Category Uncategorized

Despite an entertaining 90 by Mohammad Kaif, the India Seniors teamedged past India B by six wickets with eleven deliveries to spare inthe Challenger Trophy at Ahmedabad on Friday night.Batting first, the India B team put up a much better show than theIndia A team had the previous day. Kaif enjoyed a good run of formthroughout the recently concluded Under-19 World Cup, but could notmake a big score there. On Friday however, there was no stopping himas he shared a 115-run partnership with captain Ajay Jadeja and sawIndia B through to a score of 274 off their allotted 50 overs. Jadejawas his innovative self and made a half century in quick time.When Kaif tried to push the scoring rate towards the end of theinnings, he fell just 10 runs short of the century mark. Robin Singhgot a ball to stop on Kaif and the youngster went through with hisshot. The ball skied up in the air and Nikhil Chopra pouched thecatch.Nikhil Haldipur made a useful fifty at the top of the innings butprobably did not do enough to stake a claim for selection.Although India B lost quick wickets towards the end, it was of noconsequence as they still managed a challenging total.The India seniors bowlers took some stick from Kaif. The spearhead ofthe Indian bowling attack Anil Kumble went for 57 runs off his 10overs.In response, the Indian senior team went about the job with a rarelydisplayed air of professionalism. Shiv Sunder Das coming off a goodknock in the previous match fell quickly. After he was dismissed, VVSLaxman and pinch hitter Sunil Joshi took the attack to thebowlers. Joshi’s quickfire 16 included a four and a six. ReetinderSingh Sodhi pulled off yet another bit of good fielding as he lungedlow and took a sharp return catch to dismiss Joshi.Rahul Dravid then got into a good rhythm and kept the scoringgoing. He was joined by Vinod Kambli at the fall of Laxman’swicket. The resurgence of Kambli’s career took yet another positiveturn as the Mumbai southpaw made a solid unbeaten 78. When Dravid toowas dismissed, the required rate was mounting and Robin Singh used thelong handle to good effect. Some surprising bowling changes by AjayJadeja proved costly. Jadeja brought Dodda Ganesh and himself on atthe death and they conceded 12 and 17 runs off their oversrespectively.The experience of Singh and Kambli saw the seniors through to victorywith not much to spare. This victory means that the seniors havequalified for the final. On Saturday, the lesser teams of thetournament will clash and that will decide who takes on the seniors inthe title clash.

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle’s interest in Philippe Coutinho, who is currently on loan to Aston Villa from Barcelona. 

What’s the talk?

According to Sport, the Magpies are interested in a deal to sign the Brazil international and are willing to offer him more money in wages to turn down a permanent move to Villa Park.

The report claims that the Midlands club can sign him for €40m (£34m) this summer as part of their loan agreement, with the Toon now hoping to swoop in ahead of them.

Cabaye replacement

Callum Wilson is Newcastle’s top scorer in the Premier League with just six strikes in the top flight, with Allan Saint-Maximin (five) their only other player with more than two goals.

The Toon have struggled to find goals across the pitch and lack attacking quality in the middle of the park. No Magpies central midfielder has more than three direct goal contributions this season, which suggests that they are still looking for their Yohan Cabaye replacement.

In two-and-a-half seasons with the Tyneside club, the Frenchman produced 17 goals and 10 assists from midfield as he proved that he had the quality to be a difference-maker in the Premier League. The statistics from the current campaign show that no-one has been able to take on his mantle this term, but Eddie Howe can now finally replace him with a deal for Coutinho.

As you can see from the graphic above (with stats via WhoScored and the Premier League), both players are similar in terms of their actions on the pitch. They both like to create chances for their team-mates on a regular basis, whilst also taking plenty of shots themselves.

Both players are deadly from set-piece situations, with Cabaye’s four Premier League free kicks and Coutinho’s five showing that they can be a danger from a dead ball. Bringing in the latter would duly add another weapon to Howe’s attacking armoury.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Roberto Firmino previously dubbed the Brazilian “phenomenal” and claimed that the 29-year-old has “magical powers” and Coutinho’s statistics back up that high praise. The former Liverpool midfielder has 45 goals and 38 assists in his English top-flight career, proving that he can score and set up goals at the top level, creating moments of magic in the final third with his quality on the ball.

This means that Newcastle can find their new attacking threat from midfield, a Cabaye 2.0 if you will, by signing the Brazil gem this summer. PIF must splash the cash to make sure that they can bring him in ahead of Villa to bolster Howe’s squad.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops major Newcastle United transfer claim which will excite supporters…

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIt was a good day for batting so Hashim Amla did just that. He was in situ all day, an elegant figure bringing repose to South African cricket. Everything will be fine, he soothed as he repelled England’s attempts to force victory in the second Test.England were persistent, but the pitch was placid, and Amla entirely self-possessed. By the close of the third day, he was unbeaten on 157, a poor 2015 put behind him not by stirring deeds but with a sheen and grace that reasserted his quality. A deficit of 276 insists that much work remains to be done, but there are seven wickets intact to do it.South Africa made 212 on an attritional day. They made it very quietly. It was all a striking contrast to the fun of the fair on the previous day when Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow rattled up 196 in the morning session alone. Test cricket’s appeal lies in the fact that it is a game of many moods – and this was quite a jolt. No matter: South Africa’s captain had served his side admirably in times of need.England will recall Amla’s triple-century at The Oval in 2012 and fear what may still lies ahead. But the artist is painting slowly. He made 93 in the day, only 25 in a final session where England became footsore and interest waned. You will find some of the travelling supporters traipsing around Table Mountain on Tuesday.At least England were spared a wicketless day, their optimism stirred just once when AB de Villiers fell 20 minutes before tea. De Villiers departed on 88, pulling a short ball to midwicket where James Anderson held a head-high catch at the second attempt. England, who dropped three and reacted slowly to another, had finally clung on.That breakthrough fell to Steven Finn, whose bounce and hostility in unfavourable conditions made him comfortably the most dangerous component in an attack which held South Africa in check, but struggled to find solace.Hashim Amla recorded his 24th Test hundred•AFP

There was no turn for Moeen Ali – 37C is forecast for Tuesday and it remains to be seen if the bowlers will crack up before the pitch does – and the ball failed to swing or reverse, perhaps too blustery for the latter. South Africa were conscientious in defence and, when the batsmen did err, England’s fielding was found wanting.Amla and de Villiers dutifully set their sights on a long haul to safety, poring like senior librarians over a stand of 183 in 69 overs. South Africa failed to file away a single century stand in 2015 as they rarely justified their No. 1 Test ranking. In the first innings of the New Year, they addressed that shortcoming.England will rue those three dropped chances, evenly spread like fumbled water bottles on a marathon. De Villiers was spared on the second evening on 5 when Joe Root spilled an opportunity engineered by Anderson; Amla allowed a let-off on 76 half an hour before lunch when this time Anderson flapped down a quick edge off Root.That left them evens, although a bit more sulking had been evident when Root dropped the edge from Anderson. Part-time bowlers are not allowed such liberties: for them, every wicket is a bonus.Amla also escaped on 120, Nick Compton failing to hold an acceptable chance to his left at backward point as Finn’s insistence forced another opportunity.De Villiers passed 8000 Test runs in the morning, becoming the third South African alongside Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith to achieve the feat when he struck Moeen down the ground, one of the most adventurous moments in a session characterised by sober defence. There were only 20 runs by drinks, and only 58 in the session at two runs per over, as South Africa’s third-wicket pair concentrated on watchful defence.Anderson’s morning salvo was a stalemate, largely delivered outside off stump to packed off-side fields. Moeen gazed forlornly at cracks that failed to widen. Broad’s hot spurt was nowhere to be seen. But Finn caused discomfort from the start, his extra bounce unsettling de Villiers who produced an uneasy edge, cut and pull in quick succession, all of which fell short of expectant fielders.In England’s innings, the second new ball had been the catalyst for Stokes and Bairstow’s assault. Nobody expected such tomfoolery this time: there was work to be done. It came at 230 for 2. A daring captain might have gambled and thrown the ball at Finn, but Cook preferred the tried and trusted, Anderson and Broad. It was only when Finn appeared that things began to happen.It would have been tough on Amla if he had been run out on 119 when Finn got a finger on a return drive from de Villiers, but Amla regained his ground in time. Stokes then won an lbw appeal from Aleem Dar when de Villiers was 85, but even as de Villiers signalled for a review, Stokes knew that the batsman had got an inside edge.Late in the day, as Faf du Plessis also made his first Test fifty since the start of 2015, Finn responded sluggishly at mid-off to a leading edge off Anderson. Even Alex Hales had a trundle: trendy sunnies, sleeves down, collar up – shades off a more famous Nottinghamshire offspinner, sadly retired in his prime. Then Hales released something as fluffy and innocuous as a kitten. Du Plessis smiled wanly, as if he would rather have been met by a rabid hyena, but survived.The final hour was a stalemate, with approaching clouds encouraging both sides to wonder if they could get off the field. Amla’s solid defence, smooth drives and wristy manoeuvres were now typed repetitiously on English minds. South Africa, on a ground where they have been so successful, had rediscovered their spine.

Robin Uthappa gave the Indian contingent plenty to cheer about © Getty Images

Dream start, nightmare finish
Coming back into international cricket after a while, Virender Sehwag had a dream start: the first ball he faced was a trifle short, and Sehwag played a short-arm flick so effortlessly that it was easy to wonder why he had been kept out of the side for so long. The answer wasn’t long in coming: the third ball he faced, his first from Mohammad Asif, did all the things that bother Sehwag – it pitched on a good length, came at a lively pace, and nipped back enough to beat the middle of the bat and take the inside edge. At least Sehwag can’t complain about encountering unfamiliar situations on his return.Uthappa hits back
For nine overs, India danced to the tune of Pakistan’s fast bowlers, especially Mohammad Asif. Then, in the tenth, the batsmen called the shots, albeit briefly. Robin Uthappa first walked down the wicket and creamed Yasir Arafat over long-off for an exquisite six, and then pulled him off the front foot for another. The Indian flags, which easily outnumbered the Pakistani ones today, finally got an opportunity to make their presence felt.The rain dance
To drizzle or not to drizzle? That seemed the perennial question through the first couple of hours of the game. Play started on time, but soon the weather gods decided to intervene, but in such a manner that everyone was kept on tenterhooks, with the covers coming on, going off, coming on,going off, and then again. Once the covers had only managed to travel halfway up to the stumps when the drizzle stopped, and it was time for play again. It served the Pakistan cause nicely, though – twice a wicket fell off the first ball after resumption.b>The last ball
Mahendra Singh Dhoni consulted with almost half the team and then decidedthat the entire team would be in the inner ring, then had a change ofheart and off went Gautam Gambhir to the cover boundary, then finallyraced around to backward point. The entire exercise took at least a coupleof minutes, before Sreeanth charged in and pitched it short. Misbah’s weakstroke couldn’t pierce the infield, and we had the second tie in Twenty20internationals.The Misbah factorWith Pakistan seemingly out of the contest, Misbah-ul-Haq produced thekind of blitz which silenced all the questions which had been raised overhis selection. There were two powerful blows off Harbhajan, but the shotthat showed he had a cool head came off Ajit Agarkar, when, with 18 neededoff eight balls, he coolly moved across his stumps and scooped one overfine leg for four. No fuss, little effort, maximum reward.The comeback kid
Irfan Pathan hasn’t had a whole lot to celebrate over the last year, buthe had a veritable blast here. His first ball produced a wicket – even ifit was a run-out – and after three dot balls it got even better, as YounisKhan chopped one onto his stumps. Pathan leapt up in delight, and the hugesmile that flashed across his face showed just how much he was enjoyinghis comeback.

Ian Bell: ‘It is a hell of a long winter for all of us especially with Freddie batting, bowling, fielding and captaining the side’ © Getty Images

Ian Bell has called on the England team to support Andrew Flintoff during the Ashes series so that his workload doesn’t become too much. Flintoff was handed the captaincy for the tour of Australia after being narrowly favoured ahead of Andrew Strauss, but concerns linger that he has a lot on his plate as England aim to defend the Ashes.But Bell believes that Flintoff will lead from the front and take the challenges in his stride, although does concede that he can’t do it all on his own.”Even without his captaincy, Freddie is a leader in whatever he does, whether it be batting, bowling or fielding,” he told the Press Association. “It will be great to have him back on the park and great to have him lead us out there [in Australia].”But we are going to have to support him because it is a hell of a long winter for all of us especially with Freddie batting, bowling, fielding and captaining the side against the number one team in the world in Australia.”It is going to be a long winter for him so we all need to be with him and making sure he is not doing too much. That is probably a danger. The last thing you want is for Freddie to be burnt out. It’s a good thing in a way we’ve still got people there like Straussy [Andrew Strauss] and Tresco [Marcus Trescothick] around. These guys can talk to him and make sure he doesn’t do too much.When Flintoff led England in the Test series against Sri Lanka he bowled 51 overs in the second innings of the Lord’s Test. Those in favour of having Strauss as captain said he would have been able to manage Flintoff’s workload better than the man himself.”With Freddie being captain, he’ll want to do things from the front and makes sure everything is done properly and sometimes he does too much himself,” Bell said. “He needs to have that support from everyone in the team to say: ‘Freddie, you just look after yourself a bit more rather than doing too much’.”It’s great for us to have Freddie but we need to be aware he is a key player for us for the whole winter and we need him all the way through.”

Are the winds of change blowing through Indian cricket? © Getty Images

On June 20, 1996, Rahul Dravid was handed a Test cap at Lord’s, in the second Test against England, after Sanjay Manjrekar twisted his ankle in the first. Since then he has not looked back, and has played a record 91 straight Tests. Manjrekar played just two more Tests in his life. On Thursday, an injury to Sourav Ganguly precipitated Dravid’s appointment as captain of the Indian team for two back-to-back series – his longest stint to date – and signals that the end of the road is near for Ganguly, almost certainly as captain, and most likely as player too.That the selectors chose to give Dravid two tours at the helm, instead of the customary one, is the strongest sign yet that the tide has turned against Ganguly. When the current season began, and India were headed to Sri Lanka with Ganguly’s participation in doubt thanks to an ICC ban for slow over rates, Dravid was made captain on a stop-gap basis. He did a decent job, both with the bat and as leader, even as the team slumped to defeat. When the team came back from Sri Lanka, Ganguly was reinstated captain for the tour of Zimbabwe, and Dravid relegated to behind-the-scenes with a quiet, “Thank you for your services”.Dravid won’t let on, but he was furious at the decision of the board. It became increasingly clear that he was not interested in the captaincy on an ad hoc basis. He had no time to implement his ideas, and more often than not was left carrying the can when it came to answering tough questions about things going wrong. Dravid has not granted a single interview since that period, but seasoned followers of his line of thinking would tell you that two things changed irrevocably after India’s return from Sri Lanka. Firstly, Dravid would not accept the captaincy as a stand-in, merely keeping the seat warm for Ganguly. Second, if Ganguly were named captain for a long duration – till the 2007 World Cup as some sections demanded – Dravid would step down from the vice-captaincy and give up all ambitions of leading India.Not long ago, in an interview to , Dravid said, “I have been vice-captain for a few years, and that means you are, in some sense, prepared to be captain. But to be honest, captaincy is not the be all and end all of things. If at some stage the captaincy came along, well and good. I won’t lose a night’s sleep over it. I haven’t so far.” He meant that in a different context; now, taking over the reins with the team struggling and close to the bottom of the ladder, he may well lose some sleep. For it would be a mistake to view this appointment as a victory for Dravid over Ganguly, or Chappell over Ganguly. It was simply the only way forward. It’s not merely important to do the right thing, but to do it at the right time.Greg Chappell has been entrusted with rebuilding a team that has been on a downward spiral for more than a year. He was appointed with the responsibility of bringing a long-term vision and faithfully implementing it. And for a variety of reasons this has not been possible in the short time he has been coach. Chappell has not got the players he wanted, he has not had a free enough hand to reward certain attitudes or punish others, and his captain had not bought into the vision enough to give it a solid chance of working.And make no mistake, while the Ganguly-Chappell relationship has been downright confrontational, the Ganguly-John Wright one was far from rosy. The two barely sang from the same hymn sheet, but Wright accepted what he had to work with and got on with the job. With the appointment of Dravid India now have a chance for coach, captain and team to work together, getting to the root of the problems afflicting the team and sorting them out in time for the 2007 World Cup.The mantra all season has been “take India to the next level”. With young talent busting at the gut for a place in the side – the Challenger Series threw up more than one cricketer with definite promise and reinforced the stature of others on the fringes – there’s no reason why India cannot make it to the next level.But to believe that Dravid’s appointment, as Chappell’s earlier, will cause the team to transform itself overnight into the New Australia, is silly. Dravid is patient, hard-working, dedicated and committed to excellence. But he is also someone who won’t find it as easy to handle the problem characters in the team as Ganguly. He won’t bring the same in-your-face aggro to the field. He certainly won’t come to the job with the unequivocal support of the powers-that-are in the BCCI that Ganguly did. What Ganguly did for this team – not just 76 ODI and 21 Test wins – is something perhaps Dravid could not have, had he been appointed captain five years ago. Today, Ganguly cannot do what Dravid can. The wheel has turned, and Ganguly’s time is over.For all he has contributed to this team, Ganguly deserved a better farewell – if indeed that’s what this is – than being abruptly dropped. He deserved to walk away into the sunset, head held high, not be nudged out, first by coach, then the media, the public, and finally the selectors. But then again, with his batting, his behaviour and his almost stubborn refusal to let go, he barely gave anyone a chance to do any better by him.

India A 135 for 0 (Jadhav 60*, Gambhir 59*) beat Kenya 133 (Odumbe 40, Bhandari 3-20, Bahutule 3-26) by 10 wickets
ScorecardIndia A registered their second victory in successive days in the tri-nation one-day tournament in Nairobi, thrashing Kenya by ten wickets in a hopelessly one-sided contest.Kenya had beaten India A by 22 runs in the first round of the group matches, but this time they stood no chance after Amit Bhandari wrecked their top order with an incisive new-ball spell. He took three early wickets as Kenya slumped to 18 for 3. Maurice Odumbe led a mini-revival with 40, but Kenya managed only a paltry 133, which the Indian openers knocked off in just 25 overs.Bhandari started the Kenyan slide early on, trapping Kennedy Obuya in front for 5 (8 for 1). Then, with the score on 18, Bhandari struck twice, having Hitesh Modi caught behind for 3, before nailing Steve Tikolo, Kenya’s captain, in similar fashion for a duck.Odumbe and Ravindu Shah got the innings back on track, putting on 62 for the fourth wicket, but all their good work was undone when four wickets went down for the addition of just one run, with Sairaj Bahutule and Aavishkar Salvi doing the damage. Odumbe was finally stumped by Mahendra Dhoni – who had five victims in the match – off Bahutule, and though the tail resisted briefly, 133 was all that Kenya could manage.It was a target which was never likely to test the Indians, and Gautam Gambhir and Dheeraj Jadhav ensured an early finish. Both scored half-centuries – Jadhav was unbeaten on 60 while Gambhir made 59 not out – as India romped home with half their total overs unused. India A and Kenya now have two wins from three games, while Pakistan A have lost both their matches so far.

The wicket at New Road continued to favour the bowlers as a further twelve wickets fellon the second day of the Championship match between Glamorgan and Worcestershire.Worcestershire gained a first innings lead of 81 runs as they dismissedGlamorgan for 156 with Matt Mason taking 3/22 and David Leatherdale 2/18. Then in thefinal session, the home team extended their lead to 201, but lost four wicketsin the process, finishing the day on 120/4.Morning rain once again prevented any play until 12.10pm, with Glamorgan resumingon 0/2 after their dramatic start last night when they lost Jimmy Maher andnight-watchman David Harrison in Nantie Hayward`s opening over. Nevertheless,Ian Thomas and Jonathan Hughes adopted a positive approach, with bothof the young batsmen driving powerfully in an arc between cover andmid-on. The pair had added 56 in 15 overs, before Hughes was bowled by Mason with thefinal delivery of the morning session.Seven wickets then fell between lunch and tea, as Glamorgan added a further 100runs. Mason made the early inroads, striking twice during his accurate spell fromthe New Road End, bowling Michael Powell for a duck, and having Matthew Maynardcaught in the slips by Stephen Peters. Thomas continued to pierce the field withsome firm strokes, and reached his first Championship half century of the summer,lofting Hayward back over his head, having faced 94 balls and hitting 9 boundaries.However, the introduction of Leatherdale halted Glamorgan`s progress as theWorcestershire beneficiary had Thomas caught at slip, before trapping Robert Croftleg before on the back foot. Leatherdale might have taken a third wicket hadAnurag Singh held onto a top edge from Mark Wallace. But Kabir Ali returned from theDiglis End to dismiss Darren Thomas and Michael Kasprowicz, whilst Gareth Batty hadWallace caught at cover, as Glamorgan`s innings ended with their score on 156.When Worcestershire batted again, Glamorgan`s seam bowlers also found early assistanceas Alex Wharf had Anurag Singh caught at second slip by Jimmy Maher and then two overslater Wharf yorked Graeme Hick. But Peters showed that run scoring was not impossible,and the opener played some well timed cover drives in reaching 50 from 74 balls. Togetherwith his captain Ben Smith, they added 66 for the third wicket, before Peters dragged the ball onto his stumps trying to sweep Croft.Then in the final over the day, Croft had Vikram Solanki caught at short-legby Ian Thomas, with Worcestershire 201 runs ahead with 6 wickets in hand.

A belligerent century knock by Yashpal Singh enabled Services to score 238/8 in reply to Punjab first innings total of 300 runs in the North Zone Ranji match played at Gandhi Ground, Amitsar.Punjab’s overnight score of 300/9 did not advance any further, and the innings folded with the third ball of the day from Sayed Javed, which bowled Babloo Kumar and increased Javed’s wicket tally to four.Services began their reply on a sad note as Gagandeep Singh’s impressive display of swing bowling sent back three batsmen back to the pavilion with only 27 on the board. Gagandeep struck in the very first over as PM Reddy (0) was compelled to play at an out-going delivery and edged it to gully fielder Sandeep Sanwal. Jasvir Singh (1) became the second victim of Gagandeep as he nicked an out-swinger for Yuvraj Singh to hold at third slip. Harish Bhaskar (7) was then surprised by a sharp in-cutter which shattered his stumps.Yashpal Singh & Sanjay Verma showed some resistance and cautiously added 40 runs for fourth wicket. Skipper Verma (11) fell, trapped in front by Reetinder Singh Sodhi with the score on 67.Sarabjit Singh stepped in at the departure of the skipper to join Yashpal Singh, who was shaping well. The pair took the total to 77/4 by lunch.Yashpal Singh was in good touch and was stroking the ball well through the gaps. In this essay, he completed his half-century in 66 balls. Sarabjit too was facing the challenge with courage, and the pair wrested away the early initiative taken by Punjab. Both scored fluently and added 93 runs in the session without separated.At tea, Services had scored 170 runs with Yashpal on 83 & Sarabjit on 49. The latter, however, was sent back by an accurate direct hit from mid-off by Yuvraj Singh while trying to steal a single to complete his half-century, ending a 106-run fifth wicket partnership.Yashpal Singh gave the Punjab bowlers more nightmares as he stood like a rock at one end to keep the scoreboard ticking. He showed his class and temperament during this knock, going to his maiden ton in style as he lofted a flighted ball from Sawal for a six over long-off. His century came in 202 balls with 11 boundaries and a six.Yashpal and CD Thomson were stabilising the innings when left-arm spinner Babloo Kumar gave a his team a double break as he bowled Thomson and trapped Javed in front. The Punjab skipper Vikram Rathore took the second new ball after 83 overs, with Services on 229/7. Yashpal was retired hurt, being struck on his left forearm by a lifting delivery.Gagandeep took his fourth wicket as he got Sudhakar Ghag (0) caught at mid-off by Yuvraj. The end of the day’s play was called at the fall of the eighth wicket, with Services still trailing by 62 runs with only two wickets remaining.Delhi squander early advantageHaryana’s spinners struck vital blows in the post-tea session to bring down Delhi from a commanding position and reduce them to 288 for seven in the first innings in the North Zone Ranji tie.Replying to Haryana’s 316, Delhi failed to capitalise on a 121-run opening stand between Gautam Gambhir (91) and Akash copra (48). From a dominant position of 166 for two, Delhi collapsed to 260 for seven, with Amit Mishra striking thrice and Gautam Vashisht twice.Earlier, resuming at their overnight score of 282 for eight, Haryana added 34 runs in eight overs before Arun Singh ended the innings by taking the wickets of Sumit Narwal (39) and Nitin Aggarwal (11). The Delhi openers settled down early and soon got into an aggressive mode, hitting pace bowlers S Vidyut and Narwal all over the ground.Just when the partnership was going strong, and the hosts were firmly on the road to a huge first innings score, Haryana got a breakthrough when Nitin Aggarwal’s direct hit broke the stumps at the non-striker’s end while Chopra was attempting a cheeky single.Gambhir added 43 runs with new man Radhey Shyam Gupta. Just when he looked set for a well-deserved century, however, he was deceived as he jumped out to a flighted ball from Vashisht, keeper Ratra whipping off the bails in a flash.Vashisht struck again after four overs, dismissing Gupta caught at silly point by Shafiq Khan with the scoreboard reading 179 for three. Haryana clawed their way back into the game, grabbing four more wickets within a space of 10 overs, the Mishra-Vashisht combination bowling accurately.But Delhi skipper Mithun Manhas (45 off 32 balls) refused to give up and executed some powerful shots in trying to stem the rot. He collaborated with Pradeep Chawla to add 44 runs, even as Haryana’s bowlers were on the rampage.Manhas could not hold on for long, though, as he was trapped in front by Aggarwal. Even as Delhi’s middle order failed, the tailenders not only showed resistance, but adopted attack as the best form of defence, with Sarandeep Singh (20) and Abhishek Sharma (23*) making some quick runs and hitting four boundaries each. Sharma and Amit Bandhari (4*) were at the crease, and the hosts still trailed by 28 runs, when stumps were drawn.Himachal restrict Jammu and KashmirHost Himachal Pradesh bowled out Jammu and Kashmir for 187 in their first innings on the second day of North Zone Ranji tie at Mandi, thereby conceding a lead of 42 runs.Accurate bowling by Vishal Bhatia (4-55) and Shakti Singh (3-71) helped Himachal Pradesh contain the visitors to a moderate score. Jammu and Kashmir failed to capitalise fully on Himachal Pradesh’s low first-innings total, and none of the batsmen could put up a sizeable score. Abdul Qayoom was the highest scorer, making 32, followed by Vikrant Taggar with 31.Resuming play at an overnight total of 21/1, Jammu and Kashmir lost Kavaljit Singh at 43, followed by opener Raju Seema at 51.Himachal Pradesh, in reply, were 73 for two in the second innings, with both openers Nischal Gaur (18) and Sandeep Sharma (14) back in the pavilion. Rajiv Nayyar, however, who was unbeaten on 41 in the first innings, was at the crease on 17, while Sangram Singh was not out on 22 at the close of the day.

Alan Hutton has now dropped a big Glasgow Rangers transfer claim on Cedric Itten.

The Lowdown: Exit on the cards?

As per Football Insider, a source from the Ibrox faithful has revealed that the club are now ‘open’ to letting Itten go out on loan again in the summer, or even letting him go completely.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/rangers-news-2/” title=”Rangers news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Switzerland international spent the first half of the season on loan at German side Greuther Furth, where he scored two goals, but has since been recalled back by Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Transfermarkt).

However, he has not been picked for a matchday squad since the 3-0 loss away at Celtic in the Scottish Premiership back in early February.

The Latest: Hutton reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Teddy Bears right-back Hutton has claimed that Itten will now be ‘moving on’ this summer:

“It’s more what we haven’t seen from him.

“He came back into the fold but hasn’t been involved a lot under the new manager. You just think that maybe he’s had a look at him and thought that the options ahead of him are good enough.

“There’s no space for him in the matchday squads – which can be difficult when you have to leave players out.

“I do feel for him that way.

“But the bigger picture is that it hasn’t worked out for him, and that can be how it works out – sometimes it doesn’t run smoothly.

“In the summer he needs to be thinking about his future and playing football. You’d think that he’ll be moving on to pastures new.”

The Verdict: Sell

The Light Blues should not waste their time with any more loans for Itten, and instead should be looking to sell the striker on permanently.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

He is simply £14,000-per-week to stay, and when he has played, he has not exactly lit the world alight, with just seven goals in two seasons in a Gers shirt.

Nonetheless, RFC already have plenty of forward options, and so Itten would not be missed.

In other news, find out which ‘excellent’ attacker Rangers are now eyeing here!