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Rahul’s absence further complicates matters for India, who also didn’t pick Shreyas Iyer for the remaining three Tests

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2024India have been dealt a blow in the lead-up to the Rajkot Test against England, with KL Rahul ruled out of contention due to a sore knee. Devdutt Padikkal, Rahul’s Karnataka team-mate, has been called in as a replacement.Rahul had earlier missed the second Test in Visakhapatnam due to a quadricep injury, and was included in the squad for the last thee Tests only subject to fitness. *A BCCI release on Monday evening said he “has reached 90 per cent of match fitness” and that “he will continue his recovery process at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to be completely match-fit for the fourth and fifth Test.”Already light on batting experience with Virat Kohli missing due to personal reasons, Rahul’s absence further complicates matters for India, who also didn’t pick Shreyas Iyer for the remaining three Tests.Related

• India's selection puzzle for Rajkot: is there room for both Kuldeep and Axar?

• Padikkal hits the high notes after some quiet seasons

• Iyer left out for remaining three Tests vs Eng; Kohli unavailable

• Padikkal looks to bounce back by 'staying stable through highs and lows'

That aside, it isn’t confirmed yet whether Ravindra Jadeja has recovered from the hamstring injury he had suffered during the first Test in Hyderabad. Jadeja is in the squad to play the third Test, which will take place on his home ground, but his participation is pending fitness clearance.Meanwhile, this is a maiden Test call-up for Padikkal, who is expected to link up with the squad on Tuesday from Chennai, where he struck 151 and 36 against Tamil Nadu in the fifth round of the Ranji Trophy fixture that finished on Monday.Padikkal, the 23-year-old left-hand batter, has so far aggregated 556 runs in six innings at an average of 92.66 this Ranji season. He has scored three centuries, with a highest of 193 in the season opener against Punjab. Prior to his most-recent Ranji outing, Padikkal impressed with scores of 65, 21 and 105 for India A against the touring England Lions in Ahmedabad. The century in the second unofficial Test was part of a massive first-innings batting effort that helped set up an innings victory.He was also part of the shadow tour to South Africa with India A in December, where he had an opportunity to train alongside India’s Test regulars prior to an intra-squad fixture.So far in this Ranji season, Devdutt Padikkal has 556 runs at an average of 92.66•PTI

“South Africa was a great experience for me, in terms of having the chance to train with the seniors,” he had told ESPNcricinfo last month. “Being in and around them, playing that level of bowling prepares you well for the Ranji season. I looked at it as an opportunity to get volumes in, in terms of my batting. I’m grateful for that experience.”Having started off as an opener, Padikkal has slowly transitioned into a predominantly top-order role that requires him to bat at No. 3 – and at times even at No. 4 – for Karnataka. With Mayank Agarwal and R Samarth opening the innings for his state side, Padikkal has established himself lower down. This change of role is something he has learnt to embrace after a middling IPL 2023 for Rajasthan Royals. The tipping point, he said, was his trade to Lucknow Super Giants, where he’ll be playing under none other than Rahul.”I don’t look at it in terms of just being an opener anymore,” he had said. “I’m enjoying my opportunities, wherever they may be. Each position you bat in offers a different challenge. I’m trying to learn new things, [and] adapt to situations. It helps me grow as a cricketer, [and] helps me understand the game a lot more – not just in terms of my batting but [also] how the game works across different phases.”Overall, Padikkal has solid first-class credentials, having averaged 44.54 across 31 matches. He has played two T20Is for India, both of which came against Sri Lanka in July 2021.In Visakhapatnam, India handed a Test debut to Rajat Patidar. Sarfaraz Khan is the other uncapped batter in the mix along with Padikkal. Jadeja’s potential unavailability could well pave way for another Test debutant in Rajkot. It’s also likely India could still pick one of Sarfaraz and Padikkal even if Jadeja is available and they play their usual three spinners and two quicks.India have two full days of training leading into Rajkot, with the series locked at 1-1.India’s squad for the third Test: Rohit Sharma (capt), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KS Bharat (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Devdutt Padikkal.GMT 1450 hrs This story was updated with information from a BCCI press release

Dani Olmo's agent has addressed rumours that Manchester City want to sign the midfielder from Barcelona for £60m.

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• Olmo agent addresses transfer talk
• Man City reportedly interested
• Would cost £60m from Barcelona

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  It was reported this week that City boss Pep Guardiola "dreams" of bringing Olmo to the Premier League as he searches for a new attacking midfielder. Olmo's agent has claimed the player is happy at Barcelona, however.

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  WHAT OLMO'S AGENT SAID

  Olmo's agent Andy Vara told Sky Germany: "We're not talking to any other club. Dani is very happy at Barcelona right now, he's winning titles there and he's in a great team. The rumours aren't true. Although, of course, you never know what the future holds."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Olmo has had some problems at Barcelona with registration issues meaning he missed games in January. They have been put on hold in the second half of the season, though, and he has scored 11 goals and assisted seven in his first season in Catalonia, and helped the team win La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR OLMO?

  Barcelona have games against Villarreal and Athletic Club still to play this season, with Olmo aiming to prove his long-term value to the club.

Eliz-mari Marx gets a maiden call-up for the ODI squad

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2023Fast bowler Ayabonga Khaka and allrounder Nadine de Klerk, who had missed the T20I series against Bangladesh with injuries, have recovered to participate in the upcoming ODI series against them.Marizanne Kapp, who had been rested for the T20I series, is also back for the ODIs. Kapp was recently in action for Sydney Thunder in the WBBL, where her team Sydney Thunder made it to the Eliminator. Chloe Tryon, though, remains unavailable for selection as she continues to work her way back from a groin injury.Eliz-mari Marx, 20, earned her maiden ODI call-up, having recently made her T20I debut against Bangladesh earlier this month. Meike De Ridder is the other uncapped player in the ODI side.Related

• Kapp to miss T20Is against Bangladesh

“Special mention goes to the promising Eliz-mari Marx, earning her maiden call-up – a testament to her talent and potential,” Clinton du Preez, South Africa women’s convenor of selectors, said in a statement. “We believe this squad is well-equipped to deliver an outstanding performance on the field.””I am very happy that we can continue to bring youngsters in to add to the experience we have,” Hilton Moreeng, South Africa women’s head coach said. “We know what is at stake, with both teams having successful ODI series recently, so for us, it’s to make sure, particularly on home soil and after the way we started the T20Is, we can improve on that.The three-match ODI series, which will run from December 16 to December 23, will be part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 qualification campaign for the Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India.”It’s a different ball game now; it’s the ODIs and there’s a lot at stake regarding qualification for the World Cup, so with the experience that we brought in now, we as a team feel very confident going into the series,” Moreeng said.”We know what the six points will mean for us because post this tour, we will be finishing the year on a high, especially after the way the year started. We just want to ensure we stay focused, stick to our disciplines and execute on the day.”

South Africa squad for ODIs against Bangladesh

Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Mieke De Ridder, Lara Goodall, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Eliz-mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Delmi Tucker

While deadline day was certainly underwhelming, the mood around Arsenal’s form on the pitch is in a far better place than it was a few weeks ago.

Mikel Arteta’s side played host to Premier League champions Manchester City on the weekend, and while Pep Guardiola’s side are a shadow of their former selves at the moment, they showed against Chelsea that they can still turn it on.

However, by the time the full-time whistle was blown on Sunday, the almighty Cityzens had been utterly blown away by the Gunners in a 5-1 demolition with more than its fair share of needle thanks to the growing, old-school rivalry between the two sides.

It was the perfect result for the North Londoners as they now look to overturn a 2-0 deficit away to Newcastle United tonight in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final, and while it seems incredibly harsh, Arteta should look to start Gabriel Martinelli on the bench against the Toon.

Why Martinelli should start on the bench

So, the first thing to say is that dropping anyone from the team who started against City on Sunday would be harsh, and not a single starter put in a poor showing.

However, with plenty of games to come and a thinner squad than Arteta would like, making changes is a necessity, and if someone has to come out of the side to make room for someone else, it should be Martinelli off the right.

As he always does, the Brazilian put in a tremendous shift against the champions and did well to pick up an assist for the Kai Havertz goal, but unlike Leandro Trossard on the other side, it didn’t feel like he quite tied down his opposing full-back well enough.

Moreover, the former Ituano gem has generally struggled to get past players with the ball at his feet in the last season and a bit, and is far happier utilising his speed to get in behind them and then receiving the ball, which against a Newcastle team who are defending a 2-0 lead at home, just isn’t going to happen very much, at least early on anyway.

Moreover, if the game does become more stretched due to the Magpies tiring or the Gunners pulling themselves back into the tie and forcing the hosts to come out and play, then the 23-year-old could just be the perfect option to come off the bench and exploit that situation, compared to Trossard who just can’t play that way.

In all, it’s not a slight on Martinelli’s performance against City, but for Arteta to give Arsenal the best chance of getting a result tonight, he should look to start the Brazilian on the bench and, in his place, start a youngster who’s proven beyond any doubt that he’s got the ability to turn games on their head.

The Arsenal star who should start vs Newcastle

So, with Martinelli vacating the right wing, Arteta should look to hand Ethan Nwaneri another start in the League Cup.

The 17-year-old dynamo may still lack the experience of his older teammates, but throughout this season, he has more than proven that he can be a serious game-changer for the Gunners.

For example, he made his first Champions League start away to Girona last week, a team who only lost to Liverpool 1-0, and totally ran the show.

In 87 minutes of action, he scored a sensational goal from outside the area, racked up an expected assist figure of 0.49, completed 100% of his dribbles, and was named Man of the Match.

Then, just a few days later on Sunday, the “unplayable” talent, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, came off the bench against City and scored another sublime curler to make it 5-1, and his reaction gave it all away, as instead of running around celebrating like most 17-year-olds would in that situation, he simply turned around and shrugged as if it was just another game to him.

On top of that, we have seen enough of him to now know that he can and wants to take on defenders with the ball at his feet, which, as we mentioned above, is going to be key if the team are to get anything out of what will likely be a defensive Toon side tonight.

Ultimately, Martinelli was great over the weekend, but the game tonight requires a different approach, one that can be carried out with aplomb by Nwaneri.

Arsenal must rue selling incredible star who's outscoring Havertz & Watkins

The free-scoring forward would be perfect for Arsenal at the moment.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Feb 4, 2025

Contact has been made with Manchester United as West Ham chiefs eye up a late January move, with co-chair David Sullivan and manager Graham Potter tipped to oversee a busy end to the window in east London.

West Ham target last-gasp January deals in multiple positions

The Hammers are in active pursuit of a new striker, following long-term injuries to Niclas Füllkrug and Michail Antonio, but a fresh centre-forward option isn’t their only potential incoming before the deadline.

West Ham make late January contact to sign ex-Liverpool star on loan

The Irons are chasing late signings.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Jan 30, 2025

West Ham had a bid rejected for PSV Eindhoven star Ricardo Pepi (Fabrizio Romano), and could yet go back in with an improved winter bid (Rik Elfrink). The USA international, who’s bagged 18 goals already in all competitions this season, would be a stellar capture for Potter – but if they fail with another approach, it is widely believed that Brighton starlet Evan Ferguson is another primary target.

“The news has emerged last night that Ferguson’s move to Bayer Leverkusen may have fallen through due to Al Nassr choosing to sign Jhon Duran over their forward Victor Boniface,” said club insider ExWHUemployee on Thursday.

“If the club get this confirmed and are confident that his injuries are not long-term, then further negotiations with the hope of completing before Monday’s deadline will occur.

“West Ham are prepared to include an option or obligation to buy in the loan deal to try and get the deal over the line. Talks are continuing with Ferguson, they are going positively as the club tries to work towards a deal.”

Ferguson’s possible move to the London Stadium is looking well and truly on, as Sullivan seeks to back Potter with a centre-forward who can fill in for both Fullkrug and Antonio.

However, it is also believed that West Ham are targeting another centre-back before the deadline, with Brighton’s Adam Webster among West Ham’s defender targets for this window.

Now, the 30-year-old has been joined by United’s Victor Lindelof.

West Ham contact Man United over signing Victor Lindelof

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, writing for United in Focus, West Ham have contacted United over signing Lindelof in January – with the £120,000-per-week Swede out of contract this summer and potentially available for a cut-price fee.

The 70-cap international appears out of Ruben Amorim’s long-term plans, motivating the Irons to test United’s resolve with an enquiry and gauge whether a mid-season deal for Lindelof is possible.

However, Bailey reports that the former Benfica star has no interest in joining West Ham, and has made that clear to his representatives.

Given Lindelof’s torrid injury record lately, not to mention the fact he’s now entered the twilight phase of his career, you could make a case that this is arguably for the best – and there could be better options out there for Potter.

The rest of the team is in Kolkata, and Shakib will rejoin them on October 27 ahead of their next game

Mohammad Isam25-Oct-2023Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s captain at the World Cup, has travelled to Dhaka to train with his mentor Nazmul Abedeen Faheem even as the rest of the team arrived in Kolkata ahead of their matches in the city against Netherlands on October 28 and Pakistan on October 31.Shakib arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday afternoon, a day after Bangladesh’s 149-run loss to South Africa in Mumbai, and went straight to the Shere Bangla National Stadium to work with Abedeen. The session lasted three hours with Shakib mainly taking throwdowns in the nets.”He arrived today. We will be training for three days,” Faheem told ESPNcricinfo. “Today, tomorrow and day after, and then he will return to Kolkata. We worked on his batting today.”Related

• A Mumbai mauling for the Tigers

• Dear World Cup, please be more exciting, please?

Shakib has struggled with the bat at the World Cup, scoring just 56 runs in four innings. He has taken six wickets too. All this, as Bangladesh have lost four out of their five games so far and sit at the bottom of the points table.”Shakib probably feels comfortable working this way,” Faheem said. “I am not sure what we are going to do next – I will take each session as he wants.”As such, the Bangladesh team has its roster of coaches travelling during the World Cup. Khaled Mahmud is the team director, there’s head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, technical advisor S Sriram, and Nic Pothas, Rangana Herath, Allan Donald, Shane McDermott and Faisal Hossain all in various roles.Leaving a World Cup campaign to go train with a personal coach in another (home, in this case) country is uncommon. Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s captain, had earlier left the team during the World Cup warm-up games to go back home and then rejoined the team, but that was because of “a personal situation,” as head coach Rob Walter put it.Shakib had previously left the 2019 IPL when his team Sunrisers Hyderabad left him out of the XI for four weeks. He hopped back to Dhaka to train with prominent local coach Mohammad Salahuddin. On that occasion, he chose to focus on the upcoming ODI World Cup in England and Wales, where he scored 606 runs took nine wickets.Shakib is scheduled to return to Kolkata on October 27, a day before the Netherlands game.

Fans have slammed Cristiano Ronaldo after Al-Nassr were dumped out of the AFC Champions League by Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale.

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• Nassr lost 3-2
• Ronaldo still yet to win a trophy in Saudi Arabia
• Wait goes on for Portuguese superstar

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Al-Nassr lost 3-2 to Kawasaki in the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League, meaning Ronaldo's wait for a trophy in Saudi Arabia goes on. Sadio Mane and Ayman Yahya scored his side's goals but they were to no avail, and fans have taken aim at the Portugal superstar.

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  WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  @AliHassanHQ said: "At this stage, Speed is better than Ronaldo at both football and YouTube."

  @IamHBozz said: "Washed man. Scammed Al-Nassr of £200m every year."

  @Abrampah_ added: "Always ghosting when it’s time to save the club but statpad unnecessary goals."

  @Unknownyearning said: "When will this glitch be over for Ronaldo and Messi and they leave their current teams and come again for European football and end things like in Europe like a perfect ending to their stories…when they'll be over this craziness.."

  @Aceeeeeeed added: "This fraud should retire."

  @Bewhatyoubejr concluded: "They need to terminate Ronaldo's contract in order to win trophies."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo had scored eight goals in eight games in the AFC Champions League this season but his blank in the single-legged semi-final has cost his side dearly. Despite netting 91 goals in 102 games for the club, his wait for a winner's medal goes on.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Nassr play Al-Ittihad on Wednesday. Ronaldo's side are eight points behind the league leaders.

Victory over promoted Worcestershire ensures hosts avoid last-placed finish

ECB Reporters Network29-Sep-2023Shan Masood’s brilliant 123 gave Yorkshire a happy ending to another difficult season as they chased a final-day target of 360 to beat promoted Worcestershire at Headingley and avoid finishing bottom of the LV= Insurance County Championship for only the second time in their history.Yorkshire’s fourth-highest ever successful run chase was achieved with comfort, by six wickets with three overs of the allotted 70 remaining.With the game meandering ahead of day four, both sides opted to contrive a finish, with Yorkshire risking the draw which would lift them off the bottom of Division Two. As it was, they were able to achieve that by going for broke as captain Masood hit 15 fours in 131 balls.Worcestershire advanced their second innings – they started it with a lead of 127 late on day three – from 18 for 2 to 262 for 2 declared inside the first 70 minutes of play. Jake Libby benefited against declaration bowling with 109 not out, while Jack Haynes finished unbeaten on 113.James Wharton was one of those bowlers, but he later helped Masood steer the run chase with three sixes in a fine career-best 89. The third-wicket pair shared 164 either side of tea. Jonny Tattersall later hit the winning runs to finish 44 not out.This was just a minor blot on Worcestershire’s copybook having earned promotion on day two, and they should be applauded for their willingness to partake in invention.Yorkshire lost opener Fin Bean sharply caught and bowled by Dillon Pennington for 11 just before lunch as the score slipped to 22 for 1 in the 10th over.Pennington, playing his last game for the Pears before moving to Nottinghamshire, prevented 21-year-old Bean from reaching 1,000 Championship runs in an impressive breakthrough year. He fell only 17 runs short. The consolation for the left-hander was that he was awarded the Yorkshire Members’ Player of the Year award at lunch.Adam Lyth did, however, reach the milestone which Bean missed out on. He needed 32 at the start of this innings to reach 1,000 for the fourth time in his career. And his 51 off 62 balls gave Yorkshire a platform. He shared 88 either side of lunch with second-wicket partner Masood, only to fall caught at midwicket off a miscue against left-arm spinner Josh Baker.Captain Masood batted in dreamy fashion, driving and working particularly well in excellent batting conditions. He reached his fifty off 57 balls before tea – Yorkshire were 175 for 2 after 39 overs, needing 185 more – and his second hundred for the county off 107 balls afterwards.Yorkshire cruised through the final session. At 237 for 2, they took the target to 123 from the final 20 overs. By that time, Wharton had reached his fifty off 71 balls.Baker bowled Wharton and had Masood caught at deep midwicket in quick succession, leaving the score 279 for 4 – 81 needed inside 14 overs.But George Hill and Tattersall maintained the intent and shared an unbroken 84 for the fifth wicket. Hill contributed 38 of them, with both scoring at better than a run-a-ball.This finish was engineered following an hour of forgettable cricket. Worcestershire resumed on 18 for 2, a lead of 145. Yorkshire bowled properly for the opening 20 minutes through Matt Milnes and Ben Coad, but with no breakthrough they turned to declaration bowling from Bean and Wharton. They shared 19.1 overs, conceding more than 100 runs apiece.Libby and Haynes, the latter in his final appearance for Worcestershire ahead of a move to Notts alongside Pennington, were the beneficiaries of an open-goal chance to boost their averages. They both reached centuries as a total of 214 runs were scored in 23.1 overs.”People don’t come to watch draws, so it’s nice to set up a result,” said Bean as he accepted his Player of the Year award at lunch.For Yorkshire, things worked out well as they avoided a bottom-placed finished for the first time since 1983 and gave an early indication they will be promotion favourites next summer with no points penalty.

Jude Bellingham is being urged to undergo surgery this summer, with the Real Madrid superstar still clearly struggling with a shoulder problem.

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• Issues first surfaced at Dortmund
• Suffered dislocation in 2023
• Decided against going under the knife

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international first suffered issues with that part of his body during a three-year stint in Germany with Borussia Dortmund. He would often take to the field wearing shoulder supports.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bellingham then dislocated his left shoulder during an outing for Real against Raya Vallecano in November 2023. He was forced to miss fixtures for club and country as a result of that injury setback.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The expectation was that the 21-year-old would go under the knife, but an operation never happened. Bellingham is still nursing a familiar ailment, though, with the Three Lions midfielder seen getting heavy strapping before stepping off the bench for Real against Getafe.

• TELL ME MORE

  It took a member of the Blancos’ medical staff over a minute to ready Bellingham for action. He has previously said of nursing a shoulder complaint: “It’s OK. I’m still in the sling, which is a little uncomfortable, but the overall feeling is pretty good.”

Bermuda kept themselves in the chase, but two collapses at different times washed away their hopes

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2023Canada 132 for 4 (Dhaliwal 45, Kirton 26, Sabir 2-34) beat Bermuda 93 (Fray 30, Leverock 23, Sana 3-4, Gordon 3-6, Dutta 2-16) by 39 runsCanada have booked a place in the T20 World Cup for the first time after beating Bermuda by 39 runs in the final game of the Americas Region qualifier to secure a spot in the 2024 edition.It was a straight shootout between Canada and Bermuda to determine who made it to the T20 World Cup co-hosted by USA and West Indies next year. Batting first in the rain-reduced 18-overs-a-side contest, Canada posted 132 for 4 with Navneet Dhaliwal leading the way with 45 off 38.Canada lost opener and their highest run-scorer of the tournament Aaron Johnson in the fifth over but Dhaliwal held one end up. He added a 39-run third-wicket stand with Harsh Thaker before both batters fell off successive deliveries.While Derrick Brangman sent back Thaker off the final ball of the 15th over, Dhaliwal fell first ball of the next to give Bermuda an opening. But Nicholas Kirton slammed 26 off 10 balls, which included two sixes and two fours to give Canada a strong finish. They smashed 37 in the final three overs including 20 off the final to reach 132 for 4.In reply, Thaker had opener Tre Manders caught in his first over, but Kamau Leverock and Terryn Fray kept the chase on track. They added 50 for the second wicket off 44 balls before a collapse washed away Bermuda’s hopes.From 52 for 1, Bermuda slipped to 63 for 4 in the space of 11 balls with Nikhil Dutta picking two key wickets. Allan Douglas kept Bermuda’s hopes alive, but once he fell for a 13-ball 22, another collapse ensued which saw them lose their last six wickets for just eight runs in 3.3 overs.Kaleem Sana, turned out to be the pick of the bowlers as Bermuda were bowled out for 93 in 16.5 overs. Sana was named Player of the Match for his figures of 3.5-1-4-3.