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Brendan Taylor returns, Craig Ervine out with injury, four other uncapped players in the mix

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-2021Zimbabwe have named five uncapped players – Luke Jongwe, Richard Ngarava, Roy Kaia, Milton Shumba and Tanaka Chivanga – in their 16-man squad for the series of two Tests against Pakistan, the first of which starts in Harare on April 29.Brendan Taylor, who missed Zimbabwe’s last Test series against Afghanistan in the UAE because of health issues but made a comeback for the second and third T20Is against Pakistan, has made the cut. Craig Ervine continues to miss out because of a calf injury. Tendai Chisoro, who played his only Test match in 2017, has also been recalled.Zimbabwe’s Test squad

Sean Williams (capt), Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chisoro, Tanaka Chivanga, Luke Jongwe, Roy Kaia, Kevin Kasuza, Wellington Masakadza, Prince Masvaure, Tarisai Musakanda, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Milton Shumba, Brendan Taylor, Donald Tiripano

The players from Zimbabwe’s Test squad against Afghanistan to miss out were Sikandar Raza, who is recovering from a bone marrow infection, Ryan Burl, Wesley Madhevere, Richmond Mutumbami, and Brandon Mavuta.Of their replacements, right-arm medium pacer Jongwe was Zimbabwe’s most successful bowler in the T20Is against Pakistan with nine wickets, while left-arm quick Ngarava took two wickets at an economy rate of 8.36. Kaia, a 29-year-old middle-order batter, was part of the XI on his ODI debut against Pakistan in Lahore in May 2015, but didn’t get a chance to bat or bowl as the game was washed out. Shumba, a 20-year-old left-arm spinner, has played two T20Is, while 27-year-old fast bowler Chivanga has never played internationally.Joylord Gumbie, a wicketkeeper-batter, and Takudzwanashe Kaitano, an offspin-bowling allrounder, have been placed on standby.

The former Leeds star scored a stunning treble as the Spanish giants demolished their opponents in a shock Champions League drubbing

Despite having not beaten Bayern Munich almost nine years, Barcelona were truly stunning on Wednesday evening, recording a 4-1 hammering that will likely send shockwaves throughout the European game. That Hansi Flick is a former coach of Bayern will only serve to rub salt into Bavarian wounds.

Barcelona, amazingly, had the lead within a minute, as Raphinha sprang beyond Bayern's offside trap, rounded Manuel Neuer, and finished coolly.

Bayern thought they were level before the 10-minute mark thanks to a brilliant Harry Kane header but he was ruled offside by VAR. He only had to wait until the 20th minute to get on the scoresheet, though, finishing a Serge Gnabry cross with an absolutely brilliant volley.

Barca were back in front after the half-hour mark thanks to an excellent finish from Robert Lewandowski after a clever assist from Fermin Lopez, with Neuer stranded.

The hosts had a third on the stroke of half-time, Raphinha adding a second with a stunning strike from the edge of the box after a stunning cross-field ball from Marc Casado.

Ten minutes after the restart, Barca had a fourth, and Raphinha had his hat-trick, chesting Lamine Yamal's long ball forward, taking two touches, and powering an effort into the bottom corner.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Inaki Pena (6/10):

Could do absolutely nothing to stop Kane's equaliser. Was not really tested beyond that.

Jules Kounde (6/10):

Torched by Gnabry in the build-up to Bayern's equaliser but recovered to play an important role in cutting off Bayern's danger down the left flank.

Pau Cubarsi (6/10):

Perhaps a little overawed by Kane early on but grew into the game and was rarely troubled once Barcelona took a grip of the game.

Inigo Martinez (7/10):

A wily, experienced defender, Martinez was never beaten. Always good with his distribution and that didn't change here.

Alejandro Balde (7/10):

Stood up well to the threat of Michael Olise and marked him out of the game.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Marc Casado (7/10):

Absolutely stunning assist for Barca's third, pinging a ball over 50 yards onto Raphinha's boot with laser-guided precision. A smart midfield performance but took a knock late on and required treatment.

Pedri (7/10):

Mucked in very well defensively whenever required. Was capable of bursting from midfield into attack and passed the ball carefully and precisely.

Fermin Lopez (8/10):

A superb assist for Lewandowski as he nipped in ahead of Neuer and played the ball to the Pole. Worked so hard throughout and was subbed on the hour after an excellent display.

AFPAttack

Lamine Yamal (8/10):

Pressed Neuer in the first half and almost scored by blocking his clearance. Some stunning trickery and a superb assist for Raphinha's hat-trick goal. He's always so lively.

Robert Lewandowski (7/10):

Read Lopez's intention and got on the end of his assist to finish and give Barca the lead. Led the line well and was unfortunate not to score again, as he missed a late sitter.

Raphinha (10/10):

Scored a brilliant early goal, keeping his composure to round Neuer and finish. His second was even better, taking in Casado's unbelievable pass and curling an effort into the corner and his third another piece of magic. An utterly superb performance.

AFPSubs & Manager

Frenkie De Jong (6/10):

Replaced Lopez on the hour. Kept Barca ticking in midfield.

Dani Olmo (6/10):

On for hat-trick hero Raphinha. Was never going to match his impact but made some smart runs into the final third.

Ansu Fati (N/A):

On with five minutes to go.

Pau Victor (N/A):

Came on late.

Gavi (N/A):

A late introduction.

Hansi Flick (8/10):

Played this perfectly. Barcelona were irrepressible, continually tearing Bayern apart on the break. He can hardly have dreamed for a better performance against his old club.

Increase in number of points for a draw following comments from Joe Root this month

Matt Roller21-Mar-2021The number of points on offer for a draw in the County Championship has been increased from five to eight, after England’s Test captain Joe Root called for changes in the competition’s regulations to incentivise teams to make games last longer.In the 2019 edition of the County Championship, teams were awarded 16 points for a win, five points for a draw, and up to eight bonus points for runs scored and wickets taken in the first 110 overs of their first innings.In last summer’s Bob Willis Trophy, the number of points for a draw was increased to eight “to help mitigate against the impact of weather in a shortened competition”, according to the ECB, and that change has been extended into the 2021 season, with the Championship due to be played in a revamped conference-style system.Following England’s 3-1 series defeat in India, Root had called for draws to be made “more appealing” in order to help batsmen and bowlers develop the skills required in Test cricket.”They need to find ways of making games last four days, giving spinners the opportunity to bowl and learning to bowl at different stages of the game,” Root said. “They need to learn to hold the game in the first innings if it’s not spinning and things are not in your favour so they can give the seamers some respite. Then they need to be able to attack and to really deal with that pressure of trying to bowl a side out.”It’s not just spin, it’s seam as well, and the batting group. For example, you want guys to come into this environment of Test cricket and have that knowledge of what it’s like to go out in the second innings and know the opposition have 450 on the board. They need to be able to ignore that scoreboard pressure, put it to the back of their mind and get a score, and go beyond another team’s score to make sure you’re massively in the game when it comes to the second innings.”It’s the same with the seamers: you want them to have a range of skills that can exploit flat wickets. Can they change their angles round? Can they go up and down the gears in terms of pace? Have they got a five-over spell in terms of short-pitched bowling? They’re all the things that will improve the game and Test cricket for England in the long run if the games go longer.”The playing conditions for the 2021 Championship were published by the ECB this week. The second new ball will be taken after 80 overs, having been pushed back to 90 in last season’s Bob Willis Trophy, while the ban on saliva being used on the ball and the introduction of Covid-19 replacements have both been retained.The specifics of the divisional structure have also been confirmed. Each team will play the five teams in their group home and away in the group stage, with the top two in each group qualifying for the top division in the second phase, the third and fourth-placed teams qualifying for the second division, and the fifth and sixth-placed sides going into the bottom division.Teams will carry the points accrued against the other team that qualifies from their initial group forward into the divisional stage, rather than playing them for a third time in the season, and will play four matches each in the divisional stage. The winner of the top division will be awarded the County Championship, while the top two teams in the top division will qualify for the Bob Willis Trophy final.The final will be staged over five days at Lord’s from September 27. In the event of a drawn final, the side with a first-innings lead will be awarded the Bob Willis Trophy.

The Mumbai allrounder lifted his team from 47 for 7 and then took a wicket during an economical spell

S Sudarshanan23-Jan-2025They came to watch Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal. They ended up cheering for Shardul Thakur.Around 200 spectators had gathered at the Sharad Pawar Academy in the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai, but only a little more than half had got in by the time Jaiswal and Rohit, who was playing his first Ranji Trophy game in nearly a decade, were dismissed early on Thursday morning. The home side needed at least one outright victory from their remaining two league games to qualify for the knockout round, but here they were tottering at 47 for 7 an hour and a half into the first morning against Jammu and Kashmir.It was time for Thakur’s first act: 51 off 57 balls at No. 8, and a partnership of 63 with Tanush Kotian for the ninth wicket, to drag Mumbai past 100 in tough conditions.The J&K quicks Umar Nazir Mir and Yudhvir Singh swung the ball viciously, hitting the right lines and lengths to challenge both edges of Thakur’s bat. He survived two lbw appeals in quick succession, but when a semblance of width was on offer, Thakur attacked. Thakur has fought these battles in more high-profile arenas; three of his four half-centuries in Test cricket came when India were in trouble. One of them was India’s second-fastest fifty at the time.Related

Another day, another audacious rescue act by Shardul Thakur

Rohit's Ranji return lasts 19 balls as he falls for 3 against J&K

Ranji round-up: Rohit, Gill and Pant miss out, Siddharth Desai misses perfect ten

Thakur pulled Yudhvir over midwicket to move to 49 before carving to deep point to complete a 51-ball fifty. The small crowd was delighted; several employees from nearby offices stood along the railings enjoying a lunch break well spent. Thakur finally holed out to long-on – Mumbai all out for 120 – and shook his head in disappointment all the way back to his team-mates.”I like batting in difficult situations,” Thakur said after stumps. “In easy situations, everyone does well, but how you put up the show in adverse situations matters. I see tough situations as a challenge and always think about how to overcome that challenge.”Thakur wasn’t done, though, and came out for a second act. He took the new ball and had a close appeal for lbw turned down against Shubham Khajuria in the opening over. In his second over, Thakur found Khajuria’s outside edge but Shreyas Iyer failed to hold the catch diving to his right at second slip. His only wicket – Abdul Samad caught behind – was an important one as it broke a 58-run stand for the third wicketThakur helped limit J&K’s lead to 54 runs with only three wickets in hand at the end of day one. He was Mumbai’s most economical bowler, conceding 29 in 13 overs, which was a big change from his recent performances in the two domestic white-ball tournaments.In the 20-over Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he was Mumbai’s most expensive bowler (also their highest wicket-taker), and he went for more than six an over in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy. And before all that, Thakur had found no buyers at the IPL auction in November and will not be part of the 2025 season.”You have to forget whatever has happened in the past; it is not going to change,” he said of those events. “It is important to be in the present and think about what you can do in the near future.”If you see the domestic T20 or one-day tournaments, most teams winning the toss won the match. Games started at 9am, there was out-and-out help for fast bowlers for 20 overs. We lost the toss against two good teams [ Karnataka and Punjab] and the pitch becomes flat after lunch. They were tracks you can hit on from ball one.”In such cases, you can’t judge bowlers. On those surfaces any top bowler get hit; take any top bowler, he will get hit. The pitches were made such that 300-350 were easily being scored, bowlers were going at an economy of six to six-and-a-half runs per over. You do not need to take those performances to heart, I think. There are ups and downs in cricket and it is important to be in the present and think about how you can do better in the near future.”The near future, for Thakur and Mumbai, is to fight back in this crucial Ranji Trophy fixture against J&K. That they aren’t out of it already is down to Thakur, and not his more high-profile team-mates.

Nottingham Forest have now reportedly joined Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign an in-form Serie A striker in the January transfer window.

Dyche "disappointed" by VAR call

On a night that saw Nottingham Forest edge past Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers courtesy of Jesus’ second-half effort, it was VAR that stole the biggest headlines. Once again, the technology was at the centre of the controversy after Dan Ndoye was adjudged to have been interfering with play in an offside position for what many believed to be Jesus’ initial opener.

It’s the type of call which has split opinions in recent weeks and the type that Sean Dyche didn’t understand – telling reporters at full-time: “Well, I’m the only manager who ever mentions why they (referees) go over to the screen. It’s funny how it goes against us, that was interesting.

“Managers in the old days could lose a job on a bad decision. At least now it gives you a better chance of everyone, in theory, having similar decisions. There’s always going to be tough decisions, even with VAR.

“Tonight I’m bound to say he (Dan Ndoye) doesn’t impede anyone. He doesn’t. He just stands still. He’s not trying to deflect it in or anything like that.

“I’m bound to say I’m disappointed in it. I don’t think the keeper would have saved it. But you never know, these keepers are so agile. He’s a good keeper as well, so he might have. But I’m bound to say that I’m aggrieved.”

Nottingham Forest now keen on £117k-a-week UCL defender who may replace Murillo

The Tricky Trees are looking at signing a new centre-back in the January transfer window, amid doubts over Murillo’s future.

ByDominic Lund Dec 2, 2025

Eventually, the decision did not prove costly as Forest picked up three points for the fourth time in their last five games in all competitions – highlighting Dyche’s impact.

Evangelos Marinakis will be most relieved that his managerial call is finally working out after already sacking Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou earlier this season. The Greek owner, with relegation fears eased, now has the chance to strengthen Dyche’s side in January.

Nottingham Forest racing to sign Pellegrino

As reported by Calcio Mercato and relayed by Sport Witness, Nottingham Forest are now battling to sign Mateo Pellegrino from Serie A side Parma in 2026. The Tricky Trees are joined by Tottenham and West Ham United in the race, but could yet get one over on the two London clubs.

With Jesus still finding consistency and Chris Wood yet to match last season’s outstanding form, Dyche could certainly do with a player of Pellegrino’s talent.

The Parma striker has enjoyed an impressive campaign so far and is reportedly unlikely to come cheap if Forest want to make their move in the January transfer window.

Minutes

579

1,100

Goals

1

4

Assists

0

0

Expected Goals

2.3

1.9

It’s easy to see why Premier League sides are interested in Pellegrino. Compared to Jesus, the 6’3 forward has outperformed his expected goals by just over two and is on course for an impressive Serie A season.

Nottingham Forest now eyeing £15m Europa League midfielder after Anderson update

Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was surprisingly left out of the starting lineup in the Blues' Champions League clash against Real Madrid.

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Hampton benched against Real MadridBompastor explains omissionChelsea beat Real 3-2Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The English goalkeeper failed to make it to Sonia Bompastor's starting lineup as Chelsea faced Real Madrid in their 2024-25 Women's Champions League opener on Tuesday. In a closely fought game, the reigning Women's Super League champions edged out the Spanish giants 3-2 to begin their journey in the competition on a winning note.

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Hampton started the new season on a positive note and had performed exceptionally well in the Blues' Women's Super League opener last month as they breezed past Aston Villa 1-0. Therefore, fans were left bemused when she was dropped from the lineup, however, Bompastor has now revealed the real reason why the England international was left out on the bench.

WHAT SONIA BOMPASTOR SAID

Speaking to the club's website after the game, the Blues boss said, "Hannah felt unwell just before they went out. She’s now feeling better, she recovered. It was a situation that happened right before we went out and we had to manage that. Zecira was ready. We have two really good goalkeepers and she was ready to play."

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

The West London club will be back in the WSL on Saturday as they take on rivals Arsenal in a crunch encounter.

Leeds United are in crisis up front. The Whites have simply not been good enough in front of goal in the 2025/26 campaign, which is no doubt one of the reasons why they are relegation contenders in their first season back in the Premier League.

This term, Daniel Farke’s side have only found the back of the net 11 times in just 12 games. That is worse than all but one side in the top flight, bottom-place Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Their expected goals tally is not much better, standing at just 15.21xG. The likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has one goal this term, have not yet got going.

With the January transfer window around the corner, it might not be a surprise to hear the West Yorkshire side are targeting a new number nine.

Leeds’ hunt for a new centre-forward

It is certainly frustrating for Leeds that they are in the position of needing a new striker.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Of course, they signed Calvert-Lewin on a free this summer after his deal at Everton expired, and Lukas Nmecha on a free following the expiration of his Wolfsburg contract.

Yet, here we are again, with the Whites back in the market for a number nine.

According to talkSPORT, the player could be AZ Alkmaar and Ireland striker Troy Parrott. The 23-year-old is said to be ‘high on their list of striker targets’.

However, they are not the only Premier League side looking to get a deal for the 33-cap Ireland star.

Fellow strugglers, Wolves are also looking into a deal, with the report suggesting a fee of at least £20m is what it would take to sign him.

Why Parrott would be a good signing

It would certainly be a good addition for Leeds if they were able to bring Parrott to Elland Road this winter.

He has been in scintillating form for Alkmaar, with 14 goals in 15 games this term, taking his total up to 34 strikes in just 62 appearances.

He is certainly a “rejuvenated” striker, according to football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Indeed, his underlying stats are impressive too. This season in the Eredivisie, the former Tottenham Hotspur academy star is averaging 1.04 goals and 0.74 goal-creating actions per game, which rank him in the top 7% and 2% respectively.

Those stats show just how effective he is in the final third.

Goals

1.04

93rd

Shots on target

1.63

93rd

Expected goals

0.93xG

98th

Take-ons completed

0.5

9

83rd

Goal-creating actions

0.74

98th

Of course, it is not just for his club where Parrott’s form has been excellent. In November, he became a hero of Irish football, scoring two goals against Portugal and then a hat-trick against Hungary to see his nation reach the World Cup playoffs.

The third goal against Hungary was an extraordinary 96th-minute winner.

If he were to move to Elland Road, the 23-year-old would no doubt love to replicate another former Irish striker who impressed in West Yorkshire.

Robbie Keane spent 18 months at the club between December 2000 and August 2001. After initially joining on loan from Inter, he made the move permanent that summer, before joining Spurs a year later.

He only played 56 times for the club, but certainly left a mark.

Keane bagged 19 goals in that time, which included three goals in the UEFA Cup and a memorable brace away to Manchester City at Maine Road.

It is easy to see the comparison between Parrott and Keane, as two clinical, highly-rated Irish strikers. The younger man, for instance, was even hailed in the past as the “best prospect” to have come out of Dublin since his compatriot, in the view of then-Belvedere F.C. Director of Football Affairs Vincent Butler.

The Alkmaar star is slightly older than the former Inter man was when he signed, yet both additions are examples of the Whites buying into potential and investing in the future.

If Parrott were to make the move to Elland Road this summer, he would no doubt love to follow in the footsteps of Keane and have the same sort of impact as his countryman did at such a young age.

Biggest error since Aaronson: 49ers have "wasted funds" on huge Leeds flop

Leeds United now has a bigger waste of money than Brenden Aaronson in flop, who is struggling to settle in the Premier League.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 26, 2025

Thomas Tuchel says accepting the England job was a "straightforward" decision despite reports linking him to Manchester United.

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Tuchel confirmed as England managerGerman linked with Man Utd jobSays offer came at 'the right time'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Tuchel was confirmed as England's next permanent manager after reaching an agreement with the Football Association (FA) on an 18-month contract. The appointment has sparked negative reactions from both English and German media, as well as fans and former players.

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The confirmation of Tuchel's arrival comes just over a week after it was reported that the German was in the frame to replace Erik ten Hag at United. The Dutch coach is under fire once again amid their rough start to the season and club chiefs are said to have discussed the prospect of bringing in Tuchel.

WHAT TUCHEL SAID

Tuchel, however, says he was captivated by the FA's approach as he explained why he was convinced to take the Three Lions job.

"The idea and the way John [McDermott, technical director] and Mark [Bullingham, chief executive] presented it was very fast and confidential. It was very straightforward, it was a decision for this job and not against anything else," he said at a press conference.

"They made it clear it's about football and that got me excited. I wasn't sure this was the job for me because the schedule is very different. I always wanted to come back to England, that was my big goal. "The offer came at the right time and we found a vision to share. Now I have to live up to it. I know there are some trophies and I want to help that happen."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR TUCHEL?

The 51-year-old will officially take charge of the England squad in January next year. In the meantime, Lee Carsley will stay on as interim manager before he returns to his role as England Under-21s boss.

Brunt strikes twice in first over as England defend 128 with ease

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2021England fast bowler Katherine Brunt led the way in a commanding bowling performance in Wellington, as her team comprehensively beat New Zealand by 32 runs to complete a 3-0 series sweep.Six different England players got among the wickets, as New Zealand, chasing 129 for a consolation victory, failed to get any sort of momentum going, eventually being dismissed for 96 in 18 overs.The hosts were pegged back very early in the chase, as Brunt trapped the openers Sophie Devine and Hayley Jensen lbw for ducks in the first over. Amy Satterthwaite at No.3 provided a brief resistance, top-scoring with 25, but once she was dismissed by Sarah Glen in the eighth over, New Zealand withered away, losing at least one wicket each over till the 13th. Offspinner Mady Villiers struck three times in the space of 10 deliveries to reduce the hosts to 60 for 8, before Sophie Ecclestone and Natalie Sciver mopped up the tail to seal the win.England had earlier recovered from a slow start to post 128 for 9, thanks largely to Fran Wilson’s unbeaten 23-ball 31, while Sophie Dunkley chipped in with 26. For New Zealand, Devine was the pick of the bowlers, ending with figures of 4-0-30-3.Sciver stood in as England captain – her first time leading the side – after Heather Knight pulled up from the second match of the series with a hamstring injury. Sciver was pleased with England’s bowling performance after the efforts of Wilson and Dunkley, who are both trying to establish themselves as regulars in the team, had lifted them to a competitive total.”We didn’t really have a big partnership,” Sciver said. “With that I think we could have got up to 140, 150. But in the end, over the tour, our bowlers have done really really well to take take wickets, especially in the in the T20 series. We’ve been hot on that, so yeah, we managed to defend it pretty well.”

Bumrah and Jadeja show why India is the hardest place for visiting batters to stitch partnerships

Alagappan Muthu20-Sep-20242:10

Sanjay Manjrekar: Jasprit Bumrah is a bowler without a weakness

The ball left Jasprit Bumrah’s hand with a . Shakib Al Hasan got in line with it. The length was full. So he was forward. The line was on fourth stump. So he was across. Bumrah was the biggest threat in the opposition. So he defended with soft hands. . The sound echoes around the stadium. There was virtually no time between the and the . A zeptosecond is a trillionth of a billionth of a second. Test match batting in India lives somewhere in there.For a while, Bangladesh had risen to meet this challenge. They put on a fifty partnership during which they were in control of 89% of the deliveries they faced and scored eight boundaries. Some of them were really pleasing, Litton Das moving smoothly forward to a length ball from Akash Deep and gently tapping it through the covers for four. Taken in isolation, the cricket in this little period of play showed two teams evenly poised.And then it happened. Like it has always happened.Related

Spotlight on off-colour Shakib amid injury murmurs

Bumrah, Jadeja back Bangladesh into a corner on 17-wicket day

Ashwin: 'Bowling and batting are very separate sports in the same game'

Ravindra Jadeja had Litton pinned to his crease, giving him no way out. The line was constantly at fifth stump. The length too good to do anything but defend. Conditions in Chennai were such that the spinners were the best source of runs but here was one who simply wouldn’t give anything away. Basically, if you ever want anything from Jadeja, never be 22 yards away from him.Litton didn’t have that luxury so he decided to make his own arrangements. It was a decent plan. He had spent enough time in the middle to figure out the pace of the pitch. He had also seen that midwicket had been left open. Now if he were to shuffle across his crease a little bit, he could meet those good-length balls just outside off stump under his eyes and sweep them into the gap. So that’s what he did, except he went a zeptosecond too early. And Jadeja spotted it. He shifted his line wider. Additionally, this ball landed on the seam and bounced that extra bit higher. So instead of the plan that Litton had set, he ended up miscuing a catch to the only man in the deep on the leg side square of the wicket.Bangladesh’s recovery was done. They were 91 for 6 and then 149 all out.Jasprit Bumrah finished with four wickets in Bangladesh’s first innings•BCCIBuilding partnerships against India in India is a gruesome process. Visiting teams’ first six wickets have averaged 26.04 here in the last five years. No other place is as hostile. A part of this is surely the result of the spin-friendly nature of the conditions. They’ve at times been extreme.But there is another reason as well. Bumrah typified it in the dying stages of the Bangladesh first innings when he slapped one hand onto the other. He was disappointed at presenting Mehidy Hasan Miraz with a ball that he could get to the pitch of and drive through the covers. India do not like offering run-scoring opportunities up on a platter. That is, in fact, their entire agenda when they play at home. It isn’t to take wickets. It is to build pressure. Because if they get it right, things like Litton’s mis-hit happen. Or Joe Root’s. Or David Warner’s. On each occasion, a side that was enjoying a period of ascendancy slipped, never to recover again. And every time it was the result of India simply doing the basics right.Their attack isn’t seduced by the idea of magic balls. They just sit in and wait. Crucially, they give no sighters. Even during Bangladesh’s best phase of play on Friday, there were only six balls – out of 92 – that allowed Litton and Shakib to breathe easy. Those were the only ones they could leave alone; the only ones that didn’t come with the threat of a dismissal. In contrast, Hasan Mahmud gave Rohit Sharma the chance to leave five straight balls alone in just the second over of India’s first innings. When a batter doesn’t need to play a shot, their vulnerabilities are never in play. India want vulnerabilities to be in play. Always.Batting against them on their turf is a pointed and endless examination. How often are you okay pushing forward but never having the drive as an option? How will you cope against the short ball when it doesn’t provide the room to cut or pull? How long can you keep doing the right things over and over and over again when they don’t yield a lot of runs?Turns out, not long. In the last five years, there have been 265 partnerships for the first six wickets of every visiting side. Only nine of them have made it to 100.India’s dominance at home is directly related to the depth, skill and variety of their bowling attack. And this is their signature skill.