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Celtic are “progressing” in talks to sign IF Elfsborg defender Gustaf Lagerbielke, and a reliable journalist has revealed where the player stands on a move to the Scottish Premiership.

Who is Gustaf Lagerbielke?

Lagerbielke is naturally a centre-back who has played his football at the Boras Arena since 2021 having joined from Vasteras SK, but having made just 26 appearances during his two years at the club as a result of being sent out on loan to Degerfors, it’s a strong possibility that he could be on the move before the end of the ongoing window.

Swedish outlet Expressen previously reported that the Hoops and Brendan Rodgers were chasing a deal for the 23-year-old and had submitted a bid worth SEK 40m, equivalent to approximately £2.9m, which would be a record fee for Jimmy Thelin’s side to receive.

The Allsvenskan outfit’s director Stefan Andreasson later confirmed that they had received an approach for their defender, but insisted that there were currently no ongoing discussions. He said:

“We've had a dialogue in this case. There's an interest, yes. But we're not in negotiation. The club must move from interest to acting concretely. We're not there right now.”

Are Celtic signing Gustaf Lagerbielke?

Taking to Twitter X, Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph delivered an update on Celtic’s pursuit of Lagerbielke, who is believed to be excited by the prospect of putting pen to paper at Parkhead. He wrote:

“Talks between Celtic and Elfsborg for Gustaf Lagerbielke are understood to be progressing well. There’s a willingness from all sides to get a deal done, as the centre-back is keen to move to the Scottish champions this summer.”

How good is Gustaf Lagerbielke?

Celtic are clearly serious about signing Lagerbielke having developed their interest to the final stages of a deal and it’s no surprise considering what he could bring to the side should he sign on the dotted line, so despite having the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Maik Nawrocki available, his potentially imminent arrival could be a huge boost for Rodgers.

Elfsborg’s 6 foot 3 colossus is not only a rock at the heart of his side’s backline with his huge physical presence, but he’s also a threat when it comes to set pieces at the opposite end of the pitch having scored 12 goals in 110 appearances since the start of his career, as per Transfermarkt.

The Stockholm native additionally has the ability to operate out wide at both left-back and right-back alongside his usual role at centre-back, so he would provide the boss with wonderful versatility and be able to easily adapt should he ever want to tinker with his formation, team selection or just need to adjust for injuries.

Whilst Lagerbielke still has another two years to run on his contract, the Glasgow outfit don’t seem to be phased by the transfer fee that’s being demanded, and having been dubbed a player with “impressive” passing ability by journalist Ryan McGinlay, he would only excel further under the guidance of the Northern Irishman.

Darren Sammy’s scorching last-over burst, followed by Mohammad Sami’s four-wicket haul, broke Comilla Victorians’ five-match winning streak, as they lost to Rajshahi Kings by 30 runs in Chittagong

The Report by Mohammad Isam25-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBCB

Darren Sammy’s scorching last-over burst, followed by Mohammad Sami’s four-wicket haul, broke Comilla Victorians’ five-match winning streak, as they lost to Rajshahi Kings by 30 runs in Chittagong.Rajshahi had seemed to be ambling towards a middling score, but blitzed 72 runs off 22 balls following Sammy’s arrival. They ended up with 185 for 7, with Sammy unbeaten on 47 off 14 balls. His strike-rate of 335.71 is the highest for a batsman to have struck more than 40 runs in a BPL innings.Sammy tonked six sixes in total, four of which came in the last over that went for 32 runs. Mohammad Saifuddin, who had the misfortune of sending down that over, now holds the unenviable record of conceding the most runs in an over in BPL history.Comilla recovered well from that late onslaught and were going well in the chase, with Tamim Iqbal and Shoaib Malik putting together an 87-run stand. But once Sami dismissed Tamim, the rest simply caved. It was similar to their bowling effort that came apart after a very good start.Comilla hit back after early blowsEach of Rajshahi’s top four fell after getting their eye in. Dwayne Smith, who had got going with four punchy boundaries, was first to fall when he inside-edged Saifuddin onto the stumps after reaching out for an expansive drive. In the next over, Mominul Haque, who had raced away to a brisk start with five crisply-struck fours, paid the price for a moment’s hesitation. Mominul pushed the legspinner Rashid Khan behind point and Luke Wright called for a single straight away. Mominul, though, wasn’t as convinced and was felled by a direct hit at the non-striker’s end. Zakir Hasan found the bounce of an Al-Amin Hossain bouncer disconcerting and top-edged a pull that was snaffled by the bowler, before Imrul Kayes’ terrific catch at long-on ended Mushfiqur Rahim’s stay. From 43 for no loss, Rajshahi lost four wickets by the time they could double that score.Wright keeps Rajshahi tickingThe gift of timing completely abandoned Luke Wright, who struggled for large parts of his 42. But to his credit, he gritted it out. After scratching around for 20 balls for his first 14 runs, Wright showed the first signs of acceleration by collecting 16 runs off his next six balls. That included two sublime fours through midwicket off successive deliveries against Al-Amin. He added 37 runs for the fifth wicket with James Franklin in quick time, before the latter fell leg-before to a Hasan Ali yorker. Wright fell in the following over, when his scoop found short fine leg. He fell eight short of a fifty but had kept Rajshahi intact till the 18th over before Sammy took over.Sammy lays a brutal finishing touchWhen Tamim Iqbal threw Saifuddin the ball for the final over, it was in the hope that he could finish off a job well-started. Saifuddin had figures of 3-0-18-3, but nothing could have prepared him for the onslaught he suffered at the hands of Sammy. His first delivery to Sammy was a fuller ball that came into him, and all Sammy had to do was help it on its way to deep backward square leg. The rest of the over was a generous mix of fuller deliveries, or worse still, full tosses that were shoveled with brute force. Saifuddin set out on a search for the wide yorker and instead fed to Sammy’s swinging arc and offered him ample room. To make matters worse, Saifuddin sent down two wides, extending Sammy’s party to an eight-ball over. Just last month, Saifuddin had suffered a similar shellacking at the hands of David Miller, who took him apart for five successive sixes in one over, in a T20 international against South Africa.Comilla shrug off early stutterFakhar Zaman’s BPL debut lasted just five balls as he chopped Sami onto his stumps, and Imrul Kayes fell to a harsh lbw decision, with replays suggesting the ball would have missed leg – as Comilla lost two wickets in the first two overs of their chase.Tamim and Malik then resurrected Comilla’s chase with an 87-run stand for the third wicket. It was broken when Malik’s stroke-filled 45 ended tamely. One ball after a stunning four that split short third man and backward point, Malik chipped a simple return catch to Dwayne Smith, leaving Comilla with 95 to get in 52 balls.Sami’s 3-in-1Comilla did not feel the pinch of Malik’s dismissal as much as Buttler picked up from where Malik left. With Tamim, he struck 34 runs in three overs to keep Comilla’s prospects alive. Tamim launched Hossain Ali over extra cover to bring up his fifty and the 4000th run of his T20 career while Buttler used his favoured reverse sweep to good effect.Sami then got Tamim to skew an inside-out shot to deep point in the 15th over to open the gates. Alok Kapali perished two balls later when he swung across the line and lost his stumps. Sami then ended the over by having Saifuddin hole out to deep point. He gave away just one run in his last over to finish with 4 for 9 in four overs. His effort left Comilla with 32 to get from the last over, which was precisely how much Sammy hit in Rajshahi’s last over.What they said”Darren Sammy doing that made a huge difference. I think if we just got 150, we would have probably lost. And then Mohammad Sami with the ball was amazing, but I think Sammy put massive pressure on them, which helped take those wickets in the end.”

Jose Mourinho and Roma have been fined €40,000 (£34k/$44k) for his pre-match referee comments ahead of a victory against Sassuolo two weeks ago.

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Mourinho criticised referee MarcenaroSaid he lacked 'emotional stability'FIGC condemned Mourinho's comments as 'harmful statements'WHAT HAPPENED?

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) found Mourinho guilty of making 'harmful comments' following an investigation and subsequently confirmed a plea agreement on Friday. The fine will be split equally between Mourinho and Roma with the proceedings going to AIL (Italian Leukaemia Association), an Italian NGO specializing in scientific research for treating leukaemias, lymphomas, and myeloma.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Before the match against Sassuolo, Mourinho went on a rant against the match official and accused him of not having "the emotional stability" to conduct a top-flight league match where the stakes are high. He also aimed a dig at VAR, Marco de Bello, and condemned him for bringing "bad luck" to Roma.

WHAT MOURINHO SAID

Speaking to reporters, Mourinho said: "The referee worries me, we've had him three times as fourth official and the feeling is that he doesn't have the emotional stability for a match of this level. His profile doesn't leave me calm, not even the one who will be on the VAR, he's a referee with whom we've always had bad luck".

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DAZNDID YOU KNOW?

Mourinho had the last laugh against Sassuolo despite trailing by a goal until the final quarter. Paulo Dybala equalised and Rasmus Kristensen scored the winner to hand Roma a crucial victory away from home.

Celta Vigo starlet Gabri Veiga could now join Tottenham Hotspur over Paris-Saint Germain, as the attacker won't be going to France after-all.

Who will Spurs sign?

Ange Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy have been busy behind-the-scenes at Spurs, having already sealed the signings of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, playmaker James Maddison and winger Manor Solomon on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The trio join Dejan Kulusevski, who signed for Tottenham on a permanent deal from Juventus after 18 months on loan, and Pedro Porro who has made his temporary move from Sporting Lisbon an indefinite one.

Spurs could be desperate to make a success of Postecoglou's reign, with the Australian recently joining from Scottish treble-winners Celtic.

The 57-year-old orchestrated a brilliant rebuild at Parkhead after their disappointing 2020/2021 season, winning trophies galore for the following two campaigns, and Tottenham will be hoping Postecoglou can replicate that in north London.

The signing of Maddison, who arguably stands out as their biggest coup so far, could go some way given the England international racked up a very impressive 10 goals and nine assists for Leicester City in the top flight last season.

"Really excited to get James as part of the group," said Postecoglou yesterday.

"Any manager will tell you that part of the key to being a dominant team is having multiple attacking threats and having a midfielder who can score and create goals.

“They’re not easy to come by. He’s proven himself at that level in the last few years as somebody who can do that."

While Tottenham are reliably believed to be focusing their efforts on signing a centre-back right now, even closing in on a deal for Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven, there have been suggestions more attackers could follow Maddison through the door.

Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic is attracting their interest as a possible replacement for Harry Kane, with le10sport journalist Alexis Bernard now having "confirmation" Spurs are targeting Veiga from Celta Vigo and he will absolutely not join PSG.

The 21-year-old, who is a man in demand after a brilliant La Liga campaign, is wanted by Tottenham and they could now sign him over PSG. Veiga apparently won't be joining Luis Enrique at the Parc des Princes, opening the door for English sides like Spurs to swoop in.

As well as Postecoglou's side, it is believed Arsenal and Chelsea are in the race to seal his signature. Veiga's contract contains an enticing £34 million release clause, with Bernard claiming in le10sport that Tottenham are "vying for his signing" and he is "expected" to make the move to England.

How good is Gabri Veiga?

The Spaniard was one of Celta's star players last season, scoring 11 goals and assisting four others in 36 La Liga outings (WhoScored).

Veiga has been praised by the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, who said he's a player of real "quality", with journalist Josh Bunting also holding him in very high esteem.

"Celta Vigo ahead against Barcelona at half-time," said Bunting during a match in June.

"Celta have a good record of late against Barcelona anyway but it’s the perfect time to play them already crowned kings of Spain again. Gabri Veiga the home grown boy delivering at a key time, wonderful talent with 10 La Liga goals."

Tom Brady had little to smile about after watching a bore draw at Birmingham, but was treated to an entertaining contest during a visit to Man City.

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• American football icon at the Etihad
• Is now an investor at St Andrew's
• Plans being drawn up for January window

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The NFL legend, who is now an investor at St Andrew’s, had to sit through a 0-0 stalemate when heading to Birmingham – with Wayne Rooney’s side unable to produce anything to get excited about against Rotherham. Brady’s latest trip to the United Kingdom has not been a complete write-off, though, after heading from the west midlands to the north west.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Brady was among those in attendance when Premier League champions Manchester City took in a home date with Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola’s side showed how attacking football should be played as they created a number of golden opportunities against Spurs.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Brady saw Tottenham captain Son Heung-min score at both ends of the field during a bright opening to the game, before Phil Foden also got in on the act for the hosts before half-time. In the second half, Giovani Lo Celso equalised for Spurs in an end-to-end encounter. He will be hoping that Birmingham are playing a similar brand of football in the not too distant future.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BRADY?

  The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star may have got the chance to ask a few questions of City boss Guardiola and who he might be prepared to part with in January – with Birmingham hoping to freshen up their ranks in the next transfer window.

Worcestershire have signed Nathan Lyon, the Australia offspinner, as a replacement overseas player to cover for John Hastings during the Champions Trophy.Lyon, who is Australia’s most successful finger-spinner with 247 wickets from 67 Tests, will also provide a frontline spin option in the absence of Moeen Ali who will be with England.”If you look at top international bowlers who are available while the Champions Trophy is going on – plus those with West Indies and Afghanistan – you don’t seem to see many who are available,” Steve Rhodes, the Worcestershire director of cricket, said.”Nathan has never played county cricket and I really try to get overseas players who are looking for a challenge and are hungry to succeed. He is a great competitor and to get someone like Nathan is really important for Worcestershire.”Rhodes also sees Lyon playing an important role with Worcestershire’s young spinners. “Nathan is also a very committed dressing room man and our young spinners like George Rhodes and Ben Twohig will have the opportunities to pick his brains over that period. That will be fantastic for them and a big boost to those two players.”

The Bangladesh coach has said he “got everything he asked for” from the BCB during his coaching stint

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2017

Coach Chandika Hathurusingha has said he would like to leave Bangladesh in the position Sri Lanka had been in 1996, and that he would happily work with Sri Lanka after his present contract ends in 2019.The mid-1990s were effectively Sri Lanka’s coming of age in international cricket. In addition to winning the 1996 World Cup, they also began to produce players who achieved world renown – such as Aravinda de Silva, Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya. Sri Lanka also soon established themselves in Test cricket, beating most oppositions who toured the island.Bangladesh have recently made gains under Hathurusingha, winning a Test against England last year, and running impressive campaigns during 2016’s Asia Cup and the 2015 World Cup. They also qualified for the 2017 Champions Trophy, having missed out in 2009 and 2013.”In 2019, I want to bring the Bangladesh team to where Sri Lanka were in 1996,” Hathurusingha told . “That’s my target. Whatever happens, I’m not going to ask to stay with Bangladesh forever. I will also not resign. The only reason for leaving is if I’m not allowed to do what I want to do, but there’s no such situation at present.”Hathurusingha was complimentary of his dealings with the BCB, saying he had “got everything he asked for”, including a place on the selection committee and broad influence over the team’s development. However, he suggested that he harboured hopes of working with Sri Lanka in future, having made himself available to them before he took the job with Bangladesh, as well.”I will absolutely come [if SLC asks me to],” he said. “I am in this position today because of all the things I learned playing cricket in Sri Lanka. After I learned everything in Sri Lanka for about 20 years, I went to Australia and learned things there as well. But if Sri Lanka invites me at any time, I will happily come back to do something for the country.”Hathurusingha said Sri Lanka’s school cricket system remained much stronger than that of Bangladesh, but was less impressed with Sri Lanka’s senior cricket structure. He joined the chorus of former players lamenting the excessive number of teams in Sri Lanka’s first-class cricket. Twenty-three first-class teams competed in the recently-concluded Premier League tournament, though nine of those sides played in the second tier league.”If there are 22 or 23 first-class sides in Sri Lanka, then that’s definitely not good,” he said. “With the way that Sri Lanka is, I think there should be about 12 or 14 sides. But because school cricket is good here, players are still produced.”In Bangladesh, there is a four-day tournament, a one-day tournament with about eight teams, and their BPL T20 tournament. Because of that, the good players become highlighted. In the last two years, I changed a lot of things in their club cricket, including their pitches.”

Malik Tillman missed out on PSV's routine Eredivisie win over Almere after being punished by head coach Peter Bosz

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• USA international joined PSV from Bayern Munich on loan at the start of the season
• Tillman has struggled somewhat to make an early impact at the Eredivisie giants
• Dropped for latest league game after oversleeping

• (C)Getty Images
  

  What happened?

  USMNT starlet Malik Tillman missed PSV's 4-0 Eredivisie win over Almere City on Saturday after being dropped by head coach Peter Bosz for failing to show up on time.

  The attacking midfielder was hopeful Bosz would forgive him for the incident, but the PSV boss was having none of it.

  "Tillman overslept, so I decided to leave him at home," Bosz told reporters.

  "I think there's not a single coach out there where you get away with that.

  "He was keen to join the team regardless, but I told him there was no need for it. He will be back in training on Sunday."

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• The bigger picture

  Tillman joined PSV from Bayern Munich on a one-year loan deal at the start of the season, but he has found it hard to make an impact so far due to the stiff competition for places.

  He scored on his Eredivisie debut on September 2, finding the net in a 4-0 win over RKC, but has featured for just 18 minutes in the Dutch top flight so far.

  Bosz has so far preferred the likes of Ismael Saibari and Guus Til over the 21-year-old in the No.10 role.

• Getty
  

  And what's more

  Fellow USMNT star Ricardo Pepi enjoyed a far more successful evening as he netted his second Eredivisie goal of the 2023-24 campaign, firing home his side's fourth late on.

  Pepi has now scored three times in eight appearances in all competitions for PSV after joining them from Augsburg in July.

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• Did you know?

  PSV have three USMNT internationals on their books this season.

  Pepi and Tillman are being accompanied by Barcelona loanee Sergino Dest, with the full-back returning to the Eredivisie after coming through the ranks at Ajax.

United's latest signing has been confirmed as the new owner of the iconic shirt, so GOAL looks at some of the others to have worn it over the years

Manchester United, of course, have had some truly iconic players wear the famed No.7 shirt, including the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, George Best, and Bryan Robson. There have also been some major flops, namely Michael Owen and Alexis Sanchez, and new signing Mason Mount will be hopeful he eventually falls into the first category having been handed the iconic jersey following his £60-million move from Chelsea.

The England international has plenty of experience behind him having become a regular contributor both at Stamford Bridge and for the Three Lions – but how will he deal with the weight of expectation that comes with wearing United's most legendary number?

GOAL takes a look at the history of the No.7 shirt at Old Trafford and how others have coped with it…

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  George Best

  An icon on and off the pitch, Best remains the only Northern Irishman to win the Ballon d'Or having finished as United's top scorer for six consecutive seasons before leaving in 1974.

  He helped the Red Devils win two league titles as well as the European Cup in 1968, with his goal in the final contributing to a 4-1 victory over Benfica.

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  Bryan Robson

  'Captain Marvel' was voted United's greatest ever player in a poll of their former players back in 2011, and for his all-action midfield displays it was easy to see why.

  Playing 461 times for the Red Devils, Robson scored 99 goals and became their first English captain to lift the FA Cup as well as helping to secure Premier League and Cup Winners' Cup triumphs.

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  Keith Gillespie

  Part of the United side that won the FA Youth Cup in 1992, Gillespie followed in his fellow countryman Best's shoes and was handed the No.7 shirt by Sir Alex Ferguson.

  He failed to fully establish himself at Old Trafford, however, with Andrei Kanchelskis keeping him out of the team for long periods before he was eventually sold to Newcastle in 1995.

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  Eric Cantona

  When permanent squad numbers were introduced to English football in the 1993-94 season, there was only really one option for United to hand their No.7 to – 'King Eric'.

  Signed from Leeds United in 1992, Cantona terrorised opposition defences for five years at Old Trafford, scoring outrageous goals for fun as Ferguson's side began to dominate the English game.

  He will likely always be remembered for his infamous kung-fu kick at Selhurst Park, but his playing legacy will never be forgotten on the red side of Manchester.

India coach Anil Kumble has given his wholehearted backing for Cheteshwar Pujara to have an uninterrupted run in the Indian middle order, admitting that it is “not good” that a “sword is always hanging on his head”

Gaurav Kalra10-Sep-20165:32

‘Pujara is very important for us’ – Kumble

India coach Anil Kumble has given his wholehearted backing for Cheteshwar Pujara to have an uninterrupted run in the Indian middle order, admitting that it is “not good” that a “sword is always hanging on his head.” Pujara lost his spot in the playing XI for the third Test in St. Lucia during India’s recent tour of the West Indies, Kumble’s first series in-charge, after making 16 and 46 in his previous two innings. His replacement Rohit Sharma made 9 and 41 in that match, and both he and Pujara were included for the final Test in Trinidad, where only 22 overs were possible and India didn’t get to bat.”With modern cricket, everybody looks at the strike rate rather than what that particular player brings to that table,” Kumble told ESPNcricinfo. “Pujara is a very important cog in our wheel and when he plays at No. 3, he is a very important player. Yes, there are times when he misses out and Rohit comes in. That’s when we probably feel we need someone lower down to accelerate. That’s why in one of the Tests in West Indies, he missed out.Pujara completes 10,000 first-class runs

Playing in the final of the Duleep Trophy on Saturday, with India coach Anil Kumble and the national selectors present at the ground, Cheteshwar Pujara became the 45th Indian to the landmark of 10,000 first-class runs.
He ended the first day’s play with a powerful backfoot drive for four through mid-off and was unbeaten on 111 off 164 balls with a strike-rate of 67.68. His team India Blue had put up 362 for 3 against the Yuvraj Singh-led India Red

“The one good thing about this team is that all 17 who were in the squad were all available to play and all of them show that intent. If they are playing, they are fine. When they are left out, yes, they are disappointed, but at the same time, they contribute in whatever way they can. Pujara, yes, the sword is always hanging on his head, which is not good. I certainly believe he is a very important player for us and he will play at No. 3, and for us to be successful, he is important to us in the short term and long term as well.”Pujara and Rohit have had to swap places in recent times as India have preferred to employ a five-bowler strategy in Test cricket, leaving room for one less batsman in the XI. Since taking over from MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli has robustly advocated the tactic. Kumble, too, is on-board with the strategy, though he said it “wasn’t set in stone”.”It is not mandatory that you look to play five bowlers. It depends on the opposition, the surface and what the team requires,” Kumble said. “If we believe that four bowlers are enough to pick up 20 wickets and you need that additional batsman in the team, then we are open for that. It is not that the five-bowler theory is written in stone and we will approach every game like that. With four bowlers, you can win a Test match. Every team that you play has four bowlers and the fifth bowler you play is the all-rounder who fills in 10-15 overs for the other bowlers to come back again and pick the wickets. The approach will certainly be to win every game that you play.”In line with the tactic to play with five frontline bowlers, India made an intriguing decision in the West Indies, asking R Ashwin to bat at No. 6. The move was instantly rewarded – Ashwin made a hundred in the first Test at Antigua and following it up with another one in the third in St.Lucia. Kumble explained that the move was made in order to ease the pressure on wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, who was struggling to come to terms with batting in the top six. Saha himself scored a hundred in the series and finished with 205 runs at an average of 51.25″Obviously, Ashwin has shown in the past what he’s capable of as a batsman,” Kumble said. “Saha was batting at six and we felt that the pressure that he was getting under wasn’t ideal for him. Someone like Ashwin can take that pressure off and then Saha can bat freely, and Ashwin has shown what he’s capable of. He’s scored two hundreds and made his mark at No. 6 whenever we played five bowlers.”India are scheduled to begin a lengthy home season where they will play 13 Tests, beginning with a three-Test series against New Zealand from September 22.