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The teams would not have wanted it this way but the upshot of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai is that Delhi and Uttar Pradesh are at full strength for their fifth-round matches in the Ranji Trophy

Sidharth Monga in Delhi28-Nov-2008
Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir will strengthen Delhi’s batting line-up © AFP
The teams would not have wanted it this way but the upshot of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai is that Delhi and Uttar Pradesh are at full strength for their fifth-round matches in the Ranji Trophy. It is also a minor sign of moving on, perhaps, that after all the international matches in India were suspended, not only are the Ranji matches going on but also with added interest of national stars.Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Ishant Sharma and Virat Kohli will turn out for Delhi against Orissa while, barely five kilometers away in the capital, Mohammad Kaif, RP Singh and Praveen Kumar will play for Uttar Pradesh against Railways.The moment the ODI between India and England on December 2 got cancelled, Delhi moved their Ranji Trophy match from the Roshanara Stadium, which is located on the outskirts of the capital, to their first-choice venue – the Feroz Shah Kotla.Along with the news of the venue shift came a much-needed boost for Delhi: the availability of the four players who were now free of India commitments. In their four Group A matches so far, Delhi fielded first and struggled to bowl teams out. Apart from the first match against Punjab, Delhi failed to match their opponent’s scores and were frustrated by the rival batsmen in the second innings. As a result, they collected only six points and are one bad match away from kissing the Ranji Trophy good bye.The venue shift could help Delhi. They decided to go for an out-and-out green top at the Kotla, something Ishant should relish. “We are in dire need of a victory, and that’s why we are going for a wicket that will assist the fast bowlers,” Vijay Dahiya, the Delhi coach, said. “Having Ishant back means that we’ll have that extra fire-power in our pace attack.”However Orissa’s medium-pacers, led by Debasis and Basant Mohanty, are fresh from bowling Punjab out for 60 on a similar track and are unfazed by Delhi’s star-studded line-up. “The victory against Punjab was a real confident booster, and came just in time,” SS Das, Orissa’s captain, said. “The return of big names to the Delhi outfit will be more helpful for us. We are a young team, and playing against the likes of Virender Sehwag and Ishant Sharma will give our guys excellent exposure”With due respect to Orissa, it is a shame that Raina, Kaif, RP, Praveen and Piyush Chawla are not playing against Delhi. They will take on Railways at the Karnail Singh Stadium, which is about five kilometres from the Kotla.UP have been typically reliant on Kaif and Praveen this season, and lost heavily to Tamil Nadu when both players were unfit. And despite bouncing back with an outright victory in the fourth round, they will be aware of a major handicap. Their pool – Group B – comprises seven teams which means one team has to rest during each round. UP’s turn will be during the final round so they will want to make the most of their last two matches.The players – RP and Praveen in particular – also have personal targets to achieve. Praveen was dropped from the Indian team after the ODIs in Sri Lanka and responded with a five-for on the first day of the Ranji season. However, he was injured during the second game and will be keen to impress tomorrow.RP being dropped from the Indian squad during the series against England inadvertently became a matter of controversy. This is his chance to do well in domestic cricket and give his captain more reasons to back him, something Mahendra Singh Dhoni is believed to have done excessively. RP prepared for tomorrow’s match by training with Manoj Prabhakar, who was one of India’s finest swing bowlers.UP’s opponents, Railways, may not have a star-studded XI but they know how best to play at the Karnail Singh Stadium, one of the Ranji Trophy’s citadels. They play all their matches there and make the best of the spinner-friendly conditions. Last week, their spinners – Murali Kartik, Kulamani Parida and Karan Sharma – took 15 wickets between them to beat Andhra by seven wickets. With a match in hand, Railways are currently two points behind UP, who are third in the table.These may not be the best of times but as a result of the tragic events in Mumbai, Delhi has a cricket feast lined up over the next week. Two of the flashiest sides in the Ranji Trophy – the defending champions and the losing finalists from last year – will be in action. Delhi will be up against a side that has giant-killing skills, while UP face a disciplined team defending its fortress. Shuttling between the Kotla and the Karnail Singh Stadium might not be a bad idea.

An update has emerged on Schalke beast Matthew Hoppe, regarding Everton’s plans to bid for his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur, Everton are preparing to make a £2m offer for Schalke attacker Matthew Hoppe this month.

He claims that Toffees officials met with the German side to discuss a potential deal and learn their demands for his services.

Benitez would love him

Everton must get a deal over the line for Hoppe as he could be a fine addition to the squad in the short, mid and long-term future. He is a talented young player with potential who could come in and provide solid back-up to the frontline options whilst having the scope to take on a more prominent role further down the line.

The 20-year-old was relegated from the Bundesliga with Schalke last season, but posted some impressive statistics in spite of his team’s struggles. He managed six goals and one assist in 15 starts, whilst taking 0.9 shots per game – showing an efficiency in front of goal.

This suggests that his tally could increase with better service from the players around him, as he was already able to plunder six goals in 15 starts without taking a high number of shots. Having the likes of Richarlison, Andros Townsend, James Rodriguez, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Demarai Gray around him to create chances could increase his output in the final third.

The forward’s former academy director, Sean McCafferty, once said that the young talent is ‘of the highest level’.

He said: “In the Southwest Division you’ve got LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, two of the best academies in the country, and we were able to win the division. We’ve had tremendous consistency throughout the year, and we have the top goal scorer in the country in Matthew Hoppe. He’s of the highest level.”

This highlights the 6 foot 3  youngster’s potential, with McCafferty explaining how highly Hoppe was regarded as a young player in the USA. At the age of 20, Rafa Benitez would have the opportunity to coach him into becoming a better footballer, one ready to take the Premier League by storm.

Hoppe has also impressed former Spurs boss Christian Gross, who waxed lyrical about the striker, saying: “He’s a boy who’s unbelievably ambitious, has tremendous commitment and only thinks about Schalke. He wants to do whatever it takes to get us out of this situation. He really is a model professional. Even though he’s still very young, he doesn’t shy away from working extremely hard. Of course, he’s still very young and still has lots to learn in order to become a top-rate finisher, but we’re working on that.”

The ex-Newcastle boss could love moulding the American into the perfect player for his system, whilst also allowing him to learn from Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison. This is why this could be a shrewd piece of business for the Toffees. If Marcel Brands is able to bring him to Goodison Park for £2m then they could have one happy head coach in the building.

AND in other news, Forget Richarlison: £120k-pw Everton beast who won 11 duels had Goodison rocking again…

Many Wolves fans have been left fuming over one of Bruno Lage’s recent admissions.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of his team’s home match against Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux this afternoon, the manager admitted (via Tim Spiers on Twitter): “For now we’re training with 15 professional players.”

Having recently let Owen Otasowie go on a permanent deal, Lage’s squad is now becoming increasingly threadbare, with no signs yet of it being bolstered up with less than two weeks to go until the summer transfer window closes.

Considering that the Midlands club can name 20 players in their squad for matchdays, it seems as if it will be a real struggle to do so without having to name a few youngsters on the bench, so it is no surprise to see numerous Wolves supporters fuming that the club have not brought in more players.

Wolves fans erupt over Lage admission

These Wolves fans fumed as the news was shared on Twitter, with one describing the situation as ‘shocking’ and others venting their fury at chairman Jeff Shi and the club’s Fosun ownership:

“Shocking. The board said trust them at the end of last season and they would increase the squad first team size?????? Have they learn nothing from last season. If we get 3 in which is doubtful we will have the same squad size as last season”

Credit: @Ianph61

“If it stays like this, Jeff Shi needs booing every time the cameras go to him.”

Credit: @scotty_wwfc

“Incredible, like a League 2 outfit. Quite embarrassing tbh.”

Credit: @AndyCra43808611

“This is relegation squad size”

Credit: @JamesJWYork

“15?? What a joke, come on Jeff”

Credit: @FPL_BakedBeans

“Absolute shambles, Fosun out”

Credit: @wwfc_brad_

In other news, find out what transfer update has left these Wolves fans buzzing

Peter Moores, England’s coach, has still not decided whether former captain Michael Vaughan should be brought back to the national side

Cricinfo staff24-Dec-2008
Will Michael Vaughan be in the squad for the West Indies tour? Peter Moores isn’t sure yet © Getty Images
Peter Moores, England’s coach, has still not decided whether former captain Michael Vaughan should be brought back to the national side. The England touring party for the West Indies series, which starts next month, will be announced on Monday.Vaughan, 34, stepped down from the captaincy in the summer and had said he wanted a break from the game. He was awarded a central contract in September and has stated his desire to be a part of the side for the West Indies tour.He has played little cricket since last July, and missed an opportunity to get some match practice after the England Performance Programme squad’s trip to India was cut short after the Mumbai terrorist attack last month.”Michael has had no cricket,” Moores said. “But we have got to look at where we are now as a team and what we think is right to go forward as a batting unit.”So we will look at those decisions once the dust has settled, get the views of people like (national selector) Geoff Miller, and the views of the side of the camp and make our decisions to announce in the new year.”But we do know in Michael we have someone who is outstanding as an individual and is also a fantastic player. We have to weigh all that up about the players we’ve got in the squad at the moment.”Vaughan and Middlesex batsman Owais Shah could be competing to take the place of under-pressure Ian Bell, who has managed only one half-century in his last ten Test innings. Shah was England’s highest run-getter, making 236 runs at a strike-rate of 102, in their 5-0 one-day series loss to India.”We left out Owais Shah for the two Tests after doing very well in the one-dayers and is pushing very hard for his Test place,” Moores said. “So we have to look at that and pick what we think is the best squad to go to the West Indies and following the West Indies away and at home we’ve got the big Ashes coming up.”Former captain Nasser Hussain was less ambiguous on the Vaughan issue, writing in the that Vaughan had not done enough to justify a recall. He wrote that Vaughan should be reconsidered for the national team only after he made his case scoring runs for Yorkshire early next season.

Sachin Tendulkar, who scored a century in his first outing for Mumbai in nearly two years, has said he does not favour neutral venues because of the lack of partisan crowds

Cricinfo staff06-Jan-2009
Sachin Tendulkar: “Sometimes the crowd is behind you, and when you are away from home, the crowd is against you. You are always learning something © Cricinfo Ltd
Sachin Tendulkar, who scored a century in his first outing for Mumbai in nearly two years in the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Saurashtra, has said he does not favour neutral venues because of the lack of partisan crowds. Though he has enjoyed playing at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, which Tendulkar said was “one of his favourite grounds in the world”, he preferred a venue which was either side’s home ground.”The wicket should be monitored, that is important,” Tendulkar said. “But it’s fun to have the home crowd supporting you. When you are playing away from home, the crowd is against you. You get that intensity and the atmosphere inside the stadium is different. You learn a lot – sometimes the crowd is behind you, and when you are away from home, the crowd is against you. You are always learning something.”There are no international matches scheduled for India till March when they tour New Zealand and Tendulkar said he decided to play the Ranji semi-final to get some batting practice. “Making a hundred in this game is something I was hoping to do, and I am glad it worked out. When I was holidaying with my family, I hadn’t practised at all. I went for practice one afternoon here, and came here and scored runs.”Obviously, there is less pressure in matches like this, and with the situation we were in when I walked in to bat, I thought I would just go out and play my shots.” Tendulkar hit nine fours and five sixes in his 160-ball 122 before retiring ill.”I was feeling a little uneasy,” he said. “I have been having a bit of a headache since the day before. I have been popping Crocins. Probably because of the heat again, it came back. I didn’t want to aggravate that, so I had to leave the field.”Tendulkar said he had always enjoyed being part of the Mumbai side. “I grew up playing with these guys – Amol [Muzumdar], Sairaj [Bahutule], Ajit [Agarkar], Zaheer [Khan]. There are plenty of youngsters in the team too. It’s fun, talking about cricket, sharing knowledge with each other. It’s not just one-way traffic where I am telling them and they are not. It’s generally talk about cricket, it can only help you. I don’t think by discussing and talking any cricket, it can ever harm you.”

Leeds United are eyeing a late transfer window swoop for Club Brugge starlet Noa Lang.

What’s the story?

According to recent reports from The Telegraph, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been been watching the 21-year-old ahead of a potential move this summer, although they are set to face intense competition to try and land him.

And writing recently on Twitter, The Athletic’s Phil Hay said: “They like Lang and that’s a genuine link but they haven’t actually made a concrete move for him.”

Now, Sport/Voetbalmagazine (via Sport Witness) claim that Leeds remain interested in signing Lang before deadline day, but that Brugge are looking for a massive bid to let him leave.

Bielsa will be buzzing

Able to play anywhere across the frontline, Lang showed Jadon Sancho-like abilities in his loan spell at Brugge last season, bagging 17 goals and providing a further 11 assists in just 37 games, including netting in the Champions League.

With that impressive goal-scoring record, and the fact he still remains very young at just 21, a move for Lang would be extremely exciting not just for Bielsa but for the club’s fans too.

Dubbed a “phenomenon” by Belgian journalist Peter Vandenbempt, the winger made history when he became the first player in 60 years to mark his debut with a hat-trick for Ajax, while his teammate at Brugge, Cyriel Dessers, has even admitted that Leeds’ interest in the flier is not the least bit surprising.

He said: “He is absolutely ready for the Premier League. He was fantastic last season. Then it is logical that there is a next step.  I would love to see him in the Champions League with Club Brugge, but he has shown that he is one of the best footballers in Belgium.

“He is a graceful footballer, but he also works very hard. I often sat on the bench, so I could keep an eye on him there. But the way he works, I didn’t know he had that in him. He has really taken a step. The interest does not come out of nowhere. I know how Leeds work.”

If the Whites can pull off a late transfer window deal for Lang, then Bielsa will surely be buzzing.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this Premier League record breaker…

Leeds United have reportedly agreed a £25m fee with Manchester United over the deadline day signing of winger Daniel James.

The Lowdown: Leeds close in on signing

The Whites haven’t had the busiest summer transfer window, but they look set to do some late business.

James has been heavily linked with a move to Elland Road in recent days, having fallen further down the attacking pecking order at Old Trafford.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: James fee agreed

According to Sky Sports News, a £25m fee has now been agreed between the two clubs as James closes in on completing his move to Leeds.

His medical will take place today before flying to Finland with the Wales squad ahead of their upcoming international friendly, with personal terms likely to be agreed with ease.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-15/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Exciting addition

James may not yet be the finished article, not always possessing the best end product –  he only scored nine goals in 74 appearances for Manchester United – but he is an exciting signing.

The 23-year-old has incredible speed which always makes him a threat and he also works endlessly for the team, which will no doubt appeal to the demanding Marcelo Bielsa, who had tried to bring him to the club back in 2019 when the Welshman was playing for Swansea.

He can battle with the likes of Raphinha and Jack Harrison for playing time and should immediately jump ahead of the much-maligned Helder Costa in the pecking order.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with a late move for another player. Find out who it is here.

Like everyone else, Muttiah Muralitharan knew the day was inevitable when he would end up becoming the leading wicket-taker in ODIs

Sa'adi Thawfeeq in Colombo06-Feb-2009
Muttiah Muralitharan: “Everyone wants to play in both forms of the game, holding the records in both forms means that I have done really well” © AFP
Like everyone else, Muttiah Muralitharan knew the day was inevitable when he would end up becoming the leading wicket-taker in ODIs. It eventually came in the fourth ODI against India at the Premadasa, when he removed the Man of the Match Gautam Gambhir for 150.Muralitharan felt holding the record in both Tests – he overtook Shane Warne’s 708 wickets in December 2007 – and ODIs was a great achievement, but there was not much joy on a day when his side was once again outclassed by India. There was some cheer for Sri Lanka fans, though. At 36, Muralitharan’s career nearly seems over, but yet again the offspinner reiterated he aims to bow out at the 2011 World Cup in the subcontinent.Murali went past Wasim Akram’s mark of 502 and is first since Kapil Dev to hold the record simultaneously in Tests and ODIs. “It’s a great achievement because the only other person who has achieved such a feat in cricket [currently] is Sachin Tendulkar, who holds both batting records,” Muralitharan said. “Playing for Sri Lanka and achieving this feat is a great for me and the country. Everyone wants to play in both forms of the game, holding the records in both forms means that I have done really well playing for a long period of 18 years.”There was not much celebration in the middle when Muralitharan got to the mark. “If you are winning the jubilation of breaking the world record would have been great,” he said. “When I took my 500th wicket there was more celebration in Pakistan because we won the series there. It is not about breaking records, it’s all about winning matches and winning series. Unfortunately it has happened in a lost series and we have lost the match. It doesn’t count as much as when you win and the momentum is there.”Records come with longevity and with persistence, and Muralitharan felt the journey had not been easy. “I have to be physically and mentally fit,” he said. “It’s not easy to go on for such a long time because you play so much of cricket. Sometimes you have your ups and downs. You have to put your head up and come back tomorrow and try to do the work that you have been doing for the next game. All is not sweet. I have gone through ups and downs. How strong you are and how you make a come back is the main point.”It has been a case of Muralitharan chasing Akram in ODIs, but there was more of a tussle for the Test mark. “Three bowlers were in contention for the world Test record: Shane Warne, Anil Kumble and me,” he said. “They were a little bit older than me and I thought they would retire before me, then I would have a chance of overcoming them. That’s what happened. I didn’t think much about the one-day record because no one was closer to it. The nearest was Chaminda Vaas who had about 400 wickets [currently] so I thought it can be achieved easily.”I am thinking about playing till the next World Cup in 2011. I have nothing more to achieve after that. The World Cup will mark the end of my careerWith the records in hand, it is the 2011 World Cup that is keeping Murali motivated. “Playing cricket is the only thing I know to do,” he said. “I thought the body is right, mentally I was fit and everything was coming right for me so I want to play as much as I can. I am thinking about playing till the next World Cup in 2011. I have nothing more to achieve after that. The World Cup will mark the end of my career.”Hardly anything has gone right for Sri Lanka in the series, even for Murali – his three wickets have cost 70 runs apiece and his economy-rate has been more than five an over. “We must look at where we have gone wrong and correct our mistakes and try to hit get back into winning way,” he said. “India have the confidence of beating England 5-0 and their batsmen are playing well. A period comes when all the batsmen are set and all get runs. They are not scared of getting out, whatever strokes they play, they play with confidence.”Once the batsmen lose confidence that’s when they start to struggle. At the moment the confidence level of this batting line up is very high, so whatever they do it’s going their way. It happens in cricket. It could change or it could go on like the way Australia did for the last 10 years. Now you see Australia are struggling with same players because their confidence level has gone down. Cricket is all about confidence.”

After Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin sustained a broken toe, the last thing Rafa Benitez wanted was more injuries.

This Toffees squad are still lacking some key figures after the conclusion of the transfer window but one of their major shortfalls has now become even more frustrating.

On the chalkboard

One of the main tasks that Benitez and Marcel Brands failed to achieve over the last few months was signing a new right-back.

Seamus Coleman’s contract is due to expire in just under two years time but at the age of 32, he remains the only viable solution in that third of the pitch.

Everton made attempts to sign Denzel Dumfries but he proved too expensive in a window where the recruitment team had little to spend. Instead, he joined Inter Milan.

The Toffees then made a move for Royal Antwerp’s Aurelio Buta but that was another deal that wasn’t concluded.

Deadline day rolled around and an enquiry was made for Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters but unsurprisingly, that was swiftly rejected.

Therefore, with no further right-back arriving, the news that Coleman is now injured will come as an almighty blow.

The Irishman was playing for his country during the current international break but suffered a muscle issue and will miss their next game with Serbia.

The solution

If Coleman is going to be out injured then Everton cannot afford to rely on Jonjoe Kenny.

We’ve already explored the chances of the Englishman gaining some minutes this season but after being described as a “horror show” in some circles during his time on loan at Celtic, he is not Premier League quality.

Instead, Benitez could consider turning to the enigmatic Serge Aurier.

The Express suggested at the weekend that the Ivorian was a player who could move to Everton and this blow only adds to that theory.

The 28-year-old had his contract with Tottenham torn up by mutual consent before the deadline which will now allow him to head elsewhere for absolutely nothing.

On the surface, Aurier would be a poor signing. Spurs coaching staff described him as “uncoachable” according to Football Insider sources and he’s also been dubbed “erratic” by Teddy Sheringham on Sky Sports.

That being said, with Everton needing to combat an injury, a short-term contract would surely suit all parties.

After all, he’s got more experience than Kenny and would offer plenty in an area where Coleman thrives; going forward.

Aurier has immense pace and is capable of flying down the right-hand side. During the 2019/20 season, he assisted five Premier League goals. Throughout last term, meanwhile, the defender registered two goals and three assists.

His defending may leave a lot to be desired at times but there are far worse alternatives that Everton could explore.

AND in other news, Forget James: Everton must unleash “exciting” rarely-seen gem with “unbelievable pace”…

Australia were saved by the rain as they clung to the Chappell-Hadlee Series in the drawn series despite a brave push from New Zealand

The Bulletin by Peter English at the Gabba13-Feb-2009No result – New Zealand 6 for 123 (Guptill 64*) Australia 4 for 168 (Haddin 88*, Ferguson 55*)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Brad Haddin led Australia with a fine half-century in a match decided by the weather © Getty Images
Australia clung to the Chappell-Hadlee Series despite a brave push from New Zealand after the final game was spoilt by rain. Martin Guptill’s fighting half-century was in vain as the visitors finished at 6 for 123; they were ahead on Duckworth-Lewis but needed to make the target of 156 in 20 overs to qualify the contest as a match.The result left the series drawn at 2-2 and Australia kept the prize after their win in 2007-08. It was a sad end for New Zealand after a day that swung from saturated to soggy and slippery.New Zealand started their innings after Australia’s 4 for 168 and relied on Guptill, who blasted his half-century from only 24 balls. He went on to 64 off 34, with five fours and three sixes, and after adding 50 in six overs with the debutant Brendon Diamanti (26*), they required 33 in 36 balls for their first one-day series win in Australia. So close but so wet.Guptill scored at such high speed that New Zealand required less than a run a ball over the final third of the chase, which was extraordinary considering the losses the side suffered. His partnership with Diamanti frustrated the Australians – at one stage Ponting was heard to grumble “what’s going on?” – and with eight overs remaining they needed a highly gettable 42.New Zealand’s already difficult assignment had grown harder on the second ball of the innings when the out-of-sorts Brendon McCullum (2) was bowled by a Ben Hilfenhaus outswinger. Guptill and Peter Fulton tried to make it look like the sun was shining by speeding to 38 off the first three overs.However, Fulton’s cameo of 22 off 12 balls, including two sixes in an over off Hilfenhaus, ended with a clever back-tracking catch by Ferguson at point. Ross Taylor followed with another wild miscue, this time to Mitchell Johnson, and the quick departures of Grant Elliott and Neil Broom, who was run-out by a direct hit from Ricky Ponting, left New Zealand at 5 for 68. In their push to stay in touch they almost imploded and then Michael Hussey leapt to take a one-handed catch to remove Kyle Mills for 1.Haddin stood up in the tricky conditions after Mills caused early damage in his opening spell. Australia were 3 for 30 before Haddin steered the side with 88 from 65 balls. He liked the bowling of Diamanti and hit him for a six over long-on and a straight four in the same over.After bringing up his half-century from 43 balls, he finished in a flurry, hitting Tim Southee into the second tier of the Northern Stand and launching Iain O’Brien into the Southern. Callum Ferguson joined in as the pair blasted 98 in 10.5 overs. He arrived and captured 55 in 35 deliveries to inflate Australia’s total, which included 30 in the two-over batting Powerplay.James Hopes was promoted to open with Michael Clarke missing due to a back problem, but he walked off after skying Mills to mid-off in the third over. It was Mills again who forced a fine outside edge from Ponting (2) and Australia were wobbling at 2 for 20. Ponting was one of a handful of Australian players who returned to the team hotel during the rain delay in the afternoon before being called back to the ground.O’Brien bowled a slashing David Hussey for 6 to inflict further damage in his first over, but Australia recovered through a 40-run stand between the dominant Haddin and Michael Hussey. Just as they were starting to look reasonably comfortable Hussey (9) pulled Daniel Vettori’s first delivery to Diamanti at deep midwicket, reducing the hosts to 4 for 70.Mills left the field after his third over with a right Achilles injury, but came back for his fourth and saw Guptill miss a tough one-handed chance to his right off Michael Hussey on 1. Even in such a short spell Mills deserved better, finishing with 2 for 22.That there was any play at all was almost a miracle after heavy showers on Thursday night and most of the day on Friday. While the contest is crucial in deciding the winner of the five-match series, it will also give the players some practice before Sunday’s Twenty20 in Sydney.