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Uttarakhand make it five in five, Karnataka lodge protest against Saurashtra. More in our Ranji round-up

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2018Aaron gives Odisha heartbreakOdisha had to endure a massive heartbreak in Ranchi, going down by two runs to Jharkhand for their second loss of the season. This was their narrowest loss in terms of runs in the competition. Subhranshu Senapati, the 21 year old, who is fast becoming their new batting lynchpin was the last man standing, unbeaten on 157 when Varun Aaron castled No. 11 Dhiraj Singh.Odisha were down and out at 193 for 9 in their chase of 260. The last-wicket pair added 64 to take them within touching distance. This loss dents Odisha’s chances of a knockouts berth, as they’re now placed sixth in Group C with 13 points in five matches. The top two sides in the group – Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh – are on 28 and 24 points respectively.That Jharkhand gave themselves a shot at victory was thanks largely to a solid second-innings unbeaten 132 by former captain Saurabh Tiwary. The win puts Jharkhand within touching distance of the top two, with four matches still remaining.Uttarakhand all but through to knockoutsUttarakhand are well on their way to the quarter-finals in their debut season. Their fifth win on the trot took them 14 points clear of second-placed Meghalaya in the Plate Group. Mumbai have the biggest winning streak of eight matches in the tournament’s history, a feat they achieved between 1961-62 and 1962-63 seasons. Fast bowler Deepak Dhapola, who finished with a match haul of 11 for 111, is now the leading wicket-taker of the season. His 37 wickets in four matches have come at a mind-boggling average of 9.89 and a strike rate of 23.6.Karnataka protest”I’m happy we made 91 in the second innings.”The irony wasn’t lost on anyone as Vinay Kumar gave his appraisal of the Rajkot surface where Karnataka were trounced by Saurashtra for their first loss this season. For the record, both sides were shot out for under 100 in the second innings, with the match finishing close to tea on the third day.A day after the match, the KSCA confirmed they had lodged an official complaint with the BCCI over the nature of the Rajkot surface, where the spinners picked up 38 of the 40 wickets. Both ends were abrasive, with plenty of cracks and indentations that had the ball shooting up, leaving both sides preferring to sometimes bring on their part-time spinners. Vinay and Abhimanyu Mithun, Karnataka’s pace duo, had minimal roles with the ball, while Saurashtra fielded an all-spin attack.This, Sudhakar Rao, the KSCA secretary, argued was the biggest hint that they’d laid out an underprepared surface.”The pitch was under-prepared. We had filed one complaint on the first day itself,” he said. Saurashtra didn’t have a medium pacer in their playing XI and they opened the bowling with spinners. It appears that the nature of the pitch was pre-planned. We don’t think a neutral curator was consulted. As a punishment, we want the touring team to be awarded full points.”Click here for all the Ranji Trophy scorecards from this roundTamil Nadu win, finallyIt’s increasingly becoming a trend they do not want to carry any further. After doing all the early running, Kerala slipped to their second straight loss this season, this time to Tamil Nadu at Chepauk. It was no coincidence that for a second straight outing, Jalaj Saxena, their talismanic allrounder, had a forgettable outing. This loss does not entirely rule them out of knockouts contention, but comes as a blow nonetheless. For Tamil Nadu, it was vital, for it keeps them in the hunt after wet weather denied them in the first two matches of the season.The hero was T Natarajan, the left-arm seamer, who picked up his first five-wicket haul of the season to give his side a 151-run victory. This was the first five-for by a Tamil Nadu fast bowler at home since J Kaushik’s feat during the 2011-12 season.Here’s the winning moment:

#RanjiTrophy @TNCACricket beat Kerala. @Natarajan_91 takes five wickets! Eight wickets in the match. It's been quite a while since a TN pacer took a fifer at Chepauk! pic.twitter.com/Q30rZ03bXI

— Bagawati Prasad (@Baggs0404) December 9, 2018

Gambhir signs offHaving spent a majority of his time during the second innings off the field, Gautam Gambhir was denied a final innings for Delhi on the final day of their fixture against Andhra. Delhi batted out a draw after pocketing a first innings lead. Later after the match, he took centre stage at a felicitation ceremony with both teams in attendance at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

PSG & Marseille have been handed a boost by Ligue 1 authorities as their league fixtures have been rescheduled ahead of their European semifinals.

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PSG & Marseille competing for European gloryPSG set to face Dortmund, whereas Marseille will take on AtalantaLeague fixtures deferred to provide ample recovery timeWHAT HAPPENED?

With the football season reaching its climax and matches piling up, Ligue 1 has recognised the need to provide PSG and Marseille with ample recovery time ahead of their pivotal European encounters. The rescheduling of league fixtures is expected to afford the teams a longer preparation period, enhancing their chances of success on the continental stage.

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The LFP Board of Directors convened on Friday to deliberate on the scheduling adjustments for PSG and Marseille, considering the clubs' participation in the semifinals of prestigious European competitions. The Reims versus Marseille and Nice against Paris Saint-Germain fixtures, originally slated for the 32nd matchday, will now take place on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 9:00pm.

Furthermore, recognising the ripple effect of rescheduling on other clubs, the LFP Board of Directors has taken proactive measures to accommodate Reims and Nice. The matches between Stade Brestois 29 and Reims, as well as Nice and Havre AC, originally scheduled for the 33rd matchday, have been brought forward to Friday, May 10, 2024.

To ensure fairness and maintain the integrity of the league schedule, all other matches of the 33rd matchday of Ligue 1 Uber Eats will proceed as planned on Sunday, May 12, 2024, at 9:00 p.m. This adjustment accounts for Marseille's involvement in the Europa League semifinal return leg, which precedes the league fixtures.

DID YOU KNOW?

After knocking Barcelona out of the Champions League quarterfinals with a 6-4 aggregate win, PSG are slated to take on Borussia Dortmund on May 1 in the first leg, followed by the crucial second leg on May 7. Mbappe & Co. will have a rest period of six days ahead of the match at the Parc des Princes which should help them. Similarly, Marseille will also have no domestic commitments between their two European legs which is another boost to their hopes of winning the competition.

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The rescheduling of fixtures underscores Ligue 1's proactive approach to bolstering the performance of French clubs in UEFA tournaments and elevating France's index ranking, a key strategic objective for the league. PSG will be back in action against Lyon on Sunday, while Marseille will face Toulouse on the same day.

Newcastle United are "genuinely interested" in a player they have scouted extensively in the last 12 months, according to a fresh claim from journalist Dean Jones.

Newcastle keen on new striker

The Magpies are likely to make new signings in the January transfer window, with midfield an area of focus after the 10-month ban handed to Sandro Tonali for breaching betting rules.

Plenty of central players have been seen as transfer targets in recent times, although Manchester City and England ace Kalvin Phillips has arguably emerged as Newcastle's primary option to come in and boost their Premier League top four hopes.

Newcastle could sign a bigger talent than Joelinton for £34m

This “excellent” £34m midfielder could be Newcastle United’s long-term replacement for Joelinton.

ByAdam Scully Nov 27, 2023

Away from the midfield, though, it could also be that Eddie Howe looks to acquire the services of another striker, with both Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak in and out of the team through injury this season. VfB Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy has been linked with a move to St James' Park, as he enjoys a stunning season that has seen him score 15 goals in 10 Bundesliga appearances so far this season.

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain attacker Hugo Ekitike is another who has been mooted as a Newcastle target, with a lack of game time coming his way at the Ligue 1 giants currently.

Newcastle "genuinely interested" in Hugo Ekitike

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones talked up Newcastle's interest in Ekitike, claiming that the Magpies have scouted him heavily in recent times.

"The situation around Ekitike is interesting because Newcastle still genuinely interested him. They had a long-standing interest in him previously, and I don't think the fact that he didn't choose them last time around will especially go against him or anything if they choose to pursue this avenue.

"I think that there is a concern at Newcastle about being left short in attack in the new year, and I think that they're starting to look towards ways that they could reinvent that attack or at least bolster it up. Since Ekitike is not getting game time at PSG, he’s emerging as a player they've got well-sourced reports on in scouting."

Ekitike isn't necessarily the finished article as a player right now, considering he is still only 21 years of age, but he is someone who could provide great competition for Wilson and Isak, and be seen as a long-term replacement for the former, who is now in his 30s.

The Frenchman has found it difficult to make his mark at PSG in recent years – no great surprise, considering he had Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar ahead of him in the pecking order last season and now Goncalo Ramos – but the Newcastle transfer target has still managed four goals and assists apiece in 33 appearances overall.

Ekitike's former manager Oscar Garcia has said that there is "something very special about him" in the past, and there is no reason why he couldn't blossom into a formidable player under Howe, enjoying a new lease of life away from his current club.

Crewe Alexandra's Lee Bell was enraged that Wrexham's James McClean was allowed to stay on the pitch following his involvement in a first-half tussle.

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James McClean involved in scuffleCrewe boss believes McClean should be sent offWrexham win 3-0 over play-off chasing CreweGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Bell accused authorities of neglecting to take action against the Irishman, who became enraged following a late challenge by Aaron Rowe, which resulted in Red Dragons goalscorer Ollie Palmer serving as a peacemaker. Referee Seb Stockbridge gave McClean and Rowe yellow cards, but after the break, he showed a red card to Crewe defender Ryan Cooney, ending their chances of a comeback after falling behind to first-half efforts from Palmer and Paul Mullin.

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Speaking to the Crewe Alexandra media, Bell said: "I’m bitterly disappointed to lose at home again as we had looked much better and with a lot more energy. It was a very even game but then there was a flash-point in the first half which was absolutely ridiculous and I’m quite kind to referees.

"I know James (McClean) but he should have been sent off, but Wrexham aren’t bothered and the referees aren’t bothered.

"When I got sent off recently I was told that I wasn’t being aggressive, but when you start putting fingers in mouth and putting your head towards people you should be sent off.

"We will take the defeat but at 1-0 down Wrexham should have been down to 10 men. Straight from what went on with that we conceded and that made it a really difficult task against a really good team."

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The game was a dead rubber for Wrexham as they had already secured automatic promotion to League One. However, for the Railwaymen, it meant that they dropped all three points in a match where they could have confirmed the play-offs spot.

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WHAT NEXT FOR CREWE AND WREXHAM?

Crewe will be in action on Saturday, April 27 when they take on relegation-battlers, Colchester. Meanwhile, Wrexham will take on League Two champions, Stockport County on the same day.

Sanju Samson and Sachin Baby starred in Kerala’s win against Himachal, while Punjab and Bengal returned home with an honourable – but inconsequential – draw

Saurabh Somani10-Jan-2019Kerala’s dash to the finish lineA stirring fourth-innings chase by Kerala handed them a victory against Himachal Pradesh and six points, vaulting the team into the Ranji Trophy 2018-19 quarter-finals. Kerala will join Vidarbha, Saurashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the quarter-finals.Ranji Trophy 2018-19 quarter-finals:

(to be played from January 15 to 19)
QF1: Vidharbha (1st in A and B) vs Uttarakhand (1st in Group D) in Vidarbha
QF2: Saurashtra (2nd in A and B) vs Uttar Pradesh (2nd in Group C) in Uttar Pradesh
QF3: Karnataka (3rd in A and B) vs Rajasthan (1st in Group C) in Karnataka
QF4: Kerala (4th in A and B) vs Gujarat (5th in A and B) in Kerala

The identity of the teams that eventually qualified depended largely on two games on the final day of the league phase: Kerala’s match against Himachal, and Punjab’s game against Bengal.Himachal declared on their overnight 285 for 8, setting Kerala a target of 297 at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium in Nadaun. Kerala responded brilliantly, getting to 299 for 5 in 67 overs. Vinoop Manoharan, who was promoted to open the innings, hit 96 off 143 to set the chase on track. There was a brief wobble when Manoharan and Mohammed Azharuddeen fell in quick succession, but an 88-run stand for the fifth wicket off 104 balls between captain Sachin Baby (92 off 134) and Sanju Samson (61* off 53) put Kerala on the brink of victory. Himachal had declared, having scored rapidly in their second innings, because they too were chasing victory to progress to the knockouts.However, Kerala won the race, and now have 26 points to show, level with Gujarat and Baroda, but ahead on quotient. Gujarat edged out Baroda in turn due to a higher quotient, and thus booked their place in the knockouts.Shahbaz Nadeem took three of Gujarat’s four wickets•Sunny ShindeAn inconsequential drawEither of Bengal or Punjab could have upset the equations if their match had ended in an outright result, but despite a valiant chase by Punjab, it produced a draw. Punjab had taken a stranglehold early in the match, replying to Bengal’s 187 with 447. Bengal, however, showed plenty of spunk in their 432 for 6 declared in the second innings. Abhimanyu Easwaran ended a superb season with 201 not-out, his first double-hundred, while captain Manoj Tiwary made 105 as Bengal ensured they would stave off defeat. Tiwary then gave Punjab 16 overs to chase 173. In a surprise move, fast bowler Manpreet Gony was promoted to No. 3 and he smashed 58 off 28, but with Punjab 132 for 5 in 15 overs, the teams shook hands. It was Gony’s second half-century in the match, following a career-best 69 not-out in the first innings.While Bengal did emerge with an honourable draw, what both teams needed was an outright win – and denied that, neither could finish in the top five of the combined A and B groups to qualify for the knockouts.Manoj Tiwary gazes into the distance•PTI The Jharkhand heartbreak
Despite the entire first day being washed out at the Gandhi Memorial Science College Ground in Jammu, Jharkhand beat Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by an innings and 48 runs. Saurabh Tiwary’s 134 led their batting effort, while Shahbaz Nadeem starred with the ball once again, taking 4 for 43 as J&K were bowled out for 120 on the final day. The win took Jharkhand to 40 points, just behind Uttar Pradesh, who went through with 41 points.Jharkhand were badly hit by the previous round, when Tripura’s dawdle meant only 22 overs were bowled in an extended final session, stopping Jharkhand at 144 for 7 when set 153 to win. That left Jharkhand with only three points for a first-innings lead, when a win would have given them six points.Punjab, too, will look back on this season as one of near-misses. In their first match, they replied to Andhra’s 423 with 414, missing out on a first-innings lead by just ten runs. Later on, Hyderabad made 317, and Punjab were bowled out for 303 in reply. They still had perhaps the most exciting chase of the season, finishing on 324 for 8 when set 338 to win, led by an inspired century from Shubman Gill. Then came another near-miss in the final league game. They were similarly affected in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in September-October 2018, having to share points with Goa after piling on 359 for 4 and reducing Goa to 46 for 2 in ten overs before rain arrived, a result that materially affected their chances of making the quarter-finals.Brief ScoresGroups A & B
Saurashtra 356 (Harvik Desai 74, Sheldon Jackson 65, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja 72, Suniket Bingewar 3-68, Yash Thakur 4-92) & 218/2d (Vishvaraj Jadeja 105*, Sheldon Jackson 53*) drew with Vidarbha 280/9d (Wasim Jaffer 98, Mohit Kale 66, Jaydev Unadkat 6-56) in Rajkot.

Baroda 223 (Vishnu Solanki 69, Deepak Hooda 51, Shubhang Hegde 4-74, Shreyas Gopal 4-47) & 110/8 (Yusuf Pathan 41, Prasidh Krishna 3-14) beat Karnataka 112 (Manish Pandey 43, Lukman Meriwala 3-22, Bhargav Bhatt 3-27) & 220 (KV Siddharth 64, Manish Pandey 50, Bhargav Bhatt 5-116, Deepak Hooda 5-31) by two wickets in Vadodara.

Bengal 187 (Sudip Chatterjee 52, Shreevats Goswami 57, Vinay Choudhary 6-62) & 432/6d (Abhimanyu Easwaran 201*, Manoj Tiwary 105, Mayank Markande 3-123) drew with Punjab 447 (Shubman Gill 91, Anmolpreet Singh 126, Manpreet Gony 69*, Mukesh Kumar 5-114, Pradipta Pramanik 4-108) & 132/5 (Manpreet Gony 58) in Kolkata.
Mumbai 188 (Vikran Auti 43, Suryakumar Yadav 43, Pankaj Rao 3-53) & 92/1 (Jay Bista 49*) beat Chhattisgarh 129 (Amandeep Khare 48, Shardul Thakur 4-32, Tushar Deshpande 5-46) & 149 (Vishal Kushwah 47, Tushar Deshpande 4-53, Shardul Thakur 4-47) by nine wickets in Mumbai.

Tamil Nadu 432 (Abhinav Mukund 134, B Indrajith 86, P Ranjan Paul 78, Shahrukh Khan 55, Vikas Mishra 5-142, Shivam Sharma 4-105) & 113/1d (N Jagadeesan 59*) drew with Delhi 336 (Jonty Sidhu 140*, Lalit Yadav 91, Sai Kishore 5-90) in Chennai.
Kerala 286 (P Rahul 127, Sanju Samson 50, Rishi Dhawan 3-68, Arpit Guleria 5-47) & 299/5 (V Manoharan 96, Sachin Baby 92, Sanju Samson 61*) beat Himachal Pradesh 297 (Ankit Kalsi 101, Raghav Dhawan 58, MD Nidheesh 6-88) & 285/8d (Ankit Kalsi 64, Rishi Dhawan 85, Sijomon Joseph 4-51) by five wickets in Nadaun.

Railways 259 (Mahesh Rawat 89, Satyajeet Bachhav 8-108) beat Maharashtra 70 (Avinash Yadav 4-38) & 131 (Avinash Yadav 5-71, Harsh Tyagi 4-29) by an innings and 58 runs in Delhi.

Group C
Uttar Pradesh 619 (Akshdeep Nath 81, Rinku Singh 149, Upendra Yadav 138, Ranji Mali 4-127) drew with Assam 175 (Pallav Das 75, Yash Dayal 3-15, Saurabh Kumar 3-25) & 317/4 (Rahul Hazarika 63, Gokul Sharma 100*, Swarupam Purkayastha 67) in Kanpur.

Odisha 352 (Sandeep Pattnaik 100, Shantanu Mishra 59, Suryakant Pradhan 65, Lakshay Garg 3-87, Amogh Desai 3-77) & 151 (Sujit Lenka 39, Krishna Das 4-57, Lakshay Garg 5-75) beat Goa 116 (Sagun Kamat 43, Rajesh Mohanty 3-52, Suryakant Pradhan 5-48) & 111 (Amogh Desai 28, Basant Mohanty 4-21, Rajesh Mohanty 5-49) by 276 runs in Cuttack.

Haryana 149 (Shubham Rohillla 64, Arun Bamal 7-42) & 104/4 (Ankit Kumar 72*, Navneet Singh 3-22) beat Services 170 (Vikas Hathwala 54, Tinu Kundu 6-60, Amit Rana 4-55) & 79 (Diwesh Pathania 25, Tinu Kundu 5-35, Amit Rana 4-24) by six wickets in Lahli.

Jharkhand 319/9d (Kumar Deobrat 74, Saurabh Tiwary 134, Rasikh Salam 3-47, Parvez Rasool 4-98) beat Jammu and Kashmir 151 (Owais Shah 76, Ajay Yadav 5-16, Anukul Roy 3-27) & 120 (Rasikh Salam 40, Shahbaz Nadeem 4-43, Anukul Roy 3-42) by an innings and 48 runs in Jammu.

Rajasthan 218 (Aniket Choudhary 30*, Tanvir Ul-Haq 37, MB Murasingh 4-75) beat Tripura 35 (Aniket Choudhary 5-11, Tanvir Ul-Haq 3-1) & 106 (Harmeet Singh 29, Deepak Chahar 5-17) by an innings and 77 runs in Agartala.

Plate Group
Uttarkhand 377 (Saurabh Rawat 102, Rajat Bhatia 84, Malolan Rangarajan 58) beat Mizoram 198 (Taruwar Kohli 96*, Dhanraj Sharma 3-49) & 123 (Taruwar Kohli 68*, Mayank Mishra 3-29, Rajat Bhatia 4-17) by an innings and 56 runs in Dehradun.

Nagaland 467 (Nitesh Lohchab 100, Hokaito Zhimomi 177, R Jonathan 123, Pankaj Singh 3-118, Raiphi Gomez 3-59) & 222/6 (Hokaito Zhimomi 63*, Abrar Kazi 60, Pankaj Singh 3-61) drew with Puducherry 286 (S Karthik 81, Paras Dogra 144, Abrar Kazi 4-62, Imliwati Lemtur 3-57) & 208/3 (S Karthik 55, M Viknesh 64, Paras Dogra 50*) in Sovima.

Sikkim 262 (Milind Kumar 51, Lee Yong Lepcha 58*, Deendyal Upadhyay 4-96) & 19/0 beat Arunachal Pradesh 169 (Kshitiz Sharma 59, Ishwar Chaudhary 3-55, Milind Kumar 5-42) & 109 (Kshitiz Sharma 31, Ishwar Chaudhary 7-51) by 10 wickets in Goalpara.

Bihar 257 (Vivek Kumar 40, Bishworjit Konthoujam 5-74, Priyojit Singh 5-74) & 140/7 (Mangal Mahrour 53, Vikash Ranjan 39, Bishworjit Konthoujam 3-33) beat Manipur 156 (Mayank Raghav 79, Ashutosh Aman 4-39, Samar Quadri 5-49) & 238 (Yashpal Singh 105, Priyojit Singh 64, Ashutosh Aman 7-71, Samar Quadri 3-93) by three wickets in Patna.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters were offered a glimpse of silver-laden success in the future after making a resounding start to the 2023/24 campaign under Ange Postecoglou's leadership.

With the football flowing and the strikers striking on Sunday afternoon, dispatching a weather-beaten Newcastle United side that are feeling the wrath of increased competition that comes with European qualification, Spurs emerged 4-1 victors to rekindle their fight for a return to the Champions League.

But this result came off the back of a dismal run of form that saw an unbeaten Premier League start ended by a five-match winless run, changing the mood down at N17 rather quickly.

There's no disputing that injuries and suspensions have been central to the recent struggles, but this only heightens the need for January reinforcements, with Postecoglou understood to have identified his dream defensive addition.

Tottenham transfer news – Radu Dragusin

According to a recent report from Football Transfers, Spurs have earmarked Genoa defender Radu Dragusin and Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite as the top targets to strengthen the backline ahead of the January transfer window.

While signing Branthwaite is more than just an attractive proposition, Everton are battling against relegation in the Premier League after a ten-point deduction and with the 21-year-old among the best performers, the club have slapped a £75m price tag on his signature.

Dragusin has been touted at €30m (£26m) by his Serie A outfit, who are not prepared to enter negotiations if such a figure is not met; far cheaper than Branthwaite, this is by far the more plausible route for the Lilywhites whose scouts have been left impressed after watching him in action.

Postecoglou recently stated – via football.london – that his preference is to sign players that can be moulded and nurtured over the coming years, meaning the Romanian titan, aged 21, looks the perfect option.

Radu Dragusin's style of play

Dragusin is well regarded for his tough-tackling presence and imposing physicality, capable of asserting himself in the rearguard and providing a rock-solid base from which Guglielmo Vicario's goal would benefit greatly.

Having amassed 58 appearances for Genoa, scoring five goals, after signing from Juventus in 2022 on an initial loan deal with an option to buy, which was activated in the summer.

This season, he has played every minute of Genoa's Serie A campaign and has impressed for his side, seeking to establish itself as a player in the Italian top-flight once again after returning from the second tier earlier in 2023.

As per Sofascore, Dragusin has completed 83% of his passes this season, averaging 0.5 key passes, 3.3 ball recoveries and 4.5 clearances per game and finding success in 69% of his duels.

Noted for his "dominant" defending by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 12-cap Romania international also ranks among the top 21% of central defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 14% for assists and the top 15% for aerial wins per 90, as per FBref.

Such variegated attributes underscore the modern skill set that doesn't fall upon any one segment of the defensive game, instead, Dragusin offers a range of qualities tailor-made for the fluid system of an ambitious outfit such as Spurs.

But, with the 6 foot 3 star's ferocity being his standout trait, it's clear that Postecoglou views Dragusin as the perfect understudy to Cristian Romero, who is probably Spurs' best centre-half despite the exploits of Micky van de Ven following his £43m transfer form Wolfsburg in August.

Goals

0.09

Top 12%

Shot-creating actions

1.11

Top 17%

Pass completion

89.5%

Top 17%

Progressive passes

4.77

Top 18%

Tackles

2.45

Top 5%

Interceptions

1.58

Top 19%

Romero is brilliant. He's tenacious, tough and commanding in the heart of the backline, having been described as the "best defender in the world right now" by legendary Argentina teammate Lionel Messi, who knows a thing or two about gauging the level of defenders.

That being said, it's not unjust to say that the 24-year-old has something of a rash streak, with pundit Chris Sutton criticising the "reckless" nature of some of his challenges.

It is this precipitous nature that resulted in his dismissal during the Lilywhites' detrimental 4-1 home defeat against Chelsea at the end of November, starting the recently snapped winless run.

Scoring against West Ham United on his return last week before stirring controversy with a lunging stamp on Callum Wilson at the weekend, Postecoglou must feel that his prized defensive asset's mercurial moments require sturdy support.

This comes in the form of Dragusin, who could emulate Romero's style and serve as the perfect counterweight to the left-sided Van de Ven.

How Radu Dragusin could slot in at Tottenham

With Van de Ven sidelined until after the new year and Romero missing three recent Premier League matches due to suspension, the Lilywhites' 58-year-old boss opted to field Emerson Royal and Ben Davies as a central defensive partnership for two fixtures.

Such an axis, coming at Postecoglou's behest, materialised at the expense of Eric Dier, who is a centre-back and performed 42 times in the role last term, but having not featured since the late capitulation against Wolverhampton Wanderers, his time appears to be up.

Out of contract at the end of the campaign and unfavoured by the new manager, Dier will be searching for pastures new in a matter of months and Dragusin could be signed as the perfect replacement, with Davies – to his credit – proving his worth as a back-up option over the past several weeks.

Waxing lyrical over the Romania native's abilities in the past, his former manager Andrea Pirlo said: "He’s physically very strong. He’s very young and must develop on a technical level, but he will have time to do it, training every day with great champions."

Moving to Genoa appears to have been the gateway to such development, and he is now growing into his skin and looking an excellent option to bolster the Spurs backline.

He's not perfect, but aged just 21 and available for around £26m, it would be wise for Postecoglou to snap him up and continue to mould this exciting Tottenham project to his own creation.

The part-time offspinner has to get his action tested within 14 days, but can continue bowling in international cricket until the results are known

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2019Ambati Rayudu was reported for a suspect action during the first ODI between Australia and India in Sydney on Saturday. The part-time offspinner now has to get his action tested within 14 days, but can continue bowling in international cricket until the results are known.Rayudu is primarily a batsman – India’s No. 4, although there is some debate around that. Nevertheless, Virat Kohli used him for a couple of overs in the middle of the innings and when they went for 13 runs, he was taken off.Rayudu has only ever bowled in nine of his 46 innings in ODIs but India turned to him after leaving Kedar Jadhav, who has been their favoured part-time bowling option in recent times, out of the XI.The ICC allows bowlers to flex their elbows only up to 15 degrees. If, on testing, Rayudu’s is shown to flex beyond that, he will be suspended from bowling in international cricket until he can get his action rectified.

Lionel Messi paid tribute to his ex-coach Tito Vilanova on Thursday, honoring him on the 10th anniversary of his passing.

Vilanova passed in 2014Ex-Barcelona boss died after three-year battle with cancerMessi pays tribute to former bossWHAT HAPPENED?

Posting on social media, the Argentine rememered his old coach and friend. The Spaniard led Messi and Barcelona to a La Liga title in 2012-13 where La Blaugrana set a new league-record of 100 points.

He left his role in 2013 after a recurrence of gland cancer, and passed one year later.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Vilanova's impact on Messi and his legacy at Barcelona will never be forgotten, as the Spaniard reportedly played a crucial role in the Argentine staying with the Catalan Club.

In 2019, Marca reported that in his final days, Vilanova convinced Messi to stay with the club amid uncertainty over his future. the duo talked for 'hours' per Vilanova's former assistant at Barcelona, Jordi Roura.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

The Argentine and Inter Miami take on the New England Revolution Saturday evening. The Herons will look to extend their lead atop MLS with three points.

Queensland quicks hit back to reduce visiting side to 7 for 67 after folding for 115

The Report by Daniel Brettig11-Mar-2019Shane Warne’s favoured maxim “if it seams it spins” held true on day one of the Sheffield Shield match between Queensland and South Australia at the Gabba, as left-arm orthodox tweaker Tom Andrews plucked six wickets in the hosts’ paltry 115 before the Redbacks tumbled to 7 for 67 at the hands of the local pace attack in reply.Andrews was one of the inclusions as SA sought to pull themselves out of a pronounced rut this season – the experienced duo of Callum Ferguson and Tom Cooper were among the jettisoned players. His accurate finger spin delighted in the bounce and deviation available on a fresh Gabba pitch, the ground the last of the major ones still playing a part in the Shield competition during March with all the rest handed over to football.Having elected to bat, Queensland lost opener Matt Renshaw to Nick Winter’s left-arm swing early on, and Joe Burns was Andrews’ first victim when he was well held at mid-on, before seeming to steady via Marnus Labuschagne. However, his exit, pouched at gully when Andrews extracted steep lift, led to a slide that saw the final eight wickets go down for a mere 64 runs.Andrews’ haul was his first of five wickets in a first-class match, after he started the season behind wristspinner Lloyd Pope, who had also enjoyed himself against Queensland with a first-innings collection of seven wickets in the earlier head-to-head fixture at Adelaide Oval.Queensland had wriggled out of that match with a draw, and their defence of a meagre total in Brisbane was to be fired by regular wickets to Michael Neser, Luke Feldman, Cameron Gannon and Mark Steketee, while Jake Weatherald, Kelvin Smith and Travis Head all had reason to ponder their shot selection in hanging their bats out at balls angled across them.

Tottenham are believed to weighing up a pretty exciting transfer option as an FA registered intermediary shares what he's heard on their 2024 plans.

Spurs seeking early January signings

As made public by Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, the Lilywhites are already hard at work ahead of the looming January window as their manager seeks to make early window signings.

Postecoglou spoke of the importance of sealing their business quickly, as he'll want these proposed new players to come in and make an impact for Spurs over what will be a busy first month of 2024.

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"The reason [we want to do business early] is obviously where we're at injury-wise and the players we're going to miss," said Postecoglou to Standard Sport.

"We've got some significant games in January and signing somebody late in the month could mean they haven't been able to make an impact in those games. It is a challenge, I get that, but everyone at the club is working hard to get the best outcomes for us and we’ll see how it goes.”

According to recent rumours, Postecoglou is targeting three major signings in defence, midfield and further forward (The Mail). Spurs talks have already been held over Jean-Clair Todibo, who is currently a real figurehead at Nice as they enjoy a terrific Ligue 1 season thus far (football.london).

While centre-back is believed to be a priority, there is the small matter of replacing club-record goalscorer Harry Kane, and reports suggest Richarlison is of real interest to Saudi sides.

If the Brazilian were to leave mid-season, Tottenham would almost certainly need a new striker as they chase Champions League qualification and potential silverware.

Tottenham weighing Gimenez move

There have been a few interesting forward names linked, but perhaps one of the more exciting ones is Feyenoord star Santiago Gimenez.

The Mexico international striker has scored 18 goals in 16 Eredivisie appearances this season as one of Europe's most in-form marksmen right now.

FA registered intermediary Paul O'Keefe, a reliable source of information when it comes to news out of Tottenham, says Gimenez is one of a number of forwards the club are weighing moves for.

Indeed, Spurs are believed to be "assessing" Gimenez ahead of a potential swoop next year.

The 22-year-old is a brilliant young age for Spurs, and would seemingly slot into Postecoglou's long-term project quite nicely. Chairman Daniel Levy, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, could also strike a deal for as little as £39 million.

Gimenez, beyond his goalscoring exploits, could have the speed to do well in a division as physical as the Premier League.

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“He’s back here in the middle of the defenders and he’s really fast," said former Liverpool star Dirk Kuyt on Gimenez (ESPN via One Football).

"Watching the keeper before he shoots, the rest. In my opinion, he is currently the best striker in the Eredivisie."