games in all competitions towards the end of 2024 and, had it not been for the backing of chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and former sporting director Txixi Begiristain, the ex-Barcelona boss thinks he could have been dismissed.

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  WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  He told : "I'm really pleased to sit here after a bad season. If I didn't have my chairman and sporting director like I have, I would have been sacked, definitely. Because the results were really, really poor. It's a new season, we've had six or seven signings between the transfer window in December and now. Football is this: win or lose, what's the next chapter? The next chapter is this season and nobody knows what's going to happen. We have, I think, the desire to do well."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Guardiola had enough credit in the bank at City not to be sacked after winning a Champions League title, six Premier Leagues, and multiple FA Cup, and Carabao Cups. However, the former Bayern Munich boss will be determined to return his side to winning ways this season.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  After an impressive opening day win over Wolves last weekend, City host Thomas Frank's Tottenham in the Premier League's early kick-off at the Etihad. Guardiola rarely has two disappointing seasons in a row.