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Chelsea will be looking for a quick solution having thus far been unable to strike a deal for Moises Caicedo, and now a new update has emerged on a potential target who could be a dream alternative.

What's the latest on Chelsea's interest in Marco Verratti?

According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, Chelsea are interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

As per the report, the west London club are looking at their options after enduring a number of midfield outgoings this summer and have identified Verratti as a potential option to strengthen the presence in the centre of the pitch.

How much will Marco Verratti cost?

While there is still a chance that Mauricio Pochettino could land Caicedo, after chasing the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder for the entire transfer window, turning to an alternative option like Veratti would not be the worst idea in the world.

After losing N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho and Mason Mount since the turn of the year, there is a much-needed rebuild due to help develop the next generation of success in the centre of the pitch at Stamford Bridge.

As a result, the signing of Verratti would not only provide the newly-appointed Chelsea boss with an experienced and high-quality alternative to Caicedo, but a midfielder who he is extremely familiar following his stint managing the Ligue 1 champions.

Verratti – once hailed "extraordinary" by Thomas Tuchel – was a regular and trusted feature in Pochettino's PSG team, with the Argentine coach waxing lyrical about the Italian maestro's strengths during his time at the club:

"He is a player with a very good ability to read the game. He allows for us each time to have attacking possession and to bring the ball out into good situations, to better start off attacks. In attacking phases, he can double his efforts and provoke situations going forward. For me, he is a truly great player."

In terms of being the right profile of player, Caicedo has been named as one of the most comparable players to the 30-year-old star over the last 12 months, according to FBref, with the positional peers sharing many similarities in their output.

In fact, when comparing the duo, Verratti outperformed the Ecuadorian in a number of key attributes over last season including pass completion (92.6% v 88.5%), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.41 v 2.51), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.37 v 0.14) and successful take-ons (54.7% v 51.9%).

Whilst the idea of signing the Italy international seems like the perfect solution in Chelsea's precarious position, it would be by no means a cheap option for Todd Boehly, with reports claiming that PSG are expecting to receive an €80m (£69m) fee to part ways with their player.

Alongside the transfer fee, Verratti is earning a whopping £239k-per-week wage in Paris, which would present a huge financial investment for the Blues if they decide to make a concrete move, especially if the midfielder is not willing to take a pay cut.

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Chelsea to secure a deal for Verratti if they could meet the valuation of PSG and salary expectations of the player, as he would be a highly valuable asset to the Blues in midfield next season.

Queensland captain Usman Khawaja, who is likely to be Australia’s No. 3 batsman in the Ashes, managed only 40 as his side was dismissed for 166 at the Gabba

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2017
ScorecardGetty ImagesQueensland captain Usman Khawaja, who is likely to be Australia’s No. 3 batsman in the Ashes, managed only 40 as his side was dismissed for 166 at the Gabba. Peter Siddle, who bowled steadily in the JLT One-Day Cup, went wicketless, but Chris Tremain and Scott Boland claimed four wickets each. Queensland then hit back to reduce Victoria to 43 for 3 at stumps.After choosing to bat, Queensland had lost both openers – Matt Renshaw and Joe Burns – quickly and the slide seeped into the middle order too. Khawaja resisted briefly before legspinner Fawad Ahmed had him caught by Peter Handscomb in the 26th over. Mitchell Swepson (29) and No. 11 Luke Feldman (16) later made useful contributions to haul the score beyond 150.Debutant seamer Brendan Doggett removed Victoria’s openers in his first three overs, under lights, to give his side hope. Seamer Jack Wildermuth also struck, just before stumps, ensuring the game was left open. Glenn Maxwell and Peter Handscomb closed the day without any further damage.

The Bangladesh coach has tendered his resignation, which has not yet been accepted by the board, with strong signals that SLC is pursuing him for the head coach role

Mohammad Isam and Andrew Fidel Fernando09-Nov-2017Chandika Hathurusingha’s future with Bangladesh hangs in the balance after the coach tendered his resignation to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).Whether that resignation will be accepted by the BCB, and if it will actually result in Hathurusingha’s exit remains to be seen. Hathurusingha and top officials at the BCB have not officially confirmed these developments, but are not denying them. Meanwhile, there are strong signals from Sri Lanka Cricket that they are pursuing Hathurusingha, and are in fact presently in negotiations with him.There have been increasing recent signs that despite Bangladesh’s many improvements during his tenure, Hathurusingha is unsatisfied with the state of his present role. He had once already moved to resign in October last year, but the BCB had not accepted his resignation and Hathurusingha was convinced to continue.Now, however there is the additional lure of a job in his home country. SLC has been on the hunt for a new head coach since Graham Ford resigned in June, and had, in fact, already approached Hathurusingha over the past three months. Though Hathurusingha had eventually rebuffed SLC on that first occasion, recent developments may have made the Sri Lanka role more attractive to Hathurusingha. SLC has just hired Hathurusingha’s longtime friend and associate Thilan Samaraweera as batting coach, for one. Then there has also been a change in selection committee. ESPNcricinfo also understands that SLC is prepared to pay Hathurusingha what he presently earns with the BCB – a substantial commitment for the Sri Lankan board.There are, of course, contractual obligations to consider here. Having been given an extension in the middle of last year, Hathurusingha has signed with the BCB until the end of the 2019 World Cup. Leaving this contract is likely to be a complicated proposition, possibly involving a months-long notice period.If Hathurusingha does end up leaving his position, however, it will bring to an end a tenure that lasted over three years and oversaw substantial gains by the Bangladesh side, particularly in ODI cricket. In major tournaments, Bangladesh made the quarter-final of the 2015 World Cup and the semi-final of the 2017 Champions Trophy. They had also defeated India, Pakistan and South Africa in home bilateral series, and have climbed up the ODI rankings as a result.In Tests, Bangladesh registered their first-ever wins against England and Australia at home, and against Sri Lanka away. The team has, however, recently returned from a dispiriting tour to South Africa.

West Ham United have finally made a few much-needed signings in Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse recently, however, manager David Moyes will be keen on adding a few more.

The end of the transfer window is just two weeks away and if Moyes aims to repeat the European heroics of last season, he simply can't rest on his laurels and must continue to invest the £105m secured from the Declan Rice sale.

With two midfielders already arriving this summer, thoughts now turn to bolstering his defence and a young talent is currently being eyed…

Who will West Ham United sign next?

According to Football Scotland, Glasgow Rangers are keen on luring Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards, but they are not alone.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

West Ham have also shown interest in the youngster and Moyes could offer both Europa League group-stage football and a chance for the defender to test himself in the Premier League.

The 20-year-old gem has two years left on his current deal, however, due to their failure to reach the Championship following a playoff defeat to Sheffield Wednesday last season, Peterborough may have to cash in on him this summer.

How good is Ronnie Edwards?

Just a couple of weeks ago, it appeared as though the Hammers were close to securing a deal for Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire.

A fee of around £30m was agreed with United and Moyes looked set to discuss personal terms with the Englishman, yet the move has fallen through.

Maguire leaving the Old Trafford side this late in the window meant they would struggle to find an adequate replacement, and it’s back to the drawing board for the Scot.

Edwards, however, could be an ideal alternative to the former Leicester City defender, especially with the fact he is ten years younger and has yet to reach his peak years.

The Posh centre-back played over double the amount of league matches than Maguire last term (40 to 16) and he also registered more tackles (two to 0.5), interceptions (1.4 to 0.8) and clearances (3.3 to 2.6) per game.

The youngster also showed how impressive he was physically by winning four duels per game compared to just the 2.4 that Maguire won while Edwards also averaged more touches (68.7 to 42.4) and completed more accurate passes (49.1 to 30.6) per game than his much more esteemed compatriot throughout the whole of last season.

Of course, one was playing in the third tier and the other at the highest level, yet it’s evident that Edwards could come at a significantly cheaper cost than the United titan, whilst having the capacity to develop further.

The 5 foot 10 starlet was even hailed as a “Rolls-Royce” by Barry Fry in 2021 when the player was just 18 years of age, and his future certainly belongs at a much higher level than the one he is currently playing at.

Perhaps the move for Maguire falling through is a blessing in disguise for Moyes as he can make a more concrete approach to Peterborough for their prized asset, and it would be a very shrewd investment indeed.

Aston Villa are eyeing further attacking reinforcements this summer following the devastating injury to Emiliano Buendia.

The Argentine was injured in a training session days before the club’s opening Premier League fixture, leaving him sidelined for the foreseeable future.

Unai Emery will be without one of his favoured attackers for a huge chunk of the campaign, with the latest reports pointing to a potential signing that could relieve the blow of Buendia’s absence.

Who could Aston Villa sign this summer?

Italian gem Nicolo Zaniolo was recruited on loan from Galatasaray last week in a move that signified a reach for a player with a similar approach to play to Buendia.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

For a long stretch of the summer, reports in Spain pointed Villa out as one of the clubs that could sign Barcelona winger Ferran Torres as the Catalan giants continue to scramble for funds amid financial pressures.

After starting the season impressively for Barca, nothing has prevailed regarding the links to the Midlands, though another forward from the Spanish champions has emerged as a potential target.

As reported in Spain and relayed by Sport Witness, Ansu Fati is a wanted man in the Premier League, with both Tottenham and Villa eyeing the 20-year-old, who is valued at €50m (£43m).

What could Ansu Fati offer to Aston Villa?

Identified as a player “destined for greatness” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Fati was naturally placed in line as Barcelona’s heir to Lionel Messi, with him adorning the number 10 shirt following the superstar's farewell.

Making his debut at just 16, the Spaniard shone in his debut campaign, scoring seven goals in 24 appearances in his first taste of La Liga at his boyhood club.

A product of the infamous La Masia setup, the 20-year-old has all the talent to prevail as one of the most impressive in the world, although injury woes and competition in the squad at Camp Nou have pointed to a potential exit.

For Villa, capturing a talent as audacious as Fati could mark the progression and ambition of the club under Emery, with the winger having the potential to be one of the best players to have played at Villa Park.

After missing out on Torres, his Barcelona teammate could be the ideal alternative to the former Manchester City forward, with the two likened statistically by FBref based on their averages last term.

As per FBref, Fati showcased his ball-carrying abilities by recording 3.04 progressive carries per 90 in La Liga, as well as highlighting the threat he can bring in front of goal by averaging 0.45 non-penalty goals per 90.

His numbers were followed closely by Torres in such areas, who averaged 2.78 progressive carries and 0.26 non-penalty goals last campaign, hinting at their similarities and the suitability of Fati to Emery’s plans, considering the Spaniard’s reported interest in his teammate.

At just 20 years of age, Villa could uncover a generational talent in the Barcelona whiz, who has been previously praised as “extraordinary” by coach and footballing icon Xavi, reinforcing the calibre of talent Emery could have a hand in developing.

Lahore Blues secured victory over Lahore Whites while Umar Akmal’s sensational 148 saw UBL beat Fawad Alam’s SSGC

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2017Delaying the declarationSui Northern may have bossed the game, but an experienced captain like Mohammad Hafeez will regret not declaring earlier for so long. Batting first, they out on 511 in 150.1 overs against Habib Bank before being dismissed. Azhar Ali and Khurram Shehzad scored centuries – 118 and 133 respectively as they ground HBL’s bowlers down. Amad Butt did come away with a six-wicket haul, but not before bowling 38 overs and conceding 106 runs.In response, HBL were dismissed for 202 and asked to follow on. However, with bad light meaning several overs were lost, only 19 overs could be bowled in the second innings, with Ahmed Shehzad’s side at 67 for one when the match was called off. Given the extent of HBL’s dominance, they will be disappointed to kick off the Super Eight stage with a win.The two-day gameHave you ever heard of a contest where 167 runs were enough to secure an innings victory? Well, here’s one. On a pitch that seemed to have laid a particularly potent curse on all who batted upon it, WAPDA beat Khan Research Laboratories by an innings and seven runs in a game that lasted merely 120 overs. KRL were skittled out for 95 in their first innings, 40 of them coming from one man, Junaid Ali. WAPDA’s Waqas Maqsood registered the best figures of the tournament, taking nine wickets for 32.WAPDA appeared to have let KRL back into the contest with a fairly ordinary batting display of their own, getting dismissed for 167. More than half of those runs – 86 – came off the bat of No. 8 Khalid Usman as they opened up a 72-run lead. As it turned out, KRL’s second innings was even more listless than the first as they meekly surrendered for 65. Mohammad Asif took six wickets as WAPDA wrapped up a comfortable win.The Lahore DerbyLahore Whites and Lahore Blues played in the final of the recently concluded National T20 Cup, with the Blues coming out on top. They played each other again in the QeA’s Super 8 round, with the same outcome, the Blues sealing a 9-wicket win.They began sharply, bowling out Lahore Whites for 141, Aizaz Cheema and Bilawal Iqbal sharing 8 wickets between them. Their batsmen followed that up with a solid 281, with opener Tayyab Tahir and captain Saad Nasim scoring 83 runs each. Having opened up a 140 run lead, they proceed to clean up the Whites for 207, Cheema’s 7 wickets securing him an 11-wicket haul for the match. That left the Blues with the straightforward task of chasing 68 runs for a win, which they did in under 10 overs for the loss of just one wicket.Fawad watchFawad Alam stormed back to form, scoring 124 for Sui Southern. It was, albeit, an innings in vain as a second-innings collapse saw them slump to 149 runs.United Bank captained by Younis Khan, scored 252 in the first innings, with Shan Masood top scoring with 75. Saad Ali, who has been far and away the highest scorer in the tournament, also scored 52, while Ahmed Jamal’s 6 for 52 ensured UBL weren’t allowed to bat SSGC out of the game.While Alam’s century secured his side a 27-run lead, the innings of the round belonged to Umar Akmal, who once again demonstrated his seemingly boundless ability with the bat – if he is motivated enough. He smashed 148 in 166 deliveries, effectively batting SSGC out of the game as they declared at 328, setting SSGC a target of 302. SSGC never looked like escaping with a draw, let alone clinching victory, with no batsman scoring more than 27 (Alam managed 26) as they were bundled out for 152.

Nottingham Forest have appeared as the frontrunners to sign Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer, but they aren’t the only club interested in the Premier League.

How old is Callum Hudson-Odoi?

Hudson-Odoi is 22 years of age so should be playing football on a regular basis and entering some of the prime stages of his career, but that’s not the case because his future is extremely uncertain having been sent out on an unsuccessful loan to Bayer Leverkusen last season.

England’s former international’s contract is also set to expire in less than a year meaning that this window is Mauricio Pochettino’s ideal opportunity to cash in, something which looks likely considering he’s told chiefs that he wants to leave, whilst being yet to communicate with his manager since taking to the dugout.

The Blues’ left-winger already holds an existing connection to Steve Cooper having worked under him during his time with the Three Lions’ U17s, and The Evening Standard recently reported that the Reds had entered the running to sign him, alongside Everton and Fulham.

The Cottagers were believed to be leading the race, but with that move having since collapsed, the contest has really opened up, giving his other potential suitors a chance to swoop him, and there’s a possibility that he could be on his way to The City Ground.

Are Nottingham Forest signing Callum Hudson-Odoi?

According to TEAMtalk, Nottingham Forest are "emerging as favourites" to sign Hudson-Odoi, with Chelsea "open" to sanctioning his sale before the end of the window.

With Fulham and now also Everton's move for the attacker having "stalled", this leaves the "path clear" for Cooper to form a reunion with his ex-international starlet.

The Stamford Bridge academy product also had his brother, who is his agent, as an "interested observer" watching on from the stands at last week's match vs Sheffield United, further sparking speculation that he could be joining in the coming weeks.

How good is Callum Hudson-Odoi?

Nottingham Forest will know that Hudson-Odoi hasn’t been given a fair chance to prove what he’s capable of at Chelsea, but Cooper will know just how much potential he has to offer having previously been dubbed a “monster of a talent” by journalist Nizaar Kinsella, and he could the perfect manager to restart his career.

The Wandsworth-born talent has posted 89 goal contributions (48 goals and 41 assists) in 208 appearances since bursting onto the scene and could provide the boss with excellent versatility with his ability to operate everywhere across the frontline, alongside three roles in the midfield, as per Transfermarkt, making him a great option to have available should any unexpected injuries occur.

Pochettino’s £180k-per-week earner also knows what it takes to compete and be successful having helped to win five senior trophies for his boyhood club, including the likes of the Champions League, Europa League and the FIFA Club World Cup, so he could bring a much-needed winning mentality to the Midlands to achieve a place as high as possible in the table this season.

Alastair Cook said he was proud to have showcased once again his ability to “go to the well” in recording his 32nd Test century

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Dec-2017Alastair Cook admitted he was “hurt and frustrated” that his return to form with the bat had come too late to rescue England’s hopes of defending the Ashes, but conceded he was proud to have showcased once again his ability to “go to the well” in recording his 32nd Test century.Cook, who had come into the match with a total of 83 runs in six previous innings, finished the second day of the fourth Test at Melbourne on 104 not out, having become the first overseas batsman since India’s Sunil Gavaskar to record a century on each of Australia’s five main Test grounds.”It was an amazing moment personally after my well-documented struggles,” Cook told reporters before the start of the third day’s play. “It’s frustrating it has come after the series is done, which hurts me even more in one sense, but there is a relief that when it got really tough I managed to dig in and score some runs.”Cook, England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer, is playing in his 151st Test at Melbourne, and has not missed a single match in the past 11 years of his career. However, with England 3-0 down in the Ashes, and with his personal form under particular scrutiny, he recognised that he had been under an extra degree of pressure going into this latest innings.”It’s always a test isn’t it?” he said. “You have to keep going to the well and digging yourself out of it sometimes, certainly when you bat like me and are never the most fluent. It’s hard work and you have to keep doing it.”There are times when it is tough because you are playing the best cricketers in the world, constantly under some pressure, and some days it is their day. But if you fight through those periods … when I went to bed I was proud because a couple of times in my career I have been questioned and been able to respond with some runs.”By the standards of some of Cook’s most doughty innings – many of which came on the 2010-11 tour of Australia – this latest century was one of his more free-flowing, featuring a plethora of drives through the covers and down the ground, as well as a final-over gallop to three figures as he capitalised on a loose over of legspin from Australia’s captain, Steve Smith.”When you’re averaging 13 there is no point dying wondering,” he said. “What is the worst that can happen? You can get a low score and get left out – that’s the worst that can happen I suppose – but it’s amazing what can happen, more crisp footwork, more intent and suddenly you get away.”You can forget, when batting, that the first 30 minutes can feel like the longest time, then the next minute you’ve been batting for four hours. It’s a strange sport, it’s probably why it drives you mad.”Cook, who turned 33 on Christmas Day, has been the subject of understandable speculation in the course of his fallow tour, with some pundits querying whether he still possessed the drive to keep grinding out the runs in adversity. And while he didn’t entirely silence the questions about how much longer he intends to keep going, he has at least ensured that the decision is not about to be taken out of his own hands.”It’s the same as every time people ask me about my future,” he said. “It’s about trying to score runs to win games of cricket for England. Unfortunately in this series I haven’t been good enough and ultimately that hurts because you want to play well in the big games and do something special.”It’s been so frustrating, you do keep asking yourself questions. We haven’t played well enough as a team and I haven’t scored enough runs in the first three games. Whether it’s too late, I don’t know – certainly it is for the series – but we’ve got a chance to win this game, and it was nice to respond with a good score yesterday.”When it’s all done, whenever that is, I can look back on that part of my career and know that when it has got tough I haven’t thrown in the towel.”

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their plans to add to their attacking options before the summer transfer window slams shut this evening.

What's the latest Sunderland transfer news?

According to journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, the Black Cats are eyeing up a deadline day swoop to sign Jesurun Rak-Sakyi from Crystal Palace on loan.

The reporter has claimed that the Championship side are keen on a deal to snap up the 20-year-old winger on a temporary basis as there are growing concerns over a possible exit for current forward Patrick Roberts.

Sky Sports' Keith Downie has also claimed that Southampton made an offer of £5m for the former Manchester City prospect on Thursday and that a deal could be done for the English maestro.

How good is Jesurun Rak-Sakyi?

The Eagles youngster is a terrific prospect who could come in as an upgrade on Roberts and alleviate any fears that losing the 26-year-old would weaken the squad significantly.

If Rak-Sakyi can translate his performances in League One on loan with Charlton last season over to Championship football with Sunderland this term then he could be a sensational option for Tony Mowbray out wide as a player who can score and assist goals on a regular basis.

The 5 foot 10 winger showcased his creativity with eight assists and 1.3 key passes per game for the Addicks across 43 outings in the third tier, which shows that he has the potential to split open the opposition's defence on a regular basis to provide his teammates with opportunities in front of goal.

Roberts, meanwhile, assisted seven goals and produced 1.4 key passes per match over 42 Championship clashes for Sunderland during the 2022/23 campaign, which indicates that there may not be a great deal to separate the pair when it comes to creating chances.

However, Rak-Sakyi's goalscoring potential from a wide position is where the talented prodigy could be a big upgrade on the flank for Mowbray's side.

The Palace wizard, whose balance was hailed as "wonderful" by ex-boss Ben Garner, racked up an outstanding 15 League One goals for Charlton last season, which is more than any Sunderland player managed in the Championship.

Roberts only found the back of the net five times for the Black Cats and that came after the former Celtic loanee produced two goals in 17 League One matches for the club throughout the 2021/22 campaign.

These statistics suggest that Rak-Sakyi has the potential to offer more quality on a consistent basis in comparison to Roberts as a scorer, whilst they both offer a similar level of creativity from the flank as left-footed forwards.

Sunderland could improve their team by securing a last-gasp swoop for the Palace youngster on loan and a deal for him could provide his compatriot with superb competition out wide, or it could allow the club to sanction his exit without worrying about the hole that it would leave behind.

Therefore, Mowbray and Kristjaan Speakman must work hard to sign the Eagles talent on loan as it could be a shrewd piece of deadline day business.

Chasing 287 on a pitch with treacherous low bounce, India ended day four of the Centurion Test 35 for 3, with both their openers and Virat Kohli back in the dressing room

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy16-Jan-20180:58

Holding: ‘India have an outstanding chance of chasing 270-280’

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsWith one day left to play at SuperSport Park, South Africa are seven wickets from taking an unassailable 2-0 lead, and India are a distant 252 runs from levelling the Test series. Having bowled South Africa out for 258 in their second innings, India were left with the task of chasing 287 with the best part of four sessions remaining. They ended day four 35 for 3, with two of their top-order batsmen already lost to treacherous low bounce, and another out to a loose shot.The new ball had shown a definite tendency to keep low at the start of South Africa’s second innings on day three, and Jasprit Bumrah had removed Aiden Markram and Hashim Amla with shooters pitching short of a good length. India lost M Vijay and Virat Kohli in the same manner; Vijay played on to one from Rabada that shot through at just above ankle height; Kohli was lbw to a nip-backer from Lungi Ngidi that went through at knee height.Given that the older ball did not misbehave quite as much in South Africa’s innings, India might have accepted it if they had only lost those two wickets in the 23 overs they played until stumps. They lost one more, however, to a ball that didn’t deserve a wicket; Ngidi bowled it short and wide, and perhaps it stopped slightly on KL Rahul – he shaped to cut, checked his shot as he played it, and ended up slicing it straight into backward point’s hands.At stumps, Cheteshwar Pujara was batting on 11 and with him was Parthiv Patel – promoted ahead of Rohit Sharma to No. 5, possibly since he’s the only left-hander in India’s XI – on 5.BCCISouth Africa were bowled out in the tenth over after tea, with Mohammed Shami’s four wickets playing a key role in keeping India in the contest. Shami’s key interventions came when he took three wickets in a seven-over spell before lunch, after AB de Villiers and Dean Elgar had put on 141 for the third wicket.Bumrah and Ishant Sharma were also among the wickets, finishing with 5 for 110 between them, while R Ashwin toiled wicketless for 29.2 overs before ending the innings by getting last man Ngidi caught in the deep.Thanks to the slowness of the pitch, low bounce was a manageable threat for South Africa’s batsmen once the ball became older and softer. Even so, de Villiers breathed a sigh of relief when Bumrah got one to keep low in the fourth over of the morning as well, but this time the line was just outside off stump.Conditions were otherwise reasonably good to bat in, and with India also offering de Villiers release balls every now and then – width the most frequent culprit – South Africa’s lead was beginning to trouble India, and their worries were compounded by Elgar’s stay. He never looked comfortable at the crease, particularly against Ashwin’s offspin but kept fighting cussedly, bringing up his half-century with a drive through extra-cover off Ishant.The breakthrough arrived thanks to extra bounce, Shami getting one to rear at de Villiers in the corridor to find a bit of glove through to Parthiv Patel. Then, Shami dropped one short to Elgar, who had pulled a similar ball to the boundary at the start of his spell, but this time he hit it in the air and within range of KL Rahul patrolling the square-leg boundary.Ashwin, who kept getting the ball to dip into awkward areas and turn sharply, nearly had a wicket in the over after Elgar’s dismissal. Faf du Plessis, stretching forward, failed to get to the pitch of an offbreak and flicked it in the air. Rahul, diving full-length to his right at leg gully, only got his fingertips to it.There was more frustration waiting for India in the next over. Shami kept hitting a good length outside off stump, and finding just a bit of seam movement. De Kock, seemingly unaware of the option of leaving the ball, kept throwing his hands at it. Three successive edges flew to the boundary, two wide of the slips and one just beyond Parthiv’s reach as he dived to his left. The next ball produced another poke from de Kock; this time, it was close enough to Parthiv for him to take the catch.The game had rattled along in the morning session; it nearly came to a standstill after tea, with both sides sitting back and waiting for a mistake from the other. It was understandable, given how delicately poised the Test match was. Bowling in tandem, Hardik Pandya and Ishant kept bowling just short of a good length, often sending down cutters, and conceded only 14 runs in 11 overs, discomfiting both du Plessis and Vernon Philander with movement or inconsistent bounce but without creating a chance.It took a short, harmless-looking ball to end the seventh-wicket partnership at 46, Philander unbalanced on the pull and caught at square leg. Then, in his next over, Ishant got one to lift unexpectedly in the fifth-stump channel, and Keshav Maharaj nicked to Parthiv off the shoulder of the bat.Du Plessis remained at the crease, forever a thorn in India’s flesh; when he pulled the returning Shami for four off the last ball before tea, he had moved to 37 off 122 balls. He survived a dropped chance on 46 when Bumrah put down a return catch, but fell to a near-replay in his next over, two short of his second fifty of the match. In between, Shami sent back Kagiso Rabada with bounce and seam movement in the corridor, Virat Kohli taking a good, low catch at second slip.