England v India: third Test, day four – live

England v India: third Test, day four – live

12.38pm BST 

14th over: England 53-1 (Cook 23, Ballance 17) - lead of 292

Really nice from Cook as he whips Shami through midwicket for four. A two is aborted because of sharp Indian work in the deep, which almost has Ballance in trouble as he slips on the lush green grass just off the pitch. Fine shot down the ground from Ballance, hitting Shami straight and on the up for four.
12.34pm BST 

13th over: England 44-1 (Cook 18, Ballance 13)

Another single stolen. Ballance then squares himself up like a cat that’s just been started by a firecracker (so I’ve heard....). Back to back fours more than make up for the ugliness - tucked through square leg and punched down the ground.
Updated at 12.35pm BST
12.29pm BST 

12th over: England 33-1 (Cook 17, Ballance 3)

A guided four from Cook has Strauss saluting the England captain’s “one day game”. Nothing like the good old English deflection to strike fear in the hearts of the watching world. A single is scampered off the final ball. Better.
Updated at 12.35pm BST
12.24pm BST 

11th over: England 28-1 (Cook 12, Ballance 3)

Cook gets a run and then Ballance gets two, as the score rattles on! Run scared, you weak Indian bowlers with your late movement and silly names.
12.20pm BST 

10th over: England 25-1 (Cook 11, Ballance 1)

A maiden, what madness. Singh’s bowling well, Ballance is having a swing. Seriously, lads, ger on wi it.
12.14pm BST 

9th over: England 25-1 (Cook 11, Ballance 1)

Kumar going well in cutting out any width to Cook, who eventually tries to clamp down on one to get it behind point, but can’t get it off the square. A thick-edge gets him two to finish off the over.
12.11pm BST 

8th over: England 23-1 (Cook 9, Ballance 1)

Good work from Singh, who is into the mid-eighties and getting the ball to outfox Ballance.

David Sweet has a soft spot for Kim Clijsters’s return from motherhood:

“Skip to 1 minute in to avoid the ball hitting and get straight to the emotion. Seeing her daughter on court with her …”

Not seen this before, but this is great from Niall Mullen:

“I love Clive Allen & his dad at the 1982 FA Cup final. When it really meant something...”

7th over: 23-1 (Cook 9, Ballance 1)

A corker sees Robson off before Ballance, with “IMPETUS” etched on his forehead, pushes into the offside and is off the mark straight away. Cook then prods outside off. Just leather it, lad.

Cracking delivery from Kumar, but alas the wicket won't count in official records after failing to reach the 87mph minimum pace requirement.
— Dave Sconnington (@tickerscricket) July 30, 2014

Needs an extra 0.914m of pace
12.03pm BST 
Robson c Dhawan b Kumar 13 (England 22-1)

Good nut from Kumar starts in at middle and nips to outside of and takes the edge of Robson’s bat, through to Dhawan who finally does something. Nice of you to join us, Shihkar...
12.00pm BST 

6th over: England 18-0 (Cook 9, Robson 9)

Robbo steals a single but there’s little else from the over, as Jos Buttler goes for a hit after signing a few autographs. Range finding, we hope.

@Vitu_E If you can get to The Ageas Bowl tomorrow, £15 (£1 for Under 16s) looks like the bargain of the year - http://t.co/QkLJrAYDVo
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 30, 2014

For those at a loose end tomorrow
11.57am BST 

John Cox’s favourite emotional sporting moment:

“It has to be Lester Piggott winning the Breeders Cup Mile six days into his post-imprisonment comeback, and more to the point his post-race interview with Brough Scott.

BS (so excited he can hardly stay still enough to keep in shot): ‘Even for you, Lester, even for you, this must be something special.’

LP (usual nasal monotone, slightly puzzled air): ‘Well, not really.’

Not how KP would handle a similar situation, you feel. But so much better.”
11.56am BST 

5th over: England 17-0 (Robson 8, Cook 9)

Kumar offering little pace to work with, plus his swing means you can’t really hit through the line. Robson gets him away into the offside but just for the one run, before Cook gets one on his hip and tucks one through the fielder at square leg for two.

11.50am BST 

4th over: England 14-0 (Robson 7, Cook 7)

A good nut from Singh leaves Cook hanging on the back foot. He’s there for the fifth ball but opens the face of the bat and guides it to four to third man.

“My favourite emo-sporting moment,” that’s the DVD title, Tom Andover, “of the current Commonwealth Games was the great Usain Bolt allegedly, calling Glasgow ‘a bit shit’. This is one of the nicest things I’ve ever heard about the city and it brought a tear to my eye.”

Bet the speedy chump has never been, nor sampled the local fried pizza.
11.44am BST 

3rd over: England 10-0 (Robson 7, Cook 3)

Smart shot through the offside from Robson goes for three, as Shami does well to reach out a lever and stop the ball right on the cusp of the sponge. Cook steps out and across to Kumar, but only in defence. He’s off the mark with a shot reminiscent of Robson’s earlier tuck, for just as many runs.

Dave Boulting uncovers today’s loophole: “Abalone, artichoke, arugula, anchovy and anything with ‘artisan’ afore it.”
11.41am BST 

2nd over: England 4-0 (Robson 4, Cook 0)

Steady from Singh and Cook, as a maiden is played out with little of note.

“This could be a good litmus test for Cook’s captaincy credentials,” believes Martin Laidler. “The needle typically sits around conservative to defensive. The timing of the declaration, the run rate up to that point and the possible shuffling of the batting pack and promotion of a test debutant up the order all may point to a belated learning curve from England’s most famous choirist.”
11.39am BST 

“How about a favourite emotional sporting moments thread for today,” comes Richard Hatton’s suggestion for today’s game. I feel this is standard OBO fodder. He suggests Derek Redmond - the go-to. Hang on, he also suggests a new-age corker, Burt le Clos...

11.36am BST 

1st over: England 4-0 (Robson 4, Cook 0)

Robson is solid in defence and then smart in attack as he plays Kumar square for four through cover-point. Kumar readjusts his length and Robbo is up to the task.

“I really hope England emerge from their overly conservative shells today,” writes Simon Hudd. “Put on 220 very quickly against a demoralised Indian attack and give themselves 4 sessions to bowl them out. Once the proper batters have taken enough shine off the new ball, tell Jos to get his pads on...”
11.32am BST 

Right, so Robson and Cook out to the middle. Both can go at a relatively brisk 75+ strike rate, while Ballance is more than capable of giving it a tonk. Perhaps the only change to the order I would make is Buttler up to five. Even then, Jordan can be thrown up the order, too.

Robson to take strike...
11.30am BST 

“Can we reinvent yesterday’s game?” asks Michael Sones. “Most pompous/pretentious foods beginning with a single letter? For Q I offer quinoa, quince, quails eggs and quorn.”

Do your worst.
11.22am BST 
WICKET! Shami c Buttler b Anderson 5 (India 330 all out - trailing by 239)

Anderson has his 16th five-wicket haul in 97 Tests, as another superbly directed bouncer has Shami swaying and gloving through to Buttler. Alastair Cook has not enforced the follow on. Smart move, me thinks.
11.21am BST 

106th over: India 330-9 (Shami 5, Singh 1)

One for the figures, that. Broad manages to go a whole over without bowling at the stumps, as Singh plays and misses at a few and slaps one straight into the earth, for no run.

Phil Morton’s bored: “I liked yesterday’s game - alphabet foods. Onions, oatmeal , oregano and tripe (offal). We need another one today.” Any ideas?
11.15am BST 

105th over: India 330-9 (Shami 5, Singh 1)

Cracking from Anderson, who gets rid of Dhoni before he’s able to butcher any extra runs this morning. Pankaj Singh is the number 11 - and my, what a number 11 he is. He’s backing away to the first, swinging loosely at the second and gets off mark with a scuff behind square leg. Cook in danger of complicating things here as he sets up a hook-trap as Shami tries and fails to hit the final ball over the cordon.
11.11am BST 
WICKET! Dhoni c Buttler b Anderson 50 (India 329-9)

Cracking ball from Anderson seams in and lifts on Dhoni, who is late on a pull and gets nothing but fists to the ball, which lops safely into the hands of Buttler.
11.09am BST 

Given England’s position in this five Test series, Robert Moore feels the follow-on is a must.

“If we were 1-0 up in the series I think not enforcing the follow up would be the obvious choice. But surely with us 1-0 down and needing to win this game we have to give ourselves the most amount of time we can to get 20 wickets – which means sticking them in again. If it backfires and we end up having to bat a tricky fourth innings then so be it.”
11.09am BST 

104th over: India 329-8 (Dhoni 50, Shami 5)

Broad is back of a length and into the body of Shami, who takes his hand off the bat and dabs it into the off side. Shami then stays leg side of the next ball - full, bit of in-nip - and it’s pushed through the offside for just a single. Dhoni charges one and then is happy to take the single into a deserted legside ring, entrusting Shami with the last two deliveries. Broad goes for the body again but it’s byes down the legside. Shami wants one, Dhoni declines.
11.05am BST 

Dr Nicholas Clark gives us a third opinion:

“If they don’t get the runs then it will be early in the day when our bowlers should still be fresh from their overnight rest. If we don’t enforce the follow on then timing the declaration is difficult. We really need to win this game as the best option is to back our batsman to chase down the 150-200 that we should need to get. If they get much more than that we are knackered anyway and the game should end in a draw.

“Not enforcing the follow potentially wastes time by a late declaration or risk us needs a defensive field in the case of an early declaration.”
11.04am BST 

103rd over: India 323-8 (Dhoni 50, Shami 4)

Flicky-wristed fend to the first ball as the camera pans out and shows point making his way to the boundary. Wonder whether Dhoni will take the single to the man. A couple of outswingers are left, an inducker is smothered. The field come in for the final two balls and Dhoni charges and misses a wide one. Not sure whether that’s smart or not, but the final ball is speared down the leg side and Buttler stops it superbly. No bye, no wides, no boundary and Mohammed Shami on strike to Broad.
11.00am BST 

Philipp Lohan comes to the OBO parish seeking advice from the masses, as Dhoni and Shami make their way to the middle:

“At what state in today’s play, I should decide to head down to Southampton for Day 5? Would only take the risk of skiving off work for a properly good/enthralling/exciting day ahead. Any suggestions?”

I’d say you’ll know by tea - depending on how England are going and whether a declaration is close. Trent Bridge aside, the other three fifth days this summer have been entertaining.
10.54am BST 

Dave Espley is a “no”:

“Definitely no to the follow-on. When a team gets close to avoiding it, if you put them in again, you run the risk of them getting a big score second time round (which certainly isn’t beyond this Indian team) and leaving you an awkward target. I’d not be confident about England chasing any target, let alone an awkward one.”

Also, I think it would be good for Broad and Anderson to rest up and Jordan to get his head right and have a kip.
10.53am BST 

Daniel Beckell has a cunning plan...

“If England either don’t enforce the follow-on, or India get the runs required, and England bat again, might a left-field decision be to open with Cook and Buttler? I can’t imagine them being that bold, unfortunately.”

It’s a good thought. I wouldn’t say we have to adjust the line-up too much; Cook can give it a swing and Sam Robson, certainly in county cricket, has shown he can scored with a 80+ strike rate. The freedom might do him some good. Ballance, too, at three is more than capable of clearing that front leg.
10.46am BST 

Morning all,

Great chat about James Anderson at the moment on Sky. Michael Atherton was particularly impressed by his ability to become a “virtual left-hander” to the right-handers - Cheteshwar Pujara the man falling foul of Jimmy’s, erm, faux Southpaw-ness.

Yeah, just ignore that last bit, but you know what I mean. Naturally, we’re at the stage where we speculate as to whether England will enforce the follow on. Just 47 more runs and that decision is taken out of Alastair Cook’s hands. Personally, I think he’ll be relieved. A quick dart for about 40 overs should England get out India in the first 10, and then a declaration with a lead of 450+, with 20 overs at India this evening. That’s not too much to ask, is it?
10.12am BST 

Vithushan will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Vic Marks on Moeen Ali.

Moeen Ali bowled in a long-sleeved shirt buttoned at the wrist. It might seem outlandish that just before entering the arena he had been required to roll up his sleeves just to reassure some ICC official that there were not any regulation-busting wristbands on his arm but in this era when a judicial commissioner, Gordon Lewis, somewhere in Australia, will be required to stay up late on Friday in order to establish what happened on the stairs on the way to lunch in the Trent Bridge pavilion a fortnight ago, anything is possible.

The contest has been unfolding slowly, so it has been hard to clear the mind of the notion of England’s media manager getting into a huddle with whoever is detailed to speak to the gentlefolk of the press at the end of the day in order to give him a reminder of the salient points of the Middle East crisis. This series continues to startle but it would be preferable if the stories from now onwards were of a cricketing nature.

It has not all been plain sailing for Moeen in his brief career. Before he played his first Test his innocent remarks that he was proud of the community from which he came and that he wished to “inspire other people with faith to play” were twisted and taken out of all proportion in some quarters. So we have had the issue of wristbands. Next perhaps we should assume an intimate ICC tattoo inspection (it is just as well that Jade Dernbach and Peter Trego have not made the Test team – although hope springs eternal in both of them).

In all of this Moeen has handled himself with composure and good humour. In the past he has been happy for his club, Worcestershire, to refer to him impishly as “The Beard that’s Feared” in one of their marketing campaigns …

England v India: third Test - day three live

England v India: third Test - day three live

England's Jos Buttler (L) acknowledges the crowd after reaching a half century. 

11.05am BST 

Peter Harmer has a game for us:

"The success of the Bs yesterday reminds me of a pub debate I’ve had several times in the past," he begins. "Which letter of the alphabet you’d pick if you could only eat/drink things beginning with the same letter. B was always my choice - with beer, bacon, beef and biscuits, it seemed the obvious, if perhaps not the most vitamin-heavy, choice."

Any advances from the OBO-ers?
11.04am BST 

15th over: India 27-1 (Vijay 11, Pujara 6)

The first ball of the day is a beaut - tailing in and seaming away, just past the outside edge of the forward-lunging Pujara. The first runs of the day follow as Pujara tucks off his pads for two.

Meanwhile, Chris Fowler is sticking to the tried and tested "copy & paste" method of putting *that* in your e-mail boxes. Tim Jones on the other hand is just straight clicking. The maverick
10.58am BST 

Ravi Nair has some pre-play predictions - galling ones at that:

"So are we hoping for India all out for 86. Follow on and all out for 48. Or do we want to see three more days of cricket and England, inevitably, losing this series. The difference between the England fan and the Trufan of Test Cricket."
10.53am BST 

Simon McMahon in with the second e-mail of the day. He's seen this all before...

"You can always rely on the OBO. The Simpsons, international politics, somebody counting the number of characters in an email address. And play hasn't even started."
10.47am BST 

"Morning Vish" - morning, Michael Sones

"How many OBOers will be put off by the typing needed to get an email to you (44 characters)?!" Too many, I fear.

"Perhaps Moeen can get a nice tattoo before play begins tomorrow. How would the ICC deal with that?" He'd have to cover the offending area with a flap of Giles Clarke's skin. I think.
Updated at 10.47am BST
10.43am BST 

Oh yes, of course - there was cricket yesterday. Lots of it. And England weren't rubbish.

England declared gloriously on 569-7 and ended the day with India 25-1 (Shikhar Dhawan the man to go). That England found them in this position of great strength is thanks to runs from Ballance, Bell and Buttler on debut.

Morning all,

As some of you have probably already heard, Moeen Ali has been banned from wearing his "Save Gaza" wristbands while playing for England. In the interest of not banging our heads on our respective walls, whichever side of this particular debate we're on, I think it's best we leave this topic be.

In other news, England will be sporting "Help For Heroes" logos on their collars today. The Ageas Bowl will also observe a minute's silence before the start of play.
Updated at 10.36am BST
10.25am BST 

Vish will be here shortly. Meanwhile, have a read about how Moeen Ali might have made some people cross for expressing an opinion held by lots of people on a political matter.

The ICC’s code of conduct for players does not contain any specific guidelines regarding political statements, but they are forbidden from displaying any logos other than for their bat and other approved commercial backers.

Lionel Messi to be prosecuted for alleged tax evasion

Lionel Messi to be prosecuted for alleged tax evasion

Lionel Messi earns over £23.5m a season in salary and bonuses. 

A Spanish court will push ahead with prosecuting the Barcelona forward Lionel Messi for alleged tax evasion despite a recommendation from the public prosecutor the charges be dismissed.

The prosecutor argued in June that Messi’s father Jorge was responsible for the family’s finances and not the four-times World Player of the Year.

However, the court in Barcelona has decided that Lionel Messi could have known about and approved the creation of a web of shell companies that were allegedly used to evade taxes due on income from image rights. The judge in the case ruled that the case against both Messis should continue.

Argentina’s Messi and his father were accused last year of defrauding the Spanish state of more than €4m (£3.1m) by filing false returns for the years 2006 to 2009. They have denied wrongdoing.

One of the world’s highest-paid athletes, Messi earns just over $40m (£23.5m) a season in salary and bonuses, according to Forbes magazine, as well as about $23m from sponsors.

The magazine has him as the fourth top-earning athlete behind the boxer Floyd Mayweather, Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and basketball player LeBron James.

Commonwealth Games: Adam Gemili wins 100m silver behind Bailey-Cole

Commonwealth Games: Adam Gemili wins 100m silver behind Bailey-Cole

Jamaica's Kemar Bailey-Cole, second left, wins the 100m gold medal at the Commonwealth Games ahead of Adam Gemili, second right. 

In the cauldron of Scottish football an almighty Hampden roar sounded for a young English sprinter, Adam Gemili, who until three years ago dreamed of kicking a ball for a living but now has a 100m silver medal to celebrate. No wonder he clasped hands to head in wide-eyed exuberance.

But the understated reaction of the winner, Kemar Bailey-Cole, was just as telling. He had expected to win, and win he did. Despite the absence of Usain Bolt and his long-time frenemy Yohan Blake from the Commonwealth Games’ blue riband event, one thing holds true: the production line of Jamaican sprinters keeps rolling.

Bailey-Cole had a stumbling start and was a metre or so behind Gemili early on. But he picked up to cruise home in a season’s best 10.00sec, with Gemili second in 10.10 and another Jamaican, Nickel Ashmeade, third in 10.12.

“I’m speechless,” admitted Gemili. “The reception I received was amazing. It gave me goosebumps and the extra energy to hold on despite tired legs.”

The 20-year-old’s medal was a minor surprise, given his personal best is 10.04 and there were several men in the competition who had gone under 10 seconds. But it was only a matter of time for the good vibrations, which have been growing ever since Gemili decided to switch from semi-professional football with Dagenham & Redbridge to athletics in 2011, to be realised.

Two years ago, as a callow 18-year-old, he just missed out on the 100m final at the London Olympics after running 10.06sec. Last year he became only the second British athlete – after John Regis – to crash through the 20-second barrier for 200m, before finishing fifth in the world championship final in Moscow. Now at last he has a medal.

And he intends to build quickly on his achievements. “The times will come,” said Gemili. “But medals are what counts and this is just a stepping stone for the European Championships in a couple of weeks’ time and then the world championships next year and Rio in 2016.”

As Gemili wallowed in his personal triumph, Bailey-Cole was more laconic. “The start, it wasn’t good,” he sighed. “The rest was OK.”

Bailey-Cole is coached by Glenn Mills, who also trains Bolt at Kingston’s famous Racers Track Club, and the parallels between the two sprinters are obvious. Both are tall – Bailey Cole is 1.93m, Bolt two centimetres bigger – and both combine a loping stride that allows them to eat up the track, with a zen-like relaxation which means they do not tighten up while others’ legs go wobbly.

Last year Bolt talked up the chances of Bailey-Cole one day eclipsing his feats, and this was a not insignificant marker. But he lacks Bolt’s showmanship and, interestingly, Bailey-Cole admits the pair are not best buddies. “I train with Usain but the friendship is not that close,”he said. “I didn’t hear from him beforehand.”

He was also less than complimentary when asked to compare his Glasgow experience with that of London 2012. “I can’t compare them,” he said. “London was really different food. It was way better than this. Scottish food could do with some more seasoning.”

Earlier, as the sun set on Glasgow, Blessing Okagbare, the Nigerian who dyed her hair gold for these Commonwealth Games, proved her confidence was not misplaced when she won her first major championship title in the women’s 100m in a Commonwealth Games record.

The 25-year-old ran 10.85sec – the second fastest time in the world this year – to beat the Jamaicans Veronica Campbell-Brown and Kerron Stewart, who ran 11.03 and 11.07 respectively. Britain’s Asha Philip ran a personal best but agonisingly finished fourth in 11.18, while Bianca Williams was sixth in 11.31.

Okagbare began to long jump aged 15 but switched to sprinting at 21 after her coached persuaded her to give it a go when she ran her first 100m in 11.21sec. “I wanted to put on a show,” said Okagbare. “It was about execution and staying patient – after 70m it just felt easy.”

In the women’s hammer, England’s Sophie Hitchon was only moderately happy to claim bronze with a throw of 68.72m, a distance over four metres below her personal best.

Hitchon, a former ballet dancer who has two pet rats named Sid and Roddy, came into the Games believing she was in the form to challenge for gold. But the 23-year-old had to settle for third behind the Canadian Sultana Frizell, who retained her title from Delhi with a Games record throw of 71.97, while New Zealand’s Julia Ratcliffe claimed silver.

Hitchon said: “The first few rounds were a little jerky and I only got it together later on. That is what happens sometimes. I am amazingly pleased with a medal but I just always want the very best as an athlete.”

On Tuesday morning the action continues with the Olympic 800m champion and world-record holder, David Rudisha, starting his campaign, while the London 2012 long jump champion, Greg Rutherford, resumes his often testy rivalry with Chris Tomlinson as the pair attempt to qualify for Wednesday’s final.

The evening’s action centres on Scotland’s fast-improving Laura Muir taking on England’s Laura Weightman and the Kenyan favourite, Hellen Obiri, in the women’s 1500m.

It should be some race. But unless Muir can conjure up a moment of high delirium in front of her home crowd, the atmosphere will struggle to match the sonic boom and fulsome exultations for Gemili on a night when he gave yet another shining display of his potential.

Moeen Ali banned from wearing 'Save Gaza' wristbands while playing for England

Moeen Ali banned from wearing 'Save Gaza' wristbands while playing for England

Moeen Ali wore wristbands with 'Save Gaza' and 'Free Palestine' messages on them during the second day of the third Test against India. 

Moeen Ali has been banned from wearing “Save Gaza” and “Free Palestine” wristbands in the remainder of the third Test against India in Southampton by David Boon, the former Australia batsman who is the International Cricket Council’s match referee.

England had cleared Moeen to wear the bands, arguing that he was making a humanitarian statement and not a political one, and perhaps sensitive to accusations of inconsistency as the whole team will wear the logo of the Help for Heroes charity on their shirts on Tuesday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the first world war.

But the ICC issued the following statement on Tuesday morning: “The ICC equipment and clothing regulations do not permit the display of messages that relate to political, religious or racial activities or causes during an international match. Moeen Ali was told by the match referee that while he is free to express his views on such causes away from the cricket field, he is not permitted to wear the wristbands on the field of play and warned not to wear the bands again during an international match.”

England v India: third Test – live

England v India: third Test – live

Alastair Cook the strides out to open the innings during day one of the third Test match between England and India at the Rose Bowl.



11th over: England 25-0 (Cook 15, Robson 10) Another fairly quiet one, as Warne extols the pitch, and we're told that only Taunton has a higher run average.

"So just when it seems India's bowlers have got Englanditis (bowling short and wide), they bring in this Pankaj chappie who bowls at the stumps", emails Ravi Nair. "That's cheating right? You're surely only allowed to bowl in the corridor of uncertainty. Otherwise it's like Mankading - just not cricket."

Maybe the idea is to get runs on the board as quickly as possible, to get a declaration, to get in, to get runs, to then have time to bowl them out in the second innings.

11.39am BST

10th over: England 25-0 (Cook 15, Robson 10) Quiet one from Pankaj though he forces Cook to drop the bat on the variation ball, that nips in.

So, with things a little slow in the middle, here's Richard Crabtree inviting you to laugh at his pain. "I fractured my cheekbone by walking into a lamppost while looking behind me to see if I could safely cross the road. Almost worse, my first thought was that I had walked into one of a group of people I had seen approaching, so to their delight, I then turned and apologized to said lamppost."

9th over: England 25-0 (Cook 15, Robson 10) Floaty half-volley from Kumar that Robson drives for one, following a misifield at mid-off. Cook then responds with one of his own, before Robson cover drives to the fence - that's the first boundary of the day. Meanwhile, Warne has arrived in the commentary box, talking about "this rubbish about bowling first". He reckons there's pace in the pitch, especially for the taller bowlers.

11.32am BST

8th over: England 19-0 (Cook 14, Robson 5) Pankaj into the attack. He's a seriously significant man, tall, wide and more than enough to compound feelings of inadequacy. His first-class record isn't bad either - he has 300 first-class wickets and 21 five-wicket hauls - but this over isn't especially menacing. Robson takes a single into the covers, following some hesitation, and otherwise, England will be as satisfied after it as they were before it.

11.27am BST

7th over: England 18-0 (Cook 14, Robson 4) Kumar loses his line at the start of this over, swinging them away far too wide to mither. He's better after that, without testing Cook, and sneaks away with a maiden.

"Surely the most ridiculous injury ever in cricket has to be Derek Pringle ricking his back writing a letter", writes Gary Weightman. "Not sure the Telegraph would believe him if it happened today."


11.24am BST

6th over: England 18-0 (Cook 14, Robson 4) Ok, I'm going to say it: England should win this Test. The pitch is fine, they're batting, they've some class players, the opposing attack is friendly enough. Make 500 in two days, then take some wickets, done and done. Cook pushes two down the ground - Pankaj dives over it, for the second time - and then when he misses one, there's an appeal, but the ball hitting the pad was about all it had going for it. Shami then strays onto Cook's pads, and three are tucked away to midwicket.

11.19am BST

5th over: England 13-0 (Cook 9, Robson 4) Robson's squared by Kumar's second delivery, but the ensuing edge suds down into the turf and to point. Otherwise not much to report - maiden.

"As a kid on my grandad's chicken farm I decided to help with digging up some roots so they could lay the foundations for a new coop," says Ravi Nair. "I grabbed the pick, as tall as me, raised it high and brought it straight down on my middle toe. I was told you can't splint a toe so, though it was broken, I just had to hobble around until it healed. I'm blaming that for my never having become a Test cricketer."

You've still got time. Similar one from me - once hammered a tent peg, and bounced the mallet straight into my noz. It stung.

11.16am BST

4th over: England 13-0 (Cook 9, Robson 4) Cook misses out on a short one that he generally clips for four down to point. Could that be the slice of luck he needs to transmogrify into Mike Brearley? As far as the batting goes, in some ways he improved in the last Test, at least occupying the crease - at Headingley, he batted with frazzled mind and without the patience that's underpinned his success. He then edges Shami's final delivery four four - could that be, etc etc?

Martin Laidler, meanwhile, emails in on England's team selection: "It seems that Stokes has been dropped for being labelled an all-rounder due to his batting. If he was just a bowler who bats now and then, he possibly could still be in the starting XI. Muddled thinking not for perhaps the first time this summer."

Perhaps. Perhaps.

11.12am BST

3rd over: England 9-0 (Cook 5, Robson 4) Robson fences one down to third man, and the lack of bounce suggests that there's less in the pitch than expected. If so, good toss to win, and good call from Cook. Next, Shami slings down one that's well wide, for which Robson can't help but rummage - I worry about him, he'll be honoured to learn. But he edges two more to backward point, and England will be satisfied with this start. 

2nd over: England 7-0 (Cook 5, Robson 2) Cook tries a clip to midwicket and squirts to mid on instead, and with Shami anticipating the former, they nash a pair. Then two more, through midwicket, but then Cook flirts outside off when tempted by a lovely length, and is beaten. Is that precisely the sign of poor form that he needs to go on to make a sextuple century?

Talking of Ben Stokes, I can confirm that punching something hard is painful - as a child I lamped a bedside table instead of a pillow. On which point, your most absurdly achieved injuries, please.

Updated at 11.09am BST

11.04am BST

And it's Mohammed Shami from the other end.

11.04am BST

1st over: England 3-0 (Cook 1, Robson 2) "Could that be the break that he needed?" asks Mikey-Michael, because Kumar begins with a beauty, swinging into Cook before seaming away. He fumbles outside off-stump, imparts the thickness of his outside edge - with soft hands, if we're being generous - and the ball drops just shy of second slip. Next ball, he wangles himself a single to midwicket, and Robson is off the mark shortly afterwards, bumping two down the ground through mid on."

"Of the 16632 balls Chris Woakes has bowled in First Class cricket, 144 were in his one Test. We should not judge him on those", emails Gary Naylor. I agree, though I'm not crazy over what I've seen so far, and would've left out Broad not Stokes.

11.00am BST

Kumar to open...

11.00am BST

Play.

11.00am BST

"I think England are really wonderful hosts", chortles Anand Kumar. "As soon as they knew that the visitors had to replace their most potent bowler due to injury, they decided to not take an unfair advantage, dropping their best performing bowler of the previous test (Plunkett). The only thing they are yet to provide India is a rank turner. Looking forward to that gift soon."

Sometime around tea tomorrow, we're going to get to see Jos Buttler bat in a Test match. Allow that.

10.53am BST

Email, with George Wright. "Stokes eh? That's baffling. Is it only me who thinks he would be a really good shout for captain further down the line? No fear, no bull (no known experience admittedly), and already something of a leader."

I suppose it'll come down, first of all, to his ability to cement a place. After that, he's certainly tough enough, but whether he's the nous remains to be seen.

10.52am BST

The absence of Ishant is a very big deal for both sides; England's collective weakness against short stuff is now less an issue, and India have lost their most potent bowler. In typical style, Duncan Fletcher has inserted a batsman - perhaps he'll later be awarded an MBE - which tells you that he'd take a draw.

Updated at 10.52am BST

10.46am BST

Michael Holding reckons on a track like this, if you've four seamers in whom you're confident, you bowl. It is also reckoned that Dhoni would've bowled.

10.44am BST

Given how dependent England seemed to be on Stokes, just ten minutes ago, this decision to leave him out, rather than allow him to play himself into form, is not that easy to grasp.

10.41am BST

England have won the toss and will bat. Something about Alastair Cook. Conditions are overcast, so it'll be a testing first hour or two, but after that, there're runs to be had. Something about Alastair Cook.

Each side makes two changes: Plunkett and Stokes and Binny and the injured Sharma drop out, Woakes and Jordan and Sharma and Pankaj come in.

Slightly odd from England, that - Plunkett is tired, fair enough, and required for Old Trafford, but Stokes was the team's best bowler at Lord's, while Stuart Broad is clearly in need of a sit down. Other hand, Woakes has apparently been bowling better and more quickly in the nets.

10.36am BST

Preamble. There are no shortage of reasons as to why sport is superior to real life, most obviously its not being real life. And because of that, the rules are different - not only are things are rarely as bad as they seem, but they are hardly ever all that bad. There is almost always scope to experience cheer, circumstances almost always improvable and generally resolvable, often very quickly indeed. Real life, on the other hand.

But England are playing sport. So, while it's true that they have lost seven of their last eight Tests, several of them in appalling style, in the process disposing of an all-time great batsman for reasons apparently spurious. But it's also true that they've a nucleus of decent young players in the process of proving their credentials, and as of today, they have Joseph Charles Buttler, who plays as his initials suggest - and then some.

And this is a significant step on the way to turning those decent young players into a team. Because even if Robson and his weakness outside off-stump, Ballance and his reactive batting, and Moeen and his tendency to be stared out by the short ball, all grow into Test batsmen, England still lack a dominator; a man who makes high-class bowlers think and change, a man who introduces frisson to strides.

Buttler himself is either disquietingly softly-spoken or disquietingly softly-spoken; is it determination and confidence, or weakness and doubt? Either way, watching him play is, and is going to be, a significant thrill. Real life, on the other hand.

England triathletes combine talents to claim Commonwealth relay gold

England's Jonny Brownlee, left, Vicky Holland, Jodie Stimpson and Alistair Brownlee with their triathlon relay golds.

Another day, another gold for Alistair Brownlee and Jodie Stimpson – but this time it was the relay triathlon and four of England’s troupe were centre stage on the podium at Strathclyde Country Park. Jonny Brownlee and Vicky Holland were the others to be crowned Commonwealth champions after a resounding victory in a race that had everything from bravura to belly flops.

The Brownlee brothers, Stimpson and Holland had competed in the individual disciplines here only on Thursday but – like the rest of the field – one day of rest had to suffice before a second afternoon of endurance that made for captivating viewing.

In the end England’s contingent emerged as comfortable winners in a shortened version of the full triathlon. In a repeat of the scenes earlier in the week it was Alistair Brownlee who strolled down the home stretch draped in two crosses of St George, high-fiving spectators and crossing the line 49 seconds ahead of South Africa’s Richard Murray to secure a memorable gold, taking the spoils in the first relay triathlon at a major championship.
This time, though, Brownlee left the flag of Yorkshire with the waiting crowd before crossing the line. This victory was not his alone but one also with roots in Gloucester and the Black Country, won in a cumulative time of 1hr 13min 24sec as all four athletes completed a 250m swim, 6km cycle and 1.6km run.

“It feels a bit strange to win a gold medal finally but it’s nice,” said Jonny Brownlee, so often used to following his older brother through the finishing stretch. “I want to win but I normally get beaten by Alistair, so to get a gold medal is pretty special.”

Alistair said: “It’s very different for us doing something as a team. Although we race together all the time, to be able to share an achievement is really good. We’ve raced so many relays together over the years and we really enjoy doing it. It’s fantastic to be able to do it on a major scale like we did today.”

Stimpson and Holland won gold and bronze respectively in the individual event on Thursday and both produced impressive performances. Holland started England’s effort and Stimpson took the third leg, as all the athletes cheered on their team-mates after negotiating the shortened course themselves. “Myself and Vicky are on cloud nine – we are riding high,” Stimpson said. “It’s so exciting; it’s not only exciting for the spectators, it’s brilliant to be a part of. It’s definitely full on; but it shows weaknesses. You have to be strong and you can’t have a weak link in the team.”

Holland said: “You know you’ve got the best two guys in the world on your team and that’s a great place to be in. But equally it adds to a little bit of the pressure because you don’t want to mess up.”

This was the inaugural triathlon relay at a major championship and one that was watched by hordes of spectators on the banks of the loch. Australia were edged out of silver by South Africa, finishing three seconds behind their southern-hemisphere adversaries, but there was only jubilation for all the teams that achieved a podium finish.

New Zealand were brief leaders and, although Jonny Brownlee struggled in the transition zone after earning a significant gap on the bike, he had soon regained his place at the front of the pack. Stimpson extended England’s lead with a dominant display of running and Alistair Brownlee could afford to ease up towards the end with victory assured.

“We’d love to see this in the Olympics,” said Alistair, who unsuccessfully campaigned with his brother to get the relay event into the 2016 Games. “I think it’s a fantastic Olympic event. The inclusion of men and women racing together, there’s the team element, the tactical element – it’s short, fast and good to watch.”

Entertainment was certainly not in short supply as athletes tapped each other in before darting along an extended runway to dive into the water. Some efforts were more refined than others, with the adrenaline rush of starting the race too much for certain competitors.

Some dives were more suitable to a municipal pool than a Commonwealth Games but the crowd were the beneficiaries. Every running leap was met with an expectant cheer, and the odd guffaw, with Mauritius the worst culprits in the belly-flop stakes.

Jonny Brownlee said: “Everyone always gets that wrong. I raced the Youth Olympics in Sydney in 2009 and I ran down and I did a flip because it was a lot further than I thought. I actually did a somersault in the water. Now I just run a bit slower.”

Stimpson said: “I actually practised that when we were warming up because I had never done the third leg before. I didn’t want to end up on my face when I was running in and I didn’t want to bomb in.”

England, though, avoided embarrassment and emerged on top yet again.

Ryan Giggs says infectious Louis van Gaal has same aura as Alex Ferguson

Ryan Giggs says infectious Louis van Gaal has same aura as Alex Ferguson

Ryan Giggs Ryan Giggs, left, has been impressed by Louis van Gaal's methods since his arrival at Manchester United.

Ryan Giggs believes Louis van Gaal has the same “aura” as Sir Alex Ferguson, the most successful manager in English football.

Van Gaal, who flew with the squad to Denver following Wednesday evening’s 7-0 hammering of LA Galaxy for the second leg of the summer tour, has been working with Manchester United only since last Wednesday, having taken Holland to third place in the World Cup. Yet he has already made an impact, with Giggs, who played 23 seasons under Ferguson, believing there are similarities between the Scot and the Dutchman.

“They have an aura about them,” said Van Gaal’s assistant. “That comes from the success they have had. They demand the players respond and they demand respect. In the short space of time I have worked with him you can see why he has been a success. He is infectious. He wants everything right from the first minute of training to the last. Everything we are working from is the blueprint he sent over from the World Cup, every minute of every session is laid down. He has now taken over.”

On what has most impressed about Van Gaal, Giggs said: “Just everything he does is clear and everyone gets it straight away. He has got a unique way of putting it over but it’s brilliant to see. To see it first-hand is great for my experience and the players. It’s quite simple but if you make a mistake he will tell you and if you do something good he will tell you. You know what you are doing wrong and you know what you are doing right.”

Giggs revealed Van Gaal is doing more ball work in training than either Ferguson or David Moyes did when in charge of United. “It’s good and they are enjoying it. It’s perhaps a little bit different to what they are used to. But it’s a different manager with different ideas and a different philosophy. We have done a lot with the ball. This is a philosophy the manager believes in and that he has had a lot of success with – his CV speaks for itself. He has managed at big clubs and he is coming in to the job off a successful World Cup so already, recently, he has shown what he can do and I think the players have responded to that.”

Van Gaal, who has won league titles at Ajax, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar and Bayern Munich, is asking United players to treat the game like chess by thinking ahead during matches. “It’s his philosophy but a lot of it is common sense and he tells you that,” said the Welshman. “A lot of it is very simple. Why complicate things? Its great how he puts it over. It’s a clear message and the players are taking it on board. We have lost a lot of experience and we have a lot of young players, good pros, who want to get better. They are really listening and they really want to improve.

“He wants to attack, score goals, be aggressive and play attractive football. He is willing to give young players a chance, which ticks the majority of the boxes in terms of what it takes to be a Manchester United player.”

Van Gaal’s Dutch coaching assistants, Albert Stuivenberg and Marcel Bout, have guided Giggs as he has settled into implementing the manager’s ideas. “Albert and Marcel had all the information. I already had it emailed so I was looking through it. A lot of the practices I hadn’t done before and they had. So they just walked me through it and away we went, really. It was all – not simple – but stuff you can do,” he said.

“It’s interesting to see the lads who’ve started the training and the lads at the World Cup. It’s new to the World Cup lads but the others have been doing it for 10 days. You would argue that the quality of the [World Cup players] should be a lot better but the ones who’ve been doing it [longer] are better. It was the same for them when they started. They will get better the more and more they do it.”

Ross Murdoch beats favourite Michael Jamieson to gold for Scotland

Ross Murdoch beats favourite Michael Jamieson to gold for Scotland

Ross Murdoch, right, and Michael Jamieson show off their medals after a one-two finish for Scotland. 

It had been billed as Thunder Thursday but the clapping was difficult to stomach for Michael Jamieson. It was a night in the pool that Scotland will savour as golds for Ross Murdoch and Hannah Miley elevated the Commonwealth Games hosts to third in the medal table after one day in Glasgow. For Jamieson, though, there was only bitter disappointment.

Murdoch had obviously not read the script. His was a staggering victory that nobody had expected, against the poster boy of these Games who won Olympic silver in the 200m breaststroke two years ago. Jamieson was expected to raise the roof at Tollcross on a crucial evening for Scotland but although the roof was certainly raised, it was his compatriot, not him, standing tallest on the podium.

Murdoch smashed his personal best and clocked a Commonwealth record of 2.07:30. Jamieson appeared crestfallen as he received his silver, even if he had congratulated Murdoch in the aftermath of defeat when his young rival simply gazed in disbelief at the big screen

“I’m obviously gutted,” said Jamieson, who could not muster the energy to claw Murdoch back in the final 50m, finishing in 2.08:40, ahead of England’s Andrew Willis. “I didn’t prepare for second place, I came to win. I’ve had unbelievable support in the last couple of years since London‚ but Ross deserved to win tonight.

“I was probably swimming with too much emotion, probably getting too uptight in the last couple of days, forgetting that it’s just another race. It was the biggest race of my life but I think if I was going to swim well tonight I had to get over that and stay as relaxed as possible. It’s not about me tonight, it’s about Ross. He was far and away the best swimmer in the pool tonight.”

Murdoch’s time was sixth-tenths of a second outside the world record and the tears flowed as Flower of Scotland played out inside the Tollcross International Swimming Centre, which produced a noise that belied its 5,000 capacity. Tears of joy had also flooded from Miley’s eyes earlier in the evening and Murdoch was still coming to terms with his win long after the event.

“There is no way that just happened,” he said. “In the last 100m the sound was just amazing and it drove me on. I felt really good this morning in the heats but I didn’t believe that I could do that. It is my grandad’s 70th birthday so that is for him.

“I didn’t think that would become a reality. I can’t really explain how it feels, it is something I will remember for the rest of my life. That was the best thing that ever happened to me and it meant the world.

“It’s hard when you come up against someone as prestigious as him [Jamieson]. To stand up against the more experienced man was nerve-racking but it was all about holding my own.”

It was a fitting denouement to a remarkable evening of swimming, coming soon after Miley’s captivating performance. The 24-year-old from Inverurie was pushed to the end by her English opponent Aimee Willmott in the 400m individual medley but clawed her way in front with 50m remaining and held on.

She easily beat her Commonwealth record set earlier in the day in the heats, but it was a hugely dramatic race that had appeared to be slipping just out of Miley’s grasp. Willmott was ahead after 200m and the Australian Keryn McMaster was pushing with the Scot to rein her in. McMaster, though, fell away and Miley found a last surge of energy down the final stretch to secure the win by more than one second.

For an initial moment she did not realise what had occurred but, once the result appeared on the big screen, an outpouring of emotion followed. Miley looked upwards in joy and disbelief, while the volume inside the arena increased.

It was all too much for Miley’s father and coach, Patrick, who was reduced to tears. There were more to follow during the medal presentation, as the anthem proved the catalyst for Miley’s waterworks.

“Oh my God, that was just incredible,” said Miley. “I literally couldn’t feel my legs for the last 50, so when I touched the wall I was hoping and praying that I could go fast. I’m absolutely knackered.”

German politicians question Russia’s suitability to host 2018 World Cup

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    World Cup 2018

German politicians question Russia’s suitability to host 2018 World Cup
• Ministers ask if Russia is ‘an appropriate host’
• ‘If Putin doesn’t cooperate World Cup is unimaginable’

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    theguardian.com, Wednesday 23 July 2014 13.19 BST  

Angela Merkel Members of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government have questioned whether Russia should be allowed to host the World Cup in 2018. Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP

Several senior politicians in German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling conservative party raised the possibility on Wednesday of stripping Russia of its right to host the 2018 World Cup after the downing of a passenger plane over Ukraine.

Western countries have blamed pro-Russian separatists battling Kiev’s forces in eastern Ukraine for the downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 on 17 July in which 298 people were killed.

The European Union has threatened to impose harsher economic sanctions on Russia, though on Tuesday ministers delayed action for a few days.

Taking away Russia’s right to hold the soccer tournament may have significantly stronger impact than more economic sanctions, said Michael Fuchs, deputy head of the conservative bloc in the German parliament.

“Fifa should think about whether Moscow is an appropriate host if it can’t even guarantee safe airways,” Fuchs told Handelsblatt Online, adding that Germany and France could take over the tournament if needed.

Economic sanctions would be difficult to implement due to Russia’s long borders, which are too porous to effectively seal off imports, Fuchs said.

German trade associations have said new EU sanctions could hurt business between Russia and Germany, Europe’s biggest economy.

The interior minister of the state of Hesse agreed with Fuchs.

“If [Russian President Vladimir] Putin doesn’t actively cooperate on clearing up the plane crash, the soccer World Cup in Russia in 2018 is unimaginable,” Peter Beuth told Germany’s top-selling daily Bild.

Stephan Mayer, a member of Bavaria’s conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), also said withdrawing the World Cup from Russia “should not be taboo”.

Germany’s football association (DFB) was not immediately available to comment on Wednesday on the politicians’ opinions. Germany won this year’s World Cup tournament in Brazil.

The Malaysian plane had been flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down near Donetsk, a stronghold of pro-Russian rebels.

In the Netherlands, where many of the passengers came from, the Dutch football association said on Wednesday it was too early to review Russia’s hosting of the 2018 World Cup.

“The Dutch football association is aware that a future World Cup in Russia stirs great emotion among all football fans and relatives in the Netherlands,” it said in a statement.

“The association believes it is more appropriate to conduct a discussion over a future World Cup in Russia at a later moment, once the investigation into the disaster has been completed.”
England’s Football Association chairman also said on Tuesday it was premature to talk of moving the World Cup from Russia.

Louis van Gaal hails Manchester United’s ‘fantastic’ win in Los Angeles

Louis van Gaal hails Manchester United’s ‘fantastic’ win in Los Angeles

Manchester United's Reece James (fourth from left) celebrates scoring against LA Galaxy.
Louis van Gaal hailed a “fantastic” performance after Manchester United hammered Los Angeles Galaxy 7-0 in his inaugural match as manager.

Two goals each from Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young and the debutant Reece James, plus Danny Welbeck’s opener, returned an emphatic victory in United’s opening game of their summer tour of the US.

Van Gaal, who made nine changes at half time, said: “The result always matters. With such a result you get confidence, and confidence in a new system. We introduced a new system and played two times on the training pitch eleven v eleven. It is not so much, but the boys are wiling to pick up the information.

“It is fantastic how they have performed today. Last week, ten players who played tonight were not even in our training complex. But when you see us train, you can expect something but not 7-0. It was a surprise, but they were also beautiful goals.”

Although United were understandably rusty Van Gaal was encouraged by his new team’s play, which at times was quick-paced and fluid, in what was a new 5-3-2 formation. He said: “It was not just the goals, but the beautiful attacks. When you want to change a system, you must start at once. We don’t have time to prepare for other things.

“The other system they can play is 4-3-3 and they have played it for many years. I can change back if the system doesn’t work. With the quality of the players we have, I can play 4-3-3 with three strikers on the bench, but want to play with two strikers.

“We have four number tens, so the selection is not balanced in my eyes. I have decided to play this system because of the quality of the players. But if we lose, I can change back to another system.”

United now fly to Denver where they play Roma on Saturday in the opening match of the International Champions Cup. “I am never afraid and I am thinking of my team, not Roma or other teams. The qualities of my team mean they will also try to perform well.”

Van Gaal claimed the squad are not suffering from a lack of confidence despite finishing seventh last season. “Not a problem. I never go back, I always want to see the future,” he said.

“When I see my team playing a new system, it is better to win 7-0 than to lose because the players will then doubt the system. But now I don’t have that problem.”

Mo Farah pulls out of Commonwealth Games in Glasgow due to illness

Mo Farah pulls out of Commonwealth Games in Glasgow due to illness

Mo Farah has pulled out of the Commonwealth Games due to illness.
Mo Farah has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow due to illness, and will focus instead on recovering for the European Championships in Zurich.

The news is a major blow to the Games, coming the morning after they launched with a spectacular opening ceremony at Celtic Park.

Team England said Farah would remain at his training base in Font Romeu, rather than travel to Glasgow for the 5,000 and 10,000m.

Farah said: “I have taken the tough decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games. The sickness I had two weeks ago was a big setback for me. Training is getting better here in Font Romeu but I need another few weeks to get back to the level I was at in 2012 and 2013.

“I really wanted to add the Commonwealth titles to my Olympic and World Championships but the event is coming a few weeks too soon for me as my body is telling me it’s not ready to race yet. Best wishes to my fellow athletes in Glasgow.”

Team England’s Chef de Mission Jan Paterson said: “It is a real blow for any athlete to miss out on a major championships through injury, but to have fought so hard to regain full fitness and to have to take such a difficult decision at this stage is particularly hard. We wish Mo all the very best and hope to see him back to his peak very soon.”

Farah admitted earlier in the month that he faced a race to recover in time to compete, having pulled out of the Glasgow Grand Prix suffering from abdominal pains.

He said: “I’ve got the all-clear to get back into training, and I’ll see what I can do. I’m just saying where I am right now. My aim is to compete in both events but at the same time I’m getting back into training, I’m having this bit of training, but you know, we’ll make a decision further down the line.”

Louis van Gaal can break world transfer record for Manchester United

Louis van Gaal can break world transfer record for Manchester United

Louis van Gaal, left, and assistant manager Ryan Giggs watch their Manchester United squad train in Los Angeles. 

Louis van Gaal has been told he is free to break the world transfer record to bring the right player to Manchester United.

Last year Real Madrid set the record by signing Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur for £86m, eclipsing the £80m they had paid United four years earlier for Cristiano Ronaldo. Van Gaal, who will take charge of United for the first time in a friendly against LA Galaxy that kicks off in the early hours of tomorrow morning UK time, has been told his transfer activity will not be constrained by money.

“It’s difficult to deal in hypotheticals based on lots of different things,” Ed Woodward said. “The reality is that we’re not afraid of spending significant amounts of money in the transfer market.”

The club’s executive vice-chairman added: “Whether it’s a record or not doesn’t really resonate with us. What resonates is an elite player that the manager wants who is going to be a star for Manchester United.”

United have already paid £27m for Southampton’s Luke Shaw and £28.5m for Athletic Bilbao’s Ander Herrera. The £37.5m paid to Chelsea for Juan Mata in January is a United club record but Woodward says United will not be put off spending what it takes to secure the players of Van Gaal’s choice. “Of course it’s in our capabilities,” he said. “You guys think about the money in a way that I don’t. I get pointed in the direction of a target that the manager wants and there is an assessment of what that might cost and I’ll negotiate hard to do the best I can on the trade.

“I stand by what I said – there is no budget. We are in a very strong financial position. We can make big signings. That doesn’t mean we go and throw money around. Louis is the manager. We have a lot of scouting output through the last 12 months, flagging up various things to us. Louis is the one that makes the ultimate decision around who he wants in the squad. I’m not going to force feed him with a player that he hasn’t selected.”

Although Van Gaal wants to assess the squad Woodward says no time is being lost with regard to signings. “We’re still looking at options. We’re not sitting on our hands waiting for Louis. He is very good at communicating clearly what he wants.”

With Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic having left, United need at least one central defender, potentially another left-back, and are still chasing another central midfielder despite Herrera’s arrival.

Although Germany’s World Cup winning central defender Mats Hummels is wanted by Van Gaal but Dortmund are unlikely to agree to sell as the club have already lost Robert Lewandowski to Bayern Munich.. Yet with Ilkay Gundogan having two years left on his contract at Dortmund and his fellow central midfielder Marco Reus, whose terms end in 2017, having a buyout clause activated next summer, United recognise the situation at the German club is fluid.

While Fiorentina’s Juan Cuadrado is not thought to be high on Van Gaal’s list, the Ajax midfielder Daley Blind, is on the manager’s radar, along with countryman Stefan de Vrij, the Feyenoord defender, and Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen, though it is not thought any deal for him would currently involve a United player in part-exchange with Arsenal. The United manager is an admirer of Roma’s Kevin Strootman, though the midfielder is recovering from a knee injury so any transfer may not occur until January.

While United understand Real Madrid’s Ángel di María is for sale he is not currently being considered.

Woodward said the record £750m kit deal signed with Adidas was evidence that despite United not being in Europe next season, they are the world’s biggest club. “What the deal shows and what we’re seeing with everything we’re doing from a commercial perspective, talking to agents, talking from a player’s perspective about wanting to come to us, we are the biggest club in the world, there’s no question about that,” he said.

Despite the departures of Ferdinand and Vidic having left Jonny Evans, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling as the sole recognised central defenders Van Gaal has been informed by United’s medical department the trio can expect to enjoy a campaign in which all will be the freest of injury they have been in their careers.

Woodward admits that his first 12 months in charge of United following David Gill’s resignation as the chief executive have been trying. Yet he believes Van Gaal has restored the aura to the 20-times champions thatwas lost during the season under David Moyes.

“It was a challenging year. In an ideal situation I would have worked with [Sir] Alex [Ferguson] for a year. I feel a lot more positivity in terms of this coming season. Part of that is simply because of what Louis did at the World Cup.”

After Van Gaal twice mentioned the club’s commercial links at his unveiling, Woodward denied these were an issue for the manager. “We are a different sized club. You have not experienced what being a Manchester United manager is until you have been Manchester United manager.”

England’s/ india dismal Test run in numbers

England’s dismal Test run in numbers

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    England cricket team

England’s dismal Test run in numbers
Individual statistics explain the team’s terrible decline in form since last summer’s Ashes series victory

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    Simon Burnton and Daniel Harris   
    theguardian.com, Tuesday 22 July 2014 00.50 BST   

Ian Bell England v India: 2nd Investec Test - Day Four Ian Bell is left stunned after being bowled by India's Ishant Sharma during day four of the second Test at Lord's. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

45.34 Alastair Cook’s Test average

23.62 Cook’s average since he last made a century, more than a year ago

311.39 England’s average first-innings score under Cook

62.24 Ian Bell’s batting average in last summer’s Ashes series

25.87 Bell’s batting average since last summer’s Ashes series

2 Times Bell was bowled in 50 innings from March 2012 to June 2014. In his last six he has been bowled three times

43.12 Matt Prior’s batting average against India before this series

13.33 Prior’s batting average against India in this series

2 Number of Lord’s Tests won by India

1094 Days since India last won a Test away from home

16 Ben Stokes’s batting average since his hundred against Australia

3 Consecutive Test ducks made by Ben Stokes

0 Number of five-wicket hauls taken by Jimmy Anderson in his last 13 Tests

12 Number of months since Jimmy Anderson’s last five-wicket haul

10 Number of Tests since England last recorded a victory

72 Number of Test innings in which Cook, Bell and Prior are without a century

50 Number of runs scored by England as last six wickets fell

Katarina Johnson-Thompson out of Commonwealth Games with foot injury

Katarina Johnson-Thompson out of Commonwealth Games with foot injury

 Heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson was one of England's top gold medal hopes for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Photograph: Anna Gowthorpe/PA

Katarina Johnson-Thompson is determined to be fit for the European Championships in Zurich next month after being forced to pull out of the Commonwealth Games with a stress reaction in her left foot.

The 21-year-old, who was the favourite for heptathlon gold in Glasgow, admitted she was “absolutely devastated” to be missing out on the Commonwealths. She has been receiving intensive treatment after picking up the injury in training last week but conceded defeat when doctors warned that she risked long-term damage if she competed.

It is a bitter blow for the Games’ organisers but the pain is greater still for Johnson-Thompson. She has enjoyed an outstanding 2014, winning a silver medal in the long jump at the world indoor championships in March before setting a string of personal bests, and her battle with the Canadian Brianne Theisen-Eaton – who won silver at the world championships in Moscow last year – was expected to be one of the highlights of the Games.

“All the advice is telling me that I risk long-term damage if I compete in a heptathlon in just over a week’s time and I have to take that advice for the sake of my career,” Johnson-Thompson said. “I really hope to be able to compete in the long jump at the European Championships next month but it doesn’t take away how gutted I am that I won’t be at the Commonwealths. I know the crowds would have been fantastic after the reception I got in Glasgow at the Diamond League last week.”

Competing in the long jump in Zurich will place far less stress on Johnson-Thompson’s body than the seven events demanded by the heptathlon but the European Championships from 12-17 August was a secondary ambition this year. With the Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill not competing in 2014 having given birth to her first child, Reggie, the stage was set for Johnson-Thompson to announce herself to the wider public.

All the signs had been positive. She set a world-leading heptathlon score of 6,682 – a personal best – in the prestigious Hypo-Meeting in June and such was her form that she also smashed her long jump personal best by 11cm by leaping 6.92m at a Diamond League meeting at Hampden Park 10 days ago. Yet it is the physiotherapist’s room not the podium that awaits her now.

“The Commonwealths was a key target for me this year and I was feeling so good in my preparation so this is a real blow,” Johnson-Thompson said. “My season so far with a world indoor medal in the long jump, winning at Götzis and becoming world No1 in heptathlon had really given me the confidence that I could come away with that gold medal but sadly it’s just not meant to be.”

Johnson-Thompson has made rapid progress since finishing 15th in the heptathlon at the London 2012 Olympics as a 19-year-old. She was fifth in the world championships in Moscow last year, where she missed out on a bronze medal by 28 points, and such was her performance in Götzis that her crushing disappointment on being ruled out of the Commonwealth Games was especially understandable.

It was also shared by Jan Paterson, Team England chef de mission, who said: “We are so disappointed for Katarina, to be in such incredible form coming into a major event and then to suffer an injury is a massive blow. Everyone in the team sends her our very best wishes for a speedy recovery and we hope to see her back on the track as quickly as possible and with no long term damage.”

Neil Black, the British Athletics performance director, backed Johnson-Thompson to bounce back later in the summer.

“I know she is personally devastated as this was her main aim this season and was determined to take her place on the start line so as not to let the Glasgow 2014 spectators down,” he said. “However we’re confident that with treatment and careful management she will still be in a position to compete in the long jump at the European Championships.

“Katarina and her coach, Mike Holmes, are incredibly experienced as an athlete-coach pairing and realise that it is not worth risking a long-term injury.”

England captain Steven Gerrard retires from international football

 England captain Steven Gerrard retires from international football

Steven Gerrard made his England debut in 2000 and appeared in six major tournaments.
Steven Gerrard said he “agonised” over the decision to retire from international football following England’s dire World Cup campaign but had to be selfish and quit to preserve his career with Liverpool.

The 34-year-old announced on Monday that he was calling time on an England career of 14 years and 114 caps, the third-highest total in the country’s history. Wayne Rooney, given a cool reception by some England supporters during the team’s final World Cup game against Costa Rica, is among the frontrunners to succeed Gerrard, with Roy Hodgson short of established options for the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.

Gerrard’s retirement was widely anticipated after England were consigned in Brazil this summer to their quickest World Cup exit, although the Liverpool captain says he discussed the decision in depth with Hodgson only recently. Liverpool’s return to the Champions League, the midfielder admitted, was a contributing factor in ending his England career.

“This has been a very difficult decision, one of the toughest I’ve had to make in my career,” said Gerrard, third behind Peter Shilton and David Beckham in England’s all-time appearance list. “I have agonised over this since coming back from Brazil and have spoken to family, friends and people close to me in the game before coming to this point.

“Most importantly Brendan [Rodgers] has been fantastic and obviously I have to look after my body as much as possible to ensure I can give everything when I take to the field. To ensure I can keep playing to a high level and giving everything to Liverpool I believe this is the right decision, and having Champions League football back at Anfield is another big factor in my decision.”

Gerrard claimed he remained in “great physical condition” and could play at international level until later this year but feared that would take a toll on the next “two, three, four years” of his club career. He added: “The most important thing for me was not to make an emotional decision or rash decision. I was asked questions before, during and after the World Cup to make a decision on my future and it wasn’t the right time.

“The first time I spoke to Roy properly was this week. I had tried to have an initial chat with him straight after the World Cup but I was too emotional to talk to him; I was still very upset with how the World Cup went. I’d have loved nothing better than to carry on and continue to fight for the England fans moving forward but there is a time when you’re a football player where you’ve got to make the right decision, when you’ve got to be selfish.”

Hodgson has now lost the experience of Gerrard and Ashley Cole in recent months and admitted England would miss the captain’s “leadership qualities” during the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. Gerrard is to take up an ambassadorial role with the Football Association. Wayne Rooney is the favourite to succeed him as captain.

The England manager said: “While I’m disappointed in the decision I can entirely understand Steven’s situation and can have no complaints given the incredible service he has given to his country. I must respect his wishes due to the discussions we have had and the amount of thought and consideration he himself has given it.

“He is an incredible man and a fantastic footballer who we have all been blessed to see in an England shirt so often. It is never by coincidence that people reach such a staggering figure as 114 caps. It is a mark of his wonderful talent allied to a huge drive and determination to live up to the highest standard.”

The FA chairman, Greg Dyke, described the midfielder as an “England great”. Dyke said: “It is sad news but also gives us the opportunity to celebrate a wonderful career. Steven gave everything for England and he will be missed. He played at the highest level over such a long period. His longevity and determination will see him remembered by everyone as an England great.”

england v/s india text criket match

Alastair Cook backed by Paul Farbrace to stay on as England captain

Alastair Cook batted for over two hours at Lord's on Sunday but was eventually caught on 22 by MS Dhoni. Photograph: ram shah/AFP/Getty Images

Alastair Cook has been backed to continue as England captain even with the team in danger of slipping to a seventh defeat in nine Tests after he failed to take another chance to ease the pressure on his position on the fourth day at Lord’s.

Cook grafted for over two hours after England had been set a tough target of 319 to win on an increasingly unpredictable pitch but his dismissal for 22, shortly after the losses of Gary Ballance and Ian Bell, left the team in as much trouble as their beleaguered captain at 72 for four.

However the assistant coach Paul Farbrace, while admitting England are “up against it”, put his faith in Joe Root and Moeen Ali, who have already put on 33 for the fifth wicket – and suggested that Cook will be encouraged to stay on even if they fail, despite a lean spell stretching back to his last half century in Melbourne at the end of 2013, since when he has scored 129 in nine innings.

“Absolutely nothing has changed,” said Farbrace. “There is absolutely no question he is our leader. We want him to do well, we want him to score runs, and I think you saw today everybody in the ground wanted him to score runs. Everybody is behind him. He’s practised exceptionally well in the last few days, and we’re all sure a score is close.

“It maybe sounds like I’m trying to bull him up, but he’s speaking well to the team – as soon as Moeen came off he was sat chatting to him in the dressing room tonight. He’s a very unflappable character. Very much his thought is on the team doing well. It’s going to be tough, definitely. It’s a fantastic cricket pitch and yes perhaps we are slightly up against it.

“But you’ve got to turn up expecting your batsmen to get through and score the runs,” he added. “We’ve got somebody at the crease [Moeen] who batted all day at Headingley [in the second Test against Sri Lanka] and got 100 against all the odds. That was a magnificent fight, even if we fell just short at the end.”

Farbrace conceded a counterattacking 68 by Ravindra Jadeja, the feisty left-handed all-rounder with whom Jimmy Anderson clashed in the drawn first Test at Trent Bridge, had earned India a “big advantage”. Only one team, West Indies in 1984, have ever chased more than 300 to win a Test at Lord’s.

Murali Vijay, who was dismissed by Anderson for an excellent 95, confirmed afterwards that Jadeja and the whole India team had drawn extra motivation from the Lancastrian’s behaviour. “I think so, because the intent was special, so obviously it’s helping us,” he said.

Rory McIlroy dedicates 2014 Open Championship victory to his mother

Rory McIlroy dedicates 2014 Open Championship victory to his mother

Rory McIlroy embraces his mother, Rosie, after winning The Open Championship at Hoylake.

Rory McIlroy dedicated his Open Championship victory to his mother, Rosie, after claiming the Claret Jug by two shots at Hoylake. The Northern Irishman, who has now won three major titles, was embraced by his mother after holing the winning putt. At 17 under par McIlroy saw off the challenge of Sergio García and Rickie Fowler, who tied second, with a final round of 71.

“This is the first major I have won when my mum has been here,” McIlroy said. “So mum; this one is for you. It was just great to see her on the back of the 18th there and how much it meant to her. I was trying not to cry at the time because she was bawling her eyes out.

“The Open is the one we all want and the one we strive for. To be holding the Claret Jug is an incredible feeling.”

McIlroy held a six-stroke lead at the start of the final day. The closest any of his challengers got to the 25-year-old was to within two.

“Today wasn’t easy,” McIlroy said. “There were a few guys making runs at me out there.

“I knew I had some holes where I could make birdie and 16 was the real hole for me which I think settled the championship.”

There is no prospect of McIlroy’s motivation being blunted by this triumph.

“I want to be the guy that goes on and wins majors and wins majors regularly, wins tournaments,” he added. “I’d love to be in that position.

“I’ve had chances before to kick on from there. I did after my second major at Kiawah Island. I kicked on for another six months and played really well.

“I just want to think ahead and go forward and try and win as many tournaments and as many majors as I can, because I feel like there’s a lot more left in me.”

McIlroy received only pantomime boos when thanking the Royal Liverpool crowd for their support during his post-round speech on the 18th green. McIlroy had pointed out he was a Manchester United supporter.

More serious was the incident with a spectator on the 16th tee, whom McIlroy had removed.

“He was giving me grief all day,” McIlroy said. “And I sort of put up with it for the first 15 holes, and then he deliberately coughed on my downswing on the 16th tee. I still hit a great drive. But I heard it halfway down and I knew who it was. So I turned round and got him chucked out, thankfully.”

García had cause to be content with his latest prominent major finish. The Spaniard now has two second places in the Open to his name and a further three top-10 places.

“I think both Rickie and I tried to push Rory as hard as we could,” García said. “Obviously it’s not easy when you know that you can’t make any mistakes. I needed to shoot at least eight or nine under to have a chance.

“I think that we gave it a good effort and there was someone a little bit better.”

The case for McIlroy winning a grand slam of career major championships was made by Phil Mickelson, who has also won three out of four.

“This is a pretty impressive thing for him to do, especially given that the one that he’s missing is the Masters,” Mickelson said. “And you know, with his length and the way he plays and how well he plays that golf course, that definitely will happen and probably soon.

“It just shows that he’s such a complete player at such a young age.”