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Sri Lanka have been out-thought and then outplayed by India and the stats tell the tale

George Binoy13-Nov-2005

Irfan Pathan’s 70-ball 83 at No. 3 at Nagpur set the tone for the rest of the series © Getty Images
With a scoreline of 6-1, it’s pretty obvious that one team has received a shellacking. Sri Lanka have been out-thought and then outplayed by India and the stats tell the tale.For Sri Lanka, only Kumar Sangakkara averaged over 40 whereas Rahul Dravid and Mahendra Singh Dhoni had skyscraping averages of 156 and 115 and three other Indians scored more than 50 per innings. Among the regular bowlers, only Sreesanth went for more than six an over while the others conceded less than 5.5, but for Sri Lanka, only Muralitharan gave less than 5.5 and most of the fast bowlers went for over six.A look at the way the teams took advantage of the Powerplays further magnifies the gulf between the sides. Sri Lanka scored at more than a run a ball in just three of their 20 Powerplays while India managed it 11 times.

Sri Lanka in Powerplays

Powerplay Overs Runs scored Wickets lost Run rate

170357 11 5.10 235142 11 4.06 3 301344 4.47

India in Powerplays

Powerplay Overs Runs scored Wickets lost Run rate

170466 10 6.66 235202 4 5.77 3 352145 6.11The crippling blow was the ineffectiveness of Sri Lanka’s key players. Before this series, Sanath Jayasuriya averaged 40.26 against India but he could only manage a paltry 14.16 this time around. Chaminda Vaas normally averages 26.03 while playing India at 4.45 per over but in seven matches Vaas could only eke out four wickets at 76.25 apiece while leaking runs at 6.03 per over. Even the wily Muttiah Muralitharan was below his high standard, taking just six wickets in five games. Sri Lanka’s spinners, who are experts at administering the slow death at home, were countered effectively, and after their fast bowlers were carted everywhere, this was the killer punch.

Fast bowlers comparison

Country Overs Runs Wickets Econ. rate

Sri Lanka 169.3 1084 226.39 India 188 984 375.23

Spinners comparison

Country Overs Runs Wickets Econ. rate

Sri Lanka 117 656 115.60 India 123.4 594 164.80Throughout the series, India have built their innings beautifully. In almost all the matches the top three batsmen got off to quick starts and the middle order set the innings up perfectly for the slog where India drove home the advantage. In Sri Lanka’s case, the top order failed repeatedly and it was left to the middle order to salvage the innings. India’s flexible batting order worked marvellously and their No. 3 contributed 342 runs at an average of 57 while his Sri Lankan counterpart could only manage a meagre 140 runs at 20 per innings.

Partnerships for each wicket

Wicket India runs/avg SL runs/avg

1 297/42.42 129/18.42 2 372/53.14 208/29.71 3 234/39 258/36.85 4 344/68.8 234/33.42 5 220/55 162/27 6 24/8 352/70.4 7 119/59.5 30/6

Sanjay Manjrekar and Dileep Premachandran dissect India’s ODI slump

31-Oct-2006Dileep Premachandran – India must get their ingredients right
Audio – ‘Its time to hold individuals accountable’ – Sanjay Manjrekar
A report card – Catching the shortbus
A statistical analysis – A batting debacle

USMNT star, Matt Turner, was restored to the the Nottingham Forest line-up as Steve Cooper made seven changes for crunch Wolves clash.

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Cooper desperate to turn around his fortunes Rang in the changes and brought back Turner Manager reported to be on borrowed time at City groundWHAT HAPPENED?

The 29-year-old keeper was brought from the cold at the Molineux with Cooper's job on the line. Turner had lost his place to Odysseas Vlachodimos following their 3-0 defeat to Liverpool in October but the manager was forced to fall back on his trusted lieutenant after a 5-0 thrashing to Fulham at Craven Cottage in their previous match.

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Turner started the campaign as the first-choice keeper for Forest following a summer move from Arsenal and stood between the sticks for the first 10 Premier League games, before being replaced by Vlachodimos. Cooper explained that Turner was dropped as he was "10 per cent not so good" but hailed him for his "work and his commitment" in the training sessions.

DID YOU KNOW?

Turner opted for a switch to Forest from the Gunners with the hope of getting more playing minutes. But his mistake against Liverpool that saw Mohamed Salah tapping into an empty net moved him down the pecking order.

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Forest are currently going through a lean patch of form after succumbing to four successive defeats in the Premier League. It has been reported that Evangelos Marinakis, the Forest owner, is not entirely convinced with Cooper at the helm, with his side winning just one in 11 games since September, and has lined up former Real Madrid and Wolves manager Julen Lopetetegui as a potential successor. If Forest fail to turn the tide against Wolves, Cooper could head towards the door.

Arsenal youngster Kathrine Kuhl has joined fellow WSL side Everton on loan for the rest of the season, opening up another space in the Gunners' squad.

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Kuhl joins Everton on loan until summerArsenal free up space in squadGunners have already signed Emily FoxWHAT HAPPENED?

Kuhl will finish the 2023-24 campaign with Everton in the hope of securing more regular game time after making just two WSL appearances for Arsenal totalling six minutes in the first half of the season. She reunites with manager Brian Sorensen at Everton, having played under the Dane at former club Nordsjaelland. Kuhl immediately made her Toffees debut off the bench during Saturday's 3-0 Women's FA Cup win over Aston Villa.

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Kuhl said to evertontv: "It feels really good to sign for Everton. I'm really looking forward to this experience. Everton's a big club and it's a privilege to be here. My experience so far in the Women's Super League has been really good. I feel I've learnt a lot having come from the Danish league to England. It's a big step. It's an enjoyable and competitive league, and I enjoy playing here.

"Everton felt like a good opportunity for me to come and play alongside some really good players and hopefully gain some minutes."

WHAT ARSENAL SAID

Arsenal director of women’s football Clare Wheatley said: "We've been impressed by Kathrine’s development during her time with us so far and this move will provide her with an opportunity to continue her progression in the WSL. Kathrine is a wonderful young midfielder and we look forward to seeing her grow over the coming months and as her Arsenal career unfolds."

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Kuhl's temporary departure is important for her development but has an additional benefit for Arsenal. During the first half of the season, the Gunners had fully filled their 25-player squad quota and it took Noelle Maritz to leave the club for Aston Villa before United States defender Emily Fox could be signed. Kuhl heading to Everton has effectively opened up the space for Arsenal to make another new signing to give manager Jonas Eidevall further options in the crucial months ahead.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has slammed refereeing decisions that have gone against his team in recent weeks, making a comparison to Real Madrid.

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Barca denied late penalty against Rayo Laporta insisted they receive poor treatmentAlso backed Xavi to recover after poor runWHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona have been denied a series of penalty shouts in recent weeks, most recently seeing a late appeal for an apparent foul on Raphinha waved off in their game against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.After that game, Xavi criticised refereeing decisions and Laporta, his outspoken club president, has also made his feelings known.

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Speaking at an event in Barcelona, Laporta claimed that Barca have been on the wrong end of decisions in recent weeks: "Throughout this week there has only been talk of nonsense when we should have been talking about the Rayo game and the penalty against Raphinha or the one they also gave to [Robert] Lewandowski."

Laporta also appeared to suggest that the decisions that have gone against Barca are part of a wider competitive advantage given to their rivals: "If this had happened to Madrid, I’m sure there would be talk all week… It is not about playing the victim, it’s a reality. To win we must be much better than our rivals and they make things difficult for us."

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Barca find themselves four points behind Madrid and Girona after 14 matches, and in the middle of a poor run. They have dropped points three times since early October, and a negative result or two before the Christmas break could see the Blaugrana fall out of title contention early on.

Laporta has backed coach Xavi to turn the situation around, however, saying: "We live in constant suffering. It’s a fun suffering. I was happy for Xavi, he deserves it. He had to overcome very difficult situations, with injured players."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA

The Blaugrana face Atletico Madrid on Sunday at home in La Liga. A win will thrust them back into the title race. A loss could see them slip seven points off the top, if results elsewhere don't go their way.

Former United States international Clinton Dempsey went on an insane freestyle rap reminiscent of Eminem at CBS Sports’ Destination Miami set.

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Dempsey wows studio with freestyle rapBlows away Richards, Carragher, and HenryPokes fun at CBS Sports host AbdoGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

On CBS Sports’ Destination Miami set, former Fulham and Tottenham player Dempsey went on an Eminem-like rap in front of the likes of Jamie Carragher, Thierry Henry, Micah Richards, and host Kate Abdo.

Right at the end of his improvisation, he poked fun at Abdo before walking off set, much to the amusement of the watching crowd and the rest of the panel.

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Outside of a distinguished career in football, where he also played 141 times for the US, Dempsey has a passion for hip hop music. In 2006, the Houston-born player, who had the nickname of Deuce, teamed up with Nike and along with fellow Texan rappers Big Hawk and XO, they released the song 'Don't Tread'. It was used as part of the company's advertising campaign for the 2006 World Cup.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR DEMPSEY?

Dempsey is likely to be back in action for CBS Sports when the Champions League returns on December 12.

The batsman sustained an injury on his right arm while diving during a fielding drill on the Bangladesh tour

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2018Sri Lanka batsman Asela Gunaratne’s injury woes continue, having now been ruled out of next month’s T20 tri-series – the Nidahas Trophy – with an injury to his right arm. An SLC release said he sustained a “grade II rotator cuff strain with contusion” while taking part in a fielding drill on their recent tour of Bangladesh. Although Sri Lanka won each of the three trophies that had been up for grabs, the 32-year old did not have the best time personally: he made only 35 ODI runs in four innings.While Gunaratne is the only player to have been ruled out so far, several others are also battling to regain fitness. Most notable among these is captain Angelo Mathews who missed the majority of the Bangladesh tour with another in a long line of hamstring injuries, and is yet to make a full recovery. Also ailing from a hamstring complaint is fast bowler Shehan Madushanka, who sustained the injury during the final match of the Bangladesh tour. Batsman Kusal Perera, meanwhile, had been out with a side strain since mid-January.More clarity on who will be available for selection should emerge after this weekend, when the first round of a domestic T20 tournament is set to be played. “All players are asked to play club T20 games this weekend,” cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha told ESPNcricinfo. “After that we will look at how the injured guys come up.”Injuries – particularly muscle strains – have been rife among Sri Lanka’s national players over the past year. In fact, before he got injured again, Kusal Perera had only recently made a return to international cricket after five months due to a hamstring tear. Gunaratne had also missed several months of cricket, though that was due to a fracture. Mathews meanwhile, has been fit for fewer matches than he has been unavailable for, over the past 18 months.The Nidahas Trophy will be contested by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and will begin on March 6.

Arsenal have long been craving a winger who will afford Bukayo Saka an element of rest.

The England superstar has played a huge amount of football in the last 24 months, failing to miss a single Premier League game in the last two years.

Signing someone to lift that burden, therefore, would be a good idea.

Who could Arsenal sign?

The Gunners haven't been linked with too many wingers throughout the summer. A year ago, they tried to sign Raphinha before making Pedro Neto a priority target.

However, another name has been Kaoru Mitoma.

The Brighton sensation is one of the most eye-catching in the Premier League and amid interest from Manchester City as well, has been touted at £50m.

Arsenal have been interested in the last few months too, and should player funds be raised, a late dash for the player in the window cannot be discounted, according to football.london.

What are Kaoru Mitoma's strengths?

The Japanese superstar is a dribble king. There are no two ways about it. This is a player who once studied the very art of doing so and his goal against Wolves on Saturday afternoon proved that.

He darted past three players from a run that started about 35 yards from goal. Cutting inside phenomenally from the left-hand side, he then weaved his way into the penalty area before finding the net in ruthless style.

Passing

Crossing

Dribbling

Aerials

Long shots

Interceptions

Lay-offs

That run encapsulated everything that is great about this "unplayable", "serious talent" as he was described by journalist Ryan Taylor last season.

Such a piece of play was reminiscent of a certain Saka too. Unlike Mitoma, he plays off the other side, cutting devastatingly onto his left foot. We saw that against Nottingham Forest last weekend as he moved inside towards the edge of the penalty area before curling a sensational finish past Matt Turner.

Clearly, they are two of the most exciting and tricky wingers in the division.

What supplements their similarities is FBref, who suggest that Arsenal's number 7 is in fact the most similar player to Mitoma.

As you can see in the data provided, when it comes to progressive carries and touches inside the opposition's penalty area, they are almost identical. Indeed, for the former, Mitoma ranks inside Europe's best 6% of wingers, while Saka sits inside the top 8%.

With regards to shot-creating actions, 4.33 vs 4.60 per 90 minutes in favour of Saka, they are nearly on par and there is little difference between their assists per 90 minutes either.

Of course, Saka is the more complete player at the moment. He scored 14 times and registered 11 assists in the Premier League alone last season, but Mitoma, with his seven goals and six assists, wasn't too far behind.

Gabriel Martinelli has been devastatingly brilliant from the left-hand side over the last year, scoring 15 times and supplying six last term, but in the Brighton superstar, Arteta would unearth another mesmerising option down that flank, one who could potentially emulate Saka's influence at the Emirates.

David de Gea could be on his way to Saudi Arabia in January as Al-Ettifaq are said to be plotting a move for the goalkeeper.

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De Gea available as free agentSaudi teams interested in himAl-Ettifaq are front of the queueWHAT HAPPENED?

Steven Gerrard's team are the frontrunners to sign the former Manchester United star, reports, but other teams in the Saudi Pro League are interested in snapping him up when the January transfer window opens up.

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De Gea has been a free agent since leaving United in the summer after 12 years with the club. He has previously been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, with Al-Nassr reported to have offered him a contract, while MLS side Inter Miami are also said to be interested.

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It has been claimed that De Gea earned up to £375,000 per week at Old Trafford and expects to be paid even more than that in Saudi Arabia as the oil-rich nation has been spending big to bring famous faces to the Pro League in recent transfer windows.

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The 33-year-old goalkeeper will likely receive a few offers as the January transfer window arrives and could be back on the field in the near future.

Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has jumped to the defense of striker Rasmus Hojlund amid his slow start to life at Old Trafford.

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Hojlund has just one Premier League goalFaced criticism for slow start at Old TraffordCasemiro backs him to become Red Devils heroWHAT HAPPENED?

Despite scoring five goals in the Champions League, Hojlund has faced criticism for netting on just one occasion in the Premier League following his £72 million ($90m) move from Atalanta in the summer. Casemiro, however, feels the 20-year-old should be cut some slack as the Brazil star backed him to develop into a hero at Old Trafford.

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"At the end of the day, he's just a kid, so we shouldn't be putting a lot of pressure on him," he told the club's official website. "A lot of people think that he should be coming in and scoring 30-odd goals right away. He's still young and this is his first season in the Premier League. Regarding the footage you mentioned, I was really happy with his attitude. The thing is, it's really difficult when you come on in such a demanding game, as games against Arsenal are. When he entered the fray he contributed a lot, changing our dynamic, so I tried to express to him just how I was feeling," added the midfielder, who is working hard to get back into action after an injury lay-off. He's definitely playing better in every game and he's working really hard. Rasmus is a dedicated lad and he's keen to kick on. He'll be a great player for this club and, with the ambitions he has, he could define an era at Manchester United."

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United have struggled for goals so far this season, having scored 22 times in 20 Premier League games – only two teams have netted fewer goals. Scott McTominay is the team's top scorer in the competition, despite playing as a holding midfielder, having struck five times in his 17 appearances.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR HOJLUND?

Denmark international Hojlund was absent through illness as United were beaten 2-1 by Nottingham Forest in their previous game. Coach Erik ten Hag will hope to have the forward back in the squad when they come up against Wigan on Monday.