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Liverpool are "speeding things up" in regard to signing Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram this summer, according to reliable journalist Rudy Galetti.

Is Thuram likely to join Liverpool?

The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the Reds' primary midfield targets this summer, as Jurgen Klopp looks to make significant additions in the middle of the park.

Alexis Mac Allister was an early-summer arrival, in what looks like an exciting piece of business, while the club recently announced the arrival of Dominik Szoboszlai.

It could be that Thuram is seen as the third addition to bring in, which would be a huge transformation of Liverpool's midfield, with the £14,000-a-week Nice star enjoying an eye-catching 2022/23 season. He registered four assists and scored twice in Ligue 1 – while the Reds are not the only ones apparently interested.

While the Szoboszlai news has dominated the headlines in recent days, it looks as though Thuram could now return to the forefront of the Reds' thoughts, following a new update.

What's the latest on Thuram to Liverpool?

Taking to Twitter, Galetti claimed that Liverpool are now trying to make a move for Thuram happen quickly, with Newcastle United hovering ominously:

"Liverpool are speeding things up for Khephren Thuram. LFC want to close the gap with OGCNice soon to anticipate the competition of Newcastle, which are starting to move concretely for the player: evolving situation."

This is great news, with Thuram someone who could be a devastating addition to Liverpool's midfield, potentially adding something that was not there last season as the Reds missed out on Champions League qualification.

The 6 foot 4 Nice ace is a towering player with great physical attributes, but he is also technically strong, using the ball intelligently and with purpose, as seen in his 86.9% pass completion rate in the 2022/23 Ligue 1 campaign.

Nice teammate Aaron Ramsey has said that Thuram is "very dangerous, very powerful, a very strong dribbler of the ball", adding that he is "another player that can go all the way to the top", which says a lot about his ability.

If Liverpool could bring in Mac Allister (24), Szoboszlai (22) and Thuram (22), it would have to be considered a wonderful summer – completely rebuilding a problem area of the pitch and solving the issue for years to come, considering the ages of the players in question.

Liverpool may try and include players in exchange or additional add-ons in their bid to try and sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest transfer news surrounding Romeo Lavia and Liverpool?

According to Sky Sports, Southampton are confident of being able to sell Lavia for the £50 million price tag they are demanding for the Belgium international to leave the South Coast.

Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal have all held conversations with the 19-year-old's entourage over the possibility of signing Lavia; however, his suitors have concerns over the fee quoted for the youngster.

As per The Telegraph, Liverpool may be willing to offload veteran midfielder Thiago Alcantara this window, as he has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia in his services.

In turn, the Reds could turn to Lavia as a potential replacement; nevertheless, his £50 million price is said to be 'too prohibitive' for Jurgen Klopp to consider bidding for the enforcer at present.

Manchester City retain a buyback clause for Lavia that stands at £40 million, which they inserted when he joined Southampton back in 2022; however, it doesn't activate until 2024, enabling rival clubs to steal a march on the Citizens this summer, as per Football Insider.

Of course, the German coach has already made moves in the transfer window to shore up his midfield, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai joining from Brighton & Hove Albion and RB Leipzig, respectively.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Romano reckons that Liverpool may be cute in negotiations and either include additional add-ons or offer players in exchange to try and seal a deal to sign Lavia.

Romano said: "For Romeo Lavia, the price tag is around £50million.

"But sources believe that maybe, with some add-ons or with a creative formula such as including some players, they can find a way with Southampton to reach an agreement."

Why is Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia so highly regarded?

Shortly after moving to Southampton from Manchester City, Lavia earned high praise from Manchester United legend Paul Scholes, who was speaking on BT Sport quoted by The Daily Mail before the Red Devils took on Southampton at St Mary's last year, as the pundit stated: "He has got a pass in his locker and he is big and strong and likes to defend. He does not want to get forward too much and sits in front of the back four and sets the play in motion from there."

Scholes' summary of Lavia's attributes is a high testament to the 19-year-old's qualities and potential to develop. Unsurprisingly, several elite sides are keen on offering him a return to the English top flight.

Last term, Lavia made 34 appearances in all competitions for Southampton and registered one goal alongside a solitary assist, as per Transfermarkt.

His capacity to efficiently recycle possession will have attracted interest from top clubs. According to WhoScored, Lavia maintained a pass success rate of 86.4% in the Premier League, showing commendable maturity for his age.

Getting stuck in, Lavia also managed to win 93 tackles and interceptions combined, displaying courage and tenacity in the Saints' engine room, as per FBRef.

Lavia looks set for an intriguing next few weeks, where we will find out more about his potential next destination, as an exit from Southampton looks to be nailed on before the end of the window.

Both sides will miss key players as Delhi Daredevils aim to start their IPL campaign with a win while Royal Challengers Bangalore look to avoid losing the plot before the return of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers

The Preview by Sreshth Shah07-Apr-2017Match factsRoyal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Daredevils
Bengaluru, April 8, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)
3:11

Agarkar: A big test for Zaheer Khan

Head to headOverall: Royal Challengers Bangalore lead Delhi Daredevils 10-6. Since 2011, Royal Challengers have only lost once to Daredevils in ten games.In the newsNeither side will be able to field their first XI. Daredevils, slightly bowling-heavy and led by Zaheer Khan, are without JP Duminy and Quinton de Kock for the season. Angelo Mathews, who has been sidelined since January with a hamstring injury, remains uncertain after he missed the limited-overs matches against Bangladesh. Shreyas Iyer, meanwhile, will miss the first match and is in doubt for the second after a bout of chickenpox. He will join the team in three-four daysRishabh Pant’s availability for the first game is also in doubt following the demise of his father, although Pant returned to Bengaluru and trained with the team. In the instance that Pant does not play, Aditya Tare could take over wicket-keeping duties. Kagiso Rabada looks set to make his IPL debut while the allrounder’s spot could see a toss-up between Carlos Brathwaite and Corey Anderson. On Friday, Daredevils announced Australian fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus as a replacement for JP Duminy.AB de Villiers is doubtful for Royal Challengers’ first home game of the season but a call on his selection will be taken by the franchise after their training session on Saturday, leaving Shane Watson to lead the side again. De Villiers has confirmed that he will not keep wicket in the IPL, which means Kedar Jadhav could retain the gloves. Royal Challengers will have another wicket-keeping option in Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman Vishnu Vinod, who will replace the injured KL Rahul. Virat Kohli, who has said he will play only if he feels “120%”, will miss the match, too.The likely XIsRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Mandeep Singh, 3 Travis Head, 4 Kedar Jadhav (wk), 5 Shane Watson (capt), 6 Sachin Baby, 7 Stuart Binny, 8 S Aravind, 9 Tymal Mills, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal , 11 Aniket ChoudharyDelhi Daredevils: 1 Sam Billings, 2 Sanju Samson, 3 Karun Nair, 4 Corey Anderson/Carlos Brathwaite, 5 Rishabh Pant/Aditya Tare (wk), 6 Chris Morris, 7 Shahbaz Nadeem, 8 Mohammed Shami, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Zaheer Khan (capt), 11 Kagiso RabadaStats that matter The team batting second has won 31 off 58 matches in Bengaluru. Daredevils prefer to chase: 38 of their 56 wins in the IPL have come batting second. Chris Gayle has scored 327 runs off 209 balls against Daredevils. He has never been dismissed by a Daredevils spinner, and has struck 15 boundaries – including nine sixes – off the 56 balls faced against them. Zaheer Khan has taken 26 wickets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. His economy of 6.67 in the Powerplay last year was the fourth-best in IPL 2016. Royal Challengers have an economy rate of 7.35 runs per over in the Powerplay overall in the IPL. In matches against Daredevils in Bengaluru, Royal Challengers have conceded at a rate of 8.92 runs per over in the Powerplay. A top-heavy Daredevils team scores at 8.88 runs per over in the last five overs. Against Royal Challengers in Bengaluru, the rate jumps to 9.71 and Daredevils have lost only four wickets in seven matches during that period. Amit Mishra has been wicketless in his last four IPL games against Royal Challengers at an economy of 9.69. He has not taken a wicket for Daredevils in his previous three matches. Overall, in the IPL, he has dismissed Royal Challengers opener Mandeep Singh and Watson twice. Ankit Bawne, who may find a spot in the XI, scored 239 runs at an average of 79.66, including three fifties, in the domestic T20 tournament this season. Aditya Tare, too, had scores 79 and 71* in the tournament. Shane Watson has averaged less than 20 with the bat in IPL 2016 and Big Bash League 2016-17. In the recent Pakistan Super League, Watson averaged 21.37 in nine innings. In his last 30 games in the IPL, BBL and PSL, Watson has scored only one fifty. In his last two IPL matches with the ball, Watson has returned figures of 0 for 102 in seven overs.

Cooper and Pieter Seelar batted out 79 overs on the fourth day and added a record 288 runs for the sixth wicket to ensure a draw for Netherlands against Hong Kong

Peter Della Penna14-Feb-2017Netherlands batsman Ben Cooper says his overriding emotion was “relief” after he batted through the entire final day of play to ensure his side secured an improbable draw with Hong Kong in the Intercontinental Cup on Monday.Set a target of 507 to win, Cooper was at the crease on 19 at the end of day three with Netherlands 48 for 2; two overs after the first drinks break on day four, they were 105 for 5. Pieter Seelaar joined Cooper and the pair produced a historic 288-run sixth-wicket partnership, batting out the final 79 overs together to deny Hong Kong victory.”For me it was a big relief,” Cooper told ESPNcricinfo, when asked how he felt when the draw had finally been achieved. “It had been the first time I had batted for such a period. I was just relieved and very tired but it was special to have been able to produce that performance and hold on for the draw. It’s been something that the Dutch have been working towards and being able to perform on the four-day game and put those big scores together, we’ve now proven to ourselves that we can. So we can take the forward with confidence into future games.”The pair set several marks during their epic stand. They set the Netherlands record for any wicket in first-class cricket and a sixth-wicket record stand in the Intercontinental Cup. It’s also the highest ever stand in the fourth innings in the competition and the sixth-biggest partnership in the 13-year history of the Intercontinental Cup. Netherlands also set a new mark for most overs batted to save a draw in the fourth innings of an Intercontinental Cup match. Cooper says he was too focused on saving the match to think about the significance of their feat at the time but says he is happy to have been able to have created a bit of history with Seelaar.”It’s a special thing,” Cooper said. “It’s something you don’t think is possible but you just have to apply yourself and when you get in you just have to make the most of it. To be able to set a record along with Pieter Seelaar is something very special. The first job at hand is to bat and to produce for your team. Anything second to that, such as partnership records and personal records, is a bonus.”Cooper batted just short of seven hours to finish on 173 not out and was named Man of the Match for his brilliant rearguard. It was only his second first-class match, with his debut coming 18 months earlier at home against Scotland. Cooper says he worked hard on mental preparation to deal with the duration required to bat, in spite of his lack of four-day experience.”It’s a tough one because there’s not a whole lot of four-day cricket around for Netherlands but I guess you just have to back your training,” Cooper said. “You go to training and mentally prepare there. I try to bat as long as I can at training to simulate batting for an extended period in a four-day competition. But I guess it’s just a mental thing. You prepare yourself mentally to fight it out and you know you’ve got time so you don’t have to chase so many balls outside off.”Cooper on Pieter Seelaar’s rise as an allrounder: I’m very happy for him to have ticked that off and to have proved that he is a batsman and not just a bowler•Panda ManJust as remarkable as Cooper’s innings was that of Seelaar, who ended on 138 not out. Coming into the match, Seelaar’s highest score for Netherlands in first-class cricket was an unbeaten 81 against a Zimbabwe XI that came nearly seven years ago. His only other half-century in 40 innings prior to arriving at the crease on the final day was an unbeaten 75 against Canada in 2013. Cooper paid tribute to his partner, saying that the squad was especially pleased for Seelaar to reach his maiden first-class century, especially after he has put in a lot of hard work to turn himself into an allrounder when he began his Netherlands career as a specialist left-arm spinner batting at No. 11.”I think his reaction when he scored his hundred, and the celebration he had, was enough to say how relieved he was,” Cooper said. “I backed him all the way. He’s a class batsman although he may not have been recognised before. But I’m very happy for him to have ticked that off and to have proved that he is a batsman and not just a bowler.”The 1467 runs in the match made it the third-highest scoring game in Intercontinental Cup history, though Cooper says the pitch was playing slightly uneven towards the end to keep the task a challenging one for him and Seelaar. The second new ball was taken in the first over after tea, but Hong Kong failed to make a breakthrough. Cooper says he and Seelaar began to believe they were close to finishing the job when Hong Kong captain Babar Hayat brought himself on as a part-time option in the 101st over, the eighth bowler used for Hong Kong, followed shortly afterward by Nizakat Khan as the ninth.”I think as a team you get that mental victory to know you’ve pushed their main bowlers nearly to their limits and they’ve now had to start using their part-time bowlers,” Cooper said. “That little mental victory does lift you and push you a little bit more. You think it can’t be too much longer until you completely break them and it could be the match saved.”To be able to fight back and hold on for a draw had added significance for Netherlands because it was Hong Kong who had knocked them out of the Desert T20 Challenge in Dubai in January. Netherlands are hoping to take a momentum boost from the final day into the pair of WCL Championship 50-over matches between the sides scheduled for Thursday and Saturday. Netherlands are currently level with Papua New Guinea at the top of the WCL Championship table on 12 points while Hong Kong is third on 11 points.”There’s always that little bit in the back of your head that you may not have played your best cricket previously at the Desert T20,” Cooper said. “But it’s a whole new game, a whole new opportunity to go out and prove yourself and luckily enough we were able to prove ourselves toward the back end of the four-day game and come out with a draw. To come out with a draw from where we were is a great feeling.”

Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven is “expected” to leave his club this summer as Tottenham Hotspur explore the “prospect of a deal”, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

Who are Spurs signing this summer?

Spurs have moved swiftly to seal deals for multiple transfer targets over this past week, with the club confirming both Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison have put pen to paper.

Vicario, after an impressive season at Empoli, will come in as a potential replacement for long-serving number one Hugo Lloris – with the Frenchman admitting he could depart this summer window.

Meanwhile, Maddison has signed for Spurs on a deal from Leicester City worth £40 million, with midfielder Harry Winks moving in the opposite direction for a separate £10 million.

The Lilywhites are conducting astute business so far and reports suggest that Ange Postecoglou’s side have now turned their attention towards the signing of a centre-back.

After conceding more goals than any other top flight above 15th last season, it is a glaring issue that needs to be addressed, with Spurs thought to be interested in the likes of van de Ven and Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba.

Sharing an update on their pursuit of the former, journalist Taylor has written a small line for The Express, backing reports from other media sources that Spurs are stepping up their interest in van de Ven.

Taylor claims Tottenham are “exploring the prospect of a deal” to sign the Netherlands international, who has also been scouted by Liverpool, but it appears the north Londoners may have been boosted.

Adding another update, Taylor also writes that van de Ven is “expected to leave” Wolfsburg this summer, coming as Spurs seriously eye a move for the colossal 6 foot 4 defender.

Who is Micky van de Ven?

The 22-year-old was an untouchable for Wolfsburg over the 22/23 Bundesliga season.

Indeed, only their goalkeeper played more league minutes for the German side, while no sqaud member could match van de Ven’s impressive rate of blocks per 90 (WhoScored).

The Dutchman also completed more accurate passes (88.3%) than any other Wolfsburg regular, highlighting his exceptional abilities as a ball-playing defender.

Football Transfers journalist, Ronan Murphy, even hailed van de Ven as a “giant” on the pitch who’s been flourishing at Wolfsburg.

Fulham are reportedly interested in exciting right-back Max Aarons, per reports.

Fulham transfer news – What's the latest on Max Aarons?

According to the Telegraph, the Cottagers are 'weighing up' a potential move for the Norwich City full-back to increase the competition at right-back in Marco Silva's team.

Dutchman Kenny Tete has primarily filled the position this season, with loanee Cedric Soares failing to impress and heading back to parent club Arsenal this summer.

According to the publication, the west London club are considering a tempting offer in the region of £10m for the fullback.

The youngster is into the final 12 months of his £22.5k-per-week deal, so a transfer is highly likely in the summer.

Would the arrival of Max Aarons spell the end for Kenny Tete?

Aarons has been a player subject to a lot of hype ever since his Premier League debut back in the 2019/20 season, so a move to Fulham might surprise many and probably spell the end of Kenny Tete's starting berth at Craven Cottage.

To compare the two players, it makes the most sense to look at the Fulham man's most recent season and Aarons' 2021/22 season, as that was his last year in the Premier League.

In doing that, the picture becomes much less bleak for the 27-year-old, as the comparison between the players is far closer than many might first assume.

In an attacking sense, the players are very close.

According to FBref, Tete averaged 0.07 expected assists per 90, whilst Aarons 0.05.

In contrast, though, it's the Norwich dynamo with the slight edge for progressive passes, having averaged 3.66 per 90 to the Amsterdam-born players' 3.61.

One area the tricky Canaries full-back is clear of the competition is the progressive distance he carries the ball, having averaged a seriously impressive 105.5 yards per 90, compared to Tete's 84.2 yards per 90.

The pass completion is also better for the Hammersmith-born gem, at 75% compared to just 72% for the Dutchman.

However, whilst it is difficult to clearly separate the players from their last seasons in the Premier League, it's important to note that Fulham were a significantly better collective than Norwich City, thus providing a more stable platform.

There are also the players' ages and potential upside to consider.

Aarons is still just 23, whereas the former Lyon man is 27, just four months off being 28.

Many in the game hold the view that the future is incredibly bright for the burgeoning Aarons, with manager David Wagner saying earlier this year:

"He likes to add new ideas to his game and this means you have more or less everything to make a top career. I'm excited to help him make the next steps."

It isn't just his manager, though, as Rio Ferdinand, one of the league's greatest-ever defenders, was full of praise for the youngster, saying on his YouTube channel, "he has got huge potential."

So the statistics might paint a picture of similar abilities at this moment in time, but with the right coaching and experience, Aarons could explode in the coming seasons, and therefore, sadly, spelling the end for Tete's Fulham career.

Sri Lanka Cricket have announced that Angelo Mathews will not be touring Australia for the T20 series due to a hamstring injury sustained on the South Africa tour

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-20170:48

Quick Facts – Angelo Mathews

Angelo Mathews’ hamstring injury will keep him out of the forthcoming T20 series in Australia, Sri Lanka Cricket has confirmed. A stand-in captain is expected to be named on Tuesday, when the selectors decide on the squad.Mathews has been in Sri Lanka since he sustained the injury during his match-winning innings in the second T20 against South Africa. Dinesh Chandimal took the reins in the final T20 of that series, before Upul Tharanga assumed interim leadership of the ODI side.Sri Lanka’s selectors now face a minor dilemma about who should take over the side in Mathews’ stead, as both Chandimal and Tharanga do not necessarily make the T20 XI on present form. Chandimal made scores of 6 not out, 22 and 5 in the three T20s against South Africa, and Tharanga only played the last of those matches, hitting 20 off 11 balls. Barring the tour game in December, neither batsman has hit a fifty in any format in the ongoing tour.”The selection meeting on Tuesday will decide the squad and the captain who will lead in the three matches,” a board statement said. “The team will arrive in Canberra on Monday the 13th.”Sri Lanka are expected to play a practice T20 in Canberra on February 15, before flying to Melbourne on 17th for the first of three T20Is.

Australia fast bowler John Hastings will undergo surgery on his right knee to repair a tendon his injured during a Sheffield Shield game last week

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Dec-20161:01

John Hastings is currently the second-most successful bowler in ODIs in 2016

Australia fast bowler John Hastings will undergo surgery on his right knee to repair a tendon he injured during a Sheffield Shield game last week.Turning out for his state side, Victoria, against Tasmania, Hastings did “significant” damage to the patella tendon of his right leg, while bowling in the second innings. He had to go off after sending down only 3.1 overs then, and could not bat on the final day.Cricket Australia physio Alex Kountouris said there was no estimated timeframe for Hastings’ recovery yet, but it would likely be a long time before he is fit to play again. “Scans have revealed that John has a significant patella tendon injury and, after being reviewed by a specialist, it was decided that he will require surgery,” Kountouris said. “We expect that John will require a long rehabilitation period after surgery, and we will have a better understanding of his return to play timeframes in the coming weeks.”Hastings, 31, was a regular part of the Australian limited-overs team in 2016 until he was dropped for the Chappell-Hadlee series against New Zealand. He had expressed “shock” at being omitted for those ODIs, having been the overall leading wicket-taker in the format in 2016 (29 wickets at 24.13 from 15 games) at the point when he was dropped. He had topped the list despite missing out Australia’s tri-series in the West Indies due to an ankle injury he picked up in IPL 2016.He had also broken a finger during the fifty-overs Matador Cup in October, but recovered fully to return to the first-class competition for Victoria.Hastings will be replaced by left-arm fast bowler Jackson Coleman in the Melbourne Stars squad for the Big Bash League (BBL).

The transfer window is officially open for Premier League clubs and Wolverhampton Wanderers supporters are anxious for their side to bring in new players.

Following a hugely disappointing first half to the 2022-23 season, in which they found themselves bottom of the division at Christmas, Julen Lopetegui was brought in and helped turn things around by guiding Wolves to a 13th-place finish.

Plenty of players have been moved on since the end of the campaign, while a big question mark remains over the future of Tottenham Hotspur-linked Adama Traore, with full-back Dion Sanderson potentially next to be offloaded.

According to BirminghamLive, Birmingham City are eager to bring in the defender permanently following his impressive spell on loan at St Andrew's last season. The Blues are set to face plenty of competition, though, with Stoke City and other Championship sides also showing an interest.

However, would Wolves be better off keeping hold of a player who has shone in the second tier but not been given a chance to prove himself in the Premier League?

Is Dion Sanderson good enough to play a part for Wolves?

Sanderson has spent five separate spells out on loan at Cardiff City, Birmingham (twice), Queens Park Rangers and Sunderland. Each of those clubs will no doubt have given Wolves positive feedback.

Labelled a "Rolls-Royce" of a defender by then-Sunderland boss Lee Johnson during his time at the Stadium of Light, and an "absolutely superb" defender by football reporter Josh Bunting, Sanderson clearly has something about him.

Indeed, Sanderson ranked fifth in the Championship last season for the percentage of dribblers tackled (76.7), which helps to highlight his defensive qualities, while he has also been hailed for his pace and passing ability.

The Englishman was equally comfortable playing in the centre of defence as he was in a more right-sided position last season. Given Wolves favour a 4-2-3-1 formation, that would put him in direct competition with either Nathan Collins or even Nelson Semedo.

Semedo is a player of far higher stature given his time at Barcelona, but he has been accused of lacking defensive qualities. Indeed, as put by football reporter Nathan Judah earlier this season, the Portuguese often looks "a liability" defensively.

Whereas Semedo only won 51.6% of his challenges against players dribbling against him last season, as per FBref, Sanderson boasted a 76.7% success rate, albeit in a division below.

Sanderson also came out on top for interceptions (1.23 per 90 compared to 0.99) and aerial duels won (51% v 44.8%), which did not come at the expense of a lack of attacking threat, as highlighted by his two goals and an assist, compared to just one assist for Semedo.

Fast approaching his 24th birthday, it really is now or never if Sanderson's Wolves career is to take off. If Lopetegui is willing to give him a chance, he could prove to be the archetypal new signing that breathes life into Wolves' back-line.

Tamil Nadu’s bowlers, led by Aswin Crist, bowled Karnataka out for 88 on a green Visakhapatnam surface, before the batsmen secured a first-innings lead

Deivarayan Muthu in Visakhapatnam23-Dec-2016Stumps
ScorecardFile photo – Dinesh Karthik helped Tamil Nadu take the lead on a green Visakhapatnam surface•PTI The Tamil Nadu seam attack wiped out Karnataka for 88, their joint second-lowest total in the Ranji Trophy in the last ten years, on a green Visakhapatnam pitch. After Tamil Nadu won a crucial toss, seamer Aswin Crist, playing his 22nd first-class game, led the way with career-best returns for 6 for 31. T Natarajan and K Vignesh, who had played only seven games each prior to this match, lent supporting hands to extend the resurgence of the Tamil Nadu attack.That a few Karnataka batsmen attempted injudicious shots also contributed to them crashing in only 37.1 overs. In reply, Tamil Nadu secured the first-innings advantage and closed the first day at 111 for 4.Natarajan struck with his third ball – a cunning outswinger that opened up KL Rahul. B Aparajith snapped up a low catch at second slip. Kaunain Abbas repeatedly played and missed full balls outside off, before he threw his bat at a wide delivery from Crist and found Vijay Shankar at gully.J Arunkumar on…

Karnataka’s batting performance: “It was a crucial toss. We had ten players who could bat. What are the chances of the none of the 10 batsmen clicking? It’s a bit of a shock for me. The ball was skidding and bouncing, and just took off from a good length. Unluckily, all catches went straight into the hand. We were probably overcautious about the wicket. When you are overcautious about something, your hand and feet don’t move well. If they would have looked for runs, like what [Manish] Pandey and Vinay [Kumar] did, probably we could have pushed the field back and got a few runs for us.”
Abhimanyu Mithun’s promotion to No.5: “We thought if he goes there he can disrupt their bowling and length. Unfortunately the short ball hit his helmet and he was given out.”
Tamil Nadu’s seam attack: “They were very disciplined. Due credit to them. They were not quick in the air, but bowled in good areas and stuck to their line and length.”

After bowling a probing first spell, 5-3-5-1, Natarajan returned to remove opener R Samarth, who had hung on for 70 minutes, and Abhimanyu Mithun, who was promoted to No.5. Natarajan set Mithun up with full balls, and then surprising him with a throat-high short ball. Mithun was uncertain whether to pull or fend. Eventually, a bit of both resulted in the ball hitting the helmet and ballooning to Karthik.After Manish Pandey and Stuart Binny gave their wickets away, playing across the line, Karnataka went to lunch at 72 for 6. Thirty-five minutes after the break, they were bowled out. Crist claimed three of the four Karnataka wickets to fall after lunch, including that of Karun Nair, and was welcomed back to the pavilion by warm applause from his team-mates and bowling coach L Balaji. “Considering the pressure and rivalry between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, I rate this as my best performance,” Crist said after the first day’s play.That Tamil Nadu did not need the services of left-arm spinner Aushik Srinivas summed up the pitch and the accuracy of their bowling attack.Tamil Nadu then suffered twin setbacks. Their captain Abhinav Mukund – down with fever – did not open the batting, and the team lost three wickets in three overs. Kaushik Gandhi, who replaced Mukund at the top, covered the early movement before he chased a wide ball and edged behind for 15. L Suryaprakash and B Indrajith were also out nicking behind.Karthik, playing his 100th Ranji Trophy match, and Vijay then faced a stern examination outside off, particularly from Vinay Kumar, but they pulled their team ahead with a 70-run stand. It was largely built on compact defence and patience, characteristics that were missing from Karnataka’s batting display. When Vinay and S Aravind got the ball to rear up off the track, they cautiously swayed and weaved out of the way.As the ball grew older, Vijay and Karthik increased in fluency, and coxed the ball into the gaps. Vijay erased the deficit when he pulled Vinay in the air over mid-on. Against the run of play, Vijay was run-out 30 minutes before stumps. Karthik bunted the ball towards point and hared across for a non-existent single, only for Vijay to be run-out at the striker’s end, courtesy a ripping direct hit from Abbas at point.Mukund arrived at No.6 and began positively with a firm whip through midwicket off Binny. Tamil Nadu could have lost Karthik in the last over of the day had wicketkeeper CM Gautam and Shreyas Gopal, at short square leg, not made a mess of a skier. Karthik sent a top-edged pull in the air and the ball landed between Gautam and Gopal.Karnataka also had to deal with the anxiety of a possible injury to Nair. He did not take the field during Tamil Nadu’s innings. “Karun has lower abdomen pain. We will go back and get a scan done,” Karnataka coach J Arunkumar said after the day’s play.