14 for Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti has delivered

When Real Madrid feature in the final of the Champions League they just don't play but they play to lift the title and it was proved yet again in Paris.  Assailed by chaos off the pitch before the game, Liverpool were undone by the beautiful anarchy of Real Madrid at the Stade de France.

Carlo Ancelotti’s team ran on miracles all the way to this Champions League final and they found another one in Paris with an outstanding performance from their goalkeeper, Thibault Courtois, that sometimes defied logic and brought them a remarkable 14th triumph in the world’s greatest club competition.

Outside the Stade de France, Liverpool’s fans had been made to wait for hours in the spring sunshine, the kick-off growing nearer and nearer, the confusion growing and growing, the congestion starting to seem dangerous and worrying. 

Gates were closed for no apparent reason. Parents and young children were doused with pepper spray. 

The kick-off was delayed by 36 minutes and anger and impotence were everywhere.

Once the game eventually began, Liverpool, whose team bus had been trapped in traffic on the way to the stadium, attempted to introduce order to the chaos and somehow defuse Madrid’s reputation  the Reds ahd Madrid on the backfoot and exposed their backline yet again! 

Liverpool tacked in a coordinated fashion where the midfield made the moves, interlinked very well with the forward line, that responded superbly only to be denied by Thibaut Courtois. 

 There was also uncertainty about the Liverpool line-up right until kick-off. In the warm-up, Thiago Alcantara, who had been named in the starting eleven despite being an injury doubt, did not take part in the drills with the rest of the team but trained with a coach, his place taken by Naby Keita. But when the teams eventually emerged, Thiago was in their number.

Liverpool forced the first chance after 15 minutes when Trent Alexander-Arnold played a fine exchange of passes to make space in the Real Madrid box and cut the ball back for Mohamed Salah. 

Salah, who declared of revenge against Madrid for that eventful night at Kyiv in 2018, was falling as he clipped a right-foot shot goalwards and Courtois dived smartly to his left to push it away. 

Salah saw a snapshot saved by the goalkeeper soon afterward and Alexander-Arnold blazed over from a promising position.

Liverpool were dominating the game. 

Sadio Mane jinked inside a tackle 15 yards out and unleashed a shot that seemed to be destined for the bottom corner.

 Courtois, though, has a huge frame and he used every inch of it to dive to his right and tip the ball against the post. 

For a moment, it seemed it might rebound into the goal of his prone form but Real escaped. They were clinging on for all they were worth.

Liverpool went close again ten minutes before halftime when Alexander-Arnold, checked his run on the right and curled a left-foot cross into the box. It found Salah in space ten yards out but when he tried to power his header past Courtois, he directed it too close to him and the Belgium goalkeeper clutched it gratefully. 

The Real defence was struggling to cope with Mane in particular and Liverpool kept pressing for the opener.

The fear was that Liverpool, who had had ten shots to Madrid’s one, would rue not scoring while they were on top and that fear was almost realized two minutes before halftime as Karim Benzema ran on to a diagonal ball, cut inside Andrew Robertson and poked an attempted pass across goal.

Alisson and Ibrahima Konate got into a dreadful mess trying to clear it and when the ball ran back to Benzema, he swept it into the goal. 

The offside flag went up immediately and after an agonizingly long VAR check, the decision was upheld.

After the break, Ancelotti changed the tactics and overload the right side of the midfield with the intention of freeing the left flank and Vinicius Junior who was more or less being tracked by the stubborn and sharp Trent Alexander-Arnold. 

And the plan worked as a brilliant interchange between Dani Carvajal and Casemiro let ball move to Fede Valverde produced a stupendous pass that found Vinicius Junior on the left - who was free and put the ball into the net with TAA left watching. 

Madrid was still shaky at the back and Liverpool tired to hit back. 

Salah curled a shot from the edge of the area that Courtois dived full-length to push away. Courtois flung himself at the feet of Salah 20 minutes from the end to block another close-range effort.

Liverpool thought they had scored eight minutes from the end when Salah ran at the retreating Madrid defence, turning them one way and then another until he only had Courtois to beat. He hit his right foot shot sweetly enough but Courtois produced a quite brilliant save to push it away with his right hand. 

If Liverpool had come here seeking revenge for their defeat to Madrid in the final in Kyiv in 2018, Madrid left having gained revenge for their defeat to Liverpool in Paris in 1981 in the final. This was their fifth Champions League triumph in the last nine years. ‘This is something unbelievable,’ their Croatia playmaker Luka Modric, who played in all five, said afterward. Madrid have now won all eight of the finals they have contested in the Champions League era.

The Itaian supremo - Ancelotti - has delivered for Real Madrid. 

When he was appointed as the head coach of Los Blancos, the great Zinedine Zidane had left after a tough season and all Ancelotti had to do was to carry on the work of Zidane in a more organized fashion. 

Real Madrid last summer were not satisfied with their current style of play and they needed a stylistic overhaul. 

Ancelotti has found himself in that exact situation before. 

He was tasked with establishing an exciting style of play that would please everyone and his success rate in doing so is actually remarkable considering he didn't always get the necessary backing in the transfer market to do so. 

At Chelsea he wanted Andrea Pirlo to play in front of the two center-backs as a deep-lying playmaker. But Chelsea couldn’t buy Pirlo. Ancelotti made Micheal Essien his own version of Pirlo, and the player actually performed brilliantly under him.

He also transformed Angel Di Maria’s profile in 2013-14 to such an extent that Di Maria was referred to as the third-best player in the world for a brief period. From a dribbling winger, Ancelotti made Di Maria a line breaker on the left half space and on the central channels behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

This time around, it would be the revolution work with Vinicius Junior. 

Ancelotti noticed that Vinicius was more focused on spending time on the ball and which was hampering his goal-scoring abilities  - Ancelotti advised Vini to curb that instinct and when Vini followed that - he became an unstoppable force. 

Ancelotti witnessed how improved Benzema has become over the last couple of years and what he needed the most was a partner who could deliver the goods - in Vinicius Junior, Ancelotti found the Robin to Batman's heroics. 

When Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid in 2021, he had the pressure of playing big names such as Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale on the roster. He had Luka Jovic who earns very high wages at the club. Although he trusted Bale and Hazard in the initial one or two games, he had to make a call pretty quickly whether he is going to indulge in the glamour of star names or unleash Vinicius ahead of them. 

Carlo was asked to play 16-year-old Martin Odegaard in three games by none other than Florentino Perez in 2015. Carlo refused and only played him in as a substitute in a non-consequential match. Gareth Bale’s agent went to the Real Madrid president directly to change Bale’s position in the middle of the season. Carlo declined the request in the utmost professional manner for the greater good of the squad and this in fact played a huge role in his sacking in 2015. But that did not deter him from standing his ground.

This may appear as stretching it too far but Real Madrid parted ways with Kaka in 2013 - a player who won the Ballon D'or under Ancelotti. He could probably have attempted to prolong Kaka’s stay if he really pushed, but Carlo believed in the freshness of that project and all parties moved on.

In the current squad, he invested faith in young guns that were delivered by Zidane and made them grow under the legends - in each and every moment, he gave us the impression, of how this combination could deliver and create moments. 

Much of the credit for Madrid’s La Liga title and run to the Champions League final has gone to its stalwarts: Modric, Karim Benzema, and Thibaut Courtois, all of whom have been excellent. But in fact Ancelotti has quietly overhauled the playing XI, rebuilding his frontline around the explosive Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo (both 21), handing Eder Militao (24) a regular role in defence, trusting Fede Valverde (23) in midfield. 

All of which looks elementary in retrospect, but Madrid is frequently a place where young talent goes to grow old and go on loan. Older players like Isco, Eden Hazard and Marcelo have quietly been eased to the margins, and yet still seem thoroughly buzzing to be there.

He has been the best man-manager and kept the relationship with the press wonderful that is helping his cause in many ways. 

You don't win 4 Champions League titles as a manager by fluke, rather, you have to be an outstanding cocktail - of course, winning the La Liga title and Champions League in the same season is huge! 

He is known as Don Carlo for a reason.  

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka triumph, Bangladesh let down by poor batting display

The kind of team Sri Lanka brought to Bangladesh previously was much better than the current one. Their batting and bowling lineups used to boast some of the best in the history of Test cricket and thrashing Bangladesh was like a cakewalk for them. They created a legacy against Bangladesh in Test cricket - a legacy that the current generation is carrying on despite being in tatters.

The Sri Lankan team that had just won the Test series against Bangladesh is beleaguered and were not expected to win - but their ability to fight back whenever they were cornered enabled them to maintain the record established by their predecessors.

Four years ago, Bangladesh had the opportunity to break the jinx against Sri Lanka at home, which they botched courtesy of a poor batting display in the second innings, and four years later, the feat was repeated - Sri Lanka won by 10 wickets - something which was not even expected.

Surely, a team cannot expect to win if the top order continues to fail consistently in both the innings.

In the first innings, they lost 5 wickets within 7 overs for 24 runs whereas, in the second, they lost 4 for 23 runs when the lights were fading and shadows were turning tall on Day 4.

Yet again, Bangladesh expected Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das to dish out yet another special partnership like the first to save the day, but such things don't happen all the time - cricket is a team game, and each and everyone needs to step up.

Shakib Al Hasan kept the hopes alive and when he was dismissed, achieving victory was just a matter of time.

15 batters from Bangladesh were out in single digits in both innings, which included nine ducks - this is some kind of a record that the Tigers would love to forget as soon as they land in the West Indies.

Most importantly, Bangladesh's performance with the bat in their respective second innings remains poor as usual.

In the first Test against South Africa this year, all the hard work went in vain when they collapsed in the second outing - it was repeated against Pakistan last year and back in 2019, Afghanistan triumphed despite rain-washed days courtesy of another lack of intent in the darkness where Bangladesh needed was to stay at the wicket and see off the day safely.

Bangladesh have been bundled out for less than a hundred runs thrice in their last seven outings!

Nazmul Hossain Shanto, who bats at number 3, has scored 279 runs in the last 15 innings at an average of 18.06 whereas the skipper Mominul Haque has scored just 176 runs in the last 15 at an average of 12.57 - quite an unacceptable performance.

Whether the Bangladeshi batters run out of steam or lack of commitment throughout the five days remains a moot question and even after so many years, the ghost of batting in the second innings tends to revisit.

"In both the innings [in the second Test against Sri Lanka], we were 24 for four and 24 for five in the first innings. We are not going to win Test matches from those positions. We have got to change something," said a frustrated Bangladeshi coach Russell Domingo.

"It happened too many times in the last six to eight months. And if that means we have to change the order and look for one or two new options, we possibly have to do that going forward"

"Like we did before going to New Zealand, we are going to have to prepare really well [for the tour of the West Indies]. We need to be willing to leave balls and be very patient and go back to old-fashioned Test match batting. We need to do something different and take a look at the batting order. Because if we do the same thing, we will get the same result," added Domingo.

Sri Lanka's fighting spirit deserves accolades

After a poor tour of India, they discovered a mess at home and changes in management.

Sri Lanka needed to show determination and then push for the win, which they did in Chattogram and Dhaka.

Angelo Mathews has scored two centuries in a Test series since 2015 whereas Dinesh Chandimal rediscovered his mojo by scoring a hundred since 2018. The 199-run stand between Mathews and Chandimal for the sixth wicket in Dhaka is the highest for the pair in Test cricket. Niroshan Dickwella, known for being reckless, exhibited discipline in Chattogram to arrest a collapse.

Concussion substitute Kasun Rajitha and inexperienced Asitha Fernando put the home side batters under all sorts of trouble with accuracy, pace, and bounce.

Fernando became only the second fast bowler in their history to bag a ten-wicket haul since their bowling coach Chaminda Vaas.

Rajitha and Fernando shared 17 wickets in between them on a deck where there was hardly anything for the pacers.

Sri Lanka have conquered Bangladesh and have left the Tigers with plenty to ponder. 

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer on 27/05/2022 Sri Lanka triumph, Bangladesh let down by poor batting display

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Jose Mourinho is the Special One indeed!

"Football is about winning and Mourinho wins. He's a serial winner and he has brought this Roma team to life"

 Owen Hargreaves

It all started with a ball over the top from the center-back of Roma - Gianluca Mancini - that Zaniolo controlled with his chest. Zaniolo then pushed the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper of Feyenoord Rotterdam - Justin Bijlow - with the tip of his boot. With the match just 32 minutes old, Roma took lead at the Arena Kombetare, Tirana, Albania.

The players on the bench leaped in joy - but one man hinted at remaining calm and composed because the job was still not finished and still sixty minutes remaining.

The Dutch side put shivers down the spine of Roma whose efforts were twice denied by the woodwork in the second half, while Roma shot-stopper Rui Patricio made vital saves to keep Roma in the game.

The Dutch side took the attack to the Italians but it was always tough to get past the compact backline of Mourinho's team and were caught on the counter when Roma won the ball - that's how Mourinho has always nailed the opposition teams during his reign as a manager - build from the back, fill the spaces, keep the backline solid, invite the opposition forward and then exploit the spaces left by them.

Such tactics have earned criticism, but Mourinho hardly cared because he is "The Special One" and he knows better what he is doing - nevertheless, very few coaches in Europe could achieve what Mourinho achieved last night.

As soon as the referee blew the final whistle, celebrations broke through, Mourinho broke into tears and Roma broke the jinx of European Trophies. The last time they had won a continental title was way back in 1961.

Mourinho became the second manager after Giovanni Trapattoni to win five major European titles.

When the chance to become top-tier manager came in 2000 at Benfica, Mourinho replaced Jupp Hynckes after the fourth week of Primeira Liga, and no sooner had he been producing results, the Presidential election of the club turned against him and the newly appointed President Manuel Vilarinho replaced Mourinho, who later on regretted the decision.

Uniao de Leiria appointed him as the manager and immediately, Mourinho showed his class as the team was contesting for the top-tier places.

The people around him were releasing that Mourinho was not just another ordinary manager, but rather, possesses the power to galvanize a unit, even if they have hit rock bottom and his tactical and motivational powers started to garner attention when he led FC Porto to European glory a couple of seasons later.

Porto's unbelievable achievement in the summer of 2003-04, unleashed the legend of Mourinho as the manager.

It was time for him to galvanize another team that had the money but not the ideal brain to reach the top - Chelsea would rope in the Portuguese and reap a rich harvest. Mourinho laid the foundation for today in the last decade and a couple of years later, he will work wonders for Inter and Real Madrid.

Taking risks with teams that are struggling and then making them champions - has become a habit for Mourinho.

After Porto, Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid and Manchester United; it was time for the Special One to lift Roma.

His start was scratchy.

After the embarrassing 6-1 defeat against Bodo/Gilmt last October, Mourinho was taken to the cleaners - but that is where he is special and which is - he can pick up the tempo even when all seems to have been lost.

Gradually the team started to settle as he was doing the job of uniting the players and making them play together as a team under his tactics, where you have to be very good at defending and nailing the opponent with pace on the counter.

He has made the Armenian footballer Henrikhitryan feel very important to the team and that worked wonders for him as the Armenian started to deliver the goods.

His formation has always been 4-2-3-1 - but at Roma, he more often switched to 3-4-3 and 3-5-2 where Chris Smalling, Ibanez, and Gianluca Mancini were the three center-backs with Tammy Abraham joined in the attack by Zaniolo and Lorenzo Pelligrini.

Nicola Zalewski - the 20-year-old was converted as a left-side midfielder/left-winger at times from central midfielder and under Mourinho, he just flourished. Meanwhile, Stephan El Shaaraway has been a very good option from the bench.

His 3-5-2 and 3-4-3 suited the young guns as Mourinho gave them the freedom to spread their wings by providing security at the back and midfield.

The results came after all the hard work as Roma ended the season on flying colours last night.

"He is the best," said a jubilant Abraham, who would finish the season by scoring 27 goals for Roma - very few expected him to deliver when he joined Roma last August, but right now he remains one of the most impactful players.

"The great thing about my career is that, aside from the Europa League with Manchester United, doing it with Porto, Inter and Roma is very, very, very special," Mourinho said.

"It is one thing to win when everyone expects it, when you made the investments to win, but it's quite another to win when something feels immortal, that feels truly special."

"This remains in the history of Roma, but also mine. I was told only I, Sir Alex [Ferguson] and Giovanni Trapattoni won trophies in three different decades. It makes me feel a little old, but it's nice for my career."

"The hard work just started," said BT Sport expert Cole.

"Roma have gone through a few managers, lost a direction and an identity. Jose's loved in the city but there is a way to go," he added.

"These scenes now, especially for the lads who've come through the ranks at Roma - you cannot go to that city and not feel the club.

"Football is a religion there and they will feel like heroes and be remembered, but this is the start of the journey. Jose will be back in the office, planning whether they can have a go at the Europa League and get closer to titles."

In the coming days, the Special One is about to gift us more special results.

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 27/05/2022 Jose Mourinho is the Special One indeed!

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

​

The unique partnership between Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das

When Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das met together at the batting crease, on Day 1 of the 2nd Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the house was on fire and both of them were standing on the ashes.

A rebuilding, like the one engineered by Wallis Mathias and Shujauddin, who added 86 runs after Pakistan were reduced to 22/5 by West Indies on Day 1 of the 1959 Dhaka Test, was needed. Once again, Dhaka witnessed one of the finest comebacks in the history of Test cricket.

5, 48, 12, 5, 7, 0, 51, and 1 - these had been the scores for Mushfiqur Rahim before this series. His batting form, execution of adventurous strokes during crunch moments, statements during the pressers, and emotional exhibitions, made his lean path critical.

Bangladesh's best batter was under pressure. But when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Little Mushfiq decided to fight back. In this series, pressure is bringing the best out of him.

On the other hand, Litton Das was simply peppered with harsh treatment by the fans and critics. Even some of the corporate companies in Bangladesh started to make fun of him.

He decided to give each and every critic a fitting reply and guess what - in the last 12 months or so, Litton Das is the most improved batter for Bangladesh. No matter what life throws at him, he is ready to face the challenge and emerge stronger.

Sri Lankan pacers give jitters to Bangladesh in the morning

Day 1 of the second Test was sun-kissed. The weather was sultry. The pitch seemed like helpful for the seamers in the first 10 overs but after that, set to become a batting-friendly surface.

Within seven overs, Kasun Rajitha and Asitha Fernando had Bangladesh reeling. Bowling from wide off the crease, Rajitha got one to straighten up and hit the timber of Mahmudul Hasan Joy.

He also took down the offstump of Nazmul Hasan Shanto and trapped Shakib Al Hasan lbw. Meanwhile, Fernando kissed the edges of Tamim Iqbal and Mominul Haque's bat, giving easy catches behind the wicket. Bangladesh were in deep trouble at 24/5!

Bangladesh fans are familiar with humiliations and at Mirpur, yet another one was on the cards.

Epic turnaround - Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das create history

It was very important to see-off the new ball and dig deep to build a productive partnership. One batter had to play the role of a sheet anchor.

Mushfiqur Rahim decided to hold one end. Litton invested in the intent to execute shots so that Dimuth Karunratne, the Sri Lankan skipper, could be forced to switch to a more defensive field set.

For most of the first day, Litton Das flexed his muscles and his initial trigger movement on the back foot helped him tackle short-pitch deliveries from the Lankan pacers.

After lunch, Fernando pitched short and targeted the body. But Litton Das was quick to pivot on to the back foot and get on top of the bounce - Fernando could only watch the ball run towards the boundary.

Karunaratne brought on the spinners but they were mediocre and gave away too many loose deliveries. Litton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim cashed in and also settled down at the wicket as the day progressed.

Litton Das established his authority on the legside as soon as he fetched two boundaries off Ramesh Mendis. Praveen Jayawickrama was dealt with easily and runs came thick and fast. 13 off his boundaries came in the arc between fine leg and long-on.

Sri Lanka started to melt under the heat of Dhaka and courtesy of their indiscretions, Litton raced through the 80s and 90s to his second Test hundred. He collected three boundaries and five overthrows from 79 to 101 in the space of 13 balls.

But he was not done yet, as the right-hander continued to send the ball to the boundaries only to pile more agony on the Lankan fielders and bowlers. Mushfiqur Rahim, on the other hand, was steadier, resolved, and focused!

His intention was to occupy the crease and when he settled down, he picked up the rhythm and was all set to gift Bangladesh something big.

One of the highlights of Mushfiqur Rahim's epic knock was curbing the intent to execute the reverse sweep, which has scripted his downfall many times. On Day 1, he hardly walked that path, and his innings kept getting better.

The Lankan spinners bowled too full against Mushfiqur Rahim and he stepped out to hit them through the offside. The Lankan pacers tested him with short-pitch deliveries but he was sensible enough to duck or weave.

On Day 2, Mushfiqur Rahim lost Litton, but before that, their 272-run stand for the sixth wicket became part of Bangladesh cricket's folklore. No pair has added 200-plus runs after losing five wickets for 25 runs or less.

The previous highest was a hundred-run stand between Nkrumah Bonner and Joshua Da Silva against Sri Lanka at Galle when West Indies were reduced to 18/6.

Again, Litton Das' 141 was the highest score by a number 7 batter after coming to bat with a score of 25 or less. The previous best was Moin Khan's 117 against Sri Lanka in 1995 when Pakistan were reeling at 15/5!

Mushfiq doggedly pressed the team's total in the company of the tail-enders and his 49-run partnership with Taijul Islam frustrated Sri Lanka even more in the morning session. He crossed the 150-mark in that process - the fifth time he did this in his illustrious Test career.

The former Bangladesh captain was not out on 175 as Bangladesh ended their innings at 365. They became the only team in Test history to post 300 or more runs after losing five wickets for 35 runs or less. The previous best was India's 266 against New Zealand at Ahmedabad in 2010.

The score of 365 is also the highest by any team in first-class cricket, where six or more batters were dismissed for a duck. The previous highest was 300, posted by Derbyshire in 2021.

The partnership between Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das was indeed unique!

Note: This article has been posted at Sportskeeda on 26/05/2022 The unique partnership between Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

5 talking points from the first Test at Chattogram

The first Test at Chattogram between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka failed to produce a result, even though, at the start of Day 5, it seemed that Bangladesh might just set jitters in the Sri Lankan batting lineup and produce a result in favour for them. Well, the visitors held firm and neutralized the threat posed by the spinners of the home side.

Here are the 5 talking points from the first Test at Chattogram:

5. Impressive Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib Al Hasan tested positive for COVID-19 before the start of the first test and his inclusion in the team was in doubt -later on, he tested negative and had hardly any practice which would earn him the green signal to play in Chattogram. He featured in the first XI that surprised many - but when captain Mominul Haque threw the ball to Shakib, he proved what sort of a champion he is!

His accuracy, variation, and the attempted innovation to try the Chinaman, had Sri Lanka under pressure - created the platform for Nayeem Hasan to fetch wickets and provided Taijul Islam ample support on Day 5. For a cricketer whose inclusion was in doubt due to lack of enough match practice, such performance only indicates the class and temperament of Shakib.

4. Mushfiqur Rahim joins the 5000 club

Back in the summer of 2005, Bangladesh coach Dave Whatmore took the risk of unleashing a young lad named Mushfiqur Rahim. During that time, he featured as a wicketkeeper and as the time progressed, he became the lynchpin of Bangladesh’s batting lineup.

In Chattogram, he became the first-ever Bangladeshi batter to score 5000 Test runs. It was certainly a great achievement for a man whose emotional exhibitions and rush of blood received heavy criticism during the crunch moments. The little man's dedication has paid off and it is expected he will enrich his Test record in the coming days.

3. Tamim Iqbal shines with the bat

If the openers start to shine and score big; automatically, the health of the batting side improves, and at Chattogram, Tamim Iqbal followed just what the doctors ordered. He did not step back from playing his natural game and scored runs thick and fast that had the Lankan bowlers on the backfoot.

There were crispy strokes all around the ground, especially on the offside and square of the wicket. The heat took its toll on Tamim, otherwise, he would have gone on to score more.

2. Sri Lanka's fighting effort with the bat

Sri Lanka came under pressure on Day 1 and the batting lineup required someone to stand tall and guide them through the choppy waters.

Angelo Mathews decided to lead from the front and started stitching crucial partnerships with others so that the momentum did not take a setback.

He added 92 runs in a third-wicket stand with Kusal Mendis, 136 runs for the fifth-wicket with Dinesh Chandimal, and 47 valuable runs for the ninth-wicket with Vishwa Fernando.

Ultimately, he was out for 199!

In the second innings, he was out for naught but his colleagues emulated his patience and dug deep to steer the ship safely to the shore.

Sri Lanka lost six wickets for 161 with a slender lead - but Chandimal and Niroshan Dickwella put a price tag on their wickets and scripted a partnership of 99 runs for the seventh wicket and kept the Bangladeshi bowlers at bay for 203 deliveries.

The grit and determination shown in both innings should boost the morale of the side a lot and should help in Mirpur.

1. Impressive Sri Lankan pacers

The Chattogram deck was expected to aid the spinners more - the Bangladeshi spinners had a great outing where they extracted turn from the footmarks and got the flight working in favour of them, whereas the Sri Lankan spinners failed to achieve the same from the third and fourth-day deck where there was still enough for the spinners.

The Lankans experienced a setback after losing left-arm pacer Vishwa Fernando due to a concussion injury but his replacement, Kasun Rajitha, proved to be a blessing in disguise.

He returned to the team after a brief gap and made an immediate impact by bowling with enough discipline. His bowling was encouraging enough to inspire Asitha Fernando, who decided to bowl aggressively and pepper the Bangladeshi batter with short-pitch stuff.

With the sun becking down over the MA Azis Stadium and the spinners failing to achieve anything productive, Fernando ran with aggressive intent and sent down rip-snoters that had the Bangladeshi batters on the rope.

Rajitha and Fernando shared 7 wickets in between them.

Sri Lanka might be planning for a spin-oriented attack in Mirpur, but they need to rethink their pacers who impressed a lot at Chattogram and tested Bangladesh batters with accuracy, movement, pace and bounce.

Fernando and Rajitha could be highly productive in Mirpur.

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 19/05/2022 5 talking points from the first Test at Chattogram

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

BAN vs SL Test series: Bangladesh enter as favorites against beleaguered Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka are set to start their away two-match Test series against Bangladesh on Sunday, May 15. While cricket is the focus for fans, the nation of Sri Lanka and its people need our prayers and support. The island nation and its cricketers have been an integral part of the colourful tapestry of this sport.

The Sri Lankan cricket team has also been going through a tough transition period in recent years. The kind of situation their country is facing - it is never easy to focus on other things.

Bangladesh look to regain form after disappointing South African tour

Unlike most previous tours, the hosts would start as the favourites for the upcoming Test series. The biggest reason is them playing at home. Also, most of their key players are available. Most importantly, it's the way the Tigers played in New Zealand and South Africa that gives them the edge over the visitors.

The worries over Shakib Al Hasan's participation have ebbed away after his COVID-19 report came negative. But the head coach, Russell Domingo, told the reporters that he would like to ponder over the inclusion of Shakib as there might be a fitness issue!

When it comes to the bowling department, Taskin Ahmed has been the most improved customer for Bangladesh in recent years. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, on the other hand, has been productive with both bat and the ball.

Sadly, Bangladesh would be without the services of both due to fitness problems. Yet, they have the bench strength to overcome these blows.

Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, and Khaled Ahmed will be there for the home side. The responsibility of leading the spin attack will fall on Taijul Islam who has been absolutely brilliant on home pitches.

But the kind of pacers Bangladesh have, it would be ideal for them to place their faith in seamers. Especially, with someone like Allan Donald around, relying on spinners would not help them build the sort of pace bowling unit that flourished under Chandika Hathurusingha.

Donald is emphasizing on bowling the old ball more because that is when a pace bowler faces his toughest test.

In an interaction with the reporters, Donald said:

"The biggest thing here is the old-ball bowling. Today (May 12, 2022) was all about old ball. Every training session I have emphasized a lot on getting the ball to reverse and be really patient and creative with the old ball. I don't have to tell these kids about bowling in their conditions. They know what to expect. But the overall patience, persistence, and creativity that we bring is going to be testing."

Bangladesh do have the intent and spirit among the bowlers - but the temperament of the batters remains a matter of worry. The Tigers' batting clicked in the first Test against New Zealand and it boosted the confidence of the bowlers.

It led to a historic win. But since then, the batting unit has been fragile and in the last Test series against South Africa, they faced great embarrassment at the hands of Proteas' spinners.

Sri Lanka under new coaching regime

Sri Lanka don't have the luxury of having Dushmanta Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, or recently retired Suranga Lakmal. Still, the newly-appointed head coach Chris Silverwood expressed his confidence with the young pacers.

He also has the help of assistant coach Naveed Nawaz who has the experience of working with the Bangladesh Under-19 side. Silverwood may be the head coach but Nawaz is a master tactician and can help the team play as a cohesive unit in such testing times.

Nawaz, who achieved a great deal with the Bangladesh Under-19 unit a few years ago, would also look after the batting. He is known not just as a technical coach but as someone who deals with the players as a friend so that they can express themselves freely.

While speaking to reporters, Nawaz said,

"I want the Sri Lankan flair, I want the boys to express themselves. I don't want them to be anybody else, I want them to be themselves and fly the flag for Sri Lanka."

Nawaz is confident and his determination was palpable. The Lankans know that they are the underdogs and when a team is cornered, they can become more dangerous. Bangladesh should not take Sri Lanka lightly.

Note: This article has been posted at Sportskeeda on 13/05/2022 BAN vs SL Test series: Bangladesh enter as favorites against beleaguered Sri Lanka

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

The appointment of Brendon McCullum as England Test team's head coach is an exciting gamble

Change requires taking a risk and when you do, you discover what dynamism is and rediscover passion in a new way. Again, when you choose to play cricket in an aggressive fashion, you end up learning so many things. In fact, such an approach becomes the foundation for a better tomorrow.

Team India under Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri could be a very good example, while Bangladesh under Chandika Hathurusingha's guidance hinted of becoming the next big thing in world cricket. No one could forget how Brendon McCullum changed the face of New Zealand in world cricket.

For the last couple of years, England's fortunes in Test cricket have been frustrating and there have not been several efforts to satisfy the fans and critics. Still, the English think tank kept their faith in captain Joe Root and coach Chris Silverwood. But nothing changed and their respective roles came to a sad end along with the team director, Ashley Giles.

England are considering an overall change in the team and they started off with the appointment of former England batter and television commentator Rob Key as the managing director of the England cricket team and Ben Stokes as the skipper of the Test side.

Now, it was time to appoint a coach and they ended up shaking hands with a New Zealander, who was extremely popular as a cricketer during his playing days but has hardly any coaching experience in the longer format. He is none other than Brendon McCullum.

With the more experienced Gary Kirsten also in the running, the appointment of McCullum has come as a surprise to many.

Perhaps England are looking for someone who would act as a perfect foil to Stokes' aggression and instill the fearsome brand of cricket which is badly needed at the moment.

One cannot forget how McCullum changed the style of New Zealand despite a scratchy start back in 2013. A few years later, the world witnessed how he formed a cocktail of all-action, high-octane cricket, and great sportsmanship that not only entertained everyone but earned respect and accolades at the same time.

McCullum's dynamism became a role model for many, and Eoin Morgan was the one who was inspired and tried his best to shape the England ODI team in that way. Since 2015, England's approach to white-ball cricket has been a revolution.

However, captaining and coaching a team is different and there is no guarantee that McCullum - who has the experience of managing teams in the Twenty20 Franchise Leagues - will reap a rich harvest as the head coach in the longer formats.

Keeping that in mind, McCullum's appointment is an exciting gamble.

This appointment is based on McCullum's vast experience in the international arena and his influence as a leader. The man possesses a dynamic personality and developing a winning culture within the team via an aggressive brand of cricket is his specialty.

When he replaced Ross Taylor as the skipper back in 2013, New Zealand were steamrolled in South Africa, and immediately, McCullum decided to chalk out the problems within the team that was not playing as a team and suffering from self-belief.

It was important to bring back the passion for the game and fall in love with it again and only then can the Kiwis rediscover themselves.

The team as a whole started to love cricket as a school kid would love his cricket kit and spending the morning and afternoon on the field - it worked and sowed the seeds for the future.

England are thinking that McCullum might be the missing piece of the puzzle that they are looking for and he might be the one who could turn things around.

Note: This article has been published at Sportskeeda on 13/05/2022 The appointment of Brendon McCullum as England Test team's head coach is an exciting gamble

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

SK Flashback: The spectacular show of Mohammad Ashraful at Chattogram

Despite having a tough time back home, the Sri Lankans have decided to tour Bangladesh as part of the ICC World Test Championship. The first Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will commence next week and Chattogram will be the venue.

The history of Test matches between these teams goes back to 2001. On that occasion, Bangladesh, newly promoted to the status of a Test nation, were crushed by the Lankans in the second edition of the Asian Test Championship.

The Lankans didn't tour Bangladesh again until 2006 while the Tigers toured Sri Lanka in 2002 and 2005. In 2006, Sri Lanka played a bilateral series for the first time in Bangladesh.

In the 3-match ODI series on that tour, Bangladesh managed to win the second contest, courtesy of a sheer team effort at Bogra. But in the end, Sri Lankan supremacy was evident.

In the first Test at Bogra, their dominance continued as the hosts crashed to a 10-wicket defeat. The second Test was at Chattogram and it was the first time both the teams faced each other at the iconic MA Aziz Stadium in white clothes.

On a historical note, this stadium was used as a key headquarters during the liberation war for Independence in 1971.

In 1955, an Indian team led by the great Vinoo Mankad came to play in the newly built stadium in the port city against the East Pakistan Sports Federation. The venue was previously known as the Niaz Stadium - named after the district administrator who helped build the beautiful arena.

After Mankad, the stadium welcomed Donald Carr of MCC and they revisited in 1976-77. Most importantly, the stadium is hugely popular because the Tigers won their first-ever Test match at this venue in their 35th attempt.

Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka in 2006

The second Test commenced with the expectations of a Bangladeshi fightback. The hosts had shown signs of improvement under coach Dav Whatmore in the previous couple of years. And, until the commnecent of the Lankan chase, Bangladesh fought gallantly to keep the visitors under pressure.

Bangladeshi captain Habibul Bashar won the toss and, quite rightly, elected to bat first. A young Lasith Malinga struck early by bagging the wicket of Javed Omar.

The first hour of the Test match is always important for the batters - patience is the most important virtue. Here, with the sea breeze aiding Malinga and Farveez Mahroof, opener Nafees Iqbal and skipper Bashar exhibited resolve.

They stitched up a partnership of 72 runs and then, Nafees paved the way for Shahriar Nafees, who was surprisingly batting at No. 4 instead of opening. A few overs later, Malinga Bandara got rid of Bashar and yet another collapse was on the cards.

Enter Mohammad Ashraful!

Back in those days, the Bangladeshi batting lineup was heavily dependent on Bashar and Ashraful.

Ashraful's consistency has always remained a worry and the pressure piled upon Bashar to take his team through the choppy waters.

But whenever Ashraful flourished, the rest of the batting lineup, and the opposition fielders, became mere spectators. Everyone enjoyed the talent and class of a young lad who could have achieved a lot more.

The Mohammad Ashraful show

He was off the mark on the second delivery he faced from Bandara by neatly timing a shot through the covers. The sweet sound of the bat on ball could be heard on television and one thing could be guessed, the little man was up to something.

In the next over against Mutthiah Muralitharan, Mohammad Ashraful's feet were moving correctly and his head position was steady. It took him no time to get accustomed to the conditions and prefer caution over aggression.

Bandara - who was posing a threat - dropped one short towards the off-stump line and immediately Mohammad Ashraful scripted his stylish late cut. He executed that shot by going low-down and the ball raced towards the third-man boundary for four - his first boundary.

Murali and Bandara - operating from both ends - decided to frustrate Ashraful with length balls on the off-stump line. But the highly-talented right-hander was in the mood to showcase his batting genius and one such delivery by Murali was glanced for four.

Bandara decided to pitch the ball a bit fuller and lure Ashraful into producing a false stroke. Well, it resulted in a sublime drive through the extra-cover as the fielders stood still and watched the ball run towards the fence.

Meanwhile, Mahroof dismissed Nafees and Khaled Masud joined Mohammad Ashraful. Mahroof bowled beautifully and created a lot of headaches in the session after lunch. His speciality was maintaining discipline and forcing the batter to make mistakes.

But such qualities hardly deter a batsman who is at the peak of his form. After leaving and blocking a couple of deliveries, Ashraful decided to open his stance a bit, with the initial trigger movement being on the back foot.

Mahroof dragged his length back and Ashraful jabbed handsomely through midwicket. He smoked Murali for two boundaries in an over - one of the strokes being a reverse-sweep while Bandara was welcomed with a six in his new spell.

Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya brought Dilhara Fernando on to bowl - who was a useful seamer in those days. After a few silent overs, Mohammad Ashraful broke through with a six, over backward point off Fernando.

The line and length was good, and the pace was better, but Ashraful had the edge over Fernando, courtesy of his boldness and sharp focus.

Murali joined Fernando but their combination cut a sorry figure as Ashraful's innings transformed into a counter-attack rather than a steady Test knock.

The wickets kept on tumbling at the other end, but Mohammad Ashraful never stopped. The runs came thick and fast and the strike-rotation was not rusty. A pull shot against Malinga for four to the vacant square leg boundary brought his third Test hundred.

And, he wasn't finished!

After the counterattack, came the resolve of a Test batter who wished to carry on and on. At one point, it seemed that if anyone could dismiss Ashraful, it was only himself.

A smiling Mohammad Ashraful with the Man of the Match prize for his brilliant 136 against Sri Lanka in the Second Test at Chattogram, 2006

A smiling Mohammad Ashraful with the Man of the Match prize for his brilliant 136 against Sri Lanka in the Second Test at Chattogram, 2006

He lost partners and against a tossed-up delivery from Murali, Mohammad Ashraful mistimed a slog sweep and holed out to Dilhara Fernando at deep midwicket.

Ten out of 10 times earlier, he had countered those tossed up deliveries from Murali to perfection. But this time, he lost his patience and that is where he failed to become more of a team player.

Mohammad Ashraful gets plaudits, but not victory

For more than four hours, Mohammad Ashraful charmed the crowd present at the MA Aziz Stadium and global audiences like a magician on the big stage. He batted as if with a magic wand in his hands that was instilling confidence in the team with each and every stroke.

The reflexes, hand-eye-cordination, and astute footwork were gifts from God that he never polished, instead relying on bouts of dazzling brilliance. His knock pegged back Sri Lanka and, for a couple of days, the Bangladeshi team enjoyed themselves and took a slender lead.

Bangladesh fell into trouble in the second innings and all eyes were on Mohammad Ashraful again. This time, the gifted batsman failed to control a glance against Murali and was dismissed for 1. Bangladesh were reeling at 69/4 and 112 runs later, they were all out.

Sri Lanka chased the total down in the fourth innings without breaking into sweat. Sri Lanka left victorious, but for the Bangladeshis, there were enough reasons to dream big in the coming days. One of them being Mohammad Ashrfaul's superb 136 off 184 deliveries with 15 fours and 3 sixes.

Note: This article has been published at Sportskeeda on 11/05/2022 SK Flashback: The spectacular show of Mohammad Ashraful at Chattogram

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Another miracle orchestrated by Real Madrid

Real Madrid were out of the Champions League after being beaten by an English club yet again - that was the thought that prevailed among the spectators present at Bernabeu and billions of viewers watching on television. Manchester City would play in the final at Paris and of course, they would be favourties to win the title for the first time. 

But wait - Real Madrid are playing a different game this season - they are on a mission to orchestrate miracles and when each and every heart of Madridistas stopped, they gave the DC shock to stabilize the cardiovascular system. 

Real Madrid won. 

Yet another heartbreak for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. 

This was simply a devastating defeat for Manchester City. Not just its consequence but its manner. For Real Madrid, this was not a comeback but a resurrection. It was on the scale of Manchester United in Nou Camp, 1999. Madrid were 5-3 down on aggregate going into the final minute of normal time; and 6-5 up five minutes into the extra time that resulted from their incredible feat of resistance. It was the first time they had led across the two entire-ties: the 185th minute of the match.

 A minute before Real Madrid scored, Jack Grealish, on as a substitute had two chances to put the outcome beyond doubt. The first was cleared off the line, the second sent wide by the merest touch from Thibaut Courtois in goal. And then they were out, gone. They had silenced the Bernabeu, the game was as good as won. And then it wasn’t.

Real Madrid won by virtue of their never say die attitude. 

This was a heroic display of fortitude, wrested from City by two goals from substitute Rodrygo. Coming on for Toni Kroos with the game goalless he was inspired. One goal in the final minute for what looked to be a footnote consolation, then a minute later to turn the tie on its head. City were stunned. They had been the better side for almost all of this encounter.  

Karim Benzema kept quiet for most of the night and hooked a volleyed cross from the left side of the penalty area for Rodrygo’s first – Ederson was beaten to the ball by his outstretched foot. For the second Marco Asensio flicked on Dani Carvajal’s cross and the Brazilian forward rose above a now rattled defence and sent his header past Ederson.  

Worse was to come. 

Extra time had barely started when Ruben Dias went in clumsily on Benzema, and Italian referee Daniele Orsato pointed to the penalty spot. By now, City were in shock and disarray; Madrid the swaggering gods of the Champions League. And no Panenka for Benzema this time. Nothing clever or fancy. He struck it low to Ederson’s left, giving him no chance. There was barely a peep out of City after that. They were done.

The night belonged to the spirited boys of Carlo Ancelotti. 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar