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West Indies’ resistance came undone on the fourth day as they lost eight wickets in under one-and-a-half sessions to lose by an innings

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Dec-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Neil Wagner rejoices after having Roston Chase caught at leg slip•Marty MelvilleAFP/Getty ImagesThe defiance that West Indies had found on day three wilted, their wickets fell in a heap for the second time in the Test, and New Zealand sped to an innings-and-67-run victory – the hosts’ quicks having wiped the opposition out with the second new ball. Following the top-order partnerships West Indies had mounted on Sunday, it was the rate of their demise on Monday that was dispiriting. They added only 105 to the overnight score, and lost their last seven wickets for 62 runs, in the space of 20 overs.The New Zealand quicks shared the wickets around, as the opposition perished to a series of poor strokes. Matt Henry added the wicket of Roston Chase to the two dismissals he had effected on day three, to finish with figures of 3 for 57. Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and Colin de Grandhomme claimed two wickets apiece meanwhile – Wagner’s wickets particularly significant, after he had been clobbered by the top order on Sunday.This result means that New Zealand go to the second Test without having been stretched at Wellington. Although there were difficult moments in the field, particularly while Shimron Hetmyer and Kraigg Brathwaite batted together on the third evening, no bowler was required to deliver more than 45 overs in the Test, and at no point did West Indies muster a century stand.It was the wicket of innings top-scorer Brathwaite – the only dismissal that went to a spinner in this innings – that set West Indies’ slide into motion. Having begun the day on 79, Brathwaite had progressed without incident into the 90s, as New Zealand rested their frontline quicks so they might be deployed only after the second new ball became available. Even before the 80th over rolled around, however, Brathwaite lost his wicket. Having nudged a legside Mitchell Santner delivery to the fine leg boundary, he misjudged the pace of the very next Santner delivery, and it brushed his back pad before it hit his bat. The ensuing lbw appeal was turned down on the field, but the batsman was given out upon review. Only 17 runs had been added to the overnight score at that stage.Then, from the 86th over, came the rapid collapse. Shai Hope, whose innings had been defined by its reticence, was dismissed playing a defensive shot – a Boult lifter finding his outside edge, then Kane Williamson’s hands in the gully. Roston Chase, who had hit Boult for consecutive boundaries to get his innings under way, did not last long following Hope’s exit, inside-edging a wide Henry ball on to his stumps.West Indies went to lunch with five wickets remaining, but New Zealand needed less than an hour after resumption to close the game out. Debutant Sunil Ambris edged de Grandhomme to wide slip, first ball after the break. Then, next over, Shane Dowrich slashed Wagner to point – it was the first ball Dowrich had faced in the session. The tail was in no mood to resist. Kemar Roach, Jason Holder and Miguel Cummins were all out in the space of 28 balls.What was particularly disappointing for the West Indies was that the pitch had long since begun to favour batsman, and though the second new ball offered the New Zealand seamers bounce and carry, there was no dramatic movement. The only positive for the visitors, apart from some decent top-order scores, is that they now have an extra day of preparation for the Hamilton Test, which begins on Saturday.

West Ham United are beginning to spend the £105m that was raised via the sale of homegrown hero Declan Rice as David Moyes looks to strengthen his squad.

Edson Alvarez has already arrived in a £35.4m deal, while Moyes is eyeing up a move for Man United striker Antony Martial in a bid to improve his attacking options.

The Scot could even turn to Serie A before the end of the transfer window.

Who do West Ham want to sign?

According to reports in Italy, West Ham are keen on making a move for Lazar Samardzic before the window slams shut in just under two weeks.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Inter Milan are also keen on the Serbian starlet, as per the Calciomercato, and a move looked set to be completed, however, some extra demands were added at the 11th hour of negotiations and the move has stalled.

This could allow Moyes to swoop in and secure his signature in the coming days, beating the Italian giants to the youngster and it would represent a major statement of intent from the club.

Football Transfers currently value the player at £10m, making this move a potential bargain for the Londoners.

Who is Lazar Samardzic?

Although perhaps not as well known on these shores, the 21-year-old has been drawing plenty of praise during his spell at Udinese.

Journalist Bence Bocsak lauded him in April, saying: “7 out of Lazar Samardžić‘s last 10 goals were scored from outside the box.

“Blessed with an abundance of energy, excellent technique and great vision, he’s got the hallmarks of a top midfielder."

Further acclaim was given by Sacha Pisani, who said Samardzic had “ridiculous skill” and it appears, on the surface anyway, that he’d be an ideal signing for West Ham.

Indeed, the 6-foot livewire is also statistically similar to Arsenal talisman Martin Odegaard and judging by his recent form for the Gunners, turning them from European hopefuls to title challengers, it isn’t a bad comparison to have.

According to FBref, the Norwegian gem is the sixth-most similar player to Samardzic across Europe’s top leagues, suggesting he’d be an incredible addition to the West Ham side.

Last season saw the duo register similar statistics with regard to shots per 90 (2.44 to 2.68), pass success rate (80.1% to 80.3%), goal-creating actions per 90 (both 0.49) and tackles (33 to 36).

WhoScored also suggests that Samardzic and Odegaard excel at key passes and dribbling, as both pose a key threat from the midfield and aim to get forward as often as possible.

The Serbia international did register nine goal contributions last term, which was some way down on Odegaard’s total of 23 and suggests he still has work to do in order to become one of the very best, but it's a promising start nonetheless.

If given the freedom of the West Ham midfield, he could thrive in a similar vein to the Norwegian superstar and register double digits for goal contributions in the Premier League.

With Inter still in the hunt, Moyes will need to act swiftly to bring this deal over the line.

The fast bowler has tweaked a problematic action with inputs from coach Ottis Gibson and is ‘champing’ to work his way back

Firdose Moonda08-Nov-2017Chris Morris’ search for speed caused the back injury that has sidelined him for the last four months. As a result, he has had to modify his action.Morris suffered a lower-back problem in England in August, which ruled him out of the fourth Test in Manchester and all action since. He expects to make a return midway through the Ram Slam, for the Titans, and when he does, it will not be at the expense of pace but with a smoother, better approach which the new coach Ottis Gibson has helped him with.”I’ve had a few tweaks in my action that Ottis has changed. I had to iron it out because it wasn’t good enough – simple as that,” Morris said at the Ram Slam launch in Johannesburg. “I think in striving for a bit of extra pace, there was some twisting in my action. I’ve got quite a bad kick-out with my left foot before I land. I was getting lazy and doing quite a lot of twisting, which caused a lot of pressure on my lower back and inevitably caused the injury.”A hallmark of Morris’ performances in England was his pace, particularly when Faf du Plessis gave him freedom to “be aggressive and bowl fast.” The directive paid off in the short term as Morris dismissed Joe Root and Alastair Cook in an impressive spell at Trent Bridge but caused a long-term concern.Though Morris did not break or tear anything, he suffered inflammation and strain in the muscles of the lower back. If left untreated, it could have caused a stress fracture. Part of the treatment was making the changes to his action that should keep Morris symptom-free, though he knows he may respond adversely at any time.”If I didn’t get injured I still would have had to change my action. In bowling, you like to work in straight lines, and I was working along the wrong lines. That’s where the injury came along,” he explained. “We can’t re-scan the same injury because we’d see the same thing the whole time. So we work on symptoms – if there is pain you stop, otherwise you play. I’ve got to trust the gym and rehab, all the things I’ve been doing behind the scenes since my injury happened.”Like Morris, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Wayne Parnell have also been doing undergoing intensive rehabilitation. Philander also had a lower back problem and returned to action in the first-class competition, with good results – he took five wickets and scored 80 for the Cobras. Steyn, Morkel and Parnell will all be back at some stage of the Ram Slam, which means that when the time comes for choosing a Test squad – first to face Zimbabwe in the inaugural four-day Test on Boxing Day and then to play India – there will be competition.Gibson has already flung the door open for Steyn, saying as long as the premier pacer thinks he can make it through a match, he will play. Morris cannot expect the same hospitality, given his relative inexperience especially at Test level. But he was encouraged by Gibson’s approach and is confident he can work his way back.”It’s always good to know that the coach is backing the guys who aren’t playing, especially with injuries because that’s part of the game,” Morris said. “If a youngster is better than me he must play, it’s as simple as that, but I’m always going to be fighting for my spot because playing for South Africa is what I want to do. If I never play for South Africa again it’s cool, but I’m going to give it my best shot. I’m obviously champing at the bit. It hurt me quite a lot to see the guys running around this morning and playing soccer, so I’ve got quite a lot of motivation.”Morris is particularly looking forward to working more with Gibson, whose experience with England he is hoping to draw on.”I’ve only had a week and a half with him and he’s been excellent. In England, he had the fortune of working with the best new-ball attack in the world in my opinion. If they’ve rubbed off on him, as a South African bowling attack we’re going to be richer for it,” Morris said. “He’s been doing this for a long time and has a lot of experience. It’s quite clear what our plans are going forward as a team. We’re in a happy space, and it’s quite exciting.”

Aston Villa are reportedly still in the race to sign Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams, as the club prepare for another turn in the transfer window.

It’s been a busy summer for Unai Emery and Monchi, who have obtained the signatures of Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and smashing the club-record transfer fee to welcome Moussa Diaby in a £51.9m deal.

While the Villans’ transfer news has been heavily revolving the potential and confirmed incomings at the club, however with time left in the window, the club could also expect to see some departures.

What’s the latest on Tyler Adams to Aston Villa?

A report by The Athletic back in June noted that United States international, Adams, is ‘high on Villa’s list of targets’ as part of Emery’s projected squad rebuild.

Such claims have been reinforced this week, with Football Insider suggesting that the Midlands club are ‘ready’ to trigger the 24-year-old’s £20m release clause in the hope to lure him to Villa Park.

Despite only signing last summer for £20m from RB Leipzig, the midfielder has a tempting relegation release clause as part of his contract of the same value, making him an attractive acquisition.

How good is Tyler Adams?

Now could be the perfect time for Villa to make a swoop for the highly-rated American, who has been dubbed an “absolute beast” by members of the media.

Amid the excitement of potential new arrivals, there is some worry over the future of star player Douglas Luiz, who has been linked with a move to north London over the past few weeks.

News reported by Football Insider this week has speculated that Tottenham are ready to close in on signing the Brazilian, who was integral to the Villans’ success last season.

Averaging a Sofascore match rating of 7.10 in the Premier League last term, the 25-year-old topped the charts in terms of the club’s best-performing individuals, making talk of his exit a grey area at Villa Park.

The rumours surrounding Luiz make the pursuit of Adams even more important, in a rare instance that Emery could recruit a carbon copy of his favoured midfielder for a price that could leave the club in profit after the exchange.

Whilst the narrative of both respective clubs' 2022/23 season was contrasting, the two players are identical in their approach to play, both providing a combative yet assured presence in the engine room.

Both averaged a pass completion rate of 82.5% per 90 last season according to FBref, the duo are competent passers of the ball, however, Emery could land a slight upgrade on the Brazilian in Adams, who excelled Luiz in a number of attributes key to the position.

As per FBref, the American averaged 5.68 progressive passes and a monstrous 3.72 tackles per 90 for Leeds last term, with the Villa sensation averaging lower in both decimals with 4.55 progressive passes and 2.24 tackles per 90.

A similar pattern is traceable further in their defensive exploits, with the former Bundesliga gem recording an average of 2.00 blocks and 1.46 interceptions per 90 to the 25-year-old’s 1.11 blocks and 1.23 interceptions per 90.

For just £20m, Monchi could ease the blow should Luiz depart in impressive fashion, however with Chelsea also rumoured to be monitoring the midfielder, Villa must make their intentions clear before it’s too late.

Outgoing chief executive warns that MCC cannot sustain its role in development without the revenue from two Tests a year

George Dobell21-Sep-2017MCC may not be able to sustain its funding of its cricket development programmes if the ECB goes through with plans to reduce the number of Tests hosted by England each year.Lord’s, which is owned and run by MCC, currently hosts two Tests and an ODI nearly every year. The income from those games enables them to fund the MCCU programme, the MCC Young Cricketers scheme and the MCC teams which travel the world in a bid to spread the popularity of the game. The overall cost of such programmes is understood to exceed £1million a year. They also make a sizeable annual donation to Chance to Shine.But the ECB is currently considering plans to reduce the number of Tests hosted in the British summer from seven to six. And while they hope the shortfall will be partially off-set by income from the new-team T20 competition, it is unlikely to entirely compensate.MCC insist that, even if the number of Tests played by England each summer is reduced to six, they should continue to host two. However, The Oval is also making a strong case for hosting a Test every summer – the ground could, subject to planning permission, soon have the largest capacity of all English cricket venues and has an excellent record of selling tickets. Given that it is just four miles down the road, the ECB may be reluctant to allocate half their home Tests to central London locations. Certainly it would leave the likes of Headingley, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge, Old Trafford, The Ageas Bowl and The Swalec – most of which also have business plans built upon the regular hosting of international cricket – uneasy.”In every year that there are two touring teams, it is important that we should host each of them,” Derek Brewer, the outgoing MCC chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. “Even if there are only six Tests a summer, our view is that we should host two and London should host three. We are confident of putting forward a very good case to support that view.”That case is sure to include the MCC’s record of ticket sales. Whether allocated Tests in September or May, Lord’s is almost always a sell-out (the capacity is around 29,000), with the recent match against West Indies a good example. The game only lasted three days, but each of them was a sell-out and more than 22,000 tickets had been sold for the fourth day.While most other clubs could only dream of such figures – or the hospitality income that comes with them – no other clubs have the spending commitments of Lord’s. Not only do the club have continued aspirations to protect and propagate the game, but they have plans for a redevelopment programme that will cost well over £100million.Perhaps most valuable of all these commitments is the MCCU programme. This scheme, which costs the club around £370,000 a year, prevents young people from being forced to choose between further education and a playing career. Around 25% of England-qualified players currently in county cricket came through the scheme, despite the fact that the ECB does not finance it at all. Notable alumni include Andrew Strauss and, more recently, players such as Zafar Ansari, Toby Roland-Jones, Sam Billings, Heather Knight and Tom Westley.The MCC Young Cricketers programme, meanwhile, offers opportunities to late developers or those who may have missed out on county recognition – the likes of Jamie Porter and Dawid Malan are recent graduates – while the MCC teams that play around the world are credited with helping the development of fast emerging cricket nations such as Nepal and Afghanistan. MCC plays more than 500 games a year.”There is so much good work undertaken by the MCC for which we do not gain the credit we deserve,” Brewer continued. “Whether it is our community projects or our efforts to spread the game.”I’m not saying we will chop this or change that. But if our allocation of games is reduced – and consequently, if our income is reduced – we will, of course, have to look at everything we do. And yes, we will have to cut our cloth accordingly. Our cricket expenditure is more than £1million a year.”Our business plan, including the redevelopment, is predicated on us hosting two Tests a year. It is sustainable if we only host one, but we may have to look at alternative funding sources.”At present it appears the model for the new-look season (from 2020 onwards) will see England host six Tests, six ODIs and six T20Is a year. The allocation of major matches for 2020 onwards, and a decision taken over which grounds will host the new-team T20 competition, is due to be announced in the first few months of 2018.The ECB are also party to an on-going review of the MCCU scheme. It is possible they will consider it a valuable part of the ‘player pathway’ and allocate some funding towards it.

An update has emerged on interest in one of Leeds United's last-remaining members of their previous Championship promotion-winning campaign…

What's the latest Leeds transfer news?

According to talkSPORT, Saudi Arabian side Al Qadsiah are keen on a deal to sign Whites captain Liam Cooper during the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Scotland international has a 'lucrative' offer to ditch the Yorkshire-based team as Robbie Fowler attempts to snap him up for his club.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

However, it does not state how much they are willing to offer Leeds for his services or how open Daniel Farke is to cashing in on the experienced central defender.

Leeds kick off their 2023/24 season against Cardiff at Elland Road on Sunday and the former Chesterfield titan started the final pre-season friendly against Hearts.

Should Leeds sell Liam Cooper?

Farke must avoid his first major blunder in charge of the club, during his debut window at the helm, by ensuring that Cooper is not sold before the deadline.

The Leeds boss must fight to retain the 31-year-old titan as he is a proven Championship performer who also showcased his ability at Premier League level prior to last season.

The veteran campaigner averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.73 during the 2022/23 term, which was the ninth-best score within the squad.

However, Cooper was in the top three outfield performers for Leeds throughout the 2020/21 and 2021/22 top-flight campaigns. This illustrates how important he was to the club's survival at that level for two years before last season's implosion that led to a relegation back to the second tier.

The Scottish tank also knows exactly what it takes to get out of this division as he was one of the team's best players during the 2019/20 promotion-winning success under Marcelo Bielsa.

Cooper averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.07 across 38 Championship matches, which made him the fifth-best outfielder at the club, as he dominated opposition attackers with a duel success rate of 62% and helped the side to keep 15 clean sheets in total.

These statistics suggest that the impressive central defender has the quality to be an outstanding player for Farke at the heart of the backline, particularly at this level, and that is one reason why losing him would be a huge mistake by the German head coach.

Another reason would be the experience that the Whites would lose by allowing the captain to depart. Cooper is one of the few remaining regular starters from their last promotion, alongside Patrick Bamford, Jack Harrison, and Luke Ayling, and his know-how could be vital in terms of helping the younger players adapt to the pressure whilst maintaining a high standard from those around him.

Therefore, selling the £35k-per-week colossus, who goalkeeper Tommy Lee once claimed has a "Ramos-style" about him at centre-back, would be a blunder by Farke and the club for multiple key reasons.

The former Norwich City tactician must now convince, firstly, the decision-makers at board level to reject offers for Cooper and, secondly, the player himself to turn down advances from Fowler's Saudi outfit in order to lead the charge for promotion back to the Premier League this season.

Birmingham’s trio of young batsmen Ed Pollock, Dominic Sibley and Adam Hose all stood out before a nerve-jangling last-over finish

ECB Reporters Network18-Aug-2017Dominic Sibley is making an impression at Birmingham•Getty ImagesEd Pollock, Dom Sibley and Adam Hose all starred with the bat to help nervy Birmingham Bears into the quarter-finals of the NatWest T20 Blast as they beat Lancashire by two wickets with three balls to spare at Emirates Old Trafford.Victory justified Birmingham’s decision to omit their captain and former England batsman, Ian Bell, for the final match in response to an unproductive T20 season – but it was a close-run thing.Chasing 164 on a used pitch, left-handed opener Pollock smashed 49 off 24 balls, including four sixes, to get things started.New Bears signings Sibley and Hose then shared 84 in 10 overs for the second wicket to advance from 61 for one in the sixth before the Bears slipped from 145 for 1 in the 16th to 160 for 8 after 19, losing seven wickets in 23 balls.Sibley finished 53 off 37 balls, while Hose added 49 off 35. They hit five sixes between them before Olly Stone hit the winning runs with four needed off the last over.Hose and Sibley have only arrived at Edgbaston from Somerset and Surrey within the last month, and Pollock is in his maiden summer of first-team cricket.For Lancashire, who have failed to qualify for the last eight since winning the Blast in 2015, they had to win and hope other results went their way to qualify.The Bears are now targeting their second title in four years.The Lightning would have been reasonably happy at halfway with their 163 for 4, underpinned by Jos Buttler’s 58 off 42 balls. The England man’s second half-century in three days was another measured effort and included two sixes after being inserted.Having hit 36 without a boundary in Wednesday’s win over Worcestershire here, Liam Livingstone (39) guided his very first ball from Stone to the third-man fence. He pulled two huge leg-side sixes, including the latter off leg-spinner Josh Poysden, which went out of the ground and onto the Brian Statham Way.Buttler was elevated to No 3 and hit Sibley’s leggies for a straight six in the 13th over to move into the twenties. By that stage, Lancashire were 100 for 2. He also hit Stone over long-off for six and shared 86 in 10 overs with inventive South African Dane Vilas, who made 30. Buttler miscued Stone to long-on in the 19th.Poysden and Stone were the only two Bears wicket-takers with two apiece, with the former the pick as he conceded 28 from his four overs.He hit Ryan McLaren for three sixes in the power play, including two over long-leg, before slapping a short ball from the seamer to cover with the score on 61 midway through the sixth over.Sibley and Hose both offered relatively simple catches on 18 and 31 to Matt Parkinson at short fine-leg and Jordan Clark at long-off.Hose hit 76 on his Bears debut in the win over Lancashire at Edgbaston late last month, and he demonstrated his power again by hitting three sixes over long-on.But the Bears stumbled dramatically with victory in sight as Livingstone struck twice in two balls. Junaid Khan and Arron Lilley also claimed two wickets apiece, but Lancashire’s success with the ball came too late.

Manchester United have "discussed" signing Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, however the move is nowhere near as advanced as reports have suggested, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Is Sofyan Amrabat joining Man United?

There have been reports that Amrabat has packed his bags ahead of a move to Old Trafford, as he believes Man United and Fiorentina are close to reaching an agreement, after an offer of £21.5m was made for his services last week.

That bid was just shy of the Italian club's asking price, which is believed to be £26m, however the midfielder is confident a deal will be struck in the coming days, so he has started to prepare for a move to Manchester.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has recently confirmed that "conversations" have been held with the Moroccan's camp, with the player himself "open" to a move to Old Trafford, but he does not believe it is close to being a done deal.

That viewpoint is shared by Jacobs, who recently told GiveMeSport that while United have expressed an interest in the 26-year-old, the move is nowhere near as close as has been suggested by the media.

The journalist said: “So, it is true that a defensive midfielder is a possibility in terms of the position that Manchester United may look to strengthen next, should they get Rasmus Hojlund over the line and Sofyan Amrabat is on the list.

“But I’m still not aware, despite the reports, of any bid or anything imminent on the Amrabat front. So, it’s fair to say that the player is there and has been discussed by Manchester United, but I don’t actually think that it’s as far along or as focused as perhaps being reported by others.”

How good is Sofyan Amrabat?

The Red Devils were keen on signing the Morocco international during the January transfer window, having been impressed by his performances for the Atlas Lions at the World Cup, however they instead opted to sign Marcel Sabitzer.

Journalist Charlie Parker-Turner was also wowed by the central midfielder's performances out in Qatar, saying: "Sofyan Amrabat is in the conversation for Player of the Tournament. Unbelievable warrior of a midfielder."

Not only has the maestro impressed at international level, he has also put in some top-quality performances for Fiorentina, averaging a pass success rate of 89.2% in the Serie A last season, the second-highest of any midfielder to play over 1500 minutes.

However, there may be some justified concerns about the lack of attacking threat posed by the Fiorentina ace, who has failed to score a non-penalty goal in the past year, while his defensive attributes can also be called into question.

The World Cup star ranks in just the 32nd percentile for tackles, and the 42nd percentile for interceptions per 90 over the past year, indicating he may not be as solid a defensive midfielder as Man United fans were hoping for.

Of course, Amrabat has proven he is capable of performing at the top level, with journalist Greg Lea describing him as the "heartbeat" of the Morocco side that reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, but there are question marks over whether he is good enough for the Red Devils.

Piyush Chawla’s experience will be handy for a young side looking to build on recent Ranji success, says Gujarat captain Parthiv Patel

Shashank Kishore17-Aug-2017″The need for new challenges” has led legspinner Piyush Chawla to move from Uttar Pradesh to Gujarat for the upcoming Indian domestic season. Chawla and RP Singh, the former UP pacer who signed with the reigning Ranji Trophy champions last season, will be the two professional players for the side in 2017-18.Chawla’s paperwork has been completed, allowing him to join the Gujarat squad ahead of their pre-season camp next month, after his stint with Chemplast in Chennai’s first-division league. Chawla was earlier in talks with Vidarbha, who eventually signed legspinner Karn Sharma.”Up north, you either get flat wickets or seaming tracks. We’ve struggled to find a middle path, so as a spinner, opportunities to make inroads are very less. I wanted to play in an environment where the surfaces are little more responsive and allow you to make an impact,” Chawla told ESPNcricinfo. “It was a hard decision to move from a state where you’ve played right from the start, but pure cricketing reasons merited a move.”Chawla brushed aside murmurs of competition for places with Kuldeep Yadav being the reason for his move. “Most teams field two spinners anyway, so that isn’t the reason,” he said. “We play together at the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders. I’ve been around for 12 years now, so there’s no insecurity. I’ve read these things in the papers, but I can’t explain the reason to everyone. He’s come along very well, but for me, personally, at this stage of my career, I wanted a new perspective and I thought playing for a side that has come up tremendously would give me an opportunity to contribute in many ways.”Parthiv Patel, the Gujarat captain, felt Chawla’s experience would be invaluable. “With India playing lot of limited-overs cricket at home, there’s a possibility we may not have the services of Axar Patel throughout. We wanted to strengthen our spin department, and we’re happy to have someone of Piyush’s calibre,” he said. “We will be playing our home games in Surat and Valsad, where it turns. Having a wristspinner, we thought, would add a lot of value.”He’s also very handy lower down the order as a batsman. That skill of his is underrated. So overall, he brings a lot to the table. We had a chat last year. He indicated his willingness to come over, which we thought about ahead of the season. When we assessed our balance as a squad, considering we will defend our title, we felt we were lacking in the spin department. With Piyush coming over, we feel we have most boxes ticked.”Chawla, a Ranji Trophy winner with UP in 2005-06, the same season in which he debuted for India, led the side in 11 first-class games across three seasons. He featured in just two first-class matches in a disappointing campaign in 2016-17, when UP finished seventh in the nine-team pool, with one win, four losses and three draws.Chawla has picked up 386 wickets over 117 first-class games, 80 of which have been for UP. An IPL regular with Kolkata Knight Riders, Chawla last played for India in 2012.Other domestic transfersRobin Uthappa from Karnataka to Saurashtra
KB Arun Karthik from Assam to Kerala
Karn Sharma from Railways to Vidarbha
Ambati Rayudu from Vidarbha to Hyderabad
Pragyan Ojha from Bengal to Hyderabad
Chadrakant Pandit, the former Mumbai coach, will head Vidarbha

Manchester United could well be set to continue their summer spending spree after striking a deal for Atalanta's Rasmus Hojlund, with the towering Dane potentially set to be followed to Old Trafford by fellow Serie A star, Sofyan Amrabat.

What's the latest on Amrabat to Man United?

According to reports in Italy, the Red Devils are believed to have already lodged a bid for the Fiorentina maestro, with the 26-year-old potentially set to be up for grabs with just a year left to run on his current deal.

As per prior speculation, the former Club Brugge ace – who previously worked under Erik ten Hag at FC Utrecht – may have already reached an agreement with regard to personal terms with the Premier League side, with a transfer fee of roughly £30m having also been mooted.

Read the latest Manchester United transfer news HERE…

Despite United having already splashed out £55m in order to sign their new number seven, Mason Mount from rivals Chelsea, the club are seemingly set to further bolster their midfield ranks with the pursuit of the Moroccan international.

Who could Amrabat replace at Man United?

Various reports have indicated that Ten Hag and co are set to move for the 6 foot 1 ace once the likes of Fred and Donny van de Beek have been shipped off to pastures new, with the former Ajax boss needing to make space in his midfield department.

Those two outgoing figures may not be the only first-team assets to suffer as a result of Amrabat's arrival, however, with the Netherlands-born gem's role as something of a deep-lying playmaker potentially set to spell bad news for Christian Eriksen at the Theatre of Dreams.

The experienced Dane enjoyed a promising debut campaign in Manchester after signing on a free transfer last summer, racking up ten assists in 44 appearances in all competitions, having slotted in nicely alongside Casemiro at the base of the midfield.

Despite that strong impact, the 31-year-old did appear somewhat off the pace after returning from injury in April, with Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst notably writing that the former Tottenham Hotspur man 'could barely keep up' when faced with Manchester City's midfield in the FA Cup final.

Those shortcomings have seemingly continued in pre-season with Luckhurst again writing that Eriksen 'did not have the sharpest of games' in the recent defeat to Real Madrid, with younger, fresher legs, like Amrabat, potentially needed.

Lauded as a "monster" by journalist Carlo Garganese amid his form at last year's World Cup, the latter man is able to provide a greater defensive presence than that of the current United ace, having averaged two tackles and interceptions per game in 29 Serie A outings last term, while Eriksen averaged just 1.2 in that regard from 28 Premier League appearances.

Amrabat's quality and composure on the ball can also be seen by the fact that he ranks in the top 5% among his European peers for pass completion and in the top 8% for progressive passes, indicating that he regularly looks to set up his attack-minded teammates.

While Eriksen is only just behind in that latter metric as he ranks in the top 9% for progressive passes, the one-time Brentford maestro only ranks in the bottom 41% for pass completion, having proven more of a liability on the ball.

That should indicate that if Ten Hag is to bring in another familiar face in the form of Amrabat, then Eriksen could well find himself quickly shunted down the pecking order.