All posts by h716a5.icu

With seven points separating themselves and the Championship relegation zone, Portsmouth have just been dealt a frustrating blow at a crucial time on the injury front.

Portsmouth injury news

With just 13 games remaining in the Championship, Pompey are currently on course to survive at the first time of asking. However, as always, anything can still change and John Mousinho will be keen to see his side make it three wins on the bounce when they face Queens Park Rangers this weekend, having just defeated both Cardiff City and Oxford United.

Finding their form at a crucial stage, those at Fratton Park could look back on their recent wins as a defining moment for their campaign. With all three of Derby County, Plymouth Argyle and bottom side Luton Town all deciding to sack their respective managers recently, Portsmouth are enjoying their reward for sticking by Mousinho.

The next 13 games could still be full of twists and turns though, especially following recent injury news. As confirmed by Portsmouth, Callum Lang is now set to miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn hamstring.

Sharing the news, Mousinho told reports at his latest press conference: “Not great news on Callum. The scan has come back, as we suspected, with a hamstring tear.

“We’re going to re-scan it in about 10 days just to see how it’s settled down. There’s a lot of fluid there at the moment. Most likely, we’re not going to see Callum in a Portsmouth shirt until next season.

“It’s a bit of a strange one because after the game, he was okay. He was up and about. He’s still actually up and about now. It’s not really affecting him a huge amount, but just the nature of it and the location of the injury means it’s going to be a long one.”

Portsmouth must replace "superb" Lang's goals

It’s the worst possible news for Portsmouth, who must now finish their battle for survival without their main man who has scored as many as 10 goals in 29 Championship games this season. Just how Mousinho attempts to replace those goals remains to be seen. For the next 13 games, it may well be a case of defence is the best form of attack at Fratton Park.

The Pompey boss needs no reminder of Lang’s quality, having been full of praise for his forward earlier this season. Mousinho told BBC Sport: “Since Callum has come to the football club he has scored some big goals and he has been our outstanding player this season.

“The energy he puts in, the amount of running he does, his physical presence and it is about adding quality for him – today he added the quality and was superb. My only disappointment is that he didn’t score more. It was really pleasing and he should be pushing for more and more.”

After a sensational campaign last time out, which ended with Europa League qualification, Brighton & Hove Albion have picked up where they left off this season, already defeating both Manchester United and Newcastle United during the current Premier League campaign.

Their strong start to the season comes despite the departures of both Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister, who swapped Brighton for Chelsea and Liverpool respectively during the summer transfer window. As ever, Roberto De Zerbi's side have been unphased by the exits, simply filling the gaps and continuing their unexpected rise.

Things could get even better in January, too, with reports suggesting that the Seagulls have made an approach to sign another South American gem when the winter transfer window swings open.

What's the latest Brighton transfer news?

During the summer transfer window, Brighton spent a reported €101m (£88m) on reinforcements, welcoming the likes of Joao Pedro and Bart Verbruggen, who have both played their part already this season.

It could be argued that they never really replaced Caicedo, though, perhaps giving themselves something to think about in January, especially with games coming thick and fast now that they have European commitments to balance alongside Premier League action.

With that said, according to reports in Spain, via Caught Offside, Brighton have presented an offer to Boca Juniors for Ezequiel Fernandez. The Argentine club have reportedly placed a £16m price-tag on the defensive midfielder, potentially giving De Zerbi and co plenty to think about.

If Fernandez did make the move, he would be following in the footsteps of fellow South Americans Mac Allister, Caicedo, and Julio Enciso, just to name a few who have enjoyed great success at The Amex. So, when January comes around, it will be interesting to see whether Brighton push ahead and continue their transfer trend, replacing Caicedo in the process.

Who is Ezequiel Fernandez?

At just 21 years of age, Fernandez, who can play as a holding or central midfielder, is already playing an impressive role for Boca Juniors, making 32 appearances in all competitions last season, reportedly attracting the interest of Brighton as a result.

Earning high praise, journalist Tim Vickery wrote for ESPN about Fernandez back in May:

"There are similarities between Enzo and Ezequiel Fernandez (even if no direct relation). Enzo's career gained momentum with a loan spell, so did Ezequiel's, who spent last year at Tigre.

"Both are central midfielders. Ezequiel, who turns 21 next month, is left-footed and bristling with quality. In an interview with TyC Sports in Argentina, World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister recently suggested that Brighton snap him up.

"Ezequiel might need careful handling. The youngster is still raw and erratic, and after the arrival of new coach Jorge Almiron he has spent much of his time as a second-half substitute. But the potential is undeniable, and this year's Libertadores is an excellent opportunity to cast an eye on the development of a fascinating talent."

With that said, it will be interesting to see whether Brighton have discovered another key player, should they push on and secure the signature of Fernandez in the January transfer window. The Seagulls are certainly in need of a defensive midfielder.

Scott Borthwick and Ben Foakes swung the match in Surrey’s favour

Paul Edwards at Kia Oval21-Apr-20182:11

Mixed fortunes for India duo

ScorecardWickets, wickets, everywhere, nor any ton to clap. Unless you have been rather lucky that has been your lot over the last week or so. Indeed, some batsmen have done rather well to stop one ball in three. Yet for a couple of sessions at the Oval it seemed this game between Surrey and Hampshire might buck the pattern. Four wickets fell in 64 overs on the first day only for nine to go down after tea and the visitors’ last seven in barely more than a morning’s play on Saturday. Centuries? You were more likely to see Nigel Farage sharing a fondue with Ken Clarke.On such mornings Rikki Clarke’s seamers and Sam Curran’s inswing were always likely to set a clattering tone. Talk of this being a decent pitch for batsmen sounded ever more like tattle for the Sunday papers as both bowlers took four wickets and Hampshire conceded a first-innings deficit of 64. Thus, on an afternoon when increasing cloud cover was added to the batsmen’s spring handicaps it seems only proper to salute Hashim Amla and Scott Borthwick, the players whose technique and bravery halted the processions of batsmen to and from the pavilion.Borthwick’s was the more significant innings: his first season for Surrey was a modest one but his 74 enabled Surrey to build a 281-run lead by close of play and that should be enough to set up a home win. However, should Amla bat as gloriously in the second innings as he did on Saturday morning, all is not lost for Hampshire. Then again, people may not be surprised that the South African batted well at The Oval. If you once scored 311 not out on a cricket ground it is reasonable to suppose you have a soft spot for the place. But unless you are Don Bradman at Leeds, you rarely return to a favoured venue in quite such glory. Poignant recollections are far more likely. It was thus an unmixed joy to see Amla transcend the occasion by making 55 of the most felicitous runs we are likely to see this season.At the other end wickets tumbled freely and double-figures became distant summits. James Vince was leg before to Rikki Clarke’s second ball of the morning and took a long moment before wandering off. Sam Northeast was caught at the wicket off Curran, Rillee Rossouw fell lbw to Curran and Liam Dawson edged Jade Dernbach to Ben Foakes. Hampshire subsided to 116 for 7.A different game played out at the other end. For over half an hour, Amla played the ball very late and only when compelled to. Then there was a clip through midwicket, precise cuts through gully and a leg glance to treasure. These and other strokes will linger in the mind until September and beyond. Rory Burns kept faith with his seamers and justifiably so. You were more likely to see an albatross at the Oval than the Surrey off-spinner Amar Virdi bowling.Amla reached his fifty off 67 balls while at the other end Kyle Abbott biffed a useful 23. The innings ended all too briefly for the neutrals shortly after lunch when Curran’s inswing accounted for Abbott and Wheal and Clarke moved one back off the seam to have Amla leg before. It was his second false shot in 83 balls.Surrey, though, had still taken a substantial advantage from the first half of the game and Borthwick spent the rest of his Saturday extending it. Abbott again did his best for Hampshire by having Burns caught behind and castling Mark Stoneman, albeit through the size of gate one might only see at Chatsworth.Undaunted, Borthwick settled into his work and was soon playing the cover-drives and clips through midwicket that still has them weeping their pints across the North East. He added 45 with Dean Elgar and then a further 87 with Foakes. A pulled six off Abbott seemed the prelude to a century but the South African ended such thoughts when he gave Borthwick the unwanted honour of being the twelfth batsman in the game to fall leg before.Yes, the ball was still moving about but Foakes reached his fifty just before the close and then helped Ollie Pope piloted Surrey towards even greater prosperity. Perhaps only Amla in his splendour can overhaul their advantage. One is beguiled by the mere prospect.

Southampton are well-known for churning out talent from their academy setup and selling them on for huge profits in the future.

James Ward-Prowse is the most recent of those to have demonstrated the quality being produced from the Saints' academy having followed in the footsteps of the likes of Luke Shaw, Theo Walcott and five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, Gareth Bale.

While the relentless production of talent coming from their academy is impressive – as emphasised this season through 17-year-old Samuel Amo-Ameyaw being rewarded with a chance in the first team – Southampton have also become renowned for signing young players at comparatively small fees and nurturing their development before selling at a significant profit.

The most blatant example of that fact was their £13m acquisition of Virgil van Dijk from Celtic in 2015 with the Dutchman quickly rising to prominence as one of the best defenders in the league, as the Saints pocketed a hefty £75m from Liverpool two and a half years later.

In 2022, Ralph Hasenhuttl unearthed a gem from Manchester City as Romeo Lavia joined the club for £10.5m and although the South Coast club were relegated from the Premier League, Lavia's impressive performances earned him a £58m move to Chelsea this summer, making them a cool £48m on their investment.

Southampton are experts when it comes to signing young players for a cheap and turning a huge profit, but have buckled under the pressure of spending big money on more experienced talents, wasting millions on Dani Osvaldo, who demonstrated that the Saints haven't always been smart with their business.

How much did Southampton pay for Dani Osvaldo?

During Mauricio Pochettino's tenure at the club, the Argentine was in desperate need of a striker to help them become more ruthless in front of goal and after managing him at Espanyol, where he chalked up 20 goals in 45 appearances, Pochettino decided to break the bank to lure Osvaldo to the Premier League.

Joining from Roma for a club record fee of £15m in 2013, the Italian promised to live up to the price tag having amassed an eye-watering 34 goal contributions in 55 appearances in the Serie A.

Despite his impressive rate of scoring, Roma's coach at the time, Rudi Garcia, questioned Osvaldo's attitude during a friendly with Turkish side Bursaspor in 2013, stating that the 27-year-old's behaviour would cause serious problems unless he changed his attitude.

He said: “He is a great striker, but his personality is a serious issue.

“[For instance], in my opinion, he shouldn’t have reacted to the fans’ jeers, although I do understand it’s hard not to do when you’re being insulted."

In that one moment, warning signs were thrown towards Southampton, but they chose to ignore them. Indeed, Pochettino thought his attitude wouldn't get in the way of his performances, and it turned out he was wrong.

What happened to Dani Osvaldo next?

As a club record signing, a lot is expected, especially as a striker. Supporters were expecting Osvaldo to become their next heroic goalscorer, following in the footsteps of Rickie Lambert, but how his Southampton career unravelled instead left supporters pulling their hair out.

In 13 appearances for the club in the 2013/14 campaign, Osvaldo's only moment of brilliance came against Manchester City, as his superbly curled effort helped the Saints to a point against the eventual champions.

"From now on I can show how much I can do, and how well I can perform,” the Italian said, after scoring his third – and last – Southampton goal.

Although he offered words of encouragement to supporters, he failed to kick on from there, headbutting Jose Fonte in training, an incident that ultimately ended his career in England.

Osvaldo spent just 166 days at the club before he was shipped out of the club to Juventus on loan, failing to impress at the Old Lady before Southampton released him in 2015 after he'd bled the club dry of £25m, including fees and wages, across two years.

After retiring at 30-years-old in 2016, the Italian outlined his hatred towards football in an interview with Fox Sports, saying: “Football was not happy, it is a world full of ****." You can imagine the ending of that.

As far as record signings go, Osvaldo will go down as one of the worst in Premier League history.

Despite their impressive performance in the Nidahas Trophy, Bangladesh’s wicketkeeper said they “haven’t become a T20 side of caliber yet”

Mohammad Isam19-Mar-2018Before the Nidahas Trophy, Bangladesh never felt like they were playing consistently in a T20 tournament, according to Mushfiqur Rahim. Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka twice in final-over thrillers, which has given them confidence for the future.Mushfiqur said Bangladesh’s overall recovery in this tournament, after the poor home series against Sri Lanka, stood out. They were beaten 2-0 in the T20s in February, after they lost the ODI tri-series final and the Test series, to Sri Lanka.’Should have been quiet’ – Nurul Hasan

Nurul Hasan, the Bangladesh substitute player, who picked up a 25% fine for his behaviour in the match against Sri Lanka on Friday, said he regretted arguing with Thisara Perera.
“I was sent inside the field to speak to [Mahmudullah] Riyad ,” Nurul said. “I asked the umpire whether the first ball was given a bouncer. Thisara Perera came up to me and said, ‘Who are you to talk? You go, you don’t have to talk’. I said I am not talking to you. He started to abuse me. I kept saying it has nothing to do with you. I should have been quiet. I think the heat of the moment got to me. This is all that happened.”

“We haven’t become a T20 side of caliber yet but if you compare how we did in the home T20s in February to how we did in Sri Lanka, we have taken a step in the right direction,” Mushfiqur said. “We have shown we can be consistent in T20s. We still have a lot of room for improvement. Our top-order batsmen have to play till the end. We did finish two games well.”Our bowlers have to take more wickets in the Powerplay overs. We have to work on our death-over bowling. Most of the wickets were flat, we were a bit behind India’s economy rate. I think it is a gain that we now have some confidence in T20s, like we have found in Tests and ODIs.”Bangladesh were short of confidence prior to the Nidahas Trophy, but Mushfiqur boosted their morale after carrying them past Sri Lanka in the second league game. Mahmudullah’s cameo in the virtual knockout against Sri Lanka lifted them further. However, they lost one crucial moment in the final as Dinesh Karthik hit Soumya Sarkar for six off the last ball of the match.Mushfiqur however feels that Soumya cannot be blamed. “It is quite obvious to feel bad. But it wasn’t due to one person,” Mushfiqur said. “If all our bowlers could concede one or two runs less or our batsmen could have scored 10 runs more, things would have been different. It is a team game so the failure is ours. We have to take lessons from this game. It was the first time for Soumya, so I am sure the next time he faces up to such a situation, he will do much better.”A lot of big-name bowlers have failed to hold on to their nerve. Malinga was taken apart by Marlon Samuels in the same venue in the 2012 World T20. We lost a good opportunity, is all I can say. It is not every day that you get a chance to beat India. We have now missed two opportunities. We will keep this hurt inside so that we can go ahead.”

The former team director was hired back by Cricket West Indies without an interview process

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Feb-2018Desmond Haynes was right. The West Indies opening great had publicly questioned the process behind Richard Pybus’ return to cricket in the West Indies as high performance director – a post newly created by Cricket West Indies (CWI). The much-travelled coach returns just over a year after he had left as team director.”It would be great to ask the [CWI] president [Dave Cameron] about this appointment and when was this position advertised,” Haynes posted on his Facebook account. The answer, ESPNcricinfo can confirm, is that it wasn’t: the post was not advertised and Cameron did have a direct hand in Pybus’ appointment, without interviewing any candidates.Haynes was not the only skeptic. Darren Sammy, the former West Indies captain who led during Pybus’ tenure as director, expressed disbelief at his return on Twitter. “Lies lies lies… Must be fake news,” Sammy tweeted on February 9. A day later, in response to a reply, he tweeted: “Well I’m still hoping that nightmare is not true #fakenews he’s not coming back at CWI.”Johnny Grave, the CWI chief executive, would not comment on Cameron’s role in the matter but confirmed that Pybus’ appointment was approved by the board of directors. “Everyone, including the senior management at CWI, is behind Pybus’ appointment,” Grave told ESPNcricinfo.According to Grave, Pybus was headhunted and the Englishman will play a consultant’s role, working about 200 days a year over a two-year contract. Pybus is expected to be the “bridge” between Jimmy Adams, the director of cricket and the man who succeeded him, and Graeme West, who is the manager at the High Performance Centre (HPC) in Antigua.”It is a strategic appointment,” Grave said. “It is a two-year consultancy role and it is specifically to do with establishing the HPC at the Coolidge Cricket Ground [in Antigua]. And ensuring the franchise-based Professional Cricket League that Richard set up four years ago becomes an even more elite, professional environment.”Grave believes that even though players from the Caribbean have professional contracts to play regional cricket, a lot of work remains in order to create the elite environment of the best domestic competitions overseas. Pybus’ extensive experience, including his previous stint in the West Indies, makes him, in CWI’s eyes, the right choice. “Richard is specifically coming in to work with our franchise teams, establishing the HPC in Antigua, and to allow us to produce better cricketers on the international stage,” Grave said.Pybus’ first stint with CWI, which ended in January 2017 after three years, was a controversial one. It was Pybus who made it mandatory for a player to participate in the domestic first-class and one-day cricket tournaments to qualify for selection for West Indies. Many senior players vehemently opposed the policy and instead opted to solely operate in overseas Twenty20 leagues.Pybus, who was recently shortlisted for coach by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, did not react to Sammy’s tweets, but did defend his track record in reply to Haynes.”Hi Desmond, as I’m a FB friend I presume it’s for my attention too,” Pybus posted on Facebook late on February 14. “To clarify a couple of points, I was invited by Bangladesh to go and meet their board, I didn’t apply or was shortlisted for any positions. I’ve coached for nearly 30 years, I started the junior provincial program[me] at Border [in South Africa] with Mark Boucher, Makhaya Ntini and Justin Kemp. Went on to set up the Border Academy and coach Border. Mark and Makhaya both played in that team. Coached Pakistan at two Cricket World Cups, including the final in ’99. Fast forward through nine championships won across all formats in South Africa, 3 x double in three consecutive years, Steyn, Morkel, du Plessis coming through those winning set-ups.”And although WICB [CWI] doesn’t seem to get much credit for the three World Cups [World T20, Women’s World T20 and Under-19 World Cup] won in 2016, they weren’t an accident, the U-19 and women were run by the HP program[me]. I wasn’t replaced by Jimmy, I’d declined an extension. Regards Richard.”

Leeds United comfortably endured one of the most tumultuous summers of those within the Championship, but have come out the other side with a squad certainly capable of challenging at the top of the table…

Who did Leeds nearly sign?

Daniel Farke operated well despite all the turmoil he had inherited, as whilst he made nine key additions, these signings were marred by the 15 departures, many of which had previously been first-team regulars.

Phil Hay put it best on social media when he wrote: “At one point in the summer, a senior figure at Leeds was heard to say that “everyone wants to leave” – which was pretty much how it was.”

So, to be stood in early September with a team largely filled with quality that has featured at a level above their current one should mark a success worth championing, even if they have only won once in their opening five league games.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

However, Saturday did mark a crushing realisation that they probably did miss a trick with one failed signing, as they did reportedly hold an interest in former Aston Villa forward Cameron Archer at various points throughout the summer without acting.

Therefore, it was Sheffield United who eventually won the race for his signature, with his showing against Everton enough to start paying back that lofty £18m price tag.

How good is Cameron Archer?

Whilst many were well aware of the 21-year-old’s goalscoring pedigree well before this weekend, his consistent quality and the threat he posed to the Toffees showcased his talents at a much higher level than he had previously thrived in.

Having fallen behind, the Blades hit back as Archer’s arrowed finish on 33 minutes drew them level. Then, as they pushed for another, he unleashed a splendid curling effort which rebounded off the right post, struck Jordan Pickford and found the back of the net. Although not his goal, it was wholly of his creation.

His involvement in both of their only goals for the day outlined the budding importance he is set to enjoy at Bramall Lane, as he seeks to build on an outstanding loan spell last season where he scored 11 and assisted six in 20 Championship games for Middlesbrough.

It is no surprise that renowned scout Jacek Kulig lauded him as “incredibly prolific” throughout that spell, a trait that Farke would love to transfer onto his current crop of players.

What makes his particularly impressive display even more frustrating is the profligate one endured at Elland Road just after Sheffield United were held to a 2-2 draw, as the Whites failed to find the net against newly-promoted Sheffield Wednesday at home.

Deploying Joel Piroe in a deeper role, despite having been signed as their new star forward, he was not there to score the countless chances they forged. In fact, having enjoyed 67% of the ball and rained down 16 shots, they missed all of the three big chances they created, via Sofascore.

Considering two of those were squandered by Georginio Rutter, who has admittedly struggled since making his club-record move in January, it seems that the Englishman would have marked far greater business.

The French youngster has scored just once across 18 games for the club, and yesterday posted a 6.5 Sofascore rating that was the worst of any of Leeds' starters.

Their failure to capture such a lethal finisher like Archer was exposed brutally yesterday, as he thrived in front of goal whilst Farke’s side pushed to break the deadlock in their game, with no success.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has delivered an impassioned defence of summer signing Kai Havertz when speaking about the German in a recent press conference.

What's the latest on Arsenal and Kai Havertz?

It's not exactly been the easiest start to life for the 24-year-old in North London. Indeed, it's easy to get the sense that many of his new supporters aren't particularly happy with the big £65m transfer fee handed to rivals Chelsea in exchange for the player.

After all, the Emirates let out a "cry of frustration" after Havertz misplaced a pass in the Gunners' recent 2-2 draw with Fulham, showing how little patience the fans already have for the summer signing.

Having failed to impress on that most recent Premier League outings, the German has now played three games (plus an appearance in the Community Shield) without claiming either a goal or an assist for Arsenal.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

With all that in mind, there appear to be doubts over the player already and manager Arteta has tried to deal with this by urging the club to show more "love" for Havertz as he finds his feet in his new surroundings.

Indeed, when speaking to the press this week (via The Mirror), he said: “It’s difficult to ask more of our supporters and our people, but my feeling is give him love and we’ll get the best out of him. I think we have some very beautiful examples in the last years with players that we have given a lot of support and got behind them, and they have felt that love and they just exploded.‌

After all, as you can see in the graphic below – shared on Twitter by statistician Scott Willis using data from Opta via Fbref – the German is actually outperforming his Swiss counterpart in a number of attacking areas such as goal probability added, open play key passes, progressive carries.

On top of that, he's also doing well defensively with more aerial duels won, ball recoveries made, and less fouls committed than Xhaka – albeit from a small sample size.

New Zealand have responded to three consecutive T20I defeats by making two changes to their batting for the remainder of the tri-series involving England and Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2018Batsman Mark Chapman and wicketkeeper Tim Seifert have been called up to New Zealand’s T20 squad as they aim to revive their tri-series campaign following the opening-match drubbing at the hands of Australia in Sydney.Chapman, 23, was born in Hong Kong and has played two ODIs and 19 T20Is for them but qualifies for New Zealand through his father. A left-hand batsman, Chapman has been pushing hard for a call-up this season with prolific white-ball form and replaces Tom Bruce. He scored 307 runs with a strike-rate of 171.50 in the Super Smash and is the leading run-scorer in the Ford Trophy by a distance on 433 (as of February 7).New Zealand squad

Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Anaru Kitchen, Colin Munro, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Tim Seifert (wk), Ross Taylor, Ben Wheeler

The uncapped Seifert, also 23, will take over the wicketkeeping role from Tom Blundell who himself replaced fellow wicketkeeper Glenn Phillips during the series against Pakistan in what is becoming a revolving position in New Zealand’s T20 side as they seek a long-term successor to Luke Ronchi. He also enjoyed a strong Super Smash with 323 runs at a strike-rate of 146.81. Seifert and Chapman scored two of the three centuries made in this year’s tournament.”Mark has been very consistent over the past couple of seasons and has taken his game to another level in recent times,” selector Gavin Larsen said. “His ability to hit the ball in all areas makes him a real threat and we’ve seen in the domestic competition some of the power he possesses.”Bruce made 3 against Australia before top-edging Billy Stanlake having scored 26, 11 and 22 in the series against Pakistan. Blundell came in at No. 6 in that match after New Zealand’s early problems and his omission is partly a knock-on effect of Bruce being dropped.”It’s hard on Tom Blundell, but with Tom Bruce not in the squad we wanted to inject some further power into that middle order and Tim has shown he’s one the most dynamic in the country at that,” Larsen said. “We have some strong options with the gloves at the moment, but it’s about what best complements the rest of the squad and we think that’s Tim for this series.”Seamer Seth Rance also drops out of the squad that flew to Sydney, leaving Ben Wheeler as the pace back-up to Tim Southee and Trent Boult.New Zealand limped to 117 for 9 at the SCG, with only Colin de Grandhomme coming to terms with conditions as he made 38 off 24 balls, and will resume their tri-series campaign against England in Wellington on Saturday. Australia have set the early pace in the tournament, following their victory against New Zealand with a win over England in Hobart.

The India captain is behind only Steven Smith in Tests, and he also holds the top rank in ODIs and T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-20171:18

Looking at Kohli’s rankings journey

Virat Kohli has moved up three places to second spot in the ICC rankings for Test batsmen following a prolific home series against Sri Lanka. Kohli is also the No. 1 batsman in ODIs and T20Is, but trails Steven Smith by 45 points in Tests, leaving him short of emulating Ricky Ponting as the only batsman to hold the top rank across formats at the same time.Kohli scored 610 runs in five innings in the Test series against Sri Lanka, making a hundred and back-to-back double centuries. The 243 in the third Test in Delhi was Kohli’s career-best score, and helped him overtake David Warner, Cheteshwar Pujara, Kane Williamson and Joe Root in the rankings.While Kohli has 893 points, Smith’s lead is considerable in Tests – his tally of 941 last week was the joint fifth-highest in Test history. Smith is presently on 938 points. Ponting held the No. 1 rank simultaneously across formats in 2005-06, and Matthew Hayden is the only other batsman to have been top-ranked across formats.For Sri Lanka, their captain Dinesh Chandimal broke into the top ten for the first time in his career: he moved up eight spots and is presently ninth after making 366 runs in the Test series against India.