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A washout would have ensured them a place in the semi-finals but Pakistan proved they were capable of progressing to the next stage based on performance alone

The Bulletin by Siddhartha Talya23-Jan-2010Pakistan 117 for 8 (Ahsan 30, Aziz 28, Azam 17*, Unadkat 2-26) beat India 114 for 9 (Mandeep 40, Fayyaz 4-27) by two wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Pakistan celebrate a thrilling win over India•International Cricket CouncilPakistan and India livened up a contest that, at one stage, was in danger of ending in a washout. A combination of quality seam bowling from Fayyaz Butt and enterprising batting by Hammad Azam sealed a thrilling two-wicket win in the final over in front of a sparse yet boisterous crowd at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval, knocking the defending champions out of the Under-19 World Cup and setting up a semi-final clash with West Indies on Monday.Pakistan were favourites after they had bowled out India for 114 but the early shock in their chase, when they lost three wickets for 16, immediately sparked comparisons to the World Cup final between the teams in 2006. Pakistan had emerged victors then, defending a paltry 109, courtesy Anwar Ali, whose prodigious swing toppled an overconfident India. Sandeep Sharma looked good to return the favour this time with his movement, beating the top-order batsmen consistently before bowling opener Babar Azam with a big inswinger. The effect rubbed off on his bowling partners, Saurabh Netravalkar and Jaidev Unadkat, who accounted for Ahmed Shehzad and captain Aseem Ghumman by squaring them up.On a big ground and a slow outfield, boundaries were elusive and Ahsan Ali and Rameez Aziz set about stabilising the creeping run-rate by way of piercing the field. There were intermittent hits to the fence, including a clean strike over long-on by Aziz. But the preoccupation with singles and twos led to a moment of indecision and resulted in Ahsan’s run out, ending a 55-run stand. Aziz holed out the next over, swinging the game towards India but bringing the eventual match-winner Hammad to the crease.India’s surge at the close of their innings was a belated one while Pakistan’s, despite the frequent loss of wickets, was helped by a couple of timely bursts from Hammad’s partners. With 24 needed off 17, Mohammad Waqas smashed Ashok Menaria over midwicket for six and fell the next ball. With 16 needed off 12, Usman Qadir skied Unadkat for a couple and followed up with a boundary over extra cover to bring the equation to a run-a-ball, but fell the next delivery.Amid the swinging fortunes, Hammad held firm. He hit Sharma for a six over midwicket and scooped Unadkat over short fine leg to leave Pakistan needing just four in the final over. There was a moment of trepidation when his partner Sarmad Bhatti fell to the second ball of the final over. The batsmen, however, had crossed and Hammad finished the chase by cutting Sharma through point to crush Indian hopes.The Indian innings needed a repair job from Mandeep Singh, who stroked 40, to put up a score that almost proved adequate. But Fayyaz had justified Azeem Ghumman’s decision to bowl by nipping out the Indian openers in the first over, and returned in the end to take two more.

[ad_pod ]Per The Mirror, Liverpool fans are getting excited on TwitterÂover the impending return of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, so where will the midfielder fit in Jurgen Klopp’s title-chasing side following his long injury absence?

On the chalkboard

With no FA Cup fixture to play this weekend due to the defeat at Wolves, Klopp and the Reds are taking advantage of their extended break, flying off to Dubai for a warm weather training camp – as documented by The Daily Mail.

The league leaders scraped past Crystal Palace on Saturday, and now have a week and a half off before they welcome Leicester City to Anfield next Wednesday evening.

And there is good news, as Oxlade-Chamberlain has undergone some pretty rigorous training, according to The Mirror.

Who has the loudest fans in Europe? PSG certainly state their claim in the video below…

What does it mean?

Well, just because the 25 year-old is with the squad does not mean he is in full training, and he is not expected to be ready until late February at the earliest – according to The Times’ Paul Joyce.

However, it means the Anfield fan favourite is clearly on the right path, and will likely return to first team action at some point this season.

But a serious knee injury can have devastating effects on a player’s speed, quickness and agility, so expect to see him participating in several training matches and potentially even Under-23 matches before stepping onto the Anfield turf once again.

Where will he fit?

When Oxlade-Chamberlain does return, Klopp is suddenly going to have one mighty selection headache on his hands, so where does the ex-Arsenal man fit in?

Fabinho quite simply can’t be dropped on current form, as the Brazil international has been superb in multiple positions since breaking into the side, and Georginio Wijnaldum is quietly having the best season of his career.

This leaves just one spot to fight for between Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keita and the returning Oxlade-Chamberlain, and the latter looks a perfect fit for that final place.

Wijnaldum and Fabinho offer loads of defensive protection but limited attacking output, practically ruling out Liverpool’s captain and vice-captain as complimentary options, and summer signing Keita deserves to drop even further down the pecking order based on this season’s poor form.

While he shares many traits with Oxlade-Chamberlain that also make him a good fit for the third slot in Liverpool’s engine room, the former Leipzig man simply hasn’t acclimatised to the Premier League as well as expected.

If Oxlade-Chamberlain can regain full fitness before the end of this season, the England international should be first choice alongside Fabinho and Wijnaldum, offering Klopp the perfect balance of speed, creativity, work-rate and defensive awareness.

So, Liverpool fans, what would be your preferred midfield when Oxlade-Chamberlain returns? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

The previous summer transfer window ended up being a rather busy one for West Brom after being relegated from the Premier League last season, followed by Sam Allardyce leaving the club.

As well as securing the appointment of Valerien Ismael as their new manager, Albion also brought in a handful of new players such as Alex Mowatt, Adam Reach, Matt Clarke and Jayson Molumby among others.

Jordan Hugill was also brought in during the summer to strengthen Ismael’s squad and help them secure promotion back to the Premier League this season, but so far his signature hasn’t proved to be a particularly good piece of business from club owner Guochuan Lai.

Signed from Norwich City on a loan deal until the end of the season, the striker has only netted one goal so far during his time with the Baggies.

Having made 20 league appearances and seven starts in a West Brom shirt this season, it’s not as if the 29-year-old hasn’t had the chance to show what he can do either, proving why Kevin Phillips has said that Hugill has not “stepped up to the plate” for the club this term.

As well as his lack of assists and regular goals, his overall performances have not been good enough either, with WhoScored giving him a season rating of 6.31/10, making him the lowest-rated West Brom player to have started more than one league game in the current campaign.

Taking all this into account, it’s safe to say that Lai may have dropped a clanger by securing a move for Hugill in the summer, even though it’s just a loan deal and they don’t have to keep him on a permanent basis.

With this in mind, it seems unlikely at this moment in time that the 29-year-old will be staying at West Brom after his loan deal ends.

However, there is still enough time left in the season for Hugill to step up and push the Baggies towards promotion if he can find a consistent run of goalscoring form.

His appearance for the Baggies during the final 27 minutes of their 1-0 defeat against Derby yesterday earned him an overall match rating of 7.1/10, making him West Brom’s joint-third highest rated player on the day according to SofaScore. That illustrates that he is capable of playing well, but he just needs to find the back of the net more regularly.

In other news: Ismael should axe “dreadful” £13k-p/w “stinker” who must never play for WBA again

Richie Berrington struck a responsible 82 as Scotland overcame a top-order scare to move into the ascendancy on the second day against Netherlands in Deventer

Cricinfo staff11-Jun-2010
ScorecardRichie Berrington struck a responsible 82 as Scotland overcame a top-order scare to move into the ascendancy on the second day against Netherlands in Deventer. Netherlands’ bowling attack stuck to their guns in the early part of the day to reduce the visitors to 61 for 4 before the recovery began, and the lower order finished the day with a lead of 63, with three wickets left.The wickets were shared around, with Mark Jonkman and Adeel Raja picking two apiece, while Berend Westdijk, Peter Borren and Ruud Nijman scalped one each. Raja was getting into his groove, having accounted for Simon Smith and Qasim Sheikh when Berrington began the rescue act. Neil McCallum provided the perfect foil, as they regained ground through patient cricket. Berrington struck nine fours in his 82, and the pair had raised 133 when Borren dismissed him with the first-innings lead in sight. Gregor Maiden who came in next ensured the lead was duly achieved, before McCallum departed having reached his fifty. Matthew Parker worked his way to an unbeaten 28, and his stand with Maiden dispirited the hosts further before Nijman intervened, but the advantage remained well and truly with Scotland at stumps.

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson scripted club history after keeping a clean sheet against Bournemouth.

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Ederson scripted Manchester City historyKept his 110th Premier League clean sheet against BournemouthMan City beat Bournemouth 1-0WHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester City rode on Phil Foden's 24th-minute strike to register an important win in the Premier League on Saturday at Vitality Stadium. In the process, goalkeeper Ederson broke the club record of keeping the most number of clean sheets in the league which was previously held by Joe Hart. The Brazilian goalkeeper kept a clean sheet for the 110th time in the Premier League, beating Hart's tally of 109.

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While Ederson managed to achieve the feat in 242 league appearances, Hart played in 266 matches. The former Benfica custodian is now ranked 15th in the list of all-time highest clean sheets by a goalkeeper in the English top flight with former Chelsea and Arsenal star Petr Cech leading the pack with 202 clean sheets.

DID YOU KNOW?

The 30-year-old joined the Cityzens from Benfica in 2017 and has successfully established himself as one of the finest goalkeepers in the club's history. He has won multiple trophies with the club in the last seven years. He bagged the Premier League Golden Glove award for the first time in the 2019/20 season and then repeated the feat in the next two campaigns as well.

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(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

Pep Guardiola's side will now shift focus to the FA Cup where they take on Luton Town on Tuesday in a fifth-round clash before facing rivals Manchester United in the league on Sunday.

Tim Bresnan will be available for Yorkshire on Twenty20 Finals Day after the England management reversed their decision to make him unavailable

David Hopps at Cardiff24-Aug-2012Tim Bresnan will be available for Yorkshire on Twenty20 Finals Day in Cardiff on Saturday after the England management reversed their decision to make him unavailable because of concerns about his workload.Bresnan had an inactive day watching the rain that wrecked the opening ODI between England and South Africa at the Swalec Stadium and, with Finals Day scheduled for the same ground, a few miles to the hotel and back again were not about to risk travel exhaustion.Bresnan’s involvement if the FLt20 Finals Day stretches into Sunday’s reserve day – a forecast of sunshine and showers makes that a possible outcome – would not be determined by England until Saturday evening, as they insist that preparation for the next ODI, at West End on Tuesday, takes precedence.Fatigue should not be an issue for Bresnan. He missed the final Test at Lords and has bowled only 387 overs since the start of April. He would also only bowl a maximum of eight overs for Yorkshire on Finals Day.England’s initial refusal to make Bresnan available stunned Yorkshire, who had assumed that availability would not be an issue on a day that has become the highlight of the domestic season and that the availability of all international players would be treated equally.If Bresnan is withdrawn at any stage over the weekend on England’s orders, Rich Pyrah would be likely to deputise. All other England players involved in the ODI series would be automatically available if Finals Day extended into Sunday.The Cardiff washout, meanwhile, has led to Ravi Bopara being made available for Essex’s CB40 match against Middlesex on Monday. Bopara has been in need of match practice after time off for personal reasons and made a guest appearance for Gloucestershire against the South Africans on Wednesday.For the likes of Craig Kieswetter, considering an England ODI one minute, a domestic finals day the next, adjustment has to come almost instantly. While IPL surfs along on permanent hype, England’s T20 Finals Day is crammed into an England-dominated programme.”It’s probably not ideal,” Kieswetter said. “I think a lot of the counties would prefer to see Twenty20 in a block and then move on with the rest of the season. It is no hidden fact that our schedule is pretty hectic. It would probably the most ideal set-up to have it as a block and get it done and finished with.”Somerset have lost in the last three finals, but their achievement in getting to the semi-finals of the Champions League last year has helped to dispel the feeling of perennial bridesmaids.”I think it has gotten past the stage of being an issue for us,” Kieswetter said. “It is just another finals day. Hopefully we can get over that finals hurdle.”

Dinesh Karthik, who led South Zone in the finals of the Duleep Trophy, has retained the leadership responsibility the South squad for the Deodhar Trophy

Cricinfo staff23-Feb-2010Dinesh Karthik, who led South Zone in the finals of the Duleep Trophy, has retained the leadership responsibility of the South squad for the Deodhar Trophy. Alfred Absolem and KB Pawan are the most notable absentees from the Duleep Trophy side. The squad includes 15 members and six stand-bys.Squad: Dinesh Karthik (capt and wk), Srikkanth Anirudha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Subramaniam Badrinath, Saurabh Bandekar, Arun Karthik, Abhimanyu Mithun, Pragyan Ojha, Manish Pandey, Sreesanth, Robin Uthappa, Padmanabhan Prasanth, Ganesh Satish, Murali Vijay and Vinay KumarStand-bys: KP Appanna, Chandrasekar Ganapathy, Muralidharen Gautam (wk), Abhinav Mukund, Udit Patel and Ambati Rayudu

Jadon Sancho is one of the worst signings Manchester United have ever made, according to former Red Devils striker Louis Saha.

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Saha tears into Sancho Flop winger closes in on Dortmund move'One of Man Utd's biggest transfer failures'WHAT HAPPENED?

Sancho is about to seal a loan move back to Borussia Dortmund, two-and-a-half-years after leaving the Bundesliga side to sign for United for £73 million ($94m). Sancho's time with the Red Devils has been a disaster for everyone involved and the player has not played or trained with the first team since lashing out at Erik ten Hag on social media after being omitted from the squad against Arsenal in September.

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“Jadon Sancho is one of Manchester United’s biggest transfer failures – you can't have that type of quality sidelined because of his mindset," Saha told “We know that he is good enough, which is why it doesn’t sit right. You can’t be putting yourself in that situation and thinking that you are bigger than the manager. Whatever happens, I don’t back Sancho – which is hard for me as a supporter of United. It’s just horrendous.”

imago imagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Sancho arrived at United hoping to spearhead a title charge under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but he started just four Premier League matches before the Norwegian was sacked, and his place in the team was disrupted by the unexpected return of Cristiano Ronaldo. United will cover the bulk of Sancho's wages and will receive just a €3m (£2.5m) loan fee for parting with the winger, but they will hope that he rediscovers his form so his value will rise at the end of the season and they will be able to sell him in the summer.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Sancho will leave United for Dortmund with just 12 goals and six assists in two-and-a-half years with the club, compared to 114 goal contributions during his first spell at BVB between 2017 and 2021. He has not been selected in an England squad since 2021.

Los Blancos have already secured a deal to bring Brazilian wonderkid Endrick to Santiago Bernabeu, but they could still be active this winter.

Real Madrid have already got their big January deal over the line. The Spanish giants have agreed a fee with Palmeiras to sign Brazilian teenager Endrick for €60 million (£53m/$64m), securing the signature of one of the most promising youth talents in the world.

He appears to be an ideal fit, too. Karim Benzema is still among the best strikers out there, but, at 35, he doesn't have too many years of top-level football left.

Endrick, although only 16, is being lined up to be the Ballon d'Or winner's long-term replacement. The bad news for Madrid fans is the striker will have to wait 18 months before he moves to Santiago Bernabeu.

In the meantime, there's work to be done. Madrid have a terrific squad, but there are a few flaws.

Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are world-class midfielders, but both are into their 30s, and at least one could depart this summer.

Furthermore, until Endrick arrives, there's no obvious deputy for Benzema through the middle, which could cause a problem if the Frenchman's injury problems continue.

Multiple sources have suggested that it could be a quiet few weeks for Madrid, although the Spanish giants certainly don't lack the resources to make a deal happen, should an opportunity present itself.

GOAL has taken a look at some potential targets for the month ahead…

Getty ImagesSergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio)

Madrid have been linked with Milinkovic-Savic for a couple of years now, and there are reports that Florentino Perez could step in to make the move happen this winter.

Now might be an opportune time for any potential suitors, too, with Milinkovic-Savic only having 18 months remaining on his contract, and having turned down a handsome extension offer last summer.

Since then, whispers of potential destinations have emerged. Juventus are reportedly in the mix, but with their ongoing financial struggles, a massive deal for the midfielder might be tricky to pull off.

Milinkovic-Savic is 27, and in his prime. He could be brought in to lead Madrid's midfield of the future, and there does seem to be some interest.

That said, Jude Bellingham remains the No.1 target for the summer, with the player keen on a switch to Santiago Bernabeu.

AdvertisementSacha Boey (Galatasaray)

Boey might not be the biggest -type signing, but the right-back has impressed immensely in Galatasaray's Turkish Super Lig title hunt.

A modern attacking full-back with valuable recovery pace, Boey could offer cover for Dani Carvajal and also operate as a long-term starter when the Spaniard retires.

He's only 22, too, so there's plenty of upside, and although Galatasaray have indicated they'd be reluctant to sell, a good enough package could force their hand.

Getty ImagesPedro Porro (Sporting CP)

Another solid full-back option who could serve as back-up for Carvajal, Porro has enjoyed an excellent couple of years at Sporting, generating interest from clubs across Europe.

He seems like the right type of player to contribute down the Madrid right, especially if the Spanish side need some attacking thrust. Porro has tallied five league assists so far in the 2022-23 campaign, while he scored his first goal of the season in the 3-0 win over Pacos Ferreira on December 29.

His defensive game certainly needs some fine-tuning, but with the likes of Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger in the line-up alongside him, there should be plenty of positional support. And at 23, he still has plenty of time to develop his craft.

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Getty ImagesEnzo Fernandez (Benfica)

Most of the talk around Enzo Fernandez heading to Santiago Bernabeu is dependent on how successful Madrid are in the pursuit of England star Jude Bellingham.

Bellingham is the jewel of this year's market and an object of fascination for many clubs across Europe. A lot can change, but Madrid are currently leading the race for his signature.

Should that change, however, that's where Fernandez comes in. The Benfica midfielder – who excelled at the World Cup – could be a viable alternative if Madrid's Bellingham pursuit falls short.

He won't come cheap; Benfica have allegedly placed a €120 million (£105m/$127m) release clause in the Argentine's contract. But his marauding performances in Qatar make him one of the most exciting young talents in the world and suggest he's more than capable of stepping into a high-pressure situation.

There is a chance that any deal for Fernandez could drag out until the summer, with Madrid willing to go down to the wire on the Bellingham pursuit. Or, alternatively, Los Blancos might just buy both, starting with Fernandez now.

The Champions League sees Neymar, Mbappe and Cavani of PSG face Liverpool's Salah, Mane and Firmino – are they among the best triumvirates ever?

GettyMSN

Neymar may have broken up Barcelona's band of brothers last season when he fled to France after a shock €222 million move to Paris Saint-Germain, but the legend of the MSN partnership will live on.

With the brilliant Brazilian lining up in attack alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, the Blaugrana won the Champions League, Club World Cup and La Liga (twice), tearing defences to shreds with their incredible pace, skill and movement

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While MSN was forming at Camp Nou, Real Madrid saw their own attacking triumvirate become an institution within the Spanish capital.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who has since moved to Juventus, was the undisputed star of the show but the addition of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema added more blistering pace, power and, of course, goals to a forward line that fired the Blancos to four Champions League triumphs in five years.

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Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini formed a formidable defence in front of legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon as Juventus set about re-establishing themselves as a major European force.

Together, the BBC provided the foundation on which the Bianconeri's resurgence was founded, helping the Old Lady win six successive Scudetti before Bonucci departed for AC Milan last year only to return this summer.

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GettyAC Milan's Dutch gold

The arrival of Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit at San Siro in 1987 proved instrumental in AC Milan winning a first Serie A title in nine years, but the signing of Frank Rijkaard propelled the Rossoneri to glory on a world stage.

The Dutch trio became the stars of Arrigo Sacchi's wonderful team, helping the Italian outfit win two European Cups and two Club World Cup crowns.