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Timothy Weah was one of Juventus' more dangerous players, but the Italian giants were unable to overcome Bologna on Sunday.

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• Weah creates danger
• McKennie comes off bench
• Juve settle for 1-1 draw

It wasn't the best day for Juventus, who saw their first home game of the Serie A season spoiled by a determined Bologna. After going down a goal in the first half, Juve were able to battle back with a goal of their own, having seen one chalked off earlier for offside. However, they couldn't quite find the second goal required to earn all three points.

Weah was key for Juve, providing a very good 82 minutes before being substituted, while his U.S. men's national team teammate, Weston McKennie, once again replaced him off the bench after being named as a substitute.

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bologna jumped into a first half lead thanks to a goal from Lewis Ferguson, and you can't say they didn't deserve it. It was a relatively flat first half from Juve, who went into the dressing room deservedly trailing.

  The hosts seemingly equalized early in the second half as Dusan Vlahovic was able to find the back of the net, but the goal was called back after Adrien Rabiot was deemed to have interfered in the play from an offside position.

  Vlahovic, though, wasn't to be denied, as the Serbian headed home from a magnificent Samuel Illing-Junior cross to earn Juventus a point in their first home match.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Weah put in a solid shift, but it seems clear that he's still very much in the adjustment phase at Juventus.

  The American never really took any early opportunities to beat a man off the dribble, instead generally taking the safer options. The willingness to go at players comes with confidence, and Weah will need to build his in his new surroundings at Juve.

  He's clearly on the right track, though, as he looked like an entirely different player as the game wore on. He had a dangerous second half, creating two chances and forcing a good save as Juve chased a goal. He likely deserved a goal or assist given his efforts on the day.

  One thing to watch, though, is Weah's tendency to drift inside. He played centrally for large stretches of the match, moving into the middle of the field to receive the ball. That may have been a function of Massimiliano Allegri's tactics for the day, but it's also something to watch from a player that is generally known as a speedster able to get to the end line.

  As for Weston McKennie, it appears that, at the moment, he's a backup. Juve started with Rabiot, Manuel Locatelli and Nicolo Fagioli in midfield, with Paul Pogba coming off the bench in the second half. McKennie has spelled Weah at wingback, definitely not his natural position, but he faces a real fight to get into that midfield.

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  USMNT IMPACT

  Weah looks set to be an important player for Juventus this season, having now started each of the club's first two matches. He clearly has already earned the coaching staff's trust, which is great news for the USMNT.

  Heading into the upcoming international break, Weah will have every reason to be flying fairly high, having played himself into a consistent role with his club. He's never quite been a lockdown starter anywhere he's been, so it would be great for him to be exactly that at Juve.

  For the U.S., it'll be interesting to watch how Weah switches from wingback to winger and vice-versa but, overall, as long as Weah's playing, the USMNT will be thrilled.

  As for McKennie, we'll have to see how he fares in the coming days ahead of the end of the transfer window. He clearly has some part to play for Juve, but is that part big enough for a player expected to be a key starter for the USMNT? That remains to be seen.

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• GOAL'S RATING

  Tim Weah (7/10):

  Pretty dangerous throughout, although far from perfect. Was definitely one of Juve's best players on the field as they struggled to breakdown Bologna for large stretches.

  Weston McKennie (N/A):

  Came on fairly late with the game level. Had one solid sequence in the 86th minute, but wasn't quite able to create the danger needed to unlock Bologna.

The Argentine returns to north London for the first time on Monday, but the man in the opposing dugout is ensuring Spurs are finally moving on

Mauricio Pochettino finally makes his long-awaited return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday, but in circumstances that few could have predicted; rather than a heralded return to the home dugout after four years away, he will be taking his seat as the away manager, in charge of Spurs' fierce London rivals Chelsea.

That would have been a bitter pill to swallow for the Tottenham support if not for his Australian counterpart, Ange Postecoglou, who has turned the north Londoners' fortunes around and guided them to the upper echelons of the Premier League table. In doing so, has helped the club to finally move on from Pochettino, ending years of clamour for his return. His early success is made all the sweeter by Chelsea's coinciding struggles.

In their brief time in charge of their respective London foes, Postecoglou and Pochettino have enjoyed/endured contrasting fortunes, but Monday night will be a significant waypoint on both of their journeys. So, how do the two tacticians compare so far, and what lies ahead?

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  Forging a togetherness

  Both managers entered clubs that were close to breaking point in the summer, inheriting unhappy, disjointed squads that had underperformed significantly under the previous incumbents. Something that evidently topped their lists of priorities and underpinned their work throughout the summer and into the opening weeks of this season, then, was restoring some unity and fostering a togetherness. Both seem to have succeeded in good time.

  Speaking recently, Pochettino said: "When you have an unsettled squad, always it's difficult and you lose time and then you need time to recover the time you lose. That's where we are. Maybe our performances are good but you need [something] extra, which is mental — a connection. It's energy to be all together, not to have different agendas in the squad. We need time to build that togetherness that you need when you are competing at this level."

  Talking about the unity at Tottenham, newly-named club captain Son Heung-min said: "This is [being a] part of family. We are getting really, really tight in the changing room. Everyone is working for each other, running for each other, fighting for each other."

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  Two elite man-managers

  As renowned man-managers, it's little surprise that both have already managed to lift the gloom in their respective dressing rooms, but it seems to be a story of two very different approaches that have both yielded success.

  Pochettino clearly likes to be hands-on and familiar with his Chelsea players, and his handling of Mykhailo Mudryk – who was bereft of confidence when the manager arrived but has had his self-esteem restored over the weeks and months since – is a shining example of that. The Argentine has taken the Ukrainian under his wing, worked with him on a one-on-one basis, even playing crossbar challenge with the winger, and provided support as both a manager and a friend.

  Postecoglou, meanwhile, has been watchful from a distance, giving the Tottenham players more responsibility off the field as a collective in an attempt to empower them as individuals. The Australian said recently: "A lot of it has to be player-driven. I can sit there and paint the prettiest of pictures but they need to believe in it, they have to buy into it. As I keep saying, it’s their dressing room. They go there every day. I don’t go into the dressing room. And the environment is going to be key to us being successful."

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  Contrasting fortunes

  That is largely where the similarities between the two coaches' journeys to this point end. After a slow start and having ridden their luck at times, Postecoglou has his side battling right at the top of the Premier League as we enter November and – more importantly in the eyes of many a Spurs fan – they are back to playing the front-footed, attacking brand of football last seen under (you guessed it) Pochettino.

  Things have not been so smooth for Pochettino and Chelsea. On his return to English football, the Tottenham favourite oversaw the Blues' worst start to a season in 45 yearsin the midst of an injury crisis. There were always the shoots of recovery, though, as Chelsea vastly underperformed their xG, and they enjoyed a timely resurgence in October as they hallmarks of Pochettino's MO began to shine through.

  However, a dire home defeat to Brentford seems to have knocked them back to square one.

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  Targeted changes vs complete overhaul

  One of the main obstacles to immediate success for Pochettino – as was always likely to be the case – has been integrating a raft of new signings after overseeing a fire sale of unhappy and unwanted players.

  His north London counterpart benefitted from very few of the club's regular first-team starters moving on, and Postecoglou signed off on just a few targeted signings to improve the side in certain areas of the pitch, such as James Maddison.

  Pochettino, meanwhile, has had to contend with 21 outgoings, including the likes of Mason Mount and N'Golo Kante, whom he surely would have wanted to work with, as well as 11 newcomers – the vast majority of whom were young and unproven in the Premier League. Getting them to gel was never going to be instantaneous, and the head coach has already lamented the amount of business done in the summer. "At the moment, I think we are a young team, a young team means too many changes in the summer because of the circumstances and we are suffering – sometimes good and bad results, but performances are consistent," he said.

  When you also factor in the malaise that enveloped Stamford Bridge throughout a nightmarish 2022-23 campaign on and off the field, it is little surprise that it has taken four months to see even the earliest signs of improvement at Chelsea.

  That is not to detract from Postecoglou's work, however; three of Tottenham's main summer signings in Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario, as well as returning loanee Destiny Udogie, have all been performing at an exceptional level from the off, which is a complete anomaly in the unpredictable world of transfer dealings.

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2016And with his second ball in Test cricket he had a big lbw, which went to review, but was not out•Getty ImagesChris Woakes made the first breakthrough when he had Shan Masood caught behind•Getty ImagesAnd Woakes claimed his second when Mohammad Hafeez top edged pull•Getty ImagesJonny Bairstow claimed both catches during the opening session•Getty ImagesBall claimed his first Test wicket when he pinned Azhar Ali with a yorker•Getty ImagesMisbah-ul-Haq stabilised the innings in the company of Younis Khan•Getty ImagesYounis was playing his first Test at Lord’s since 2001•Getty ImagesStuart Broad broke through with the wicket of Younis, caught at midwicket•Getty ImagesAfter some early luck, Misbah carried on to a serene half-century•Getty ImagesBroad vented his feelings after an edge from Asad Shafiq failed to go to hand•Getty ImagesAsad Shafiq made an elegenat fifty as he supported Misbah•Getty ImagesMisbah’s sweeping, both reverse and orthodox, dominated Moeen Ali•Getty ImagesMisbah-ul-Haq, at the age of 42, celebrates a hundred on his first appearance at Lord’s•Getty ImagesAnd, for good measure, he marked the moment with a set of push-ups•Getty Images

Stats highlights from the first day’s play of the second Test between India and New Zealand in Kolkata

Bharath Seervi30-Sep-20165 Scores of 50 or more by Cheteshwar Pujara in first-class matches in September 2016, in six innings. He had made 166, 31 and 256* in the Duleep Trophy and 62 and 78 in the first Test of this series before making another fifty in this Test. Before this, he had made just one 50-plus score in ten first-class innings.86.55 Ajinkya Rahane’s average in the second Test of a series, the best for any batsman to have played 10 or more innings. He has made four centuries and four half-centuries in the 11 innings in second Tests of a series. Click here for his scores in second Tests of a series. 1999 The previous instance when three or more wickets fell in the first session of a Test at Eden Gardens. Pakistan had lost six wickets against India in February 1999. Since then India’s first innings against New Zealand, in which three wickets fell in the morning, was the first such in 10 Tests there. However, India did not lose any wicket in the second session and then lost four wickets after tea. 141 Runs added by Pujara and Rahane for the fourth-wicket, most by any pair for that wicket at Eden Gardens. The previous highest was 140 runs between Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman in 2011-12. 3/35 Matt Henry’s figures, as at the end of the first day. are his second-best in Tests so far. His best is 4 for 93 at Lord’s in 2015. This was only his second haul of more than three wickets in nine Test innings.7 Number of times Pujara has failed to score a century after reaching 50 in his last eight fifty-plus innings. The century came in the Colombo Test. Incidentally, he had converted six of his first nine fifties into centuries.87 Runs scored by Virat Kohli in his last six Test innings, since his double-century in Antigua. He made 44, 3 and 4 in three innings in West Indies, and 9, 18 and 9 in the three innings of this series so far.31.53 Kohli’s average in Tests in India since March 2013 when he last scored a century on home soil – second-worst among the seven India players to play 10 or more innings in this period. Only R Ashwin averages (31.30) lower than Kohli. Kohli has scored three fifties in the 16 innings. Interestingly, he had an average of 56.54 in his first 13 home innings which included three centuries and four fifties. 23 Shikhar Dhawan’s average in home Tests since his 187 on debut in Mohali in March 2013. He hasn’t made a single fifty-plus score in 10 innings since then and his highest score has been 45 not out. His average is the lowest among all India players to play 10 or more innings in this period and second-lowest among 22 openers who have played 10 or more innings in their home country since March 2013. 12 Wickets for Jeetan Patel in Tests in India, including the two he took on the first day in Kolkata. This is his most against a Test team in any away country. He has played four Tests in India.

Kane Williamson is the spine of New Zealand’s batting, and the glue in the middle-order, but he can’t always be the solution

Melinda Farrell in Cardiff06-Jun-2017It may be unusual for teams to breath a sigh of relief after losing a vital match in a major tournament but New Zealand can take some comfort out of their loss to England: at least they’ll have their captain for their final group game against Bangladesh, a game they now must win to have any chance of progressing to the semi-finals.Kane Williamson narrowly avoided suspension for a slow over-rate but was fined 40 percent of his match fee after officials ruled New Zealand were two overs short of the target. Considering they had bowled just 45 overs by the stipulated interval, it was hardly surprising that, immediately after the match had finished and before the ruling was announced, Williamson admitted to having his “fingers crossed” and joked he would “avoid the umpires for a couple of days”.Should New Zealand progress, Williamson must also avoid another slow-over offence in this tournament; a second will be met with a two-match suspension. He was fortunate there were enough time allowances in this match – which included a minute’s silence for the victims of Saturday’s terrorist attack in London – to reduce the offence to two overs.While Williamson’s team-mates were fined 20 percent of their match fees, it’s easy to imagine they would rather take a hit to the hip pocket than lose their best batsman, leader and talisman. With a well-rounded bowling attack, sharp fielders and ODI batsmen of the calibre of Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor, no one could accuse New Zealand of being a one-man team. But the fact his dismissals in both matches have precipitated a batting collapse (7 for 37 against Australia and 8 for 65 against England) shows just how important Williamson is to a batting line-up where the middle order appears somewhat brittle.Partly because of injury, partly because of form, New Zealand have shuffled and tinkered with their batting line-up in the past six months – in the 12 ODIs leading into the Champions Trophy, eight different players have batted at five, six and seven – and the overall batting order has changed for virtually every match, hardly an ideal lead-in for a major tournament.And in fairness to players such as Neil Broom, Jimmy Neesham and Corey Anderson, it was fiendishly difficult to get in as England’s bowlers exploited variable bounce in the pitch with some excellent cross-seam bowling.It was this very combination that accounted for Williamson: Mark Wood, hitting the deck hard and catching the edge of the seam, extracted extra bounce and the ball grazed the glove of a surprised Williamson as he tried to adjust his shot.When Taylor departed three overs later, picking out midwicket when he tried to take on Jake Ball, a difficult chase quickly became impossible.”It would have been nice for Ross and myself to be able to take it further and maybe sort of bring it down to that 10-an-over mark where anything can happen,” said Williamson. “A credit to the way England bowled. They got a lot out of the surface. They bowled a very good area, very consistent, and made life difficult for us with the bat.”It looked difficult, even for the sublime talents of Williamson, who could probably make a dirty slog look handsome enough to ask out on a date. The batsmen were not only contending with a bowling attack offering little respite on a challenging wicket – both Williamson and Taylor were struck on the helmet in one Liam Plunkett over, the ball to Taylor spitting up off a back-of-a-length delivery – the blustery winds added another level of discomfort. A bail blew off the stumps twice, the boundary rope was blown askew in two corners of the field and, several times, the electronic advertising hoardings clattered over, one by one, like cascading dominoes.But no matter the conditions, New Zealand will struggle to go all the way in this tournament if the middle-order topples in a similar fashion. Williamson may be the glue, he may be the spine, but he can’t always be the solution.”I guess that’s kind of what Kane comes with,” said Corey Anderson. “Obviously he can do his thing and he’s one of the best players in the world but, if he has that day when he does fail, then we’ve got to make sure we stand up as a team and try and get around him.”Even though it’s great to have Kane scoring runs, we’ve got to make sure we stand up on the day if he doesn’t as well. It gives other guys the chance to step up as well.”Of course, even if the entire team performs brilliantly against Bangladesh, and wins easily, it may not be enough to go through to the semi-finals. New Zealand would then have to rely on England beating Australia in their final group match at Edgbaston on Saturday.But thoughts of that match are premature. Bangladesh are the first obstacle to overcome, a team that beat New Zealand – albeit without several key players – in Ireland last month.There could hardly be a more opportune time for New Zealand’s middle-order to click into place behind their captain.

Like his idol Shane Warne, Sandeep Lamichhane appears to have the full repertoire. With a hat-trick against Ireland to seal Nepal’s place in the quarter-finals, he couldn’t have asked for a better start to his career

Mohammad Isam30-Jan-2016″I have leg-break, googly, flipper, top spin and zooter.”Sandeep Lamichhane’s idol is Shane Warne so it is hardly surprising that the Nepal spinner says that he has the full repertoire. On his Twitter page, Lamichhane describes himself as “RIGHT ARM LEG BREAK GOOGLY BOWLER”. So, now you know.Lamichhane took a hat-trick in his five-wicket haul against Ireland, who were soundly beaten by eight wickets in Fatullah. The win meant Nepal have now booked a place in the last eight of the Under-19 World Cup for the first time. It is hard not to imagine the madness back home in Nepal, where cricket is now considered the No.1 sport.In his first spell, Lamichhane removed Gary McClintock with a full delivery that the batsman drove straight to long-off. When he was brought back in the 32nd over, Lamichhane turned the game on its head with his hat-trick. The first of those wickets was that of Lorcan Tucker, who was caught by Dipendra Singh Airee at midwicket.Next ball, Adam Dennison edged to the wicketkeeper and captain Raju Rijal before Fiachra Tucker became the hat-trick victim after he missed a straight ball. Lamichhane later added the wicket of William McClintock in the 34th over as Ireland slipped to 83 for 7, with Nepal’s maiden quarter-final place nearly sealed.It is likely that Lamichhane’s hat-trick was the fifth in the Under-19 World Cup, after Jermaine Lawson (West Indies vs Zimbabwe, 2000), Kamrul Islam Rabbi (Bangladesh vs Ireland, 2010), Harry Conway (Australia v Nepal, 2012) and Kuldeep Yadav (India v Scotland, 2014). Lamichhane, who is from Chitwan in Nepal, however said that the win was more important than the hat-trick, which he was confident of grabbing after picking up the first two wickets in the 32nd over.”It was awesome,” Lamichhane told ESPNcricinfo. “When I got my third wicket, my single focus was on taking the hat-trick. This is my first time that I took one actually.”What was more important than the hat-trick was that we won an important game and qualified for the quarter-finals. I hope we can continue the same way in other matches.”Lamichhane first heard of cricket before actually watching it on television. He had earlier taken 1 for 41 against New Zealand in the first group stage match, having already taken five wickets in the warm-up games.”When I was young, I heard news of cricket in radio. And watched a lot of matches in television. My coach, the management and everyone in Nepal helped me in my cricket,” he said.In the space of two days in this competition, legspinner Lamichhane, left-arm spinner Mahipal Lomror and offspinner Wesley Madhevere have taken five-fors. It is as clear a sign as any that spin will slowly be more dominating in the tournament. Lamichhane, having got into the habit of taking wickets on Bangladeshi wickets, will no doubt be one to watch out for in the rest of the tournament.

Stats highlights from a run-fest on the third day at the WACA

S Rajesh15-Nov-2015235* Ross Taylor’s score, the highest by a New Zealand batsman in Tests against Australia – he went past Martin Crowe’s 188 at the Gabba in 1985. Kane Williamson’s 166 is the third-highest. Five of the nine highest scores for New Zealand against Australia have been in Perth. Taylor’s current score is also the joint fifth-best by an overseas batsman in Australia.1 Double-centuries scored by an overseas batsman in a Perth Test – Taylor is the first to achieve this feat. The previous-best was 196, by Hashim Amla in 2012. Australian batsmen have scored five double-hundreds in Tests here. This is also the first instance of two double-centuries being scored in a Test match in Perth, and the first instance of three 150-plus scores in a Test in Australia.265 The partnership between Williamson and Taylor, the highest for New Zealand against Australia. The previous-best was also in Perth, in 2001, when Nathan Astle and Adam Parore added 253 for the eighth wicket. It’s New Zealand’s second-highest for the third wicket in all Tests, and the fifth-best for this wicket by any pair against Australia.262 Runs scored by Taylor in ten previous Test innings in Australia, with a highest of 75 and an average of 26.20.105.12 Williamson’s Test average in 2015 – he has scored 841 runs in nine innings, including four hundreds. Among all New Zealand batsmen who have scored 750-plus runs in any calendar year, Williamson’s average is the best.6 Instances of two 250-plus stands in the same Test – David Warner and Usman Khawaja had added 302 in Australia’s first innings. All of these six instances have happened since 2005, and three of those Tests have been in Australia – the other two instances were against India in Sydney in 2012, and against England at the Gabba in 2010.4 Pairs who have put together two or more 250-plus stands for the third wicket*. Before this partnership of 265, Williamson and Taylor had also added 262 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2012. The other pairs to achieve this are Hashim Amla-Jacques Kallis (three times), Mahela Jayawardene-Kumar Sangakkara, and Mohammad Yousuf-Younis Khan (twice each).5 Tests in Australia where both teams have topped 500 in their first innings. This is the first such instance at the WACA. Three of those five games have been in Adelaide, and all three in the period between 2003 and 2008.3 Instances of two New Zealand batsmen making 150-plus scores in the same Test innings of an away game (including neutral venues). The two previous instances were in 1972, in Georgetown, and last year in Sharjah. Also, the number of New Zealand batsmen who have more than one Test century in Australia: Martin Crowe, Andrew Jones, and Williamson (two each).1 New Zealand batsman who has scored hundreds in successive Tests against Australia – Williamson is the first. Glenn Turner, though, has scored a century in each innings of a Test against Australia, in Christchurch in 1974.2302 International runs for Williamson in 2015, the highest ever in a calendar year by a New Zealand batsman; the next-best also belongs to Williamson – 1933 in 2014.5030 Test runs for Taylor – he is the fifth New Zealander to top 5000 runs in Tests.38.17 The average runs per wicket in Tests in Australia since the beginning of 2012. Among all countries, it’s second-highest, after the average in Bangladesh (41.29).* Nov 16, 0400GMT: This has been edited to include partnerships for the third wicket only.

Glasgow Rangers need to move on a few players this summer due to the large influx of summer arrivals at the Ibrox side, with seven signings having already been secured.

Although strength in depth is required, Michael Beale doesn’t want an inflated squad with players collecting a wage by sitting on the sidelines not contributing and there will likely be four or five outgoings this summer.

Despite his impressive finish to last season and a chance to battle it out for the number one jersey this term, Robby McCrorie could well end his 11-year association with the Gers in the coming weeks following a discussion with Beale.

Will Robby McCrorie leave Rangers?

According to The Scottish Sun, Beale did hold talks with the ‘keeper regarding his future at the Light Blues, and with the 42-year-old aiming to start the 2023/24 season with Jack Butland as his number one, it could spark a departure for the Scot.

McCrorie only signed a new long-term deal at the Glasgow side in October 2022 that would have taken him to 2025 and with Allan McGregor coming to the end of his career, the 25-year-old was looked upon as his natural successor.

Across six games for the senior side, McCrorie kept an impressive five clean sheets and conceded just once, but now Beale will have to look for a youngster who could take over his mantle and Jacob Pazikas may just be the ideal candidate.

Who is Jacob Pazikas?

Pazikas has worked his way through the academy at Rangers and eventually made the step-up to the B team last season, and the increased level of competition certainly brought out some impressive performances from the youngster.

The 18-year-old played 16 times for the B side last term, with six of those coming in the UEFA Youth League, and it was at this level that he shone, in particular.

During the match against Liverpool, Pazikas garnered praise from Ian Doyle of the Liverpool Echo, who stated that the teen gem was ‘busy’ in the Rangers’ goal before lauding his ‘heroics’ during the tie as it kept the scoreline to just a 4-1 defeat, which could have been more had it not been for his solid display.

By signing a deal until 2025 back in January, it’s obvious that the Light Blues have a positive feeling about the 6 foot 5 titan and if he continues to shine over the next few years, he won't be far away from a first team debut.

Indeed, the Gers have sent him out on loan to Lowland League side Civil Service Strollers and this chance at securing regular game time in a competitive league will give him some more experience for the challenges that lie ahead.

He could be recalled in January should they be facing a goalkeeping shortage, again indicating that he is highly rated by the club.

McCrorie spent plenty of time out on loan throughout the Scottish football pyramid before finally making his debut for Rangers, and although he could soon depart, it appears as though Pazikas could be the ideal heir for him.

Sulieman Benn rates his team-mates on dancing, dress sense, football skills and more

Interview by Jack Wilson24-May-2016How does it feel to be a T20 World Cup winner?
Incredible, amazing, tremendous. To win the World Cup at my age is just the pinnacle of my career. It feels so good to know I’ve contributed so much to a winning cause. I don’t think it will get much better than that.And what was the party like after?
Not good, actually! There were issues with the security at our hotel after the game, so we couldn’t have a real good party. The best ones happened before the final. I’ll never forget them.You are 6ft 7in tall but bowl spin. What happened?
I always enjoyed watching quick bowlers but that’s it. I never had the passion to be a quick bowler. I never thought about it. I enjoyed the art of spinning far more. I feel us spinners are the artful side of the game.Who is the most naturally talented player you have ever played with?
I have played with quite a few. A guy called Martin Nurse for Barbados was a very, very naturally talented player with both bat and ball. He didn’t push on for whatever reason but he could really play.What would you be if you were not a cricketer?
I’d love to be a footballer. Failing that, a singer.Who is the best footballer in the West Indies warm-ups?
Marlon Samuels is very good.And the worst?
Darren Sammy. He never passes the ball!Who is the best captain you have played under?
Kirk Edwards. He just got things done effectively and was a real good man manager. He did some very good things for Barbados.

“If I was stuck on a desert island with Tino Best, he would drive me up the wall and I’d probably end up killing him”

Who is the worst sledger you have ever seen?
Trent Boult. He just made me laugh! He’s too nice to sledge.Which player have you seen who is destined for a big future in the game?
Dushmantha Chameera. He really impressed me bowling for Sri Lanka in the World Cup against us. He looks like a good talent.As a big Manchester United fan what would you like to say to Louis van Gaal?
Thank you for bringing the young players through… now it’s time to move on!Whose wicket celebrations are the best in the game?
It has to be DJ Bravo.Which of your team-mates is the best dancer?
That one has to be, by far, Sulieman Benn.Which ground does the best teas?
Lord’s. It’s all so nice there and comforting – except for the weather.What would the average cricket fan not know about you?
That’s a tough one. How about the fact I sing? I’m a solo singer in my spare time.Which of your team-mates would you least like to be stuck on a desert island with?
Tino Best. He would drive me up the wall and I’d probably end up killing him.Who is the most vain?
Darren Sammy.Who has the worst dress sense?
Kirk Edwards. Most of his clothes are pretty questionable.What is the best piece of coaching advice you have ever been given?
To go and enjoy it. Enjoy the game and express yourself.

Stats highlights from the second day in Mirpur

S Rajesh29-Oct-20164 Spinners who have taken five-wicket hauls in each of their first two Tests; Bangladesh’s Mehedi Hasan became the fourth bowler in this list when he took 6 for 82 in England’s first innings, after taking 6 for 80 in the first innings in Chittagong. The others in this list are India’s Narendra Hirwani, who had 24 wickets in his first two Tests, Australia’s Clarrie Grimmett, and England’s Nick Cook. Grimmett and Hirwani took three five-wicket hauls in their first two Tests.13 Wickets for Mehedi in his first two Tests so far. With one more innings to go, Mehedi already has the most wickets by a Bangladesh bowler after two Tests. Mahmudullah and Sohag Gazi had both taken 12 in their first two matches.99 The partnership between Adil Rashid and Chris Woakes, England’s highest for the ninth wicket in Asia. The previous best was 83, by Keith Fletcher and Norman Gifford, against India in Chennai way back in 1973.3.72 The economy rate for England’s spinners so far in this series – they have leaked 603 runs in 161.5 overs, compared to Bangladesh’s 599 in 236.4 (econ rate 2.53). Bangladesh’s spinners have also taken more wickets – 28, to England’s 19 – at a much better average – 21.39, to England’s 31.73. In the second Test, England’s spinners have leaked 4.11 runs per over, compared to Bangladesh’s 2.64. In comparison, England’s fast bowlers have an economy rate of 2.37 in this series.

2 Instances of Bangladesh spinners returning better figures than Mehedi’s 6 for 82 when opening the bowling in a Test innings: Gazi took 6 for 74 against West Indies in 2012, while Mehedi himself took 6 for 80 in the first Test of the ongoing series.13 Fifty-plus stands between Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes, the second highest by any Bangladesh pair; only Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, with 16 such partnerships, have more. The Tamim-Imrul aggregate partnership runs of 2213 is easily the highest by any Bangladesh pair.