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With less than a week to go in the transfer window, it appears Leeds United are still trying to secure a move for Brenden Aaronson…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, the Yorkshire outfit remain locked in talks with Austrian champions RB Salzburg over a potential deal, despite having an initial £15m bid knocked back last week.

“Leeds United remain in talks to sign RB Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson, the player is keen on the move,” he revealed on Monday night’s edition of ‘The Transfer Show’ [17:30].

It’s thought that the club have since submitted a revised offer of £20m but Salzburg have not confirmed that approach and they are expected to play hardball given their involvement in the Champions League, as per The Athletic.

Bielsa’s top target

Aaronson has quickly emerged as one of manager Marcelo Bielsa’s top targets, so whilst Leeds have been left frustrated in their attempts to sign the 21-year-old, it is certainly encouraging news to see Victor Orta and co trying their best to secure him.

Typically, the Premier League side have never really spent during the winter, especially on a key area such as midfield, where there has not been a signing for four years – when Adam Forshaw joined from Middlesbrough in 2018.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-lufc-transfer-rumours-gossip-bielsa-orta-radrizzani-elland-road-updates” title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Bielsa is without an influential figure in Kalvin Phillips and with his engine room already light on options, that has increased the need for some sort of reinforcements this month.

The England international isn’t expected to be back until March at the earliest and only then will he be able to get back up to speed with the Argentine’s intense training regime and high-pressing tactical system, so more time may be needed.

Aaronson is undoubtedly an exciting young talent, so United must not give up in their pursuit over the coming six days.

The 15-cap American, who is currently on international duty, has largely operated as a ‘half-winger’ in Matthias Jaissle’s system, where his work rate in the final third has been particularly impressive as he’s amongst the top 1% of midfielders for pressures and forcing the opposition into giving up possession, per FBRef.

Nicknamed the ‘Medford Messi’ and compared to legendary compatriot Clint Dempsey, the young dynamo has delivered three goals and seven assists from an attacking midfield role this campaign.

All in all, Bielsa must surely be delighted that this deal isn’t dead and buried just yet. He desperately needs a new midfielder and Aaronson certainly fits the ideal profile at Elland Road.

AND in other news, Leeds eye last-gasp swoop for £25m “phenomenon”, he could be Bielsa’s next Raphinha…

Sehwag had shown remarkable patience and application in giving India a superb start, but threw it away when he tried to go from 99 to 105

Sidharth Monga at the SSC28-Jul-2010To listen to Virender Sehwag is to realise that perhaps we take our game too seriously. That, after all is said and done, it is just a sport. Two matches in a row he has thrown away his wicket with the bowlers at his mercy. One of them became part of the reason why India find themselves 1-0 down in the series, the other hasn’t been as fatal, thanks to Sachin Tendulkar. At least that’s what it looks like now.In the second of those instances, Sehwag had shown remarkable patience and application in giving India a superb start, but threw it away when he tried to go from 99 to 105 – off the first ball he faced from Suraj Randiv today. The mind was made up to charge at the bowler, he saw a shortish delivery that he couldn’t reach, made a last-ditch effort to fetch it and drag it to the on side, and missed the straighter one. He just shrugged his shoulders and said, “Yes I read it. I knew it was the doosra, but I went for the shot.”It is not as if he is irresponsible or mindless. To suggest any of those would be unfair, and disrespectful to one of the sharper brains around. Still he gets really annoyed when all the opposition is trying to do is to contain. He fought his instinct for long durations today, and when he saw a new bowler, he perhaps saw an opportunity for a boundary: he had scored only one in the 16 previous overs.”I am disappointed,” he said. “Not because I was out on 99, but because today’s day could have been very good for us if we were one or two down. We had a great opportunity to post a big total. But thanks to Sachin Tendulkar we are back in a good situation. If we play well tomorrow then we can avoid the follow-on and also bat the whole day.”Sehwag didn’t quite panic then, at the mammoth Sri Lankan total. “Not really because the wicket is so good to bat on,” he said. “I knew somebody will make a big one. I was expecting from VVS [Laxman] and Sachin to complete the hundreds, unfortunately Laxman got out. Full praise to Suresh Raina, he batted really well and scored his fifty. I am hoping that tomorrow morning he will come and complete his hundred.”Sehwag deserves praise for the way he began yesterday himself. It wasn’t an easy job to play as aggressively as he did after having spent so much time in the field, and the debacle of the first match. “There was an opportunity if you bat for 18 overs,” he said. “You have a chance to score 50. I grabbed the opportunity and scored 60 not out, and I came today morning and tried to score a big one but unfortunately I got out.”Asked if anybody was waiting in the dressing room to pull him up after that dismissal, Sehwag said, “Probably, I have played (too) many Test matches for anybody to come and tell me I have missed a hundred. It is written there in big letters that I made 99.”Thankfully for Sehwag and India, there was Tendulkar to cover up for his error today. Asked if there was anything new to learn from Tendulkar’s batting, Sehwag is honest. “It is difficult to say what we have learned from watching him,” he says. “Everyday we listen to him in the dressing room, and that is as good as learning.”Looking at Suresh Raina batting and Tendulkar, it is difficult to say who is making debut. The big plus point is about Sachin is that whenever he gets down to play it is as if he is playing his first game.”

Nottinghamshire stepped closer to regaining the County Championship title they last won in 2005 with a ruthless two-day victory over desperate Warwickshire

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge17-Aug-2010
ScorecardAndre Adams started Warwickshire’s double demise with three early wickets•Getty ImagesNottinghamshire stepped closer to regaining the County Championship title they last won in 2005 with a ruthless two-day victory over desperate Warwickshire. It leaves Yorkshire under pressure to get the better of Durham at Chester-le-Street and Somerset needing a victory over Essex at Colchester if Chris Read’s side are not to open up a clear lead at the top of Division One.Warwickshire, whose return to Division Two looks almost inevitable now, were bowled out twice in the day after Nottinghamshire claimed the extra half-hour. Their principal destroyer was Ryan Sidebottom, whose eight wickets in the day will do him no harm in ongoing discussions with the county over a new contract.The 32-year-old England bowler, whose current arrangements at Trent Bridge run out at the end of this season, is looking for a new deal that compensates him for the likelihood that his central contract with the ECB will not be renewed.Other counties, including Sussex, are watching developments with interest and, while Nottinghamshire are keen to reach an agreement that suits them as well, Sidebottom left his supporters in no doubt that his commitment to the county is as strong as ever.Sidebottom took 3 for 37 as Warwickshire, 13 without loss overnight, collapsed to 121 all out in their first innings, their last nine wickets falling for 68 in an abject display that could not be explained away purely by the fact that the Trent Bridge swing factor came into play.In the event, it was Andre Adams who upstaged Sidebottom initially, the former New Zealand allrounder producing a masterclass in swing bowling, which began with him bowling a remarkable 53 deliveries without conceding a run while taking three wickets in the process.With the ball still getting purchase off a pitch that was offering bounce for good measure, Adams was virtually unplayable from the Radcliffe Road End. He claimed his first success when a frustrated Darren Maddy tried to cut him for four only to be caught low down at first slip, then saw off Jim Troughton and Varun Chopra leg before in successive overs.Four of the next five wickets fell to catches behind the wicket or in the slips, with the exception of Ateeq Javid, the 18-year-old in his sixth first-class match, who was bowled offering no stroke to a ball from Paul Franks. Adams wrapped the innings up when Sidebottom took a tumbling catch at mid-off to dismiss Boyd Rankin, leaving Chris Woakes, on 19 not out, as Warwickshire’s joint top scorer, although Rankin’s 13 was a career-best.If Sidebottom played second fiddle in the first innings, however, he roared back in style with 5 for 35 as Warwickshire subsided to 152 all out following on. The figures were his best for Nottinghamshire since he took 5 for 22 against Kent in August 2006 and rewarded bowling of the highest quality.Trailing by 207 on first innings, Warwickshire looked to be making a better stab at building a respectable total, reaching 87 for 1 as Chopra completed his first Championship half-century since his winter move from Essex but, after Adams had taken the second of his three second-innings wickets when Darren Maddy spooned a catch to mid-wicket, Sidebottom produced two brilliant yorkers in the space of three deliveries to bowl Chopra and Rikki Clarke.He then had Jim Troughton caught behind off a thin edge before another yorker trapped Tim Ambrose first ball as the former England wicketkeeper bagged a pair. He completed his five-for when Keith Barker edged a low catch to wicketkeeper Chris Read, who now has 51 victims for the season.Poor Javid suffered the embarrassment of being bowled without offering a stroke for the second time as Adams picked up his seventh wicket of the day.At 132 for 8 when the day’s allocated overs ran out, Nottinghamshire inevitably claimed the extra half-hour. With Woakes again showing some measure of resolve, it looked for a while as if Warwickshire might at least take the game into a third day.But Franks uprooted Imran Tahir’s middle stump with the fifth of the additional eight overs and completed the job with one over remaining as Woakes edged to David Hussey at second slip.Warwickshire’s dressing room door remained closed long after the players left the field and director of cricket Ashley Giles will find himself under pressure after seeing his side fail to win a single batting bonus point in six of their 13 matches.

Ange Postecoglou has revealed that Celtic have been dealt yet another injury blow, this time concerning Yosuke Ideguchi.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Glasgow Evening Times, the Bhoys boss revealed that, despite stating after the 2-1 win over Alloa Athletic last weekend that the central midfielder’s injury was not too severe, the 25-year-old is still in a considerable amount of pain from the horror challenge of Mouhamed Niang.

Speaking about the current condition of Ideguchi, Postecoglou said: “[He’s] not great. I think I said after the game that it didn’t look too serious but I didn’t really get a good look at him. It was a terrible tackle and one that should’ve been addressed by the referee on the day. He hasn’t come out of it too well and he’ll be missing for a little bit.

“He’s still pretty painful. Again, I know the kind of character he is so for him to stay down and have come off I knew it was significant. I was optimistic it wasn’t anything too bad but, as everyone saw from the footage, it was a tackle that should never have happened and should’ve been addressed on the day.”

Postecoglou will be seething

With Celtic having brought in three central midfielders this winter – in order to provide greater depth in the position ahead of the second half of the Premiership campaign – the fact that both Callum McGregor and Ideguchi have already been sidelined as a result of injury after just two games since the conclusion of the winter break is sure to have left Postecoglou seething.

Indeed, with David Turnbull still out with a hamstring injury and Tom Rogic being called up to international duty with Australia, the 56-year-old Hoops manager has been left considerably short in the middle of the park once again, with only James McCarthy, Nir Bitton and Ismaila Soro – none of whom have been first-team regulars under Postecoglou – in addition to winter signings Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate, currently being available for selection.

And, with some extremely challenging fixtures coming up for the Bhoys in the next 14 days, including the Old Firm clash on February 2, the fact that Celtic are still short of options in central midfield despite their transfer business this month will undoubtedly come as a gutting blow to the Greek-Australian manager – who must be cursing his bad luck regarding injuries.

In other news: Postecoglou drops teasing 8-word Celtic transfer hint, Nicholson must now act

As per ESPN, there has been a development in Manchester City’s transfer plans as both the Sky Blues and Liverpool could now make a move for exciting Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka.

The Lowdown: Guardiola set for busy summer?

After the surprise signing of South American sensation Julian Alvarez, who will spend the rest of 2021/2022 back on loan at River Plate, much has been made of how it could impact City’s search for a world class striker this summer.

However, reliable reporter Sam Lee of The Athletic believes it will not alter sporting director Txiki Begiristain’s plan to target centre-forward options – most notably long-time target Erling Braut Haaland.

As the Sky Blues and manager Pep Guardiola maintain their place at the top of the Premier League without a natural, senior striking option, again utilising the false-nine to devastating effect, City are still tipped to be busy in their pursuit of a new addition in that area.

However, as news emerges on Saka, it appears they could also move for other attacking options.

The Latest: ESPN share Saka transfer update…

As per ESPN and journalist Mark Odgen, both City and Liverpool have been ‘watching the progress’ of Gunners starlet Saka and ‘could make a move’ if his club fail to qualify for the Champions League.

The England international is attracting plenty of interest with his current deal at the Emirates Stadium set to expire in 2023.

The Verdict: Good move?

Saka, one of former City assistant Mikel Arteta’s most pivotal players in north London, could certainly be of use to Guardiola going by his obvious quality and versatility.

The young forward can play in advanced roles out wide, in central midfield, and at left-back (WhoScored) – potentially allowing City to place star man Joao Cancelo back on the right more regularly.

Sky Blues favourite Kyle Walker is currently 31-years-old, with Guardiola arguably needing to start thinking about his long-term future, so signing Saka as a left-back option and allowing Cancelo to replace the Three Lions star in that position could be ideal.

Arteta’s gem, whom he called ‘extraordinary’, is currently valued at around £58.5 million by Transfermarkt.

While he may end up costing a greater amount, the fact his deal expires in 18 months could gift Txiki an advantage in summer negotiations if Arsenal do indeed fail to make a top four place.

Guardiola is certainly a fan of Saka, raving about him last year after City’s 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the English capital, and we believe he would be a fine addition to the Spaniard’s squad.

In other news: ‘Heaven today’, ‘Fantastic’…Media rave as Man City confirm ‘great news’ out of Eastlands, find out more here.

Firdose Moonda presents the moments of the tournament from the Champions League Twenty20 2010

Firdose Moonda28-Sep-2010Innings of the tournament
For a large part of the tournament, he was the man leading the golden bat race. Michael Klinger scored three half centuries for South Australia, two of them while chasing. His best effort was the 78 off 48 balls he smashed against the Lions in Centurion. Klinger had not scored a half-century in 20-over cricket before that day and a combination of excellent exploitation of the short ball, perfect placement and crafty footwork saw him sail over the 50 mark. He shared in two century opening partnerships in the competition, so his sidekick, Daniel Harris gets an honorary mention.Spell of the tournament
Albie Morkel produced two gorgeous, bouncy overs for the Chennai Super Kings against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the semi-final. He had the ball swinging like the 60s and Manish Pandey didn’t quite know what to do with the away movement. At one point, there were three slips in position. Morkel picked up the wicket of Robin Uthappa with the final ball of the second over to finish the spell with figures of 1 for 13.Catch of the tournament
Plenty of great plucking in this tournament made this one a difficult pick. Jean Symes and Johan Botha get special mention but the clutch that cut it was Matthew Hayden’s spectacular steal against Central Districts in Port Elizabeth. Mathew Sinclair’s reverse sweep off Muttiah Muralitharan required an acrobatic leap to the right from Haydos at first slip which he pulled off in fine style. He had a lean run with the bat and is fast approaching 40, but Hayden’s powers of anticipation have not dimmed.Surprise package of the tournament
The Warriors had laid claim to their first two pieces of silverware since the franchise system began on their way to qualifying for the Champions League. They fancied themselves for a final four spot but to advance to the decider in such emphatic fashion was surely unexpected. Davy Jacobs became everybody’s favourite player with his no-fear brand of batting and easy-going leadership style. The home boys won the hearts of many and even though they lost in the final, they provided more than enough evidence that something very special is stirring in the Eastern Cape.Thanks-for-coming of the tournament
Guyana, Central Districts and Wayamba provided a trio of whipping boys for the other teams. Between them, they posted the five lowest totals in the competition and conceded the two highest scores. Most of the time their hearts didn’t seem in it, although they told us they were, so even when the Sri Lankans thrashed the New Zealanders by 74 runs, no-one cared.Heartwarmer of the tournament
The unfancied Highveld Lions upset the Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener, to leave audiences aghast. When Robbie Frylinck bowled the last ball, to hand the Lions victory by nine runs, the team stormed the pitch to the sound of K’Naan’s . The union that has been so troubled by internal strife and so plagued by failure were united for those few minutes by victory.Best atmosphere of the tournament
The Centurion crowd at the semi-final between Warriors and the South Australia Redbacks. A hen party was clucking away in the grandstand complete with pink mining helmets for the girls and a colourful, fake, Mohican for the bride-to-be. That bunch was not even nearly as raucous as Redbacks’ WAGS in the president’s suite, cheering on their men, even when it was obvious that they were going home. By that point, the rest of the crowd threw their weight behind the South African side and started a chant, “Bye, Bye Redbacks.” The Eastern Cape found a home in Centurion.Song of the tournament
Enrique belted out at the opening ceremony but that song in its cheesy entirety was not heard again. There was a masala mix version of it, muddled with Taio Cruz’s . Catchy, but not quite the best beat of the event. For a tune that screams “bring out your pom-poms,” a lesson in spelling and a healthy blend with something that sounds like Bhangra, the Chennai Super Kings theme song is the one that rocked.Advice of the tournament
Someone needs to tell Ravi Shastri that when he is holding a microphone, he doesn’t have to shout.Quotes of the tournament
“This is a massive achievement for the Eastern Cape. The last 18 months have been unbeliev…., unbeliev… . I don’t even know what the question was.”
“I’ll just go make a cup of coffee.”

A round-up of the second day of the opening round of matches in Division 2 of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Oct-2010Bismillah Khan’s maiden first-class century led a strong Quetta reply to Hyderabad’s 361 as they finished the second day on 209 for 2 at the Niaz Stadium. Wicketkeeper Bismillah dominated an 81-run opening stand and then added 115 with Taimur Ali. Taimur fell late in the afternoon for a sedate 42 but Bismillah remained unbeaten on 125 off 177 deliveries, hitting 13 fours and three sixes.Hyderabad’s Lal Kumar and Kashif Bhatti had carried on for another 38 runs in the morning, in an eighth-wicket partnership that finally tallied 161. Both fell to fast bowler Arun Lal, and Hyderabad were ultimately bowled out for 361, after having been 170 for 7 at one stage on the first day.Ahmed Jamal’s late strikes put Abbottabad in control on the second day of their encounter against Pakistan Television at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. After conceding a first-innings lead of 69, Pakistan Television were at 93 for 2 when Awais Zia was run out for 40. Jamal then struck twice to reduce them to 114 for 5. With only a 64-run lead at stumps, Pakistan Television’s lower order will have to bat well to give themselves something to defend.Left-arm seamer Saad Altaf’s 11th first-class five-wicket haul had earlier reduced Abbottabad to 150 for 8, before Mohammad Kashif (56) and Armaghan Elahi (26 not out) lifted them to 219.Lahore Shalimar had their noses in front ending the second day on 213 for 4 in reply to Peshawar’s 272 at the Sports Complex in Mardan. They would have been in a better position had they not lost the wicket of Arsalan Mir with the score on 203. Arsalan and Usman Salahuddin had added 77 runs for the fourth wicket before Arsalan’s dismissal for 45. Salahuddin was unbeaten on 54 and would be key if Lahore are to take a substantial lead. The Lahore top order batsmen got starts but fell to the legspin of Dilawar Khan.Sajjad Ahmed could score only two more runs in the morning, getting caught behind for 80 as Peshawar were dismissed for 272.State Bank of Pakistan ended day two of their match against Lahore Ravi at the Lahore Cricket Association Ground on 119 for 3, having bowled Lahore out for 268. Mohtashim Ali and Rameez Alam were the two unbeaten batsmen, on 45 and 25 respectively, having shared a 65-run partnership to steady State Bank after they had slipped to 54 for 3.Ashraf Ali, who made 80, was the anchor around which Lahore built their first innings. He got little support from the rest though, with extras the next highest score with 33. Mohtashim also took 2 for 15 with his left-arm spin, including the key wicket of Ashraf.

Sunderland may reportedly now sell Ross Stewart once the summer transfer window opens.

The Lowdown: Promotion push

Stewart has been integral to the Stadium of Light faithful’s promotion push this season, scoring 22 goals and supplying five assists in League One, where he has not missed a single game (Transfermarkt).

Black Cats legend Kevin Phillips even went as far as to claim that he has been ‘incredible’, and his numbers certainly show that, ranking as far and away the squad’s best player according to Whoscored’s match ratings.

The Latest: Interest

Taking to Twitter, The Northern Echo journalist Scott Wilson has revealed that three clubs are now ‘chasing’ Stewart in Glasgow Rangers, Norwich City and Swansea City ahead of a potential move in the summer.

Alex Neil is ‘aware’ of the interest in his talisman, but does not want to be distracted by it as he aims to bring the Wearside club up to the Championship.

However, whether they are promoted or not is ‘likely’ to be the catalyst for any decision on Stewart’s future, suggesting that he could be sold if they do not go up.

The Verdict: Keep

The board must do everything that they can to keep Stewart, even if they end up in League One again next term.

His goals are simply far too important to the team right now – after all, nobody in the squad comes close to his 22, with Everton loanee Nathan Broadhead the next best with nine strikes.

The Scotsman has received no fewer than 11 man-of-the-match awards, more than the next three SAFC players combined (WhoScored).

He also wins more aerial duels and averages more shots per game than his teammates, so replacing everything Stewart brings to the table would be an astronomical task.

In other news, find out injury boost Sunderland have been gifted here!

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson thinks Mateusz Klich could be left out of Jesse Marsch’s starting line-up against Crystal Palace on Monday.

The Lowdown: Klich a regular

Klich has made 31 appearances in all competitions this season, taking his Leeds tally to 173.

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The 31-year-old has turned out as a defensive, central and attacking midfielder and is yet to miss a game under new boss Jesse Marsch.

He played alongside Robin Koch in the 3-0 win over Watford last time out but made way on the hour mark for Kalvin Phillips.

The Latest: Robinson’s reacts to Phillips image

Talking to MOT Leeds News after seeing an image of Phillips back in full training, Robinson, who contributes for Sky Sports, gave his thoughts on how Leeds’ midfield could shape up at Selhurst Park.

He believes Phillips, who was spotted in full flow at Thorp Arch this week, could make a first start since December alongside Koch, which would mean Klich would drop out.

“For me, Phillips and [Adam] Forshaw both come in if they’re fit and able to play 90 minutes.

“I know they played well at Watford so I don’t think both Phillips and Forshaw will come back in.

“Forshaw’s been out so he’ll probably have to get his game-time off the bench.

“Phillips should come in alongside either Klich or Koch.

“It’ll probably be alongside Koch if Jesse Marsch is going to play that way again.”

The Verdict: Right call?

Bringing back Phillips from the off could be a wise by Marsch move following Leeds’ 16-day break.

Klich also had an afternoon to forget at Vicarage Road last time out. As per SofaScore, he was Leeds’ worst-rated player in the 3-0 victory, losing possession 16 times and failing to complete any of his attempted long balls.

The central midfielder was also second best in nine of his 12 duels, so it could be a wise move to leave him out of the starting XI at Selhurst Park as Leeds look to take a step closer to safety.

In other news: Approach made: 49ers and Radz now in exit talks with club for ‘awful’ Leeds defender. 

Laxman remained hopeful that India would be able to chase a target within a reasonable degree of difficulty

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2010The second Test in Hyderabad is poised like the first in Ahmedabad was at this stage, with one team needing to bat until a little after lunch on the final day to secure a draw. The roles, though, have been reversed and the circumstances have made it harder for the team attempting to force a win.At Motera, India had ended the fourth day in bad shape, leading by only 110 with four wickets in hand. VVS Laxman and Harbhajan Singh fought for safety on the fifth. In Hyderabad, India are the aggressors, seeking to limit New Zealand’s lead, which is presently 115, and take the six wickets that stand between them and an urgent run-chase. Failure to achieve the first goal would render thoughts about the second futile.Laxman, a proven performer in challenging second-innings scenarios, remained hopeful that India would be able to chase a target within a reasonable degree of difficulty. “I think anything less than 200-225, even if it means we have to chase five an over,” he said when asked what was within India’s means. “I think with our batting line-up and the condition of the wicket, we can definitely achieve that.”The condition of the wicket, while crucial to India’s chances of victory, is also one of their toughest challenges. Compared to the stereotype fourth-day surfaces around the country, this one was relatively without blemish. There wasn’t much rough, the wear and tear around the bowlers’ landing areas wasn’t exaggerated and the bounce wasn’t variable. There was bounce, though, for the spinners, but that was it. Turn was minimal.”I think the wicket in Hyderabad is much better than the one in Ahmedabad,” Laxman said. “Ahmedabad was more on the slower side. Even here it is on the slower side but the bounce is much better for the spinners. But definitely you would [expect to] see more assistance for the spinners, especially on the fourth day, which today we didn’t see.”Given the conditions, Laxman said India’s bowlers had done a “tremendous job” in bringing the game to the position they had. “I think we’ve got a good chance of winning. It will be very important how we start tomorrow’s morning session. If we get two early wickets, then obviously we’re into their bowlers and can put pressure.”India can take heart from their performance on the second morning, when they dismissed six New Zealand batsmen for 81 runs. The leader of that charge was Zaheer Khan, who made the first two strikes, but his fitness poses another problem India will encounter on the final day.Zaheer left the field with an abdominal strain during his fifth over today and stayed indoors for 136 minutes. He wasn’t able to bowl any more on the fourth day. The fact that he returned during the final session and spent time in the field, however, is an indication that he is likely to lead India’s pursuit for wickets on Tuesday. If he couldn’t bowl, it’s unlikely that he would have returned at all. Zaheer spoke to umpire Kumar Dharmasena a couple of times towards the end of play, possibly asking how much more time he needed to spend on the field before he would be allowed to bowl. How fit and effective he is, though, remains to be seen because he wasn’t at his canny best during his short spell today.The New Zealand opener Tim McIntosh, who has fallen three times to Zaheer in this series, said India had missed him when the ball began to reverse. The ball is presently 75 overs old and a new one will be available to India in five overs. MS Dhoni will be hoping that a combination of reverse-swing and spin will ensure that it isn’t required.