Category Uncategorized

Chelsea will be hoping their 12th place Premier League finish last term was a one off as Mauricio Pochettino prepares to lead them into the new campaign.

It has been a busy transfer window so far, with 13 players departing and six new arrivals. The squad has been significantly trimmed, not only to free up the wage budget and provide more funds, but to also comply with the financial fair play regulations.

The Argentinian isn’t stopping there however, and a move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic could be next.

How much will Dusan Vlahovic cost Chelsea?

When the Stamford Bridge outfit first showed interest in the 23-year-old talisman at the beginning of July, the Serie A side valued him at £70m, which was around the fee they had paid to sign him from Fiorentina in 2022.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

Pochettino may be able to drive this fee down by offering Romelu Lukaku as a part of a potential swap deal according to Fabrizio Romano.

He discussed the potential deal for Vlahovic on his YouTube channel, saying:

"For Dusan Vlahovic, Mauricio Pochettino – Chelsea manager – is thinking about that.

"He will take some days, it will be the weekend probably, to discuss internally, of course, with the board, but basically, for Chelsea, the decision is to wait for something else for Romelu Lukaku or to go next week into negotiations with Juventus and reach an agreement for the swap deal: Lukaku, Vlahovic.

"So it has to be a strategy, but it is also important to understand what Pochettino wants to do with Dusan Vlahovic because more than one month ago, Chelsea said no to the swap deal between Lukaku and Vlahovic. Now Juventus are offering that again, they want €40m (£34m) as part of the deal.”

Will Dusan Vlahovic improve Chelsea?

Considering the Blues scored just 38 Premier League goals last season, luring a player with the quality that Vlahovic possesses could only improve this tally during 2023/24.

The Serbian international didn’t enjoy the most productive of campaigns for Juventus during 2022/23, scoring 14 times across all competitions, which was a drop from his tally of 29 goals the season before.

The Blues have signed Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig, and he could certainly get the former Fiorentina hitman firing again, forging a dream duo with him in the process.

The Frenchman ranked in the top 6% for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.28) across Europe’s big five leagues over the previous 365 days, while also ranking in the top 7% for progressive passes (3.44) and top 8% for successful take-ons (1.68) per 90, indicating just how effective he is at working the ball forward and creating chances for others.

This could only benefit Vlahovic, who averaged 2.5 shots per game for Juventus last term, ranking him first across the whole squad, while he also topped the pile for goals scored and should he be on the receiving end of the excellent service from Nkunku, his goal tally will surely increase.

Former defender Micah Richards lauded the striker back in 2021, saying the Old Lady goal machine was “lightning” while also claiming that the forward had a “wand” of a left foot, and he could be an excellent addition to the Chelsea squad.

Nkunku impressed during pre-season, scoring three goals in four matches and if Pochettino combines his creative talents alongside the attacking qualities of Vlahovic, he could create a scary duo which will terrorise Premier League defenders.

The Tamil Nadu batsman’s 181-ball knock, featuring 12 fours and two sixes, helped India Red recover from 159 for 7 to finish the first day at 291 for 9

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Sep-2017Stumps:
File Photo – B Indrajith waltzed to his fifth first-class hundred, making an unbeaten 120 off 181 balls•PTI

B Indrajith notched up an unbeaten 120 to shepherd India Red to 291 for 9 at stumps on the first day after India Green reduced them to 159 for 7 at Green Park. After captain Dinesh Karthik elected to bat, the India Red openers failed to build on strong starts before fast bowler Ankit Rajpoot broke into the middle order.Indrajith’s 181-ball knock, featuring 12 fours and two sixes, came against the backdrop of India Red capitulating from 70 for no loss to 123 for 5 in under 40 overs, before losing the next four wickets for another 82 runs. Batting at No.4, Indrajith cruised to his fifth first-class hundred, despite finding little support at the other end. Even as his side kept losing wickets at regular intervals, Indrajith added 86 unbroken runs for the last wicket with Vijay Gohil, who struck a 35-ball 22.Opener Priyank Panchal, coming off twin centuries in the previous game, fell for 36 after a 70-run opening stand with Sudip Chatterjee (34). After Rajpoot trapped Panchal in front in the 25th over, Suresh Raina accounted for Chatterjee seven balls later.Of the seven bowlers used by India Blue, Rajpoot was the most effective, picking up three wickets for 44 runs. Barring Pankaj Rao, all of the others picked up at least one wicket, with Jaydev Unadkat bagging 2 for 64.

Luis Reece carried Derbyshire Falcons to the brink of the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals with 66 from 49 balls that sealed a three wicket win over the Durham Jets at Derby.Reece scored his fourth T20 fifty as the Falcons survived a late wobble inspired by Durham skipper Paul Coughlin to chase down 162 with three balls to spare. Derbyshire go second in the North Group with two matches to play.Stuart Poynter had made a competition best unbeaten 61 from 32 balls as the Jets recovered to 161 for 7 but Reece again played a decisive hand to turn the game.Durham’s innings began badly with Keaton Jennings run out by a direct hit from midwicket in the first over and Graham Clarke lbw going back to Wayne Madsen in the third.Michael Richardson went for a duck in the fourth when Hardus Viljoen side-footed the ball into the stumps in his follow through and although Tom Latham twice pulled the South African for four, the Jets hopes of a substantial total were dented when he swung Matt Henry into the hands of deep midwicket in the last over of the powerplay.Jack Burnham and Paul Coughlin added 38 before the Jets skipper was caught behind trying to pull Ben Cotton and the Falcons looked in control when Burnham was caught at third man in the 17th over.Luis Reece has had a fine NatWest Blast tournament•Getty Images

But Poynter had already lofted Imran Tahir for six and he drove and pulled two more from Cotton in the 19th over to reach 50 from 28 balls.A full toss from Henry was dispatched over deep point for his fourth six and when he late cut the last ball for four, 35 had come from the final two overs.The Falcons lost Billy Godleman in the second over despite replays showing James Weighell was perilously close to a no ball and after Matt Critchley pulled Chris Rushworth for six, he miscued to midwicket to reduce the home side to 33 for 2 in the 5th over.As one of the leading batsmen in the competition, Madsen’s wicket was key and he moved smoothly to 24 but then swung Ryan Pringle to wide long on.Reece, badly dropped at deep cover on 21, pulled Jennings for six but the Jets were building pressure which told when Alex Hughes top edged a pull in the 15th over.Reece took two fours from Weighell as 16 came from the 16th over, Henry pulled Usman Arshad for six, and although wickets fell in the closing overs, they had done enough.

Heart of Midlothian will be aiming to finish higher than the fourth they achieved last term, and although they have a chance of securing qualification to the group stages of the Europa Conference League for the second season in a row, much will depend on whether Steven Naismith makes any signings in the coming weeks.

They have lost both Josh Ginnelly, scorer of 13 goals last season and midfielder Orestis Kiomourtzoglou recently and with no new arrivals heading through the Tynecastle doors yet, things will have to change, and fast.

Following a successful loan spell in Edinburgh during 2022/23, defender James Hill stated himself that he could be open to a potential move to Hearts this summer from AFC Bournemouth in what would be a massive boost for Naismith.

He said: “It would definitely be in consideration because everyone at Hearts has been amazing. They’ve made me feel at home. I’m not out of place here. I feel like a massive part of this squad. When you have that belief, the sky is the limit.

“The group at Hearts is incredible and the standard of this league is a surprise when other players step in because there is such quality.”

The centre-back may have to take a pay cut from his sizeable £14k-per-week wages in order to sanction a move North of the border, but he would be getting some regular gametime and a chance to impress on the European stage.

Will James Hill sign for Hearts this summer?

Judging by his comments, he certainly likes the club and regardless if it was a permanent move or another loan deal, Naismith would be more than happy to have him back, and he could form a wonderful duo with Craig Halkett.

The former Livingston defender played just eight times during the whole of last season due to suffering a cruciate ligament injury, however, his statistics from the term before give an indication of just how important he is to the club.

Across 28 matches in 2021/22, the 28-year-old ranked first in the squad for clearances per game (4.5) and first for accurate passes per game (51.1), showcasing his abilities to play out well from the back and alongside Hill, he would have a partner he could rely on.

The Englishman played just 14 league games for the Jambos during the second half of the season, yet he ranked third for tackles per game (1.8), first for interceptions per game (1.8) and sixth for accurate passes per game (30.4), suggesting that he didn’t take long to make an impression in the first team and alongside Halkett, they could be a ball playing partnership which could build attacks regularly from the defence.

He was lauded as “another success story” upon joining the Cherries from Fleetwood Town by journalist Gregg Evans back in January 2022 and despite failing to make an impression on the South coast, the 21-year-old has certainly showcased his talents at Tynecastle during his brief stay.

Signing him would signal a big statement of intent by Hearts and with crucial European ties fast approaching, it would give them a major boost.

Newcastle United may soon make a move for Goncalo Inacio this summer, according to a fresh report from AS, via Sport Witness.

What is the latest Newcastle United transfer news?

The Toon will be competing in the Champions League next season and that means that they have work to do in order to ensure their squad is capable of competing in Europe and in the Premier League.

That has already led to the Magpies being linked to a number of players in multiple positions this summer transfer window. One of their newer targets is believed to be Giovanni Di Lorenzo of Napoli, with PIF now placing the right-back on their transfer wishlist. No official bid has been made for the defender though.

Defence seems to be a priority for Newcastle too at the moment, with Joachim Andersen another player linked with a switch. The Crystal Palace star's teammate Marc Guehi is also a target, although he is considered less of a "realistic" proposition than Andersen.

Are Newcastle United signing Goncalo Inacio?

Now, according to a report from AS via Sport Witness, there is yet another player that they are interested in that could slot into their backline. That man is Sporting CP's Inacio, with Newcastle stated to be battling both Arsenal and Liverpool for the 21-year-old this summer.

It adds that they do already have faith in their central defenders but that boss Eddie Howe wants to ensure his side are strong enough to compete in every competition – and that will involve bringing in a player like Inacio. No bid has yet been lodged for the player, but Sporting could be williing to cash in for 45 million Euros (or £38.8m).

He's already caught the eye with his impressive displays for Sporting CP, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig previously calling him a "brilliant CB" despite his age.

The youth football writer also praised the club's academy for producing a player like Inacio, and it shows the potential that the defender has to receive such acclaim. If Newcastle want to bolster their defence – and have someone who can help keep it solid for a good few years to come – then Inacio could be their man if they can get a deal sorted.

Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be firmly interested in a summer move for Leicester City star, Harvey Barnes, with manager Ange Postecoglou having already strengthened his wide options with the permanent capture of Dejan Kulusevski.

What's the latest on Harvey Barnes to Tottenham?

According to respected insider Alasdair Gold – writing in his piece for football.london – the Lilywhites are said to hold a 'strong interest' in the 25-year-old, with the club said to have 'explored' the possibility of a double deal involving the Englishman and his Foxes teammate, James Maddison.

Although Barnes is said to be 'slightly older' than the profile of winger that Postecoglou is believed to be targetting, the one-time West Bromwich Albion loanee remains a possible option for the north London outfit, having impressed despite Leicester's relegation last season.

This follows a previous report from The Sun that also noted Tottenham's interest in the wing wizard, with a potential asking price of around £40m having been suggested.

Should Tottenham sign Harvey Barnes?

As Gold's report stated, Postecoglou is said to be looking for an additional wide option who has 'the ability to beat a man with pace or skill, be strong in the transition and able to press high up the pitch in order to regain possession', hence turning to Barnes as an astute candidate for that role.

Lauded as a "livewire" by pundit Alan Hutton, the Burnley native appears to possess the attacking attributes that the Spurs boss is demanding, with Hutton also going on to state that:

"Harvey Barnes is an excellent player, he has got that raw pace, he can score goals, he can assist."

The £35k-per-week speedster notably sparkled during the 2022/23 campaign despite his side's collective woes after chipping in with 13 league goals and one assist from the left flank, proving that he could represent a viable, long-term alternative to Heung-min Son in that wide berth.

With Barnes potentially set to be the man to succeed the 30-year-old in the years to come, Postecoglou could fashion an exciting wing pair involving the Leicester ace and the aforementioned Kulusevski, following the news that the latter man is set to stay put at N17 for the foreseeable future.

The Sweden international – who has been snapped up on a £25m deal after a promising 18-month loan spell with the club – could potentially prove to be a perfect partner for Barnes on the flanks, as the 23-year-old is arguably a more creative presence than the clinical Englishman.

With Barnes evidently a real goal threat – as his form last season illustrates – the 5 foot 9 dynamo could contrast nicely with Kulusevski on the opposite side, with the ex-Juventus gem more of a provider after chipping in with 16 assists in just 57 games for the club to date in all competitions.

As such, that left-foot, right-foot combination could wreak havoc on the rest of the Premier League due to their differing strengths and traits, hence just why Postecoglou should do all he can to snap up Barnes from the King Power Stadium ahead of next season.

A stubborn third-wicket partnership between Azhar Ali and Younis Khan, worth 120 runs at stumps, helped Pakistan fight back after a ragged day in the field

The Report by Daniel Brettig04-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:51

Samiuddin: Management don’t seem convinced of Yasir’s injury

Azhar Ali and Younis Khan indicated they had no intention of leaving Australia quietly with a stubborn stand after Peter Handscomb maintained his Test-match honeymoon phase with a second century to lift Australia to 8 for 538 on a batsmen-friendly day two of the SCG Test.When the visitors lost two wickets before tea, having been run ragged by David Warner, Matt Renshaw and then Handscomb, there seemed every chance of the procession continuing in the final session. Instead Azhar maintained his fine touch and found support from Younis, who was in need of a score after a barren tour.Australia were not at their best in the field, Warner, in particular, was untidy, missing two run-outs and also dropping a difficult chance at leg slip off the bowling of Nathan Lyon in the day’s penultimate over. The first run-out chance was the most egregious error, as Warner shied for a glory direct hit rather than passing the ball to the bowler Mitchell Starc with Azhar stranded halfway up the pitch.Earlier, the hosts strode steadily towards an enormous first-innings tally against bowling that improved somewhat on the first day’s effort, though Pakistan were not helped by more indifferent fielding from the captain Misbah-ul-Haq down.Matt Renshaw’s 184, which seems to have set him up for a long and fruitful Test career, was the highest by an opening batsman under the age of 21, and was only ended by a fine over from Imran Khan, who moved the ball to the left-hander across the crease before prompting him to drag onto the stumps.Handscomb, meanwhile, did not allow himself to be frustrated by periods of slow scoring, utilising the sweep in particular to excellent effect – a good sign ahead of the tour of India. He survived a nervous period in the 90s to pass three figures on the same ground where he made a double century in the Sheffield Shield earlier this season to earn his Test spot.Hilton Cartwright also showed patience, and showcased an organised technique with the exception of a couple of chances: a Yasir Shah leg break that beat him but also the wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed, and an edge off Azhar’s part-timers that eluded Younis at first slip.There had been hope of Renshaw going past 200 when play began, and, in the early overs, it seemed there was little to stop him. It took Imran’s artful use of the crease and line to prompt the false stroke that brought his downfall, but he departed the ground with the applause of thousands ringing in his 20-year-old ears.Cartwright arrived to face a first ball from Mohammad Amir, and stroked a full offering through cover with plenty of confidence. Thereafter he was somewhat becalmed and gave up the aforementioned chances, but a half-century stand in Handscomb’s capable company was a more than useful start.After lunch, Handscomb reached the outskirts of his hundred before Cartwright was bowled by Imran; then, some quick scoring by Matthew Wade and Mitchell Starc drew Steven Smith’s declaration. In the 15 minutes to the tea interval, Hazlewood had an impact, though debutant Sharjeel Khan’s technique was questionable to say the least, as he waved his bat at Hazlewood to be taken at slip.Babar Azam, who fell in the same over, should also have been expected to keep out a ball that was full and straight but not really moving through the air or off the seam, evidence that the time in the field had left the visitors with heavy legs. There was time for one over of spin – from the recalled Steve O’Keefe – before the tea break.When Azhar hurtled down the wicket for a single that did not interest Younis, it appeared a third wicket was about to fall, but Warner’s preference to shy at the stumps offered the reprieve the batsmen needed. Both would play some fine strokes off pace and spin, as neither Lyon nor O’Keefe could get much turn from a drying but still decidedly flat surface. Cartwright’s bowling debut was steady at best.This is not to say Pakistan are out of trouble; the way the Melbourne Test panned out attests to the fact they are far from it. But the comfort with which Azhar stroked a boundary in the final over of the day suggested that plenty of runs remain in the surface, provided the tourists put their minds to it.

Amy Satterthwaite took two wickets and slammed an unbeaten 115 to give New Zealand an eight-wicket win in the third ODI against Pakistan Women and take an unassailable 3-0 lead

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Amy Satterthwaite took two wickets, two catches, effected a run out and scored an unbeaten century to lead an eight-wicket rout of Pakistan•IDI/Getty Images

Amy Satterthwaite’s two wickets and fourth ODI century studded New Zealand Women’s dominance in the third ODI, which they won by eight wickets to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series against Pakistan Women. Satterthwaite struck an unbeaten 115 off 101 balls – her second consecutive century, coming on the back of a career-best 137 not out in the second match – as New Zealand chased down 264 in 44.2 overs at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln. That, after Pakistan backed their captain Sana Mir’s decision to bat by putting up 263 for 6, their third-highest total in ODIs and the best against New Zealand in ODIs.Satterthwaite walked out at the fall of Rachel Priest, who had laid a good foundation with New Zealand captain Suzie Bates, putting on 60 for the first wicket. Satterthwaite consolidated with her captain, taking New Zealand to 162 for 2 in the 31st over, before Mir struck for a second time, having Bates caught on 74. Katey Martin joined Satterthwaite and slammed an unbeaten 50 off 45 balls to see New Zealand through. Satterthwaite ended up with 11 fours.”She’s so good to watch. Amy has been outstanding. In South Africa, she really led from the front with the bat and she has just continued to score runs and doesn’t even look like getting out,” Bates said. “And then, Martin at No. 4, pretty new in that role, and for her to show her huge potential at this level and score fifty after fifty, she’s brilliant for the team going forward, and in going into the World Cup, we’ve got two batters in really good form. We’ve asked our top-four in the last few seasons to be consistent and now we’re starting to see that.”We knew it was a really good wicket. Bowling out there, there was no margin for error. No demons in the wicket at all, we just had to play good cricket shots and (there were) plenty of runs out there.”Pakistan used seven bowlers and Mir had the best figures, finishing with 2 for 43 in 10 overs.New Zealand could have been potentially chasing a stiffer target had Pakistan finished better. Ayesha Zafar (30) and Nahida Khan (25) made steady starts, before Javeira Khan (73) and Bismah Maroof, who top-scored with an unbeaten 91, took them to 200 for 2 in the 40th over. The 117-run partnership, Pakistan’s joint third-highest in ODIs, ended with Satterthwaite dismissing Javeira, and though Dar stayed on, regular wickets prevented a late surge with Pakistan scoring just 59 runs in the last 10 overs.Bates, however, still felt New Zealand’s effort on the field could have been better. “Very disappointed with the way we started with the ball and we never really pulled it back. And credit to Pakistan, they batted outstandingly,” she said. “Not taking anything away from them, but I don’t think we had our lines as often as we would have liked and we were perhaps on the backfoot in the field, so there’s a huge learning to take from that fielding performance.”Satterthwaite had a busy day, topping the wickets column and finishing with 2 for 65 in 10 overs, apart from taking two catches and being involved in a run-out. New-ball bowler Lea Tahuhu took 1 for 30 in 10 overs and Bates finished with none for 31 in 10 overs.The fourth ODI takes place on Thursday at Nelson, before the series concludes on Saturday at the same venue.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Amy Satterthwaite and Suzie Bates put on 174 runs at over six runs per over•Getty Images

New Zealand Women thumped South Africa Women by nine wickets in the third ODI to claim the last two ICC Women’s Championship points of the series and take a 2-1 lead. By winning the 1000th women’s ODI overall, New Zealand now have 20 points in the championship table, joint with second-placed West Indies, and one ahead of England’s 19 points.New Zealand cruised past their target of 189 in 33.1 overs with unbeaten fifties from captain Suzie Bates and No. 3 Amy Satterthwaite as they put on 174 runs for the second wicket. Once Rachel Priest was bowled for 10 in the fifth over, Bates, 88 off 82, and Satterthwaite, 89 of 97, scored briskly to not allow the hosts any more success. Bates struck five fours and two sixes in her 18th ODI fifty, while Satterthwaite’s 12th fifty included 12 fours.South Africa had chosen to bat earlier but things didn’t go as per plans as left-arm spinner Morna Nielsen followed her five-for in the second ODI with two early wickets. The hosts were soon 55 for 4, including opener Lizelle Lee’s 36, before being revived by Marizanne Kapp and Dane van Niekerk. They took the score past 100 before Kapp was dismissed for 32 by medium-pacer Holly Huddleston who also ran through the middle and lower order, even though van Niekerk stayed unbeaten to score 78.Huddleston took four of the last six wickets to finish with 5 for 25 from 10 overs, her second five-for in only nine ODIs. Nielsen finished with 2 for 36 as South Africa were bowled out in 50 overs.

WV Raman, the former India batsman and coach of India Green, has said playing with the pink ball will test the adaptability of players as they enter a relatively less-trodden territory. In what will be a maiden first-class match in India with a pink ball, India Green will take on India Red in the Duleep Trophy opener, beginning on Tuesday in Greater Noida.

‘Better off with pink ball trial in T20s’ – Harbhajan

Harbhajan Singh, who opted out of the Duleep Trophy to spend time with his recently-born daughter, was concerned with how the spinners would come to grips with the Kookaburra ball. He pointed out that the experiment to use the red Kookaburra in the Duleep Trophy in 2006-07 had proved to be unsuccessful.
“It is going to be a nightmare for the spinners,” Harbhajan told ESPNcricinfo. “The seam is not that great on the Kookaburra ball, and only people who have played with it for a long period of time will be able to adjust. When I was new, I felt this was quite hard to grip because it slips from your hands. It was only after a few years that I got used to it and started bowling well with the Kookaburra ball. A pink Duke ball would be much better or pink SG ball has a lot more to offer for the bowlers. I hope this experiment will be a good one.”
Harbhajan also felt the pink ball would be put to better use in the shorter formats, especially Twenty20 cricket. “Pink ball in Twenty20 will add some more excitement: it’s a different format, a fast game with a lot of colour,” he said. “If you can trial pink ball in Twenty20 cricket as well, nothing like it; we might end up playing IPL with pink ball. The only problem would be coloured jerseys.”

Raman felt it was difficult to form an opinion of the ball after just one practice session, but said players would be a “lot wiser” after the first game. “One thing is the visibility of the ball is going to be good. So I don’t think that is going to be a problem,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “But, in the match, there is a possibility that the breeze can be on and off which means the ball sometimes can swing, sometimes not swing. Even while fielding the ball might swirl a bit [for] the tall catches, sometimes it may not swirl. You never know.”While the pink ball has piqued the curiosity of players and fans, the BCCI’s ambition of staging a day-night Test with a pink ball during a long home season hinges heavily upon the successful trial of the ball during the tournament. Raman said the durability of the pink Kookaburra ball in Indian conditions would be a big factor in determining its success.”The one big challenge is to see how long the ball lasts in our conditions,” he said. “We have not seen a lot of wear and tear if there is a whole lot of dew and moisture in a day-night four or five-day game. That means the wear and tear that you expect on the last and penultimate days of a five-day game may not be there.”There are a lot of unknowns. One thing for sure – the adaptability of the players will be tested. It will be interesting to see the unknowns unfold, based on which players will have to adapt. That will make it quite exciting to watch.”Raman also felt the pitch itself might not be a huge contributor to the wear and tear of the ball. “It is more of the outfield being good enough to preserve the colour and the hardness of the ball,” Raman pointed out. “I think, according to the manufacturers, that is what they are looking at – [if] the venues and the outfields are conducive to the ball retaining its colour, hardness and shape. We have to wait and see.”Robin Uthappa, the Karnataka batsman who has played with the pink Duke’s ball in the Karnataka Premier League, said fast bowlers and batsmen would be faced with equal challenges. “Back then it swung a lot, there was a lot of extra bounce,” he said recently. “It will be a very good challenge for the fast bowlers and top-order batsmen. We will have to wait and see how we shine the ball; how we can maintain that kind of ball. A lot of these finer details you will only really understand once you have really played with it for a certain while.”From a top order batsman’s perspective I am just trying to understand how much the ball is going to swing. It will be interesting to see how different is it, how long is this going to swing – is this going to swing like the SG ball where it doesn’t swing the first few overs and then swings for the next 35-40 overs, or will it be that Kookaburra ball where it swings the first 20 overs and after that it doesn’t do much. The more we practice with the ball the more understanding we have.”