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Lasitha Malinga, the Sri Lankan fast bowler, has pulled out of a deal to play for Middlesex in this year’s Friends Life T20 because of injury concerns.

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2012

Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lankan fast bowler, has pulled out of a deal to play for Middlesex in this year’s Friends Life T20 because of injury concerns.He had signed to play seven of Middlesex’s 10 Flt20 matches but returned from the IPL – where he took 22 wickets – complaining of soreness in his knee and back. He believes rest is required ahead of Sri Lanka’s busy schedule where they host Pakistan in June, India in July before the inaugural Sri Lankan Premier League in August.Malinga, whose relationship with Sri Lanka’s selectors has been tense since he chose to retire from Test cricket to manage his fitness more successfully, said: “I was really looking forward to playing a few T20 games for Middlesex this summer, but playing for Sri Lanka remains my top priority and I have to make sure I am in peak condition for upcoming tours and the World T20 later this year.”Now that we have a full ODI series with India in July that is being immediately followed by Sri Lanka’s new T20 league in August, I have had to review my workload in the coming months. I don’t want to take any risks and feel I need to make use of the full five-week break after the Pakistan ODI series to rest and build-up my fitness.”Middlesex have become the latest county to suffer the disrupruptive late withdrawal of an overseas signing as a crowded schedule, and alternative financial deals on offer elsewhere, continues to undermine England’s T20 tournament.”Naturally, we are extremely disappointed that Lasith will not be playing for Middlesex this summer,” Angus Fraser, Middlesex director of cricket, said. “His presence would have added a healthy dose of stardust to proceedings. I totally understand Lasith’s concerns – his workload is high – but am disappointed we are the side to be denied of his services.”A lot of work goes in to securing these deals and getting ‘No Objection Certificates’ from the relevant governing bodies. But we are not the only county to suffer in this way and over the coming days we will do all we can to secure the services of another high quality international cricketer for our 2012 Friends Life t20 campaign.”Middlesex had initially tried to sign West Indian batsman Chris Gayle before he agreed to join Somerset and subsequently reneged on that deal. Somerset were also denied the chance to sign Faf du Plessis by Cricket South Africa. Junaid Khan has also pulled out of a deal with Lancashire.Australians Adam Gilchrist and David Warner have previously played T20 for Middlesex, who won the Twenty20 Cup in 2008.

MatériaMais Notícias

O importante era vencer e assim o Flamengo fez neste domingo. Com gols de Willian Arão e Lucas Paquetá, o Rubro-Negro venceu o Atlético-MG por 2 a 1, apesar do sofrimento até o fim. O Galo, que marcou com Leonardo Silva (que fez história), pressionou e acertou o travessão de Diego Alves no último lance da partida no Maracanã.

A atuação não foi de encher os olhos, mas o time de Maurício Barbieri, agora com 48 pontos, diminuiu a distância para os primeiros colocados São Paulo (51) e Internacional (50), que empataram nesta rodada, além de abrir uma diferença maior para o Atlético-MG, que permanece com 42.

Na próxima rodada, o Flamengo visita o Bahia, enquanto o Galo recebe o Sport. Antes, no entanto, o Rubro-Negro decide uma vaga na final da Copa do Brasil contra o Corinthians. A partida será na quarta-feira, às 21h45, em São Paulo.

Com mudanças, Flamengo sai na frente

Maurício Barbieri preparou um Flamengo com novidades durante a semana. As principais surpresas foram Matheus Savio e Trauco entre os titulares. A dupla não poderia ter começado melhor. O peruano fez boa jogada individual e rolou para Arão. Dentro da área, o camisa 5 só escolheu o canto e saiu para o abraço: 1 a 0 antes dos dois minutos de partida.

Rubro-Negro oscila e Galo cresce

Na sequência, foi Matheus Savio quem cruzou na cabeça de Henrique Dourado. O centroavante marcou, mas o impedimento foi assinalado corretamente, mantendo o jejum do camisa 19. Na etapa final, o camisa 19 balançaria outra vez a rede, mas, novamente, a posição irregular seria marcada corretamente.

O Galo equilibrou o duelo e passou a ameaçar pelo lado direito, com Chará e Luan em cima de Pará. Além disso, o Fla diminuiu o ritmo. Savio, Paquetá e Trauco erraram passes simples e a torcida mostrou-se insatisfeita antes do intervalo.

Léo Silva faz história

Se não conseguiu ameaçar Diego Alves com a bola no chão, o Atlético chegou ao empate pelo alto – arma já conhecida da equipe mineira. Léo Silva venceu a marcação de Léo Duarte e Arão para cabecear forte: 1 a 1. Foi o seu 32º gol no Brasileirão. Assim, o capitão atleticano tornou-se o maior zagueiro artilheiro da competição, deixando justamente Réver, hoje do Flamengo, para trás.

Cenário se repete, Flamengo sofre e vence

Com Vitinho no lugar de Savio, o Flamengo repetiu o bom início na segunda etapa. Resultado: nova assistência de Trauco e gol de Lucas Paquetá O cruzamento do peruano e a cabeçada do meia foram perfeitas.

A pressão do Galo também se repetiu – e de forma mais intensa. O time de Thiago Larghi ocupou o campo de ataque. Diego Alves foi exigido, mostrou segurança, mas não precisou fazer grande defesa. Apesar de alguns vacilos da defesa, o Flamengo resistiu. No último lance da partida, Cazares cobrou falta lateral e Réver desviou. A bola explodiu no travessão e o Maracanã ficou em silêncio por alguns segundos. O Flamengo venceu, mas sofreu até o apito final.

FICHA TÉCNICA
FLAMENGO 2X1 ATLÉTICO-MG

Estádio: Maracanã, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Data: 23 de setembro de 2018, às 16h
Árbitro: Rodolpho Toski Marques (Fifa/PR)
Assistentes: Ivan Carlos Bohn (PR) e Victor Hugo Imazu dos Santos (PR)
Renda/Público: R$1.062.984,50 /36.018 pagantes (39.462 presentes)

Cartão amarelo: Pará e Henrique Dourado (FLA); Emerson e Denilson (CAM)
Cartão vermelho: Não houve.

GOLS: WillianArão (1-0, 1’/1ºT), Léo Silva (1-1, 22’/1ºT) e Lucas Paquetá (2-1, 8’/2ºT)

FLAMENGO: Diego Alves; Pará, Léo Duarte, Réver e Trauco; Cuéllar, Willian Arão, Lucas Paquetá e Savio (Vitinho, Intervalo, e depois Marlos Moreno, 36’/2ºT); Everton Ribeiro e Henrique Dourado (Piris da Motta, 27’/2ºT) – T: Maurício Barbieri

ATLÉTICO-MG: Victor; Emerson, Léo Silva, Maidana e Fábio Santos; Zé Welison, Elias, Tomás Andrade (Cazares, 35’/1ºT) e Chará; Luan (Edinho, 23’/2ºT) e Ricardo Oliveira (Denilson, 40’/2ºT)- T: Thiago Larghi

At 35 and having retired from Test cricket, Brett Lee stands on the verge of becoming Australia’s leading wicket taker in one-day Internationals

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-2012At 35 and having retired from Test cricket, Brett Lee stands on the verge of becoming Australia’s leading wicket taker in one-day Internationals.He insists, though, that he isn’t motivated by the prospect of breaking Glenn McGrath’s record of 381 wickets during the upcoming series against England – after closing the gap with two wickets against Ireland in Belfast – and in the latest edition of Alison’s Tea Break he explains how he is now acting as a mentor to the younger bowlers coming through.Speaking to host Alison Mitchell, Lee touches on the depth of fast bowling in Australia cricket at the moment, saying he is excited by what James Pattinson and Pat Cummins have to offer with a Test series against South Africa coming up later this year, followed by back-to-back Ashes.He warns, though, of the “blood, sweat and tears” that it takes to be a fast bowler, particularly with the amount of cricket that is played now, and says that bowlers in particular must be prepared “to do what’s best for the team” should management decide to rest and rotate players.As far as Lee’s own future is concerned, he has set no time frame as to when he might step away from the international scene. “As long as I’m doing my job and being an asset to the Australian cricket team and helping the young guys come through, and still enjoying my cricket, then I’ll keep playing for a few more games and we’ll see what happens after that. Whether that’s three months or twelve months or eighteen months, who knows.”Watch the interview here.

تتزايد الأنباء بشأن مصير المدير الفني يوليان ناجلسمان مع نادي بايرن ميونخ الألماني، وهناك ترقب لقراءة قرار إقالته رسميًا.

وأكدت تقارير الصحف الألمانية أن بايرن ميونخ اتخذ قرارًا بإقالة ناجلسمان وسيتم الإعلان عنه رسميًا على أن يتولى مواطنه توماس توخيل مدرب بوروسيا دورتموند وتشيلسي السابق، تدريب الفريق.

وأشارت صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية، إلى أن قطار ريال مدريد قد يمر مرة ثانية على ناجلسمان وخيار التعاقد معه حقيقيًا.

وأوضحت الصحيفة أنه قبل خمس سنوات عندما كان ناجلسمان مدربًا لهوفنهايم، تلقى مكالمة من خوسيه أنخيل سانشيز للتوقيع مع ريال مدريد، ورفض لأنه كان ينتظر بايرن ميونخ بالفعل.

كان ريال مدريد يبحث حينها عن بديل لزين الدين زيدان وكان الألماني من بين الأوائل في قائمتهم، وبعد رفضه اتجهوا للتعاقد مع لوبيتيجي.

اقرأ أيضًا | فيديو | كانسيلو عن أنباء إقالة ناجلسمان: أتمنى أن يفوز توخيل بدوري الأبطال من أجلي هذا العام

وصرّح ناجلسمان في مقابلة أجراها سابقًا مع “سبورت”: “نعم، اتصل بي خوسيه أنخيل سانشيز، لم أكن الشخص الوحيد الذي اتصل به، لقد أراد معرفة أفكاري وفلسفتي، وأعتقد أنني اتخذت القرار الصحيح بالبقاء في ألمانيا”.

وأضاف: “ريال مدريد هو أحد أكبر الأندية في أوروبا، نعم ربما حين يتصلون بي في المستقبل سيحصلون على إجابة مختلفة، ولكن قبل عامين اتخذت الخطوة الصحيحة، لم أكن مستعدًا، لم يكن لدي الوقت لتعلم اللغة، كنت أفتقر إلى الخبرة، لقد لعبت مباراة واحدة فقط في أوروبا مع هوفنهايم”.

يأتي ذلك في الوقت الذي تحوم فيه الشكوك حول مستقبل كارلو أنشيلوتي مدرب ريال مدريد الحالي، مع الأنباء المتداولة باهتمام منتخب البرازيل بالتعاقد مع المدرب الإيطالي لخلافة تيتي.

يذكر أن ناجلسمان يبلغ من العمر 35 عامًا ورغم صغر سنه حصل بالفعل على ثلاثة ألقاب في رصيده وتوج مع بايرن ميونخ بالدوري الألماني ومرتين بكأس السوبر الألماني.

MatériaMais Notícias

Perto da zona de rebaixamento do Campeonato Brasileiro, o Bahia vai mudar a chave nesta quarta-feira para encarar o Botafogo, em jogo válido pelas oitavas de final da Copa Sul-Americana. Com a vitória de 2 a 1 na ida, o Tricolor precisa de um simples empate no Engenhão para avançar no torneio continental.

Personagem do Esquadrão de Aço na Fonte Nova, o goleiro Douglas concedeu entrevista coletiva nesta terça-feira e garantiu que, mesmo fora de casa, o Bahia não vai se limitar a defender.

“Nos preparamos para evitar os gols e, evitando os gols contra o Botafogo, nos classificamos. Mas a gente não vai abdicar de jogar e fazer gols. Se fizermos gols, isso nos coloca em uma situação muito próxima da classificação”, afirmou.

Além da histórica vaga nas quartas de final, Douglas espera que a classificação do Bahia na Sul-Americana deixe o ânimo da equipe em alta para se afastar do temido Z4 no Brasileirão.

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“A gente sempre está pensando em vencer para agradar aos nossos torcedores. A gente sabe que a torcida do Bahia é apaixonada, ela vê um grande potencial no nosso time, nos vê capaz de estar em uma melhor colocação, brigando por título. É uma oportunidade de marcar história no Bahia, sabemos disso. É um campeonato que o clube ainda não tem, uma fase a que o clube ainda não chegou. Isso não é um peso para nós, mas uma motivação. Conseguindo a classificação, isso vai nos dar confiança, gás a mais, para melhorar a nossa posição no Brasileiro”, concluiu.

Alfonso Thomas’ Twenty20 bowling skills are as dangerous as ever at 35, as a recent tentative approach from Cricket South Africa can testify.

Scott Oliver23-Jul-2012

Marcus Trescothick is back in action for Somerset in time for their Friends Life Twenty20 quarter-final against Essex at Taunton on Tuesday – and that will delight no-one more than Alfonso Thomas, Somerset’s stand-in captain throughout the group stages.As Somerset bid to reach a fourth consecutive T20 final, Thomas, the leading wicket-taker in both the 2009 and 2010 tournaments, and an ever-more seasoned campaigner at 35, will be happy to focus on the powerplay and death-bowling skills that have made his name.Cricket South Africa were so aware of the end-game expertise that Thomas brings to the table that six weeks ago they investigated the possibility that he might make himself available for World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. It would have been quite a turn-up for a player whose international career extends to a solitary T20 international in Johannesburg more than five years ago.”A month-and-a-half ago, they wanted me to do a u-turn and make myself available for the T20 World Cup and one-dayers,” he said, “but there were a couple of speedbumps we came across along the way. At the age of 35 you have to think family more than bright lights and glamour. It was one of those things where your heart said ‘Yeah, do it’. But after a couple of days to think it through, I thought that at my age it was too big a gamble.”In a format initially believed to favour youth – the first victorious captain, Adam Hollioake, thought, rather quaintly, that the team that scampered the most singles would win – Thomas believes that experience now often holds the key.This is a view shared by Paul Nixon, who famously bowed out of domestic cricket with a full-length diving catch for Leicestershire in last year’s final against Somerset to dismiss Kieron Pollard.”You have to think on your feet when you’re batting in T20 and take the right options to the right bowlers at the right time,” Nixon said. “It’s the same when bowling – the simple fact is that senior players have made those decisions more often.”With T20 proving less ageist than first imagined, it also creates a dilemma for counties as they study their player-salary budgets and the age profile of the squads. Chasing the ECB’s age-related incentive payments rather than investing in the sometimes priceless knowledge of seniors is not the attraction it once might have seemed.While a bowler of Thomas’ seniority, with reputation and market worth established, can attain a composure in T20 arising from self-understanding, at the other end of a cricketing career it is often not long before the audacity and impudence of youth can take a knock.After a staggering performance at Trent Bridge at this stage of last year’s competition, Jos Buttler became the Next Big Thing only to be dismissed in consecutive T20Is in the UAE attempting his signature ramp shot. Thomas sympathises. “All of a sudden, from having this fearless way of playing, he’s now thinking ‘how are the England selectors thinking?’ ‘How do I play this? How do they want me to play this?'”Thomas is sure, though, that Buttler, a player he rates alongside Eoin Morgan as the most disturbing to bowl at, is in safe hands, both with Somerset and England.”I’m sure Andy Flower would have said: ‘Listen, we’ve picked you because you do hit the ball 360 degrees, and that’s how we want you to keep on playing, the way you’ve been very successful’. It does take time for youngsters to work it out. He’s got a couple more years to develop and I’m sure he’s going to be in the England blue for a very long time.”Does Thomas feel he himself has grown cooler under pressure down the years? “I wouldn’t say I’m more relaxed, exactly”, he chuckled. “But I definitely know my game better. I have four or five deliveries I can bowl, probably with my eyes shut. First of all, you’ve got to be clear on what you’re going to do. I always give myself an option where I can bowl two balls to any one field. Once you’ve made up your mind, then you have to commit to it 100%.”Coming to Taunton as a bowler – which most guys don’t like doing if they’re not on top of their game – you can’t just run up and bowl length. You’re going to get found out. That’s something I’ve had to learn down here.”Essex failed to beat either of the two teams the qualified above them in South Group, but the compact dimensions at Taunton ought not to faze a side used to defending a small playing area at Chelmsford.They also have the considerable benefit that two England batsmen, Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara, have both been made available. Even so, if the game pivots less on mobility than bowling sang-froid and power-hitting, then the Eagles will lament the absence of Owais Shah just as much as Somerset miss Pollard.In the first of two quarter-finals scheduled for Tuesday, Sussex also have Matt Prior available after England duty against Gloucestershire at Hove. But England’s unsuccessful bowlers will be rested after their exertions at The Oval and on Wednesday that means no Tim Bresnan for Yorkshire against Worcestershire and the exclusion of Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad from Nottinghamshire’s tie against Hampshire.

أشاد محمد سراج عضو مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي بتحقيق الفريق فوز كبير على حساب الهلال السوداني بثلاثية نظيفة مساء اليوم السبت في إطار الجولة السادسة من دور المجموعات من دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ونجح الأهلي في التأهل لدور الثمانية في وصافة المجموعة بينما احتل صدارة المجموعة صن دوانز الجنوب إفريقي ليودع البطولة كل من الهلال السوداني والقطن الكاميروني.

اقرأ أيضا..وائل جمعة يختار نجم مباراة الأهلي والهلال.. وشيء واحد لم يعجبه بين اللاعبين

وقال محمد سراج في تصريحات لقناة “صدى البلدى” الفضائية: “كان من الوارد أن ينتهي اللقاء بفوز الفريق بخمسة أهداف لكن شيء إيجابي تحقيق الفوز دون استقبال أهداف”.

وأكمل حديثه: “اللاعبون شعروا بالكثير من الضغوطات بسبب شحن الجماهير لكن هدف كهربا ساهم في رفع الضغط عن الجميع”.

وواصل تصريحاته: “حسين الشحات قدم مباراة كبيرة، جميع اللاعبين رجال وقدموا مستوى مميزًا”.

وعن تواجد الجماهير في المدرجات: “ما حدث تجربة رائعة، نتمنى عودة الجماهير للمدرجات في الفترة المقبلة لأن ذلك سوف يفيد الأندية والمنتخبات”.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Cruzeiro é agora o maior campeão da Copa do Brasil. Na noite desta quarta-feira, na Arena Corinthians, a Raposa venceu o Corinthians por 2 a 1, ampliando o 1 a 0 da ida, e conquistou o hexacampeonato do torneio mata-mata, com direito a golaço do uruguaio De Arrascaeta. É o bicampeonato seguido da equipe celeste, que ano passado já havia batido o Flamengo na decisão. Ninguém tem mais títulos de Copa do Brasil. O Timão, por sua vez, apoiado por mais de 45 mil corintianos, chegou a empatar com Jadson, de pênalti, depois de gol de Robinho, mas viu uma pintura de Pedrinho ser anulada pelo árbitro de vídeo e amargou o vice-campeonato.

Sangue no olho
O técnico Jair Ventura surpreendeu na escalação do Corinthians: Sheik e Jonathas entre os titulares, aposta em uma equipe mais ofensiva para fazer jus à festa da Fiel nos arredores da Arena antes de a bola rolar. Não deu certo. Ao menos no que diz respeito ao centroavante, que, isolado no ataque, pouco tocou na bola. Aos 40 anos, o veterano foi o melhor do Timão nos primeiros 45 minutos. Entrega, raça e aplicação tática para tentar arrastar o time para frente pela ala direita.

Apertando o Cruzeiro desde o começo da partida, o Alvinegro sofreu com os próprios erros e viu Ralf e Gabriel serem amarelados ainda nos primeiros minutos. Afobação de quem precisava correr atrás do resultado, mas acabou o primeiro tempo sem ter acertado o gol. Melhor para a Raposa…

Maior ‘de’ Copas
Oportunista, o Cruzeiro de Mano Menezes jogou com inteligência, no erro do Corinthians. Foi assim que viu Barcos e Thiago Neves, os dois mais avançados, confundirem a defesa corintiana em contra-ataques rápidos. Neves, de primeira, chutou levando perigo ao gol de Cássio. Atrás, a Raposa contou com a ótima atuação de Dedé, mais uma vez preciso nos desames. O prêmio pela paciência celeste veio aos 27 minutos, após erro de Léo Santos na lateral. Rafinha roubou a bola, tocou para Barcos, que passou pela defesa e chutou na trave de Cássio. No rebote, Robinho bateu de fora da área e abriu o placar em Itaquera.

Em Itaquera, o VAR decide
O empate do Corinthians saiu logo no começo da etapa final, com o auxílio do árbitro de vídeo. Thiago Neves dividiu com Ralf na grande área e ao tentar recolher a perna tocou no volante do Alvinegro. O árbitro Wagner do Nascimento Magalhães contou com a ajuda do VAR para assinalar o pênalti minutos mais tarde, após rever o lance. Na cobrança, Jadson fez, encerrando um jejum de 434 minutos sem gol do Corinthians na temporada.

O clima em Itaquera mudou a favor do Timão. Com a torcida inflamada, a entrada de Pedrinho culminou com o gol da virada. O xodó da Fiel deu bom corte e chutou no canto direito de Fábio, fazendo um golaço em Itaquera. Eis que o VAR novamente entrou em ação, ajudando o árbitro a invalidar o tento. Uma mão de Jadson no peito de Dedé foi interpretada como falta, impedindo a virada alvinegra.

Do Japão, o último ato
Ainda com a Arena jogando a favor, Jair Ventura colocou o time para frente, com as entradas de Clayson e Mateus Vital. Exposto, o Corinthians sofreu o gol da derrota em um contra-ataque muito bem orquestrado pelo Cruzeiro. Raniel puxou a bola em velocidade e tocou para o uruguaio De Arrascaeta sair livre, cara a cara com Cássio. Um toque por cima do camisa 10 decretou a vitória por 2 a 1. O meia havia passado as últimas horas no avião: jogou com sua seleção no Japão e fez escala em Dubai antes de voltar ao Brasil para decretar o hexacampeonato cruzeirense.

FICHA TÉCNICA
CORINTHIANS 1 X 2 CRUZEIRO
Local: Arena Corinthians, São Paulo (SP)
Data-Hora: 17/10/2018 – 21h45
Árbitro: Wagner do Nascimento Magalhães (Fifa/RJ)
Auxiliares: Rodrigo Figueiredo Henrique Correa (Fifa/RJ) e Bruno Boschilia (Fifa/PR)
Público/renda: 45.978 pagantes/R$ 5.108.151,00
Cartões amarelos: Clayson, Jadson, Fagner, Emerson Sheik, Gabriel e Ralf (COR), Robinho, Thiago Neves e Rafinha (CRU)
Cartões vermelhos:-
Gols: Robinho (27’/1ºT) (0-1), Jadson (9’/2ºT) (1-1) e Arrascaeta (36’/2ºT) (1-2)

CORINTHIANS: Cássio; Fagner, Léo Santos, Henrique e Danilo Avelar; Ralf e Gabriel (Mateus Vital, aos 35’/2ºT); Emerson Sheik (Clayson, aos 32’/2ºT), Jadson e Romero; Jonathas (Pedrinho, aos 22’/2ºT). Técnico: Jair Ventura.

CRUZEIRO: Fábio; Edilson, Dedé, Léo e Lucas Romero; Henrique e Ariel Cabral; Robinho, Thiago Neves (Lucas Silva, aos 35’/2ºT) e Rafinha (Arrascaeta, aos 21’/2ºT); Barcos (Raniel, aos 29’/2ºT). Técnico: Mano Menezes.

he first day of the Bangalore Test was a perfect one for neutrals as the New Zealand had their most productive day of the series, setting up a challenge for India’s batsmen over the weekend

Siddarth Ravindran in Bangalore31-Aug-2012

The first day of the Bangalore Test was a perfect one for neutrals as the underdogs New Zealand had their most productive day of the series, setting up a challenge for India’s batsmen over the weekend. New Zealand fans will be thrilled with the scoreline of 328 for 6, but India weren’t too disheartened after a day on which they were distinctly second-best.The track at the Chinnaswamy Stadium is traditionally batting friendly – the last time a team batting first didn’t make 400 was back in 2001 when England made 336 – and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha was confident India could match any score New Zealand put up. “The way things are going it’s a good wicket to bat,” he said after the first day’s play. “The kind of batting we have, I am quite confident we can put up a good score.”India could have eroded New Zealand’s advantage had they managed to prise apart a quick 82-run stand for the seventh wicket between Kruger van Wyk and Doug Bracewell in the third session, but Ojha was satisfied with India’s bowling performance. “It was a good first-day wicket and in this kind of surface, they were trying to be aggressive. I think that is what their game plan was. Ross [Taylor] played quite well too. Nevertheless, we picked up six wickets today.”New Zealand maintained a punishing run-rate through much of the day, picking on fast bowler Umesh Yadav in particular. Yadav was generally either too short or too full, gifting boundary-balls in nearly every over as he was taken for almost six an over. The rest of the attack too looked clueless during the hour after lunch when Taylor and Daniel Flynn were scoring at seven an over. Ojha, though, was adamant the bowling didn’t lack discipline.”Zak [Zaheer Khan] bowled superbly in his first spell,” he said. “There was one catch dropped (Martin Guptill was put down by Virat Kohli at third slip in the 10th over), and if that had been taken then it would have been a different story as at that time the pitch was doing a bit. I think Ash [R Ashwin] and Umesh bowled well too. Taking six wickets on this kind of a wicket, which is not doing much, was a good effort.”While the consensus was that it was a bat-first surface, the quicks were expected to get some assistance in the first hour before the track eased out. To everyone’s surprise, though, MS Dhoni decided to open the bowling with Ojha, the first time India have started an innings with a specialist spinner. Ojha didn’t pick up any wickets with the new ball, but explained the thinking behind the unexpected move. “There was some moisture on the wicket and sometime when there is moisture the ball grips, so we wanted to make use of that.”New Zealand opener Guptill was nearly dismissed by Ojha in the third over, when an edge flew past slip, after which he decided to attack the spinner. “I was a little bit surprised (when Ojha opened the bowling),” Guptill said. “We got some interesting balls early on but we were able to get over it.”While his 53 and Taylor’s blistering century have set New Zealand on course for a competitive total, Guptill was aware his side still had plenty to do. “We have to keep up the positive intent. If we put 400-450 on the board and attack them then it’s going to put some pressure on India,” he said. “There is a bit of swing and seam on this wicket and if we can pick up a few wickets early on, it’ll be great.”Ahead of the Test, New Zealand captain Taylor had spoken about how one bad session is enough to ruin a Test; the weekend will show whether his side can sustain their performance after a strong start.

اعترف روبرت ليفاندوفسكي لاعب فريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي برشلونة، أنه لو لم يغادر بايرن ميونخ في الصيف الماضي، لكان قد استمر بدون رغبته.

اللاعب البولندي، انضم إلى برشلونة في الصيف الماضي، بعد أن أقنع النادي الكتالوني نظيره الألماني، بالتعاقد معه، وتمرد ليفاندوفسكي نفسه ولم يشارك في التدريبات.

العديد من الأمور تحدث عنها ليفاندوفسكي في تصريحاته لصحيفة “سبورت بيلد” الألمانية حيث قال: “أفضل وقت لي في الدوري الألماني كان مع هانزي فليك في بايرن ميونخ. لقد فزنا بكل شيء، وتمكنت من تحقيق حلمي بالفوز ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، لقد كانت حقبة خارقة”.

طالع أيضًا.. تقارير: ليفربول وبايرن ميونخ يتنافسان على خطف هدف برشلونة

وأضاف: “إذا كنت استمريت في بايرن ميونخ في الصيف، لكان سببًا في فقداني للسعادة كلاعب كرة قدم. كنت سأستمر في العمل بدافع الالتزام فقط، وليس بدافع الفرح كما اعتدت، وهذا لن يكون جيدًا سواء للنادي أو لي”.

وعن تولي توخيل قيادة الفريق: “يمكن أن يحقق توخيل العديد من الألقاب مع بايرن ميونخ سواء هذا الموسم أو في المستقبل وطالما تطور الفريق فلن يتمكن أحد من انتقاد المدير الفني”.

واعترف: “كنت قريبًا من مانشستر يونايتد عندما كان عمري 22 عامًا، وتحدثت مع فاتسكة وكلوب في المعسكر التدريبي لـ بوروسيا دورتموند، لكن يورجن أخبرني بعدم الذهاب إلى هناك. وقال لي أنني بحاجة للاستمرر مع بوروسيا دورتموند ويجب أن أبقى”.

واختتم: “كلوب بالنسبة لي مثل الأب، لم يكن مدربًا فقط، لقد كان كل شيء معي، كذلك هانزي فليك في بايرن ميونخ. شعرت معهما بالعديد من المشاعر الجيدة”.