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Root believes his side can replicate the feats of the 2005 Ashes winners with World Cup success

George Dobell at Edgbaston08-Jul-2019England have the chance to replicate the Ashes winners of 2005 and inspire a new generation of supporters, Joe Root believes.A documentary focused on the series and shown on Channel 4 on Sunday revived memories of that summer: the gripping cricket; the passionate supporters queuing around the block in the hope of a ticket and the celebrations in victory. For a little while, cricket seemed to be the centre of attention.This World Cup hasn’t gripped the nation in quite the same way. Not yet, anyway. Whether due to the rain at the start of the tournament or the lack of visibility of a sport played behind a broadcast paywall, the impression remains that vast swathes of the nation remain untouched by a tournament that has taken a while to come to the boil.But England have effectively been playing knockout cricket for the last couple of games. And now, with a semi-final against the old enemy at a ground on which England have an outstanding record, there is still hope this World Cup can capture the imagination in something approaching the way the sport managed in the summer of 2005.”I can remember that 2005 Ashes as a kid and being really absorbed in that whole series at 14 years old,” Root said. “It was magical.”For us to have a similar opportunity, on a slightly different scale maybe, is very exciting. It is great to see people showing a huge interest in cricket and it is great that this group of players are playing their part in getting people interested.”Every player wants to see the game grow and flourish so it would be great to be able to help do that by achieving something very special. I think it is one of the most pleasing things that you can do as a sportsman. It would be brilliant if we could take that even further by doing what we have done in the last couple of games.”England will have been pleased to return to Edgbaston and not just because Trevor Bayliss suffered a theft before they left Manchester. The England coach’s car was broken into and, slightly bizarrely, thieves made off with his floppy sunhat – though judging by the look of it, there’s a chance it ran off on its own – but left his golf clubs. He was protected from the fierce Birmingham sunshine by a fetching new straw number.Joe Root and Trevor Bayliss during England’s nets session at Edgbaston•PA PhotosMore pertinently, they will have been happy to return to a ground where their record is excellent. They have won their last 10 international games across the formats here, while Australia have not won an ODI at the ground since 1993. England have also won 10 of the last 12 ODIs between the nations. They may have been further encouraged by news that the groundsman expects the pitch – a fresh one – to neither offer much to bowlers or deteriorate as the game progresses. It does not, at this stage, look like a two-spinner surface, which may be better news for Liam Plunkett than it is for Moeen Ali.While the whole Australia squad – including those who are injured and those who are on stand-by – came to the ground on Monday (and, for a while, walked barefoot around the playing area in a habit that Justin Langer calls “grounding”), only a few of the England squad attended optional training. Among the batsmen, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, Moeen and Root had a net, while Chris Woakes and Jason Roy had light fitness sessions on the outfield. And while the latter did not look completely comfortable, you do wonder how many legs he would have to lose before England chose to recall James Vince in his place.Australia have some pretty encouraging stats of their own. They have played seven previous World Cup semi-finals and progressed every time – including in a memorable tied game here in 1999 – and they won the last ODI between the sides. As ever, if you torture the data for long enough, it will tell you pretty much anything you like.England may not have quite the level of support they anticipated, though. It would appear many of the tickets for this game were originally sold to supporters of India. And while a decent portion of those are now being offered on the ICC’s resale platforms, there is a danger that some will not come back on the market or will be cancelled having been offered for resale on other platforms. The ICC have reiterated that, if you want to be sure of gaining entry with a resold ticket, you have to have bought it on the official platform.Whatever happens, England know they give themselves the best chance if they are focused yet relaxed, aggressive though adaptable, open to enjoyment but intense and ruthless. They have managed it in their previous two games but will know that, in previous high-pressure situations – not least the Champions Trophy final played at this ground in 2013 – they have come up a little short.”We know that when we play the right kind of cricket and we think clearly under pressure then we will give a great account of ourselves,” Root said. “The more we can stick to our style and philosophy, and the more we can remember the conversations we had before that India game the better. I feel like we are in a good place coming into it. The last two games have been like knock out games for us played in a high pressure environment that will hold us in good stead going into this game. We have to make sure our minds are right and we really enjoy the occasion.”In the past, I found myself on occasions not playing the game at the speed that suits me. I need to make sure I’m in control of what is going on out there as much as I can. And I need to be absolutely clear on how I want to approach different scenarios because you can very easily get wrapped up in the bigger picture and look too far ahead, especially in high profile games.”Having experienced it before and got it wrong – and sometimes got it right – that should stand me in good stead for this game. You also have to remember that the guys in the opposition will be feeling exactly the same.”They probably will. But while reaching World Cup semi-finals is something approaching routine for Australian international sides, it is anything but for England’s. Coping with the moment as much as the opposition will be crucial.

Thomas Tuchel, Kieran McKenna and Sebastian Hoeness are among Chelsea's managerial candidates following Mauricio Pochettino's departure.

Initially, news that Mauricio Pochettino would be leaving Chelsea felt like a shock. But, if we're being honest with ourselves, the Argentine had been laying the foundations for his exit for some time.

The not-so-subtle jibes at sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, the claims that this "wasn't his team", the throwaway comment that his departure would "not be the end of the world" – all of this pointed to a man who simply wasn't happy in his job. And on Tuesday, Chelsea finally put a full stop on this saga, confirming that Pochettino would indeed be moving on.

"Thank you to the Chelsea ownership group and Sporting Directors for the opportunity to be part of this football club's history. The Club is now well positioned to keep moving forward in the Premier League and Europe in the years to come," Pochettino said in a statement.

According to, the reasons for this split are a difference in opinion over the future direction of the team. Essentially, Pochettino wanted more control over proceedings, something that Chelsea weren't willing to give him.

Thus, despite their excellent end to the season, the Blues are now on the lookout for his successor. Nothing has been confirmed yet, with the decision to part with Pochettino only just being rubber stamped, but there have been several names linked with the post already. Below, GOAL runs through some of the top candidates to take over at Stamford Bridge.

Getty ImagesSebastian Hoeness

Hoeness wasn't a name known outside of German football before this season. However, his exploits with Stuttgart this campaign has led to him being linked with a string of top clubs. Initially joining the Bundesliga side back in April 2023, he helped lift them off the bottom of the table and into the relegation play-off, where they beat Hamburg.

But this term he's defied all expectations, guiding Stuttgart to a remarkable second-place finish. They even managed to collect more points than Bayern Munich. At 42, Hoeness certainly fits the age profile Chelsea seem to be looking at, but having a manager of such meagre standing come in would surely not go down well with the Chelsea fanbase.

AdvertisementGetty Jose Mourinho

No manager in world football splits opinion quite like the Special One. But regardless of what you think of his ability to manage in the modern game, it seems unlikely Boehly and Co will hand Mourinho a third stint at Stamford Bridge this summer.

The Blues want a young, upcoming coach who can give them an identity. Mourinho, now 61-years-old, is the antithesis of this. Chelsea's board never cease to amaze, though, so don't rule out this return completely. Mourinho, for his part, would surely be interested.

GettyMax Allegri

Much like Mourinho, Allegri would seem to represent the 'old guard' of managers that Chelsea seem determined to move away from under their current ownership. The Italian's trophy cabinet is impressive, but he's never been much of a footballing entertainer and his most recent spell at Juventus ended acrimoniously.

His players tend to like him, though, and a unifying figure such as this might be a useful asset for Chelsea with further turnover expected in the summer transfer window.

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(C)Getty ImagesRoberto De Zerbi

A few days before Chelsea dropped their managerial bombshell, Brighton also shook the Premier League by announcing the departure of De Zerbi – not long after the Italian insisted he had no plans to leave the south coast. The Seagulls haven't been quite as impressive as they were in his debut season, with fatigue no doubt playing a role in that, but if it's an exciting identity they're after, he could be the man.

Saying that, it's difficult to see De Zerbi not clashing with those above him at the club at some point. He's never been one to avoid confrontation if he isn't happy, and the board might be looking for someone more pliable to their vision of the club.

India captain questions accuracy of the review system after losing appeal against Ashton Turner in Mohali ODI

Deivarayan Muthu11-Mar-2019

Question marks on the accuracy of the Decision Review System (DRS) have now come up in two successive matches in the ongoing India-Australia series, with Virat Kohli making his displeasure public, saying “it’s just not consistent at all” following an overturned review for caught-behind of Ashton Turner during a crucial passage of play in the fourth ODI in Mohali on Sunday.The incident took place in the 44th over of Australia’s pursuit of India’s 358 for 9, when Turner tried to slash a slow, wide legbreak from Yuzvendra Chahal. Turner lunged to cut a ball from inside the crease to one that spun way. The ball seemed to have connected with the toe-end of Turner’s bat. Having collected the ball, Rishabh Pant whipped off the bails and appealed for what initially felt like a stumping. However, he then urged Kohli to take the review even as umpire Anil Chaudhary called it not out, and the decision was referred to third umpire Joel Wilson.Ultra Edge picked some murmurs even before the ball had passed the bat and once again flickered just after the ball went passed the swinging blade. Wilson duly turned down India’s review, something Kohli disagreed with, displaying his displeasure by shaking his head and saying a few words.ALSO READ: Turner fulfills Scorchers finisher role to burn IndiaAt that point, Turner was on 41 with Australia needing a further 66 from 39 balls with five wickets in hand. He went on to hurt India by helping Australia to their highest chase in ODIs, Kohli describing his innings as the “game-changer”.Without any prompting at the post-match presentation ceremony, Kohli called the DRS decision contentious, saying it “was a bit of a surprise”. “It’s becoming more of a talking point every game. It’s just not consistent at all, and that was a game-changer moment as well,” he said.”But yeah, that’s more of an uncontrollable, but the controllable we had to do right, and we didn’t do it right, and the opportunity slipped away,” he added, pointing to the many chances the Indians missed on the field.Kohli’s mention of DRS becoming ‘a talking point’ was likely a reference to the third ODI in Ranchi, where a glaring error in ball-tracking projection came into the spotlight when Australian captain Aaron Finch was given out lbw off left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav.Kuldeep got a stock ball to straighten and rap the Australia captain on the back pad in the 32nd over, and C Shamshuddin, the on-field umpire, ruled the batsman out lbw. Finch asked for a review, and replays showed the ball pitching on leg stump, when it had actually bounced on middle stump.While the ball might have still gone on to hit the stumps even if it had pitched on leg stump, it was a noticeable mistake on the part of the ball-tracking technology in use.ESPNcricinfo understands that the technology might have suffered a technical glitch during the Ranchi game, which resulted in it missing the line. Australia’s management has not lodged any official complaint with the match officials following the incident.

Rahul Dravid and Sanjay Manjrekar join the creators of the three-pack set of new-age metrics at the official launch in Mumbai

Srinath Sripath in Mumbai20-Mar-20193:02

‘Superstats’, a new language to follow cricket

A slice of luck – a dropped catch to be exact – could well have saved, and extended, Rahul Dravid’s career, the man himself reckoned at the launch of ESPNcricinfo’s Superstats, a set of new-age metrics for a more nuanced understanding of the modern game.Dravid spoke about how a top-edge off Stuart Broad fell in no-man’s land in the Mohali Test of England’s tour of India in 2008, and allowed him to score a career-saving hundred, leading to a “couple of good years (in international cricket)” thereafter.Dravid was on 1 when the chance was missed, and went on to make 136. ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary wondered if “that’s a bit of luck for Dravid”, something Luck Index – one of three elements that make up Superstats, Smart Stats and Forecaster being the others – attempts to quantify for T20 cricket.Dravid was part of a panel that also featured Sanjay Manjrekar and ESPNcricinfo’s editor-in-chief Sambit Bal, along with Dr Raghunathan Rengaswamy of IIT Madras, whose team collaborated with ESPNcricinfo’s team of statisticians to develop Superstats. The new stats language, available for T20 cricket to start with, has been derived by putting our rich ball-by-ball data through complex algorithms developed by Gyan Data, an IIT-M incubated company founded by Raghunathan.In the words of ESPN India head Ramesh Kumar, these Superstats “offer a final point of view to settle water-cooler debates and discussions on cricket” and “will validate cricketing wisdom”.Bal said that while traditional numbers would continue to be around, Superstats added a “layer of quality and value to them”, and explained how it would mean “batsmen and bowlers are equalised” and measurable on a common metric that gauges their impact in a match.The panel discussion at the launch of ESPNcricinfo’s Superstats in Mumbai – [L to R] Raunak Kapoor, Sambit Bal, Rahul Dravid, Sanjay Manjrekar and Dr Raghunathan Rengaswamy•Annesha Ghosh/ESPNcricinfoManjrekar, a well-travelled broadcaster, spoke about how such enhanced statistics would benefit commentators and fans watching live telecasts, especially in T20 tournaments like the IPL, which is followed by scores of data-savvy fans who are “fascinated by numbers”, than those who have grown up watching the longer formats.Should these metrics have been available during his playing career, Manjrekar argued that “an Ajay Jadeja might have won Man of the Match in the 1996 World Cup quarterfinal” against Pakistan in Bengaluru, for the impact his innings had on the game’s result, and not Navjot Singh Sidhu, who ended up getting the award.When asked if insights of the sort had helped him make informed decisions in his playing and coaching career, Dravid mentioned acquiring the services of Brad Hodge for Rajasthan Royals in the 2012 auction despite his middling returns in past editions of the tournament with other teams.Royals, “pretty much a budget team at that stage”, went with Hodge to fill a middle-order spot despite the fact that on pitches such as in Jaipur – the Royals’ home ground – his “averages weren’t good, numbers weren’t great”. Dravid and Co picked Hodge as a death-overs finisher based on his compelling past record against pace bowling. His past failures were attributed to “playing in spin-friendly tracks in Kolkata and Kochi, falling often to left-arm spinners”.Hodge, who put in a few match-winning performances in that role, had reportedly insisted that he bat at No. 3, only to be told by Dravid that “I don’t want your 450 runs at three, give me 200 runs at strike rate 160 facing the Mitchell Johnsons and Dale Steyns”.Dravid spoke about how the conversation around T20 cricket based on conventional metrics “sometimes frustrated me as a player and a coach”, and how it was “fantastic to see people have finally recognised over the past few years” that the T20 game was a different beast.Dravid and Manjrekar agreed that, with Superstats and other new-age metrics around, the critical thing was to “make the best use of these numbers” and arrive at meaningful conclusions.The two former India batsmen did, however, debate at length about whether “geeks and nerds are taking over the game”, observing that while the likes of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli would no doubt be better captains with such insights, there was “an emotional element to cricket, a human element to it”, which can never fully be explained by numbers.Dravid argued that cricket would “never fully be taken over by the geeks, because while the numbers might tell you ‘bowl X on that day’, the captain knows better if he’s up for it, because numbers can’t quantify whether he’s carrying a niggle. As a coach, sometimes if captains take a gut call on the field, you tend to back them, as long as you know he’s not doing it blindly. I think a guy like Dhoni gets the feel of that (the game), better than most captains”.

أعلن النادي الأهلي برئاسة محمود الخطيب، رحيل محسن صالح، عن رئاسة لجنة الخطيط بالقلعة الحمراء.

وكشف الأهلي، عن الموافقة على قبول اعتذار محسن صالح عن منصبه وتوجيه الشكر له على مجهوداته رفقة أعضاء لجنة التخطيط.

طالع..عاجل.. الأهلي يُعلن رحيل خالد بيبو ويكلفه بمنصب جديد

وقرر مجلس إدارة النادي، تعيين مختار مختار رئيسًا للجنة التخطيط خلفًا لـ محسن صالح وضم محمد رمضان إلى عضوية اللجنة.

ويستمر الثنائي زكريا ناصف وحسام غالي، ضمن أعضاء لجنة التخطيط بالنادي الأهلي.

ووافق النادي على الاستقالة التي تقدم بها خالد الجوادي، مترجم المدير الفني مارسيل كولر، ووجه له الشكر على الفترة التي قضاها.

وفي نفس التوقيت قبل الأهلي اعتذار خالد بيبو، عن الاستمرار في منصبه كمدير للكرة، وقرر تكليف سامي قمصان، المدرب العام بأعمال مدير الكرة.

يذكر أن النادي الأهلي، قد نجح في التتويج ببطولة الدوري المصري 2023- 2024.

Liverpool can secure their place in the Europa League round of 16 on Thursday night when LASK visit Anfield.

For that to happen, the Reds must better Toulouse's matchday five result, with the French outfit hosting Union Saint-Galloise.

Jurgen Klopp's side are still in pole position to avoid the extra two games that come with finishing second and entering the knockout play-off round. They're two points ahead of Toulouse while four points from their remaining two fixtures will confirm their status as group winners.

Klopp has used this competition as an opportunity to rotate his side and give key first-team stars a chance to rest. This has opened up the door for several youngsters, including Ben Doak, Jarell Quansah and Harvey Elliott to shine.

Klopp must now bench 3/10 Liverpool ace for his "unbelievable” player

The Reds must unleash this press-resistant machine going forward.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 29, 2023

With the above trio expected to be three of ten changes from the recent draw with Manchester City, here's what a predicted Liverpool XI could look like tomorrow evening…

1 GK – Caoimhin Kelleher

Kelleher has played in three of Liverpool's four Europa League outings this term and although he hasn't painted himself in the brightest of lights, conceding five goals, his place in the team against LASK is solidified.

First-choice goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, picked up a hamstring injury in the draw against Man City, so the 25-year-old must now impress in Europe to fill Klopp with confidence moving forward, especially if the Brazilian is out for a lengthy period.

2 RB – Joe Gomez

Etihad hero Trent Alexander-Arnold will be wrapped up in cotton wool on Thursday which means Joe Gomez should get the nod at right-back. The Englishman has featured across all four matches in this competition and captained the side in their 3-2 defeat against Toulouse last time out.

Once dubbed by Klopp as a "sensational footballer", Gomez has been a reliable back-up this term and whilst he can't offer the same attacking threat to Trent, he does provide steeliness defensively having made 2.5 tackles per game and won 63% of his duels in Europe.

3 CB – Ibrahima Konate

A man-mountain of a centre-back, who has suffered multiple spells on the sideline this term, Ibrahima Konate has a chance to show Klopp he's a better option than Joel Matip at the heart of the Liverpool defence.

Hailed by defensive partner Virgil van Dijk as "incredible", the Frenchman is held in high regard at Anfield and considering he ranks in the top 15% against his positional peers for tackles per 90 across Europe's top five leagues in the past year, it is clear to see why those close to him have waxed lyrical about his talents.

4 CB – Jarell Quansah

Quansah has made a seamless transition into the Liverpool first-team this term and the 20-year-old has impressed with his exceptional ball-playing abilities and defensive attributes.

Lauded as "absolutely phenomenal" by fellow academy graduate, Alexander-Arnold, the centre-back has starred across his three appearances in Europe, registering an impressive 91% pass completion and he's only been dribbled past 0.3 times per game. If he continues to perform at a high, the world is Quansah's oyster.

5 LB – Kostas Tsimikas

Left-back stalwart Andrew Robertson is expected to return from his shoulder injury in January 2024 but until then, Kostas Tsimikas will continue to deputize for the Scot on the left side of defence – acting as the only player to keep his place from the trip to the Etihad.

The Greek international is unable to match Robertson's quality down the left flank having yet to create a big chance and has only registered 0.7 key passes per game across three matches in Europe.

6 CM – Wataru Endo

Wataru Endo has yet to truly impress since arriving from Stuttgart in the summer, but he'll get another chance to demonstrate his qualities on Thursday night.

The Japanese international was expected to become the ball-winning machine to replace Fabinho, however, Alexis Mac Allister has been preferred by Klopp in that position. Having made four appearances in this competition, it's unlikely he'll get dropped against LASK.

7 CM – Ryan Gravenberch

Ryan Gravenberch was starting to come into his own in a Liverpool shirt, especially in the Europa League, having supplied an assist and scored twice across his first three matches.

The 21-year-old had since suffered a minor knock, which meant he didn't start on Saturday, however, the silky Dutchman has averaged the highest Sofascore rating of any Reds player in this competition (7.97), made the most key passes per game (3) and created the most big chances (2).

8 CM – Harvey Elliott

Harvey Elliott has been dubbed as "exceptional" by Jamie Carragher for his performances this term and although he hasn't been awarded the requisite game time to go with that praise, another audition awaits on Thursday night.

The midfield metronome, who has started in all four Europa League matches, has terrorised opposition defenders with his tremendous low centre of gravity. He is capable of gliding past his opponents with ease, completing 75% of his attempted dribbles in this competition.

9 RW – Ben Doak

One of the most exciting prospects to be unleashed from the Liverpool academy in recent years, Ben Doak is one of several blessings in disguise to come from Thursday jaunts to rogue destinations.

A direct and pacey winger, who has been described by van Dijk as a "Tasmanian devil" for how he strikes fear into opposition defenders, Doak's precocious talents have rewarded him with two appearances in Europe and a third is looking likely.

10 LW – Luis Diaz

For what Luis Diaz has had to go through off the field this term following the kidnapping of his father – who has now been released – it is remarkable that he has still managed to focus on delivering excellent performances on the pitch.

Dubbed by Klopp as a "special" talent, Diaz scored and assisted in the return fixture against LASK and will be looking to terrorise his Austrian opponents once more.

كشف مصدر خاص بـ منتخب مصر الأولمبي النقاب عن تفاصيل رسالة البرازيلي روجيرو ميكالي المدير الفني للفراعنة، قبل مباراة باراجواي، المقرر لها الثامنة من مساء اليوم الجمعة.

منتخب مصر الأولمبي يصطدم بنظيره باراجواي في إطار لقاءات دور ربع النهائي بمنافسات كرة القدم في أولمبياد باريس 2024، وذلك على أرضية استاد اورنج فيلودروم بمدينة مارسيليا.

تشكيل منتخب مصر المتوقع أمام باراجواي اليوم في أولمبياد باريس

وعقد روجيرو ميكالي جلسة مع لاعبيه على هامش مران أمس الخميس قبل مواجهة باراجواي، للحديث عن المباراة المرتقبة.

وأوضح المصدر لـ بطولات أن ميكالي قد قال للاعبين، إن الحلم الذي يراود الفريق منذ بداية المشوار، اقترب من التحقيق.

وأكد ميكالي في حديثه مع اللاعبين على كلمة “الحلم” من أجل تحفيزهم وقال إن التأهل لنصف النهائي يُعني حصول المنتخب على ميدالية بنسبة تزيد عن 70%.

وطالب ميكالي اللاعبين ببذل الجهد أمام باراجواي وعدم الاستهانة بالمنافس الذي يملك العديد من اللاعبين المميزين بجانب الروح العالية التي يلعب بها الخصم.

وتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثالثة بـ أولمبياد باريس 2024 بجانب إسبانيا وأوزبكستان وجمهورية الدومنيكان.

وتأهل منتخب مصر الأولمبي كمتصدر للمجموعة الثالثة، بعدما نجح في الحصول على 7 نقاط، بعد الفوز على أوزبكستان وإسبانيا بالجولتين الثانية والثالثة، والتعادل مع الدومينيكان في الجولة الأولى.

وفي المقابل صعد منتخب باراجوي بعد احتلال المركز الثاني في ترتيب المجموعة الرابعة برصيد 6 نقاط.

Asad Shafiq made 80 as Pakistan posted 482 in their first innings. Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja then saw out the last 13 overs of the day

The Report by Danyal Rasool08-Oct-2018Today’s Test cricket may not be on the postcard, but you will find it in the manual. On a day that typified the recipe for success Pakistan have replicated time and again in the UAE, excitement may have been in short supply, but determination and patience weren’t. After the wobbles in the final session on the first day, Haris Sohail and Asad Shafiq put on a masterclass in gritty Test-match batting, as Pakistan ground their way to 482 and pushed the game further out of Australia’s reach. Just as importantly, they kept the hapless visitors out on the field for 164.2 overs in the blazing Dubai heat.Along the way, Haris completed his maiden Test match hundred, while Shafiq fell 20 short. The partnership between the two stood at exactly 150 when Marnus Labuschagne – whose menace suggested Australia have missed a trick by not picking a specialist legspinner – took Shafiq’s outside edge. By then the fifth-wicket pair had done enough to kill off the momentum Australia had built up at the tail end of the first day.As on the first day, the wickets came after tea, though Pakistan’s charitable mood did contribute to them. Babar Azam and Sarfraz Ahmed both fell cheaply, not just by way of runs scored but also in the manner of their dismissals. On a pitch where their predecessors ground Australia into the dirt, both were run out, finally allowing the bowlers a crack at the tail, and the psychological victory – however spurious – of keeping Pakistan this side of 500.Sandwiched between those two dismissals was the wicket of Haris after a phenomenal innings from a player who is yet to properly nail down a spot in the Test side. Nathan Lyon was his conqueror, the left-hander falling in almost the same way Imam-ul-Haq had to Lyon, looking to cut but managing only a tickle of the outside edge through to the keeper.Australia made short work of the tail, but still had the small matter of getting through 13 overs in fading light against Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz and, most crucially, Yasir Shah. Predictably, it was the legspinner who looked likeliest to strike, with debutant Aaron Finch fortunate to survive a marginal lbw call early on. Had the umpire given him out, the call would have stood. Khawaja, though, looked more steady than he historically has in Asia, and will look to kick on tomorrow on what is still a pitch you’d rather bat than bowl on.The first hour of play today would have left you reaching for an extra cup of coffee; adrenaline wasn’t going to be the stimulant here. Once Peter Siddle cleaned up nightwatchman Mohammad Abbas early on, Pakistan gritted their teeth and gutsed their way along. They did that superbly, even though little progress was made by way of runs – only seven were scored in the day’s first 11 overs, and it took Asad Shafiq 21 balls to get off the mark.Haris Sohail tucks one to the leg side•Getty Images

The afternoon’s play wasn’t quite as soporific as the morning’s, but Pakistan still took an approach that wore down the opposition rather than blitzed them into submission. As Australia took the new ball after lunch, delayed likely because of Mitchell Starc reticence for another full-throttle spell earlier, Tim Paine would have known they needed to make immediate breakthroughs if there was to be any chance of keeping Pakistan under 400. In the UAE, Pakistan have won seven and drawn one of the eight matches they have reached that figure in in the first innings.As it happened, Starc’s salvo was somewhat toothless, with the ball doing nothing to perturb the settled batsmen. Just as in the first session, Pakistan bade their time, before upping the ante towards tea as the bowlers began to tire. After scoring just 45 runs in the first 18 overs post-lunch, they nearly doubled that number, scoring 43 off the last nine. Lyon and Siddle, both workhorses in the attack for much of the innings, never quite fell away, but Pakistan continued to pick off the inexperienced Jon Holland; targeting him appeared to be a clear gameplan.In desperation, perhaps, Paine turned to Labuschagne. The second ball of his first over was a full-toss above waist height, in no way a harbinger of the next delivery. Pitched just outside off stump, the ball turned sharply, with Shafiq only able to get an edge to it as he stretched out to defend. Yasir, Pakistan’s legspinner, would have taken notice.But the recipe for success Pakistan have followed so faithfully here in the past decade is again on its way to delivering a sweet result.If Australia are to thwart them over the next three days, they will need quite a special secret ingredient.

تلقى محمد الشيبي، لاعب فريق بيراميدز بطاقة حمراء مباشرة خلال مباراة الأهلي التي تجمع بينهما الآن ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.

الأهلي يلاقي بيراميدز، في إطار مواجهات الأسبوع الـ31 من عمر مباريات مسابقة الدوري المصري، على ملعب الدفاع الجوي.

وشهدت الدقيقة 78 تدخل محمد الشيبي بشكل قوي ضد حسين الشحات لاعب فريق الكرة بـ الأهلي في كرة مشتركة على حدود منطقة الجزاء من الجبهة اليمنى.

طالع.. فيديو | وسام أبو علي يسجل هدف الأهلي الأول أمام بيراميدز

ولجأ حكم المباراة لتقنية الفيديو من أجل التأكد على حصول محمد الشيبي على بطاقة حمراء مباشرة، ليتخذ قراره النهائي بإشهار الكارت الأحمر للاعب بيراميدز. طرد محمد الشيبي بعد تدخل عنيف على حسين الشحات في مباراة الأهلي وبيراميدز

Sunderland squared off against Middlesbrough hoping to make it three consecutive wins, and further boost their early play-off chances in the Championship. Come the full-time whistle, however, the Black Cats had endured an afternoon to forget, heading into the international break on the back of a disappointing 4-0 defeat.

Tony Mowbray will undoubtedly be frustrated by his side's capitulation, with all four of the visitors' goals coming in the second half. In truth, however, following Dan Neil's controversial red card, Sunderland were always likely to drop all three points. Following the midfielder's dismissal, journalist Josh Bunting took to Twitter to deliver his verdict.

Why was Dan Neil sent off against Middlesbrough?

In a moment that will anger Mowbray, it wasn't a foul that led to Neil's sending off. Instead, the midfielder simply failed to bite his tongue when speaking to one of the officials and received his marching orders thanks to a second yellow card for dissent just before the half-time whistle.

Down to ten men, Sunderland struggled, and goals from Sam Greenwood, Matt Crooks, Isiah Jones, and substitute Marcus Foss left north-east rivals Middlesbrough out of sight.

Delivering his verdict on the Neil red card, Bunting tweeted: "What is Neil doing there? That is just the immaturity we have at times, that’s the problem with young players on occasions. When you’re on a yellow, to be sent off for dissent is just criminal, [we] have played ok after the opening 15 minutes and then down to ten for a moment of madness."

Sunderland will now be left pondering what could have been during the international break, before hoping to bounce back in style in their first game back against Stoke City. The defeat against Middlesbrough has not damaged the Black Cats' promotion chances too much, with Mowbray's side still as high as fourth following the weekend's results.

How has Dan Neil performed this season?

Aside from his moment to forget in his most recent outing, Neil has enjoyed an impressive season so far in the Championship, starting in all 11 games for the Black Cats, scoring two goals and two assists.

The midfielder has earned plenty of praise during his time at the Stadium of Light, too, including from former manager Lee Johnson, who said, via Chronicle Live: We were really pleased. Dan was pleased, which is good because we want players to be enthused and love what they are doing and what we are doing as a club.

"The pictures summed it up – the one where he is sitting in the crowd at 10 or 11 years old as a starry-eyed kid, and another one where he is actually living that dream.

"You can see and feel the passion that he has got for Sunderland when you are coaching him, and he's a great kid and a really good football player with bags of potential, and we'll try and hone that as quickly as possible.

"He's technically a very good player, you can see the way he manipulates the ball, and I think he has added another dimension to his game in being able to drop and drive, as we call it, and receive the ball and commit players."