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The duo’s unbeaten 90-run stand helped Vidarbha overcome a top-order collapse in the second innings

Shashank Kishore19-Feb-2025An unbroken 91-run stand for the fifth wicket between Yash Rathod and Akshay Wadkar helped Vidarbha overcome a top-order collapse in the second innings, as they ended Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Mumbai on 147 for 4, which effectively is a lead of 260.Rathod was unbeaten on 59, his second fifty-plus score in the match, while Wadkar’s 31 not out was a typically gritty effort in which he batted out 102 deliveries. The left-right combination was the perfect balm for a nervy Vidarbha dressing room as spinners Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian began making the ball talk on a Nagpur deck that had begun to show signs of variable bounce.Mumbai’s day could’ve been far worse if not for wicketkeeper-batter Akash Anand, who brought up his second first-class century, to help whittle down their deficit. Anand, 29 who opened the innings nearly batted through, and had been on the field right from the start of the game until he was the ninth batter dismissed. Anand had earlier made his maiden ton last month in the final group fixture against Meghalaya. Unlike that knock, this one was a stonewalling effort that took him 247 deliveries to construct.Resuming on their overnight 188 for 7, Anand put together a 69-run stand for the eighth wicket with Kotian, who made 33. Kotian should’ve been out on 6 when he was dropped early in the day by Wadkar off Yash Thakur. After his dismissal, to Parth Rekhade who did a bulk of the damage on the second evening with his left-arm spin, Mumbai managed to add just 23 more as they were bowled out for 270, thereby conceding a 113-run lead.Vidarbha’s second innings was off to the worst possible start as Shardul Thakur struck second ball to remove Atharva Taide at the stroke of tea. Danish Malewar, and not Rekhade, who walked out to bat at No. 3 built the lead with a brisk 29 before chipping one back to Mulani as he looked to flick against the turn.The game came alive when Karun Nair and Dhruv Shorey fell in the space of three overs as Vidarbha slipped to 56 for 4, with their lead just 169. Both Nair and Shorey were out lbw, to Mulani and Kotian respectively, as they were defeated by sharp turn from the rough.Mumbai were denied from there on for the large parts of the final session as Wadkar and Rathod blunted a tiring attack to take the fight into the fourth day, with the hosts well in control of proceedings. Shivam Dube, who picked up a five-for in the first innings, was only called in to bowl after the 40th over, by which time Wadkar and Rathod had seemingly stemmed the damage.This leaves the defending champions, the 42-time winners, needing to make big inroads early on Thursday to have any chance of staying alive.

Rohit Sharma, Josh Hazlewood also move up the charts following recent exploits

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2023Virat Kohli has moved up two spots to go sixth in the ICC men’s ODI batters’ rankings after scoring his 45th century in the format in the first game against Sri Lanka. Kohli’s 113 saw him overtake Jonny Bairstow and Steven Smith in the rankings.India captain Rohit Sharma, who scored 83 off 67 in the same match, also moved up a spot to eighth rank.Babar Azam, who scored back-to-back half-centuries in the ongoing series against New Zealand, continues to top the batting charts in ODIs, with 891 ranking points.

Test rankings: Khawaja moves up, Hazlewood back in top 10

Usman Khawaja jumped four spots to break back into the top 10. His unbeaten 195 in the drawn Sydney Test against South Africa saw him jump to eighth place in the rankings.Khawaja is currently one of four Australians in the top 10 in the Test batting charts, along with Marnus Labuschagne at the top, Smith at No. 2 and Travis Head ranked fourth.Josh Hazlewood returned to the Australia XI in the third Test, after a side strain kept him out of action, and grabbed five wickets to move up six spots to No. 10 among the bowlers.All of Australia’s premier pace trio of Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc are now in the top 10 in the Test rankings.

Rashid Khan returns as No. 1 T20I bowler

Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan replaced Wanindu Hasaranga on top of the T20I bowlers’ rankings after the Sri Lanka star failed to fire in the three-match series in India. Hasaranga took three wickets while conceding 99 runs in the series at an economy rate of 9.00 an over. Rashid, meanwhile, hasn’t played a T20I in over two months since the World Cup in Australia in November.

Leeds United bounced back from their dismal defeat in London against Millwall by securing all three points against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

The Whites returned to Elland Road and returned to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Marti Cifuentes’ men, thanks to goals from Jayden Bogle and Joel Piroe.

Daniel Farke’s side had lost 1-0 to Millwall in their previous match in the Championship, with a first-half goal from Japhet Tanganga sealing all three points for the hosts.

It was important for the West Yorkshire outfit to bounce back and avoid heading into the last international break of the year with back-to-back defeats, or two games without a win.

Leeds have now won each of their last five games at Elland Road, conceding one goal in that time, and will need to maintain that strong form in order to push for automatic promotion from the Championship this season.

Despite claiming all three points against QPR on Saturday, there were a few players who did not showcase the best of their abilities this weekend.

Mateo Joseph's performance against QPR

Farke handed Mateo Joseph a huge opportunity to stake a claim for his position in the team moving forward by naming him in the starting XI ahead of Piroe.

His previous start for Leeds came in the 1-1 draw at Carrow Road against Norwich City at the start of October, with six outings as a substitute between the draw with the Canaries and the win over QPR.

Piroe had enjoyed a run of starts up front and the clash with the West London side provided the Spain U21 international with the chance to show the manager that he should be playing over the Dutchman.

Unfortunately, Joseph did not do enough in his 72 minutes on the pitch against QPR to suggest that he should remain in the starting line-up on the other side of the international break.

The 21-year-old marksman struggled in and out of possession for the Whites in the clash and should now be in danger of being axed from the team, as he did not make an impact in the final third and was a liability off the ball.

As you can see in the table above, Joseph failed to score or provide an assist and gave the ball away far too often with his passes, only completing 73% of them.

His three duels won from 13 contested also show that the QPR defenders found it far too easy to get the better of the centre-forward in physical battles, which shows that the attacker struggled both in and out of possession.

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Joseph should now be in danger of being dropped, because he did not take his chance to shine, but he is now the only Leeds forward who may be in danger, as Wilfried Gnonto was far from being at his best.

Wilfried Gnonto's performance in numbers

The Italian whiz did not enjoy his best afternoon against QPR at Elland Road on Saturday, with an underwhelming performance that left plenty to be desired.

He has now gone eight games without a goal in the Championship for Leeds and has only registered one goal contribution in his last six outings, an assist against Plymouth.

Gnonto played 89 minutes on the right flank and found the target with one of his three efforts on goal, but failed to find the back of the net, whilst he also ended the game without an assist to his name.

The former Zurich star lost possession 12 times in the match without recording a goal contribution to assist his team on their way to all three points, as he was not directly involved in either the first or second goal.

He did create one ‘big chance’ but the context of that opportunity does not favour the former Inter gem. The Italian winger burst through the middle of the pitch on the counter-attack and had a relatively simple pass through to Manor Solomon to his left, but bobbled and overhit the pass.

That meant that the goalkeeper was able to come out and block the shot from a yard away by the time the Spurs loanee got to the ball, so it registered as a ‘big chance’ due to Solomon making first contact on a one-on-one, but the pass from Gnonto meant that there was little he could do but hit it straight at the body of the ‘keeper.

The 21-year-old attacker, who was described as “wasteful” by Farke because of that incident, should now be in danger of losing his position in the team.

Why Wilfried Gnonto could be dropped

Along with his poor performance against QPR, Gnonto’s recent form in the Championship has not been good enough for him to nail down his starting XI spot without question.

As aforementioned, it has now been eight matches since the winger found the back of the net, whilst his only goal contribution in the last six games was a pass to Dan James on the edge of the box, who scored from distance – hardly a contribution of high-quality.

In the 1-0 defeat to Millwall in midweek, Gnonto only won six of his 15 duels and failed to create a single ‘big chance’ for his teammates, whilst completing just 76% of his attempted passes and losing possession 18 times.

No player should be undroppable and the attacker’s recent performances have surely put him in danger of being axed from the starting XI, particularly when you consider the quality that Farke has at his disposal.

As you can see in the table above, James has been a reliable source of goals and creativity on the wing at Championship level for the Whites since the start of last season.

He was a substitute against QPR on Saturday and this means that there is a quality option for Farke to replace Gnonto with, should he decide to drop the forward.

Leeds star sold by Christiansen is outscoring Rutter & Summerville in PL

The former Leeds United star has gone on to enjoy a great career in the Premier League.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 8, 2024

GOAL takes a look at which American players are playing the best ahead of the upcoming CONCACAF Nations League

They say form is temporary and class is permanent – but even the classiest players are a lot better when in top form. With the CONCACAF Nations League Finals set to kick off next week, one key question remains: Which U.S. men's national team players are in the best form?

It’s a crucial topic, especially with tournament call-ups looming. For the USMNT, these games matter. Competitive matches are rare on the road to the 2026 World Cup, and manager Mauricio Pochettino will need his top players ready to deliver. Fortunately, several have taken their games to new heights in recent weeks.

Christian Pulisic nearly made the list after single-handedly lifting Milan to a 3-2 win over Lecce. But with Milan’s recent struggles, he just missed out – a testament to how well other USMNT stars are performing. Pulisic’s quality is well known, but these players have been raising their games even higher.

From established USMNT starters to those pushing for a breakthrough, these are the American stars thriving at club level. This is not a ranking of the best players, overall, but rather a snapshot of who is showing the best form at the moment. GOAL takes a look in this recurring feature tracking the pulse of U.S. talent worldwide.

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  5Johnny Cardoso – Real Betis

  The Real Betis midfielder has been thriving on the club level for some time now, but he's really stepped up over the last few weeks, in particular.

  It's headlined, of course, by his goal against Real Madrid. That goal helped Betis to a 2-1 upset of the Spanish giants, one that provided a huge boost to the club's European hopes. Outside of that, Cardoso has played bit roles in wins over Real Sociedad, Getafe, and Las Palmas, while a step forward in the Conference League could come this Thursday after a 2-2 first-leg draw against Vitoria de Guimaraes.

  For the last year or so, Cardoso has been linked with big clubs. Given his performances over the last few weeks, it's easy to see why.

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  4Chris Richards – Crystal Palace

  Aside from league-leaders Liverpool, Crystal Palace are the Premier League's hottest team, and the club's defense has played a major role. USMNT defender Richards has been right at the center of it all.

  Over the last month or so, Palace has won four of their last five Premier League games, including wins over Manchester United, Fulham, Aston Villa and Ipswich Town. They've also won two FA Cup clashes in between Ricahrds, meanwhile, has been everpresent, headlined by an assist in the FA Cup triumph over Millwall. The real work has been done defensively, though, as Palace have secured seven clean sheets in all competitions since the start of 2025.

  Over the last month, Richards has played the best soccer of his career, and Palace have an outside chance at a European push because of it.

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  3Tyler Adams – Bournemouth

  He was his club's Player of the Month for February, which is a pretty good indication of just how good Adams has been in recent weeks.

  In reality, he's been fantastic since making his long-awaited return from injury, leaping right into the Bournemouth XI and instantly bringing to a whole new level. It's been a little bit rockier in recent weeks, to be fair, but Bournemouth are all the way up in eighth place with legitimate Champions League hopes if they can right the ship over the next few weeks. Manager Antoni Iraola deserves credit for the club's rise, but so too does Adams, who has been one of the Premier League's best defensive midfielders since returning to the team.

  If he can bring that to the USMNT, they'll reach a new level, too. Adams is simply that good.

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  2Josh Sargent – Norwich City

  At a time of great need for the USMNT, Sargent is in the best form of his career. Ricardo Pepi and Folarin Balogun won't be in camp in March, but Sargent will, and based on how he's playing, that means things will be OK.

  Since scoring a brace against Swansea on Jan. 25, Sargent has been on an absolute tear. He scored against Watford and Derby. Then against Hull City, too. A brace against Stoke, another goal against Oxford United – they've just kept coming. It's all added up to eight goals in as many games for a Norwich team that is trying to fire its way right into a playoff spot.

  To get there, will need Sargent to keep at this pace. For the USMNT, they'll need that, too, f they want to lift another Nations League trophy. This is a big opportunity for Sargent, one that could ultimately be career-altering.

Lara will work with the men’s international teams and with the board’s academy, while also serving as head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2023Cricket West Indies (CWI) has roped in Brian Lara as a performance mentor to work with the West Indies international teams across formats and with the board’s academy.Lara will be supporting the various head coaches “in providing players with tactical advice and improving their game sense, as well as working closely with the Director of Cricket [Jimmy Adams] on ICC World Cup Tournament strategic planning,” a CWI press statement said.”Having spent time with the players and coaches in Australia and in discussions with CWI, I really believe that I can help the players with their mental approach to the game and with their tactics to be more successful,” Lara said. His first assignment will be with the West Indies Test squad, which he has already joined in Zimbabwe. He will help in the preparations ahead of the first Test starting February 4 in Bulawayo. Before the Test, West Indies will also play a four-day warm-up game, starting Saturday in Bulawayo.”I am really looking forward to Brian making a significant contribution to our cricket system by providing invaluable guidance and advice to our players and coaches,” Adams said. “We are confident that Brian will help to improve our high-performance mindset and strategic culture that will bring us more success on the field across all formats. Everyone is excited to have Brian involved in supporting our players.”West Indies’ last Test series was in Australia last month, where they were swept 2-0, not long after they had crashed out in the first round of the T20 World Cup. Nicholas Pooran stepped down as the white-ball captain later, in November.Lara was also on the review panel which CWI had appointed to look into West Indies’ poor performance at the T20 World Cup.Even though CWI did not specify for how long Lara would work with the various teams going forward, he came in with under ten months to go for the ODI World Cup in India and around 18 months before the T20 World Cup in the USA and Caribbean next year.In between, of course, Lara will also be engaged with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2023 IPL as their head coach, having taken over from Tom Moody in September last year.

Manchester United legend Gary Pallister admits to being left “really perplexed” by the decision to part with David de Gea and bring in Andre Onana.

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• De Gea left as a free agent in 2023
• Big money spent on acquiring Onana
• Several costly errors have been made

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Back in the summer of 2023, Spanish goalkeeper De Gea was allowed to leave Old Trafford when reaching the end of his contract. He had spent 12 years with the Red Devils, taking in 545 appearances while becoming a Premier League champion and record-breaking four-time winner of the club’s Player of the Year award.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United decided to move in a different direction, with Onana acquired from Inter in a £48 million ($62m) transfer as he was considered to be better with the ball at his feet. The Cameroon international has, however, made a number of costly errors across 87 appearances – leading to uncomfortable questions being asked of his value.

• WHAT GARY PALLISTER SAID

  Pallister – speaking in association with – told GOAL when asked if Onana remains the right option for United, with it imperative that any No.1 inspires confidence in those that he is working behind: “I think he had a tough start to the season. Then for a number of months he was really good and pulled off some important saves.

  “He’s obviously very good with the ball at his feet, he’s very calm with the ball at his feet. There have been a couple of high-profile errors of late. I’m not going to attack him for the game against Ipswich because the first one is communication between the two of them and the second one, how many times do you see that? He can’t make his mind up until the ball goes past the centre-forward. If he gets a touch and he’s diving the wrong way, he’s going to look stupid. It was a 50-50 and the ball has gone in the net. I’m not really blaming him for them.

  “His name keeps resonating around the chat with the fans about whether he is strong enough and good enough to be the goalkeeper of Manchester United. I’m really perplexed by the fact that we let De Gea go. I know he wasn’t great with the ball at his feet and that’s what [Erik] ten Hag seemed to be obsessing over but, for me, David de Gea still had plenty to offer.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  After taking a year out, De Gea is now back in competitive football with Serie A side Fiorentina. United, meanwhile, have struggled for consistency throughout the 2024-25 campaign and sit 14th in the Premier League table.

In need of yet another rebuild, Manchester United are now reportedly battling to sign one of Ruben Amorim’s targets who has a release clause as expensive as £67m in 2025.

Man Utd transfer news

Recently linked with both Harry Kane and Leroy Sane, it’s certainly seems as though Manchester United are done messing around. The arrival of Amorim must be a turning point. With INEOS in and a modern structure as a result of their arrival, which includes sporting director Dan Ashworth, the Red Devils must begin their journey back to the top of English football.

Starting against Ipswich Town after the international break, Manchester United have the chance to turn in the right direction and create a positive out of a season which looked destined to end in failure.

Amorim’s perfect wing-back: Ten Hag sold Man Utd gem now worth 132% more

The talented youngster should have been a hit for Man Utd.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 16, 2024

In an ideal world for those at Old Trafford, Amorim will take Manchester United into a European place – whether that’s the Champions League or the Europa League – before turning his attention to much-needed reinforcements.

According to Caught Offside, Manchester United are now battling Aston Villa to sign Oihan Sancet from Athletic Bilbao. The deal may not come cheap, however, given that the Spaniard reportedly has a release clause as high as €80m (£67m) to create an instant obstacle in the way of any deal taking place next summer.

Despite welcoming Manuel Ugarte in the summer, United’s midfield has still looked incomplete in the last couple of months, with an ageing Casemiro still featuring at the heart of the side. Clearly in need of at least one other reinforcement in the middle of the park, Sancet could yet emerge to become an ideal option to complete Amorim’s midfield.

"Incredible" Sancet could complete Amorim's midfield

Amorim’s preference for a back three with four midfielders ahead, two further advanced number 10s and one leading striker could make Sancet the perfect fit at Old Trafford. Whilst Ugarte and perhaps Kobbie Mainoo sit deeper, it’s Sancet who could fill one of the two number 10 roles to great effect if Manchester United make their move.

The Athletic Bilbao man has earned plenty of fans over the years, including Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig who described his form in 2022 as “incredible” when the midfielder was just 21 years old and on the rise.

Now 24-year-old, Sancet has only continued an impressive rise, scoring five goals in 12 games in all competitions so far this season. If Manchester United are looking to sharpen a fairly blunt attack then beating Aston Villa to the midfielder’s signature may well be the key. As Amorim seeks much-needed reinforcements, Sancet could be one to keep an eye on.

Cristiano Ronaldo once again proved why he remains football’s ultimate clutch performer, dragging Al-Nassr from the brink of frustration to a hard-fought 2-1 win over Al-Feiha on Saturday night. After being knocked out by Al-Ettihad from the King's Cup, their weekend could have been spoiled, but their Portuguese talisman decided otherwise. They are now leading the domestic standings after getting off to a perfect start with seven wins from seven matches, and on Saturday evening, the men in yellow once again showed why they are more determined than ever to be crowned as Saudi champions during their comeback victory.

• Nassr's comeback

  The hosts were dominating proceedings right from the first whistle, and Joao Felix came close to opening the scoring in the sixth minute but saw his effort tipped over the crossbar. However, almost against the run of play, Al-Feiha drew first blood after Jason was put through on goal. The goal came from a tactical misfire. Jorge Jesus’ high defensive line, designed to suffocate space, backfired horribly. Jason latched onto a simple long ball, broke free of the sluggish backline, and slotted calmly past Nawaf Alaqidi. It was a sucker punch that left the hosts stunned and briefly scrambling for rhythm.

  Despite going behind, Al-Nassr refused to panic. With Ronaldo barking instructions and Sadio Mane buzzing around the left flank, the home side resumed their onslaught. The equaliser appeared imminent when Mane squared for Kingsley Coman, who smashed the ball home, only for VAR to intervene. After a painstaking review, the goal was chalked off. Mane had strayed offside by a matter of inches when Ronaldo released him down the wing. The decision left Ronaldo visibly fuming, throwing his arms in the air in disbelief.

  A frustrated Ronaldo rallied his teammates again, and in the 37th minute, the Portuguese icon produced the goods to bring his side back on level terms. It was a perfect team goal, which was started off by Felix as he played a cheeky through ball to Coman. The French star split Al-Feiha's defence, and Ronaldo kept his calm to finish the move with a clinical finish. 

  As the second half unfolded, Ronaldo led the charge for a breakthrough. He saw two efforts fly agonisingly wide, while Felix’s long-range strike was parried brilliantly by Mosquera. With every passing minute, it felt as though time was slipping away. Al-Feiha’s players began to sense they could escape with a draw, until fate intervened deep in stoppage time. Fortune smiled on the hosts, and after a lengthy VAR check, a penalty was awarded to Al-Nassr.

  Up stepped Ronaldo, calm and collected. As the whistle blew, he took his familiar stance, stuttered in his run-up, and smashed the ball into the net. He wheeled away in celebration, pounding his chest as the crowd erupted. Three more points!

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  The MVP

  Ronaldo popped up at the right time, at the right place, to once again save Al-Nassr's blushes. His numbers this season have been mind-boggling. The winner was his eighth league goal and number 36 in the calendar year. He is currently 48 goals away from the 1000-milestone, and the forward will back him to create more history after signing a two-year deal in the summer, which will keep him at the club until 2027. 

• The big loser

  While his side walked away with all three points, Jesus’s tactics left much to be desired. His defensive strategy gifted Al-Feiha their goal, and his inability to chalk up a Plan B could have cost them a perfect start to the season. If not for Ronaldo’s late intervention, this could easily have been the night Al-Nassr’s flawless run ended.

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  Match rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐

Daniel Levy has brought an end to his 25-year stay at Tottenham with the announcement of his resignation as executive chairman on Thursday – huge news which came completely out of nowhere.

Since taking over from Sir Alan Sugar in 2000, Levy oversaw the transformation of Spurs from a largely mid-table side in the late 1990s to one of the Premier League’s ‘big six’, but his running of the club was also marred by protests from supporters over a lack of success on the field.

The Lilywhites are now one of Europe’s most valuable clubs — boasting a state-of-the-art new stadium and training complex — with Tottenham also the ninth highest revenue-generating side in world football, according to the Deloitte Money League.

Off the pitch, Levy’s work deserves high praise, but just two major trophies in two and a half decades frustrated the fanbase.

The 63-year-old’s perceived lack of squad investment during his tenure also attracted fierce criticism, but ENIC’s decision to part company represents a “new era” for the north Londoners.

In the aftermath of Levy’s shock exit, questions are being asked about why this has happened now and so suddenly.

BBC journalist Sami Mokbel and other reliable media sources are reporting that the decision to part ways was ultimately taken out of Levy’s hands, with ENIC effectively pushing him out of the door.

Club insider Paul O’Keefe has also shared some intriguing bits of detail about the story.

ENIC plan "weakened" Daniel Levy's grip on Tottenham before resignation

Taking to X, Spurs in-the-know claims that ENIC’s plan to get properly involved — namely through Lewis’ kids Vivienne and Charlie — is said to have “weakened” Levy’s “vice-like grip” on Tottenham before he was forced out.

ENIC appear set for a more hands-on role in the wake of Levy’s departure, and in that sense, a new era certainly has begun at Tottenham.

Their controversial ownership hasn’t exactly been popular among Spurs supporters, but time will tell whether they manage to turn the tide when it comes to public perception.

For Levy, the ex-official and his family are still a beneficiary of ENIC, owning a near-30 per cent stake in the group, but his club involvement will now cease with immediate effect with no notice period (BBC).

The chase became nervy but his 90-run partnership with Asalanka turned the tide in their favour

Madushka Balasuriya31-Aug-2025Where Zimbabwe had faltered on Friday, Sri Lanka followed through in consummate fashion. Set a target of 278 in the second and final ODI in Harare, the visitors tracked it down with five wickets and three deliveries to spare. And with it, they swept the series 2-0.Similar to the first ODI, this too went down to the wire, and like that game on Friday, the chasing side seemed in control right until the last. But here with wickets in hand, and a deep batting line-up, Sri Lanka held firm and saw the game through.That said, Sri Lanka perhaps made life more difficult for themselves than they needed to. They did not score a boundary in the final powerplay until the 48th over – two ended up coming off that one, to leave the equation at 12 needed off 12 – but it meant the game was heading for yet another final over finish.In the penultimate over, Charith Asalanka got a boundary after deep midwicket had misjudged a skier, but was caught a ball later, having scored a crucial 71 off 61. Then, Kamindu Mendis defied space and time to inside edge an attempted reverse lap sweep for four, off a pinpoint Ngarava yorker to bring the equation down to 6 off 2. After that, the rest was a formality.Nissanka found boundaries to keep the required rate in check•Zimbabwe Cricket

The scorecard might indicate that the game was closer than it might have been, but with the chase anchored around Pathum Nissanka’s seventh ODI hundred – as he shared successive stands of 48, 20, 78 and 90 with Nuwanidu Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama and finally Asalanka – the visitors were always in control.It was in that final stand with Asalanka that Sri Lanka would say they broke the spine of the chase, with their partnership, at a touch over run-a-ball, ensuring the scoring was brisk through the middle overs.Indeed, this period was one of the main points of differentiation between the two sides. Where Zimbabwe scored 139 runs for the loss of four wickets between overs 15-40, Sri Lanka struck 27 more runs and lost one less wicket in the same period.It meant heading to the death overs, the scoreboard pressure was minimal for Sri Lanka, who were left needing just 67 off 60, with seven wickets in hand. Zimbabwe, by comparison, had scored 83 at the death just to push their total to competitive territory.Perhaps if a straightforward chance off Nissanka, when he was on 78, had not been spilled, Sri Lanka might have had a tougher time. In the end, however, they saw the game through to victory with minimal peril – even if ideally it should have been wrapped up sooner.Sikandar Raza was crucial to Zimbabwe’s batting effort•Zimbabwe Cricket

Nissanka’s innings of 122 off 136 was exactly what was required in a chase of this variety. It earned him both the Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards. His frequent boundaries during the opening powerplay ensured the lack of strike rotation was not as keenly felt, and then, through the middle overs, his ability to find boundaries to punctuate lulls in play meant Sri Lanka never let the required rate get out of hand.Once Asalanka joined him, the boundary scoring burden was alleviated somewhat, with the Sri Lanka skipper willing to up the ante when required – most notably, with a trio of boundaries in the 40th over off Blessing Muzarabani.The target, however, had always seemed a touch below par on a fresh surface that was expected to suit the batters. Zimbabwe, having been put in to bat, did reasonably well at the start and end of their innings, but Sri Lanka controlled the middle overs to restrict the hosts to 277 for 7.That they got even that much was down to an unbeaten 59 off 55 from Sikandar Raza, as part of 76-run sixth-wicket stand with Clive Madande (36 off 36), and then smaller stands with the tail-enders.Ben Curran top-scored for Zimbabwe•Zimbabwe Cricket

Ben Curran top-scored in the innings with a 95-ball 79, but unlike Nissanka later in the day, he was unable to be around for the final overs. Where the Zimbabwe innings lost their way was losing wickets at crucial points through the middle overs.After Zimbabwe’s fast start – scoring 55 inside the opening powerplay – the entry of a rusty Brendan Taylor allowed Sri Lanka to apply the brakes on the scoring. Taylor and Curran put on a stand of 61, but since it came off 84 deliveries, it allowed Asalanka to sneak in several overs of the fifth-bowler quota.Taylor laboured to 20 off 37 during this period, while Asalanka snuck four of his own overs in for just 17 runs. With six more fifth-bowler overs remaining, Asalanka brought on Janith Liyanage, who dismissed Taylor in his second over, as the experienced batter mistimed a scoop to short fine while seeking to up the scoring.Sean Williams then entered, and all it took was one monster strike down the ground for Liyanage to be removed from the attack. With Williams generally looking to attack, both Maheesh Theekshana and Dushmantha Chameera kept things tight during this period.Dushmantha Chameera was the pick of the bowlers•Zimbabwe Cricket

Curran had done well up until this point, but his nine boundaries had come early on. His rhythm too had been interrupted by the lack of strike rotation during his partnership with Taylor – something perhaps impacted by a seeming hamstring niggle Taylor picked up during the innings.With the pressure building, the expensive Asitha Fernando was brought back and he delivered instantly, bookending his over with the wickets of Curran and Williams – both succumbing to short deliveries, with the former top edging one and the latter a delivery dragging on to the stumps.At 155 for 4, this shifted the momentum decisively in Sri Lanka’s favour. Liyanage was allowed to bowl a few more cheap overs to complete the fifth over quota, and while both Raza and Tony Munyonga struck boundaries following a couple of overs of consolidation, Madushanka returned to dismiss the latter.It was at this point that Raza took the lead, setting the tone with a pair of boundaries – the first a deft late dab, the second of inside out lofted cover drive – to signal Zimbabwe’s late charge.While boundaries weren’t as frequent in the following overs, the running between the wickets – a highlight of Zimbabwe’s chase in the first game – was once more exemplary. Despite scoring just six fours and a six in the final ten, they managed to score at beyond eight an over in the death overs, and with it, put up a fighting total. In the end, however, it wasn’t enough.