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The Catalan is a two-time Champions League winner, but his relationship with European competition has not always been rosy

In 2009, a fresh-faced Pep Guardiola did the unthinkable, winning the Champions League in his first-ever season as manager. Manchester United were Barcelona's victims in the final, with a toe-poke from Samuel Eto'o and a back-post Lionel Messi header seeing the Blaugrana to victory at Stadio Olimpico.

Two years later, Guardiola would lift the famous trophy for a second time as United were again their unfortunate opponents in the final. This time, Barca put on an exhibition, romping to a 3-1 victory thanks to goals from Messi, Pedro and David Villa. At full-time Sir Alex Ferguson conceded that Guardiola's side was the best he had ever faced and it seemed that the European trophies would just keep on flowing for the Catalan.

However, since that fateful night, Guardiola has had 10 attempts to clinch a third Champions League crown and failed every single season. There's been plenty of times throughout the period when it seemed certain that the drought would end, only for his teams to somehow manage to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.

His own overthinking has played a role too, with Guardiola remaining obsessed with adding another European Cup to his bulging trophy collection. Below, GOAL ranks the legendary coach's worst Champions League eliminations as he looks to avoid history repeating itself against Real Madrid on Wednesday…

Getty Images2013-14: Eliminated in semi-final by Real Madrid

Guardiola's first season at Bayern Munich was pretty darn good. Despite having to deal with some key absences throughout the year, they romped to the Bundesliga title and also won the DFB-Pokal to clinch a domestic double. However, Guardiola could not replicate Jupp Heynckes' exploits from the previous campaign by adding a Champions League triumph into the mix.

Things started promisingly enough, with Bayern breezing through the group as winners and dispatching of Arsenal in the last 16. A 3-2 aggregate triumph over Manchester United in the quarter-finals then sparked real hopes that they could retain the trophy. However, King Carlo Ancelotti had other ideas.

After Real Madrid eked out a 1-0 win at Santiago Bernabeu, the tie was delicately balanced heading into the second leg. In the return fixture, though, the fatal flaws of Guardiola's style were brutally exposed. First, Sergio Ramos headed in twice from set-pieces, before Cristiano Ronaldo tore Bayern apart on the counter and then struck a free-kick under the wall. 4-0 to Madrid. This one really stung.

AdvertisementGetty Images2014-15: Eliminated in semi-final by Barcelona

After enduring European disappointment during his first season in charge at the Allianz Arena, Guardiola was handed a perfect shot at redemption when Die Roten were drawn against his former club in the semi-finals.

On the eve of the game, Guardiola was dealt a double hammerblow when both Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben were ruled out. For 77 minutes Guardiola seemed to have handled these absences perfectly, reshaping to a 3-5-2 and stifling the infamous MSN frontline.

Most of that positivity disappeared when Lionel Messi popped up with a goal 13 minutes from time, and disappointment turned to disaster when Barca scored twice more before the end to earn a 3-0 victory. The last of these goals – scored on the counter – would not happen today, with Guardiola having urged his charges forward to try and grab an away goal.

Bayern didn't recover in the second leg, although they did win 3-2 on the night. For Guardiola, he had tried to stick one over on his former employers, but he had failed – albeit against a very good team.

Getty Images2020-21: Lost in the final to Chelsea

Guardiola has never got closer to ending his wait for a third European Cup than in 2021. City's performances on the way to the final were ridiculous, with a goalless group-stage draw against Porto the only thing preventing them from registering a 100 percent winning record over the 12 games.

They also entered the final in Porto as strong favourites, having finished 19 points above Chelsea in the Premier League that season. Guardiola made a big call – continuing his passion for tinkering when the stakes are at their highest – omitting Rodri from his starting XI and also playing without a recognised centre-forward.

City were flat throughout the contest, with Chelsea slipping through in transition just before the break and settling a dull game courtesy of a goal from Kai Havertz. It was a hugely disappointing night for Guardiola. An opportunity to end the all the noise surrounding his Champions League record had slipped away far too easily.

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Getty Images2017-18: Eliminated in quarter-final by Liverpool

The defining rivalry of Guardiola's third act as a manager has been his duels with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. Domestically, City have had the edge, but the Reds have been the undisputed kings of Europe.

The two leading coaches of their generation squared off in the 2018 Champions League quarter-finals – and it wasn't even close. Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane all netted in the first 31 minutes at Anfield, leaving City reeling for the rest of the tie.

They couldn't even win the home leg despite playing extremely well, with Salah and Roberto Firmino cancelling out Gabriel Jesus' early opener to send City crashing out of Europe. It might have been different had Leroy Sane's scrappy goal not been wrongly disallowed on the stroke of half-time, a decision that led to Guardiola talking himself into a red card.

After the dust had settled, the City's boss decision to shoehorn Aymeric Laporte in at left-back against Salah was highlighted as another example of Guardiola's destructive overanalysis.

Erik ten Hag enjoyed a dream start to his tenure with a 4-0 friendly win over a Liverpool side featuring one very expensive summer signing

Manchester United ensured the Erik ten Hag era got off to a winning start as they thrashed Liverpool 4-0 in their pre-season friendly match in Thailand.

First-half goals from Jadon Sancho, Fred and Anthony Martial did the damage in Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium, and Facundo Pellistri rounded off an eye-catching United victory late on, as both sides made wholesale changes.

Liverpool used 32 players in all, changing all 10 outfield players every half hour. The Reds gave debuts to both Fabio Carvalho and Darwin Nunez, the new £85 million ($100m) signing from Benfica, who played the final 30 minutes.

United, meanwhile, handed Tyrell Malacia his first run out, the new left-back playing 45 minutes following his switch from Feyenoord, with both sides using a host of academy players alongside their established first-team stars.

GettyTen Hag's dream start

As introductions go, this was about as good as Erik Ten Hag could have hoped for. Sure, United are a little ahead of Liverpool in terms of preparation, and yes, they named a more experienced starting XI, which proved the difference in the first half hour. One pre-season win won’t solve all, or indeed any, of their problems either.

But after so much negativity and uncertainty at Old Trafford, Ten Hag and his players will have been delighted to start the new era with a win – and a convincing one over their arch-rivals at that.

The question now is how they will handle the tougher tests which await. There were, remember, 34 points between these sides last season, and closing that gap will be high on Ten Hag’s list of priorities going forward.

AdvertisementGettyDarwin's encouraging debut

It looked like Darwin Nunez was about to mark his first Liverpool appearance with a debut goal, when Mohamed Salah’s shot struck a post and rebounded kindly into his path. But as Eric Bailly flew in to make the block, the Uruguayan got his finish all wrong, firing over the bar on his right foot.

Still, this was an encouraging first outing for the 23-year-old, who showed plenty to suggest he will slot in nicely at Anfield. Nunez’s movement was good, always on the shoulder of the last defender and able to peel off and find space, as he did when forcing a decent save from David De Gea from Andy Robertson’s diagonal pass.

More will be expected, of course, as he adjusts to his new team-mates and his new club, but after just a couple of training sessions – one of which was disrupted by painful blisters – the Reds’ new No.27 already looks like he’s getting into the swing of things.

GettySancho's statement of intent

This is a big season for Jadon Sancho, and here he played like a man who understands that fact.

Having shown only flashes of his undoubted class last term, the former Borussia Dortmund will be looking to find consistency in his second campaign in Manchester. And with a World Cup on the horizon, the carrot is there for the 22-year-old to do exactly that.

He was sharp here, taking advantage of the inexperience of Isaac Mabaya to fire United in front. He caused issues for Nat Phillips, Joe Gomez and Rhys Williams, too, with his closing down and movement.

A step in the right direction, without a shadow of a doubt.

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GettyDiaz picks up where he left off

Having lit up Anfield since his arrival from Porto in January, all eyes are on Luis Diaz to see whether he can continue that form in his first full season on Merseyside. On this evidence, nobody needs to worry about that.

The Colombian simply picked up where he had left off, as sharp and as lively as he had been during the second half of last season. He is relentlessly positive, Diaz, forever running at defenders and asking questions.

Starting on the left, he gave Diogo Dalot plenty of problems during the first half an hour, forcing David De Gea into a sprawling save with one shot and clipping the outside of the post with another. That will be an area to improve on this season, his goalscoring record, but if and when it does, then Liverpool will be in business, and then some.

GOAL counts down the top 50 talents born on or after January 1, 2003 from all around the world

Check out our expert's guide to the UK's top online betting sitesGOAL50Bruno Iglesias

Real Madrid’s is an academy packed full of brilliant young diamonds, but none shine brighter right now than midfielder Bruno Iglesias.

The 18-year-old, who has been likened to Kaka within La Fabrica, has already reached double figures for both goals and assists with Madrid’s Under-19s this season.

Iglesias is now being tipped to make his first-team debut at some point in 2022, though Manchester City and Arsenal are monitoring his progress in the hope that his pathway to the senior side is blocked.

AdvertisementGOAL49Endrick

Not since the emergence of Neymar in 2008 has a player as young as Endrick bewitched Brazilian football fans like the Palmeiras forward.

The 15-year-old, who is described as being “a force of nature” by those to have coached him, has already trained with the Verdao first team after leading them to the Copinha title in January.

Endrick scored six goals in seven games during the prestigious Under-20s tournament, and is now a transfer target for Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City, among others, amid claims the forward is already worth at least €45m.

GOAL48Marcelo Flores

Despite having only just broken into Arsenal’s Under-23s side, Marcelo Flores is creating plenty of headlines in Mexico.

The 18-year-old attacking midfielder is already a full international, having made his debut for El Tri in December, and there is hope that he could yet make Gerardo Martino’s squad for the 2022 World Cup.

Back in north London, Flores has already told GOAL of his dream to become an Arsenal “legend”, and his playmaking ability and acrobatic celebrations are likely to make him a fan favourite once he inevitably breaks through at the Emirates Stadium.

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GOAL47Roony Bardghji

Roony Bardghji became the youngest goalscorer in Danish Superliga history with a 25-yard effort in just his second senior appearance back in November 2021, spectacularly illustrating why he has been dubbed ‘the Swedish Messi’.

The 16-year-old forward, who is also FC Copenhagen’s youngest-ever player, has been on the radars of top European clubs for a number of years, and is expected to go from strength to strength over the next 12 months.

Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea are among those interested in Roony, with an eight-figure sum likely to be required to sign him.

Derbyshire dug in obdurately in the final session at Chelmsford to hold up Essex’s charge for a third Specsavers County Championship win of the season

ECB Reporters Network17-May-2016
ScorecardRavi Bopara improved on his career best after 10 years•Getty Images

Derbyshire dug in obdurately in the final session at Chelmsford to hold up Essex’s charge for a third Specsavers County Championship win of the season.The visitors were forced to follow-on, finishing 258 runs adrift of Essex’s massive first-innings total with Ravi Bopara taking career-best bowling figures of 5 for 49 eclipse his 5 for 75 Surrey at Chelmsford a decade ago.With rain forecast for much of the fourth day, the Division Two leaders may yet rue putting down three relatively comfortable chances during the day.Essex had wrapped up the Derbyshire first innings with five wickets in 16 overs after lunch. But they struggled to trouble the Derbyshire batsmen in the evening session as their advantage was gently whittled down.Essex had not had much good fortune in the morning session, either, though it would have been better had Jesse Ryder and Tom Westley clung on to relatively simple catches in the slips in three balls off the luckless Aaron Beard.Hamish Rutherford was the recipient of Essex’s fumbling. But he had added just seven more runs before Beard showed his elders how to catch by holding on at square leg to dismiss him for 49.That gave Bopara his third wicket of the innings, the second coming when Wayne Madsen got an inside edge and was caught behind. James Foster snapped up a second catch at the wicket when Shiv Thakor edged Ryan ten Doeschate.The carnage began straight after lunch as Derbyshire collapsed inside 65 minutes.Neil Broom went second ball after the break when he misjudged a ball from Tom Westley and was bowled. Seven balls later Tom Poynter chased a wide one from Bopara and became Foster’s third victim.Matt Critchley gave Bopara his fifth wicket when he departed lbw before Jamie Porter uprooted Tom Taylor’s middle stump with his sixth delivery with the new-ball.Ben Cotton, at No. 11, took 18 off one Porter over before being the last man to go when caught by ten Doeschate in attempting to hit Beard over the top.Jaik Mickleburgh at gully dropped Chesney Hughes in the first over of Derbyshire’s second innings. However, Hughes was back in the pavilion 27 overs into the innings when he pulled back as Bopara came in to bowl. After a lengthy consultation with the physio the Anguillan went off feeling unwell.His opening partner Billy Godleman was steadiness incarnate as he reached fifty with the first of three successive fours through the off side against Westley. It had taken him 106 balls. He then punished Beard with two boundaries in two balls, but the youngster had the last word when he bowled the Derbyshire captain off inside edge and boot for 75.

Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers scored half-centuries once again as Royal Challengers Bangalore defended 185 against Rising Pune Supergiants for a 13-run win

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu22-Apr-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:04

O’Brien: Dhoni left too much for too late

Prior to this match, 14 of 15 games in IPL 2016 had been won by the team chasing. Royal Challengers Bangalore bucked the trend again by defending 185 against Rising Pune Supergiants and securing a 13-run victory. They had earlier defended 227 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.Virat Kohli played an un-Virat Kohli innings of 80 and struggled for timing, particularly in the middle overs. AB de Villiers, though, was his usual self, swatting and even reverse-swatting his way to 83 off 46. The pair produced their third 100-plus stand in four matches, adding 155 runs to take the side to 185, a total that Supergiants captain MS Dhoni described as “par-plus”. Thisara Perera blitzed 34 off 13 to give Royal Challengers a late scare, after claiming three wickets with the ball, but Shane Watson dismissed the Sri Lanka allrounder and R Ashwin in the space of three balls to snuff out the chase.Supergiants lost Faf du Plessis in the second over when he stepped out and chipped a catch to mid-off. A ball later, they suffered a bigger jolt. Kevin Pietersen set off for a quick single and seemed to have hurt his calf while turning back. Moments later, he limped off the field. In the next over, Steven Smith slipped near the middle of the pitch and was run out for 4. Ajinkya Rahane went on to make 60 off 46 balls, but his knock was offset by Dhoni’s patchy 41 off 38 balls. This meant that Supergiants limped through a large part of their chase before Perera gave it a leg-up.When Perera came out to bat at 109 for 3, the asking rate was close to 15 an over. He survived a close lbw shout off his first ball and then mowed South African chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi over midwicket for a six. He hit full tilt when he bashed four successive boundaries off Harshal Patel in the 18th over. Perera’s blows reduced the equation from 50 off 18 balls to 25 off 12, but Watson and Kane Richardson combined to seal the deal for their side.Royal Challengers’ batting was once again led by Kohli and de Villiers, after KL Rahul skied a catch to third man in the fourth over. De Villiers marked his arrival with a crunching cut off left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma that pierced the gap between cover and cover point. Kohli, too, began positively, thanks to a steady supply of leg-stump balls from Ishant Sharma. Rajat Bhatia’s assortment of cutters and Ankit’s darters, however, squeezed Royal Challengers. R Ashwin was also economical, though he did not complete his quota again. He could have dismissed Kohli on 50 had Ankit hung on to a catch at mid-off.De Villiers tucked into M Ashwin, hitting the rookie legspinner for two sixes in his first over. He followed it with swept and reverse-swept fours in the bowler’s second over. The South Africa batsman continued to showcase his gallery of shots even as Kohli was tied down. Kohli’s frustration was evident when he whacked himself on the pad with the bat after mistiming a slower ball from Bhatia to deep midwicket and then jammed his bat onto the helmet when he holed out in the last over of the innings. A ball later, De Villiers was undone by Perera’s legcutter. Kohli had played out 17 of Royal Challengers’ 28 dots, which incidentally was the joint-third least in an IPL innings.

South Africa have put a player on standby to take Aaron Phangiso’s place in the World Twenty20 squad, but remain hopeful they will not need to replace the left-arm spinner

Firdose Moonda01-Mar-2016South Africa have put a player on standby to take Aaron Phangiso’s place in the World Twenty20 squad, but remain hopeful they will not need to replace the left-arm spinner. Phangiso’s action was found to be illegal when he was tested on Friday after being reported during a domestic game. Phangiso will undergo five days of intensive remedial work before a second round of tests next Monday, three days before South Africa leave for the World T20.”We had a conference call with the selectors last night and Linda Zondi will probably announce a replacement in the next couple of days should Phangiso not be able to go to the World Cup. We have put somebody on standby,” Russell Domingo, South Africa’s coach said in Durban, where the squad have assembled in preparation for their T20 series against Australia.”He is going to put in a lot of work over these next couple of days. He has got about five or six sessions before he gets retested on Monday in Pretoria. Hopefully we will get a good report on Tuesday and Wednesday and he is able to join us on Thursday when we leave. We’ve got to try and rectify whatever we can over the next couple of days and hopefully he is deemed legal.”Phangiso will remain with the squad, but not be considered for selection for the first two matches. Instead, he will be working with spin consultant Claude Henderson and high performance manager Vincent Barnes to rectify his action. If his action is declared legal by next Wednesday , it is likely Phangiso will play in the third T20 at Newlands because Domingo wants to give “everyone game time,” ahead of the World T20.Should Phangiso’s action still need work after Monday’s tests, he will be replaced in the national squad most likely, but not conclusively, by another spinner. Currently, Phangiso is the only back-up to legspinner Imran Tahir and South Africa may want another slower bowling option in their squad. Their options, though, are limited.Eddie Leie was the other spinner in contention for the World T20 squad but has been carrying a hamstring niggle in recent weeks. Leie’s injury worsened on Sunday, when he had to leave the field after bowling 5.3 overs in the Momentum One Day Cup final. Dane Piedt, who had the best economy rate among spinners in the One Day Cup, could also be in contention, while the likes of Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj, who have played for South Africa A, may be considered too inexperienced for a major tournament.Alternatively, South Africa may abandon the idea of another spinner and rely solely on Tahir, especially because the chances of playing two spinners in the XI are slim.”We need to look at conditions there. When we played one-day cricket there, the only wicket that spun appreciably was the one in Chennai,” Domingo said. “The others were good one-day wickets. Their one-day and T20 wickets are a little bit different to their Test wickets so we need to ask if it is going to deteriorate.”Given that is unlikely the pitches will crumble, South Africa may see Phangiso’s possible unavailability as an opportunity to add an extra quick bowler such as Morne Morkel or another allrounder, like Albie Morkel, who were both left out initially.

حقق فريق مانشستر سيتي فوزًا ثمينًا، اليوم السبت، ضمن لقاءات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، على حساب برايتون، بهدفين مقابل هدف، بالجولة التاسعة.

ووفقا للحساب الرسمي للدوري الإنجليزي، فإن مانشستر سيتي، أصبح أول فريق في البريميرليج يحقق 21 فوزًا متتاليًا على ملعبه من يناير 2023 وحتى الآن.

وتخطى مانشستر سيتي بهذا الرقم، فريق مانشستر يونايتد تحت قيادة السير أليكس فيرجسون، من ديسمبر 2010 وحتى سبتمبر 2011، والذي حقق 20 فوزًا متتاليًا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | مانشستر سيتي يستعيد توازنه بفوز صعب ضد برايتون في الدوري الإنجليزي

ويأتي آرسنال بقيادة آرسين فينجر، في المركز الثالث برصيد 16 مباراة، والتي امتدت من مارس 2005 وحتى نوفمبر 2005.

✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅@ManCity have won 21 consecutive home matches in all competitions – the longest ever run by a Premier League club! pic.twitter.com/yUQ3ocKu5S — Premier League (@premierleague) October 21, 2023

على الجانب الأخر، فقد واصل إيرلينج هالاند والذي سجل أمام برايتون اليوم، صدارته ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث رفع رصيده من الأهداف إلى 9.

Jim Allenby is to leave Glamorgan and join Somerset, with Craig Meschede moving in the opposite direction on a season’s long loan.

George Dobell18-Nov-2014

Jim Allenby is to leave Glamorgan and join Somerset, with Craig Meschede moving in the opposite direction on a season’s long loan.Allenby signed a four-year deal with Glamorgan only 12-months ago but has negotiated his release and will strengthen a Somerset side recently weakened by the departure of Nick Compton.Allenby has a superb all-round record in Division Two of the County Championship, with a batting average in excess of 40 and a bowling average below 26. He scored more than 900 first-class runs last year and claimed 52 Championship wickets. He has been Glamorgan’s leading run-scorer in the Championship for the last two years and topped the side’s T20 batting averages and wicket-takers list. This will be the first time in his career he has played Division One cricket.”I have enjoyed my time at Glamorgan and I would like to thank the supporters for welcoming me to Wales and for all the support whilst I have played for the club,” Allenby, who joined the club in 2009, said. “I leave Glamorgan with some great memories and what I hope will be life-long friendships. I wish the players every success and hope they have long and enjoyable careers.”The move will reunite Allenby with his former coach at Glamorgan, Matt Maynard, who was recently appointed director of cricket at Somerset and alleviates the disappointment caused by Nick Compton’s departure to Middlesex.Maynard said: “I am delighted that Jim is joining us. Not only is he an outstanding player in all formats, he is a great bloke and a strong character and I am sure he will play a key part in helping us to build a cohesive and successful team. Whilst not a like for like replacement for Nick Compton, there is no doubt in my mind that Jim is a superb acquisition to a very talented Somerset squad.”Meschede’s opportunities might have been reduced even further with Allenby’s arrival in Taunton, but his loan should assure him of more first team experience. He remains highly-rated at Taunton but has struggled for first team opportunities over the last couple of years.”Craig has been brilliant in recognising that a loan to Glamorgan will enable him to play more first team matches than was likely at Somerset next season,” Maynard said. “The maturity and enthusiasm which he has displayed since I raised the possibility of a loan move with him has been heartening and I am sure he will grow in stature and experience during the 2015 season.”Glamorgan have also announced that Jacques Rudolph has extended his deal until the end of the 2017 season.”Whilst we appreciate the on-field contribution Jim has made to Glamorgan County Cricket Club over the past five seasons, we are disappointed he feels the next stage of his career would be best served away from the SWALEC Stadium,” Glamorgan’s chief executive Hugh Morris said.”It is a shame to see Jim depart, but as we are focused on rebuilding a team capable of consistently competing for domestic honours, we need to have everyone at the club fully committed to bringing success back to the county.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Após dois dias no Reffis, Tchê Tchê apareceu no gramado do CT da Barra Funda pela primeira vez na semana e indicou que deve estar à disposição de Cuca para o jogo contra o Avaí, às 21h de sábado, na Ressacada, pelo Brasileirão.

Titular nas últimas nove partidas do Tricolor, o volante acusou desgaste muscular elevado após o empate por 1 a 1 com o Cruzeiro, no domingo. Ele não foi ao campo na terça-feira, dia da reapresentação do elenco, e nem na quarta.

RelacionadasSão PauloSem nome de consenso, São Paulo ‘esfria’ busca por camisa 9São Paulo05/06/2019São PauloNa Itália, Hernanes posta foto com o filho: ‘Já está melhor’São Paulo05/06/2019

A atividade desta quinta-feira foi totalmente fechada para os jornalistas. O São Paulo volta a trabalhar na tarde de sexta e viaja em seguida para Florianópolis.

A expectativa é de que Hernanes seja a novidade no treino desta sexta. Ele foi liberado para viajar à Itália e resolver uma questão pessoal envolvendo um de seus filhos, Ezequiel. Mesmo retornando a tempo, o Profeta é considerado dúvida para o jogo em Santa Catarina.

Having arrived on the fifth day short of runs and confidence, Mominul Haque led Bangladesh to safety with a third Test hundred that showcased remarkable courage and a striking understanding of the dynamics of Test-match momentum

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando in Chittagong08-Feb-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Mominul Haque has now scored three hundreds and three fifties from seven Tests•AFPMominul Haque had arrived at the fifth day short of runs and confidence, but, showcasing remarkable courage and a striking understanding of the dynamics of Test-match momentum, he led Bangladesh to safety with a third Test hundred in his 12th innings. Charged with simply surviving, Mominul chose to press Sri Lanka instead.Having hit 424 runs earlier in the match, Kumar Sangakkara said positivity at the crease had been the hallmarks of his success. Perhaps Mominul had taken note.Bangladesh were three down when Mominul scored the run that sent him to three figures, after the hosts had begun the day with all ten wickets in tact. With less than an hour of scheduled play remaining, Angelo Mathews agreed to cut Sri Lanka’s losses, and hand Bangladesh their second consecutive draw in Chittagong against a top-eight team. The hosts will be pleased that despite Sangakkara’s deluge, they had unearthed considerable spirit after their putrid display in Dhaka.The afternoon session became the key to Bangladesh’s resistance after two wickets had fallen in the morning, and Mominul managed that period sagely, to bat through. Cutting the wide balls, and consistently positive outside the off stump, he leant heavily on hand-eye coordination for survival, and prompted more defensive fields from Sri Lanka in the process. By the end of the session, this had in turn inspired yet more aggression in Mominul. Sri Lanka began the session full of spring and enthusiasm and finished it relatively flat. Seven wickets in the final two hours is a difficult proposition against any opposition.Having scored 10 from his first 39 balls, Mominul worked up an appetite for scoring with consecutive boundaries off Ajantha Mendis, and cut, swept and drove with a freedom that still gave heed to the match situation, because his judgement was razor-sharp. A fluid cover drive that threaded the packed offside field brought him his first fifty of the series, and at tea, his most recent 61 runs had come in 73 deliveries.After tea his advance was more measured. He would dart occasionally at the slow bowlers, often driving, sometimes making room to hit through off, but largely, he attacked only the poor balls. Dilruwan Perera and Suranga Lakmal served up few of those, but Ajantha Mendis and Nuwan Pradeep gave away plenty. Part-time legspinner Kithuruwan Vithanage had begun the day strongly, but his accuracy tailed off as the day wore on, and perhaps Sri Lanka erred in keeping him on too long. Most of Mominul’s 11 boundaries came from errors in length, but the batsman also collected singles into the outfield efficiently, and Shakib-Al-Hasan, his partner for most of the innings, did the same.The period when Mominul approached his ton was the most tense of his innings. Pradeep found the consistent line outside off stump that had evaded him for most of the match, and beat both his edges in two gripping overs. Though clearly nervous, the batsman collected himself enough to score when Pradeep strayed slightly. The single off his hips towards deep square leg prompted a far more muted celebration than the other Bangladesh centurions had produced, and also marked the end of the match.Shakib benefited from Mominul’s approach mining gaps in the field that had not been present for previous batsmen, but he too played a vital role as the senior batsman. He edged two past the slips soon after arriving at the crease, but hit a confident boundary through point before tea, by which time he seemed more secure. In the final session, he was grooved into the beat of singles and twos, breaking rhythm only to step down the pitch and hammer Vithanage past mid-on, twice.Pradeep had improved since the first innings, but he still sprayed the ball both wide of off stump and too straight, in the first two sessions. Mendis could not find a consistent length, and threatened only rarely. Perera’s pinpoint offspin built significant pressure, and brought him two wickets, while Lakmal was again earnest and economical on a surface that did not assist him. Rangana Herath’s experience was missed.Throughout the last two sessions, Mathews set creative fields – the kind that had eluded him on the final day in Sharjah, three weeks ago – but with two frontline bowlers having off days, there was not enough pressure to reap rewards. Lakmal often had 8-2 offside fields, with no one on the fence. Perera had as many as four men around the bat, and a short leg and leg slip routinely in place for the right-handers. As Sri Lanka sat on their pile of runs, Mathews saw no risk in delaying deployments on the fence.Earlier, Bangladesh’s openers had survived sensibly in the first hour, but allowed Sri Lanka a sniff by getting out in the 40 minutes before lunch. Vithanage proved an inspired choice of bowler in the second hour, when Tamim was a victim of his own impatience, allowing the ball through to his stumps as he attempted an aggressive stroke away from the body, against the turn. Shamsur Rahman’s leaky technique allowed Perera to burst through between bat and pad and onto the stumps.