Nottingham Forest's pursuit of Sevilla defender Gonzalo Montiel has been well-documented and a big update has now emerged, courtesy of journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Gonzalo Montiel?

The 26-year-old was something of an unknown amongst British football fans until relatively recently, even though he was a perfectly solid performer for Sevilla, having arrived at the La Liga side from River Plate back in 2021.

That all changed at the 2022 World Cup, however, as he tasted glory with Argentina, famously stroking home the winning penalty in the shootout victory over France in the final. It was a truly iconic moment for the country, as they won the competition for the first time since 1986, and it etched Montiel's name into Argentine folklore forever.

At club level, a move away from Sevilla – where he makes £20k-per-week – has looked increasingly likely this summer, however, and it is Forest who have emerged as the strong favourites to snap him up for some time now.

The Reds are still looking for defensive reinforcements and the right-back has stood out as a good option to battle the likes of Serge Aurier and Neco Williams for playing time this season, allowing Steve Cooper to rotate his squad and keep it fresh the longer the campaign goes on.

Now, a fresh update has emerged – one that suggests Montiel could be announced as a Forest player sooner rather than later, as the City Ground welcomes yet another new face to the club.

Will Nottingham Forest sign Gonzalo Montiel?

Taking to Twitter, Romano provided a significant update regarding the Reds' move for Montiel this summer, with the transfer now very close to being completed and medical potentially on the cards imminently:

"Nottingham Forest are closing in on Gonzalo Montiel deal – agreement on personal terms being finalised then medical on Monday. Deal will cost €11m (£9.4m), as @CLMerlo has reported."

This is great news for Forest, at a time when they need to build on last season's Premier League survival and become a genuinely established top-flight club again, rather than finding themselves battling for their lives come the spring.

While Montiel may not be the most explosive of full-backs, he is an experienced head with lots of defensive nous, having made 72 appearances for Sevilla and won 23 caps for Argentina, scoring once for his country, aside from his aforementioned penalty heroics last winter.

That moment back in December may have given him an extra winning mentality – he also scored the winning spot-kick in last year's Europa League final – which should stand him in good stead and possibly impact on the squad's mentality when he arrives, with World Cup winners a rare commodity in football.

Montiel could come in as a less flamboyant but more solid alternative to Aurier at right-back, having averaged 1.5 clearances and 1.3 tackles per game in last season's Champions League, as well as registering three assists in La Liga in 2022/23.

These are exactly the kind of signings that will make Forest strong moving forward, and at 26, there is no reason why the defender can't be a key man for the next five or six years.

The Dutch defender got the crucial touch to finally bring City's long drought away to Spurs to an end and keep dreams of another treble alive.

Manchester City had to wait 538 minutes to score at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and it was the scrappiest goal they could have imagined, but they won't care. Nathan Ake bundled the ball in from a corner with just minutes to spare in a game high on physicality but low on quality and even lower on excitement.

Oscar Bobb thought he had scored within the opening minutes but his strike was fractionally offside. City bossed the first half but their domination was sterile.

Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku were introduced to add some flair but in the end it was a centre-back who got the all important touch, sparing City a replay and keeping their dream of repeating last season's treble alive.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium..

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Stefan Ortega (6/10):

  Did well to deny Brennan Johnson on a one-on-one, the only notable chance Spurs created. His passing was slick although one was intercepted.

  Kyle Walker (6/10):

  Had a compelling battle on the right flank with Timo Werner and came out on top. Shy when it came to joining the attack.

  Ruben Dias (7/10):

  Stood firm and faced down Spurs when they were at their strongest in the second half.

  Nathan Ake (7/10):

  Physical and stylish and capped his solid performance by winning the match.

  Josko Gvardiol (5/10):

  Another average display. Posed no threat in attack but imposed himself in defence. When will Guardiola see sense and play him in the centre again?

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  Midfield

  Bernardo Silva (6/10):

  Made lots of slick passes and inventive runs but couldn't weave his usual magic.

  Mateo Kovacic (8/10):

  City's best player. Outstanding on the ball and put himself about when needed to halt Spurs' counters.

  Rodri (6/10):

  Focused more on keeping City's shape in midfield rather than creating.

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  Attack

  Julian Alvarez (6/10):

  Good movement and skills but couldn't make the final pass or killer touch. Taken off for De Bruyne.

  Oscar Bobb (5/10):

  Denied an early goal by a wafer-thin offside. Struggled to prise Tottenham's physical defence open.

  Phil Foden (6/10):

  Orchestrated City's attacking play until De Bruyne came on but was pushed around a lot by Spurs.

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  Subs & Manager

  Kevin De Bruyne (6/10):

  Didn't have the same impact as in his previous cameos although it was his corner which led to Ake scoring.

  Jeremy Doku (7/10):

  Added some excitement and unpredictability to City's attack and nearly got a winner, just failing to beat Guglielmo Vicario.

  Pep Guardiola (6/10):

  It was a scrappy game but his side were in control for most of it and going through was all that mattered.

Chelsea star Sam Kerr was in attendance at Victoria Road to watch her fiancee Kristie Mewis make her debut for West Ham, where she bagged an assist.

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Mewis makes West Ham debut Fiancee and Chelsea star Kerr watches on USWNT star bags an assist WHAT HAPPENED?

Sam Kerr, who is currently out of action with an ACL injury, attended West Ham United's Women's Super League clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday at Victoria Road to watch her fiancee Kristie Mewis make her debut for the Hammers. The United States women's national team star provided an assist in her maiden game, although her team went down 3-4 against the Lilywhites.

Sam Kerr InstagramAdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After winning the NWSL 2023 title with Gotham FC, Mewis left the American club to join the WSL side last month. The 32-year-old was introduced in the 62nd minute of the match when she replaced Honoka Hayashi. Eight minutes later, from her perfectly weighted free-kick, Amber Tysiak scored the team's third goal to restore parity in the match. Jessica Naz, though later scored a fourth goal to seal three points for Spurs.

DID YOU KNOW

Mewis and Kerr have been engaged since November 2023 after being in a relationship for the past two years. The American player's switch to the London club now puts her in the same city as her fiancee.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR KRISTIE MEWIS?

The former Kansas City star will be next seen in action on Wednesday as her club face Birmingham City in an FA Women's League Cup group stage clash.

Sydney Sixers dominated Perth Scorchers from the start to lift their second Women’s Big Bash League title in three seasons, drawing inspiration from the exemplary bowling of Sarah Coyte

The Report by Daniel Brettig in Adelaide04-Feb-2018Sydney Sixers won their second straight title•Getty ImagesSydney Sixers dominated Perth Scorchers from the start to lift their second Women’s Big Bash League title in three seasons, drawing inspiration from the exemplary bowling of Sarah Coyte after she returned to the team late in the tournament following a much-publicised departure from the game for mental health reasons.Electing to bat, the Scorchers found the early going hard on an Adelaide Oval pitch offering some moisture to the bowlers, and once Coyte struck to deceive and dismiss Elyse Villani, the West Australian side was never able to build the partnerships capable of building a defendable total. Left with a modest chase, the high-powered Sixers batting line-up was never likely to be tested, and galloped home to victory with five overs to spare.Pressure brings wicketsBoth captains had spoken about the need to cope with the pressure of the occasion on the eve of the final, with the memory of Adelaide Strikers’ horrid batting collapse – 6 for 3 – in the semi-final still fresh in everyone’s minds. To that end, the Scorchers started their innings intent on not losing early wickets after Villani won the toss, while at the same time the Sixers bowlers were intent on tight lines and the denial of runs. Runs duly came at a trickle, and only three boundaries were struck in the Powerplay.The longer this Mexican stand-off went on, of course, the more it favoured the Sixers, who created pressure of their own in the minds of Villani and Nicole Bolton through the knowledge of the power contained up the top of their batting line-up. Ultimately, it was this pressure that forced Villani into error, advancing to a change of pace from Coyte while failing to reading either the length or the subtle movement away from the bat. Alyssa Healy pounced on the stumping chance virtually before Villani had the chance to turn around, and clapped her gloves triumphantly in the prone Scorchers’ ears as she ran past to celebrate the vital first breakthrough.Coyte’s day in the sunThe Sixers’ grip on proceedings went from firm to vice-like in the first ball of the eighth over when Kim Garth seamed a ball back on the line of middle and leg to pin Bolton lbw, with Ellyse Perry following up by coaxing an edge from the bat of Natalie Sciver. When Megan Banting fell to Erin Burns, three wickets had fallen in as many overs, Scorchers’ innings well and truly in free-fall.Sarah Coyte celebrates a wicket with team-mates•Getty ImagesChief beneficiary of the game’s decisive turn towards the Sixers was to be Coyte, who followed up her first over deception of Villani by winning in lbw verdict against Thamsyn Newton and then bowling a driving Heather Graham five balls later. Coyte’s figures of 3 for 17 summed up the Sixers’ dominance, while at the same time capping a wonderful return to the game, following her decision to step away from the game in early 2017 to deal with personal health issues. In four matches, she has scooped 10 wickets at a meagre average of 8.10, providing the fresh impetus the Sixers needed towards the end of a lengthy campaign.A simple chaseDefending 99, the Scorchers needed early wickets but were unable to take them, thanks to Perry and Healy. The Sixers innings began in the manner that Villani had perhaps envisaged for the Scorchers, starting slowly then building steadily to a peak of shotmaking aggression – helped of course by the fact the modest target did not bring too much in the way of scoreboard pressure. As is customary, Healy went a little more eagerly for her shots – striking three fours in the fifth over – while Perry played within herself, and together they had taken the required runs down to a mere 36 from 59 balls when Healy was stumped for a 32-ball 41.The remaining runs were gobbled up without much fuss by Perry and Ashleigh Gardner, who reminded all of the powerful hitting that had made her such a key force in the tournament by depositing Katherine Brunt for a towering six over midwicket. Perry was left to hammer the winning runs with a pair of boundaries, meaning the Sixers had won with a yawning nine wickets and five overs to spare.’Relaxed but focused’Sciver summed up the Scorchers’ anguish at saving their most inept performance for the biggest of days, and agreed the slow going in the early overs had made a rush of wickets more likely. “In a situation like that, it’s always difficult not to lose wickets in clusters and unfortunately we managed to do that a couple of times and never really got a partnership going, which is what has been one of our strengths throughout the season, so not our best batting day,” she said. “It’s a bad day of cricket really from us and we had to play it on the biggest stage in this tournament. Previously, the girls have done brilliantly and throughout the season different people have stood up…we couldn’t have played any worse really.”As for Perry, there was relief at putting it all together in the final, a year after the Sixers had won far more narrowly over the Scorchers. “It was one of our best games of the season certainly, we started the tournament with a bit of a bang in Sydney when we put on 242 and to finish in the fashion we did today was absolutely awesome,” she said. “I thought our composure was absolutely outstanding today, we seemed quite relaxed but really focused in the field. In hindsight, it was probably not a bad toss to lose because there was just a bit of moisture in the wicket early and I think it just held up and gave our bowlers enough to bowl at Elyse and Nicole. We kept the pressure on them and it showed in the end.”Perry reserved special praise for Coyte, and also noted the initiative of the coach Ben Sawyer, who first saw the possibility of bringing Coyte back into the fold. “Firstly, it was an absolute masterstroke from Ben Sawyer, our head coach, he noticed she’d been playing some grade cricket and gave her a call and asked her if she’d be interested,” Perry said. “Secondly, and most importantly it’s been an inspiration not only for the girls in our team but for lots of young girls who’ve watched her play. Coytey’s got an extraordinary story and she’s so strong and such a fighter and been really brave in what she’s gone through and how she’s spoken about it as well. To see her perform on the biggest stage and slot back into the team is a true testament to the character of her and how brave she is.”

Shivnarine and Tagenarine on playing professional cricket together in the Caribbean

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2018

Imagine you were a professional cricketer. Now imagine you had to share your dressing room with… your father. And, on top of that, your dad is a legend of your sport. A lot to handle? Doesn’t quite seem to be the case with Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who shares the Guyana dressing room with his father Shivnarine. Chanderpaul junior, 21, jokes that Shiv, 43, “knows how I am, so he’s kind of free up with that”.Tagenarine says he knows enough to make good use of the vast experience of his father – the most capped player for West Indies in Test cricket – but does not let his record put unreasonable pressure on himself. “I just try and be myself. I can’t be him, you know,” Tagenarine said, according to the . “[But] most of the training, I use him to get some help. He gives me a few pointers.”Shivnarine, not unexpectedly, had plenty of advice for his son: “He’s been around [the domestic circuit] for a while. He had a good season in the [first-class] Regional Four-Day tournament. It’s the first time he had a full season, but that’s just the beginning.”He needs to keep going. He’s young and he needs to learn as quickly as possible and take it a distance because, whenever you get an opportunity, you have to grab it sometimes.”That said, the equation was not all work and no play between father and son. “We still have our fun and have our jokes,” Shivnarine said. “In any team sport, you need to have fun. That’s the only way to keep going.”When I went into the Windies team, we had people who used to give us a lot of jokes – guys like Kenneth Benjamin, Amby [Curtly Ambrose]. Those are the guys who keep you going on tour. I know how important that is. You need people like them around to keep you going. So yeah, there’s a time when you make your jokes and a time to get serious and down to business.”Guyana are currently in Antigua, to play the semi-final of the Regional Super50 List A tournament. They take on Windward Islands at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Thursday afternoon.

On a treacherous day-one Mirpur surface, Sri Lanka hit back with four wickets to soar ahead in the Test match after being wiped out for 222 by the spin duo of Abdur Razzak and Taijul Islam

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Feb-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRaton Gomes/BCB

Besieged batsmen, violent turn, wicked offcutters, fielders around the bat, and a hail of dismissals. It was as if this Mirpur pitch was on a mission to compensate for five days of boredom in Chittagong. No fewer than 14 wickets fell on a treacherous day-one surface, and by the end of it, Bangladesh were the side in the poorer position. They finished on 56 for 4, still 166 runs short of Sri Lanka’s 222. Nothing is certain on tracks such as this, but if Bangladesh are to give themselves a good chance of winning this match, a first-innings lead is almost imperative. They will have to bat last. And the fourth innings will not be pretty.Playing his first Test in four years, it was Abdur Razzak who was most effective for Bangladesh, taking 4 for 63, while Taijul Islam took three wickets at the other end. For Sri Lanka, however, Suranga Lakmal made the early inroads, removing Tamim Iqbal to claim his 100th Test wicket, before later bowling Mushfiqur Rahim, who shouldered arms. Bangladesh’s poor position at stumps was partly down to their own doing: Mominul Haque ran himself out, when, unaware that the throw was coming to his end, he ambled towards the crease and failed to ground his bat.That Sri Lanka managed to heave themselves to a competitive score was largely thanks to Kusal Mendis, who in the morning session, batted as if on a different plane from his teammates. Unlike at the start of his innings in Chittagong, he was clearly in good touch here, timing the ball nicely from the outset, and rarely appearing overawed by the amount of turn from the surface.He advanced at almost a run-a-ball for his first 30 runs, sweeping ferociously and slapping spinners disdainfully over midwicket if ever they dropped short. The clatter of wickets at the other end slowed his progress, but in hitting 68 off 98 balls at the top of the innings, he gave the innings a platform. His eventual dismissal was to a sublimely-flighted Razzak delivery, which pitched on off and spun just enough to beat Mendis’ defensive prod, but not enough to miss the off stump. Earlier in the innings, Razzak had also accounted for Mendis’ opening partner Dimuth Karunaratne, who got himself into a tangle when he ran at the bowler, but could not quite get to the pitch of the delivery, and was stumped.Roshen Silva, the other half-centurion in the Sri Lanka innings, batted with much less ambition than Mendis, perhaps because the team had slipped to 110 for 6 soon after lunch, and he had to make do with batting alongside the lower order. In both his significant partnerships – a 52-run association with Dilruwan Perera and a 43-run stand with Akila Dananjaya – Roshen was outscored by his partner. His innings featured only one truly risky stroke- the heave for six over long-on off Taijul. Having completed his half-century – his third successive in Tests – in the company of No. 11 Suranga Lakmal, Roshen was caught behind off another near-unplayable ball, this one delivered by Taijul.Bangladesh left the field with a strut, but minutes after their innings had begun, it began to unravel. Tamim drilled the second ball of the innings, delivered by Lakmal, down the ground for four, but attempting a similar shot next ball, only managed to send a sharp return catch to the bowler. Mominul’s complacency would leave the hosts 4 for 2 in the next over. Expecting the throw from mid-off to come into the non-striker’s end, Mominul was caught short by Dhananjaya de Silva, whose excellent awareness saw him throwing the ball to the wicketkeeper. Mominul’s bat was suspended above the crease when the bails came off.Mushfiqur and Imrul Kayes attempted a slow rebuild. Until towards the end of his spell, Lakmal noticed Mushfiqur was leaving balls that passed very close to his off stump. Lakmal continued to pitch it in a similar spot, until one moved back in off the seam and clattered into the top of off – Mushfiqur shouldering arms again. Bangladesh’s fourth wicket came in the dying moments of the day. Having just raised an lbw shout, Dilruwan Perera pinned Imrul in front of the stumps with an arm ball.Liton Das, batting more adventurously than the other top-order batsmen, finished the day unbeaten on 24, having struck three boundaries. He had nightwatchman Mehidy Hasan for company.

West Ham United are interested in signing one of the hottest attacking properties around this summer.

But who is that player?

What’s the latest West Ham transfer news?

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Irons are set to ‘open initial talks’ to sign Mohammed Kudus, who has been described as the ‘priority target’ in case Lucas Paqueta joins Manchester City.

The Italian journalist revealed that ‘positive talks’ have already begun with Kudus, who is ‘open’ to the transfer. Nonetheless, the deal still remains very dependent on Paqueta’s situation.

It's understood the Brazilian has reached an agreement with the reigning European Champions and wants the move. The opening £70m bid was rejected by the Hammers, but City will submit a new one.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

On 5 August, Brighton settled on a fee with Ajax in the region of €40m (£34.5m) for the attacking midfielder, who was described as a ‘key target’ for Roberto De Zerbi.

However, it was revealed by The Guardian that a move to the south coast has collapsed due to personal terms, opening the door for West Ham, Arsenal, and Chelsea.

What does Mohammed Kudus offer?

The high level of Premier League interest in Kudus is indicative of the forward’s admirable and sought-after quality. Last season can be labelled as a ‘breakout’ for the Ghanaian, who emphatically hit new heights in his productivity.

In 42 appearances across all competitions, he recorded 25 goal involvements and also enjoyed an eye-catching World Cup, scoring twice and completing 71% of his dribbles.

During the international tournament, his former teammate Calvin Bassey described him as a “star boy” and his reputation has arguably skyrocketed thanks to his positional versatility – according to The Athletic, in 2,272 minutes of Eredivisie football since the start of the 2021/22 season, he has played 22% of the time as a striker, 40% as a right-winger, 9% as an attacking midfielder and 22% as a central midfielder.

To look adequately equipped and confident enough to appear in this vast array of positions, as well as to be trusted in this role is a testament to his intelligence and potential.

To possess a player of this versatility, output, and creativity mirrors the glorious days of the irrepressible Dimitri Payet, who was equally effective as either a left-winger or attacking midfielder.

Between 2015 and 2017, the mercurial Frenchman made 60 appearances in all competitions and registered 38 goal involvements. In 28 games on the left, he scored seven goals and created 13 assists, then from 27 matches in the centre, he netted seven times and crafted eight assists.

In Payet’s debut season in England, the joyous technician was named the Premier League Player of the Year at the 2016 London Football Awards, as well as the West Ham Player of the Year.

The playmaker’s majestic creativity prompted huge praise from Zinedine Zidane, who said at the time: “He is one of the most important and talented players, not just in the French side, but in Europe.

“From a coach’s perspective, he is everything you look for in an attacking midfield player. He can score goals, he can create goals, he has real quality from set pieces.”

The east London faithful are desperately yearning for a new talent to replicate Payet’s heroics, and Kudus is well-placed to do so.

Manchester United have now come forward to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti, but he has allegedly agreed personal terms with another club, according to a report from France.

What's the latest Man United transfer news?

Man United are still searching for a new central midfielder, despite having already added Mason Mount to their ranks this summer, and they are still firmly in the race for Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat, who they seemingly stand a good chance of signing.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, journalist Ben Jacobs has now suggested Amrabat would be keen on a move to Old Trafford, saying:

“On the Amrabat side, I think the personal terms and the player desire have all been simpler, which is great for Manchester United's point of view because it means they can control the transfer’s timeline.”

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that United are "hot on" the Fiorentina midfielder, but they could still face competition for his signature from Liverpool, who are said to have done their "due diligence on the player side."

As such, it is important the Red Devils have some alternative options in mind, and according to the print edition of L'Equipe (via PSG Talk), they have come forward for Verratti in recent days, with a move to Old Trafford still a possibility, but there's a problem.

The Italian is said to have already agreed personal terms on a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, who are now negotiating with PSG to finalise the deal in the coming days, so Man United may have to move swiftly if they are to hijack the deal.

Not only will United have to fend off interest from Al-Ahli, but there is also interest from reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, so there is likely to be stiff competition for the 30-year-old's signature.

Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE

What team did Marco Verratti play for before PSG?

The Italy international, on £238,000-a-week, has made a name for himself in Ligue 1, but he first made his breakthrough with Italian side Pescara, making 31 appearances in the 2011-12 Serie B season before completing his move to the Parc des Princes.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has lavished praise on the maestro in the past, saying:

“I’m in love with him. He is exceptional. Even under pressure, he manages to find those passes that allow the midfield to be free.

“He’s not a player for long passes but you can always count on him to build the game. We managed to control him better in the second half but in the first half he was really exceptional.”

Although the former Pescara man does not offer much in the way of attacking contributions, failing to score a goal last season, he makes up for it with his exceptional passing ability, and his defensive output, ranking in the 94th percentile for tackles per 90 in the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

The midfielder could be a great signing for Man United, but they will have to move swiftly, given that he is closing in on a move to Al-Ahli, so it could be one to watch.

Sri Lanka would still be hurting after the hiding their bowlers were handed by Bangladesh, but their in-form top-order is capable of testing India’s resolve

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Mar-20182:07

Chopra: Pant needs to develop another gear

Big PictureFlags have been planted, intents have been declared, early momentum has been divided up, and now, with one win apiece for each competitor, a little tension has built. It has been a more high-scoring first round than many expected, given the Khettarama pitch’s reputation for spin-aligned treachery. As the square wears through the course of the tournament, perhaps the scoring will slow. But for now, bowlers from all three sides are nursing bruised economy rates.The diagnosis for both the Sri Lanka and India attacks is roughly the same: a shortage of international experience. Where the likes of Lasith Malinga (in his pomp) or Jasprit Bumrah are capable of reacting swiftly to a batting onslaught, and moving to an effective Plan B or C, these bowlers have tended to wilt under duress. A boundary early in an over has often drawn mistakes soon after. Powerplays and death overs have proved unusually productive for adventurous batsmen. Only legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal has been both economical and penetrative. He has gone at seven an over, when rates of around 10 have been the norm so far among the frontline bowlers.Such was the beating Sri Lanka’s bowlers received at the hands of Bangladesh that it is their attack that arrives a little more bruised into Monday’s encounter. Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep and Akila Dananjaya were all attacked at the top of the innings and at the death. Thisara Perera had initially fared better, but his own figures were not much prettier than the frontliners’ by the end. India’s bowlers, meanwhile, have at least one strong performance behind them in the tournament, but that was against a Bangladesh side that was batting some distance below their best (by their own admission). Sri Lanka’s top order, which has been impressive in four successive T20s, may again test India’s resolve.Form guideSri LankaLWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WLWLWIn the spotlightIt was against India that Akila Dananjaya had reignited his career. His 6 for 54 in an ODI in Pallekele almost won the match for Sri Lanka, in what was otherwise a dispiriting two months. Though he has not been quite as menacing since, he has had the knack of routinely keeping tidy figures – rarely could he be said to have had a bad day. In the first two matches of this tournament, though, he has gone wicketless, and has conceded 73 runs off seven overs. With the tracks at Khettarama taking less turn that usual, this match will be a test of his fortitude.In ODIs, Rohit Sharma has been excellent in Sri Lanka, but in T20s, his record on the island is a little thin. In eight innings at Khettarama, he has breached 30 only once – and that was against a modest England outfit in the 2012 World T20. Against Sri Lanka, however – and though the hosts will come with a closely-deliberated plan against him – Rohit is rarely down for long.Team newsWith captain Dinesh Chandimal suspended for two games due to a serious over-rate offence, Thisara Perera will lead the side. Dhananjaya de Silva is likely to slot into Chandimal’s position. There is also a chance of Suranga Lakmal replacing either Dushmantha Chameera or Nuwan Pradeep.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Kusal Perera (wk), 4 Dananjaya de Silva, 5 Upul Tharanga, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Thisara Perera (capt), 8 Jeevan Mendis, 9 Akila Dananjaya, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Nuwan PradeepIndia are likely to retain the XI that won them the game against Bangladesh.India (possible): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Rishabh Pant, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Vijay Shankar, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Jaydev UnadkatPitch and conditionsThere is a chance that evening showers could interrupt play. A pitch favourable for batting is expected.Stats and trivia Chasing sides have won all three games so far. The two highest successful pursuits at this venue are now Bangladesh’s chase of 215 on Saturday, and Sri Lanka’s chase of 175 against India, in the tournament opener. Both sides have a batsman who has made half-centuries in each game so far. Shikhar Dhawan has hit 90 off 49 balls and 55 off 43; Kusal Perera has made 66 off 37 and 74 off 48.Quotes”Guys who have come in to the team have got the experience in the IPL. They are not nervous and look settled. We didn’t really execute well in the first game, but we got better in the second game. It is going to get better from here.”India seam bowler Jaydev Unadkat believes IPL experience is valuable, even if the India bowlers have not played many internationals

Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, believes the time has passed to do something significant to secure the future of Test cricket particularly in those nations where the format is already a tougher sell.Debates around the relevance of the longest format have become a regular occurrence, mirroring the rise of T20 leagues around the world, with the latest example of changing priorities being the decisions of Adil Rashid and Alex Hales to effectively end their Test careers by signing white-ball only contracts for their counties. Although both were outside the current England Test set-up it was not beyond them, especially in Rashid’s case, to earn a recall but he admitted his heart was no longer in the first-class game.While the decisions of two players who see their future in the white-ball game don’t have to mean doom for Test cricket, it feels as though the game has come to a tipping point with the global calendar reaching meltdown and a club v country battle starting to emerge. Morgan played the last of his 16 Test six years ago and has long-since put the format out of his mind as he has focused on forging his white-ball career, firstly in T20 and latterly pioneering England’s one-day resurgence, but as an international captain his views will carry weight.”Test match cricket has had a lot to worry about for quite a while now,” he said. “If something was going to be done about it, it probably should have been done already. There are still, I suppose, different ideas being thrown around but actually giving priority to Test matches is sort of a luxury now for the bigger countries around the world. For other countries T20 franchise cricket takes priority.”Morgan’s comments follow on from Moeen Ali voicing his concerns about the future of Tests, although the evidence he cited of poor crowds in the recent Ashes didn’t stack up against the reality of the numbers which attended the matches.There have been attempts to breathe new life into Tests with the advent of floodlit matches, in an effort to entice crowds back at more viewing-friendly hours outside of the working day, and the Test Championship – part of the new Future Tours Programme – which has finally come to fruition in a bid to provide context and will begin in 2019, although there is still plenty of time for cracks to emerge in that plan. Morgan, however, said that ultimately the survival of Test cricket will come down to one thing: money.”The best ideas probably being bandied around are putting most revenue behind the match appearances or actual prize money towards Test match cricket so there’s no [influence] in what format people choose simply because of the money they might make. It’s all down to how good they are at that particular format.”On the decision taken by Hales and Rashid, Morgan was unsurprisingly supportive. “I think it’s a really good decision for those individuals. Every individual is different, they see their future and their pathway changing all the time, and it’s okay to be able to change it.”A lot of people actually are forced into a position to play one or two formats, which I think is wrong because it’s their own career, it’s their own future, they need to take hold of it and make the most of it while they can. And at the moment that’s taking a backward step from red-ball cricket and putting white-ball cricket at the forefront of their career path for now, I think is the right one because they believe it’s the right one.”