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Tottenham Hotspur are now ready to bring in Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella as a replacement for Ivan Perisic, according to a recent report from Football Transfers.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Fabrizio Romano reports that no decision has been made regarding Perisic's future at N17, however, there are question marks over whether the Croatia international will remain a Spurs player next season.

Destiny Udogie is set to be part of new manager Ange Postecoglou's plans, having spent last season on loan at Udinese, with the Australian recently making the decision to take the 20-year-old left-back on their pre-season tour of Thailand.

Udogie being handed a more prominent role in the squad could reduce Perisic's game time, and there have been reports that Daniel Levy could even end up terminating the 34-year-old's contract, amid interest from Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahce.

Bringing in at least one new centre-back appears to be the priority for Postecoglou, with Romano recently reporting that Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba remains Spurs' "top target", while they are also interested in signing Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven.

The new manager is also keen on strengthening the left side of his defence, with Football Transfers now reporting Tottenham are closely following the situation of Cucurella at Chelsea.

The Lilywhites are ready to bring the left-back in as a replacement for Perisic, and it could be a fairly easy transfer to orchestrate, as the Blues are desperate to get rid of him, although the type of fee they are set to demand is currently unclear.

Last summer, Chelsea paid £55m for the Spain international, and he is keen to remain at the club, but a move to Spurs could be an attractive proposition, given their status and location.

If Tottenham are able to sign the former Brighton & Hove Albion man, Postecoglou plans to play him alongside Yves Bissouma, as an inverted full-back, allowing his old teammate to push further up the pitch.

What positions can Marc Cucurella play?

The 24-year-old has predominantly featured in a left wing-back role throughout his career so far, however, he has also featured slightly further forward at left-wing, as well as at centre-back on occasions.

Hailed as "brilliant" by Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard, the defender was one of Brighton's top performers in the 2021/22 campaign, averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.11, the third-highest figure in the squad.

While the Spaniard has not gotten off to the best of starts at Chelsea, coming under plenty of criticism from fans and the media alike last season, there were some promising signs, with UEFA's Technical Observer Panel praising him after the Blues' victory against Borussia Dortmund, saying:

“Cucurella was fantastic, claiming numerous turnovers in the first half and reading the game intelligently as well as showing aerial strength and an accuracy of distribution which underpinned the victory for Chelsea.”

Cucurella ranks highly for some key metrics over the past year, including tackling, placing him in the 97th percentile for tackles per 90, when compared to his positional peers, and if he is able to reignite his form from his time with Brighton, he could be a solid signing for Spurs.

Chelsea will be aiming to forget about their dreadful 2022/23 campaign as new manager Mauricio Pochettino already appears to mean business in the transfer window.

Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovacic are close to securing exits, while there are a plethora of players seemingly ready to jump ship to Saudi Arabia, enticed by the barrel loads of cash on offer in the Middle East.

As well as the mass exodus occurring at Stamford Bridge, Pochettino is also looking to bring in a host of players to develop a side which can once again contest for silverware. The Stamford Bridge outfit are now leading the chase for Moises Caicedo, while goalkeeper Mike Maignan is also on their radar.

The Blues are also keeping tabs on AS Monaco defender Axel Disasi, and the Ligue 1 side will reportedly start discussions at around the €40m (£34m) mark, although Manchester United are leading the chase for the Frenchman.

He could be a shrewd signing by Pochettino, especially with Kalidou Koulibaly looking likely to leave Chelsea, while Thiago Silva isn’t exactly getting any younger – and Disasi would be a perfect heir to the Brazilian.

Could Axel Disasi improve Chelsea?

The Blues finished in a lowly 12th position in the Premier League last term, while they conceded 62 goals across all competitions, and there is no doubt they require some improvements at the back.

Silva started 26 league games last season and was one of the club's better performers, averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.26/10, ranking him first in the squad for this metric. He also ranked in the top five for interceptions and clearances per game as he clearly shows no sign of slowing down.

But he only has a year left on his current deal and the 2023/24 season will surely be his final one in England, as he will turn 39 in September, leaving someone like Disasi the opportunity to eventually become his long-term heir.

The 25-year-old is excellent at starting attacks from the back, evidenced by the fact he ranks in the top 4% across Europe’s big five leagues for progressive passes (5.80) and progressive carries per 90 (1.70). Silva, in contrast, only ranks in the top 34% for progressive passes per 90 (3.7) and in the bottom 17% for progressive carries per 90 (0.24), showing that the Frenchman may be able to fit into Pochettino’s attacking philosophy much better.

The Monaco titan has also been dubbed a “hidden gem” by talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past, and for a fee of around £34m, he could well improve the Chelsea backline as Pochettino seeks to unearth a perfect replacement for Silva once he eventually moves on from the club.

Offspinner Sohag Gazi’s three-for and batsman Mohammad Mithun’s half-century were crucial to Rangpur Riders’ third win in BPL 2016-17

The Report by Mohammad Isam17-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMohammad Mithun’s 44-ball 62 contained six fours and two sixes•Raton GomesOffspinner Sohag Gazi struck twice with the new ball, and defended 19 off a frenetic last over, which included two run-outs and a wicket, to give Rangpur Riders their third win in BPL 2016-17. The result took Rangpur to six points, and helped them draw level with Barisal Bulls and Khulna Titans.The match swung from one end to another, before Gazi sealed the deal. Chasing 176, Barisal lost Dilshan Munaweera off the first ball, and soon became 48 for 3. But Jeevan Mendis and Nadif Chowdhury brought their team back into the game with a 74-run stand for the fourth wicket. Just as they threatened to cut loose, Nadif holed out to deep cover in the 16th over off Shahid Afridi.Mendis, having made 57 in his first BPL appearance this season, fell to the scoreboard pressure in the 18th over. The caught-behind decision was a dubious one, with replays showing no signs of an edge. Thisara Perera, however, gave Barisal hope by blasting Afridi for a huge six over long-on, where he was dropped the previous ball by Rubel Hossain. The equation was reduced to 29 off the last two overs.Rubel’s first ball of the 19th over – a full toss – was dispatched over square leg for a six, but he fought back with the wickets of Rayad Emrit and Abu Hider off successive balls. He ultimately gave away ten runs in that over, leaving Thisara and Kamrul Islam Rabbi needing 20 off the final over.Rabbi was run-out off the first ball, before Taijul Isam slammed Gazi over long-on for a six. But the bowler had him stumped off the next ball, Mohammad Shahzad completing his fifth dismissal, the most by a wicketkeeper in an innings in the BPL. Barisal’s innings ended in the next ball when Arafat Sunny did a Jonty Rhodes, running in and diving into the stumps to run Al-Amin out.Earlier, Gazi had impressed with the new ball too. He took a wicket in his first over for the third match in a row, this time Munaweera getting caught down the leg side for a duck. Gazi then dismissed Shahriar Nafees for 12. When Mushfiqur Rahim was undone by Liam Dawson, Barisal stumbled to 48 for 3. Then Mendis and Nadif joined forces to revive the chase.Nadif, playing his first innings in this season’s BPL, slammed Sachitra Senanayake for three sixes in the 14th over, which eventually yielded 24 runs. Mendis, who was reprieved on 42 by Arafat Sunny at deep square leg, went onto make his second T20 fifty, but it wasn’t enough.Having opted to bowl, Barisal dismissed Rangpur’s openers in five overs. Soumya Sarkar was the first to go, when Mushfiqur effected a cunning stumping, after he had hit Al-Amin Hossain for three consecutive fours. Shahzad did not last too long either, falling to a catch to short third man.Mohammad Mithun, though, hit rhythm with three boundaries in four balls, including a cover drive and a slog sweep. He dominated a 78-run stand for the third wicket with Dawson, who scored 46 off 36 balls, including three fours and a six.Mithun’s sixes came when he whipped Rabi over square leg and then blasted Mendis over cover. His knock ended when he was bowled by Thisara’s slower delivery for 62 in the 15th over. Afridi then smacked two sixes and a four in his 10-ball 22. Once he holed out to point off Thisara at the start of the 18th over, Rangpur added only 16 runs in 2.5 overs, but it didn’t cost them in the end.

تفاعل رئيس نادي برشلونة، خوان لابورتا، مع مجموعة من مشجعي الفريق الكتالوني، خلال حضوره إحدى الفعاليات مساء الجمعة.

وأكد لابورتا في تصريحاته التي نشرتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية، على ضرورة التكاتف سويًا ومواصلة دعم المدرب تشافي هيرنانديز حتى نهاية مشواره مع برشلونة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. طبيب أجويرو يوضح مدى إمكانية عودته من الاعتزال

وسبق أن أعلن تشافي أنه ينوي مغادرة نادي برشلونة، كمدرب للفريق، نهاية الموسم الحالي.

وقال لابورتا: “برشلونة ليس لديه سوى نحن، مشجعو برشلونة، قوتنا تأتي من هويتنا وتاريخنا ونموذج ملكيتنا، وهو نموذج ترابطي سيدافع عنه دائمًا مجلس الإدارة الذي أتشرف برئاسته، سنضمن أن يكون النادي دائمًا في أيدي أعضاء برشلونة”.

وأضاف: “علينا أن نكون أقرب من أي وقت مضى إلى فرقنا ومدربينا ولاعبينا، إذا رأى اللاعبون أنكم لا تستسلمون أبدًا، فلن يستسلموا أيضًا”.

وواصل: “هنا علينا أن نقاتل حتى النهاية، فهذا جزء من جوهرنا التنافسي، يجب أن نكون مع لاعبينا ومدربنا، لن نستسلم، سنقاتل من أجل الدوري الإسباني ودوري أبطال أوروبا، كل شيء ممكن”.

واختتم: “تشافي هو رجل من حجر، وسيقاتل حتى النهاية، أنا أعطيه أقصى قدر من الدعم”.

BCCI president Anurag Thakur has said India will not play any day-night Test at home this season. Thakur put to rest speculation on India hosting their first ever day-night Test in the long home season comprising 13 Tests which will be played up to March.Thakur said more experiments like the one in Duleep Trophy were needed before BCCI took the final call on introducing the pink ball in Tests.”It is too early to say anything [about pink ball]. As far as trying it in Duleep Trophy under lights is concerned, it was a big success. But you need to look at overall picture before you take the final call,” Thakur told .”I think we need to look into many areas before we take the final call. I would like to go into details in a scientific manner to take the final call. As of now, we are not ready to implement pink ball this season.”The pink ball was initially expected to be used in the ongoing Test series with New Zealand but the decision was put off amid speculation that it could be done in the upcoming home series against England and Australia. India are also scheduled to play a one-off Test against Bangladesh. Thakur explained why more time was needed before using the pink ball for the first time.”I think we need to take the final call after keeping a few things in mind. First, how to make it more interesting [for fans] and result-oriented,” he said. “If you have matches like the one in Kanpur [which lasted five days], well done.”Then we don’t need to do anything. Second, how do you involve more fans who come to the ground or watch it on TV? Third, you really need to look into areas as to how [pink ball] is impacting Test cricket at a time when enough people are not coming to watch Test cricket. What are the real reasons behind it?One more factor to be considered, he said, was the role of pink ball or red ball in terms of seam, shine, turn, swing and late swing.”With the red ball, you can have reverse swing after 20-25 overs, but with pink you can’t. So the challenge for batsman goes away,” Thakur said.This season’s Duleep Trophy attracted mixed responses about the use of pink ball from the current and former players. Thakur said the pink ball should be tested in at least a couple of domestic seasons before it is used in Tests.”Even if you have to play with pink ball, you should play two-three seasons with it in domestic cricket. Let us look at the ball, how it behaves, how the grounds behave.”Let us take Test matches to smaller venues and see if it makes any difference. You need to take it to much smaller centres where people have not seen international cricket. We must segregate Test and ODI venues and take Test cricket to smaller venues.”The way we have opened up new Test centres. Now we will wait and see how the response is in all these venues. That will be a real Test for the BCCI.”

Varun Chopra, the England Lions batsman, has agreed a deal to return to Essex

George Dobell02-Aug-2016

Varun Chopra, the England Lions batsman, has agreed a deal to return to Essex. Chopra, who is currently with Warwickshire, started his career with Essex and scored a century on Championship debut for the club as an 18-year-old. But he left in pursuit of more opportunities at the end of 2009 and has enjoyed seven largely successful seasons in Birmingham.He helped Warwickshire to the County Championship title in 2012 and was captain when they won the domestic T20 competition for the first time in 2014. He was the only man at the club to score 1000 runs in each Championship season between 2011 and 2013 and won a place in the Lions side as a result.He stepped down as captain before the 2016 season largely as he felt the responsibility was compromising his pursuit of an England place – aged 29, time is running out to achieve that ambition – and was replaced by Ian Bell.His relationship with the Warwickshire team management has sourced in recent times, however, and he has been left out of the white-ball sides for most of this season. The club confirmed a few weeks ago that they would not be offering him a new contract at the end of this season. He has now signed a three-year deal with Essex.”I am delighted to be rejoining Essex, a club where I have fond memories from the early stages of my career,” Chopra said. “I look forward to returning as a more developed player and being part of a talented, ambitious and exciting team led by Chris Silverwood.”As I enter a key stage in my career, I am intent on contributing in all formats of the game and in doing that, I hope to achieve my desire to play for England. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Warwickshire, the players and the fans at Edgbaston for their support over the past seven seasons.”While Warwickshire have suggested Chopra did not completely buy into their long-term plans for the club, the policy of leaving him out in limited-overs cricket has hindered their progress this season. In the one T20 match he played, Chopra made an unbeaten 97 – the highest score by a non-overseas player in Warwickshire’s T20 history – to help Birmingham Bears to victory, yet he was then omitted and the club failed to qualify for the quarter-finals.Chris Silverwood, Essex’s head coach, said: “We are delighted Varun is re-joining us and coming back to the club where he started his professional career. His Division One experience will be invaluable to our batting line-up and younger players. It is great to have an Essex man coming back to the club and he will be a great addition for us moving forward.”

Tillakaratne Dilshan has informed Sri Lanka Cricket that he will be unavailable for the limited-overs series in England and Ireland, owing to personal issues

Andrew Fidel Fernando31-May-2016

Tillakaratne Dilshan has informed Sri Lanka Cricket that he will be unavailable for the limited-overs series in England and Ireland, owing to personal issues. The limited-overs squads for England have not yet been named, but Sri Lanka are scheduled to play five ODIs and a T20 international in the country, as well as two ODIs in Dublin soon after the third Test.The news is a significant blow to the team, as Dilshan has been Sri Lanka’s most-consistent limited-overs batsman over the past two years. In 2015 Dilshan hit 1207 ODI runs at an average of 52.47. That aggregate put him on third on the year’s run-scorers’ list.His withdrawal also extends the instability Sri Lanka have experienced at the top of their limited-overs batting order. Kusal Perera is expected to open the batting in the shorter formats after being cleared of doping charges, but Sri Lanka will now have to find a partner for him for the series.Dilshan, now 39, had suggested he was not thinking of limited-overs retirement during the recent World T20. He retired from Tests in late 2013.The ODIs commence on June 16, in Ireland, before Sri Lanka return to play England. The first match of that series is at Nottingham on June 21.

Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling wants to stay at Stamford Bridge despite an inconsistent first season at the Blues, according to journalist Alex Crook.

What's the latest news involving Raheem Sterling?

Sterling has been one of many signings at Chelsea that haven't entirely experienced the level of success that many would've hoped since he joined from Manchester City last summer for £47.5 million.

In 33 appearances this term, the 27-year-old has netted seven goals and claimed three assists, as per Transfermarkt, with his last strike in the Premier League coming way back on New Year's Day away to Nottingham Forest.

Football Insider claimed in January that Chelsea would be willing to 'listen to offers' for Sterling despite the attacker only pitching up at Stamford Bridge last summer, owing to the fact he hasn't made the impact expected of him during his spell.

With Chelsea continuing to struggle for form on the pitch, The Sun gave Sterling a rating of just 5/10 for his performance in the Blues' 2-0 defeat at home to Brentford in midweek.

The Londoners sit 11th in the Premier League table with just six games left to play and find themselves only ten points above the relegation zone, which indicates how underwhelming 2022/23 has turned out in west London.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Crook believes that despite a difficult period at Chelsea, Sterling will want to be a part of endeavours moving forward into next campaign.

Crook said: "Obviously, Mason Mount has got a decision to make about his future.

"Raheem Sterling is committed to the club, despite what's been suggested elsewhere. I think he wants to be part of the project moving forward.”

Can Raheem Sterling be a key player for Chelsea in 2023/24?

Sterling may be going through a dry patch at the moment, but he is definitely a player that can excel in the right environment, evidenced by his successful time at Manchester City.

In 2021/22, the England international notched 17 strikes and nine assists in 47 outings for the Citizens, providing a consistent stream of goals for Pep Guardiola's men from the flank, as per Transfermarkt.

The £325k-a-week ace benefits from playing in a defined tactical framework, which Chelsea have lacked this season and has caused them to underperform.

In a sea of young talent at Stamford Bridge, Sterling – who was hailed "magic" during the Euros – will be hoping to use all of his experience next term to try and help Chelsea get back to their old selves following a disappointing campaign.

But performances like Wednesday night may not to his cause any favours with the Englishman failing to register a single shot on target against Brentford (via SofaScore).

There are few top-tail left-arm bowlers like him, who have the chops in the powerplay as well as at the death

Deivarayan Muthu24-Jan-20251:37

What makes Arshdeep stand out?

An India fast bowler has been dominating T20Is over the past three years, and his name is not Jasprit Bumrah. On Wednesday, he became India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, leapfrogging Yuzvendra Chahal, after besting England’s top order in Kolkata. He’s now on the verge of becoming the fastest quick bowler to 100 T20I wickets. If he gets there on Saturday in Chennai, he will become the third-fastest overall to the landmark after Rashid Khan and Sandeep Lamichhane.Since making his T20I debut in July 2022, Arshdeep Singh has grown into an all-round, all-purpose bowler: he gets the new ball to hoop around; if it doesn’t swing, he keeps it tight; and then brings excellent defensive skills in the end overs. Besides nailing the yorker, from both over and around the wicket, he has a deceptive bouncer in his repertoire. It’s not for nothing that Arshdeep is the leading wicket-taker in the powerplay (42) and death (46) – the toughest phases in the format – in T20Is since his debut.Even England’s Bazballers couldn’t prevent him from bossing both those phases in the T20I series opener at Eden Gardens. Phil Salt is among the fastest-scoring batters in the powerplay, but Arshdeep left him scoreless with a back-of-a-length delivery that seamed and burst off the deck, drawing a leading edge to the keeper.Related

• Can England's batters find a way to test India's bowling depth?

• Bumrah, Jaiswal and Kuldeep picked in India's Champions Trophy squad

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In his next over, a game of cat-and-mouse ensued between Arshdeep and Ben Duckett. The England batter had originally shaped to scoop Arshdeep over short fine and upon spotting it, Arshdeep shifted his lines much wider of off and pitched it very full. Duckett adjusted well and ended up reverse-scooping Arshdeep over short third for four. Arshdeep shifted his line back to the stumps and subtly dragged his length back to also have Duckett skying a leading edge next ball. Even Jos Buttler and Harry Brook couldn’t get him away in an outstanding opening spell of 3-0-10-2. Arshdeep then returned for the 19th over, closing out his shift with nifty slower variations and yorkers.These variations and his mastery over them make Arshdeep a special bowler. After Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra had retired, India’s selectors had cast their nets far and wide to find the next left-arm seamer. While they trialled Jaydev Unadkat, Barinder Sran, S Aravind, Khaleel Ahmed and T Natarajan in the role over the years, nobody had Arshdeep’s range.”If you remember, Arshdeep came into the spotlight in the IPL by bowling the tough overs for Punjab Kings,” Sanjay Manjrekar said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time:Out show. “He bowled the death overs also very well and then started playing for India. I think it was in England that we saw him swing the ball for the first time, with the new ball. So that was like an added feature to Arshdeep, who looked like an all-purpose T20 bowler but somebody who could swing the ball… But [in the first T20I], you saw more seam [movement] off the pitch; so there was some smartness there.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”He realised that there was enough in the pitch to bowl shorter and not try and get the ball full. He made life really difficult for the opening batters. He’s somebody who has got swing, seam, he can bowl the bouncer and has got the yorker as well. India are fortunate to see Arshdeep finding his stride here.”Even in T20 cricket globally, there are very few top-tail left-arm bowlers like Arshdeep. Trent Boult is the OG new-ball ace, he doesn’t quite have the defensive skills at the death. Marco Jansen can also get the new ball to hoop around, but he, too, tends to leak runs in the end overs. Moreover, Jansen has often cracked under pressure and has struggled to find a way back.Arshdeep, like every other bowler, has copped punishment at the death, but he is so unflappable that he finds a way back. In the first T20I against New Zealand in Ranchi two years ago, Arshdeep had conceded 7(nb), 6,6,4 in the last over and it cost India a fair bit. In the second T20I in Lucknow at the death, he responded with 2-0-7-2.In December 2023, at a much smaller ground against Australia, the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Arshdeep gave up 37 in his first three overs, but he nervelessly defended nine off the final over to go from “culprit” to hero.Arshdeep Singh produced a double-strike with the new ball at Eden Gardens•BCCIEarlier in 2022, after having dropped a catch against Pakistan in an Asia Cup thriller in Dubai, he was met with the vilest abuse on social media. In his next game against Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup at the MCG, though, he swung out Babar Azam and bounced out Mohammad Rizwan in the powerplay. He fronted up to bowl the difficult overs in the injury-enforced absence of Bumrah at the time.In the next T20 World Cup, which India won, Arshdeep came away as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 17 strikes at an economy rate of 6.31. Who can forget his defensive masterclass in the four-run penultimate over against David Miller and Keshav Maharaj in the famous final in Barbados?Arshdeep’s adaptability and bouncebackability then had seven of the ten teams bidding for him at the IPL 2025 auction last December. India’s team management now believes that those skills can be valuable in ODIs as well in the upcoming Champions Trophy.In T20Is, at 25, he has already established himself as one of the best in the world and his race to 100 wickets can only embellish his status even further.

“I was trying to follow the way I bat in first-class cricket. I didn’t want to think this is a big Test match”

Mohammad Isam17-Dec-20220:55

Jaffer: Zakir showed great technique and temperament

A century on Test debut against India has capped a remarkable three weeks for Zakir Hasan. He displayed impressive strokeplay and sound temperament as he staved off India’s attack in Chattogram. He manipulated the field well, driving the ball effectively off the front foot while also being steady off the back foot.With his debut hundred, he moved ahead of the other openers in the reckoning. Once Tamim Iqbal returns from injury, the team management will have to choose between Zakir and Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who was the incumbent opener since November last year. Shanto will probably move back to No. 3 in that case. Meanwhile, Shadman Islam and Saif Hassan are now out of favour.Around late November, though, Zakir wasn’t even in the picture, despite being the highest run-getter in this season’s National Cricket League, Bangladesh’s premier first-class competition. Zakir only made it to the Bangladesh A side after Towhid Hridoy’s groin injury ruled him out of the first unofficial Test against India A.Related

• Bangladesh in 2022: big milestones, but miles to go in all formats

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• India inch closer to Chattogram success despite Zakir's resistance

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• Can Bangladesh's batters take a leaf out of their bowlers' book?

Zakir made a duck in the first innings but with the home side needing to survive the last five sessions of the four-day game, he responded with a ten-hour marathon. His 173, which included 16 fours and three sixes, steered Bangladesh to safety.It was a performance that forced the selectors to take notice of him. He had stood up against Navdeep Saini, Mukesh Kumar and Saurabh Kumar whose left-arm spin was vital to India A dismissing Bangladesh A for 112 in the first innings.”That innings provided me with a lot of confidence,” Zakir said at the end of the fourth day’s play in Chattogram. “I was trying to follow the same process of that innings. It was in the back of the mind that I must stick to the process when playing the innings. A big score leading into a national call-up is certainly a turning point.”Zakir then brought his Bangladesh A form into Test cricket. After having been watchful against seamers Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj on the third evening and fourth morning, he appeared more comfortable against India’s spin trio. He took Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel for three fours each and R Ashwin for five. He also showed he can build partnerships, which allowed Shanto bat fluently at the other end. However, after Shanto got out, he adopted a more conservative approach.Zakir Hasan scored a classy century on debut to drag the Chattogram Test into the fifth day•BCB”I was trying to follow the way I bat in first-class cricket,” Zakir said.” I didn’t want to think this is a big Test match. I tried to be as simple as possible. It was the same when I was in the nineties. I tried to follow the preparation and concentration when I bat in the nineties in first-class cricket. I was trying to follow it every ball.”It felt good reaching the hundred. I didn’t have much expectations. I wanted to bat long, since we are facing two days and a big total.”Zakir said that his vast domestic experience helped him deal with the pressures of Test cricket. Zakir’s first Test was his 70th first-class game – only Mohammad Mithun, Nazimuddin and Ariful Haque have played more first-class games in Bangladesh before playing Test cricket. Zakir isn’t a regular opener, but his experience of facing the new ball regularly at No.3 at Sylhet and South Zone helped him settle at the top.”I have usually batted at No 3 and 4,” Zakir said. “I haven’t opened the batting much. I usually face the new ball in first-class cricket. At times you get to bat after the first ball if you are at No 3, so you have to face the new ball. I was confident.”The Dukes ball swung for almost 80 overs in this season’s conditions. Kookaburra usually swings for less time so I think it was slightly easier for me. I think I held on to my temperament because I played so much first-class cricket. I have a number of big innings in that format. I think I knew my process about scoring runs quite well.”Zakir is only 24, but has already experienced several highs and lows. A strong start to his domestic career propelled him into the Bangladesh T20I side, but after a solitary appearance, he was sent back to the grind. Zakir rebuilt himself in the last two years, however, averaging 54.63 over six tournaments. His conversion rate is particularly impressive: he scored eight centuries and two fifties.Zakir, though, has a quiet presence in Bangladesh cricket. He hails from Sylhet, a region that is no longer known for its batting prowess. Fast bowlers Abu Jayed, Ebadot Hossain and Khaled Ahmed have recently broken into the national side from Sylhet. Zakir’s success, however, is a triumph for domestic cricket. He seized his chance and broke the door down.