Shai Hope’s last five Test innings have brought two centuries, a fifty, and now an unbeaten 90 against Zimbabwe in the first Test at Queens Sports Club. He is the rock of the West Indies batting line-up, but it was not so long ago that he was in a struggle to keep his place. After all, he had made only one half-century in his first 11 Tests.So what is the secret behind his recently-found success? “Simplicity,” Hope said. “Keep it as simple as possible. Try not to complicate your game and put too many things in your head. Rotate the strike.”I just try to simplify it as much as I can, playing the ball late. Pick the gaps and keep the score rotating as much as possible. You don’t really want them [spinners] to settle on one batsman, because that makes it much easier. They know where to bowl consistently. In the end they’ll get you out.”West Indies had done well, at least initially, to avoid such a predicament in Bulawayo. Hope and the opener Kieran Powell, who reached a half-century of his own, had shared in a 75-run stand for the third wicket to help lay the foundation for a big total.”I would say we were ahead of the game at that stage,” Hope said. “I can see his [Powell’s] confidence is good, he’s playing a lot better. He’s adapting to the conditions well as well.”But then came the collapse, from 175 for 3 to 219 all out. While Hope himself flourished, drawing from a familiarity with the conditions having played here during last year’s tri-series against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, his team-mates were caught unaware by the amount of turn that was available.”It’s always an advantage to be playing at a ground you’ve played on before,” Hope said. “Last year it spun quite a bit, so it wasn’t as much of a surprise, despite it being a first-day pitch. We might not have expected it to spin quite as much though.”Hope was ultimately left stranded 10 runs short of what would have been his third Test century, but having been in the middle for 201 balls, he knows first hand how difficult it is to score runs on this pitch and that meant West Indies were not out of the contest yet.”Honestly, it was a very slow outfield,” Hope said. “So that 219 could easily have been closer to 300. When I was batting, I hit quite a few balls through the gap, but scoring was never easy. It’s under par, it’s under what we were expecting, but I still think we have a chance.”

Tamil Nadu power ahead against Odisha while current group toppers Andhra ride on DB Prasanth’s century versus Tripura

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2017M Vijay’s 21st first-class ton and his century-stands with N Jagadeesan and Baba Indrajith took Tamil Nadu to 292 for 3 against Odisha on the opening day in Cuttack.Having elected to bat first, Tamil Nadu lost opener Abhinav Mukund early to a run out. Vijay battled through to add 145 for the second wicket with Jagadeesan, who contributed 88, before Govinda Poddar sent back the wicketkeeper. Tamil Nadu didn’t let the momentum slip as Vijay then found an ally in Indrajith. Vijay was set on 140 before being caught and bowled by fast bowler Suryakant Pradhan late in the day. Indrajith (41*) and Vijay Shankar (8*) were set to resume batting on the second day.DB Prasanth’s unbeaten 120 lifted Andhra, the current group toppers, to 252 for 2 at stumps as the visitors started strongly against Tripura in Agartala. Andhra, put in to bat first, lost opener KS Bharat early for 18. This brought Prasanth together with Hanuma Vihari (62*) as the pair put on 108 for the second-wicket. Vihari, the captain, was dismissed post lunch, following which Prashant put up a century-stand with Ricky Bhui (49*).

Tottenham Hotspur are now "betting heavily" on FC Porto striker Mehdi Taremi as a replacement for Harry Kane, having already tabled an offer of €24m (£21m), however the Portuguese side are holding out for €30m (£26m), according to reports.

What's the latest on Harry Kane's future?

Bayern Munich have seen another offer rejected for Kane, so time may be running out for the German champions to sign the striker, as he wants to have his future sorted before Tottenham's Premier League opener against Brentford on Sunday.

Ange Postecoglou has recently told the media that he also wants a decision to be made sooner rather than later, in order to have clarity about where he needs to strengthen his squad ahead of the new season, but the striker's future remains up in the air.

The Lilywhites can now sit patiently and see if Bayern were being genuine about their third offer being the final one, though they will of course need to line up potential replacements in case the Bavarians come back and meet the price tag all of a sudden.

Read The Latest Tottenham Transfer News HERE

As such, the Lilywhites haveallegedly now made an offer of €24m (£21m) for Taremi, just shy of Porto's asking price of €30m (£26m), according to reports from Portugal (via Sport Witness).

The striker has "always" desired to play in England, but Porto will not make his departure easy, and he is protected by the €60m (£52m) release clause included in his contract, although his deal is due to expire next year.

Jorge Mendes is intermediating the talks between Tottenham and Porto, delivering the first bid, and it seems as though the north Londoners only need to increase their offer by £5m to secure the Iranian's signature.

Who is Mehdi Taremi?

The 31-year-old forward started out in his homeland of Iran, but it is with Porto where he has started to make a real name for himself, weighing in with an outstanding 31 goals and ten assists for the Portuguese side in all competitions last season.

Seven of those goal contributions came in the Champions League, indicating the Iran international, who has 33 goals for his country, is very much capable of competing at the highest level, and he has received high praise from members of the media.

Back in March, journalist Zach Lowy claimed the 6 foot 1 striker could be "the best Asian player in football right now", as a result of Heung-Min Son's poor form last season, and he could be a very good signing at around £26m, despite his age.

That said, Taremi is unlikely to be a long-term replacement for Kane, and there may be some concerns over the fact that he is still yet to play in one of Europe's "top five" leagues at this stage of his career.

If Spurs do lose their captain this summer, it is important they re-invest the money they receive on another top striker, and it is unclear whether the FC Porto striker is truly in that bracket.

Sunderland have now been given an exciting update on their pursuit of Nozariy Rusyn, with a report revealing when they hope to wrap up a deal for the FC Zorya striker.

Who are Sunderland signing this summer?

The Black Cats have not gotten off to the start they would have been hoping for this season, crashing out of the EFL Cup against Crewe Alexandra and losing their first two Championship games on the spin, and Tony Mowbray has admitted he needs new signings.

As reported by The Northern Echo, the manager has claimed a new central midfielder could be required, although admitting that bringing in a striker will be one of his priorities, saying:

"I think the reality is that we have to get the front end of the pitch sorted out first,"

"It’s an area that potentially we might look for a more experienced footballer to help the area out. Dan is 21, Pierre is 21 – it's not as if they are 26 or 27 and have 300 appearances under their belts."

The same outlet have also revealed that Sunderland's recruitment team have held talks over a deal for Zorya forward Rusyn, who was left out of the squad for his side's 2-1 victory against Vorskla at the weekend.

Although the Ukrainian media are said to have reported that a €2m (£1.7m) bid has been made for the 24-year-old, a deal is yet to be agreed, but discussions are currently thought to be ongoing.

The Black Cats are hoping to make a breakthrough in their pursuit of the Ukrainian prior to the weekend, when they return to action at home against Rotherham United.

Who is Nazariy Rusyn?

The Lviv-born attacker initially made his breakthrough for Dynamo Kyiv, where he made four appearances in the 2018-19 Europa League, but he really started to make a name for himself for Zorya in the 2022-23 campaign,

In 30 Premier Liga games last season, the former Dynamo Kyiv man weighed in with 13 goals and six assists, with the former figure ranking him joint-second in the whole division, indicating he is ready to take the next step in his career.

The 5 foot 8 forward has picked up where he left off this season, having scored one goal in two league games, showcasing his versatility by featuring as a right-winger in one of those matches.

As previously mentioned, Rusyn has recently been left out of the Zorya squad, indicating that a move could be on the offing this summer, and he has shown he could help solve Sunderland's woes in front of goal, so it may well be a deal to keep an eye on over the coming days.

MatériaMais Notícias

O atacante Raniel testou positivo para o novo coronavírus. O atleta foi isolado do elenco e ficará dez dias em quarentena. Com isso, ele perdera pelo menos as três próximas partidas do Peixe, contra Ceará, Atlético-MG e São Paulo.

A doença chega em um momento em que o jogador havia ganho a vaga de titular com Cuca. O camisa 12 havia sofrido um trauma no joelho esquerdo no empate em 1 a 1 contra o Santo André, pela primeira fase do Campeonato Paulista, no dia 22 de janeiro, tendo ficado mais de um mês afastado. Raniel havia iniciado os dois últimos jogos do Alvinegro Praiano, contra Flamengo e Vasco.

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Desde que chegou ao Santos, em janeiro, o atacante não tem conseguido firmar uma sequência pelo clube. O jogador já havia perdido os dois últimos jogos do clube antes da paralisação do futebol por quatro meses, por conta da pandemia do novo coronavírus, por problemas no joelho esquerdo. Logo no primeiro jogo da retomada sofreu o já citado trauma. Agora, quando novamente engatava uma sequência ficará pelo menos dez dias afastado dos gramados.

* Sob supervisão de Vinícius Perazzini

Irfan axed as Baroda captainIrfan Pathan has been stripped of the Baroda captaincy following the team’s lackluster showing in the first two rounds of the Ranji Trophy, from which they have a solitary point. Deepak Hooda, the allrounder, has been promoted to lead Baroda, who are currently languishing at the bottom of Group C.Irfan, who has picked up just two wickets in the tournament so far, has also been dropped from the 15-man squad for their third game, against Tripura. Irfan told media outlets he was unsure of the reasons for his exclusion. “I am as fit as ever and there is no issue with my performances and commitment to serve Team Baroda,” he told . “I felt very proud when I was made the captain and was told that I would be the perfect mentor to the youngsters. I have worked hard with the boys for the last couple of months and they are very happy with whatever we have been doing. I really don’t know what has gone wrong after just two games. Had I been told that my services won’t be required before the domestic season started, I would have happily stepped aside. Although I love Baroda and take a lot of pride in representing the team, I might have gone and played for another team.”Snehal Parikh, the Baroda Cricket Association secretary, said the captaincy switch was a collective decision taken by the selectors. “The selectors have categorically said that this team is only for one game,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “They have dropped around four-five players.”Among those dropped is Pinal Shah, the experienced wicketkeeper. Yusuf Pathan will miss the game due to an illness. Kedar Devdhar has been named vice-captain.Rahane, Shardul boost for MumbaiMumbai will be strengthened by the inclusion of Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur, who were on national duty during the ODI series against New Zealand, for their game against Odisha in Bhubaneshwar. Seamer Tushar Deshpande, who picked up 21 wickets last season, has been added to the 16-member squad in place of Minad Manjrekar.Rahane notched up fifty-plus scores in each of his last four ODI innings against Australia, while Thakur has played A-team cricket over the last month.Rahane’s inclusion will be a boost to the batting department in the absence of Shreyas Iyer, who has been called up to the national side for the T20I series against New Zealand. Iyer has been in tremendous form recently, and smashed a 57 and 138 in Mumbai’s last game against Tamil Nadu.Mumbai’s form, however, has been patchy. While they secured the first-innings lead against Madhya Pradesh in the opening game, they dropped points against Tamil Nadu at home. With four points from two games, they are currently fourth in the Group C standings.

Liverpool have been credited with an interest in a long-term midfield target as manager Jurgen Klopp looks to complete his transfer activity and ensure his club is well-placed for an auspicious season.

What's the latest on Liverpool's midfield hunt?

Following a report from Anfield Watch, the Reds are considering a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes, having agreed a £44m fee for the former Sporting Lisbon before his move to Molineux.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Liverpool have prioritised a No. 6 this summer and still scour the market after failing to sign both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, with both joining Premier League rivals Chelsea.

However, given the mass exodus at Anfield, there is likely room for Nunes to join, and the Merseyside team could complete their rebuild by belatedly making a swoop.

How good is Matheus Nunes?

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola once heralded Nunes as "one of the best midfielders in the world", and while this seemed perhaps somewhat heightened praise, he has glistened in the centre of the Old Gold midfield since joining last year.

Indeed, the Portugal ace made 34 appearances in the Premier League last season, completing 82% of his passes, making two tackles per match and succeeding with 61% of his attempted dribbles.

While the 24-year-old might've taken some time to acclimatise to the rigours of English football last season, he kicked the current campaign off with aplomb, earning a Sofascore rating of 7.40 as Wolves narrowly fell to defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford, incredibly winning 14 of his 24 ground duels, making five interceptions and three tackles, and creating two key passes.

This all-engulfing midfield display epitomises exactly what Klopp needs from his midfield, with such tenacity and intensity likely combatting the crux of last year's issues, where the Reds' sapped midfield failed to adequately protect the defence.

It brought shades of former Liverpool star Gini Wijnaldum, with the Dutchman hailed as "irreplaceable" by Richard Jolly after playing his industrious role superlatively at Anfield after signing from Newcastle United for £25m in 2016, making 237 appearances, yet only scoring 22 goals and supplying 16 assists, keeping things tidy with an infallible passing prowess, never falling below an 87% success rate.

Nunes only scored one goal and assist apiece last season, with his skills also lying outside the plundering of direct goal contributions, but given that he ranks among the top 18% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, he is clever in possession.

Just like his 87-cap Netherlands counterpart, Nunes could be "perfect" under Klopp's stewardship, as Wijnaldum was once lauded by his former Liverpool manager, and his acquisition could restore the cohesiveness of the side.

Once praised as "unbelievable" by ex-teammate Goncalo Santos, Nunes would be a credit to the Liverpool side, and given that Klopp and co have clearly done their homework on the £85k-per-week maestro, he could slot into the system without seam.

انتقد مهاجم منتخب إنجلترا الأسبق، مايكل أوين ما قام جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول، محمد صلاح، مع مدربه، يورجن كلوب، خلال مباراة وست هام في الدوري الإنجليزي.

ودخل محمد صلاح في مشادة كلامية نارية مع كلوب خلال مباراة وست هام قبل جولتين على خط التماس أثناء مشاركة الفرعون المصري بسبب حديث جانبي بين الطرفين.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ميرور: آرني سلوت ينتظر قصر كلوب في ليفربول

وتحدث أوين عن وجهة نظره وقال في تصريحات نقلتها شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” البريطانية: “يمكنني أن أتفهم إحباط محمد صلاح من عدم المشاركة أساسيًا، لكن ما حدث مع كلوب لم يكن مثاليًا”.

وتابع: “ربما يكون محمد صلاح يريد المنافسة على جائزة الحذاء الذهبي (هداف الدوري الإنجليزي)، لأنه لاعب يرغب في القتال دائمًا على جميع الجوائز”.

وأضاف: “لكن كان من الممكن أن يصمت محمد صلاح، هذا هو أفضل رد فعل، رغم أنني أحب عقليته ورغبته في الفوز ومساعدة ليفربول طوال الوقت”.

واستمر: “كان على محمد صلاح الصمت والعودة إلى التدريب والتحدث مع المدرب حول الأمر وإذا كان لديك شيئًا لتقوله، فأفعل ذلك”.

وأتم: “ما حدث لا أحبه، لا أحب تلك التصرفات الفظيعة أمام الكاميرات في مباراة يتابعها الملايين حول العالم، كان بإمكانه الاعتراض بطريقة مختلفة”.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is in the market for a midfielder if Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg departs, and Chelsea ace Conor Gallagher is wanted for that role.

Who will Spurs sign?

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, playmaker James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon and striker Alejo Veliz have all officially joined Spurs this summer, but there could be plenty more to come.

These deals follow on from permanent moves for Pedro Porro, who signed from Sporting Lisbon after his original loan stint, and Dejan Kulusevski folllowing an 18-month loan spell from Juventus.

Spurs are also actively trying to sign another centre-back, as confirmed by Postecoglou himself recently, who said he wants defenders who can play in an aggressive formation.

“It's not done yet," said Postecoglou at the weekend.

"We need bolstering in that central defensive area. We need defenders who can work in an aggressive formation, defend well & behind them. We'll be looking to bring in a couple in that area in the coming days."

Following on from that comment, the Spurs head coach updated his stance after Tottenham's entertaining pre-season encounter with Barca last night – saying it could largely depend on outgoings.

"We've to see what happens with outgoings," explained Postecoglou.

"But, the potential is there to bring in one more centre back after van de Ven."

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

It appears exits could well be crucial in determining Tottenham's future transfer activity, with the potential signing of a new midfielder being no exception.

That is according to The Telegraph and journalist Mike McGrath, who claim Postecoglou is personally in the market for a new central midfield ace should Hojbjerg depart.

The Dane has been heavily linked with a move to Atletico Madrid this window and some outlets suggest that it is going to happen sooner rather than later.

Gallagher, who could well leave Chelsea before deadline day, has been mentioned as a target and The Telegraph claim he is "wanted" to potentially succeed Hojbjerg.

Nothing else is said beyond that line in terms of more detail, but it appears Gallagher to Spurs is still very much on.

How good is Conor Gallagher?

The Englishman's best top flight campaign to date came during a 2021/2022 loan spell at Crystal Palace, where he finished the season as Patrick Vieira's best-performer by average match rating (WhoScored).

Gallagher also racked up eight goals and three assists that year, showcasing he has what it takes to become a successful player at Tottenham.

Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, commenting on the player's development last year, shared how impressed he was with Gallagher's development.

“His development is extraordinary and outstanding," said Tuchel in 2022.

“He is one of the key players at Crystal Palace and he has made a huge step in his development up front.

“He was a pleasure to coach in pre-season – he has so much positive energy, so much energy in general and so much work-rate to give that he can of course be a big help and a big influence.”

However, if a deal is to be done, Chelsea may need to lower their reported £50 million valuation.

Liverpool have been linked with snapping up PSV midfielder Ibrahim Sangare during the summer transfer window and there is still hope of a deal being struck, following a new update regarding his future in the Netherlands.

How old is Ibrahim Sangare?

The Ivorian is still only 25 years of age and has become a key man for PSV since joining from Toulouse back in 2020, proving to be an effective shield in front of the defence.

Sangare has made 137 appearances for the Eredivisie giants to date, and while he is renowned for the defensive side of his game, he has also had an impact in an attacking sense, scoring 14 goals and registering 10 assists, showing what an impressive all-round midfielder he is.

The PSV ace is contracted at his current club until the summer of 2027, so if anyone wants to sign him this summer, it is clear that he won't be available on the cheap. Liverpool are one of the clubs who have been linked with a move for him before the end of the month, seeing him as a strong option in the No.6 role after the exit of Fabinho to Saudi Arabia.

Wataru Endo's arrival from VfB Stuttgart has added some depth in that area of the pitch, but it is imperative that a younger option also comes in, such as Sangare or Crystal Palace's Cheick Doucoure, having missed out on both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia in recent weeks.

It looks as though Sangare could still become a Reds player in the near future, following a new claim, although it won't be easy for them to sign him.

Will Liverpool sign Ibrahim Sangare?

According to a report from Spain [via Paisley Gates], the Reds remain interested in acquiring the signature of the PSV man, but face stiff competition from Bayern Munich. In fact, the Bundesliga champions are the favourites to sign him, but the Merseysiders are not giving up without a fight and will seek to submit one last offer to hijack the deal.

It is encouraging to hear that Sangare is still a target for Liverpool in the remainder of the summer transfer window, considering what a formidable defensive midfielder he is, having been called "extraordinary" by Aad de Mos.

The Ivory Coast international possesses the priceless ability to cover ground and break up opposition attacks in the middle of the park, averaging 2.3 tackles per game in the Eredivisie last season, and at 25, he could be coming in at the perfect point in his career, in terms of being experienced but still right in his prime.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

There is every chance that Bayern end up pipping Liverpool to the signing of Sangare, but even if that does happen, this update does suggest that the Reds are still pushing hard to sign another defensive midfielder on top of Endo, which is something that many will see as exciting.

The money is clearly there to make further additions, considering they were willing to pay £110m for Caicedo but were beaten to his signature by Chelsea, and failing to truly fill the No.6 position with a top-quality option may be a big mistake as the season goes on.