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As he surveys Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium on the eve of Australia’s warm-up match against India A, there is a chance Darren Lehmann is casting his mind back to the first time he played at the ground. In the equivalent fixture on Australia’s 1998 visit – their first full tour of India in 12 years – Lehmann was one of 10 Australian fielders held spellbound by a ferocious Sachin Tendulkar double-century.Tendulkar led the local XI, and chose the occasion to strike the first blow in a battle he would ultimately win comfortably against the Australians in general and Shane Warne in particular. There was nothing subtle about the way Tendulkar took to Warne, hammering the visitors’ most accomplished bowler to such an extent that he finished the innings with the ugly figures of 0 for 111 from 16 overs.The awestruck Australians proceeded to stumble to an unexpected defeat, leaving their captain Mark Taylor to realise that the calculated assault on Warne had set the scene for a difficult and unsuccessful tour.”Warney’s a bit like all of us,” Taylor said at the time, “we need to improve. I think they’d be his worst figures in his first-class career. You don’t need me to tell you he’s been a great bowler for a number of years, but it shows that if you don’t bowl well and a side attacks you, you can go for runs.”Certainly Tendulkar did not look back, using the Mumbai platform to launch into one of his greatest Test hundreds in Chennai, before the entire Indian batting line-up laid waste to Warne at Eden Gardens. The episode is the most celebrated but far from the only example of Australian spin bowlers being targeted early in an India tour, building doubts in the minds of bowlers, team-mates and even selectors.Trevor Hohns and Darren Lehmann will have to be wary of second-guessing their selections, even as Australia’s spinners will have to respond effectively when they come under attack from India•Getty Images

A decade later, Bryce McGain pulled out of Australia’s India tour party due to a shoulder injury on the eve of a warm-up fixture in Hyderabad. McGain’s misfortune left Jason Krejza as the only full-time spin bowler on tour, a likely debutant in the first Test, and with a big target on his back for an invitational batting line-up featuring a young Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj Singh.What followed was another calculated mauling of the spin bowler by batsmen fleet of foot and aggressive of intent. Krejza, feeling the pressure, dropped repeatedly short, and was brutalised to such an extent that he returned the figures of 0-199 from 31 overs, spread across two innings.It was a return that troubled the selectors to such an extent that they summarily ruled Krejza out of the first Test. Then chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch was on duty in Hyderabad and offered a simple verdict down the phone to the rest of the panel back home: “We can’t pick him; they have absolutely slaughtered him in the tour game.”Instead, the tourists opted to include the Victorian captain Cameron White, flown in to replace McGain despite barely bowling his skiddy leg breaks in the Sheffield Shield the previous season. White was ineffective, Krejza unwanted. when the selectors finally decided to give Krejza a belated chance in the final Test, he harvested 12 (albeit expensive) wickets, posing a far greater threat than others had done before him.These lessons have hopefully not been forgotten by Lehmann, nor by the spin bowlers likely to feature in Mumbai over the next three days. Steve O’Keefe, Nathan Lyon, Ashton Agar and Mitch Swepson can expect to be attacked, and will need to be ready to respond effectively rather than thinking in purely practice mode.Likewise, the captain Steven Smith and the selectors on duty in Lehmann and Trevor Hohns should be wary of second-guessing themselves on the basis of a warm-up fixture. Perceived threats will be attacked by the hosts, in the hope of spinning the visitors off their axis. Resilience will be required, both with the ball and at the selection table.

Financial expert Kieran Maguire has been reacting to a Leeds United update involving the 49ers Enterprises and Elland Road.

What’s the latest Leeds news on the 49ers?

It was confirmed earlier this month that the 49ers Enterprises have completed a full takeover of Leeds from Andrea Radrizzani. The investment vehicle, which have links to NFL side the San Francisco 49ers, are now full owners of the Whites after previously having a 44% stake in the club.

A takeover was valued at £170m and includes the ownership of Elland Road, something which Maguire has been giving his thoughts on.

Talking to Football Insider regarding the news, Maguire, who contributes for Sky Sports, believes that “Leeds fans will love” the fact that the stadium and club are in the hands of the same party.

“I think there is an inevitability in regards to the 49ers’ investment in Leeds United that has been mooted for some time.

“I think it is a very good idea to have continuity of ownership of both football club and stadium and I’m sure Leeds fans will love this.”

What did Andrea Radrizzani try and do with Elland Road?

Radrizzani has moved on from Leeds, heading back to his native Italy with a takeover of Sampdoria. However, the former Leeds owner and chairman recently explored the prospect of offering to use the club's Elland Road stadium as security against a £26m bank loan, doing so without informing the 49ers.

That was before a Leeds agreement was reached with the 49ers, so it is good to see that Elland Road has been included in the takeover and is not still on the books of a company run by Radrizzani.

The new owners are now looking to take the club back into the Premier League at the first time of asking and are on the search for a new manager, and who knows, should they succeed, they may look into plans to redevelop Elland Road over the coming years.

After defeating Barnsley in the play-off final to seal a return to the Championship, Sheffield Wednesday look set to raid another of their South Yorkshire rivals this summer.

The Yorkshire Post suggests Wednesday are one of at least three Championship clubs; Millwall and Swansea City being two of the others – to have eyed up a move for Rotherham United forward Chiedozie Ogbene.

Who is Sheffield Wednesday target Chiedozie Ogbene?

Since arriving from Irish football in 2017, Ogbene has spent six seasons bouncing between League Two, League One and the Championship.

The Nigeria-born forward spent the 2022/23 campaign in the Championship with Rotherham, scoring eight goals in 39 appearances as the Millers suffered relegation back to the third tier.

Despite playing for a team struggling at the bottom end of the division, Ogbene continued to be picked by the Republic of Ireland last season, having pledged his allegiance to the nation in July 2020.

With four goals from 15 senior international caps, plus his team-high eight goals for Rotherham last season (Conor Washington was next highest with five), Ogbene will clearly feel he is better than a League One player.

Indeed, Ogbene was lauded as "spectacular" by Ireland boss Stephen Kenny last year after scoring one and assisting another in a 2-2 draw with the world's top-ranked national side Belgium.

Where would Ogbene fit in at Wednesday?

Wednesday are no strangers to poaching players from Rotherham, having signed Michael Ihiekwe and Michael Smith from their neighbours last summer. As regulars in the Owls' promotion-winning side, it is fair to say those two transfers paid off handsomely.

As pointed out by manager Darren Moore earlier this week in an interview with talkSPORT, it is imperative Wednesday get their transfer business spot on again as Championship football returns to Hillsborough.

"We have to consistently move forward and with the recruitment process it's essential that we bring the right ones in to keep the continuity of the club moving forward," he said.

As a free agent who was earning £1.5k-per-week this past year, according to Capology, the 26-year-old appears to be a smart gamble worth taking by second-tier clubs such as Wednesday.

There is room for Ogbene in the Wednesday side, too, with the former Cork City and Limerick player particularly impressing in terms of progressive carries (2.97 per game) and dribbles (1.5 per game).

To put that into some context, only one Wednesday player – Alex Mighten (1.1) – managed more than one successful dribble per game on average last season in League One.

Indeed, Ogbene ranks in the top 3% for progressive carries and top 7% for successful take-ons among his positional peers, so he is clearly a player who knows how to beat his man and get the ball forward.

After crossing paths with Rotherham by returning to the Championship last month, Wednesday are now well positioned to strike another blow and land one of their rivals' key assets.

Manchester United could add a free agent to their squad this summer, with a report from Sport (via Sport Witness) stating that the Red Devils are one of the potential landing spots for Jordi Alba.

Is Jordi Alba leaving Barcelona?

The defender has been with Barcelona for 11 seasons now and has played in 312 league fixtures for the Catalan giants during his time there. That run has seen him amass 17 goals and 61 assists – a superb record for someone who has predominantly played as a left-back for the Spanish side. Not only that, but the player has also won the La Liga title six times – as well as claiming Champions League glory with them back in 2014/15.

However, Barcelona have now decided not to renew Alba's deal, and it means he will be leaving as a free agent when the current season comes to a close. The 34-year-old will have to try and find himself a new team this summer and it appears that a move to the Premier League for the first time is not out of the question.

That's because a report from Sport (via Sport Witness) suggests that Premier League side Man United are one of the potential destinations that the defender could end up at. It adds that there is interest from a number of teams – including Champions League finalists Inter – but that the prospect of a switch to England does "attract" the left-back. If that is the case and the Red Devils are keen to do business, a switch could be on for the player.

Are Man United signing Jordi Alba?

It is not known if there is interest from Erik ten Hag's side, though the Red Devils would get themselves an experienced, capable player if they did opt to bring in Alba.

Despite his age, he has still produced a WhoScored rating of 6.79, which actually puts him above the likes of Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto and Ferran Torres in terms of performance this campaign. He is still within the top 15 performing players at the club and his rate of 0.7 dribbles per game ranks within the top five at the club. This suggests he is still the bombarding full-back that he always has been, can drive the ball forward and can often do it better than a lot of his younger Barcelona colleagues.

The CIES Football Observatory also suggests that he still holds a value of €10m (£8.6m). This suggests that whilst he's no longer one of the most highly rated players in the game, to pick him up on a free would be good business nevertheless.

Whilst United wouldn't get many more years out of Alba and his best days may be behind him, he is a good depth option to have and his experience and knowledge of the game could be perfect to pass on to some of the younger members of the Red Devils' squad if they signed him.

Rangers' move for Los Angeles FC midfielder Jose Cifuentes is "starting to progress", according to an update from transfer expert Dean Jones.

Is Cifuentes thriving in the MLS?

The 24-year-old has been strongly linked with a move to Ibrox this summer, as the Gers look to make significant inroads in the transfer market. He has enjoyed a good spell in the MLS with Los Angeles, making 111 appearances in total since arriving from Universidad Catolica in 2020, and chipping in with 14 goals and 19 assists.

Cifuentes has also won 15 caps for Ecuador, making two substitute appearances at the 2022 World Cup, and he is clearly someone who Rangers believe could be a shrewd addition to their midfield. It could be that a move to Europe appeals to the player himself, given the step up in quality, and his current deal expires in December of this year, means Los Angeles could be willing part ways and receive a fee in the summer.

Could Rangers be set to sign Cifuentes?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that talks over a move for Cifuentes are progressing well, suggesting that other deals are also being worked on:

"We're starting to hear quite a few rumours about transfer deals that are starting to progress. They're linked with José Cifuentes from MLS, and deals like that one starting to progress just make me feel like there are a few of the old faces that aren't going to be around for much longer."

Cifuentes could be an ideal summer signing for Rangers, at a time when Michael Beale will be aware that the gap on Celtic needs to close as soon as possible. Granted, they have still had a decent season overall, but silverware has evaded them, which has to be the benchmark every year.

The Ecuadorian could add a mixture of quality and bite to the Gers' midfield, having registered two assists and averaged 1.7 tackles per game in the MLS this season, and at 24, he is at a brilliant age to come in and develop as a player, enjoying his peak years into his mid to late 20s.

It certainly feels as though a move is likely at this point, and as Jones alludes to, this could hopefully be the start of an influx of signings in the summer transfer window, with fellow midifelder Kieran Dowell already acquired from Norwich City earlier this week.

A four-wicket haul for Michael Hogan and Dale Steyn’s first three wickets for Glamorgan allowed their team to set up a simple victory against visitors Hampshire.

ECB Reporters Network03-Jun-2016
ScorecardDale Steyn collected 3 for 22•Getty Images

A four-wicket haul for Michael Hogan and Dale Steyn’s first three wickets for Glamorgan allowed their team to set up a simple victory against visitors Hampshire.Dismissed for just 141 off 18.3 overs the Hampshire total was chased down by Glamorgan with relative ease. A second successive T20 fifty from Aneurin Donald allowed Glamorgan to reach the victory target with 23 balls remaining as a lively Cardiff crowd cheered their side home.Having bowled just one over in Wednesday’s defeat to Essex, Hogan was the pick of the Glamorgan bowlers as the Hampshire batsmen struggled to get him away. Steyn returned at the end of the Hampshire innings to claim the wickets of Gareth Berg, Gareth Andrew and Tino Best but it was Hogan that ripped the heart of the visitor’s batting. Coming on first change he dismissed both openers, including the dangerous James Vince who looked well set when he was bowled by Hogan for 27.The Hampshire total could have been a lot less if not for the late order hitting of Shahid Afridi. Coming to the crease with his 93 for 5 in the 13th over, Afridi made 32 from 20 balls before he too fell Hogan, well caught at long-off by Colin Ingram.The top-scorer in the Hampshire innings was Adam Wheater who offered some stability after the big names at the top of the order failed. His innings of 39 off 26 balls looked like it was going to be the base around which a competitive total could be built but when he was stumped off the bowling of Dean Cosker it left too much for the lower order to do.Hampshire would have been hopeful of mounting a defence of this total when they reduced Glamorgan to 9 for 2 in 2.1 overs. Despite the loss of both David Lloyd and Jacques Rudolph they did not slow up. Having made his first T20 half-century against Essex on Wednesday, Donald made it two in two with 55 runs from 27 balls. But he was lucky to make it that far; he top-edged a ball from Best that landed between three fielders and then he hit the same bowler straight to Darren Sammy at midwicket when on 34 and the West Indies T20 captain dropped an easy chance.Donald shared an excellent stand with Colin Ingram worth 94 from just 54 balls which finished the game as a content. Ingram departed soon after Donald to leave two new batsmen at the crease, but by then the required rate was down to just over four an over. Even the loss of Graham Wagg for just two runs was not enough for Hampshire to claw their way back into the contest, with Chris Cooke seeing the home side the victory.

Darren Sammy has called for West Indies’ players and administrators to put their “egos” to one side and work for the betterment of the game in the region

Andrew Miller26-May-2016Darren Sammy has called for West Indies’ players and administrators to put their “egos” to one side and work for the betterment of the game in the region, as he prepares to return to competitive action for the first time since leading his side to victory in the World T20 at Eden Gardens last month.Sammy, who has arrived at Hampshire for this season’s NatWest T20 Blast, will sit out tomorrow’s clash with Middlesex at Uxbridge due to registration issues, and instead make his first outing of the campaign in next Thursday’s home match against Kent.Either way, he will not be making a triumphant homecoming for West Indies during their Tri-Nations Series against South Africa and Australia, which gets underway in Providence on June 3, having been cut from the WICB’s list of contracted players back in January.Sammy defends team-mate Gayle

Darren Sammy has defended Chris Gayle as an “entertainer” and says his outspoken nature makes him an easy target in the media.
Last week, Gayle revived accusations of sexism with some lewd comments in an interview with The Times. However, Sammy played down the latest row.
“Chris Gayle is the universe boss, a team mate of mine who I admire and respect. I just think people target Chris for no reason.
“To me, Chris is one of our cricketing heroes. He’s an entertainer, first, but a lot of people have jumped on his back.
“I always support Chris because of what he does on a cricket field. Yes, we have a responsibility to ourselves, and the people who watch us, but sometimes I feel Chris is a target for newspaper headlines.”

Instead, Sammy has spent much of the past month on a champions’ tour of his home island of St Lucia. With his team-mate and fellow St Lucian, Johnson Charles, alongside him, he has been parading the World T20 trophy around his country’s schools, honouring the pledge he made during his emotional speech on the podium in Kolkata, when he dedicated the victory to “all our fans in the Caribbean”.However, he is itching to return to the cricket field after a month spent basking in the afterglow of a remarkable triumph, in which he emulated the achievement of the great Clive Lloyd in leading West Indies to a second global title, following their previous victory in the 2012 World T20 in Sri Lanka.”I wouldn’t say up there with Lloyd because what he did with his team was historical,” Sammy told ESPNcricinfo during a Kwik Cricket Festival in Hampshire. “But I can’t stand next to you and say I have not enjoyed it. I got a chance to go home with the trophy, and I took the trophy to the people because I said it was for the people. I saw the reaction from the kids – I was once a kid and I knew how much I felt when I saw my heroes.””I belong on the cricket field and I’ve not been on the cricket field since the World T20, so coming here to Hampshire, I can’t wait to get started.”Despite the satisfaction of West Indies’ triumph – across three formats, following the success of both the Women’s World T20 squad in India and the men’s Under-19 squad in Bangladesh – Sammy’s frustration with the WICB was evident once again earlier this week when he and his fellow exiles, Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, exchanged incredulous messages on Twitter with Kieron Pollard, following his unexpected inclusion in the Tri-Series squad.”It’s sad that for so long it’s been a back-and-forth between the board and players,” said Sammy. “But these three wins show we can win cricket at all levels, and if we could work together, that’s all you need. Players and board working together, sharing a common goal, with no egos. It would be better for West Indies cricket but at the moment it’s just not happening.”They always say sports and politics don’t mix, which is true. But at the end you have to give credit to the most important thing, which is the cricket. And who plays the cricket? The cricketers. That is your product. If you plant corn, you have to take care of it, nurture it, fertilize it and then you can reap the rewards, so it is similar to the West Indies cricket team.”There are movements afoot to reinvigorate the administration of West Indies cricket, and Sammy said he had been inspired to witness a speech made by Sir Garfield Sobers back in April, when a panel of West Indies legends gathered in Grenada to call for the dissolution of the board, in line with the CARICOM cricket review panel’s recommendation.”I listened to Sir Garry speak, and it brought tears to my eyes,” said Sammy. “The same thing he went through, playing 50 years ago, it is still happening. To watch a legend that I look up to, speak with such passion and hurt, it’s sad. The people in charge of West Indies cricket have to make it better, swallow their pride and their ego – and some of us players too – and work for the betterment of West Indies cricket. Because that’s who we play for, the fans.”Despite the distractions, Sammy confirmed that the politics had played a massive part in uniting his team throughout their World T20 triumph.”I’m telling you, it was a massive motivation, a massive drive for the guys,” he said. “We made a conscious effort to go out and play and stay focused. As a team it brought us closer together and in the face of adversity we always tend to rise. We fought like cornered tigers, and it was a very memorable experience, seeing guys committed to one cause.”We should use that in all formats we play, whether one-day or Tests, because once we believe and stick together, we can achieve. I am just hoping that, in the coming months, we could have the right people in place to take West Indies cricket forward.”

Arsenal travel to Manchester City on Wednesday evening in a potentially season-defining title clash, with Mikel Arteta no doubt desperately searching for ways to stop the prolific Erling Haaland.

Does Arteta need to make defensive changes at Arsenal?

The Gunners have struggled immensely from a defensive perspective following the injury to William Saliba, with Rob Holding so far proving an inadequate replacement for the Frenchman alongside Gabriel in the heart of Arsenal's defence.

It is often said that attack wins you games and defence wins you titles and right now Arsenal's defence is far from good enough, with no clean sheets in their last five Premier League games, which has included damaging draws against Liverpool, West Ham United and Southampton.

Holding has been a big reason behind those defensive difficulties, as his woeful average rating of 6.26 from WhoScored is a stark contrast to Saliba's strong 6.77 rating this term.

Unfortunately, the French youngster won't be fit for the trip to the Etihad and with the title potentially on the line, Arteta must make changes to his backline if he wants to stop City and the dangerous Haaland.

Should Tierney start against Manchester City?

One potential change could see the Gunners revert to a three-at-the-back formation, with Gabriel and Ben White starting alongside Kieran Tierney at centre-back, with the former Celtic man adopting the role he undertakes on international duty with Scotland.

Steve Clarke was left with a difficult decision when selecting Tierney or Andrew Robertson at left-back for Scotland and now describes the Arsenal man as "the best overlapping centre-back in world football," so it is certainly a role he could perform for the Gunners at the Etihad tonight.

This would free up Oleksandr Zinchenko to play in an inverted wing-back role which could give him more time and space in the midfield, while also ensuring that he isn't left so exposed defensively after struggling in recent weeks, with Bukayo Saka more than capable of playing in a wing-back role on the right.

Tierney's pace could also be crucial on the cover against the explosive Haaland, as Arsenal could find themselves completely overwhelmed if Holding and Gabriel are asked to deal with him, given the former's lack of speed, in particular.

The 25-year-old may have struggled with injuries and consistent form since joining the Gunners but there is no doubting his "warrior" attitude – as per Ashley Cole – which could prove vital in what will be the biggest test of Arsenal's title credentials at the Etihad.

Pep Guardiola's side head into the game as favourites but if Arteta opts to surprise his former mentor by unleashing the "unbelievable" Tierney – as dubbed by Kris Boyd – in a centre-back role, it could just see the Gunners get their title bid back on track with a huge win.

Leeds United have a host of academy talent all of which are awaiting their first team opportunity, however, their status as a perennially relegation-battling outfit of late makes it harder to promote youngsters.

To unleash such malleable starlets into the troubles that a fight for survival offers is to risk their entire careers, as it truly is a sink-or-swim environment. Some might relish the opportunity and play a huge role in avoiding the drop, whilst others could wilt and never recover from the confidence dent it would bring.

Therefore, Javi Gracia will likely be hesitant to promote any of the Whites' future stars unless it is absolutely necessary, or unless they have proven their ability to perform at the required level.

From the academy, Darko Gyabi stands out as the asset who is most likely to soon break into the senior outfit. The classy central midfielder, who signed for a £5m fee in the summer, boasts immense potential and has shown glimpses of his talent throughout a fine year for the U21s.

However, going about his business quietly in the background has been Charlie Allen, who merits a call-up just as much as the former Manchester City man.

Who is Charlie Allen?

With 15 Premier League 2 appearances to his name this season, Gyabi has contributed two goals and three assists as the star of the engine room. This has led to three senior cameos in various competitions, including his Premier League debut too.

However, all the while Allen has played just one more game in the league yet boasts two goals and four assists. Despite this, and the fact the 19-year-old has been around the club far longer than his teammate, a senior appearance he still lacks.

That is not to suggest that the midfield maestro is not highly rated, it just seems that the teenager has perhaps been overshadowed by such a big-money addition to the youth setup.

His international elite performance director, Jim Magilton, clearly envisions a bright future for the versatile ace, as he claimed: "Charlie is one of those kids you can play anywhere and he’ll probably still be the best player on the pitch. He can play right back, central midfield, on either wing, at No10 or at centre forward."

This unparalleled ability to deputise in any given role is truly priceless and should give Allen the edge in the battle with Gyabi.

With a sparkling future laid out in front of him, this particular academy gem has proven that he could be one of the few who would swim, were he just handed an opportunity to prove his worth to Gracia as they enter the run-in.

Barcelona are reportedly keen on a move for Portugal international Joao Cancelo, with the player thought to be heading for a summer exit.

Is Cancelo leaving Manchester City?

Cancelo made a surprising loan move from Manchester City in January after a reduction in his game time, but after an initially bright start in Germany for Bayern Munich, he is now struggling to impress.

He was described as “world-class” by Bayern president Herbert Hainer after a strong debut, but it now appears that the club will not activate the option to buy in his loan contract, and Cancelo will likely look for another route away from Man City.

Indeed, a report from Sport has confirmed that Barcelona are an option, with the Blaugrana keen to add Cancelo to their squad in what could be a loan deal.

It claimed: “Joao Cancelo’s name has gone down well at Barcelona. The Portuguese right-back is a name that is on the table for the Catalan club to sign in the immediate future, taking into account the needs of the team.

“President Joan Laporta himself explained this week that Barça would like [to] reinforce next season with a full-back, a centre-back and a striker. The options [being] considered are various, but Cancelo has emerged in the last few hours with a lot of strength.

“Both the board and the sporting committee view favourably the possible incorporation of the player, who would arrive on loan as Manchester City are willing to loan him out and Bayern Munich, his current club, have no intention of keeping him on loan or exercising the option to buy at the end of the season.”

Where could Cancelo play for Barcelona?

Cancelo is capable of playing on both sides at full-back, and this versatility could open a number of different tactical options for Xavi Hernandez.

Jules Kounde or Ronald Araujo have often played at right-back, despite both being more natural centre-halves, whilst Jordi Alba and Alejandro Balde are the two attack-minded options on the left.

Xavi could use Cancelo to either provide an alternative option on the right, which could see Kounde move to the centre, or as another rotational player to help the team in attack when in possession.

Over the past year, Cancelo ranks in the top 6% of full-backs for progressive carries, progressive passes, attacking penalty area touches and successful take-ons (as per FBref), showing what a valuable asset the 28-year-old could be going forward for Barcelona if he completes a transfer in the summer.