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Juventus winger Federico Chiesa would prefer to join Liverpool instead of Newcastle United this summer, according to a new transfer update.

How much does Federico Chiesa earn?

The 25-year-old, who currently earns £149,000 per week, has already enjoyed a successful career, most famously winning Euro 2020 with Italy and proving to be an influential performer for them at the tournament.

At club level, Chiesa has also impressed, initially coming to mainstream attention with some impressive performances for Fiorentina, which earned him a move to Juventus. He has registered 42 goal contributions (22 goals and 20 assists) in 94 appearances for the Turin giants, proving to be a potent threat in attack.

That being said, the Italian hasn't always managed to nail down a regular starting berth for his current club, with injuries and form sometimes getting in the way. His current deal expires in the summer of 2025, but it could be that he is allowed to join a new team in the current transfer window.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Chiesa in the recent past and it is a rumour that is refusing to go away.

Could Liverpool sign Federico Chiesa?

According to journalist Marco Guidi, who was speaking to TV Play [via Sport Witness], the Italy international could be a potential target for both the Reds and Newcastle. Bayern Munich are also in the conversation, with his preference being to seal a move to a 'top club':

“The player would be more inclined to sign for a classic top club, such as Liverpool or Bayern Munich. If Newcastle have the economic strength they will try to take Chiesa. The Newcastle option could only be taken into consideration at the end of the transfer market, in the case of few offers on the plate."

There is no doubting Chiesa's pedigree as a footballer, with the Juve man a hugely dangerous attacking player on his day – Cristiano Ronaldo even reportedly wanted him to join him at Manchester United when he returned to Old Trafford for a second stint at the club.

Former Italy defender Alessandro Pierini has described his compatriot as "world-class" in the past, adding that he "has all the ability and desire of a great player", and there is no doubt he could be a new attacking hero at Liverpool.

The Reds are already extremely well-stocked in that area, however, with Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo all representing strong options, so it would be a surprise to see the club fork out big money on Chiesa, especially when midfield and defence are more important areas to strengthen.

In the future, Chiesa could potentially be a great signing, especially with Salah's contract slowly running down, but it is hard to see how he would start matches on a regular basis and remain happy with so much competition for places already.

It would, therefore, be a big surprise to see him in a Liverpool shirt ahead of the new Premier League season, unless one of the attackers suddenly leaves, which isn't expected to happen.

Glasgow Rangers signed John Souttar from Hearts last summer, and although he missed a large chunk of the season due to injury, it looked like he was back to his old self after impressing in the final few matches of 2022/23.

Should the 26-year-old – who was dubbed "outstanding" by his manager last term – fulfil his undoubted potential, he could well become one of the first names on the team sheet under Michael Beale, while also going on to be the finest player the club have signed from Hearts since Neil McCann in 1998.

The winger was lured to Glasgow by Dick Advocaat during his maiden campaign, and he went on to enjoy wonderful success at the Ibrox side over the next five years.

The tricky winger was able to dart past players and his finishing touch allowed him to score a total of 23 goals across 178 appearances. He is perhaps most well known for scoring a brace against Celtic in May 1999 that clinched the league title at Parkhead.

In the present day, the Gers have been linked with a move for current Hearts talisman, Lawrence Shankland, so could Beale repeat the club's McCann masterclass?

How many goals did Lawrence Shankland score last season?

The 27-year-old could certainly give Beale an added goal-scoring option in his side, especially coming off the back of a season where he netted 28 times across all competitions.

Not only that, but the striker has scored a grand total of 173 goals during his club career, turning into one of the finest out-and-out strikers in Scotland.

Could Rangers sign Lawrence Shankland?

The Light Blues have earmarked Brazilian striker Danilo as their main target, with Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad (via The Daily Record) reporting that a bid of €6.5m (£5.6m) has met the asking price set by Feyenoord and they appear to be closing in on the player.

That isn’t to say that Beale still couldn’t look at Shankland too, especially as he could offer a solid threat in front of goal, especially in the Premiership.

Across the whole Hearts squad last season in the league, the Scot ranked first for goals and assists (28), shots on target per game (1.4) and scoring frequency (a goal every 127 minutes).

In comparison, James Tavernier had the highest number of goals and assists in the Gers squad with 25, while Antonio Colak topped the pile with 1.2 shots on target per game, suggesting that Shankland could find a place in the Rangers starting XI due to these numbers.

He was lauded by journalist Joel Sked at the end of 2022, who said: “Lawrence Shankland has been different class for Hearts. So much more to his game than goals. His ability to drop in, act as that focal point and link player, his awareness, and the way he creates space for himself. All so good and so vital.”

This summer has seen a large overhaul of the Rangers squad as Beale looks to get his team firing in the bid to win trophies next season. Signing the £3k-per-week Hearts star may not be his most impressive purchase, but he could give the team another option in the penalty box.

Having seen the success that the aforementioned McCann enjoyed after trading Edinburgh for Glasgow, perhaps a move for Shankland can prove just as fruitful.

Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, has defended his decision to allow key England players to participate in the IPL despite subsequent injury concerns

George Dobell30-May-2017

Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, has defended his decision to allow key England players to participate in the IPL despite subsequent injury concerns.Both Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes were obliged to sit-out games during the recent ODI series against South Africa after sustaining what have been described as minor knee and quad “niggles” respectively.But with the Champions Trophy starting in a couple of days, the decision to allow such important players to spend almost the entire IPL season in India is sure to come under more scrutiny. While the England team management remain confident both men will be fit for their opening Trophy match against Bangladesh on Thursday, there is a possibility that Stokes will be fit to play only as a specialist batsman.Strauss, however, is confident there are many benefits in IPL experience. Echoing comments made by Stokes and Woakes – and before them, the likes of Eoin Morgan and Kevin Pietersen – Strauss felt the experience in India could help.”The players who have gone over there have benefitted massively from the experience,” he said. “We’ve seen that already with the maturity that Ben is playing with the bat. And it looked like he’s improved his bowling at the death tremendously, too.”I think Chris Woakes was saying that to go there, to learn from the best players in the world and pit themselves against the best players in the world…they come back from that experience knowing they’re as good as anyone out there. The deep-rooted belief they get from that is massively important.”I’ve always seen the massive advantages of our players going out there. And that was on the back of us under-performing in white-ball cricket for year after year after year, and clearly falling behind some of the other teams.”There is no evidence that either injury was sustained in India. Indeed, you could argue that both men would have been required to play far more had they remained in England and been utilised by their counties. Moeen Ali, another of England’s allrounders, also missed the final ODI against South Africa with a minor groin strain and he did not play in the IPL.”That is the slight risk you take when you make people available for a chunk of cricket that is outside the international schedule,” Strauss said. “Injuries are part and parcel of life, but on one hand you weigh-up the potential risk and on the other you ask what they can potentially gain from that experience. That’s what forms the decision.”Thankfully I don’t think any of those injuries are of massive concern at this stage. It’s very much precautionary that they’re not playing at this stage. We want them to hit the ground running in the Champions Trophy.”Having said that, we’ve always got to balance that great opportunity for them with the schedules and workloads. And we just need to keep looking at this on a year by year and case by case basis. There will be times where it may be the smart thing not to play and at other times it might be the smart thing for them to play in the IPL.”Up until now, we’ve had mature, adult conversations with players about their availability. That’s why some of the guys came back for those Ireland internationals and some of the guys stayed at the IPL. And that’s what we’ll continue to do. When the opportunity is right for players to go – and when we feel they’ll benefit from that experience – we’ll try and make it possible.”While Stokes, Woakes and Jos Buttler were permitted to miss the two ODIs against Ireland in order to remain at the IPL this year, Strauss baulked at the suggestion that players would ever be allowed to miss a Test in similar circumstances.”Personally, I think that’s unlikely,” he said. “When you get to the stage where you’re missing Test matches to play in IPL that sends out a very strong message about where your priorities are and I would be uncomfortable with that.”It is a delicate balance Strauss must strike. As well as providing opportunities for players to benefit from experience in overseas leagues, he is also keen to help them benefit financially. And while there is no sense of the contractual wrangles that are currently clouding Australian cricket, as more money floods into the game, it is an issue on which the ECB will have to remain alert.”There are always negotiations between players and employers around what is a fair structure for salaries and pay,” Strauss said. “Our current agreement is tied in with our TV deal that runs till 2019. There will be conversations over the next couple of years to ensure we put together something that’s fair and everyone is happy with.”I’m in no way commenting on what’s happening in Cricket Australia, because I don’t know the ins and outs of it. But I’d be very surprised if anything other than a full-strength team turned out at the Gabba. I would have thought the Ashes will focus people’s minds to make sure they get a conclusion to where they are at the moment.”Then I’d like to think we can have some sort of mature conversations with TEPP [The Team England Player Partnership; the branch of the PCA that negotiates on behalf of England players] and the players themselves early enough to prevent us going down that sort of route. And as much as possible, behind closed doors and in the right sort of spirit.”What I’m focused on is making sure the relationships between ourselves as the national governing body and our players who are contracted to us are as good as they possibly can be. That’s the best way of ensuring that those conversations happen in good faith.”

Chelsea are set to hold a fresh round of discussions regarding a deal to sign Flamengo star Matheus Franca, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?

Following Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival, the boss has wasted no time in starting to create his new-look squad by having a mass clearout which has seen the confirmed departures of Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, N’Golo Kante and Tiemoue Bakayoko.

RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku and Villarreal’s Nicolas Jackson have come in as senior recruits in the opposite direction, as per Transfermarkt.

Franca, who is primarily an attacking midfielder, has worked his way up through the ranks at the Maracana Stadium to become a regular feature of Jorge Sampaoli’s first-team, having made 53 senior appearances since entering the fold back in January 2022.

The Brazilian’s impressive performances in his homeland appear to have caught the eye of the Blues hierarchy after The Daily Mail reported that they are exploring a deal for the 19-year-old, who has also previously attracted interest from Premier League rivals Newcastle United, West Ham and Crystal Palace.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano confirmed that the teenager is “keen on the move” to Stamford Bridge, and having been made aware of this, negotiations are expected to take place in the coming days to try and reach an agreement for his transfer.

Are Chelsea signing Franca?

Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that Chelsea and Flamengo have organised discussions to see if they can find a middle ground on a switch for Franca. He wrote:

“Chelsea have scheduled new round of talks for Franca with Flamengo. Matheus, being negotiated for €20m fee while Flamengo want at least €25m (£21m). #CFC. Can confirm again Angelo Gabriel plan to fly to London this week then sign 6 year deal at Chelsea. €15m fee to Santos.”

Would Franca be a good signing?

Chelsea will recognise that Franca being just 19 years of age means he’d be a signing more so for the long-term future of the club, but he also looks more than ready to be involved with the first-team, so should he put pen to paper he would be a wonderfully exciting acquisition for Pochettino.

The Rio De Janeiro native, who’s sponsored by Nike, has posted 14 goal contributions (11 goals and three assists) in 58 appearances throughout his career so far and is a constant threat in the final third, ranking in the 97th percentile for most shots by players in his position and the 96th percentile for number of attacking touches in the opposition’s penalty area.

Flamengo’s “sensation”, as lauded by journalist Aaron Stokes, also has the ability to play in six various positions across the pitch, including everywhere across the frontline alongside his usual role in the centre of the park, so he would provide the boss with plenty of versatility.

Finally, Franca may only be a teenager but he’s already got a taste of success with two senior trophies to his name and there’s no doubt that he’s hungry for more, which is a goal that he could achieve should he decide to link up with the squad in SW6.

Leeds United's relegation from the Premier League was a frustrating one given the talent within their squad, as it was believed that they had the requisite quality across the pitch to avoid the drop.

However, in the end, it was not standout poor performances that resulted in their Championship return, but instead questionable decisions from the hierarchy that had led to this catastrophic moment.

The sacking of Marcelo Bielsa should have ushered in a fresh new era at Elland Road, and yet in an effort to mimic what had clearly begun to go stale, the appointment of Jesse Marsch marked the beginning of the end.

He may have guided them to safety, but the season following he had to go. Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce could not undo the havoc he had wreaked on this squad, that boasted the goalscoring talents of Rodrigo and the midfield magnificence of Tyler Adams.

Whilst the former has been destined to depart for some time, should the 49ers tempt the USA international to give them one more year, he could be the catalyst that secures them instant promotion.

Especially if they are to pair him with Harry Winks, who reports have suggested the Whites are interested in. That said, they would have to hijack any proposed deal on the table that Leicester have, with the Foxes looking set to procure his signature.

Would Harry Winks improve Leeds United?

As a safe and steady presence in the engine room, his calming demeanour could complement the all-action style of Adams.

After all, both have enjoyed solid campaigns in England at some point in their careers, with the 24-year-old American's having only come last term. His 6.98 average rating was upheld through one key pass and 3.7 tackles per game (via Sofascore), outlining his presence all over the pitch.

When given the opportunity, this touch-tackling maestro can be just as influential in attack as he can in screening the back four.

It is these qualities that suggest someone like Winks would be the perfect partner for him, with his loan spell in Italy serving to prove this. Whilst hardly outstanding in any area of the game, it is this versatility that could allow Adams to operate wherever he sees fit, knowing that his partner will cover for him.

In the Serie A, the 27-year-old Englishman maintained an 85% pass accuracy in the engine room, alongside 1.2 interceptions, 1.4 tackles, one clearance and 0.8 key passes per game, via Sofascore.

His pass accuracy would actually make him the most accurate passer within the Leeds squad from last season. Such devotion to doing the dirty work saw him deserving of the title of a "top professional", bestowed upon him by pundit Paul Robinson.

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The £8m-rated general's arrival could prove instrumental in actually tempting the former RB Leipzig star to stick around in Yorkshire, as it would be a show of faith to the importance he would hold for the new season.

After all, having been branded a "monster" in the past by former pro Alexi Lalas, with Winks beside him he could surely recapture this form in the Championship with ease.

A round-up of the sixth round of Sunfoil Series matches on January 8, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2017Cape Cobras marched to a commanding six-wicket win in Outdshoorn against Lions after they chased down the target of 237 inside 44 overs on the final day with an aggressive and unbeaten century from Wayne Parnell. He struck the game’s only century as well as contributed with the ball to take Cobras to their first win in six matches.Once Lions were dismissed for 383 on the final day, Cobras had 46 overs to chase and did so by scoring at nearly 5.50 runs per over on the back of Parnell’s 103 off 131 balls that featured seven fours and two sixes. Once their first wicket fell at the score of 74, a 125-run second-wicket partnership between Parnell and Stiaan van Zyl (64 off 65) took them to 199, before van Zyl was dismissed by Aaron Phangiso. By then, Cobras were on top and they completed the win soon after Parnell reached only his second first-class ton, and he smashed the winning runs with a four.Lions were on the backfoot in the game’s first session when they crumbled to 44 for 6 in under 23 overs after being asked to bat. Dwaine Pretorius scored 35 at No. 6, but with his dismissal, Lions soon folded for 126. Parnell broke the opening stand and collected three of the last five wickets to finish with 4 for 26.Cobras overcame Lions’ score in reply, but not without their own collapse. Opener Omphile Ramela struck a patient 75 even as the rest of the top five batsmen scored 15 runs together. After Ramela steered them till the score of 159, Aviwe Mgijima scored 73 and an unbeaten 48 off 135 from Dane Piedt helped them put on 273. Pretorius and Willem Mulder took three wickets each.Trailing by 147, Lions put on a stronger batting performance second time around, but after another collapse, as Nicky van den Bergh’s 93 helped his team recover from 48 for 4. He shared 97 runs with Pretorius (62) for the fifth wicket to nearly wipe off the deficit but was removed by Piedt. A late surge from the tailenders led by Bjorn Fortuin (72) took Lions to 383, helped by Hardus Viljoen’s 46, but it was not enough to stop Cobras.Kingsmead saw a tame draw between Dolphins and Warriors after inclement weather resulted in a curtailed second day, and a third day that had to be called off without a ball being bowled. In the 180.4 overs the match saw, Dolphins’ Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Divan van Wyk and left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy delivered standout performances. Warriors batsman Colin Ackermann, who scored 81 in the first innings, was their only notable show.Asked to bat, Warriors’ innings consisted of a 102-run partnership between two batting collapses. After their openers put on 47 runs, Warriors soon saw themselves at 99 for 4. Ackermann stitched a century stand for the fifth wicket with Somila Seyibokwe (54) to take Warriors past 200, but with Seyibokwe’s dismissal, a second Warriors collapse saw them all out for 231. Muthusamy accounted for Ackermann and three other lower-order wickets as he returned figures of 4 for 49.Dolphins, who finished the first day on 39 for no loss, then batted through spells of poor weather to take a comfortable lead. Van Jaarsveld struck his 15th first-class century, scoring 154 while putting together consecutive century partnerships. He added 145 runs for the second wicket with van Wyk (95) and another 116 runs with Cody Chetty. By the time van Jaarsveld – whose century earned him the Player-of-the-Match award – was dismissed in the 86th over, the Dolphins lead had gone past 100 and the teams agreed on a draw after playing 40 overs on the last day. Dolphins earned 9.22 points while Warriors got only 3.62 points from the match.In Bloemfontein, a dangerous pitch after two days of rain saw the match between Knights and Titans being abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Newcastle United are not in talks to bring Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella to the Premier League, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Is Nicolo Barella leaving Inter Milan?

The Italy international permanently arrived at the San Siro Stadium back in 2020 following a successful loan spell from Cagliari Calcio, and across both of his spells with Simone Inzaghi's side, he’s made a total of 187 appearances to date.

The Serie A veteran still has another three years remaining on his contract in his homeland, but having established himself as their overall fourth best-performing player last season with a WhoScored match rating of 6.94, has caught the attention of Eddie Howe.

On Wednesday evening, The Telegraph broke an exclusive story that the Magpies had entered talks regarding a deal to sign the 26-year-old for £50m, with Sky Sports further claiming that the northeast boss is a huge fan of the maestro, but a significant update has now emerged suggesting things aren't looking too hopeful just yet.

Are Newcastle signing Barella?

Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that whilst Newcastle do admire Barella, they aren’t in fact part of any ongoing negotiations to secure his services, with Inter Milan not even having yet been contacted by the hierarchy. He wrote:

“Inter have not received formal approach or bid for Nicolo Barella. Newcastle have genuine interest as Telegraph called, but nothing is advanced at this stage. Inter sources feel £50m is nowhere near his valuation… also, nothing agreed with Barella on personal terms.”

Should PIF make an offer for Barella?

Barella is naturally a central player and last season was recognised for his personal efforts by being named the Midfielder of the Year in Serie A, but he’s much stronger in the offensive aspect of his game so PIF should 100% consider tabling a bid to bring him to St. James’ Park.

The World Cup participant, who’s sponsored by Nike, racked up 13 goal contributions (seven assists and six goals) in 35 Serie A appearances during the previous campaign, with this form seeing him receive four man-of-the-match awards, and he was also a threat even when the ball didn't hit the back of the net.

Barella, who knows what it takes to be successful with seven career trophies to his name, recorded 121 shot-creating actions which was the second-highest total throughout the whole of his squad, via FBRef, so when you consider this alongside his versatility to operate everywhere across the midfield, it’s a no-brainer of a deal to attempt.

A round-up of the third day of Group C matches in the fifth round of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2016A 160-run seventh wicket stand between Samar Dubhashi (97) and Shadab Jakati (92) helped Goa put up 270 in their first innings and gain a 72-run lead over Chhattisgarh after they were reduced to 70 for 6 on the second day.The pair had already added 57 when the day began, with Goa on 127 for 6 in reply to Chhattisgarh’s 198. They batted out the first session without being separated to give their team the lead. Jakati, the dominant partner, hit nine fours and two sixes in his 92 before falling to the part-time offspin of Sahil Gupta. Wicketkeeper Dubhashi played a more sedate 97 off 283 balls and was the last batsman out, three short of his maiden century, when he was bowled by Pankaj Rao (4 for 95).In reply, Chhattisgarh were reduced to 7 for 2 in the third over, before Sahil’s unbeaten 50, and captain Mohammad Kaif’s unbeaten 38 – his highest score this season – took them to 95 for 2 at stumps.Jammu and Kashmir rode on half-centuries from Ian Dev Singh (99), Shubham Khajuria (86) and Parvez Rasool (68) to end the third day on 337 for 4 in their second innings against Himachal Pradesh in Ranchi.J&K had ended the second day on 39 for no loss after conceding a first-innings lead of 208. Their opening pair of Shubham Khajuria and Umar Nazir brought up the 50 of the stand, before being separated within the first three overs of the day. That brought Ian Dev and Khajuria together, and the pair added 155 for the second wicket. It was their second consecutive stand of more than 150 this season.Left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma removed Khajuria with the score on 205. Ian Dev ensured his team knocked off the deficit, before Bipul struck again, having Ian Dev caught, one short of his 14th first-class century.Rasool’s 68 off 72 balls helped J&K accelerate towards the end of the day, and go into stumps with a 129-run lead.Kerala built on their strong start against Haryana to secure a 101-run first-innings lead in Jaipur.Kerala resumed the day on 170 for 1 in reply to Haryana’s 303. They started patiently, scoring only 45 off 30 overs in the first session, for the loss of Rohan Prem (64).Haryana fought back with quick strikes after lunch, dismissing Bhavin Thakkar, the other overnight batsman, for 79, and Sanju Samson within five overs after the break as Kerala slipped from 203 for 1 to 220 for 4. But Sachin Baby scored 52 and added 46 with N Surendran (28) for the fifth wicket, and 65 with Iqbal Abdulla for the sixth to take them past Haryana’s score. Abdulla then added useful runs with the tail, and scored 61 himself to help stretch Kerala’s score to 404 for 9, before they declared.Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal took four wickets each for Haryana, who ended the day on 6 for no loss, trailing by 95 runs.It was another slow day at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, where Andhra responded to Services’ 446 with 177 for 1 in 79 overs.Andhra opener Prasanth Kumar scored an unbeaten 90 off 236 balls. He put on 80 for the opening wicket with KS Bharat (42), and 97 for the second wicket – 35 with captain Hanuma Vihari who retired hurt on 18, and 62 with KR Sreekanth, who was unbeaten on 24 at stumps.The day began with Services resuming on 400 for 8. Rahul Singh, unbeaten on 95 overnight, completed his second first-class century, and was unbeaten on 127 when Services folded for 446, having batted out 188.5 overs. CV Stephen (3 for 87) and DB Ravi Teja (3 for 25) took the two Services wickets to fall on the day.

India Blue’s marathon innings ended on 707 at stumps on the second day of their 2016-17 Duleep Trophy match against India Green, after centuries from Cheteshwar Pujara and Sheldon Jackson

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo – Cheteshwar Pujara scored his 32nd first-class century from his favoured No. 3 position•Associated PressIndia Blue’s marathon innings ended on 707 at stumps on the second day of their Duleep Trophy match against India Green. Cheteshwar Pujara (166) and Sheldon Jackson (105) joined Mayank Agarwal as first-innings centurions as India Blue ground India Green into submission in Greater Noida on Monday.On an unhelpful surface that offered neither swing nor turn, India Green made matters worse for themselves, handing reprieves to batsmen through no-balls and dropped catches. Some of the batsmen who benefited from these lapses did not capitalise, but these were small mercies for India Green.India Blue’s towering first-innings total gives them a significant advantage as they look to push for a lead that would take them through to the final against India Red. India Blue are already ahead of India Green on the points table, by virtue of the point they earned through the washout against India Red.Resuming on 63, Pujara played a chanceless innings, almost never taking the aerial route – he hit 24 fours, but not a single six. Pujara seemed equally at ease against spin and pace and didn’t seem troubled at all, irrespective of the length. He eventually fell for 166 off 280 after an inside-edge onto the stumps. Failing to pick a Shreyas Gopal googly and seeing that it was short, Pujara made room to cut. But with the ball spinning back in, it was too close to the body and he chopped on. “Even when I was facing spinners, it was very difficult to pick the googly under lights,” Pujara said after his dismissal. “A little difficult to pick the seam on the pink ball.”Pujara said that facing up to the new ball under lights on the opening day was the toughest phase of his innings. “This was my first game with the pink ball. I enjoyed batting on this wicket. There wasn’t much help for the fast bowlers. The most difficult session was the third session [on the first day], under lights, when they took the second new ball. It moved about and came on faster.”Pujara’s 32nd first-class century came from his preferred No. 3 position, although he acknowledged the importance of being adaptable. “Sometimes, you have to be prepared to bat at any number. If given a choice, and because I have scored so many runs at No. 3, I know how to bat there, I know how to build an innings. Given a choice, I would like to bat at No. 3, but I’m happy to bat wherever.”By the time Pujara was dismissed, Jackson had already raced to 26 off 31 balls and had added 46 runs for the sixth wicket. Jackson brought a different style to the table, stepping down to the spinners at will and unafraid to launch the ball in the air. Where Pujara was all patience and grind, Jackson provided a neat study in contrast with his brute force and muscle. He had his slice of luck – he was dropped by M Vijay at slip on 74 – but otherwise provided a brilliant display of clean hitting. He brought up his 10th first-class century with a drilled boundary down the ground off Shreyas.”I consider myself lucky; I was dropped in the 70s,” Jackson said. “The wicket was good and the ball was coming on nicely. When the new ball comes, it gets difficult [to sight it] because the speed changes, the ball skids on at good pace, so making the minor adjustment takes a little bit of time.”Every match I score is important, but to score in such matches is very important because it is live and people are watching. It [the surface] should behave a little differently on days 3 and 4. Both the sides [of the ball] are scuffed up a little bit.”Jackson found good support from Parvez Rasool, who scored 25, and Karn Sharma, who stroked his way to 57. By the time he fell – holing out to long-on to give Shreyas his fifth wicket and bring the innings to a close – he had ensured India Green were buried under a mountain of runs.

Former Kenya captain Steve Tikolo has been appointed coach of the Uganda national team

ESPNcricinfo staff30-May-2016

Former Kenya captain Steve Tikolo has been appointed coach of the Uganda national team, ahead of the side’s participation in the World Cricket League Division Three scheduled for 2017.This will be Tikolo’s second stint with Uganda; he served as Uganda’s assistant and batting coach in 2012-13. During that tenure, Uganda won the T20 African Premier League and qualified for the 2014 World Cup Qualifier after finishing in the top two with Nepal at WCL Division Three in May 2013. This experience is said to have counted in Tikolo’s favour, when compared to other candidates.”I am not a stranger in Uganda,” Tikolo told journalists at a function organised by the Uganda Cricket Association (UCA). “I have been here several times. This is my second home and I will be comfortable. I am excited and anxious in a positive way.”Speaking of his goals as coach, Tikolo highlighted the team’s quest for a Division Two berth. Uganda finished last in the 10-team 2014 World Cup Qualifier, which put them back in Division Three. After being promoted once again at the end of 2014 in Malaysia, Uganda finished last in the group stage at 2015 Division Two in Namibia, resulting in relegation back to Division Three once more, this time with Canada.”Our immediate target is to qualify back to Division Two. I am determined to achieve the targets before me. I am a man of few words and my work will speak for itself.”In an international career spanning almost 18 years, Tikolo played 135 ODIs and 15 T20Is for Kenya. His attractive batting, useful part-time bowling and leadership position in the side made him the face of Kenyan cricket during its heyday in the early 2000s.