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Tottenham Hotspur seem to be closing in on what could be Ange Postecoglou's first blunder of his tenure…

What's the latest on Clement Lenglet to Tottenham?

That's according to Spanish outlet Sport, who suggest that the Lilywhites have now agreed personal terms with Clement Lenglet over his proposed return on a permanent basis.

The Barcelona man spent last term on loan in north London, and despite having not set the world alight, has come available for just €10m (£9m). Whilst this might mark a coup, negotiating a change to his £200k-per-week wages should have proved more of a stumbling block than it apparently has done.

It now falls to the two clubs to try and iron out an acceptable fee that would see the 28-year-old finally end his miserable spell with the Catalan giants.

Should Tottenham sign Clement Lenglet permanently?

Having temporarily moved to England with a big reputation, this left-sided defender joined in what many believed to be an intelligent swoop for the club.

However, it quickly became clear why Xavi was so willing to allow the France international to depart the Camp Nou, with his displays in the English capital nothing short of abysmal.

Despite making 26 appearances in the league, he could only muster a 6.65 average Sofascore rating, only the 20th best in a Spurs side that missed out on European football. Gazing back through his recent campaigns in La Liga though, this should not have come as a surprise.

The term before his arrival he could only post a 6.67 average rating in the league, suggesting his steady decline has been there for all to see.

Journalist Jonathan Johnson sought to outline it too, when he took to Twitter to write in 2021: "Lenglet. A complete & utter liability of a defender."

Despite this, in what was a torrid season for Spurs, it was Davinson Sanchez who remained in the firing line for the bulk of the year. The Colombian was even booed off the pitch during one substitution, in which he cut a visibly upset figure.

This was whilst recording a higher average rating than Lenglet in the league of 6.87, even impressing the year before with his 7.08 average rating.

Although he may have been a big-money acquisition back in 2017, the investment into his potential was one worth making at the time, even if he is yet to fulfil it. With 205 games for the club under his belt, the 27-year-old has at least returned some value from his switch.

To sign Lenglet would be a huge blunder for Postecoglou, as he would only repeat the same mistakes that have led to their decline in stature.

The Australian must expel the failures of the past in order to command a brighter future for his new club, the likes of which these kinds of signings should not be a part.

Dimuth Karunaratne, Sri Lanka’s second-innings centurion, credited Mustafizur Rahman for a potentially match-turning spell after lunch on the fourth day

Andrew Fidel Fernando at P Sara Oval18-Mar-2017

A home loss to Bangladesh will be a blemish on Sri Lankan cricket, said Dimuth Karunaratne, while his side hung precariously in the Test at the P Sara Oval.Having lost five top-order wickets for 47 runs in the middle session, Sri Lanka are in danger of losing their first Test at home in seven matches. They are 139 runs ahead, with two wickets in hand. The lowest target successfully defended at this venue is 244 – in the last Test Sri Lanka played here, in 2015.”We have never lost a Test to Bangladesh, and we have a good home record recently, thanks to the win over Australia,” Karunaratne said. “If we lose here it could be a big scar on our cricket as well. We are at fault and we do need to own that mistake. I’m sure we’ll come out firing tomorrow to save the game.”The man largely responsible for backing Sri Lanka up against the wall was Mustafizur Rahman, who claimed 3 for 24 in what may be remembered as the spell of the series – at least from a seam bowler. Sri Lanka had progressed to 143 for 1 with relative comfort before Mustafizur was brought into the attack after lunch. At the end of that seven over spell, Bangladesh had a firm grip on the match, with a wicket having fallen at the other end as well.”Mustafizur took the game away from us,” Karunaratne said. “He reverse swung the ball well. He was bowling around the wicket to right-handers and the angle he was creating was difficult for the batsmen. We knew what he was doing and we had a plan to play the ball that was coming in and leave the ball that was going away. He bowls a maximum of five overs in a spell and we should have played that out. We panicked. We didn’t plan things out well. The wicket was set and maybe that gave us a false sense of security to go for runs instead of seeing off that period.”Though they scored only 214 runs in the day for the loss of eight wickets, Karunaratne also said the pitch held no major terrors. He had himself made 126 on it, and Sri Lanka’s ninth-wicket pair of Suranga Lakmal and Dilruwan Perera put on 30 in the span of 52 deliveries towards the end of play.”A batsman needs to have some time to get set, and that period can produce a few chances, but the way that Dilruwan and Suranga batted shows that wicket hasn’t become that bad yet,” he said. “The fast bowlers are having some reverse but I would say it is still a good wicket to bat on.”We have close to 140 lead, but if we can get a lead closer to 200 it will be much better. Or else we have to take quick wickets. Their openers are the key – they’ve scored a lot of runs this series, and we can put them under pressure if we dismiss them early. Before that, the remaining batsmen have to remain positive and rotate the strike and see how it goes.”

India have named an unchanged 16-man squad for the first two Tests of the upcoming series against Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-20171:28

Kalra: Don’t be surprised if Kuldeep Yadav gets a game

India have named an unchanged 16-man squad for the first two Tests of the upcoming series against Australia, starting February 23 in Pune. There was no press conference or an explanation in the BCCI press release, but it can be assumed that batsman Rohit Sharma, fast bowler Mohammed Shami and legspinner Amit Mishra had not recovered from their injuries.The three national selectors met in Mumbai a day after India won the one-off Test against Bangladesh in Hyderabad, and the recovery of the injured players would have been the only reason to change a winning combination. Shami is considered to be India’s best pace bowler and an expert at reverse swing. He had injured his knee during the England Test series.Karun Nair, who scored a triple-century in the Chennai Test against England, is available as a middle-order back-up, the spot Rohit vacated when he injured his thigh during the ODI series against New Zealand. Rohit had to undergo surgery in England and only resumed training last week.Mishra was named as the fourth spinner in the squad for the Bangladesh Test, behind R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Jayant Yadav. However, he injured his knee while diving on the bumpy Bangalore outfield during the final T20I against England. Kuldeep Yadav, the Uttar Pradesh left-arm wristspinner who was brought in as a replacement, retained his place in the squad.Kuldeep, who was named in the India A squad to play the tour game against the Australians, is likely to be withdrawn from the fixture, which starts from February 17. Allrounder Hardik Pandya, another member of this Test squad, is captain of India A and is expected to play.Squad: Virat Kohli (capt), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinav Mukund, Karun Nair, Hardik Pandya, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha, Ishant Sharma, M Vijay, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav

Steven Smith, Australia’s captain, praised Travis Head for taking his opportunity at No. 6 in Australia’s 68-run victory over New Zealand in the first match of the Chappell-Hadlee series

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2016Steven Smith, Australia’s captain, praised Travis Head for taking his opportunity at No. 6 in Australia’s 68-run victory over New Zealand in the first match of the Chappell-Hadlee series. Smith said the decision to prefer Head in the middle order had nothing to do with Glenn Maxwell’s comments about team-mate Matthew Wade ahead of the match, describing Head’s batting as “beautiful” after the two put on a century stand to revive Australia from 92 for 4 in Sydney.Head made 52, his highest international score and second half-century in 13 ODIs, to help set up the Australia innings, while Smith went on to record 164 – a record at the SCG – as New Zealand conceded a total that proved to be well out of their reach, despite a fighting hundred from Martin Guptill.”It was more about giving Travis another opportunity, he played well last week, scored a hundred in Shield cricket so he’s in good nick,” Smith said of the decision to pick Head ahead of Maxwell. “I guess it was about giving him an opportunity first and obviously he played pretty well, so he’s taken that opportunity.”Asked about the relationship between the two Victorians, after Maxwell’s criticism of Wade, Smith said: “I think they’re okay. I made some comments in here the other day about him, the comments that he made were disappointing and disrespectful towards Matty and I think we’ve moved on from that now and it’s about focusing on this series. It was great for us to get a win tonight and hopefully we can play some more good cricket in the nation’s capital.”Maxwell has not played an ODI since the tri-series with West Indies and South Africa in June, during which Head made his debut. Since then, Head has made a number of handy starts – only twice failing to reach double-figures – but he needed some luck in Sydney, with Matt Henry fluffing a simple catch when he had 7.”When he came out to bat, we were just communicating, saying that we’d try and get through to about 40 overs and then we’d have a bit of a crack at them,” Smith said. “We were able to still play quit positively through that period and score five an over, so we set ourselves up nicely with that partnership and I thought the way he played was beautiful, he obviously got dropped that one at mid-off, but besides that I think he played some really good cricket. And it was nice to see Matthew Wade come in at the end and play a good little cameo as well.”It looks like [Head’s] improving every game, he’s in good form, coming off the back of a hundred last week in the Shield, so he’s playing some good cricket and I’m sure he’s going to continue to improve.”Smith chose not to dwell on his own innings, calling it “pleasing” and saying he preferred the century he made at the SCG during the 2015 World Cup semi-final. He was also grateful for the indecision among the New Zealand ranks after Trent Boult appealed for an lbw when Smith had made 14 – Kane Williamson chose not to review, possibly on the suggestion of a team-mate that there was bat involved, only for Hawk-Eye to show it would have been overturned on DRS.”I was pretty glad they didn’t review it. I think it was out, so yeah, of course I’m glad,” Smith said. “But not much was really going through my head, I let it go pretty quickly and moved on. Thought he set me up pretty well, actually, Boult wasn’t swinging any so I was moving across even further and then he got one to come back quite late. So set me up pretty well and fortunately it got given not out, and unfortunate for NZ that it was.”I think someone said that I’d hit it, from point, I reckon I heard someone say that I’d hit it, and I think they ran with that. I may have looked at my bat at one point as well, to throw them.”

Tim Bresnan made an unbeaten 72 to keep Yorkshire’s Championship hopes alive, as Nick Compton’s dropped catch cost Middlesex

George Dobell at Lord's21-Sep-2016
ScorecardHe may have scored two Test centuries and played a part in England series victories in India and South Africa but, around these parts at least, Nick Compton is in danger of being remembered as the man who dropped the 2016 Specsavers County Championship.Had Compton, in the slips, held on to the relatively straightforward chance offered by Andy Hodd on 22 off Steven Finn, Yorkshire would have been 87 for 5 and in danger of seeing their relatively long tail exposed. One of the runners in this three-horse race may well have fallen away.Instead, the chance went down and Hodd, in partnership with the wonderfully resolute Tim Bresnan, added 116 for Yorkshire’s fifth wicket to keep their side in the game. The extent of the dent put into Middlesex’s Championship aspirations remains to be seen but it may well be that Compton has inadvertently done his former club, Somerset, a huge favour. A future in ‘He should have gone to Specsavers’ adverts is unlikely to provide much consolation.Such a reputation would be harsh, of course. Compton played crucial roles in two recent victories against Durham and Nottinghamshire and may yet have a defining contribution to make here. But when title races become as tight as this – and this one is beautifully, breathlessly tight – the importance of such moments is magnified.The concern for both these teams is that their excellence – and this has been a terrific game of tough, high-quality cricket albeit one marked by some significant dropped catches – is in danger of cancelling each other out. While Somerset do battle with a foe currently boasting the resilience of a butterfly, these two teams are bashing each other into a double knockout.For victory alone is unlikely to be enough for Yorkshire. With Somerset seemingly on course for victory at Taunton, Yorkshire need to not only win but win with a minimum of four batting bonus points. They therefore have to score 350 (or more) within the first 110 overs of their first innings here. With 115 more runs required from 41 more overs and three bowlers with modest batting pretensions to come, much remains required of the two batsmen who will resume in the morning.That Yorkshire remain in the race at all is largely due to Bresnan. Having bowled with skill and persistence to help squeeze the life out of the Middlesex batting, he then produced his highest score of the campaign – and his fifth half-century – to take his side within sight of first-innings parity.It’s hard to imagine Bresnan pulling out of a game like this due to weariness or lack of focus. Indeed, you imagine he may well report for duty with an arm hanging by a thread or nursing a nasty attack of the bubonic plague. While there were some murmurs ahead of the game that he was a little high at No. 5 in the batting line-up, he justified his promotion with a mature innings featuring much patient defence and some fine shot selection.Six of his seven fours came on the off-side – a couple of meaty drives, a couple of beefy cuts and a well-judged reverse sweep the most memorable of them – with one laced through midwicket. Reflecting the improvement in his batting, he took his career average above 30 for the first time during the course of this innings and, if he makes the 100 his side probably requires, it will stay there.He came to the crease with the three batsmen above him in the order having failed to contribute a run. Toby Roland-Jones, comfortably the pick of the Middlesex seamers, had defeated Alex Lees with a full ball and drawn edges from hard-handed prods by Gary Ballance and Andrew Gale. By the time the previously fluent Adam Lyth played on in Steven Finn’s first over, perhaps slightly surprised by the pace of a fuller delivery, Yorkshire were 53 for 4 and in danger of seeing their challenge fall away.Had Compton been able to cling on to the chance offered by Hodd – instead he seemed to go at it with hard hands – Middlesex may have taken an unassailable advantage in this match. But, as the sun came out and the ball softened, so batting started to look a little easier and the teams go into day three with the game all but even.Hodd played Ollie Rayner especially well. Refusing to let him settle, he scored at almost a run-a-ball off him, hitting him off his line with reverse sweeps and punishing him if he dropped short. Even after he departed, beaten by a full one from Roland-Jones that he tried to force, Rayner was unable to gain much purchase from the dry-looking square and was twice thrashed for sixes – one drive, one pulled – by David Willey. Though Willey also departed before the close, Azeem Rafiq gave Bresnan good support to keep Yorkshire’s hopes just about alive. Still, 350 looks some way distant.”We just tried to take the game situation – and the table situation – out of it,” Bresnan said. “We tried to focus on little goals: ten runs at a time. They bowled really well at us for a little spell and made it really tough for us. But cricket is about little battles and we managed to overcome that challenge and kick on.”With the clientele we’ve got in dressing room we never say never. We’ve managed to win from some unbelievable positions this season and if we can get up to 350 we’ll be in a good position. We’ve got 40-odd overs left to get 350, which should be plenty of time. We’ll just take it in tens.”Yorkshire’s bowlers were little short of magnificent in the morning session. While Jack Brooks, as accurate and whole-hearted as ever, finished with career-best figures of 6 for 65, he would be the first to admit he was the beneficiary of a sustained performance by all five seamers that never allowed Middlesex to score at even 2.5 an over. It was relentless in the way Test bowlers tend to be relentless: building pressure; forcing batsmen to earn every run. Even with little help from the pitch or the overhead conditions, they were so disciplined that Middlesex were never able to get away from them. Yorkshire aren’t giving up on their status as champions without a hell of a fight.Eventually that pressure showed. Nick Gubbins, perhaps mindful of Middlesex’s sluggish run-rate and keen to gain at least a third batting bonus point, was drawn into a loose drive that ended his fine innings, before James Franklin edged a good one that demanded a stroke. Unsure whether to go for a third batting point or deny Yorkshire a third bowling point, Middlesex blocked for a while only to then give it away when Tim Murtagh slogged to mid-off with just 20 balls left before the cut-off. It may yet prove to be crucial. In all, Middlesex were able to add only 62 runs for the loss of five wickets in 26.3 overs in the morning session. Without Gubbins’ century – and the dropped catch that allowed him a life on 22 – they would have had no answer to Yorkshire’s fine attack.”We’re in a dogfight, but we’re hanging in there,” Brooks said. “We didn’t let them get away and we’re still in there fighting. Bressy has worked his way up from eight to five with his batting and he’s probably been our best bowler in this game as well after coming in as fifth seamer. It shows what a world-class bowler he is.”The equation for Middlesex is, at least, simple. If they win this match, the Championship is theirs. The winning bit is far from guaranteed, though.”It’s nicely poised,” Roland-Jones said in understated fashion afterwards. “We’re trying to treat it as if it’s any other game when it’s obviously an experience you want to be part of and it’s quite high pressure.”You try not to pay too much attention [to what has been happening at Taunton], but of course you see it there. Our attitude coming into the game was to win it. If you come into the last game and dangle the carrot that if you win it you win the Championship, you take that. It’s not a bad place to be.”It will probably be no consolation to any of the sides that fall short – and truly, all three deserve better than disappointment – but the quality and intensity of this encounter reflects wonderfully well on English cricket. Perhaps familiarity has invited a certain complacency (if not contempt) to England’s first-class competition but if we still value developing Test players we will tinker no further with this great competition. The 9000 or so spectators who have attended over the first two days know this already; it’s a shame not all those inhabiting the ECB offices just beside the Nursery Ground share their enthusiasm.

Tottenham Hotspur chiefs hold 'reservations' over the possible appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, even if he could 'take the job immediately'.

What's the latest on Pochettino to Spurs?

The Argentine's prospective sensational return to Spurs, the club where he arguably made his reputation as an elite coach, has been a much discussed topic in north London.

Pochettino's name has been repeatedly mentioned both in the press and in the stands, with supporters heard chanting for his comeback at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The 51-year-old lead them to a Champions League final in 2019, their first ever as a football club, and earned praise for his work on a shoe-string budget.

Pochettino's exit from PSG last year, having signed off with a Ligue 1 title, makes him a readily-available free agent for hire with it being zero surprise he has been linked to Spurs.

He is even thought to be open to returning as Antonio Conte's replacement, yet according to recent reports, it appears the only thing standing in Tottenham's way is, in fact, Tottenham. There have been suggestions that chairman Daniel Levy favours a move for Burnley boss Vincent Kompany, even if members of the Spurs squad are yearning for Pochettino's return.

Now, a report from The Evening Standard claims that it isn't just Levy – with other members of the hierarchy holding 'reservations' over his return. This is apparently down to how the final five months of his tenure played out.

Indeed, even though Pochettino 'could potentially take the job immediately', as explained in the report, it appears there are those within the Tottenham boardroom who are opposed.

Should Spurs move for Pochettino?

We believe the South American is both a very safe and exciting choice – possibly standing out as their most attainable and obvious managerial candidate. Pochettino encourages the 4-3-3 attack formation, and for Spurs supporters who want to see the return of open, expansive football, this could be a real attraction.

Called a 'ruthless' tactician by talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, it perhaps speaks volumes that Tottenham players reportedly want him back at Hotspur Way.

Pochettino's experiences winning silverware in France, not to mention managing players of Lionel Messi's ilk, will have only strengthened the coach's credentials whilst making him an even more tantalising option for Levy.

He is currently ripe for the taking with zero obstacles standing in the way of Spurs, surely this is a no-brainer?

Visakhapatnam will host this season’s remaining home games of both Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants from May 2. The decision was taken by the IPL governing council, which also moved the second qualifier and the eliminator from Kolkata to Delhi. Bangalore, as expected, will host the first qualifier and the final.The changes in venue were the result of a severe drought in Maharashtra, which led to the Bombay High Court ordering the IPL to move out of the state.Kings XI Punjab, who were scheduled to play three of their home games in Nagpur, and then Dharamsala, will play all of their home games in Mohali.Mumbai had chosen Jaipur as their home venue at a meeting between the IPL and the franchises two weeks ago. But with Rajasthan also battling a drought, its High Court, responding to a Public Interest Litigation, had raised questions about hosting matches. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Tuesday, but the IPL governing council has decided not to wait.”Due to paucity of time and uncertainty surrounding whether the matches will be held or not, the IPL GC decided that Vizag will be neutral venue for both Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants,” an IPL media release said.IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said Feroz Shah Kotla was picked to host the eliminator and the second qualifier instead of Eden Gardens to avoid logistical issues. “The time duration is too short between the last home match of Kolkata Knight Riders, scheduled for May 22, and the Qualifier 2 [on May 27]. It would be difficult to make logistical arrangements.”ESPNcricinfo understands a tiring Kolkata surface may have contributed to the move as well. “With seven more matches to go, it would have unduly increased the load on the pitch and you cannot take a risk with the playoffs,” a BCCI official said. Kolkata Knight Riders have played all their home games on the pitch that had been used for the World T20 final.A consequence of this change in schedule has meant an afternoon match and an evening match have exchanged time slots. Kings XI’s home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad will be played at 8pm on May 15 in Mohali. On the same day, Mumbai will host Delhi Daredevils at 4pm in Visakhapatnam.Kings XI will be disappointed, and perhaps embarrassed, considering they had sent out a release saying three of the home matches would played in Dharamsala. However, the franchise liaising with the Himachal Pradesh government did not sit well with the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association.

Manchester City are reportedly battling a number of their Premier League rivals for the signing of RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol this summer.

What's going on with Gvardiol?

The 21-year-old is one of the most sought-after defenders in European football currently, following some influential performances for both club and country. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he helped Croatia finish an impresive third, scoring in the third-place playoff win over Morocco and proving to be a rock at the heart of the defence.

Since the end of the tournament, numerous transfer rumours have linked Gvardiol with a move away from Leipzig at the end of the season, with the player himself potentially liking the idea of a fresh challenge at one of the biggest clubs in world football.

City are one of those who are believed to be very much in the mix, with Pep Guardiola possibly seeing an elite centre-back as a key addition during the summer transfer window. It is a rumour that is refusing to go away, with a new update suggesting the Premier League champions are well and truly in the mix.

A perfect summer signing for City?

According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, City are one of many top English clubs 'showing interest' in snapping up Gvardiol at the end of the season. It clearly won't be easy for them to get their man, however, with Tottenham, Manchester United and Real Madrid all mentioned in the report.

While City already have a plethora of strong centre-back options at their disposal currently, Gvardiol could be a level up from any of them, given the nature of his displays at the World Cup and for Leipzig. At 21, he plays like someone far more experienced, combining top-quality out-and-out defending with class on the ball.

The 20-cap Croatia star enjoyed an 89.9% pass completion rate in Qatar and also averaged 1.6 interceptions per game, while at club level, he averaged 3.8 clearances per match in the Champions League, prior to Leipzig's exit at the hands of City themselves in the last 16.

Owen Hargreaves recently declared that Gvardiol will be "the best centre-back in the world one day", which speaks volumes about his potential, and he could be viewed as a long-term replacement for the likes of Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake, both of whom he is considerably younger than, with the City pair 28 years of age currently.

Newcastle United face off against Manchester United at Wembley this evening as they go in search of their first major domestic trophy since 1955.

The Magpies are currently fighting for a place in Europe in the Premier League this season – as they sit fifth in the table – but can secure themselves European nights at St. James’ Park next term by defeating the Red Devils today.

Eddie Howe and his team can be modern-day heroes for the club by coming away with the win and the trophy but come into the game off the back of a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Liverpool last time out.

The English head coach may use that loss as an excuse to make a few changes to his starting XI for this gigantic match at Wembley, with most players likely to be desperate to start given the occasion.

How could Newcastle line-up in the League Cup final?

Here is our predicted XI…

Loris Karius; Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Sven Botman, Dan Burn; Sean Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton; Miguel Almiron, Callum Wilson, Allan Saint-Maximin.

Starting between the sticks, Nick Pope’s red card against Liverpool and Martin Dubravka being cup-tied – thanks to playing for today’s opponents in the first half of the campaign – has opened up the door for Karius to make his Toon debut and it is a huge chance for him to prove his quality after a few rough years.

In midfield, we predict that Guimaraes will return to the side to replace youngster Elliot Anderson – who has not been involved in a single goal in the league – after serving his three-match suspension for being sent off in the semi-finals of this competition against Southampton.

Journalist Jacque Talbot hailed the Brazilian as a “world-class talent” earlier this season and the 25-year-0ld – who has plundered three goals and three assists in the Premier League this season – could have the magic touch in the middle of the park at Wembley.

The third and final change we are predicting is Wilson coming in to replace Alexander Isak. He has scored 27 goals in 53 top-flight starts for Newcastle since joining the club in 2020 and has proven himself, over the course of a number of years, to be a match-winner for the Toon Army.

In 14 Premier League starts this season, the 30-year-old has produced seven goals and three assists and has the ability to be the Wembley hero for the Magpies this afternoon, whilst Isak – who has one goal and one assist in his last four substitute outings – could be an excellent option off the bench.

A dramatic slide handed Sri Lanka a match Pakistan had no business losing, and it’s likely the visitors lost the game in the mind rather than on the pitch

Kanishkaa Balachandran in Colombo17-Jun-2012Misbah-ul-Haq couldn’t offer any explanation as to why Pakistan combusted, converting what appeared to be a walkover into an embarrassing defeat. It must have been hard enough digesting the numbers – seven wickets fell for 13 runs inside four overs – and worse would have been the realisation that the collapse actually began with his wicket. Pakistan weren’t supposed to lose this game. With 81 needed off 78, two set batsmen at the crease and eight more to come – including their most experienced at No.6 – it would have taken a lot to bet against them winning. The pressure created by one sharp catch in the infield followed by a bouncer barrage, though, resulted in Pakistan’s crumble.What is more glaring in Pakistan’s defeat is the fact that they cannot hide behind the excuse of being a batsman short. A heavy defeat in the second ODI at Pallekele exposed an imbalance in their line-up, so they sought to rectify that by dropping a seamer and bringing in another batsman. With at least two batsmen struggling for form, including Misbah, it was imperative they played seven batsmen apart from the keeper.Spare a thought for Azhar Ali. A half-century in a format he wasn’t associated with at the start of his career invariably ends up in a losing cause, due to no apparent fault of his own. True, he may never find himself in the league of swashbuckling openers, but that wasn’t the role intended for him in the first place, as his captain reiterated on this tour. As a grafter, he was meant to be the pivot around which others would bat. For the second time in three games, he was ditched by his more experienced colleagues. For the second time, a hard-fought fifty was drowned in defeat.Misbah didn’t extend any excuses. “Having played so many batsmen, each of them realise their responsibilities. We needed a run-a-ball and the batsmen should have taken more responsibility but they didn’t,” Misbah said. “We took it for granted that we had the match in our hands.”While together, Azhar and Misbah had adopted a conservative approach towards the target of 244, grafting the singles and dispatching the odd bad delivery to the boundary. The pair had added 99 – the bulk of it during the non-Powerplay overs – but as it happened, the period in which the field restrictions became mandatory also coincided with Pakistan’s slide.Predictably, the Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene had saved his best bowler, Lasith Malinga, for the batting Powerplay. Pakistan took six off his first over in that spell, but in the following over – the 37th – an incident hampered Azhar’s chances of batting through. Turning back at the crease to avoid a run out, he pulled a calf muscle, and with no runners allowed, the pair had to look for boundaries.Misbah tried exactly that but fell to a sharp catch at mid-off by Kulasekara. Malinga then softened Umar Akmal up with three consecutive bouncers, and the batsman appeared jolted by that barrage. Kulasekara cleverly pitched it up the following over and had Akmal chasing and edging to the keeper. Suffice to say though that Akmal botched yet another opportunity to guide his team home.A wobbly Younis Khan, dropped to No.6 owing to his poor form, also fell edging in a freakish over from Thisara Perera that included a hat-trick and a run-out. Shahid Afridi fell to the poorest shot in that maniacal period, before the pressure got to Sarfraz Ahmed, who steered the hat-trick ball to slip. Sri Lanka were within touching distance of avenging two famous collapses in Sharjah, in 1999 and 2011.It wouldn’t be fair to blame the Pakistan captain for the collapse as there was enough competency in the batting to follow. Misbah admitted his players lost the game in the mind. “It was a simple equation. We should have achieved it easily, without taking risks,” Misbah said. “In my view the batsmen need to have a compact technique in conditions in Sri Lanka, where the ball swings and seams a bit. We need to be mentally strong.”Misbah also defended demoting Younis to No.6, given his average of 44 in 28 innings in that position. “He was struggling at the top. My form too was poor so I promoted myself to No. 4. Asad Shafiq is playing well. Even in Sri Lankan conditions, you need experience even at the bottom. He [Younis] has played at No.6 before, so we pushed him down.”Not for the first time on tour, Misbah admitted that the fielding was a let-down. He refrained from singling out individuals, saying he hoped none of those mistakes will be repeated. Besides the collapse, the other sore point was that this was Pakistan’s 15th defeat in 18 chases of 240-plus in the last three years.Now 1-2 down in the series with a must-win final game on Monday, Pakistan would hope this collapse was just an aberration in their recent impressive head-to-head record against Sri Lanka. Public memory is short, and Pakistan would hope it remains that way.