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Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has shared an update regarding Hoops midfielder Reo Hatate after he was taken off through injury during the Parkhead club’s recent 2-0 win over Aberdeen.

What’s the news?

Speaking (via The Scotsman) after the match that saw the Bhoys secure their first win of the new season thanks to goals from Stephen Welsh and Jota, the 56-year-old had this to say about Hatate.

“He copped a couple of hard knocks, to be fair. He was a bit sore after the game.”

This seems to imply that the midfielder was not too badly injured during the match, despite being substituted off after 66 minutes following a blow to the mouth, in addition to needing treatment for a knock he took in the first period of the game.

Despite not completing the entire game, the Japan international still managed to show how significant he is to the Hoops as he racked up three key passes against Aberdeen as well as having two shots at goal and making one tackle and one interception.

Celtic fans will be buzzing

The 24-year-old showed after his arrival in January just how useful he is for the Hoops as he ended the previous SPFL season with 29 shots at goal, 23 crosses delivered, 12 interceptions and seven successful tackles.

As well as this, the January recruit managed to score four goals and provide three assists in 17 league appearances.

With Postecoglou implying that there wasn’t any serious damage done to Hatate during Sunday’s clash, this should relieve Celtic fans and leave them hoping that he’ll be fit enough to play in the Bhoys’ next game against Ross County on Saturday.

While the midfielder may have some recovering to do from his battle against Aberdeen, he still has the next few days ahead of him to train and get prepared for the next clash as Celtic look to continue their solid start to the campaign with another victory.

With Saturday’s clash with County in mind, it’s safe to say that given what Hatate offers the team in the middle of the pitch, Postecoglou will be hoping that the player can shake off the knocks he picked up and be available for selection.

AND in other news: Postecoglou could seal big CCV upgrade with Celtic bid for “tremendous” 25 y/o target

According to an Italian source, Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race to sign Fenerbahce defender Kim Min-Jae this summer.

The Lowdown: Registering an interest

Antonio Conte has already made a rapid start to the transfer window, having secured the signings of Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet and soon-to-be Djed Spence, but the boss is showing no signs of stopping there.

The 25-year-old Kim was the bright spark in what was a disappointing season for the Turkish outfit last season, and the Lilywhites must have been impressed with what they saw, having been credited with an initial interest last month.

In a fresh update, it sounds as though the colossus would be keen on a move to the Premier League…

The Latest: Kim wants to join Spurs

In an article published by Italian outlet Corriere del Mezzogiorno (via Sport Witness), it’s claimed Napoli are ‘showing an interest’ in Kim after identifying him as their ‘main target’, but they are ‘joined’ in the race by Tottenham.

The source reports that the Serie A giants must ‘beat the competition’ from Spurs, Everton and Rennes if they want any chance at signing the man nicknamed the ‘monster’ for his imposing physical style.

It’s stated that the 40-cap international is ‘looking to leave’ Fenerbahce to seek a new challenge and ‘has been hoping’ for his chosen destination to be north London, though Antonio Conte has so far ‘made other choices’ in defence.

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The Verdict: Son influence?

Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon have both been linked with a move away from Tottenham, so it’s understandable that Conte will be wanting a further addition alongside Lenglet to provide himself with some squad depth at the back next season.

The 6 foot 2 Kim, once dubbed ‘the best’ player in Super Lig by former Turkey and Fenerbahce star Ridvan Dilmen, had an outstanding campaign last term, averaging 4.1 clearances, 2.3 interceptions and 1.5 tackles per league game, via WhoScored.

The fact that he is a compatriot of Son Heung-Min having played alongside each other in South Korea’s national team could well be the reason he wants to join, and this could be a huge contributing factor when it comes down to the ace deciding his next move.

Fabrizio Romano has dropped a big Wolves transfer update that will please Bruno Lage as he aims to rebuild his squad.

What’s the news?

The news surrounds a move for Sporting Lisbon player Matheus Nunes, with Romano tweeting: “Wolves have still no agreement with Matheus Nunes on personal terms. Talks ongoing with Sporting on the fee for one week, but the real issue is on player side.”

Despite the fact there hasn’t been an agreement yet, Lage will be delighted that talks are continuing, and he will be hoping to add Nunes to the squad ahead of next season.

Lage surely buzzing

Wolves will be aiming for another top-half finish in the Premier League next season following a solid if unspectacular first campaign under Lage.

With John Ruddy, Romain Saiss, and Marcal all leaving the club and the futures of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves uncertain, there will surely be an influx of new faces.

According to the Portuguese news outlet Record (via the Sun), Wolves have agreed on a deal for €45m and €5m in add-ons (£43m) for Nunes.

The midfielder played 33 matches as Sporting Lisbon came up short in their league title defence, scoring three times and registering one assist.

The 23-year-old’s passing ability is one of his main strengths, creating six big chances for Sporting as well as registering an impressive 36.5 accurate passes per match (86%).

The Portugal international isn’t shy about shirking his defensive duties either, winning 1.3 tackles per match whilst only being dribbled past 0.7 times each game.

£43m might sound like a lot, but if Lage wants to improve his team ahead of next season and add a player who can provide plenty of qualities at both ends of the pitch, then a move for Nunes is a no-brainer.

Wolves will be hoping a deal can be wrapped up as soon as possible and it would be a big statement of intent going forward and one that consequently delights their manager.

AND in other news, Mendes could deliver transfer masterclass as Wolves eye move for 173-goal “animal”

Former Premier League striker Gabby Agbonlahor has tipped Celtic attackers to flourish following the appointment of Harry Kewell as first-team coach. 

The lowdown: Jobs for the boys

Sky Sports revealed recently that the former Australia winger is set to be named among Ange Postecgoglou’s backroom staff for the 2022/23 campaign having left English National League side Barnet last September, where he was manager for just seven matches.

Kewell will join John Kennedy, Stephen McManus, Gavin Strachan and Stevie Woods in making up the coaching setup at Celtic Park and will bring a wealth of experience to the Lennoxtown ranks that saw the 43-year-old represent Leeds United, Melbourne Heart, Liverpool and Galatasary during an illustrious playing career.

Since retirement, the Champions League winner has managed Watford Under 23s, Crawley, Oldham, and Notts County before the spell at Barnet.

The latest: Agbonlahor endorses move

Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa striker and regular talkSPORT pundit Agbonlahor claimed that the appointment of Kewell could be a masterstroke from the Hoops hierarchy.

He said: “The wingers in the team especially will be looking at Harry Kewell thinking ‘I remember you at Leeds, Liverpool and how good of a winger you were’. He had great technique and shooting.

“Definitely they will want to learn off him. I always think it’s a good idea to have ex-players who have played the game to be around and help. They can give their experiences of football and coaching to players.”

The verdict: Smart move

Albeit the managerial career of Kewell hasn’t quite gone to plan as of yet, having appeared at a World Cup, started a Champions League final and lifted the English FA Cup, the 56-cap ex-Australia international boasts a wealth of knowledge that each and every Celtic player can tap into.

A goalscoring winger who netted 122 goals in 506 career outings, allowing the Sydney-born coach to pass on information to the likes of Jota, Liel Abada, Daizen Maeda and talented youngster Mikey Johnston seems priceless.

A compatriot of Postecoglou, the pair will likely work harmoniously in tandem on the touchline and beyond as the Bhoys embark on their own Champions League adventure to accompany their domestic duties next season.

In other news… a reliable journalist has dropped a Sadio Mane transfer twist.

Celtic are interested in signing young Argentine left-back Francisco Ortega in the summer transfer window, according to a new transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Summer business expected

Ange Postecoglou may still be basking in the glory of winning the Scottish Premiership title but attention will soon turn to incoming signings if it hasn’t already.

The Australian will know that he has to make Celtic’s squad even more formidable, ahead of what is hopefully a successful title defence and a return to the Champions League in 2022/23.

Left-back could be an area that the Hoops look to strengthen – there have been plenty of links to Iraq international Mohanad Jeahze – and a new update has emerged in that respect.

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The Latest: Celtic eye up Ortega move

According to The Daily Mail‘s Stephen McGowan, sharing his article on Twitter, Celtic are keen on signing Velez Sarsfield defender Orteta this summer:

“Celtic looking at Argentinian U23 left-back Francisco Ortega.”

Expanding in the report, McGowan says the Hoops have compiled impressive scouting reports on the talented young South American, and are also closing in on a permanent deal for Jota.

The Verdict: Great for squad depth

Ortega could be a shrewd signing by Celtic ahead of next season, acting as a strong backup option to Greg Taylor, ahead of Boli Bolingoli’s expected exit.

The 22-year-old is a player who ‘dominates defensively’, according to South American fan site Football FV, as well as being described as a ‘very all-round left-back’, suggesting he would be a strong acquisition.

The fact that Argentinian giants River Plate have reportedly shown an interest in signing Ortega is a sign that he is a big prospect in his homeland, and this could yet prove to be another shrewd snip from Ange in the transfer market.

In other news, Kieran Devlin has dropped a Celtic transfer claim. Read more here.

Liverpool should make a move for highly-rated defender Ronnie Edwards from EFL side Peterborough United this summer amid interest shown from several top clubs according to Liverpool.com.

Reports in the Daily Mail suggest several clubs are interested in completing a deal for the youngster who could fetch a fee of £15m which would be a record sale for Peterborough.

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One of the tasks for Liverpool this summer will be to sign players for the future as well as any big names, and Edwards could make the perfect addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad. He has been described as an “incredible talent” by his former manager Darren Ferguson.

The 19-year old joined The Posh from Barnet in 2020 and has been a regular starter for the side in the Championship this season. Unfortunately, they couldn’t avoid relegation, but that still didn’t stop Edwards from showing his quality.

He has been a shining light in a struggling side, averaging an impressive passing accuracy of 89% per game. He also wins 66% of his ground duels per game and has a 73% successful dribble rate.

These stats prove that he can be aggressive as well as great on the ball, this is a key asset needed if you want to be a success in a Klopp team that is confident in possession and wants to play out from the back.

Crystal Palace are among several clubs interested in the England U19 international. This will be tough competition for Liverpool, with Palace manager Patrick Vieira showing since his return to English football, just how good he is at getting the best out of young players.

Former Chelsea defender Marc Guehi is just one example of this, and Edwards could make a great partner for him.

However, it would be hard to say no to the opportunity to play under Klopp, experience the Anfield crowd and learn from one of the best defences in football.

Liverpool also have history when it comes to signing young talents from the EFL, in 2015 they bought Joe Gomez from Charlton Athletic for £3.5m when he was just 18-years old.

He has gone on to be a key part of their success in recent years, picking up a Premier League and Champions League medal amongst others in that time.

If Edwards does move to Merseyside then he could follow in the footsteps of Gomez and be a future star for the club.

IN other news: Liverpool now eye swoop for £67.5m-rated “full package”, he’s Klopp’s brand new Reus…

It has been a far from simple build-up for Joe Root with injury and form concerns to deal with. The final XI looks exciting, but also a gamble

George Dobell at the Ageas Bowl29-Aug-20185:46

Compton: England top-order lacks backbone

When England were at their best between 2009 and 2011 or so there was a predictability about almost every aspect of their cricket.They had a settled batting line-up, a settled slip cordon and a settled bowling attack. Squad announcements could be cut and pasted for months at a time.Those days are long gone. It might just prove that England have stumbled upon the perfect line-up ahead of the fourth Test in Southampton, but it feels patched together rather than engineered.There is some justification behind the tinkering. Jonny Bairstow, for example, has a finger injury that necessitated he relinquish the gloves, while Chris Woakes has a long-standing quad issue that rendered him unfit for selection. Ben Stokes also has a knee problem that will limit the number of overs he can deliver. The knock-on effects of those injuries was bound to create ripples.But England go into this game looking just a little vulnerable. Few of their batsmen are in their regular positions, after all, and there are four left-handers in the top seven against an attack that favours them. And, as well a new keeper and slip cordon – well, not new so much as revisited – they appear to have abandoned their continuity of selection policy. Meanwhile, their most pressing problem – the fragility of their opening partnership – has not been addressed at all.None of that necessarily makes the selection of the side wrong. It’s just that England have a side stacked with aggressive allrounders most of whom would be best placed batting at No. 6 and very few candidates to strengthen the top three. And in asking Bairstow to move up to No. 4 – an unusual response to a man breaking a finger – they are asking him to fulfil a role he has almost never attempted in county cricket and for which he expressed little enthusiasm on Tuesday.It is not impossible he could make a go of it. He has the talent and it could even be the making of him. But if he is to make it work, he may well have to curb the natural aggressive instincts that have earned him much of the success he has enjoyed to this point. If, as is entirely possible, he comes to the crease within the first 10 overs and continues to push at the ball, he will quickly expose a middle-order that looks more exciting than reliable.The same could be said for most of the batsmen. Joe Root wants to bat No. 4, Stokes has spent most of his career at No. 6 and it is only a few months since Ed Smith, the national selector, talked about Jos Buttler as an ideal No. 7. A few days ago, Moeen Ali scored a double-hundred against a strong Yorkshire attack while batting at No. 3. There is, for sure, some method in the madness of mixing all that up. But there may be some chaos, too.Collision course: Ben Stokes and Alastair Cook bump into each other during training•Getty ImagesEngland have altered their slip cordon, again, too. Root, whose catching gained a far from effusive review from Trevor Bayliss only a couple of weeks ago, will field at second slip with Stokes at third replacing Keaton Jennings. It said a lot for England’s lack of confidence in the position that Root explained the changes not by way of suggesting they would catch better as much as they would deal with the disappointment of drops better.”The hardest thing to get your head around in Test cricket is dealing with when you’ve dropped one,” Root said. “It’s easier to ask experienced guys who have done that a lot more to handle it better.”Ollie Pope is a particularly unfortunate victim of all the tinkering. Asked to fulfil a role that was alien to him – he bats No. 6 for Surrey but was required to bat at No. 4 for England – he has been jettisoned after just three Test innings. As a result, he could be forgiven for wondering what happened to the policy whereby a player was given “one Test too many rather than one too few” that has been touted so often in recent times.Dom Bess (two Tests) and Jack Leach (one Test), who appear to have become England’s third and fourth-choice spinners, could be forgiven similar thoughts. Perhaps Sam Curran, who was dropped a couple of Tests after producing a player of the match performance, too. You wonder whether such treatment – and the insecurity it can breed – compromises their development and confidence within the dressing room. And if it doesn’t, why can’t Alastair Cook, or other experienced players, be dropped when out of form? It seems, at present, as if England find it much easier to drop according to age than merit. Bess, Curran and Pope were all 20.”That’s part of international sport,” Root said in explanation of the Bairstow decision. “You don’t always get what you want. And hopefully he uses it in the right way to continue to work really hard at that side of his game. And he and Jos two can push each other to keep improving in that department.”There were no guarantees that Bairstow would win the gloves back, either. With every chance that his finger will not have improved sufficiently for England to make any change ahead of the final Test at The Oval, it seems Buttler will retain the job. Then, when the side travels to Sri Lanka, it will be unclear who the first choice keeper has become.Admirably meritocratic? Or unnecessarily destabilising? We’ll see. But you do wonder how many people in that dressing room are starting to look over their shoulders.There was one nice moment at the end of training on Thursday. Once all the players had left the field, Mark Nicholas and Robin Smith – both hugely popular and significant figures in Hampshire cricket – emerged from one of the function rooms overlooking the ground and took some pictures of one another playing imaginary shots on the Test pitch. Smith has had some tough times in recent years so to see him in fine fettle and, even without a bat, unleashing that famous square-cut was heartening and reviving. How England could do with a batsman of his class now.

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.

A new book tries to unravel the secret behind the city’s extraordinary cricket legacy, with anecdotes about the passionate following the domestic game has had there

V Ramnarayan23-May-2015At one time, to play a first-class match in Mumbai, whether at the Brabourne or Wankhede, before television brought cricket into our drawing rooms, was to be watched by some of the greatest names in Indian cricket – Vinoo Mankad, Polly Umrigar, Vijay Manjrekar, Madhav Apte , Hanumant Singh, to name a few. There were other cricket fanatics like Raj Singh Dungarpur, with his exuberant passion for the game, and Vasu Paranjpe, whose acute observations from the pavilion on the technique and methods of individual players and on team strategies added a touch of drama to the proceedings.To a visiting cricketer, all this could be morale-boosting and exciting, imparting a new spring in his step. Not only that, if he was a good learner, he invariably went back a wiser cricketer, enriched by his contact with these greats of the game. Imagine how much richer the experience of a cricketer brought up in Mumbai cricket, reared on good turf wickets, taking part in tournaments, rubbing shoulders with stalwarts of Indian cricket from Vijay Merchant and Mankad down to Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, living and playing through the Sachin Tendulkar era.In his , Makarand Waingankar – journalist, talent spotter, administrator and former cricketer – tries to explain what lies behind the extraordinary success of the city. While the title of the book is probably the result of a copy editor’s fantasy, Waingankar brings an altogether more clinical eye to bear on his subject, while unravelling the factors underlying the phenomenal success and durability of Bombay cricket. He confesses to finding the task beyond him, but the many stories from local cricket and first-class matches, and the many personalities and anecdotes featured, more than do the job. The book also rues the falling standards over the last decade, and tries to understand why Mumbai rarely produces world-class bowlers.HarperCollinsParticularly illuminating are the chapters on the Kanga League, played during the monsoon in soggy, unpredictable conditions (a seemingly bizarre innovation by Merchant that gave Bombay cricketers a taste of English conditions before covering of pitches became mandatory), and Ranji Trophy matches in which the gallant, never-say-die spirit of Bombay cricket comes to the fore. Time and again we have watched in awe as the city’s cricket team turned hopeless situations around to win. This reviewer was at the receiving end once, in 1976 – and the chapter is an inspiring retelling of a number of such games. In the midst of these heroic tales glitters the story of Dilip Vengsarkar’s epic failure to win a Ranji Trophy final, by just two runs, against Haryana, after a 45-run partnership with the No. 11, Abey Kuruvilla, that ended in Kuruvilla getting run out.MAK Pataudi, one of many cricketers whose thoughts on Mumbai cricket figure in the book, refers to the structure of school, college and club cricket in the city, as well as to the inter-corporate tournament that helped a cricketer’s livelihood. In these games, he found the cricket “tougher than some of the Ranji Trophy matches”. Rahul Dravid attributes Mumbai’s longevity as a cricket centre to its cricket culture, its excellent facilities, and the good turf wickets a Bombay player grows up on. Nari Contractor describes the qualities a player needs to succeed in the Kanga League: “To survive on those sorts of wickets, a batsman had to adjust all the time. You had to play with soft hands. Since there was tall grass, we had to run quick singles because you just couldn’t hit a boundary.” (Unless you were Sachin Tendulkar, as the book reveals elsewhere.)While the most poignant stories are about the kind of team men Bombay cricket has produced, like Eknath Solkar and Wasim Jaffer, who put personal tragedy behind them to serve their team, there is at least one that brings a smile to the reader – that of Sudhakar Adhikari, who rushed straight from the of his wedding to the stadium to play a Ranji Trophy match. is as much about the VS Patils, Paranjpes, Amol Muzumdars, Milind Reges and other fine players and coaches below Test level, as it is about Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. It is a fascinating celebration of the Bombay brand of cricket – (win at all costs), shrewd, indefatigable. It may fall short of expectations in terms of style, but offers substance in good measure.A Million Broken Windows

The Magic and Mystique of Bombay Cricket
By Makarand Waingankar
Harper Collins India
288 pages, Rs 399

Though unsuccessful for long stretches during Pakistan’s rearguard, the Sri Lanka attack demonstrated admirable patience and application

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Dubai11-Jan-2014As gloom came to rest above the Dubai stadium in the morning, Misbah-ul-Haq began his long, dreary filibuster. For 37 balls the match stalled on his unambitious blade and Sri Lanka’s bowlers could do little more than settle into their channels. Though unsuccessful for long stretches, and lacking a team-mate to provide respite with a back-spell of bowling, the attack did not stray until stumps were drawn.During Sri Lanka’s Test-free months in 2013, they had counted their top Twenty20 ranking among their proudest achievements. In that format, variation rules and predictability ends careers. Somehow, while the short-form specialists were doing just enough to safeguard the team’s place atop the table, the Test bowlers had developed a taste for attrition. Misbah seemed so set on defence that perhaps not even wayward deliveries would have stirred him from his reverie, but Sri Lanka’s bowlers can be satisfied that, nine days into the series, they are yet to produce a truly poor spell between them.Pakistan will no doubt be more content with their day’s returns, having lost only four wickets and having pushed the match into a fifth day, where there is a chance rain will define the outcome. But on a pitch offering little for either seam bowlers or spinners, Sri Lanka’s toil was admirable. The bowling coach will find little to fault with his side’s pitch maps, and there were spells in which balls routinely passed the edge, having deviated off the surface.Shaminda Eranga’s aptitude for reverse swing was evident later in the day, particularly when he tailed one in late to Bilawal Bhatti, who jammed down on the ball, but could not prevent it spilling on to the stumps. Suranga Lakmal was the most menacing bowler with the second new ball, and Nuwan Pradeep showcased a gift for bowling tightly, after he had been the attacking option earlier in the Test.”Bowling with patience has to happen in any Test match,” Rangana Herath said afterwards. “No matter if the opposition scores quickly or slowly, if we can make run-making as difficult as possible, that is the characteristic of a good attack. I think we have that in this attack. There are things to improve, but we have the right attributes. There is a big improvement since the Australia tour at the end of 2012. If we get to play Tests in quick succession in the future, we’ll be able to improve further.”Five-wicket hauls from Herath himself have featured in four out of five Sri Lanka wins since Muttiah Muralitharan retired, and it was his inability to strike that was most conspicuous. There has been little of the desert heat or sunshine that dries out this Dubai surface, however, and though Misbah was undone by a ball that ripped from middle stump to beat his forward defence, such deliveries have been rare, even out of the footmarks. Saeed Ajmal’s woes in the series help illustrate just how unhelpful pitches have been for slow bowlers.”To me, it still looks like a good track to bat on,” Herath said. “I think I bowled a good delivery, but apart from that I couldn’t get much spin from this pitch. I didn’t try anything different with that ball. I did the same thing, but there was something extra from the pitch on that occasion, I guess.”It would be glib to glance at the scorecard and suggest Sri Lanka’s attack still verges on toothless. If there has been a theme to the series, it has been that bowlers have bowled well, but batsmen batted better – at least beyond the first innings of each match. It would be unfair to expect this Sri Lanka attack to blow away a batting side on a flat surface, given its inexperience and the paucity of supporting personnel. When the umpires ruled Sri Lanka could not continue with fast bowling because of deteriorating light, Kumar Sangakkara was their only choice for a comically inept over.With rain forecast for large periods of Sunday, Sri Lanka cannot afford to be complacent as they seek to restrict the Pakistan lead to no more than 150. Having dominated the first seven sessions of this Test, a draw would disappoint almost as much as a loss, but in waiting Misbah out, Sri Lanka have shown they do not lack for persistence.