All posts by h716a5.icu

If Celtic fans have got one eye on Liverpool’s Premier League clash against Manchester United, then they might feel a tinge of regret at seeing Andy Robertson doing so well for the Reds.

The left-back initially joined the Hoops’ academy all the way back in 2003, before the Hoops decided against offering him terms to stay at Parkhead.

Indeed, speaking in 2013, the defender himself said: “I was let go by Celtic at U15 level for being too small. That was the reason they gave me anyway. Being told that by Celtic made me determined to succeed. It was hard to take, nobody wants to get told they are not at that club any more, and my confidence took a hit.”

Following his move to Dundee United, Robertson admitted that his Parkhead exit shaped him into the player he is now, saying: “If Celtic hadn’t let me go, would I be where I am now I’m grateful because I’m at United but I didn’t plan on leaving Celtic. The way it has gone, though, I’m glad things turned out this way.”

After his stint there, the full-back made the move down south, where he linked up with Steve Bruce at Hull City, helping the Tigers earn promotion to the Premier League and enjoying one season in the top-flight.

Those performances were enough to him a high-profile move to Liverpool, where he has been nothing short of a revelation for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Speaking after his arrival back in 2017, Klopp himself raved: “For Andrew this is another big step on what has been a quite incredible personal journey in a very short space of time.

“I love his story; where he has come from professionally to reach this point. When you speak to him it is clear why he makes his progress. He has a burning love for playing football – he really loves the game. His attitude is outstanding – absolutely outstanding. His talent and skills – also very, very good.”

If Robertson’s talents were “very, very good” back then, then they have certainly gone up a notch in the following years, with the now 56-cap Scotland international turning himself into a real world-beater and one of the best left-backs around.

In just 215 games for the Reds, he has managed a whopping 52 assists, forming one of the most devastating duos in world football with Trent Alexander-Arnold on the opposite flank.

With Robertson in the side and being a menacing presence going forward, Liverpool have been one of the best sides in Europe over these past few seasons, winning the Premier League and Champions League, and also being set for an unprecedented quadruple this year too.

Now valued at a whopping £60m by CIES, Robertson has certainly proven why he could be Celtic’s biggest blunder in recent memory.

AND in other news – £4.7m down the drain: £12k-p/w Celtic liability rinsed Peter Lawwell for 140 weeks

A round-up of the second day of the fourth round of matches in Division One of the Quaid-E-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2010Water and Power Development Authority, for the second straight time this competition, won a game inside two days. They beat Multan by ten wickets at the Bahawal Stadium in Bahawalpur to continue to keep their place at the top of the table with three wins in four games. On a day when 15 wickets fell, it was Multan who first fought back to bowl out their opponents for 197 and limit the lead to 86. For WAPDA, the fifth-wicket pair of Hasan Adnan and Ali Azmat had added 72 but things soon began to go downhill. Fast bowler Abdur Rauf, who has represented Pakistan, ran through the middle and lower orders to finish with 5 for 64.Any hopes that Multan may have had of turning the tables were dashed by a combined bowling effort from WAPDA in the second innings. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals as seamers Attari, Naved-ul-Hasan and Sarfraz Ahmed ensured their team’s lead played a decisive role in the outcome. Only opener Zaka-ul-Rashid (32) and Taimur Ahmed (41) offered any resistance and once they had been dismissed, the innings took little time to fold as Azmat, with his useful left-arm spin, ran through to the tail and skittle out Multan for 104. The WAPDA openers needed a little under four overs to knock off the required 19 runs.Pakistan International Airlines put themselves in control of their contest against Faisalabad at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. They had finished well on the first day, reaching 259 for 4, and Shoaib Malik ensured the advantage stayed with PIA with his maiden double-century in first-class cricket. His 200 came at a steady pace, off 313 balls, and was laced with 21 fours and a six. His 238-run stand for the fifth wicket Shoaib Khan snr (71) had turned the tide in PIA’s favour and their day ended on a high, as seamer Aizaz Cheema picked up three Faisalabad wickets to leave them at 79 for 3 in response to, what is now, a daunting 438 for 8 declared.Centuries from Yasir Hameed and Shahid Yousuf gave Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited a lead that could well put the game out of Islamabad’s reach at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad. The pair was involved in a 192-run stand for the third wicket that propelled ZTBL to 413 for 7 at stumps, a lead of 162. Hameed, who has opened for Pakistan in Tests, notched up his 17th first-class ton while Yousuf clearly was the more aggressive partner, smacking 22 fours and a six in his 162 which came off only 172 balls. There was an unbeaten 59 from Zohaib Khan down the order which added to Islamabad’s frustration and they need to wrap up the innings early if they wish to give themselves any chance of a comeback.Opener Ahmed Shehzad, who has played four ODIs and two Twenty20s for Pakistan, made an unbeaten 114 to put Habib Bank Limited on top against Sialkot at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. He steered his team to 194 for 3 at stumps, just 78 adrift of Sialkot’s 272 and with a great chance of securing a first-innings lead. HBL had finished day one with a slight edge but quickly went about converting that into dominance. Overnight batsman Shehzad Malik, who had made 69, was dismissed by seamer Shahid Nazir without any addition to his score. Wicketkeeper Ahmed Butt made 32 not out but the left-arm spinner Mohammad Aslam ensured there was little resistance from the tail, finishing with a five-for in his team’s match to a commanding position.Karachi Blues and National Bank of Pakistan fought a close contest on the second day at the National Stadium in Karachi. The NBP lower order resisted well to post a score of 349 despite losing half-centurion Fawald Alam early in the day. Qaiser Abbas chipped in with 43 while Mohammad Talha, at No.9, made 39. Seamer Babar Rehman picked up four wickets. In response, Karachi Blues began in dominating fashion with openers Naved Khan and Rameez Raja, who is also captain, hitting half-centuries and adding 129. There were more useful contributions from Akbar-ur-Rehman (43) and Ahmed Iqbal (31) but both fell before stumps and Karachi Blues ended on 231 for 5, very much in sight of a first-innings lead but with still much work to be done.Rawalpindi finished the second day slightly ahead of Sui Northern Gas Piplelines Limited after gaining a handy first-innings lead at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. They seemed to be struggling at 48 for 3 after seamer Imran Ali, who finished with four wickets, had made early inroads. But the innings then received a boost with Zahid Mansoor’s half-century. On a see-saw day, SNGPL struck back to reduce their opponents to 163 for 7 and looked good to secure the lead but the NBP lower order thwarted their attempts. Haseeb Azam (34), Nasir Malik (36) and Sadaf Hussain (22) each stepped up as wickets eight, nine and ten – the last of which is still active – added 108 between them. NBP finished the day on 271 for 9, a lead of 47.

Kevin Pietersen doesn’t do things by halves, and having spent the past 18 months without a Test century it was no surprise that he turned his comeback hundred into a double as England inflicted more pain on Australia

The Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale05-Dec-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNothing could stop Kevin Pietersen from scoring his second Test double-century – not even left-arm spin•Getty ImagesKevin Pietersen doesn’t do things by halves, and having spent the past 18 months without a Test century it was no surprise that he turned his comeback hundred into a double as England inflicted more pain on Australia. By the end of the third day in Adelaide, the equation was simple – Australia’s batsmen must survive six sessions, or close to it, to salvage a draw and head to Perth at 0-0.Not that England had declared yet, but the rain that arrived at tea, by which stage their lead was an ample 306 runs, would no doubt encourage Andrew Strauss to get his bowlers in to action as soon as possible on the fourth day. A shower or two has been forecast for Monday, with some wet weather expected on Tuesday as well, and Australia are the only possible beneficiaries if the rain plays a part.They had to find assistance from somewhere, after spending the past two days toiling in the field for little reward. Adding to their woes, Simon Katich spent time off the field battling an Achilles tendon injury, which won’t help his chances of playing a long innings. And there were hints of reverse swing late in the day, along with sharp spin out of the footmarks when Marcus North sent down a few overs, which will make Graeme Swann a serious threat.On the second day, Australia were thwarted by Alastair Cook, whose two centuries have defined the opening stages of this Ashes battle, but Pietersen’s dramatic return to form could become a key factor for the rest of the series. At stumps, Pietersen was unbeaten on 213, his second double-century threatening to become his highest Test score, although the weather might have put paid to his plans of overhauling his career-best 226. Ian Bell was with him, on 41, after Paul Collingwood (42) chipped in earlier in the day to add to Australia’s woes, which began with Cook’s magnificent 148.Without question, the day belonged to Pietersen, who entered this match having not scored a Test century since the tour of the West Indies in March 2009. That in itself was almost impossible for Australian fans to believe, given the vintage touch he displayed in this innings. He was forceful through the off side, driving hard and finding gaps, and thumped through midwicket with disdain.His so-called weakness against left-arm spin didn’t help Xavier Doherty, who struggled for impact and had 0 for 120 from 24 overs, which will increase the chances of Nathan Hauritz returning for the Perth Test. No bowler leaked more runs against Pietersen than Doherty, who was dispatched for nine fours and one monstrous six over the fence at long-off, which is a fine achievement considering the lengthy straight boundaries at Adelaide Oval.Pietersen’s work down the ground against Doherty was outstanding, but the Adelaide spectators who remembered his 158 in the corresponding Test four years ago would have been taken back in time by his walking at the fast bowlers. Doug Bollinger is not a man who often gets charged, but the sight of Pietersen sauntering down the pitch to flick Bollinger through midwicket from outside off was something to behold.His century, which came with a clip off his hips from his 158th delivery, brought a screeching roar from Pietersen that would have fitted into a horror movie, which was pretty much how the Australians were viewing the Test. His double-hundred came from his 283rd delivery, with a hurried single pushed to mid-off, testing the hamstring that had twinged earlier in his innings.There was no run-out chance, though, and in truth, Australia created hardly any opportunities throughout the day. There were but two wickets for the home team to celebrate, just as there had been on Saturday. They were pleased to get rid of Cook early in the day, when he feathered a thin inside edge off Ryan Harris to Brad Haddin, who hurled himself to his right to take an athletic catch.Cook’s dismissal left him on 450 runs from his three innings so far this series, more than any Australian batsman managed throughout the entire 2009 Ashes campaign. It was a well-deserved wicket for Harris, who was easily the best of Australia’s bowlers, although he didn’t have much competition in an attack that struggled for impact.Shane Watson picked up Collingwood, lbw to a fullish ball that nipped in and struck him in line with off stump, but as the opening batsman, he cannot be expected to carry too much of a bowling load. Those were Australia’s only two moments of relief on another difficult day, until the rain set in. And when you cheer for wet weather, you know you’re in trouble.

Tottenham Hotspur chiefs have now set their sights on one of Aston Villa’s rising stars after an appeal from club officials, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Paratici weighs top talent…

Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici, as per recent claims, also has one eye on future talents with there being many on his radar.

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Peterborough United duo Ronnie Edwards and Benjamin Mensah, a central defender and right-wing-back respectively, are just two names Tottenham have been linked with recently.

Middlesbrough ace Djed Spence, currently on loan at Nottingham Forest, was the subject of multiple Spurs bids in January and there is reason to believe they could return to the charge this summer.

The Latest: Tottenham hierarchy plot Patterson move…

According to Football Insider, Tottenham are now ‘plotting’ a move for Villa’s exciting young left-back Travis Patterson.

The 16-year-old is regarded as one of the ‘top-level’ youngsters coming through in the Midlands with Spurs club officials and ‘talent spotters’ scouting Patterson.

It is believed that these employees have now ‘recommended’ the England Under-17 international to Tottenham’s ‘hierarchy’ – appealing for his signing behind-the-scenes.

The Verdict: Make a move?

Patterson is certainly emerging as one to watch, having already made his Villa Under-23s debut at just 16.

This is a real indicator of his talent, and going by Spurs’ homegrown quota issue, they should be looking to get as many top English talents through the door as possible.

His development has been described as ‘rapid’ and there is no sign of it slowing down, and going by his real rise, he may well be a Tottenham left-back of the future if club chiefs decide to tempt him across the Premier League to north London.

In other news: Tottenham officials dispatched to club as they allegedly eye ‘unbelievable’ £33m man for Conte! Find out more here.

Elia Caprile’s agent has admitted he will talk with Leeds United chiefs at the end of the season regarding the goalkeeper’s future.

The Lowdown: Raphinha and Phillips links

The Whites are seriously flirting with relegation back to the Championship with just four Premier League games remaining with Jesse Marsch’s side sitting just two points above Everton, who have a game in hand.

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Should the unthinkable happen, the likes of Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips, who have been heavily linked with Elland Road exits, will more than likely depart.

Raphinha is wanted at Barcelona, while Phillips has attracted interest from Aston Villa, Manchester United, Newcastle United and West Ham.

Could Caprile follow suit?

The Latest: Caprile’s agent speaks out

Caprile is yet to make a senior appearance for Leeds after joining back in 2020 and is currently out on loan at Serie C side Pro Patria, where he has made 38 appearances.

He recently admitted it is his dream to play for Napoli, and Caprile’s agent, Graziano Battistini, has now addressed the goalkeeper’s future.

Relayed by Sports Witness, Battistini said he is set to talk with Leeds chiefs – presumably Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani – at the end of the season regarding Caprile’s future, with the possibility of relegation for the Whites changing all scenarios.

The Verdict: Exit make sense?

Providing Leeds keep hold of Illan Meslier, a permanent exit for Caprile this summer could make sense for all involved.

Alongside Meslier, Leeds also have Kristoffer Klaesson and Dani van den Heuvel on the books at Elland Road, meaning Caprile could be fourth choice ahead of Marsch’s first full season in charge.

Following this update, an exit for the Italian could be one to keep an eye on over the coming months, but Leeds have bigger problems to worry about over the next three weeks on the pitch.

In other news: Radz, Orta and Marsch now want to bring ‘X-factor’ attacker to Leeds despite possible relegation

India have pulled out a win out of nowhere to level the series 1-1, but their task of winning the series has become more difficult with Sachin Tendulkar has become the fourth first-choice player to return to India

Sidharth Monga at the Wanderers15-Jan-2011India have pulled out a win out of nowhere to level the series 1-1, but their task of winning the series has become more difficult with Sachin Tendulkar has become the fourth first-choice player to return to India, joining openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, and fast bowler Praveen Kumar. A hamstring injury has ruled Tendulkar out of the series, and Parthiv Patel, the wicketkeeper-batsman, has been named as his replacement. M Vijay is the only specialist opener in the squad currently in South Africa.Dhoni is no alien to such circumstances as India have hardly played cricket with their first-choice XIs over the last two years. “We will have to open with someone,” he said. “I don’t know what’s happening, whether we are getting someone from India [as replacement] or not. The visa will take three days at least, he will take the next flight, and by the time he comes here we will have just one match left. I don’t know who will open.”Dhoni sounded hopeful that Vijay will find some form. “Vijay is looking a bit out of form, but he’s working well in the nets. Form is just a matter of a few strokes. Once you get those few strokes, all of a sudden you feel back in form.”These fitness issues have left Dhoni not demanding too much of his fast bowlers either, with the World Cup just around the corner. He said that right now fitness is more important than form, because there aren’t too many choices, especially in the fast-bowling department.Dhoni said he would need to rotate the fast bowlers in this series because there are a few niggles troubling them. “We will have to see what kind of niggle a bowler is having, and accordingly we will decide,” Dhoni said. “Of course right now we don’t have too many fast bowlers to choose from when it comes to the one-day side. You have two bowlers outside, Ishant and Sreesanth, who have not played a lot of ODI cricket recently. This series is important, but I don’t want any bowler to get an injury just because of over burden. We will try to avoid it because World Cup is big for us, but at the same time this series is important.”Dhoni himself seems to be struggling after getting hit in the shin while keeping. If he becomes unavailable during this series, that will be some trouble because India don’t even have a reserve wicketkeeper here.

England were three wickets away from an emphatic 3-1 series victory after more superlative all-round cricket left Australia in tatters on 7 for 213, still 151 runs short of making the visitors bat again

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan at the SCG06-Jan-2011
ScorecardEngland were three wickets away from an emphatic 3-1 series victory after more superlative all-round cricket left Australia in tatters on 7 for 213, still 151 runs short of making the visitors bat again. James Anderson produced an outstanding display of reverse swing, and Chris Tremlett battered the batsmen with hostile pace, to follow up Matt Prior’s first Ashes hundred which led England to their highest total down under.England claimed the extra half an hour to try and complete victory after Tremlett removed Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson in consecutive balls amid a heady atmosphere as the travelling fans, who outnumbered the locals, savoured every moment. However, Steve Smith and Peter Siddle managed to see out the eight further overs to keep England waiting overnight to celebrate.Prior added 102 for the eighth wicket with Tim Bresnan (35) to extend the advantage to mammoth proportions before the innings finally ended for 644 shortly after lunch. Any hope of Australia levelling the Ashes had long since disappeared underneath the deluge of runs and it was down to the batsmen to see how deep they could dig. Shane Watson started brightly before a horrendous run out, then England’s skills with the old ball – Swann’s probing spin and Anderson’s masterful control of swing – meant the pressure was never released.Anderson dispatched Usman Khawaja and Michael Clarke in a high-class six-over spell, while Bresnan was also a significant threat with the older ball. Australia’s remote chance of salvaging pride disappeared when Mike Hussey carved Bresnan to point six overs before the close. Tremlett’s double blast momentarily brought the prospect of a swift finish when he bounced out Haddin and clattered Johnson’s off stump.Watson played his shots at the start of innings, collecting seven boundaries with a combination of thumping pulls and drives, but for the third time in the series he was involved in a horrid mix-up and this time he was the one to depart. Phil Hughes turned the ball into midwicket where two runs were there for the taking, but he ambled the first so when Watson turned and sprinted back for the second Hughes hadn’t moved. Watson soon ended up at the same end while Kevin Pietersen’s throw reached Prior.Hughes, rattled by the incident, didn’t last much longer when he edged a good ball from Bresnan that seamed away a touch. Bresnan was again superb in tying down the batsmen and alongside Swann dried up the scoring after the early flurry of boundaries.Khawaja produced another composed display until, the ball after pulling Anderson for four, he followed one that reversed away from him and edged to the wicketkeeper. By then Anderson was making the ball do exactly what he wanted and gave Clarke a thorough examination to match that of Simon Jones at Old Trafford during the 2005 Ashes.It took all of Clarke’s skill to survive as long as he did but eventually he pushed at one that moved away and even before Prior took the catch he was cursing himself. For a moment Anderson thought he had a third when Hussey drove at a full delivery, however the noise was bat clipping ground and Andrew Strauss correctly opted not to review.Smart Stats

Matt Prior’s century is his fourth in Tests and his first against Australia. This is also the sixth century scored by an England wicket-keeper against Australia.

England made their fourth total over 500 in this series, which is only the fourth time a team has done so in a series.

In England’s first innings, three batsmen scored centuries. This was only the seventh occasion overall and the second time this series that three or more batsmen have scored hundreds in an innings for England against Australia.

England batsmen have scored nine centuries in the series so far, the most by a visiting team in Australia.

If Australia lose by an innings, it will be their third innings defeat in the series and their fourth since 2009. In contrast, they lost only three times by an innings between October 1988 and November 2010.

Swann also played his part in maintaining the pressure and was denied a wicket he deserved when Ian Bell dropped a low chance at short cover offered by Haddin. It’s a sign of how well England have operated as a unit that Swann, who was expected to be a major wicket-taker here, has just one to his name yet the team are so dominant.As has been the case for the majority of the series, England’s day couldn’t have gone much more to plan. Prior resumed on 54 and reached his hundred, the fourth of his career, with an expansive cover drive off Michael Beer and coming off 109 balls it was England’s fastest Ashes ton since Ian Botham at Headingley in 1981.He has always been one of the finest off-side drivers in the England team and despite defensive fields had few problems picking the gaps. He also showed a deftness of touch to milk the spinners, then when the third new ball was taken made the most of the extra pace. As the runs piled up, England passed 500 for the fourth time in series, another new record against Australia.Bresnan played the ideal support role and having taken 61 balls to reach double figures began to unleash some powerful strokes of his own. This situation was far from the most challenging he’ll face but he showed a good range of strokes and a solid defence before edging Johnson to second slip. Swann played with the freedom the situation afforded him and Prior eventually fell as he slashed at Ben Hilfenhaus, although the TV umpire checked for a no-ball and it was only fractionally in the bowler’s favour.Swann proceeded to take 17 off five balls against Johnson and his last four-over spell cost 48 runs. It’s a long time since Australia have been dominated so extensively in a five-match series on home soil and on Friday the final nails will be hammered in.

It won’t come as a surprise if West Brom allow Grady Diangana to quit the club this summer, according to Midlands football reporter Josh Holland.

The Lowdown: Limited game time

The 24-year-old put pen to paper on a permanent five-year deal with the Baggies in 2020 following a successful loan spell the season before, but has since failed to reach the expectations set of him and hasn’t really been given a chance under Steve Bruce, having made just 15 Championship appearances for the new boss this season.

Five of those appearances were for just eight minutes or less, and as a result of clearly not being able to impress the Albion manager, Holland believes Diangana could be just one of a handful of senior first-team players to exit the Hawthorns during the upcoming transfer window.

The Latest: Departure on the horizon?

During an interview with Football League World, Holland claimed that the midfielder’s time at West Brom looks like it might be over.

He said: “I think Diangana is a weird one because we all know how good he is, but whether he’s happy at West Brom and whether he wants a move away is another thing.

“I think if Diangana left, not many people would be surprised.”

The Verdict: Great potential with a different team

The Congo-born talent did show plenty of promising signs during his loan spell with the Baggies, making 15 goal contributions in 30 appearances in all competitions, hence why they were keen to retain his services, but unfortunately, it just hasn’t worked out since then.

The maestro was once described as being a “dangerous” player in the final third by Premier League legend Pablo Zabaleta, and still has lots to give to the right team, but it doesn’t seem like that particular club will be the Midlands outfit.

Should the hierarchy be able to sell Diangana and get a good fee for him in the summer, this tasty sum could be put towards some much-needed transfer funds so that Bruce has the chance to rebuild his squad ahead of the start of the new season in a bid to make a serious promotion push next term.

Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder has provided an update on Newcastle United’s reported interest in Watford winger Ismaila Sarr. 

The lowdown: Sarr ‘offered’ to Newcastle

Journalist Jacque Talbot recently revealed that the Magpies had been ‘offered’ the chance to sign the Senegal international this summer as Eddie Howe looks to strengthen the squad at St James’ Park.

Since then, the Hertfordshire-based outfit have suffered relegation to the Championship, so the 24-year-old could be looking for a way out of Vicarage Road.

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A fresh update has now emerged from a reputable source…

The latest: Newcastle have ‘scouted’ Sarr

As per Ryder for Chronicle Live, Newcastle have ‘scouted’ the 39-cap Senegal star and could be looking to make their move at the end of the season.

It’s claimed that Sarr – who scored when the two sides drew 1-1 at Vicarage Road in September – is an affordable option for the new-look St James’ Park ownership.

The report added that the winger – who was described as a ‘freak’ by teammate Ben Foster owing to his blistering pace – is ‘keen to stay in the top-flight’ and will be looking for wages in the region of £65,000 per week.

The verdict: Get it done

Newcastle will be hoping to make incremental improvements to the squad this summer, and the capture of Sarr would certainly provide exactly that.

So far this season, the 24-year-old has scored five times and provided two assists for a team which has spent the entire 2021/22 campaign in the lower reaches of the Premier League table. During that time, the versatile Senegalese forward has completed 1.5 successful dribbles per game, and would therefore provide a perfect foil for current Gallowgate favourite Allan Saint-Maximin.

Previously available for a mooted £35m amidst interest from Liverpool, Newcastle could be looking to land a bargain following Watford’s relegation to the Championship.

In other news, NUFC are now eyeing a move for this former Sunderland ace

Virender Sehwag said he was not aiming to get to a double-century but just wanted to bat out the 50 overs in the World Cup opener in Mirpur

Sidharth Monga at the Shere Bangla Stadium19-Feb-2011Virender Sehwag might have taken extra care to make sure he batted deep into India’s innings at Mirpur, but when it comes to his press conferences, middle overs continue to remain conspicuous in their absence. He talks like he bats, and after his 175 – his longest one-day innings in terms of runs, balls faced, and overs elapsed – his reaction was: “I am happy that at least once in my career I have batted 47 overs.” That was followed by a warning: “I was planning to bat 50 overs. I couldn’t do that, but hopefully I will do so in coming games.”That came moments after a similarly forthright show at the presentation ceremony, where he said, “Everyone did well, other than Sreesanth.” He also said this was a grudge match after India’s defeat to Bangladesh in the 2007 World Cup, something not many like to admit. He also maintained that Bangladesh are not a good Test side. “They can compete in ODIs, but today they could not.”Inside the press-conference room, the fun continued. The mix-up with Sachin Tendulkar, which resulted in the latter’s run-out, was delightfully explained. “We discussed we will take it easy on singles,” Sehwag said. “He was calling, and I was not listening, and I was looking at the ball, yeah. For a fraction of a second I thought I had made a mistake, but you know when I went to the dressing room, he said, ‘It’s okay. What’s important is to win the game for the country. It’s not important who is performing.'”In Christchurch, in 2009, when Tendulkar retired hurt on 163 at the end of the 45th over, Sehwag told him he had missed out on a double-century. At 175 in the 47th over, Sehwag said he himself didn’t think of that mark. “Not at all. When he came back not out, eight or nine overs were left. When I came back, three overs were left, and I still had 25 to get. I would have had to play 15 out of those 18 balls, so I wasn’t thinking of the double-hundred. My target was to bat 50 overs, no matter how much I score.”His own innings, Sehwag termed the most satisfactory “as far as overs are concerned”. It was obviously a conscious effort to play a longer innings, and take fewer chances. One of the bigger challenges of such innings is the middle overs, when fields are spread. Sehwag said his plan was to concentrate on taking singles. “It was easy for me to rotate the strike. I think I hit a six on 49, and after that till 75 or 80 I was just rotating the strike because I knew I had to play 30-40 overs, and if I do that I would get a hundred. Still my strike rate was more than 100.”There was praise for the other centurion, Virat Kohli, and not just hollow praise, but analytical appreciation. “Whenever we spoke in the middle, we told each other to not throw our wickets away. I still remember against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy [in Centurion, in 2009], he was playing well, but he played a shot straight to long-off. After that he has scored six hundreds. Sometimes a little nudge is enough for some people. He is a quick learner, and a mature batsman.”The last question to him was if he feels any pressure from the pundits that he is most crucial to India’s prospects in the World Cup. Sehwag’s dead-pan reply was, “My job is to play and make runs.”