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Steven Finn has replaced the injured Mark Wood in England’s squad for the final Test against South Africa while Liam Dawson remains in the frame

George Dobell at The Oval31-Jul-20171:28

‘We’ve not done things my halves so far’ – Root

Trevor Bayliss has insisted that England do not require eight batsmen, despite their improved showing at The Oval.England drafted two new batsmen, Tom Westley at No. 3 and Dawid Malan at No. 5, into the team defeated at Trent Bridge meaning that Moeen Ali was pushed down to No. 8. But a crushing victory might have been interpreted as a vindication of that approach.Now, though, Bayliss, the England coach, has confirmed that the balance of the team was reflective only of conditions at The Oval, where the ball provided copious assistance for the seamers, and hinted they could revert to a line-up that includes seven batsmen and two spinners for the final Test starting at Old Trafford on Friday.With England naming a very similar squad for that game – Steven Finn, who was put on stand-by for The Oval after Mark Wood was ruled out through a bruised heel, officially takes the place of Wood – it could well be that means Liam Dawson, the left-arm spinner, returns on a Manchester surface that may provide a little more assistance for spin bowlers.”I’m still of the view we don’t need more than seven batters,” Bayliss told Sky Sports after the game at The Oval. “We’ve got three guys like Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali who give us a lot of options, so on this occasion, we looked at the conditions, saw it was a bit green here and played the extra batsman. There wasn’t a great deal of spin, but that could be different somewhere else.”England squad for Old Trafford Test

Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Tom Westley, Joe Root (capt), Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Toby Roland-Jones, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Liam Dawson, Steven Finn

Who would make way for Dawson remains to be seen. Keaton Jennings made 48 in the second innings, but was dropped early and beaten often in an unconvincing display, while Malan, on debut, made only 11 runs in the match. While it is more likely Malan would be the one to make way, it is not impossible that Westley could be promoted to open with his Essex team-mate Alastair Cook in place of Jennings. Jennings, who also dropped centurion Dean Elgar when he had 9, is averaging 15.33 in the series and 25.90 after his five Tests.Bayliss admitted that Jennings’ position was not secure. Asked who would partner Cook in the Ashes, he told the BBC: “It could be two or three guys. When we go to Australia, we’ll probably take more than a couple of openers, so it could be a number of those guys get a look-in.”Bayliss also celebrated the performance of debutants Westley and Toby Roland-Jones. Roland-Jones finished with 8 for 129 – the best figures on debut by an England bowler since James Kirtley in 2003 – while Westley made 84 runs in the game including a second-innings half-century.”They were outstanding,” he told Sky Sports. “We’ve tried some guys in the past who have done well early on, but hopefully we’ll be talking like this about them after they have played 10 to 15 Tests.”Westley has fitted into the squad very easily and looks comfortable around the group. And Toby looks as if one of his strengths is accuracy. We haven’t got the out-and-out pace that Australia have, so you’ve got to be able to put the ball in the right areas and Toby’s done that.”Captain Joe Root praised his side’s first innings batting for setting up the victory. England posted 353 in their first innings, a total which Faf du Plessis reasoned was anything up to 100 better than par, in conditions assisting seam bowlers. Root reserved particular praise for Alastair Cook, who made 88 in the first innings, and Ben Stokes, who made 112.”There’s no point in making excuses,” Root said. “The way we performed at Trent Bridge wasn’t good enough. But we responded very well. To come out of a difficult week, bat on a wicket which probably was slightly bowler-friendly and play how we did was fantastic. Alastair Cook set the example and showed us how it was done at the top of the order. His innings was crucial.”At no point did any of us get ourselves out. We made them get us out and we still scored at three-and-a-half an over which shows we’re always going to be able to move the board forward. We batted at a very good tempo and have set the benchmark for the way to approach things in the future.”Stokes has always been a great player but over the last year he’s really matured and found ways to be more consistent.”He has a great cricket brain, which he doesn’t always get a lot of credit for. He’s a person you know you can turn to under pressure to wrestle a game back in your favour and this week is a fine example of what he’s capable of.”

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in Juventus youngster Samuel Iling-Junior, as Unai Emery and Monchi eye added star power to the squad.

The Spanish duo have already sufficiently equipped the side at Villa Park through the captures of Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby, however, there may be more left in the tank ahead of the new season.

Who wants to sign Samuel Iling-Junior?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Villa are one of the Premier League sides interested in Juve winger Iling-Junior.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

The report claims that Everton and Villa have sought ‘information’ regarding the teen, who is expected to depart Turin this summer.

As highlighted by Calciomercato, the 19-year-old could be available for a fee in the region of €20m-€25m (£17m-£21m).

How good is Samuel Iling-Junior?

A product of Chelsea’s academy, the Englishman is a name that some should be familiar with the Premier League.

Snatched up by Juventus’ academy in 2020, the teenager has since made 12 Serie A appearances, in which he made his mark by scoring once and assisting once in just 309 minutes played.

Despite progress being steadily made in his transition from academy to senior surroundings, the Londoner has been linked with a return to England, as the Italian giants fight a financial battle which is expected to see them offload an array of talent prior to next season.

For Villa, the availability of the rising star comes at a perfect time, as Emery endeavours on exploring the potential of his squad and the reinforcements required to take them to the next level.

Hailed as “dreamy” and having “high energy” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the dynamic wide player could be the perfect acquisition for the Spaniard to chase in the bid to bolster the Villans.

The speculated interest in Iling-Junior comes at an instance where the future of Leon Bailey is uncertain, giving Emery the tools to replace the Jamaican should he depart.

Earlier this month, journalist Tom Collomosse claimed via his Daily Mail column that Bailey was up for sale this window, making for an interesting development should links to the Juve starlet be believed.

Like the 25-year-old, the former Chelsea youngster brings a threat in the wide channels, however, the numbers suggest that the 19-year-old could possess the potential to surpass the performances of the Villa man.

In 53 Primavera 1 appearances for I Bianconeri, Iling-Junior has registered 14 goals and 14 assists, seeing him dubbed as an “assist machine” by Eurosport Italy journalist Michele Neri.

During his time at Villa Park, Bailey could only dream of such praise, with him failing to fulfil the levels he performed at in Germany, scoring just five goals and assisting six times in 51 Premier League appearances.

Despite having limited experience in the top tier, the teen is familiar with the level and nature of play in England, making him a potentially fierce addition in place of the Jamaican, who has been unable to adapt to the demands of the Premier League.

Described by Neri as “very quick” and “very direct”, Emery could land the perfect summer deal in acquiring Iling-Junior, who could well have Bailey running scared.

Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka Cricket’s chairman of selectors, and the rest of the committee have stepped down ahead of the team’s fourth ODI against India

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Aug-2017The Sri Lanka selection committee, headed by Sanath Jayasuriya, has decided to resign following the recent sequence of poor results. As they had already picked the squads for the last two ODIs and the only T20 international of the India tour, they will remain in force in case any additions need to be made. The committee will step down once the tour concludes, two months after they had been given a six-month extension that would have taken them through until the end of the year.”Sri Lanka Cricket chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya, as well as committee members Ranjith Madurasinghe, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Asanka Gurusinha and Eric Upashantha, have decided to resign,” Sri Lanka’s sports ministry said. “A combined letter bearing the names of the above committee has conveyed this decision to sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekara. According to the letter, their tenure will end on September 7.”The announcement came two days after Sri Lanka lost the third ODI in Pallekele, and conceded the five-match series 3-0. They had also been beaten 3-0 in the Test series. Earlier in the year, there had been an unprecedented ODI series loss to Zimbabwe, an unprecedented Test loss to Bangladesh, a torrid tour of South Africa, and a disappointing Champions Trophy campaign.The past few months have seen rapidly mounting pressure on Jayasuriya’s committee to step down. Heavily criticised for making too many changes, having no clear vision, and failing to persist with talented players, the losses during the India tour had seen public perception of the committee sink to new lows. Jayasuriya has always been a hands-on chief selector, but there have also been suggestions from within the team that he repeatedly overstepped his bounds. It was not uncommon to see him advising players in the approach to, or during, games.Jayasuriya had also recently publicly defended his committee, suggesting the volume of injuries Sri Lanka suffered over the past year had necessitated frequent changes to the XI. Since his committee was appointed in May last year, Sri Lanka fielded 51 international cricketers across formats, including 40 in ODIs alone.This was also Jayasuriya’s second stint as chief selector. Counting his first tenure, which ran for two years, he has had the job for three of the past four years.Despite Sri Lanka’s recent failures, however, the same selection committeee – sans Gurusinha, who was added in April – had also been in force when Sri Lanka whitewashed Australia in the Test series last year.Gurusinha stated the selectors had little choice in the decision after the spate of poor results. “The reason for the selectors stepping down is pretty straightforward. The team was losing so much we had to take the responsibility,” Gurusinha said. “We had no choice. We have to give a chance to a new lot. My case is a little different since I have only been a selector since April, but when the others are stepping down I can’t stay there.”Sri Lanka’s next international assignment will be the tour of the UAE and Pakistan, which is expected to begin in late September. A new set of selectors is likely to be named over the course of the next three weeks.

Gibson is set to begin his stint as head coach later this month and is ready to embrace the challenges of Kolpak losses and transformation

Firdose Moonda05-Sep-2017Ottis Gibson believes there is “no reason” South Africa can’t win the 2019 World Cup and understands a major part of his mandate as the new head coach is to ensure they break their major tournament duck. He will start his tenure in mid-September and his contract runs until the end of 2019 tournament which will be held in England and is South Africa’s next opportunity to claim global silverware.Gibson has only had one head coach position before but enjoyed success at an ICC event in that stint. He oversaw West Indies’ win at the World T20 in 2012 and aims to transfer some of the lessons from that experience to South Africa.”Only one team can win the World Cup in 2019 and that’s been a massive part of how CSA pitched the job,” Gibson said on the eve of his final Test as England’s bowling coach against West Indies. “Every team wants to win a global tournament, South Africa has never won one and that’s obviously one of their big things. When I went back to the Caribbean, we had the makings of a great team, we had all the players, the IPL superstars and all that but we had never really won a T20 World Cup either. We were able to put a team together that went and won it in 2012 and that was fantastic,””You look at South Africa, you look at the players that they potentially put on the field and there’s no reason why they can’t win the fifty-over World Cup in 2019, here in England. That would be something great for me as a coach but more than that, great for the country. They have a very strong sporting culture in South Africa so to be able to do something like that would be amazing.”South Africa have long been labelled one of the best teams to never become world champions and are set to field another gallery of stars in 2019. Though AB de Villiers has chosen to step down as ODI captain following an extended hiatus from Test cricket, he has made himself available across all formats from mid-October and remains committed to playing in the 2019 World Cup.Faf du Plessis, who is expected to take over from de Villiers as he has done in Tests and T20s, has cited the tournament as a final event for himself and several others which could include Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir. Steyn will be a particularly interesting case as he returns to action this summer following 10 months on the sidelines after suffering a broken shoulder on South Africa’s tour to Australia last November.Should South Africa’s senior core remain fit they will have several headliners at the 2019 tournament but concerns over a player drain remain. After South Africa’s senior side and A team lost series in all formats in England over the last few months questions over their depth are mounting, especially against the backdrop of further Kolpak signings which saw eight recently-capped Test players abandon their international careers for secure incomes in the UK. CSA has launched the Global T20 league – a privately-owned 20-over competition – with the aim of retaining players and Gibson is not too worried about the lack of resources he may face.”When you think of South Africa, you think of the sort of immediate stuff of all the players that have left, that are Kolpaking and you can’t help but hear the rumours of other people that are considering Kolpaking,” he said. “Every player would say he is making a decision for his family. When people say that they don’t think they can get an opportunity and move on there’s not a lot that me as a coach can do and that’s something for CSA to look into. My job is to try and work with the players that are there, try and make sure they are ready to win matches for South Africa so if one person leaves then it gives an opportunity to someone else.”Again, he cited West Indies as an example of a team that are leaning to perform despite challenges. “You might think it weakens the team but we also said that about West Indies at the start of this series. We also said because we didn’t see Lara, Ambrose, Walsh, we didn’t see the household names on the team sheet, we said this is the worst West Indies team in history but those players stuck together and believed in themselves and in what Stuart Law as a coach was instilling in them and then they went on to cause what some people are now calling one of the greatest upsets in sport.”If the players that are on the outside think of it that way, that it gives me an opportunity and if I get an opportunity, I am going to go and stamp my authority on it and I can fill the void. Household names don’t always guarantee you success and that’s my message to the guys on the outside. If you get an opportunity, you should really make the most of it.”Gibson also dismissed the other major challenge on the South African landscape: transformation. It was believed to have dissuaded other foreign coaching applicants and is an aspect Gibson knows he will have to learn to work with.”Transformation was mentioned and it’s a government policy. There’s nothing I can do about it. I have to work with it. I know what it is so I can’t go in and say I want to change that. I know that it is there and I understand why it is here. Whether I like it or not is irrelevant because it’s there and we have to work with it.”Since the start of the 2015-16 season, CSA requires the national team to field a minimum average of six players of colour, including two black Africans, over the course of a season. They exceeded that amount in the first season and are now into the second period of review.It was initially thought CSA would also look to appoint its first home-grown black African coach following the end of Russell Domingo’s time in charge. Lions’ coach Geoffrey Toyana was thought to be the frontrunner and was interviewed for the position but was unsuccessful. Instead, CSA head-hunted Gibson, who was recommended by a five-man panel including two former national coaches, Gary Kirsten and Eric Simons.”I believe when CSA did their search for a coach, they felt I could be a person that would come in there and take the team forward. I am absolutely looking forward to that, can’t wait to get over and get started,” Gibson said.

West Ham United "may be one step closer" to sealing a first major summer signing as they eye a move for Man United defender Harry Maguire.

Who will West Ham sign?

It's been a window of nightmares for manager David Moyes and new technical director Tim Steidten, with reports even suggesting there is a rift between the pair as both men dither over transfer targets.

West Ham, as things stand, are still the only Premier League side not to have made a single summer signing – which will come as a big worry for supporters given the new season is soon upon us.

Moyes, speaking to Sky Sports at the end of last month, admitted that "several offers" have been made by West Ham and he is hoping that those moves advance sooner rather than later.

“Because of the shortness of the summer and being in Australia. it’s meant the time has been limited, but I’m sure we’ll get down to work and do what we have to do,” Moyes told Sky.

“The club have made several offers for players, we’re out on the market, we’re quite active, and hopefully some of them will come off in the future.”

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

The east Londoners recently walked away from a deal for Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, despite the player's willingness to join, but they have in fact agreed personal terms with Ajax star Edson Alvarez.

Former West Ham star Declan Rice completed a club-record £105 million switch to Arsenal earlier this window and striker Gianluca Scamacca will follow him out the door after just one year at the London Stadium.

It is now up to Moyes, Steidten and the Hammers hierarchy to reinvest those funds into first-team signings. Club insider Claret & Hugh, sharing news on their links to Maguire, has a promising update.

Relaying what their "insiders" have told them, C&H claims the England international "may be one step closer" to joining West Ham this summer.

Moyes is apparently "desperate" to bring Maguire to the London Stadium, with United and the Irons exchanging medical information on Maguire's fitness history.

There is apparently "growing optimism" that an agreement can be struck for the centre-back, although his valuation is deemed "problematic" at this stage.

How good is Harry Maguire?

The 30-year-old came under fire for some of his performances under Erik ten Hag last campaign and made just 16 top-flight appearances.

Maguire's performances for England, though, could provide West Ham supporters with some optimism he could be a success for Moyes.

The former Hull City and Leicester star was a key player on England's run to the World Cup quarter-finals and has been a mainstay under Gareth Southgate for years.

"We're not in a world where we're cuddling. It's tough world professional football," Southgate told talkSPORT (via The Mail) when talking about Maguire's lack of game time.

"It doesn't baffle me as they have two top players in [Raphael] Varane and [Lisandro] Martinez there.

"He and John Stones has been a partnership that's been brilliant for us [England], but we've got young centre-backs coming up who are getting that experience and that will be the challenge going forward."

Group C round-up: Smit Patel and Yashpal Singh narrowly miss out on hundreds; Baroda fall, rise and fall again

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2017Naman Ojha was left to wait until Sunday to get his 21st first-class century, but his unbeaten 99 helped Madhya Pradesh recover from early hiccups and finish on 250 for 5 against Mumbai in Indore. Ojha, who walked in to bat with MP tottering on 15 for 2, strung together an unbeaten century stand with Ankit Sharma, who finished on 63 not out. Debutant pacer Akash Parkar picked up two wickets for Mumbai.Unlike Ojha, Tripura’s Smit Patel and Yashpal Singh won’t walk out on Sunday with a shot at a hundred as both narrowly missed the mark against Tamil Nadu at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Smit and Yashpal rescued Tripura from 41 for 3 by adding 162 for the fourth wicket that took them past 200. But they collapsed thereafter to lose four wickets for 41 runs and finish on 244 for 7.It began with Smit’s dismissal for 99 when he was caught off the offspinner Washington Sundar. Yashpal hung around for another 13 overs, but Tripura clawed, collecting just 29 runs in that time. Yashpal’s vigil ended when he was stumped off India offspinner R Ashwin for 96. Tamil Nadu bowled well collectively, with five of their six bowlers picking up at least a wicket.Kedar Devdhar and Vishnu Solanki’s third-wicket partnership of 134 lifted Baroda from 43 for 2, but they again slid after the partnership was broken to finish on 247 for 7 against Andhra in Vadodara. Devdhar struck 11 fours en route to 93 before his dismissal at the hands of medium pacer Karthik Raman ended the partnership. Solanki, despite grinding it out for 146 balls for his 61, struck four fours and three sixes. Andhra’s bowlers hunted in a pack, and B Ayyappa led them with 3 for 46. Andhra wicketkeeper KS Bharat had a productive day behind the stumps, netting four catches.

Reliable journalist Nizaar Kinsella has shared a promising update on Chelsea and their pursuit of Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia.

Who will Chelsea sign next?

There has been a major overhaul at Stamford Bridge this summer as manager Mauricio Pochettino seeks to reshape the team in his own image ahead of the new campaign.

Chelsea take on Liverpool this Sunday in what will be their league opener at the Bridge, with supporters about to witness a completely new-look team from last season.

The west Londoners have shipped out the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly, N'Golo Kante and Edouard Mendy, who secured big-money moves to Saudi Arabia, as well as Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Cesar Azpilicueta, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ethan Ampadu.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have sealed moves for Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Robert Sanchez and Angelo to come in their stead – highlighting a very busy window for owner Todd Boehly and co.

They're also believed to be closing in on a deal to sign Santos wonderkid Deivid Washington, who is set to complete a medical at Chelsea in the next few days.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

Pochettino has also been chasing Brighton star Moises Caicedo for much of the window, but as Liverpool seek to hijack their transfer, they face missing out on the Ecuador international.

It isn't all bad news, though, with Chelsea now after Southampton's Lavia and have even made a £48 million bid to sign the Championship star.

The Blues recently swooped for Lavia in an attempt to hijack Liverpool's deal for him, and while the Saints want £50m for him, reporter Kinsella of The Evening Standard has shared a possible advantage.

Lavia is believed to have a "close personal connection to Chelsea director of recruitment and talent Joe Shields", something which could prove "key" in the race for Southampton's star.

How good is Romeo Lavia?

The 19-year-old stood out as one of Southampton's best-performing players by average match rating last season, according to WhoScored, whilst also boasting an impressive 86.4% passing accuracy.

That was a higher number than any other player in their squad, indicating Lavia's true talent as a tidy and composed defensive midfielder despite his tender age.

Members of the media also branded Lavia one of Southampton's real stars of last season, with journalist Sam Tighe taking to X in real praise of the teenager, who Arsenal are apparently interested in at the time.

"I watched every game Roméo Lavia played last season and he was absolutely incredible," wrote Tighe on X in late June.

"A shining star despite playing in terrible circumstances most of the time. Arsenal reportedly advancing on a deal…one to be very excited about."

Meanwhile, another figure to have hailed Lavia's development on the south coast is Man City boss Pep Guardiola, who in awe of his former academy star.

“I am really impressed with what Romeo has done and is doing,” said Guardiola.

“We had, and we have, an incredible opinion about him. We thought to keep him, but maybe he would not (get) enough minutes like he has in Southampton."

Manchester United have already made some high-profile additions in this summer window. As September 1st edges closer, Fabrizio Romano has filled GIVEMESPORT in on the latest regarding their pursuit of Bayern Munich and France defender Benjamin Pavard.

Will the Frenchman arrive in Manchester?

Manchester United didn’t look at their best on Monday Night Football but were still able to get the job done and start the new season with three points. A Wolverhampton Wanderers side in limbo visited Old Trafford and left empty-handed after Raphael Varane headed home the only goal of the game.

Talking of Varane and it was a social media post of his after the game, which Benjamin Pavard commented on, that really added fuel to this fire.

Erik ten Hag has made three major signings thus far and Pavard could well become the fourth. Andre Onana was acquired from Champions League finalists Inter, Rasmus Hojlund also arrived from Serie A and of course Mason Mount made an eyebrow-raising switch over from his boyhood club Chelsea.

Pavard has enjoyed the finer things in Munich, winning four league titles and the 2019/20 Champions League as well as a littering of domestic cups. On top of that, he has played a part in France getting to the last two World Cup finals, one of which saw them beat Croatia whilst the more recent one saw Lionel Messi and Argentina lift the iconic Jules Rimet trophy.

The defender, who has been hailed as "outstanding", seems keen to force his way out of the Bavarian region after four seasons there, having joined from fellow Bundesliga side Stuttgart.

What is Fabrizio Romano's update on Pavard?

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano tells GIVEMESPORT all about the future of Benjamin Pavard and where his head is at.

“Currently, Bayern are not keen on this move, but my feeling is that there is a chance for Pavard to join Man Utd because the player wants to go.

“Over the weekend and the last few days, Pavard has spoken to Bayern and told them he won’t extend his contract and wants to join Manchester United to try this opportunity. So, let's see now what happens between the clubs.”

Other developments at Old Trafford…

As previously mentioned, United have added a goalkeeper, a midfielder and a forward. Defence is now the position with the most going on in terms of both incomings and outgoings.

Former captain Harry Maguire may well fit into the latter category come the end of the window although his proposed transfer to West Ham United seems to be dead in the water.

Alex Crook is now reporting that Ten Hag wants to retain the services of the Englishman and that the centre-back is likely to stay and fight for his place alongside the likes of Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof.

Meanwhile, there could be a second new signing in the attacking third to accompany the young Hojlund.

Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix is the man in question following rumours that the relationship between him and manager Diego Simeone is on the ropes. The Portuguese international was on loan with Chelsea last year and despite their clear struggles on the field, he showed moments of brilliance.

Elsewhere, Keenan Vaz and Amogh Desai steadied Goa after Bengal’s Ashok Dinda struck to pick three wickets on the day

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2017Anmolpreet Singh’s unbeaten 252 propeled Punjab to 645 for 6 dec in Amritsar. This is Anmolpreet’s second double-century this season, his previous being his career-best 267 against Chhattisgarh in Raipur earlier this month. In reply, Services were off to a shaky start as they finished the day on 130 for 4.After a 99-run partnership with Shubman Gill (129 off 142 balls), 19-year-old Anmolpreet struck two century partnerships on the day – 146 runs with Gurkeerat Singh Mann and 125 runs with Abhishek Gupta – to take Punjab past 500 before lunch. He also stitched an 87-run stand with No. 7 Taruwar Kohli to push Punjab’s total past 600.Services, however, endured a top-order wobble as they lost their top three batsmen within 12 overs for 33 runs. It was the 72-run stand between the captain Rahul Singh and Nakul Verma for the fourth wicket that saved them from further trouble.Amogh Desai (53*) and Keenan Vaz (40*) steadied Goa after Ashok Dinda’s three-for rattled their line-up as they finished on 191 for 5 against Bengal on the second day in Kolkata.Resuming from their first day score of 305 for 5, Bengal lost their overnight batsman Writtick Chatterjee in the day’s fourth over. In the 96th over, medium pacer Heramb Parab struck back-to-back to remove Boddupalli Amit and Kanishk Seth. In the subsequent over, Lakshay Garg dismissed the overnight centurion Anustup Majumdar (119 off 208 balls), to finish with a four-for. Within the next three overs, Bengal were bowled out for 379.In reply, Goa were off to a decent start and were 115 for 3 at tea, after which Dinda effected a couple of wickets, leaving them reeling at 130 for 5. It was Desai and Vaz who sparked the resistance to add a 61-run partnership for the sixth wicket.The captain Faiz Fazal (125*) and Sanjay Ramaswamy (104*) struck a 237-run opening partnership to give Vidarbha the upper hand against Himachal Pradesh on the second day in Nagpur. The pair had earlier made the highest opening stand in the team’s history, heaping 259 runs in the match against Bengal in the previous round.Starting the day from their overnight score of 287 for 6, Himachal Pradesh surrendered within the first 18 overs for 353 on the day as Rajneesh Gurbani picked three wickets to finish with a six-for. In reply, Vidarbha saw a strong start, with Fazal and Ramaswamy bringing up their 150-run partnership shortly before tea, as Himachal bowlers found no respite.

Manchester United’s rather feeble start to the Premier League season could tempt Erik ten Hag back into the transfer market before the window shuts next week.

So far, only Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund have arrived at Old Trafford and if the Dutchman aims to challenge for the league title and go deep in the Champions League, some more strength in depth will be required.

One name to be linked with the club recently may not make the move to the Red Devils until January, however, he would be worth the wait.

Who will Man United sign next?

According to FootballTransfers, United are looking to bring Brentford striker Ivan Toney to the club in January, having had conversations with the Englishman during pre-season.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

Toney is currently serving an eight month ban from all football activity having been found guilty by the FA of several gambling breaches, and he won't be able to play for his club until 2024.

The Old Trafford side first showed interest in the forward back in April and now it appears as though Ten Hag is ready to wait a few more months to sign him.

Brentford placed a £50m price tag on his head and United will surely have to move a few players on in order to raise the sufficient funds.

How good is Ivan Toney?

Last season, United placed an over-reliance on Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes in terms of goals, with the duo the only players in the squad to score over ten goals throughout the whole of the 2022/23 campaign.

Anthony Martial netted just nine times and it’s clear he shouldn’t be relied upon to be the focal point of the United attack.

The Frenchman ranked in a lowly 17th spot across the squad with regard to his Sofascore rating (6.79) in the league, while ranking fifth for goals and assists (eight), fourth for shots on target (0.6) and tenth for big chances created (two).

By comparison, Toney topped the pile out of the whole Brentford squad, achieving a Sofascore rating of 7.25 while also ranking first for goals and assists (24), shots on target per game (1.3) and second for big chances created (12), clearing indicating that he’d be a major upgrade on the current United striker.

Thomas Frank, his current boss at Brentford, lauded Toney earlier this year, saying:

"He is a special footballer, I think his character is unique in terms of leadership and driving his team. His link-up play and the way he sees his team-mates around in terms of combinations and then his ability to score goals. He is an all-around football player."

Martial has failed to live up to the massive hype that was generated upon his arrival in Manchester back in 2015 and across his eight seasons at the club, has netted over 20 goals just once, back during the 2019/20 campaign.

Toney is still only 27 and is arguably heading into his peak years. If Ten Hag could lure him from Brentford in January, the goal machine would supplement Hojlund perfectly and give the Dutchman something different in attack.