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This is not the end of the road for Sourav Ganguly because he remains crucial to Kolkata’s brand image and leadership, but he somehow needs to inspire himself to overcome his failings, before he can inspire his team

Cricinfo staff22-Mar-2010It is getting sadder by the day. To witness Sourav Ganguly, once a proud man, resemble a slow and ageing boxer, entering the ring tired and sluggish is a sad sight. That image of an intense Ganguly, staring his opponent in the face and steadily infuriating his enemy with his attitude, strategy and daring, is now a thing of the past. Instead what remains is an athlete, forcibly fighting against time and playing in a format that is uncompromising.After five games in this IPL, Ganguly has yet to complete 100 runs – he is two short of that mark and has a paltry average of 19.60. Lesser-known batsmen like Manish Pandey, Saurabh Tiwary, Ambati Rayudu, to list a few, have shown more character and had more impact on the fate of their teams than Ganguly has. And, before you say that all these three are youngsters, more suitable for the format, what of the dominance of Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, Adam Gilchrist and Anil Kumble? All these men are on the other side of 30, all Ganguly’s peers, but it is only the Kolkata captain, who finds himself in an isolated corner, sitting numb from the punches thrown at him.Today was the first instance of Ganguly walking in as an opener in this IPL. In the first four matches he batted at No.3, and in the previous match, against Rajasthan, he had come in as No. 4. But Ganguly batting in the middle-order was always going to be a gamble considering he lacked the firepower he once possessed to take the bowling attack on. Also in the absence of Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum, Brad Hodge opened the innings in the company of Manoj Tiwary, but apart form the solid partnership in the home victory against Bangalore, that pairing had not proved to be successful.After the defeat in Ahmedabad, Dav Whatmore said the loss would prompt a change in the batting order. For Ganguly, opening remains the most appropriate position in his present form where he could at least use the pace of the ball and the freshness in the pitch to his advantage along with some initiative. But that was not to be the case at Brabourne Stadium, which was once again filled to the brim with Mumbai supporters.On the fifth ball of the fourth over, Zaheer Khan pitched a short delivery outside off stump. In his pomp Ganguly would’ve hit that ball over, or cut it past point for a definite four. In this instance it ended up being a hit and miss. Zaheer followed with the same delivery, maintaining the same line. Ganguly stepped out, failed to connect once again, ending up looking ridiculous. Immediately he asked for a change of gloves. Clearly, the erstwhile ‘God of the off side’ was nervous. The pattern did not change through the innings – even as Ganguly lengthened his stay, the run rate stayed stagnant.The reasons behind Ganguly’s failure to dominate can be many but the most important one is his slowness. His reflexes have dimmed. That impeccable placement has disappeared followed closely by the timing. Those wrists don’t co-ordinate anymore with the bat to lend any direction to the drives, those legs stay planted to the spot. Even his charges against spinners invariably end in the hands of the fielder, where once they ended behind the ropes. Ganguly’s actions have become predictable, making it easy for the bowlers to gain the uppherhand.It is easy to put the detriment of age behind Ganguly’s reverses but take the example of Tendulkar today. He was chalk to Ganguly’s cheese: Tendulkar bristled, stayed athletic at all times, and urged his fielders and batsmen to remain pro-active, and dissected the bowlers clinically.All this is not saying that Ganguly doesn’t try doing the same. He does, only that, perhaps, time has overtaken him. Things happen in the Twenty20 format at run-time – all those net sessions add up to zero most times and what remains the key is recognising the moment to step up the ante. Today Ganguly had the opportunity many times to force the change with the bat. But he failed miserably. It was the same case against Rajasthan.In fact it is not the first time he has been exposed in this format. In the inaugural season of the IPL, when Gayle was absent, McCullum left after four games and Brad Hodge was yet to be bought, Ganguly was the top run-getter with 349 runs at 29.08 but those runs could not save Kolkata from drowning. In South Africa, the following year, Ganguly struggled on the bouncier pitches and ended the tournament with 189 runs at 17.18.This is not the end of the road for Ganguly because he remains Kolkata’s brand image. Also he still retains the leadership qualities that are necessary to inspire the team and he is the most accomplished and capable man to lead the side. Only that he needs now to inspire himself first.

Despite spending Christmas Day atop the Premier League tree, it has been a pitiful couple of weeks for Arsenal, in which they have lost three games on the bounce.

While there are often multiple reasons a team goes through a poor patch, with the Gunners, it is painfully obvious what is letting them down: their attack.

Mikel Arteta's front line have been misfiring for much of the season, but the performances against West Ham United and Liverpool at the Emirates were perhaps the worst games the attack have had in quite some time.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

The good news for Arteta and the Arsenal faithful is that the latest player touted for a move to N5 has been scoring for fun this season: Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke.

Arsenal transfer news – Dominic Solanke

According to the Daily Star, Arsenal are still on the lookout for a new striker this January, and while Brentford's Ivan Toney remains a player they are keen on, Bournemouth's Solanke is another number nine that they would like to bring to north London.

Unfortunately for the Gunners, this won't be a cheap deal to complete, with the Mirror reporting that any move for the former Liverpool striker will cost at least £50m, which would represent a serious investment for a winter signing.

That said, for a striker who has 12 goals and one assist in 19 Premier League appearances this season, he could prove to be worth every penny for a title-chasing Gunners side.

Moreover, club legend Thierry Henry seems to be a fan of the Englishman, telling Amazon Prime (via the Metro): "I guess it was a bit too much when he was younger. But what he is doing right now is brilliant."

Arsenal could sign £60m “pace monster” to rival Saka

Arsenal could sign a £60m Premier League star to provide competition for places in attack.

ByMatt Dawson Jan 8, 2024 Why Dominic Solanke could unlock Arsenal's attack

Now, last season proved that Arsenal's attack is not to be taken lightly; from Gabriel Martinelli to Eddie Nketiah, practically every attacker at the club played their part in running Manchester City close for the title, but it just wasn't enough. Indeed, their top four scorers, Martinelli included alongside Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard all netted double figures in 2022/23.

Unfortunately, the attack hasn't been able to produce the same output this season, and the need for a clinical number nine has been painfully obvious, which is precisely where Solanke could come in.

The 26-year-old has already reached double figures for the season and looks set to breach the 20 goals a season mark, which is only made all the more impressive considering he is doing it for a Cherries side that many had tipped for relegation just a couple of months ago.

In comparison, Jesus has scored just three league goals, Martinelli has scored twice, Saka has found the back of the net six times, and Nketiah has scored five goals.

So the "predatory" number nine, as described by Soccer Saturday pundit Kris Boyd, has the Arsenal attackers beaten when it comes to pure goalscoring, but how do his underlying numbers stack up to the Gunners' recognised strikers?

Well, given his performances this season, it shouldn't come as a surprise to see that the "complete" Solanke, as described by his manager Andoni Iraola, comes out on top in most striker-related metrics.

Goals

0.64

0.29

0.46

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.60

0.60

0.43

Shots on Target

1.12

1.35

0.93

Goals per Shot on Target

0.52

0.21

0.50

Aerial Duels Won

2.13

0.96

1.57

The Cherries ace has a better non-penalty expected goals and assists figure than Nketiah, and while Jesus has more shots on target per 90, Solanke has a far better conversion ratio than the Brazilian. Likewise, his propensity to win aerial duels would add an extra layer to Arsenal's attack.

Ultimately, while it would cost the club a significant amount of money if Arteta is serious about ending Arsenal's two-decade title drought, he should be pushing for this transfer.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou reportedly wants to "replace" two players of his players as Spurs eye a move for one "incredible" star.

Spurs' form under Postecoglou

Nobody could have envisaged such a bright start to the season for Postecoglou, nor could they guess that Spurs would be making their best start to a campaign since their double win in 1961. The Lilywhites have clinched victory in six of their opening eight league matches, remaining unbeaten over that period while sitting top of the Premier League table. Tottenham faced tough, tough tests against the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool in that time, but came through both matches unphased and undeterred.

Speaking after their 2-2 draw away to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last month, Postecoglou heaped praise on his Tottenham squad for a growing will and desire to improve as a team.

"There's a real will and desire to become the team we want to be, which includes making sure that you're disciplined and you're buying into the team ethos and we had a really young team out there," said Postecoglou to Tottenham's official website.

"Vic, that's his first derby, Destiny, van de Ven, Pape Matar Sarr, Brennan, they're all in their early twenties, Porro, even Kulusevski is only 23, so it was a young team but just super proud of the experienced players we did have in there. Romero was outstanding, Bissouma has been brilliant all year, Maddison, and Sonny was just on a different level, not just his goals, although they were outstanding, but his work rate, his work ethic was incredible."

Who could Spurs sign in January?

Despite their electric form right now, it has been claimed that the north Londoners could move to strengthen their ranks in the new year. Indeed, one of the rumoured transfer targets is Al-Ittihad winger Jota, who could well be on the move back to Europe after very little time in Saudi Arabia.

There are reports that the former Celtic star is keen to reunite with his ex-boss at Tottenham (90min), and it is believed the feeling is very much mutual from Postecoglou. Now, a new report has shed light on this, with journalist Rudy Galetti sharing a Jota transfer update for Tribal Football. He says that Postecoglou's "priority" is to "replace" both Ivan Perisic and Manor Solomon on that side with another option, leading to Tottenham's interest in signing Jota next year.

Nothing is added beyond that point, but we believe Jota could be an excellent alternative to the Spurs duo. Pundit Alan Hutton, speaking last year, revealed he is a big fan of the "incredible" Portuguese.

"Jota's only 23-years-old, he's still developing," explained Hutton to Football Insider.

"He's probably only going to get better, I think he can get better. What he's done this season has been incredible, for him to come from his parent club, where he's not really been playing. Benfica are a big club in their own right but to come to another club where there's a lot of pressure, to perform at such a young age, he's stood up to that task.

“Jota's that player fans want to see. He's exciting, he takes people on, he makes things happen, he scores goals and ticks all the boxes."

With their eyes firmly fixated on retaining their Scottish Premiership crown once again, the last thing that Celtic need is any injury disruptions, especially as the Champions League also gets underway.

The Hoops haven't showed signs of slowing down when it comes to their dominance in Scotland's top flight, and already sit top of the league, four points clear of Old Firm rivals Rangers.

Last time out, Brendan Rodgers' side eased past Dundee 3-0, courtesy of goals from David Turnball, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Matt O'Riley. It was a routine victory for Celtic, but they were not without their concerns, with one key player going off injured at half-time.

What's the latest Celtic injury news?

So far this season, Celtic have been fairly unfortunate when it comes to injuries, but have masked their absences well through impressive results. As things stand, Rodgers is without Stephen Welsh, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Maik Nawrocki, Reo Hatate, and Liel Abada in what has been a frustrating time when attempting to enjoy a full squad.

One more injury blow emerged over the weekend, and when Liverpool loanee Nat Phillips was forced off at half-time against Dundee, the worst was feared.

A sign of relief would have been heard round Celtic Park today, though, as the central defender was pictured in full training ahead of the Hoops' clash against Feyenoord. With that said, Phillips looks more than ready to play a part.

Celtic will be hoping to get off to a fast start in Group E, as they look to defy the odds to reach the last 16, beating the likes of Atletico Madrid, Lazio, and Feyenoord to progression as a result. Phillips, using his experience among Europe's elite gained at Liverpool, could play a large part in that.

How has Nat Phillips performed this season?

After playing somewhat of an emergency role at Liverpool for so long, Phillips finally has his chance to impress on a consistent basis at Celtic. He finally got that opportunity last time out, too, only to be forced off at the break through injury. Getting his debut under his belt, nonetheless, he will now look to push on even further.

Statistically speaking, via FBref, Phillips has proven in the past just how valuable he can be, particularly when it comes to his work off the ball, making an average of 4.51 clearances, as well as winning over one tackle per 90.

When at his best, the defender has earned some high praise, too, including from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who said, via The Metro after the Reds were held to a draw by Brighton & Hove Albion: "Very good, I couldn’t be more proud of the boys what they put out here today. In the first half hour we struggled with the new backline with their balls in behind because we didn’t drop at the right moment.

"We got that sorted in the first half already. Second half we had no problems with that anymore. But second half we had some problems with energy so we sat a little bit deeper. Nat Phillips played an exceptional game, honestly, so that was all good. You need in football always a little bit of luck to win a tough away game. And today we didn’t have luck so it was a draw."

He also downplayed the spot-fixing allegations surrounding Australia’s Test against India in Ranchi in 2017, calling them ‘unsubstantiated’

Daniel Brettig28-May-2018

Getty Images

They’ve all sat through them. Long, wordy pre-season meetings in which Australian players are reminded of their values and obligations under the various charters, codes and policies they are signatories to. These sessions have long been seen as necessary, but a bit of a yawn – like HR compliance training at any company.But in the wake of the Newlands ball-tampering scandal, Australia’s captain Tim Paine and coach Justin Langer are adamant that the squads to tour England and Zimbabwe for ODIs and Twenty20 matches over the next six weeks will know the difference between paying lip service and actually living out the expectations of the Australian team. In the face of an expected hostile English reception, and up against Eoin Morgan’s trendsetting 50-overs combination, this will be no small challenge.Spot-fixing claims are unsubstantiated – Paine

Australia captain Tim Paine downplayed the spot-fixing allegations against his team during their 2017 Test against India in Ranchi. “As far as I’m aware at the moment, the claims are unsubstantiated, and as far as I’m concerned, our players have got nothing to worry about,” Paine said in Brisbane. “I’ve never seen anything like it, to be honest, and I can’t speak on behalf of all of our guys, but I certainly know it’s never been spoken about in Australian dressing rooms that I’ve been involved in.”
Paine’s response came ahead of his side’s departure to London for a limited-overs series against England, and the Australia captain was confident the developments of the last few days will not affect the team’s psyche.
“I’m really confident none of our players are involved and this group is really focused on going to England tonight and putting up a really good performance over there,” he said. “I don’t think [it will affect team’s image], at this stage it’s unsubstantiated claims and we’re confident that none of our guys are involved in it.”

“Justin sat us down for a team meeting last week and spoke about the Australian cricket team’s values, and what he expects,” Paine said in Brisbane before the squad’s departure to London. “It’s nothing that’s brand new, nothing the guys haven’t heard before – it’s purely about acting on what we know is the right thing to do and the right way to play our cricket.”Justin’s big thing is about living our values. We’ve had Spirit of Cricket documents, we’ve had Code of Conduct documents, but at the end of the day they mean nothing if you don’t act on them and you don’t live by them. That’s been a huge focus for us, has been around our actions, our behaviours, and making sure we live up to the standards that the Australian cricket team should.”So we’ve spoken about it, but getting on a plane tonight now, we get to go over there and talk through our actions, which the guys are looking forward to.”Quite apart from all the issues to arise out of South Africa, leaving Paine as captain, Australia have been a faulty limited-overs combination in recent times, having sunk from the peak of the 2015 World Cup victory at home. Paine spoke about the balance between seeking high performance and striking the right note as a team.”We’re going over there to win this series. We’re not going over there to make up the numbers or to be the nicest Australian cricket team ever to play against,” Paine said. “We’re going to be really competitive; at the same time we’re going to be really respectful, but we’re going there to win.”We’re probably going to get a bit more intense spotlight from their media when we first arrive. But we’ve spoken about the way we want to hold ourselves, the way we want to behave, and I’m sure once we get there and get into playing cricket, those sorts of things will die off into the background and cricket will be the number one focus.”Tactically, there is still much to be decided about the makeup of the side, whether it is who partners Aaron Finch at the top of the order, who between Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar will take on spin-bowling duties, and how to get the best out of the endlessly enigmatic Glenn Maxwell. Paine said he had made a point of spending time with Maxwell, but would get into deeper discussions into the shape of the team upon arrival in England – 12 months out from next year’s World Cup.”I’ve had a few chats with Maxy this week about where he thinks he could be of best value to this cricket side, because I think he’s, even at international level, an out-and-out match-winner,” Paine said. “If we can get Maxy playing in a role he’s really comfortable in and it complements our team, he can be really important for us this series. England are the No. 1 team in the world, and Maxy’s the kind of player who can really trouble them.”Maxy will probably slot in somewhere around Nos. 4 or 5 – when those [batting order] changes were going on I wasn’t in this position and JL wasn’t the coach. At the moment, we haven’t got too specific into things; it’s just been about guys getting to know Justin, Justin getting to know them and the way he wants us to play. We’ve got 10 or 12 days where we’ll really nut things out about how our team sets up. I’m sure we’ll try a few different combinations in the practice games leading into the first game.”

Marcus Rashford finds himself on the brink of a bizarre record if he is used as a substitute by Gareth Southgate against Brazil & Belgium.

Article continues below

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England to face Brazil & Belgium in two friendlies Rashford in line to match Jermain Defoe's record England striker raring to make a mark with the Three Lions Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

As England gear up for crucial friendlies against Brazil and Belgium as part of their Euro 2024 preparations, Rashford stands on the cusp of an unusual milestone. But to get into the record books, he must not start but come off the bench in both games.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Rashford is poised to equal a record currently held by former striker Jermain Defoe. The ex-England striker holds the distinction of the most substitute appearances for England, having come off the bench 35 times in 57 caps. Rashford's anticipated appearances would see him match this record, having made 33 substitute appearances so far for his country.

DID YOU KNOW?

Among the top 10 players with the most substitute appearances for England, current midfielder Jordan Henderson ranks alongside Rashford. Henderson has made 26 appearances off the bench in 81 games, showcasing the depth of talent in Southgate's squad. Other notable names on the list include Emile Heskey, Phil Neville, Kieron Dyer, Owen Hargreaves, Joe Cole, James Milner, and Peter Crouch.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Rashford's journey with the England national team began in 2016 when he made his debut as a teenager. Since then, the 26-year-old has cemented his place as a crucial player in the squad, contributing 17 goals to date, including two memorable strikes during the Qatar 2022 World Cup. As the team prepares for challenging encounters against top-tier opponents, Rashford's impact off the bench could prove pivotal in shaping England's fortunes on the international stage.

They replaced Raisibe Ntozakhe, who has been suspended for an illegal bowling action, and Saarah Smith, who sustained an injury during practice

Liam Brickhill02-Nov-2018Cricket South Africa has announced two changes to the squad for the Women’s World T20, which begins on November 9. While one of the changes – the naming of a replacement for offspinner Raisibe Ntozakhe – was expected, the other comes after a surprise injury to one of the team’s rookie members.Ntozakhe was suspended for an illegal bowling action in October and was replaced by Yolani Fourie, another offspinner from Gauteng, while she works on remodelling her bowling action. Left-arm medium pacer Moseline Daniels was also called up after Saarah Smith sustained a proximal phalanx basal fracture on her pinky finger during a practice session on Saturday. The injury will take four to six weeks to resolve.”It’s very unfortunate,” said coach Hilton Moreeng of Smith’s injury. “We feel her pain as one of our squad members who worked extremely hard through the winter to find herself in her very first World Cup. To end it so prematurely for her it’s very disappointing and we wish her a speedy recovery and we know that she will make a good come back. She’s got a strong head on her shoulders.”Going forward now, after a discussion with the rest of the selectors, the players coming in are both suitable replacements, players who have both been to World Cups before so we will have that experience to fall back on and we know that they will be able to add value to the team from game one.”South Africa will play in Group A in St Lucia against defending champions West Indies, England, Sri Lanka and World Cup Qualifier winners Bangladesh, with their opening game against Sri Lanka on 12 November. In two unofficial warm-up games so far, they have lost to England by 17 runs and India, narrowly, by three runs.South Africa squad: Dané van Niekerk (captain), Chloe Tryon, Lizelle Lee, Suné Luus, Shabnim Ismail, Masabata Klaas, Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp, Laura Wolvaardt, Zintle Mali, Robyn Searle, Tumi Sekhukhune, Trisha Chetty (wk), Yolani Fourie, Moseline Daniels

Tom Kohler-Cadmore plundered an unbeaten 21-ball 56 while Nicholas Pooran smashed 28 off just ten to hand Deccan Gladiators their second Abu Dhabi T10 title in three years with an eight-wicket win over Morrisville Samp Army in the final.Electing to field, Gladiators ensured Samp Army were not allowed to get away at any stage. Maheesh Theekshana struck first sending back Sharjeel Khan for 5 before Charith Asalanka was run out. Andries Gous (21 off nine) and Faf du Plessis (34 off 23) added a 37-run stand in 16 balls for the third wicket to take the game forward.Gladiators, however, stormed back to pick up four wickets for six runs in 11 balls to restrict Samp Army. Karim Janat’s unbeaten eight-ball 16 took Samp Army to 104 for 7, an under-par score considering the format. Richard Gleeson was the most effective bowler for Gladiators, picking up 2 for 16 in his two overs.In reply, Kohler-Cadmore wasted no time in hitting his stride. He smashed Rohan Mustafa for four successive fours in the opening over to set up the chase. Pooran then got into the act smashing Amir Hamza for a six before laying into Imad Wasim for two sixes and a four in the third over. It took all of 2.4 overs for Gladiators to reach the 50-mark.Isuru Udana gave Samp Army some relief by removing Pooran, but Rilee Rossouw smashed three fours off his first four deliveries to wrest back all the momentum. Kohler-Cadmore then smoked Qais Ahmed for three sixes and a four in the fifth over, which went for 25, and Gladiators were almost home.Kohler-Cadmore recorded his half-century off 17 balls before Hamza removed Rossouw for 12, and Jos Buttler finished things off with a six off Qais. It took Gladiators all of 6.5 overs to overhaul their target of 105. Kohler-Cadmore finished the tournament as the leading run-getter with 278 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 198.57, with three fifties.

Stats highlights from Evin Lewis’ 130-ball 176, and West Indies’ superb recovery after being 33 for 3 at The Oval

S Rajesh27-Sep-2017Coming into The Oval ODI, West Indies’ openers averaged 23.59 runs per dismissal in the period since the 2015 World Cup. That average was the worst among all teams in these two-and-a-half years – it was lower than the UAE (25.36), Papua New Guinea (25.58), and Hong Kong (27.00), among other teams. In one magnificent innings, Evin Lewis has lifted that average by almost two-and-a-half runs, to 26.04.Since the 2015 World Cup, there have only been two hundreds by West Indies’ openers, and Lewis has contributed both – he had also scored 148 versus Sri Lanka in Bulawayo last year. While he averages 36.50 since the World Cup, the other West Indies openers collectively average 22.49.

Evin Lewis v the other WI openers since the 2015 World Cup

Batsman Inngs Runs Ave SR 100sEvin Lewis 17 584 36.50 93.44 2The rest 47 1057 22.49 74.91 0Lewis’ unbeaten 176 is the fourth-highest ODI score for West Indies, next only to Chris Gayle’s 215, and Viv Richards’ 189 not out and 181. It wasn’t just the runs he scored, though; it was also the manner in which he lifted West Indies from a tricky 33 for 3. He played within himself till he reached his century, which still came off 94 balls but contained no six. Thereafter, he exploded, with 76 off the next 36 balls, including seven sixes and four fours.

How Lewis paced his innings

Period Runs Dots 4s 6sFirst 94 balls 100 40 13 0Last 36 balls 76 10 4 7Among the England bowlers, the only one who went at under seven an over against him was Chris Woakes, who conceded 25 from 28. Adil Rashid leaked 40 from 26.

Lewis v England’s main bowlers

Bowler Runs Balls SR 4s 6s AU Rashid 40 26 153.85 5 1MM Ali 36 24 150.00 3 2JT Ball 38 29 131.03 3 1LE Plunkett 29 23 126.09 1 2CR Woakes 28 25 112.00 4 1Lewis two hundreds in ODIs have yielded 324 runs; the only batsman with more runs from his first two ODI centuries is MS Dhoni, whose first two tons fetched 331 runs (148 and 183*). The problem for Lewis in his ODI career is his lack of consistency. His two hundreds have been big ones and fetched him 324 runs, but his other 18 innings have yielded only 326.When he does get going, though, the results are spectacular. His runs at The Oval, and the partnerships with the two Jasons – Mohammed and Holder – ensured West Indies scored 323 runs after the fall of the third wicket, the third-highest in any ODI. Of the top seven such totals, four have come in 2017.

Most runs scored after the fall of the third wicket

Match RunsAus v SL, Sydney, 2006 358Ind v Eng, Cuttack, 2017 356WI v Eng, The Oval, 2017 323NZ v Aus, Hamilton, 2007 312NZ v SL, Dunedin, 2015 300Ind v Eng, Pune, 2017 300Eng v WI, Bristol, 2017 295NZ v Zim, Bulawayo, 2011 287There were century stands for the fourth and fifth wickets, the first time West Indies have ever achieved this in ODIs, and only the ninth such instance among all teams. The net result of all that heavy hitting was a grand total of 356, West Indies’ fourth highest in ODIs.

Southampton have now submitted a “formal bid” to sign a defender on a loan deal, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Glimmer of hope for Saints after Portman Road victory

In truth, it is going to be extremely difficult for the Saints to dig themselves out of the Premier League relegation zone between now and the end of the season, as they still remain 10 points from safety.

However, there is a glimmer of hope that survival could be achievable after a maiden victory away from home this weekend, with Ivan Juric’s side prevailing 2-1 away at fellow strugglers Ipswich Town.

The task at hand remains daunting, however, and if Southampton are to stand any chance of avoiding an immediate return to the Championship, they must improve their defensive record, having shipped 54 goals, the highest amount of any side in the league.

Southampton now plotting last-minute deal to sign "clinical" young forward

The Saints desperately need fresh faces…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 1, 2025

With that in mind, an approach has now been made to sign a new defender, as reported by Romano, who claims the bottom-placed side have submitted a “formal bid” to sign Abakar Sylla on loan from Strasbourg.

Southampton’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

AFC Bournemouth (h)

February 15th

Brighton & Hove Albion (h)

February 22nd

Chelsea (a)

February 25th

Liverpool (a)

March 8th

Wolverhampton Wanderers (h)

March 15th

There is no buy option included in the proposal, with it likely to be a straight loan deal until the end of the season, but there may be competition for Sylla’s signature, as Serie A side Lazio have been interested in his signature since last week.

What Sylla could offer Southampton

The 22-year-old is a very impressive tackler, ranking in the 88th percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, while he is also a threat at the opposite end of the pitch, placing in the 93rd percentile for non-penalty goals.

During his time with Club Brugge, the Ivorian received praise for his ability to win back possession, as well as his passing, being hailed as a “powerhouse” in the media.

As such, there are clear signs the Strasbourg ace could make a real difference for the Saints in a defensive sense, having seriously struggled to keep the opposition at bay so far this season.

The only slight concern over the signing of the centre-back will be the fact he has slipped down the pecking order at Strasbourg since the end of November, featuring for just two minutes in Ligue 1 since the turn of the year.

That said, Southampton’s options are likely to be limited, in light of their perilous league position, so it may be worth taking a risk on Sylla to try and resolve their defensive issues.