Bryan Cristante hailed AS Roma's owners for showing the door to Jose Mourinho at a "difficult moment" and bringing in club legend Daniele De Rossi.

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Mourinho was sacked by RomaClub named De Rossi as his replacementCristante believes that it was the right decisionGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Following a disappointing 3-1 defeat to AC Milan, Mourinho's tenure at the Italian club came to an abrupt end. The decision to remove the Portuguese manager from his position was swiftly followed by the appointment of De Rossi, who signed on as head coach until June 30, 2024.

De Rossi, a beloved figure among Roma supporters, spent 18 illustrious years as a player at the Stadio Olimpico, endearing himself to the fans with his passion and commitment to the club.

AdvertisementWHAT CRISTANTE SAID

Cristante, who had the opportunity to work with De Rossi during Euro 2020 when the latter served as one of Roberto Mancini’s assistants, expressed his admiration for the new coach's seamless transition into the role.

“The coach didn’t need to be introduced when he arrived. It could have been tough to join the team in a difficult moment and work with footballers he had played with, but he’s been managing the group well and it should not be taken for granted,” said Cristante.
“We are happy with what we are building and who we are becoming. It’s proving to be the right solution. It was a decision made by the club owners at a difficult moment. We have built self-awareness in European games."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Mourinho inspired Roma to the Europa Conference League trophy in 2022 and guided them to the Europa League final in 2023, where they fell short to Sevilla. However, Cristante insisted that the club have set their sights on another European final and added: "Of course, it is our objective and we have a chance to make it. We are happy with the coach. We want to go back to the final and win it.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Roma drew against Feyenoord in the Netherlands last week and the Giallorossi will now host the Dutch outfit in the second leg of a Europa League playoff fixture to seal a round of 16 berth. The Stadio Olimpico has already been sold out and the Romans are ready to hand their favourite team a rousing welcome on Thursday evening with the hope of inspiring them to another memorable European night.

Newcastle United are preparing a big-money offer for an "excellent" attacking player currently on the books of a European giant, according to a new transfer rumour.

Newcastle transfer news

The start of the January transfer window isn't far away now, and Eddie Howe could be desperate to make some new signings to add to his injury-hit squad.

Newcastle have been so unfortunate in the fitness department this season, having to make do without many important players at different times, while Sandro Tonali's 10-month suspension has also been a big blow that has only added to the woes.

The Magpies have certainly been linked with plenty of players in recent times, with individuals in various areas of the pitch potentially being targeted next month.

In defence, the likes of Goncalo Inacio and Piero Hincapie have been backed to join Newcastle, with the pair currently shining for Sporting CP and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.

Kalvin Phillips continues to look like the Magpies' primary midfield target in January, as he aims to bring an end to a disappointing spell at Manchester City, while VfB Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy is seen as someone who could boost Howe's attacking options moving forward.

Newcastle readying Matias Soule offer

According to Tuttosport [via Sport Witness], Newcastle are also readying a big offer for Juventus youngster Matias Soule, who is currently on loan at Frosinone.

The update states that the Magpies are "ready to put €25m (£21.6m) on the table" and make a move for the 20-year-old, with a recent report suggesting Newcastle are the frontrunners to snap him up.

Juventus are willing to wait until the end of the season to part ways with Soule, however, due to him currently enjoying his loan spell.

He could be a strong signing by Newcastle if they strike a deal in one of the upcoming transfer windows, though, with Frosinone manager Eusebio Di Francesco hailing him last month, saying:

"In certain aspects, he resembles Berardi, but he must learn to shoot on goal more often. He doesn’t lack qualities and has excellent dribbling, but in the game, he needs to be more lucid when making his choices. My thought is that his talent should not be limited; with time and experience, he will improve in many aspects."

This season, Soule has scored goals six in 14 Serie A appearances, which is a good return for a side who are currently sitting 13th in the table, and he is a player who should only get better the more he matures in the coming years.

Whether Newcastle can strike a deal in January looks debatable given the player's loan situation, but even if they decide to wait until the summer, it is a move they should certainly consider.

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Soule also has a combined tally of 10 caps for Argentina at youth level – seven for the Under-20s and three for the Under-16s – further showing what an exciting young prospect he is.

Liverpool have boasted their fair share of foreign talents over the years, signing the likes of Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez, Xabi Alonso and, of course, Mohamed Salah to aid the Premier League side in their ambitious endeavours over the years.

That list is by no means exhaustive, but the prestigious outfit have housed some of the division's finest names, and while they only secured their maiden Premier League title in 2020, the memories made by superlative stars will last forever in the Anfield folklore.

Of course, none have been greater than Steven Gerrard. Captain, leader, legend, the Scouse-born sensation enjoyed a lengthy and distinguished career with the Reds.

What did Steven Gerrard win at Liverpool?

Gerrard may well be the greatest player to ever don the Liverpool shirt. Having completed 710 matches for the side, scoring 186 goals and providing 157 assists, he is irrefutably one of the finest players of his generation.

Winning the Champions League, two FA Cups, three League Cups, the UEFA Cup, two UEFA Super Cups and the UEFA Best Player in Europe award in 2005, the now 43-year-old has been praised by many, with Ballon d'Or winner Kaka saying: “For me, and I have always said this, he will be regarded as one of the greatest midfielders ever. No doubt.”

His career was one for the record books, no doubt, and on an individual record, he was one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, perhaps in the history of the game.

So often the man of the moment at Anfield, he was let down too often by his languishing teammates, and ultimately didn't quite enjoy the sustained success that his skill set deserved.

That could have been very different if only Liverpool had followed up their clear interest in David Silva, who then forged quite the career for himself.

Did Liverpool nearly sign David Silva?

According to the Guardian, Liverpool held a vested interest in Spaniard Silva in 2009, when he plied his trade for Valencia, but were dissuaded by ostensible intrigue from Barcelona and Real Madrid, as well as concerns over the LaLiga side's £25m asking price.

It was in anticipation of the possible sale of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid, who indeed completed a transfer to Los Blancos for around £30m in August that year, and while the Reds had bolstered their transfer war chest, they opted to delve down the cheaper route.

That culminated in the £20m acquisition of Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani, who proved to be a colossal failure, playing just 28 times across two seasons, partly hampered by injury, and failing to make his mark as Liverpool started to sink into mediocrity, in what became known as the dark days.

One year later, Manchester City signed Silva from Valencia for £30m, proving to be quite the successful deal, wouldn't you say?

How good was David Silva?

Playing the lion's share of his senior career in Manchester, Silva would make 436 appearances for the Citizens, scoring 77 goals and supplying 140 assists as the fulcrum of their midfield for a decade. Coincidentally, that happened to be a goal involvement every two games, the same as Gerrard managed at Anfield.

The 125-cap Spain star has been hailed as a "terrifying talent" and a "legendary footballer" by compatriot David Villa, who paid homage to his journey with Manchester City upon his departure.

Boasting an unparalleled footballing intellect and an innate eye for a line-breaking pass, Silva is easily one of the greatest players to have ever earned their wage in the Premier League, and the impact that he has had at City (and could have made in Liverpool) has been nothing short of profound.

Now 37-years-old, Silva has revelled in a glittering career of the highest pedigree and served as a creative centrepiece across two phases of world-class Manchester City sides, also a distinguished champion with his nation and having enjoyed success in his Spanish homeland with separate outfits.

World Cup

x1

European Championship

x2

Premier League

x4

FA Cup

x2

Copa del Rey

x2

English League Cup

x5

Community Shield

x3

Truly, an incredible player, and as his time with the Sky Blues neared its culmination in 2020, former teammate Raheem Sterling heaped praise on the midfielder.

The England international said, "He's a perfect example of how to be a great professional and a top player, with many, many trophies behind him." Full of adulation, Sterling continued, "If it is his last season (in English football), he'll be sorely missed because he brings so much to the club and if you want to follow in his example it is always to keep that humility."

Gerrard achieved some brilliant things with his boyhood club and has more than etched his name into the club's record books: he is the embodiment of the Merseyside outfit, the celestial midfield machine and forever the catalyst of some of the greatest nights in Liverpool's history.

Liverpool pushed for Silva in 2009 and failed to get the deal over the line, indeed opting for the shrewder route of signing Aquilani, which turned out to be a tremendous success. Sigh.

It was a watershed moment for Liverpool, unbeknown at the time, the Reds would slowly sink away from prominence and into an abyss, and while the 2013/14 season brought the joy of an enthralling, albeit unsuccessful, title race, it wasn't until Klopp took the helm in 2015 that the future started to show signs of prosperity once again.

Sadly, that came too late for Gerrard to secure a maiden Premier League trophy, with his outfit labouring for much of the latter phase of his Anfield career – an end unbefitting for such an immortalised figure for the club.

Had Silva been signed, there's no telling the impact that he could have made, and indeed the partnership that could have been forged with the iconic skipper.

Silva's elegance and supreme technicality joining with Gerrard's all-conquering style would have melded like a stream into the sea, and indeed the unrelenting torrent of Liverpool's might would have been quite the thing to behold.

Alas, it didn't happen. But surely, had Silva arrived and made his mark for Liverpool instead of Manchester City, it all could have been so different.

Can Celtic get back to winning ways in Old Firm derbies?

Despite clinching the Premiership title last weekend at Tannadice, and being 17 points clear at the top, the Hoops have actually lost the last two Glasgow derbies, demolished 3-0 at Ibrox in January, before Rangers were last-gasp 3-2 victors at Parkhead in March.

So, even though the title race is done and dusted, the Celts will be determined to pick up three points in Govan on Sunday and, if they are to achieve this, Brendan Rodgers should unleash the player he himself has described as the club’s “best winger”.

Celtic injury latest ahead of Old Firm

In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Rodgers confirmed that Jota will be sidelined for up to nine months due to a knee injury suffered at Tannadice, which is a heartbreaking blow for the Portuguese winger, who’s only just returned to the club.

Meantime, Alistair Johnston “won’t be available” either, Rodgers confirmed, with the Canadian set to be protected over the coming weeks to make sure he is ready for the Scottish Cup Final later this month against Aberdeen.

This is certainly a blow because, as outlined by Scott Bradley of Breaking the Lines, Johnston has been ‘pivotal’ to Celtic’s success this season, but he does have an obvious deputy in Anthony Ralston, who will therefore get a run in the side.

In attack, however, Rodgers has a decision to make, so we believe he should start the club’s most decorated player.

Who Rodgers should start in Celtic's attack vs Rangers

Daizen Maeda has absolutely been on fire this season, scoring 33 goals across all competitions, requiring seven more from the remaining five fixtures to become only the second player since Henrik Larsson to reach 40 goals in a single campaign, matching the achievement of Leigh Griffiths.

However, especially since his compatriot Kyōgo Furuhashi was sold to Stade Rennais in January, Maeda has played much of his best football as a central striker, starting four of the last six Premiership matches in that position.

So, if Rodgers does not want to move Maeda, who are his wide options?

Nicolas Kühn

47

3,075

20

14

Yang Hyun-jun

30

1,126

5

6

James Forrest

28

982

Zero

6

Nicolas Kühn’s double against Dundee United will surely earn him a start at Ibrox, while, on the other side, with Yang Hyun-jun still nursing an elbow injury, could James Forrest be handed a rare start?

When he gets his hands on the Premiership trophy in a few weeks, Forrest will become Celtic’s most-decorated player of all time, with this set to be his 26th major honour, hoping to add an eighth Scottish Cup later this month.

Appearances

523

Minutes

32,578

Goals

109

Assists

109

Premiership titles

13

Scottish Cups

7

League Cups

6

Forrest’s Celtic career is truly incredible, running out of time if he is to score in a 16th successive Premiership season, so what better time to do it than at Ibrox, having never previously scored away to Rangers in ten previous attempts?

Rodgers described Forrest as Celtic’s “best winger”, adding that he “injects quality” whenever he is called upon, so it could be time for the Scotland international to start and make a big impact on Sunday.

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علّق مدرب أتلتيكو مدريد، دييجو سيميوني، على الفوز المهم الذي حققه فريقه أمام برشلونة في الدوري الإسباني، مشيدًا بالأداء الدفاعي القوي للاعبيه في مواجهة فريق يلعب بكفاءة عالية.

سيميوني تحدث عن صعوبة المباراة وأهمية صمود فريقه أمام هجمات برشلونة المستمرة، مشيرًا إلى أن الفوز تحقق بفضل تماسك المجموعة واستغلال الفرص.

وفي حديثه عن منافسه برشلونة، أكد سيميوني أن الفريق الكتالوني لا يستحق الخسارة في المباريات التي خاضها مؤخراً، مشيرًا إلى أن كرة القدم لا تمنح دائمًا المكافأة للأداء الجيد إذا لم يتمكن الفريق من التسجيل.

ويتصدر أتلتيكو مدريد الترتيب الآن برصيد 41 نقطة، ويليه برشلونة برصيد 38 نقطة.

اقرأ أيضًا | ترتيب الدوري الإسباني بعد هزيمة برشلونة أمام أتلتيكو مدريد

وقال سيميوني في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “سعيد، لا أستطيع أن أكذب، الفريق عانى، برشلونة يلعب بشكل جيد جدًا، يهاجم طوال الوقت، اليوم كان لدينا ليلة دفاعية رائعة من عدة لاعبين، وأوبلاك تحديدًا، هذا سمح لنا بالبقاء على قيد الحياة”.

وأضاف: “الشوط الثاني كان أكثر تنافسية، كانت لدينا فرصة باريوس مع التعادل 1-1، هم كان لديهم العديد من الفرص، كان لدينا حظ كبير في الحسم، من كثرة الهجوم قد تصبح الأمور فوضوية، لكن الفريق كان صبورًا واستغل الهجمة المرتدة لتسجيل هدف رائع، هدف سورلوث كان هدفًا رائعًا”.

وواصل: “اللاعبون مستعدون للمنافسة، أقوى شيء لدينا هو المجموعة، المجموعة تظهر ذلك بالأفعال، التغييرات عندما يدخل اللاعبون، يفعلون ذلك بشكل حقيقي، هذا ما يريده المدربون. أن يكون الجميع بنفس الطريقة، طريقتنا في المنافسة مع عملاقين مثل ريال مدريد وبرشلونة هي أن نكون جميعًا في أفضل مستوى”.

واستطرد: “بدأنا نجد أنفسنا مع مرور الوقت، يجب أن ندعم ما يفعله اللاعبون بشكل جيد ونحاول تحسينه ومنح الفريق هيكلًا، رؤية أن الفريق يمكنه التقدم، ذهبنا إلى باريس وكان نفس الشيء الذي حدث اليوم، ما تركه النادي من إرث لجميع اللاعبين الذين مروا هنا هو ذلك”.

وعن لاعبه جالان، أفاد: “ما يفعله جالان شيء مذهل، لم نأخذ ذلك في الاعتبار عندما بدأ الموسم، كنا نعلم أنه قد يظهر، كنا نراه يتدرب ونشاهد أنه يمتلك موهبة رائعة، حصل على فرصة، ويلعب كرة القدم رائعة، إنه يقوم بذلك بطريقة رائعة”.

وأتم: “ليس لدي أي شك في أن جميع المباريات التي خسرها برشلونة، لم يكن يستحق الخسارة، ضد ليجانيس ولاس بالماس كان لديهم العديد من الفرص للتسجيل، لكن كرة القدم تحتوي على هذه المواقف، عندما لا يأتي الهدف، يبدأ الأمر في أن يصبح مشكلة”.

كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، عن دخول قائد منتخب مصر وفريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، ضمن قائمة اللاعبين المطلوبين للانضمام إلى برشلونة في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية المقبلة.

وسينتهي عقد محمد صلاح مع ليفربول بنهاية الموسم الحالي، صيف 2025. ولا يزال مستقبل الدولي المصري مغموراً مع فريقه الإنجليزي على الرغم من إعلان رغبته بالبقاء داخل جدران أنفيلد.

ويحتل محمد صلاح، صدارة ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي برصيد 15 هدفاً، متفوقاً على المهاجم النرويجي إيرلينج هالاند، صاحب الـ13 هدفاُ. 

اقرأ أيضاً.. سبورت: برشلونة يقترب من حسم أولى صفقات الموسم المقبل

ووفقاً لما جاء في صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو”، فإن نادي برشلونة قد وضع 6 لاعبين من القارة الأوروبية بهدف التعاقد معهم في الصيف المقبل، مع إقتراب نهاية عقدهم مع فرقهم.

وضمت قائمة اللاعبين المطلوبين في برشلونة كلًا من مهاجم ليفربول، محمد صلاح، والغاني توماس بارتي لاعب آرسنال بالإضافة إلى المهاجم الكندي جوناثان ديفيد مهاجم ليل الفرنسي.

وشهدت القائمة أيضاً تواجد ثنائي بايرن ميونخ، جوشوا كيميتش وألفونسو ديفيز، بالإضافة إلى جوناثان تاه مدافع باير ليفركوزن الألماني.

وبحسب ما جاء في الصحف الإسبانية فإن إدارة برشلونة تعمل على التعاقد مع اللاعبين الذين تنتهي عقودهم بنهاية الصيف المقبل، نظراً للظروف الإقتصادية التي يمر بها النادي الكتالوني.

ومع اقتراب نهاية عقد هؤلاء اللاعبين، يحق لهم التوقيع لأي نادي بداية من شهر يناير المقبل، ومن المقرر أن تشهد الفترة المقبلة تطورات جديدة حول إمكانية تعاقد برشلونة معهم.

Down 1-2 in the series, this was a must-win game for Pakistan, and the pressure of the situation showed in the manner in which they approached their innings

On the Ball with S Rajesh16-Feb-2006Down 1-2 in the series, this was a must-win game for Pakistan, and the pressure of the situation showed in the manner in which they approached their innings. The Indian bowlers showed exemplary discipline early on, but Pakistan contributed with their attitude. The first couple of overs were maidens, and when the runs came, they were in trickles, interspersed with plenty of dot balls. The early defensive mindset of the batsmen allowed the bowlers to settle into a rhythm on a pitch which didn’t offer them too much assistance.The batsmen’s approach eventually resulted in a rash of poor strokes, so that after 15 overs their total read a miserable 38 for 4, from which there was no coming back. The pie-chart below shows just how much of a stranglehold the Indian bowlers had in the first 15: there were 32 defensive shots, while 18 balls were left alone. A comparison with the number of deliveries left alone in the earlier three games tells the story: in the previous match the number was six, while the figure from the first two games was three. Pakistan played 75 dot balls and managed just three fours in the first 15, and ultimately, that’s where the match was decided.

The regular Monday column in which Steven Lynch answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket

Steven Lynch19-Sep-2005The regular Monday column in which Steven Lynch answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket:

Kevin Pietersen’s 473 runs in the Ashes puts him in joint second place for the most runs in a debut series © Getty Images
Shane Warne dismissed Andrew Strauss six times in the Ashes series – is this a record? asked Amin Shukla from Trivandrum
The amazing Warne also dismissed Ashley Giles six times in the epic series that has just finished. As it turns out these were the 45th and 46th instances of a bowler taking the same batsman’s wicket six times in the same series, starting in 1894-95, when England’s Tom Richardson kept removing Syd Gregory. But the record is seven, which has happened four times now: the first was the South African Jack Siedle, who fell to a previous Australian legspinning legend, Clarrie Grimmett, seven times in 1935-36. Another South African opener, Trevor Goddard, lost his wicket seven times to Brian Statham in England in 1960. The other two are more recent: in the 1989 Ashes series Geoff Lawson dismissed David Gower seven times, while in 1997 Glenn McGrath accounted for Mike Atherton on seven occasions. While we’re on this subject it might be worth mentioning the England opener Peter Richardson, who had eight innings in the 1956 Ashes series and was caught behind in each of them, although the bowlers were different.Before the end of Kevin Pietersen’s epic 158 at The Oval, a caption showed that he was approaching the record for the most runs in his debut Test series. Did he get there? asked Ben Elmington from Glasgow
He didn’t quite break the record for England, which is still held by RE “Tip” Foster, who scored 486 runs in the 1903-04 Ashes series, including 287 on his debut at Sydney. But Pietersen did finish up with 473 runs in his first series, which puts him level in second place for England with Paul Gibb, who made 473 in South Africa in 1938-39, in the series that included the famous Timeless Test at Durban. George Gunn (462 in 1907-08) and Brian Luckhurst (455 in 1970-71) also made more than 450 runs in their first Test series for England. The Ashes record is 557, by Australia’s Herbie Collins in 1920-21, while Arthur Morris (503 in 1946-47) also made more than any Englishman. But all of these are quite a long way adrift of the record for any debut series. In 1970-71 Sunil Gavaskar collected 774 runs in just four Tests in his maiden series, for India in the West Indies. He broke the previous record, George Headley’s 703 for West Indies against England in 1929-30.Who has scored the most Test runs without ever making a half-century? asked Nusrat Vohra from Pakistan
It’s quite well-known that Shane Warne, with 2767 now, has scored the most Test runs without a century, but I’m not sure that I’ve ever been asked this question before, The answer is Pakistan’s Waqar Younis, who’s actually the only man to make more than 1000 Test runs without the aid of a fifty – his highest score in 87 matches was 45. Fred Trueman of England lies second with 981, ahead of Craig McDermott (940), Derek Underwood (937), Courtney Walsh (936), Andy Caddick (861) and Bob Willis (840). Caddick did have a near-miss – his highest Test score was 49 not out against Australia at Edgbaston in 2001.Is it true that Jai Prakash Yadav’s 69 in the recent Videocon Series was the highest score by a No. 9 in ODIs? asked Ganesh Mali from India
Yes, JP Yadav’s 69 against New Zealand at Bulawayo last month did indeed break the record for the highest score by a No. 9 batsman in ODIs. The previous record was 64, shared by Michael Holding for West Indies against Australia at Perth in 1983-84, and Andy Bichel for Australia v New Zealand at Port Elizabeth in the 2002-03 World Cup. Tahir Naqqash hit 61 for Pakistan v New Zealand at Auckland in 1984-85, and there have been 14 other ODI half-centuries from Nos 9 or 10 in the order, three of them by South Africa’s Lance Klusener, and one by Irfan Pathan in the same match as Yadav.Recently Muttiah Muralitharan, almost unnoticed, went past Wasim Akram’s overall record of international wickets, and is closing in on 1000. Who else has more than 800? asked Haider Abbas from Pakistan
Murali’s nine wickets in last week’s first Test against Bangladesh in Colombo took him to 939 international wickets all told – 558 in Tests and 381 in Odis. (He also has 999 Test runs as I write!) Wasim Akram did indeed hold the previous record, with 916, but Shane Warne has equalled him now. The only other one over 800 at the moment is Glenn McGrath, with 842, although Anil Kumble had 790 before the first Test against Zimbabwe.Where does the name “Cross Arrows” come from? asked Stephen Sellick
The Cross Arrows Cricket Club is the one that plays matches throughout September on the Nursery Ground at Lord’s. It’s mostly made up of people who work there – MCC staff members as well as current and former groundstaff players. They play a high standard of club cricket, against local teams and organisations, as well as the occasional centenary or other celebration game. The Cross Arrows were founded in 1880, and legend has it that early on, before the club had a proper name, they had an away fixture out in the wilds of Middlesex. Asked where the match was, one of the players said “It’s across ‘Arrow way” (Harrow, home of the famous school, is out to the north-west of London) … and the name stuck. I’m not quite sure if it’s true, but it’s a good story!

Justin Kemp’s magnificent unbeaten 100 from 89 balls completely changed the complexion of a match that seemed to be in India’s bag. Here at the stats highlights from his knock

S Rajesh26-Nov-2006

Justin Kemp scored 65 from his last 27 balls as India reeled under his onslaught © Getty Images
240.74 – Justin Kemp’s strike rate in his last 27 balls. After 62 balls he had made just 35.76 – The number of runs South Africa scored in the five-over period from 43 to 47. The sequence read 12, 15, 19, 11, 19.138 – The eighth-wicket partnership between Kemp and Andrew Hall, which is a record for that wicket in ODIs, beating the earlier mark of 119 between Shane Warne and Paul Reiffel against South Africa at Port Elizabeth in 1993-94.240 – Kemp’s strike rate against Irfan Pathan (24 off 10 balls). Against Zaheer Khan he hammered 21 off 11, while Harbhajan Singh vanished for 27 off 24. The only bowler who had respectable stats against him was Anil Kumble, who conceded just 11 from 25 balls.24.07 – Kemp’s average in his 20 previous ODIs this year. He had only scored two fifties in these matches.3 – The number of No.7 batsmen who have scored hundreds in ODIs. Before Kemp, only Hashan Tillakaratne (100 against West Indies at Sharjah, 1995-96), and Mohammad Kaif (111 not out against Zimbabwe at Colombo, 2002-03) had managed this feat51.20 – Rahul Dravid’s average in ODIs against South Africa in South Africa. In 11 innings, he has scored seven fifties25.89 – Sachin Tendulkar’s average against South Africa in South Africa. In 18 matches, he only has one fifty-plus score

It’s too early to judge but Dinesh Karthik and Wasim Jaffer’s average of 88.50 is the best for an Indian pair who’ve opened at least five times in Tests

George Binoy28-Jul-2007

Dinesh Karthik was not in control for 51 out of the 136 deliveries he faced © Getty Images

Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik survived James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom’s testing opening spells, and posted 147 for the opening wicket on the second day at Trent Bridge. It was a partnership that beat the odds, for India’s openers have had a horrendous record in England in the last three decades. The last time India had a first-wicket partnership of more than 100 in England was when Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan added 213 at The Oval in 1979. Since then, the openers had added more than 50 only five times in 29 innings with Kris Srikkanth and Gavaskar’s 64 at Leeds in 1986 being the highest.India have a history of makeshift opening pairs and Jaffer, the specialist, and Karthik, who averaged 56 in six innings as opener before Trent Bridge, are a relatively new combination. They began impressively, adding 153 against South Africa at Cape Town in January and since they’ve put on 0, 0, 175*, 18, 38 and 147. It’s too early to judge but Karthik and Jaffer’s average of 88.50 is the best for an Indian pair who’ve opened at least five times in Tests.You cannot fault an opening stand that produces 147 but Karthik and Jaffer had large doses of luck on the second day at Trent Bridge. England’s fast bowlers swung and seamed the new ball considerably and both openers played and missed regularly. In fact, Karthik and Jaffer had a higher in-control percentage – that is, they middled the ball more regularly – at Lord’s, where India lost their first wicket on 18 and 38 in the two innings.

Not-in-control factor for India’s openers

	Batsman	% at Lord’s	% at Trent Bridge
	Wasim Jaffer	19.6	22.76
	Dinesh Karthik	25.62	37.5

Chris Tremlett has been England’s best fast bowler so far in the second Test. He bowled predominantly on a good length or just short of a length and got the ball to bounce sharply. India scored 109 runs off 29 overs between lunch and tea but the batsmen managed to score only 15 runs off Tremlett’s eight overs, while Anderson and Sidebottom’s economy-rates during this session were five and 4.60 respectively.Anderson and Sidebottom were England’s most effective bowlers at Lord’s but their swing has produced no wickets so far at Trent Bridge. In the first innings at Lord’s, Anderson not only took 5 for 42, but also built immense pressure with his economy rate of 1.72. The difference so far at Trent Bridge has been a positive approach from the Indians compared to Lord’s, and a little bit of luck.More stats from the second day

Karthik scored only 7 runs off 29 balls that Tremlett bowled to him while he took 19 runs off 20 deliveries against Anderson.

Fifty-four of Karthik’s 77 runs were scored on the off side with six out of his 11 fours coming in the cover region. Jaffer also scored 42 out of his 62 runs on the off side.

Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar have added 5009 Test runs when batting with each other. They are the third pair, after Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, and Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer, to pass the 5000-run mark and the first non-opening pair to do so.

England’s 198 in the first innings is the first time that India have dismissed them for less than 200 at home since the Headingley Test in 1986 when England made 102 and 128.

Tendulkar became the third batsman after Brian Lara and Allan Border to score over 11,000 Test runs. Tendulkar reached the landmark in his 223rd innings while Lara did it in 213 and Border in 259.