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Ruben Amorim has been sacked as Manchester United head coach after an underwhelming 14 months in charge, with Darren Fletcher set to take over on an interim basis.

The 40-year-old’s appointment in November 2024 brought much hope and excitement to Old Trafford, with the highly-rated Sporting Lisbon coach succeeding Erik ten Hag on a deal until 2027.

But Amorim’s reign has seen more lows – and press conference soundbites – than highs, including overseeing a worst top-flight campaign in 51 years as United slumped home 15th in the Premier League.

Related Man Utd next manager: The 6 most likely Ruben Amorim replacements

The Portuguese boss was sacked after a 1-1 draw at Leeds.

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Oddschecker have gathered a list of the most likely replacements for the Portuguese boss.

20-16: Solskjaer, Mourinho, Nagelsmann, Terzic, Tuchel

Rank

Manager

Odds

20

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

40/1

19

Jose Mourinho

40/1

18

Julian Nagelsmann

33/1

17

Edin Terzic

33/1

16

Thomas Tuchel

33/1

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has experienced guiding United through times of turmoil, but would feel like a step backwards at the second attempt, while Jose Mourinho represents a similar problem having already tried and failed to bring back the glory days at Old Trafford.

Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel are both in charge of major national sides as we approach a World Cup, so their appointments feel less likely than Edin Terzic, who is available having left Borussia Dortmund following a spell in which he won the DFB Pokal and reached a Champions League final.

15-11: Inzaghi, De Zerbi, Zidane, Howe, Pochettino

Rank

Manager

Odds

15

Simone Inzaghi

33/1

14

Roberto De Zerbi

33/1

13

Zinedine Zidane

28/1

12

Eddie Howe

25/1

11

Mauricio Pochettino

25/1

Simone Inzaghi may appreciate a return to elite level football having come so close to winning the Champions League with Inter last season, only to join Al Hilal in the summer.

Roberto De Zerbi wowed with his style of play at Brighton and his Marseille side sit third in Ligue 1, while Zinedine Zidane has not worked in management since leaving Real Madrid in 2021.

Eddie Howe has insisted he is happy at Newcastle but is under pressure following their up and down start to the season, but Mauricio Pochettino, like Tuchel and Nagelsmann, would take a lot of convincing with a World Cup coming up for the United States manager.

10-6: Silva, Carrick, McKenna, Iraola, Emery

Rank

Manager

Odds

10

Marco Silva

20/1

9

Michael Carrick

20/1

8

Kieran McKenna

20/1

7

Andoni Iraola

18/1

6

Unai Emery

16/1

Marco Silva continues to impress at Fulham, outplaying Liverpool in a recent 2-2 draw and guided the Cottagers away from relegation on a tight budget.

Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna both know United inside out and have impressed since stepping up to senior management, but they don’t boast the experience of Unai Emery.

Andoni Iraola is perhaps one of the most exciting but risky names on the list, with his Bournemouth side’s all-out attacking style very hit and miss in recent months.

5-1: Xavi, Southgate, Fletcher, Glasner, Maresca

Rank

Manager

Odds

5

Xavi Hernandez

12/1

4

Gareth Southgate

10/1

3

Darren Fletcher

5/1

2

Oliver Glasner

5/1

1

Enzo Maresca

7/2

Many have tried the decorated player-turned manager route before, and they don’t come much more decorated than Xavi Hernandez, who also won La Liga with Barcelona in 2022-23 as a manager.

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Gareth Southgate drew praise during his time with England for bringing back stability and the feel-good factor, something which is badly needed at United.

Darren Fletcher is perhaps the safest bet to take the permanent gig given he will gain experience in the interim role, but Oliver Glasner’s CV at Crystal Palace includes an incredible FA Cup win while Enzo Maresca was harshly treated at Chelsea and may have a point to prove.

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Remarkably, Tottenham Hotspur have finished 2025 with the knowledge that a win at Brentford on New Year’s Day will propel Thomas Frank’s side onto the edge of the ascendancy, two points away from fifth-place Chelsea.

This is curious to note. Spurs’ league form has been abject for much of the annual year, and this season, only twice have the Londoners won on home soil.

But it says something of Tottenham’s resilience and togetherness, and the fact that Frank now has a wonderful chance to use the financial backing that is coming his way and make impactful improvements in the January transfer window, with forwards being eyed.

Spurs looking to sign forwards in January

Change is afoot down N17, with ENIC Group having already agreed a £35m fee with Crystal Palace for the transfer of Welsh winger Brennan Johnson.

Though Johnson has flattered to deceive this season, starting only three times in the Premier League since August, he is still a talented and prolific winger. In May, he snatched the winning goal in the Europa League final against Manchester United.

A replacement must be signed, even with the Lilywhites in need of a centre-midfielder too.

And, according to Sport BILD, via Sport Witness, Tottenham and the Red Devils have been in direct contact with the agents of Said El Mala, who is enjoying a goal-laden breakout year in the Bundesliga with FC Köln.

The 19-year-old is a right-footed, left-sided winger, thus fitting the profile Spurs want. However, his employers know they are onto a winner, and have responded to interest by demanding at least £35m.

That gives him the same valuation as Palace-bound Johnson.

Why El Mala is a big Johnson upgrade

Football’s wheeler-dealing transfer scene rarely allows for smooth and straightforward business, but Johnson is closing on a move to Selhurst Park with minimal complications – though he must agree to the move himself – and that could pave the way for El Mala in a like-for-like switch.

The teenager is worth pursuing, in any case. This season, he has scored six goals in the Bundesliga, assisting two more. He has featured 15 times, starting six of those matches, and last year, he was on loan with Viktoria Köln in the third tier of German football.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed him for having a “huge future ahead”, already proving he has the physicality and tenacity to match his natural ability and eye for a goal. Sofascore show that he has won 3.4 duels on average per league outing this term.

Clearly, El Mala would mark an upgrade on this current version of Johnson, whose sharpness in the final third has been overwhelmed and discarded following some dismal underlying metrics, such as his accuracy and intent on the ball, losing 70% of his dribbles in the Premier League.

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As you can see below, El Mala is already outstripping the 24-year-old across numerous statistics, and while he has yet to make the jump over to the unforgiving English scene, his clinical edge, creativity and energy all point toward an exciting future.

El Mala vs Johnson (past 12 months)

Stats (per 90)

El Mala

Johnson

Goals scored

0.79

0.39

Assists

0.26

0.04

Shots taken

3.83

1.08

Shot-creating actions

4.09

1.59

Touches (att pen)

6.99

2.75

Pass completion (%)

65.3

67.4

Progressive passes

1.19

2.19

Progressive carries

3.43

1.98

Successful take-ons

2.77

0.73

Ball recoveries

2.90

2.62

Tackles + interceptions

1.98

1.72

Data via FBref

The difference in ball-carrying success is astronomical – especially when considering successful take-ons, a good marker for fleetness and technical control. Johnson is an able dribbler, but he doesn’t apply his skills anywhere near consistently enough.

In fact, El Mala’s success in this regard has seen data analyst Spencer Mossman describe him as “the most direct winger in Europe”, someone who could replace Johnson and produce more goods.

Spurs need a left-sided forward, especially after selling Heung-min Son to LAFC during the summer. El Mala could be the perfect addition, one for the future and one who could surpass Johnson from the get-go.

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	Adil Raza will be a big threat to the South African batsmen © Getty Images

It hasn’t rained in Malaysia for the majority of the Under-19 World Cup but the luck has turned as we approach the business end of the tournament. There were short but sharp showers during the semi-final between India and New Zealand and it rained heavily throughout the afternoon on the eve of the second semi-final between Pakistan and South Africa.The coaches of Pakistan and South Africa, Mansoor Rana and Ray Jennings, said the rain, if it came in the evening, would favour the side batting under the lights. Although the batsmen will have to cope with sighting a muddy ball and grapple with a slower outfield, it’s the bowling side that would suffer more with a slippery ball, especially their spinners. Rana felt India would have had a tougher chase against New Zealand had it not rained, while Jennings cited England’s comfortable chase against Sri Lanka because rain interrupted play.”You need a bit of luck when the weather’s going wrong especially with the timing of the rain interruption,” Jennings told Cricinfo. “Sometimes it’s in your favour and sometimes it is not. It can play havoc on preparations and the chances of the best side coming through. There’s a definite advantage batting second if it does happen to rain”Rana said Pakistan had game plans for any eventuality but given the inexperience of the players in high-pressure situations, it will be hard to adjust quickly should the weather intervene in a big way.Head-to-head it’s hard to choose between the two sides. South Africa have qualified from the toughest group, which included India and West Indies, and they crushed Bangladesh in the quarter-final. Their strength lies in their pace attack, led by captain Wayne Parnell, which is backed up by an agile fielding outfit. Their strategy has been to create pressure in their middle overs through the tight lines bowled by their medium-pacers, with wicketkeeper Bradley Barnes standing up to the stumps.A chink could be their batting against quality spinners but Jennings brushed it off. “I think a lot of people are underestimating our batting,” Jennings said. “We have a mix of left and right-handers in our middle order. In these conditions the opposition will be using three or four spinners and our middle-order plays spin well. Against India we lost wickets to the seam bowler [Pradeep Sangwan] up front, who our guys obviously lost focus against. Beware of our middle-order players, they can play spin.”Pakistan have an assortment of spinners to attack South Africa with. Imad Wasim, the captain, bowls left-arm orthodox, while their opening batsmen Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal bowl legbreaks and offspin respectively. However, it is their pace attack that has caused the most damage in the tournament so far and the South African batsmen better be wary of Adil Raza, who struck twice in his first over in the quarter-final against Australia.The weakness for the defending champions has been their batting. Pakistan played their group matches in Johor where the wickets were damp and did not make 200 even once. Their first hit on a good batting track was against Australia and they chased 129 comfortably after a minor top-order wobble. Akmal hasn’t fired at as opener so far in the tournament – his highest score is 17 – but Rana wasn’t overly concerned.”Our openers scored a lot of runs in Sri Lanka,” he said. “My concern was the middle order and that was the reason we batted first against Zimbabwe on a difficult pitch [in Johor]. We had already qualified for the quarters and wanted to test the batsmen. Ali Asad scored runs.”The tournament has boiled down to a fitting finish. Pakistan are unbeaten in the tournament so far while South Africa have lost only to India, who have already qualified for the final. The teams are highly skilled and a tense contest awaits. All that is needed is for the rain to stay away.

Habibul Bashar believes Bangladesh can make the semi-finals © Getty Images

Habibul Bashar has hit out at World Cup killjoys who bemoan the absence of India and Pakistan, saying the sub-continental giants do not have a right to be in the finals.”Someone asked me whether the World Cup has become stale after the exit of India and Pakistan,” Bashar wrote in his column in the . “It seems that at any cost India and Pakistan should be included in the Super Eight. They are not saying that India and Pakistan lost two out of their three first round matches.”They don’t have the right to play in the Super Eight. If this attitude persists, one should organise ‘Top Ranking Cup’ instead of the World Cup, where the teams will play according to their rankings. The World Cup is not a property of one or two teams. It belongs to every one and the best team will win the Cup.”Bashar was clearly irked after Bangladesh pulled off a major upset by beating South Africa by 67 runs. He wrote in the Bengali daily that the win would silence some of the “noises” heard after Bangladesh lost their first two matches of the Super Eights.”I think this victory will stop all these things,” Bashar said. “Instead of spoiling the show, Bangladesh has made the World Cup more interesting. There are now plenty of teams now fighting for the semi-finals.”We have a bright chance to play the semi-final if we can beat England. The English team has some good players but they are not playing well in the World Cup. So it will not be impossible to beat them.”Bangladesh meet England in their next match at Barbados on Wednesday, followed by Ireland and West Indies at the same venue.

‘When you open you can get out early, and I have been, and it’s frustrating’ – Hamish Marshall, who is under the kosh © Getty Images

West Indies are hoping for a massive reversal of fortunes in the third and final Test against New Zealand in Napier starting on Saturday while the hosts are looking to pull off a clean sweep in preparation for their expected tough tour of South Africa.New Zealand are looking to maintain morale before next month’s tour while the West Indies will be seeking to snap a record losing streak and to avoid a 0-3 drubbing in the Tests to go with the 1-4 hiding they took in the earlier one-day series.Despite their ten-wicket loss in the second Test in Wellington being the West Indies’ eighth successive defeat, Bennett King, the coach, claimed spirits were still intact and a win was not as elusive as history would suggest. “We don’t believe it’s a skill issue, we believe it’s an application and personal issue and we just have to be stronger as cricketers and people and we just have to go forward,” he said. We truly believe this side are capable of much better than what they’re doing.”While openers Chris Gayle and Daren Ganga have started each innings confidently, an apparent lack of concentration tends to creep in leading to wickets falling at regular intervals. The fact that Brian Lara is hopelessly out of form hasn’t helped and with Shivnarine Chanderpaul also struggling for runs the West Indies have suffered from a lack of steel in the middle order.While New Zealand’s batting has not been consistent either, they have benefitted from injuries in the West Indies bowling camp although King has assured Fidel Edwards, their strike weapon and most impressive player on tour, would be fit for the third Test. Edwards, who was sitting on a hat-trick at the end of New Zealand’s first innings of the last Test did not bowl in the second innings as a precaution against inflaming a leg injury. “He’s got a little niggle in one of his legs. It’s a jarring issue, but he’s in no doubt for the third Test, King said. Jerome Taylor may also start after missing the second Test due to a hamstring injury.Although New Zealand have the series wrapped up already at 2-0 they cannot afford to ease up as the selectors prepare to name the squad for next month’s tour of South Africa. Questions are already being asked whether the West Indians have provided adequate opposition to prepare New Zealand for the tough three-match series in South Africa, while South Africa warm up against Australia.But John Bracewell, New Zealand’s coach, said he was satisfied with their lead-up programme. “I think this series is a good platform because they have got some very good cricketers. We’re performing well as a unit at the moment and they’re not.” Bracewell said he had effectively pencilled in at least one extra seamer for the touring party of 15, while Michael Papps, the specialist opener, could also get a recall. Fledgling opener Hamish Marshall already knows there’s a question mark over his head.A year after being hailed as the new wonder boy of New Zealand cricket with centuriesagainst Australia and Sri Lanka he has struggled after being made to open the innings, and Bracewell has said Marshall needs a big score in Napier or he faces the axe. He finished last season averaging more than 45 in Tests, while his last six Test innings, four as opener, have produced an average of 11.83. “I’m still getting used to opening, and instead of being so defensive in terms of survival I just have to go out there and play my shots,” he said. “When you open you can get out early, and I have been, and it’s frustrating because it’s not through unplayable balls.”

Graeme Smith: ‘The rate we scored at helped to make up for the rain stoppages’ © Getty Images

For the second time in as many Tests, Graeme Smith, the South African captain, was surprised at the West Indian approach while bowling and felt that “they gave up too early”. Smith and his opening partner, AB de Villiers, rattled up an undefeated 214-run opening stand on the first day of the fourth Test at Antigua and gave South Africa a great chance to end a triumphant series on a high.”I didn’t think twice about batting after I won the toss and I was surprised when I found out that the West Indies were going to bowl first if they had the choice,” Smith was reported as saying in Reuters. “It was also surprising that they took [Tino] Best off after he started to reverse-swing the ball and that they started with Wavell Hinds after tea.”Smith had commented on the West Indian tactics in the earlier Test at Barbados as well when he felt that they didn’t allow their medium pacers to make full use of the new ball and reverted to part-timers instead. Just like then, both him and de Villiers cashed in with hundreds on a day when West Indies were left chasing shadows. “We never allowed them to settle, he added, “but I think the West Indies gave up too early.”Speaking about the fantastic opening partnership, Smith said that they had taken the weather forecast into account. “Our plan was to get a decent start,” he continued, “especially with the rain coming, and the rate we scored at helped to make up for the rain stoppages.”This was Smith’s third consecutive hundred of the series and he had to overcome an edgy start before the bludgeoning strokes began to flow. “I started iffishly,” he said, “but the wicket is really good and it saved me in the early stages of my innings.” He also admitted that de Villiers had played the more fluent knock: “AB was superb, you can’t get much better than 63 not out off 60 balls, which is what he had scored when we went off for rain the first time.”de Villiers said that he backed his positive instincts throughout the innings and was pleased that he had made a big score for the second consecutive Test. “I proved in Barbados that I can bat for a long time and my strokes will always be there,” he said. “They bowled a bit tighter at me when I reached the 80s but if the ball is there to be hit I will hit it. “Despite the series being sealed, Smith was eager that South Africa finish on a high. “If we win here it’s 100 Test victories for our country and three in a row on tour, which South Africa has never done before.”In what turned out to be a bizzarre end to the press conference, Smith, de Villiers and a group of journalists were accidentally locked into the room where the session took place. The players and two of the reporters escaped by climbing over a slippery rail and onto a neighbouring stand and the door was eventually forced open by ground staff some 15 minutes after the press conference ended.

India 255 for 6 (Dravid 84, Yuvraj 69) beat Zimbabwe 231 by 24 runs
Scorecard

Mark Vermeulen, and Zimbabwe, went down against India ©Getty

A match which seemed to be going India’s way turned out to be much closer than expected, as Zimbabwe made a spirited fist of chasing their 256-run target. Ultimately, despite healthy contributions from Sean Ervine and Dion Ebrahim (39 each), they fell 24 short, handing India their third win of the series, which took their VB Series points tally to 17.Zimbabwe had little to cheer about in their first three matches, but they showed far more intensity today. It started with a splendid display in the afternoon, when they excelled in the field and bowled with plenty of discipline to restrict India – despite Yuvraj Singh’s 69 and Rahul Dravid’s 84 – to reasonable limits. Then they showed plenty of resolve with the bat as well.Importantly, Zimbabwe attempted to fix the aspect of their game which had caused the most concern in the earlier matches – their top-order batting. Grant Flower was promoted to open, Travis Friend played as a specialist batsman and was slotted in at No. 3, and Stuart Carlisle returned after missing the previous game with an injury.The moves seemed to pay off, too, as Zimbabwe got off to their best start of the tournament. Mark Vermeulen was forced to retire hurt after being hit just above his right eye by an Irfan Pathan short ball – reports later confirmed that he had suffered a fracture – but Flower guided the early part of the run-chase, scoring 36 as Zimbabwe reached 65 without loss at the 15-over mark. Then, instead of a period of consolidation, there came a period of capitulation, as four wickets went down for the addition of 15 runs in seven overs.Friend was run out by a direct hit from Sourav Ganguly (66 for 1), Flower carved Ashish Nehra straight to VVS Laxman at deep extra cover (70 for 2), then Andy Blignaut, promoted to keep the asking rate under control, slapped a drive straight to Yuvraj at point (73 for 3). When Heath Streak suffered a rare failure, bowled through the gate by Ganguly for 3, Zimbabwe had slumped to 81 for 4, with all the earlier good work undone. Carlisle and Tatenda Taibu stopped the rot, adding 47 on either side of a 45-minute rain delay, but both perished soon after the resumption, and Zimbabwe, six down and requiring a further 108 from 13 overs, seemed out for the count.But Ervine and Ebrahim thought otherwise, clubbing drives down the ground repeatedly. Anil Kumble, in particular, felt the heat, going for 22 in two overs as Ervine pulled and steered boundaries, and Ebrahim executed a perfect reverse-sweep for four. Balaji, who bowled quite superbly throughout, finally broke through when Ervine clubbed a cover-drive straight to Ganguly, ending a frenetic 49-run stand.The run-chase was far from over, though, as Ray Price thrashed seven off his first two balls. Zimbabwe needed just 25 from the last three overs when Pathan – who, along with Balaji, was again India’s best bowler – finally nailed the contest, persuading Ebrahim to hole out to Ganguly at midwicket (231 for 8). With Vermeulen not fit to return, that wicket effectively ended Zimbabwe’s charge.India’s total of 255 owed much to a stand of 114 for the fourth wicket between Yuvraj and Dravid, which bailed the team out after they had stuttered out of the blocks.On a flat pitch and against a modest Zimbabwean attack, the Indians would have expected a torrent of runs after opting to bat, but it didn’t quite pan out that way as they managed just 67 in the first 15 overs, losing both openers in the process. Both Streak and Blignaut bowled testing spells, forcing the batsmen to take risks.The rewards followed: Parthiv Patel, in the team in place of the injured Sachin Tendulkar, was bowled attempting a pull (41 for 1), Ganguly – for the second time in consecutive matches – fell to a short ball, and a magnificent one-handed catch by Douglas Hondo at short fine leg (67 for 2). When Laxman wafted loosely at one outside off and was caught behind, the Indian innings had slumped to 74 for 3, and was in danger of coming unstuck.Dravid and Yuvraj then stitched together the revival. Dravid wasn’t quite as fluent as in the match against Australia two days before, but his solidity was the ideal foil for Yuvraj’s exuberance. Both started off with risk-free batting, before gradually stepping it up – Yuvraj essayed his trademark powerful pulls and drives, while Dravid finally started finding the gaps in the field.It was still hard work, though, as the Zimbabweans threw themselves at the ball with gusto and stopped almost everything – Hondo at short third man and Ebrahim in the outfield were outstanding.Price finally ended the partnership with the last ball of his spell, when he sneaked one through the gate to bowl Yuvraj (188 for 4). Rohan Gavaskar, sent in ahead of Hemang Badani, and Dravid kept the momentum going with some superb running between the wickets and a few meaty blows. Both Gavaskar and Dravid fell in the space of three balls in the quest for quick runs, and it needed a slogged four from Pathan to lift India past 250. As it turned out, it was just enough to sneak a win.

Northern Districts and New Zealand pace bowler Simon Doull announced today that he will not be available for the remainder of the State Championship season.Though Doull has not ruled out a return to domestic one-day cricket next season, the statement issued by Northern Districts has the tone of a farewell tribute and suggests that Doull’s distinguished career is over.Work commitments, a relocation and physical wear and tear are given as Doull’s reasons for stepping aside.Doull made his debut for ND in the 1989/90 season, first playing Test cricket for New Zealand against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo in 1992/93.He went on to play 32 Tests, taking 98 wickets at an average of 29.30, placing him 11th in the list of New Zealand wicket-takers. One of the factors in Doull’s decision is an acceptance that he will not get the chance to reach a century of Test wickets.His best performance was seven for 65 against India at the Basin Reserve, Wellington on Boxing Day 1998. A superb display of swing bowling removed the top seven Indian batsmen, including Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.In all, Doull played in 99 first-class matches (falling just short of three figures seems to be a habit), taking 250 wickets at 28.93 and scoring 1938 runs at 19.58 with a single hundred, 108 against Canterbury at Lancaster Park in 1991/92.He represented New Zealand in 42 One-Day Internationals, taking 36 wickets. He also scored 172 runs at the healthy strike rate of 91.97.Doull won the Winsor Cup as the country’s best bowler in 1996/97.In the last two years he has reinvented himself as a swashbuckling, and sometimes devastating, pinch hitter at the top of the order in one-day cricket. Achieving a surprisingly high success rate, Doull’s batting has been decisive in a number of matches, most notably his recent dismantling of the England attack. His 47-ball 80 launched ND towards successful pursuit of the tourists’ 288.Doull’s announcement followed his omission from the Northern Districts team for today’s State Championship match against Central Districts in Hamilton, though there is no hint of sour grapes on Doull’s part. He has performed 12th man duties cheerfully enough.Northern Districts CEO John Turkington paid tribute to Doull.”Simon’s contribution to Northern Districts Cricket to this point has been exceptional. He has performed with the highest distinction in playing terms for both Northern Districts and New Zealand. He has also been a fantastic ambassador for the association in all off field activities.”In these professional times when it is so easy for players to change associations, his unquestioned loyalty to this association through his entire playing career is greatly appreciated and is indicative of the person he is. We look forward to Simon having a major role in the development of the next generation of Northern Districts’ quick bowlers.”

The Zimbabwe cricket team stepped up their preparations for the Second Test against India at Harare, the match venue, with both the captain Heath Streak and coach Carl Rackemann confident that the side will put up a more polished performance than they did in the First Test.The side had extensive practice in the nets with the ball and bat, and also did a lot of fielding practice. Zimbabwe batted woefully in the first innings of the Queens Test and were dismissed for a mere 173, a record low for the venue. The bowlers then struggled with the Indian tail, resulting in the tourists taking a commanding 145-run lead. India went on to win the match by eight wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match Zimbabwe Sun series.It was India’s first away win in 15 years and also their first Test win in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe lost two frontline bowlers, Streak and Henry Olonga, a last-minute replacement for Travis Friend, in the match and had only three bowlers for India’s second innings.Streak and Friend are back in the squad for the Second Test which starts on Friday. Streak was confident that he would be in a position to play. “I am giving it one more day of rest before I go flat out in the nets. It should be fine. Our physiotherapist (Amato Machikicho) is quiet confident and I also had an orthopedic surgeon have a look at it in Bulawayo and he was pretty certain that it should be fine.”Streak added that Friend had responded well to treatment after suffering a muscle strain, which forced him to pull out of the Bulawayo Test on the eve of the opening day.”Friend looks good. He was in the nets today and he is bowling with some good pace. It looks as though he is fully fit for the game. Hopefully he wakes up tomorrow feeling good and we won’t have a similar problem like we had in Bulawayo.”Streak said that although they had always played under pressure, this time they were under more pressure to try to level the series. “Being 1-0 down we are under more pressure to try and pull it back. We realised where we had our downfall and the guys are working very hard in the nets to try and rectify that. We batted badly in the first innings. We hope to put it right in this Test and we are ready to go.”He felt that they could have restricted India to a smaller first-innings total than the 318 they made. India had slumped to 178 for six after the dismissal of leading batsman Sachin Tendulkar in the 53rd over. But they were allowed to bat for another 36 overs in which spinner Harbhajan Singh, coming in at number nine, made his highest Test score of 66. It was India’s second highest contribution after the 74 by Tendulkar.”Obviously we always realised that their top order was the danger and we really worked hard but I think that the loss of Henry Olonga put an extra load of work on the bowlers. We let Harbhajan Singh get away with a bit more than we should have, which allowed their tail to wag. Hopefully we won’t let that happen again with a better balanced side, without any injuries.”Carl Rackemann was impressed with his side’s preparations. “Firstly these practice wickets are the best I have seen them and that’s a good start for us. And our worries of injuries: Henry is going to be out but Heath Streak is coming back. Travis Friend has had a good bowling session today and he looks good.”So we look like going into the Test without any injury or fitness worries. Skillwise today has been a very good day in batting, bowling and fielding. On Thursday we will spent a little bit of time talking about the game and the last match in Bulawayo. Our first innings batting is high on the list of the things to be discussed. It won’t be as physically demanding, especially for the bowlers playing in the match.”The Australian coach said that they had learnt a lesson from the Bulawayo Test. “I think the batting in the first innings was filled with poor shot selection, playing a wrong shot to the wrong ball and lacking patience while at the crease and we were also not positive. We are going to address that. In the Second Test we have to bat like we did in the second innings at Queens in both innings.”Rackemann was also disappointed with the way Harbhajan Singh was allowed to score his 66 from 125 balls, hitting 10 fours and a six. “Principally Harbhajan Singh was the man who did most of the damage and we have to make sure that it does not happen again. We will have to bowl differently to him than the way we did in Bulawayo and make sure that there is no repeat of that."

ScorecardFile photo: Ambati Rayudu struck a rapid fifty to push India A into the lead•Getty Images

A string of fifties, and a particularly brisk one late in the day from captain Ambati Rayudu, has pushed India A into the lead at stumps on the second day of the second unofficial Test in Wayanad. South Africa A have fallen behind despite offspinner Dane Piedt’s four wickets. With the series still in the balance at 0-0, India A have four wickets including wicketkeeper-batsman Ankush Bains to work on the 82-run advantage come the third day.Much of the hosts’ good work with the bat came from the top order, with Abhinav Mukund and Jiwanjot Singh striking half-centuries in an opening stand of 96. Jiwanjot, in his first first-class fifty since January, struck seven fours while Mukund extended his good run – it was his third fifty-plus score in four unofficial Tests against Australia A and South Africa A.The visitors needed a lift and Piedt provided that, taking three wickets for 56 runs. Mukund was trapped lbw for 72, B Aparajith’s patience ran out for 34 and Sheldon Jackson was bowled for 25 as India A’s one-way traffic was threatened. The other success for South Africa A was Lonwabo Tsotsobe taking his 200th first-class wicket, as he picked up 2 for 38.But India A captain Rayudu helped himself to a breezy 81-ball 71 which included eight fours and three sixes and ensured South Africa A did not gather momentum. He looked set to take control of the match too, but Piedt fought back again when he had Rayudu caught by Bavuma eight overs before stumps.Bains, who had been Rayudu’s partner in a 56-run stand for the sixth wicket, took India A to stumps and will look to rally the tail around him tomorrow.