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Avon and Somerset police have confirmed they have completed their investigation into the incident involving Ben Stokes outside a Bristol nightclub in September and have passed a file onto the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for charging advice

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2017Avon and Somerset police have completed their investigation into the incident involving Ben Stokes outside a Bristol nightclub in September and have passed a file onto the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for advice on whether he should be charged.The police also confirmed that a 27-year-old man suffered a fractured eye socket in the incident which occurred outside the Mbargo nightclub in the Clifton area of the city on the evening of England’s one-day international against West Indies on September 25.Stokes, who arrived in New Zealand on Wednesday, and is awaiting a decision on whether he could play for Canterbury this weekend, was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm then released on bail and has since been made unavailable for international duty.The CPS decision would normally be expected to take several weeks – perhaps longer – so the latest developments do not add any clarity to Stokes immediate international future and would appear to drastically reduce the chance of him playing a part in the Ashes.A statement from Avon and Somerset Police read: “We’re now in a position to provide an update on our investigation into a disorder in Bristol which happened during the early hours of Monday, 25 September.”A 27-year-old man suffered a fractured eye socket in the incident on Queens Road, Clifton. A 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm and was later released under investigation.”Three other men, aged 26, 27 and 28 have all voluntarily attended police stations for an interview.”Today (29/11), we have passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service and are now seeking charging advice.”To bring charges, the CPS must decide whether it feels sufficient evidence exists for a realistic prospect of conviction and whether a trial was in the public interest.If the CPS were to decide not to press charges there is still an ECB disciplinary process Stokes would have to go through. In that situation, the full ECB Board would meet within 48 hours to consider how to respond and there have also been suggestions the Cricket Discipline Commission could backdate any suspension to matches he has already missed.Stokes landed in Christchurch on Wednesday morning and conversations have been had between his representatives and Canterbury about playing domestic cricket in the Ford Trophy and Super Smash T20 competition. Stokes was granted a No Objection Certificate by the ECB last week although that was not made public until he was spotted at Heathrow airport on Monday evening which sparked frenzied speculation that he could be joining the Ashes squad.He was met by his parents on arriving and did not comment on his potential link-up with Canterbury.

Everton midfielder Dele Alli has taken to his personal social media accounts to issue an update on his fitness, confirming a fresh injury blow.

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• Dele Alli had been nearing a return
• Suffers fresh setback
• Offers update on his injury status on Instagram

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 27-year-old revealed he has suffered another injury setback on his road to recovery, having been sidelined with a long-term groin injury since February.

  Dele had previously been on course to return to full training after recently getting back on the grass, but will now be spending some more time on the physio bed following the fresh concern.

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• WHAT DELE SAID

  Speaking on his personal Instagram account, Dele wrote: "As the year comes to an end, I just wanted to say thank you for the incredible support I’ve received over the last 12 months. This year has a been a little different for me. I’ve learned and experienced a lot, had ups and downs, but throughout it all you’ve always shown me so much love. Unfortunately the year isn’t ending as I would have hoped, I had been close to returning to full training but frustratingly I’ve had another set back with my injury.

  "I’ll be out again for short while but my outlook and mentality is nothing but positive. I’ll be attacking my physiotherapy and giving it everything to be back on the pitch as soon as possible. I hope you’ve had the year you wanted, and wishing you all nothing but the best for 2024. Happy New Year, see you guys soon. Dele."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Everton boss Sean Dyche had offered a positive update on the fitness of Dele earlier in December, as the former Tottenham star remains eager to reignite his professional career at Goodison Park. Dyche added: "He still has a bit to go because he has been out for a long time, he needs a game programme, but to get him back on with us would be really pleasing for him because he has been so unlucky."

  Dele's bad luck continues with his latest fitness update, but supporters will be encouraged to hear that he is staying positive after a year that saw him make headlines for a brave interview with Gary Neville on . The England international opened up on being abused as a child and his struggles with addiction while also offering an explanation for his rapid decline in recent years, and was widely praised for his honesty.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DELE?

  Dele will now continue his rehabilitation from injury with the aim of returning to match fitness at some point in the new year. Everton will be hoping to get him up to speed as fast as possible with a view to joining their push for a top-half Premier League finish. Dyche's men have crucial games against Spurs, Manchester City and Crystal Palace to come in January, having been beaten last time out at Wolves.

When Lionel Messi stood over a free-kick in the final stages of his first game in an Inter Miami shirt, there was only ever going to be one outcome. The Barcelona legend stuck to the script to secure the winner in style on his debut, and has since continued his solid start to life in America.Now making his first start for the club, Messi made things look easy once more, as has been the case throughout the entirety of his career, netting a brace in his full debut while also picking up an assist.From six games without a win before Messi’s arrival, Inter Miami have now won two consecutive games in what is clear evidence of the impact that one of the best players of all time can have on a side.David Beckham will be hoping to see his club reach new heights in MLS following a whole host of new arrivals but for now, he’ll be delighted to see them impressing during the Leagues Cup.

Lionel Messi scores full debut brace

Inter Miami defeated Atlanta United 4-0 in the tournament, and Messi was the star of the show – as you can see in the highlights below. The former Paris Saint-Germain star opened the scoring as early as the eighth minute before finding the second and his brace in the 22nd minute.

Two goals from Robert Taylor then followed in an impressive display from a side who looked down and out prior to Messi’s arrival.

The Argentine’s first goal was one for Barcelona fans, with Sergio Busquets’ ball over the top of Atlanta’s defence allowing Messi the chance to eventually slot home at the second time of asking after his first effort slammed against the right-hand post.

Orchestrating things the second time around, Messi found Taylor out wide, before being handed the opportunity to simply tap home inside the area for his second of the afternoon.

Not done there, the forward returned the favour to Taylor, allowing the winger to find the back of the net with ease.

Though Taylor played a starring role in the Messi show, the fans made it clear who they came to see, leaving in their numbers when the World Cup winner was substituted off in the 78th minute. If ever there was a moment which represented the icon’s popularity, it is that.

What is Lionel Messi’s salary at Inter Miami?

Fighting off interest from elsewhere, it wasn’t just the project that convinced Messi to make the move to Miami this summer, with Beckham paying his new star man a hefty salary.

According to Marca, Messi will earn up to $54m (£41.85m) in his first season at Inter Miami, in what is an eye-watering amount.

Given the eyes that he’ll bring to both the cub and MLS, it could well prove to be a worthwhile number, however.

So far, we’ve seen the likes of Kim Kardashian and Lebron James make appearances in the stands, watching on in awe as Messi does what only Messi does best.

As the spectacle continues, too, things will only get even better for Inter Miami, who have also welcomed Jordi Alba this summer, as they look to take things up to another level in America.

From the foot of the table, Beckham’s club could soon find themselves competing with the best sides that America has to offer.

Erling Haaland has enjoyed a social media meme a day after his furious referee rant during Manchester City's clash with Tottenham.

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Haaland reacts to hilarious memeWas left fuming against TottenhamMissed several chances as Man City were held WHAT HAPPENED?

The Norwegian was left fuming during Sunday's Premier League clash between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur as he felt that Jack Grealish had been denied the chance to score a fourth goal for the club and seal victory in a dramatic game.

A thrilling encounter went down to the wire, with Grealish played through on goal in stoppage time, only for referee Simon Hooper to stop the game for a foul on Haaland. Hooper had appeared to wave play on initially, leaving the goal machine to angrily approach the referee on the pitch. At full-time Haaland also told Spurs' Giovanni Lo Celso to “f*ck off” as he stormed down the tunnel.

AdvertisementWHAT ERLING HAALAND SAID

The 23-year-old seemed to have cooled down after his outburst on the pitch as he shared a meme of himself on X with the caption, "Wtf that made me smile for the first time today."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While the Cityzens might feel that they were robbed of a chance to score a late winner, they did not have the best of outings against Ange Postecoglou's side. The champions came back from behind to go 2-1 up in the first half but then conceded their lead twice in the second and were extremely wasteful in front of goal.

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(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

Pep Guardiola's side, who are now three points behind league leaders Arsenal, will aim to get back to winning ways on Wednesday when they take on Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Leeds United have endured a slow start to their summer, having yet to welcome a new manager into their dugout, and therefore made no signings either.

If they are truly keen on an instant return to the Premier League, they must rectify this soon.

Fortunately for fans of the club, many are aware that a deal for Daniel Farke seems all but complete, with the completion of the 49ers' takeover the only thing standing in the way of its announcement and the true start of their transfer window.

That is not to suggest that targets have not already been identified though, with one report emerging late last month linking the Whites with a move for Emmanuel Dennis.

Given the Nigeria forward struggled for game time within Nottingham Forest's bloated squad, the Yorkshire outfit could offer him an escape, to replace their own struggling striker and add some much-needed firepower to propel them out of the Championship.

Would Emmanuel Dennis improve Leeds United?

Despite having only spent two years in English football now, it feels like the 25-year-old has been around for far longer.

Having joined Watford in 2021, the marksman quickly established himself as one of the hottest prospects in the top flight with his blistering start.

Journalist Josh Bunting even noted during that time that he was an "absolutely stunning player2."

This culminated in his tally of ten goals alongside six assists for the year, which still could not prevent the Hornets from the drop.

However, it alerted many to his ability to thrive at the top level.

Whilst the Tricky Trees were unwilling to hand the £40k-per-week dynamo the necessary play time to prove this further, a move to Elland Road could help him become a hero by firing them to promotion and then helping spearhead the retention of their top-flight status.

Just 39 minutes per game last campaign fed into his underwhelming record of two goals and two assists all season, via Sofascore.

His presence would at the very least provide an upgrade on Patrick Bamford, who Farke could seek to immediately bin given his performances last term.

Having made 28 league appearances, the Englishman would record just four goals, missing a whopping 13 big chances with a conversion rate of just 8%. If their new boss has serious ambitions of competing at the top of their new division, they will need a far more reliable frontman than the 29-year-old who made missing sitters in huge moments an unfortunate habit.

For comparison, Dennis would miss just five big chances in that aforementioned breakout year, with a goal conversion rate of 17%, via Sofascore.

With pace, physicality, finishing prowess and youth all on his side, Farke could do much worse than immediately ditching Bamford for Dennis as his first big call as the new manager.

The Premier League fixtures have been released, and we'll see Vincent Kompany's newly promoted Burnley take on league champions Manchester City to kick off the campaign.

The fixture will see the former City captain return to his former club for the second time as the Clarets' manager, offering what will likely be the club's toughest test right off the bat.

To get you ready for the start of the new Premier League season, here is Football FanCast's official preview for the game, answering several key questions below.

When is the match and is it on UK TV?

The match between the two sides will kick off the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, taking place on Friday, 11 August at 8pm BST.

The meeting will be televised in the UK, airing on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra HDR, giving fans plenty of options to choose from.

Premier League: Every Opening Day Fixture

Who is Burnley's key player?

If Kompany's side are to avoid relegation this season, it's likely that Josh Brownhill plays a crucial role in the campaign.

In the middle of the park, the Englishman had an impressive season at Turf Moor as Burnley dominated the Championship last year, with his WhoScored rating of 7.27 outshining everyone else in the side.

Brownhill also managed 15 goal contributions from midfield and an average of 2.2 tackles a game in the league, so the 27-year-old demonstrated his ability to impact the game on both sides of the pitch.

Who is Manchester City's key player?

While Erling Haaland's ridiculous goal-scoring output is what makes the headlines, Kevin De Bruyne's contributions all over the park make him the most integral member of Man City's team.

With an average match rating of 7.58 on WhoScored, not only was the Belgian the highest-rated player at City, but he was also the highest-rated player in the entire Premier League as Pep Guardiola's side completed a historic treble.

With 34 goal contributions in all competitions last season, the 31-year-old continues to be the best midfielder in the world and will be key to City's success once again next season.

How will Burnley line up?

Having regularly lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, expect to see Burnley continue to deploy the tactic in the Premier League, with Kompany keen to keep hold of the club's new, more progressive style of play.

With long-term servant Ashley Barnes departing the club in the summer, Burnley have a fairly sizeable hole to fill, with the striker featuring in 39 league games last season, and it's being reported that the Lancashire side are interested in Metz striker Georges Mikautadze, so the side could lineup next season with the forward leading the lines.

With Michael Obafemi and Louis Beyer joining the club on permanent deals following successful loan spells in the Championship, Burnley have yet to sign anyone else, so as things stand the side's starting lineup will look very similar to the one that gained promotion to the Premier League.

Predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Muric; Vitinho, Harwood-Bellis, Beyer, Maatsen; Cullen, Cork; Tella, Brownhill, Zaroury; Mikautadze

How will Man City line up?

Having won the treble last season, City have wasted no time exploring options to continue improving. Several key players are rumoured to be departing the Etihad, and with captain Ilkay Gundogan and defender Kyle Walker both linked with moves away, the club has several roles to fill.

Guardiola's side regularly mixed things up tactically, but their most reliable formation was a 3-2-4-1, so expect them to return to that as they look to retain the Premier League for the fourth straight season. As reports suggest the club are preparing to make a move for Chelsea midfielder Matteo Kovacic, don't be surprised if he lines up for City on the starting day.

Predicted lineup (3-2-4-1): Ederson; Dias, Ake, Akanji; Stones, Rodri; Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Kovacic, Grealish; Haaland

What were the last five league meetings between the two teams?

Burnley haven't fared too well against City recently, with the Citizens dominating the Lancashire side over the last five league meetings.

Kompany's side will have their work cut out for them if they're to get a decent result, with Burnley failing to score against City in any of their previous five league meetings. While Burnley are a completely different side to the one that last played in the Premier League, they still face an uphill battle if these past meetings are anything to go by.

April 2022: Burnley 0-2 Man City October 2021: Man City 2-0 Burnley February 2021: Burnley 0-2 Man City November 2020: Man City 5-0 Burnley June 2020: Man City 5-0 Burnley Who is going to win?

While Burnley looked fantastic in the Championship last season, facing City in their first game back in the Premier League will prove too tough a task for Kompany's side.

The treble-winning City have looked unbeatable recently, and don't expect that to change against the newly-promoted Burnley. Having had a year of English football already in the books, expect Haaland to once again be in scintillating form as he builds on what was an incredible debut season at the Etihad.

Having deployed a progressive, attractive style of football in the Championship last season, Kompany's side will likely want to continue to play their brand of football, and it will play right into City's advantage, with Burnley suffering a rude awakening as they return to England's top flight.

FFC predicts: Manchester City win

Glasgow Rangers have been beaten in the race to bring Liverpool starlet Leighton Clarkson back to the Scottish Premiership after it was confirmed that he has returned to Aberdeen.

Who is Leighton Clarkson?

Clarkson is a midfielder and academy product at Anfield having worked his way up through the various youth ranks over the years, but in order to gain regular game time, he’s carried out two loans during his career, the first at Blackburn Rovers and last season at Aberdeen.

The Merseyside outfit’s gem has only ever made three senior appearances under Jurgen Klopp so he was clearly never going to make a significant breakthrough into the first-team any time soon, and with his contract also set to expire at the end of next term, his future lies away from his boyhood club.

Back in May, Football Insider credited the Light Blues with an interest in the 21-year-old and claimed that Michael Beale was a big admirer of the up-and-coming talent having worked with him previously, but a significant development has now been publicly announced, and he won’t be completing a summer switch to Ibrox.

Are Rangers signing Clarkson?

Taking to Twitter, Aberdeen confirmed through their social media channel that Clarkson had re-joined them on a permanent basis from Liverpool following his successful loan in 2022/23. They wrote:

"Leighton Clarkson has signed a four year-deal with the Dons, joining from Liverpool for an undisclosed fee. Welcome back Leighton."

Is Clarkson not joining a blow for Beale?

Rangers will know how much of a “technical” player (Josh Bunting) Clarkson is having faced him whilst on loan at Aberdeen, not to mention the existing connection he already has to Beale, so the defensive midfielder not joining is definitely a huge blow.

The Unique Sports Group client, who pockets £3k-per-week, averaged 2.2 tackles per league game last season and established himself as Barry Robson’s second top-performing defensive player, but he was arguably even more of a positive influence at the opposite end of the pitch in the final third.

The Adidas-sponsored ace clocked up 11 goal contributions (seven assists and four goals) in 29 Scottish Premiership outings which are impressive numbers for someone whose natural role is to sit in front of the backline, but the Gers boss will now have to turn his attention elsewhere and start focusing on who else he can target after falling short on this occasion.

For anyone not named Sachin Tendulkar, being given an opportunity to play a so-called farewell match is rare at the Test level. At least in a bilateral series among Full Members, there is some flexibility, because, with the exception of ranking points, there are few administrative consequences for a farewell flop. Things like losing ODI status or $500,000 in ICC funding, which accounts for 25% of your operating budget.So in the world of Associate cricket, where virtually all matches have context, in terms of promotion or relegation, securing or maintaining ODI or T20I status, and the ICC funding package attached to it, the farewell match is virtually a non-existent concept. However, the Desert T20 tournament is a rare shift from that on both fronts. Associate teams are always desperate for more cricket, but this tournament comes without the desperate measures attached to it.For former Afghanistan captain Nawroz Mangal, who announced his retirement at the start of the month, it means he has been afforded the opportunity by the Afghanistan selection – of which he is set to take over the head role – to have a “farewell series” in the words of Afghanistan’s team management. Mangal has been warming up daily with the Afghanistan squad in the UAE and was listed as the 14th man on the team sheets for their wins over Ireland and United Arab Emirates.But, with a semi-final place assured heading into the day, Afghanistan made three changes to their XI to play Namibia including Mangal. It also helped that Namibia were already eliminated from a chance at making the semis, thus taking the edge off the intensity level for both sides.Still, nobody wants to pull a Bradman and go for a duck in what could be their final innings, so the personal pressure remains high. Mangal, though, handled what could be his final moments in an Afghanistan uniform with a calmness befitting a figure who shepherded the national side through their many magical, mercurial and, at times, maddening moments in their ascent up Associate cricket.Nawroz Mangal acknowledges the 3,000 fans who turned out to support Afghanistan•Peter Della Penna

“He played for Afghanistan for a long time and he was the captain,” legspinner Rashid Khan said when reflecting on Mangal’s place in Afghanistan cricket lore after the win over Namibia. “He did lots of good jobs for Afghanistan. He took the team to this level and he has passed all the hard work [on to us]. Now it’s just really for the youngsters to come and play good.”When he first walked out to bat, there were only about 500 fans in the ground. But, in the fourth over, their enthusiasm matched that of a crowd five times as large, as Mangal swept, drove and cut Gerrie Snyman’s offspin for three boundaries in the over. He may be about to leave after 14 years in international cricket, but Mangal showed he still has a little bit of fuel left in the tank. An even bigger cheer came in the next over when he smacked Jan Frylinck down the ground for six.When he fell for 32, after being defeated in flight while charging Bernard Scholtz, he walked off to an ovation. He had set an excellent platform for Afghanistan in tandem with Mohammad Shahzad, adding 56 for the first wicket in an imposing total of 167 for 6. Three overs into the chase, Namibia were 7 for 4 and Rashid says the side’s main source of motivation on this day – and the tournament as a whole – was to send Mangal out a winner.”It’s his last series,” Rashid said. “He already did his retirement and this is his last series and after that he will be our chief selector. We guys all have to perform well to give him a good gift to retire well.”Even though eyes were on Mangal on this day mainly to see him bat, there was still time left for more cheers for the former captain. With the score at 80 for 6 after 16 overs, and the game well out of Namibia’s hands, captain Asghar Stanikzai gave the crowd – which had swelled to 3000 people at this point – a reason to get up out of their seats when he called over Mangal to have a largely ceremonial bowl.He gave up 11 runs in the 17th over, including a six that caused a delay to find the ball in an empty section of the stadium, but still received respectful applause at the end of the over. When the match ended, he showed his respect and appreciation for the fans, calling for his teammates to walk over and wave thank-yous for supporting what could be his last time as a player. The measure of respect for Mangal is still present in the change room and Rashid says the next generation is indebted to him.”When I came to the national side, he has supported me a lot,” Rashid said. “He has shared with me all the experience that he had from the last 14 years. So it was a good experience playing with him and we will miss him because he was supporting us in the ground, in the dressing room, out on the field. He was giving us all those suggestions and ideas which will better us in the future. We will miss him.”

Match facts

October 8-12, 2016
Start time 0930 local (0400 GMT)1:17

Injuries plague India-New Zealand series

Big Picture

As we move from Kanpur’s correct Hindi to Kolkata’s formal and slightly archaic English to the delightful informal mix of Hindi and Urdu in Indore, one thing has not changed. Kanpur’s Green Park is a 10-minute walk from the district court. One of Kolkata’s Eden Garden’s ends is called the High Court End. And now Indore’s Holkar Stadium turns out to be located under a kilometre from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. It is fitting considering a larger court’s shadow has loomed while the series has gone on.The Kanpur press box was used by Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri to further the BCCI’s old guard’s view; president Anurag Takur himself made a visit to the Eden Gardens press box. None of it could make you look away from some high-quality Test cricket watched by encouraging crowds barring the second day of Kolkata. Indore, making its Test debut, has thrown up thousands to just watch the nets; this Test should be a spectacle too.The scoreboard reads 2-0 India, which is obviously a fair indicator, but the margins of defeats – 197 runs and 178 runs – don’t do New Zealand justice. R Aswhin, the series’ leading bowler, was gracious enough to acknowledge the fight New Zealand have shown despite injuries and limited experience in such challenging conditions. “The best thing about this New Zealand team is they don’t give anything easily,” Ashwin told . “They have come with a gameplan, and it is really showing. They are making us work very hard for every single wicket and run.”As New Zealand try to avoid a whitewash against the No. 1-ranked Test side in the world, they will be buoyed by the return of their captain Kane Williamson, who missed the Kolkata Test because of illness. Williamson said he was “certainly very hopeful” of playing as he worked to get his energy levels back up after a virus attack. It’s not just New Zealand who have had to fight injuries and illnesses. India have lost Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar from their bowling department. The loss of two openers – KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan – will result in uncertainty at the top as Gautam Gambhir looks to come back once again, at a week short of 35.India have kept finding ways to win crucial moments and sessions in this series. With uncertainty around their board, they will need to keep finding ways if they are to realise their unstated – for obvious reasons of not putting too much pressure on themselves – dream of going unbeaten through the whole home season.

Form guide

India WWDWD (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand LLLDWKane Williamson said he was “certainly very hopeful” of playing in Indore•BCCI

In the spotlight

Tom Latham, who doesn’t play too much limited-overs cricket at the international level, has never played in such heat and humidity. He has fought awfully hard for 455 minutes in the middle, but has still been able to get only 135 runs in four innings. He has been playing a game that doesn’t come naturally to him, which has brought him the respect of the opposition, but he will want to play that big innings that defines a match.Rohit Sharma paid back the first instalment for the faith shown in him by the team management when he scored 82 runs coming in at 43 for 4 in India’s second innings in Kolkata. His critics worry this might just be a one-off. Now the second-highest run-scorer in the series, Rohit himself said he has not been under any pressure; even if he was, this innings should have eased it, but he will also know the next instalment should not take too long.New Zealand spinners are rarely asked to win Tests on their own. They are usually asked to do the containing role to support their quicks. As in Kanpur, they will again be asked to win New Zealand the Test. Right now they average 35 (Micthell Santner), 50 (Ish Sodhi) and 58 (Jeetan Patel). They will need to cut out the loose balls for starters, and then give the ball enough opportunity to assume the natural variation off a pitch that looks dry.

Team news

India have lost Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shikhar Dhawan from the last Test. Gambhir should replace Dhawan, and depending on the nature of the pitch either Umesh Yadav or Amit Mishra should come in. A left-field selection could mean a debut for either paceman Shardul Thakur or offspinner Jayant Yadav.India (probable): 1 M Vijay, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt.), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 9 Ravindra Jadeja, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Amit Mishra/ Umesh YadavWilliamson’s return will mean Henry Nicholls misses out with Martin Guptill expected to be given another chance. Matt Henry’s impressive performance in Kolkata could mean he stays in and Neil Wagner makes way for the third spinner Ish Sodhi.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tom Latham, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Kane Williamson (capt.), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Luke Ronchi, 6 Mitchell Santner, 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Matt Henry/Neil Wagner, 9 Jeetan Patel, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Trent Boult

Pitch and conditions

The Indore pitch is known to provide assistance for quicks and value for shots, but don’t expect it at the cost of home advantage. The word is that the pitch is expected to behave similarly to Kanpur. Virat Kohli said it was a hard surface, which should have some carry. Williamson, though, said the pitch was soft and bare at both ends. He expected turn, but also felt that the softness of the pitch with the weather around was a factor. There has been some rain around in the lead-up to the Test, but the forecast is for an uninterrupted match.

Stats and trivia

• Virat Kohli has won all his six tosses at home
• India have been unbeaten in their last 13 home Tests. They have won 11 and drawn two
• Samandar Singh Chauhan, the curator at Holkar Stadium, is the man responsible for the pitches that gave ODI cricket its first two double-hundreds. Sachin Tendulkar did it in Gwalior, and Virender Sehwag here
• Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor and BJ Watling have averaged under 20 in this series

Quotes

“One thing that stands out for me as a learning is how to control a session that’s not going your way. The session when the other team is batting well, you should know how to control runs and at the same time not go negative.”
“We know we are up against a stiff challenge in India but at the same time we are yet to have played our best cricket. Although we’ve come off the back of a couple of losses we do feel if we can put out our best performance we can get a result in this part of the world. But we certainly need to improve on our last couple.”

Newcastle United have revelled in the jubilance of qualifying for the Champions League under Eddie Howe's tutelage, but must now shift focus on making effective moves in the transfer market to secure their newfound spot among Europe's elite.

Technical director Dan Ashworth is expected to target four 'elite' signings this summer to enrich the Magpies' prospects of replicating their incredible work this season.

Liverpool and Chelsea were both out-of-sorts this term and neither club retained their spot in the top four of the Premier League; Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion are also rising forces and will look to further their feats after qualifying for Europe.

Howe will be confident that his current crop can continue the industrious work forged thus far under his wing, but he will look to make the requisite upgrades where applicable, and the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin could fall prey as several departments of the Tyneside team are refashioned.

Should Newcastle sell Allan Saint-Maximin?

Saint-Maximin is one of Tyneside's most beloved stars in recent history, signing from Ligue 1 outfit Nice for £16.5m in 2019 and forging 124 appearances, scoring 13 goals and supplying 24 assists.

He has never been the most prolific of players, but the £70k-per-week winger is a "wizard" with the ball – as proclaimed by Graeme Bailey – and ranks among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions and the top 1% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

However, with just one goal and 14 starts across all competitions this term, he might be seeking new pastures if Howe is unable to offer him greater responsibility next season – and while European football will deepen the side's competition, there are several factors that illustrate why this might not benefit the mercurial ace.

First and foremost, a first-rate winger is likely to be signed this summer as one of the forthcoming 'elite' additions, with free-scoring flanker Harvey Barnes, who has shone this year despite relegation with Leicester City, earmarked.

£63m club-record signing Alexander Isak has also been utilised out wide of late to accommodate Callum Wilson – who scored 18 top-flight goals from just 21 starts – as the central focal point, and while the Swede is less effective on the wing, he undoubtedly takes precedence when fully fit.

There's also the case of Jacob Murphy, who with three goals in the final month of the campaign became one of the more pleasing success stories this season.

The 28-year-old would have been one of the favourites for the axe at the start of the campaign, but his diligence and tenacity have left him with unwavering support from his manager – no other Magpie has played more than his 68 games at the club under Howe.

Finally, Anthony Gordon scored his maiden goal in black and white against Chelsea after signing for £45m from Everton in January, and while Saint-Maximin was also "superb" against the Blues, as hailed by reporter Jordan Cronin, the 5 foot 8 Frenchman's performance could be used to fuel intrigue in his services, with Transfermarkt currently valuing him at £30m.

In west London, Saint-Maximin made five key passes, won eight of his 15 duels and succeeded with six of his eight dribble attempts, earning a 7.4 match rating – via Sofascore – in one of his standout performances of the campaign.

Many supporters would likely bemoan the decision to part ways with the enigmatic ace. After all, he entered St. James's Park when it was a ramshackled mess and was integral in offering a glimpse of a brighter future before the PIF takeover, captivating the swathes of Toon support with his fleet-footed runs.

But he is not getting the game-time he will desire at 26-years-old, and Howe must brazenly use the recent stellar showing against Chelsea to tout his name, freeing up room for a superlative new addition to wreak havoc down the left flank.