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Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez is reportedly now contemplating leaving the club this summer, in order for his 2022 World Cup dream not to be hampered.

The Lowdown: Gomez out of favour at Liverpool

It has been a hugely frustrating season for the 24-year-old, who has found playing time extremely difficult to come by under Jurgen Klopp.

Gomez has only started one Premier League game in 2021/22 to date, at home to Norwich City, and even that match saw him deployed as a right-back.

With Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate all ahead of him in the centre-back pecking order, it is hard to see how his current situation will change any time soon.

The Latest: Defender wants summer exit

According to 90min, Gomez is still worried about missing out on England’s World Cup squad, as was the case back in October, and will push for a move away.

Leicester City, Tottenham, Newcastle United and West Ham are all mentioned as potential suitors for the Englishman, whose current deal expires in the summer of 2024.

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The Verdict: Need to keep hold of him

While Gomez wanting to leave is understandable given every player’s desire to play in big international tournaments, Liverpool should still do all they can to keep him at the club for the foreseeable future.

Granted, he has suffered a number of serious injuries in recent years but he is still only 24 years of age and was recently hailed as ‘world-class’ by Jurgen Klopp.

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With Van Dijk and Matip both turning 31 later this year, Gomez could still end up being a regular starter over time – whether or not he is happy to be patient could be the biggest stumbling block, though.

In other news, a Spanish source has made a Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

	Looking to the skies: India need their high-profile openers to score some runs © Getty Images

It’s a face-off that both India and Sri Lanka could have avoided, but they have only themselves to blame for turning their final encounter of the CB Series into a virtual semi-final for one and knockout for the other. Despite holding the edge on at least one occasion against Australia, both teams would envy Ricky Ponting’s men letting their hair down at tomorrow’s Allan Border medal presentation while they get into a dogfight at the Bellerive Oval.Such has been the nature of this series so far that, apart from Australia, no team has consistently capitalised on the weaknesses of the opponents. In the three previous games between the two teams, India and Sri Lanka have one victory each while their first encounter of the series, in Brisbane, was abandoned due to rain. Sri Lanka stand on the precipice and to pull themselves back they need to defeat India and then repeat that result against Australia on Friday. India, meanwhile, will seal their berth in the final if they win on Tuesday.”We wouldn’t like to wait for the result on February 29,” Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. “We would like to seal the match against Sri Lanka and not leave it to the last game between Australia and Sri Lanka. This game is very important for us.” The Indian captain has already alerted his troops about the task, terming Sri Lanka “very tricky” opponents.Sri Lanka have the advantage of having played at this venue twice this season. They lost a Test here in November and then Tasmania slapped a seven-wicket defeat on them in the practice game ahead of the tri-series. “The Test-match wicket was much harder compared to the practice match that was played on a different one, but we have a fair idea of the wicket. It depends on the conditions, which can be overcast here sometimes, so we’ll wait and see,” Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka’s captain, said after a net session.The conditions played a huge role in the last one-day match at the ground, when Tasmania won a closely fought encounter on Saturday to lift the Ford Ranger Cup by one wicket after rain interruptions converted Victoria’s original target of 158 to 131 in 31 overs. The forecast for Tuesday is mostly sunny with temperatures in the range of 20°C. The wicket at the Bellerive Oval is likely to offer significant sideways movement, which could be a key factor for both captains when they sit down to choose their final XIs.Dhoni already has a couple of issues to tackle, one of which is the failure of his opening pair, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. One option could be to push Robin Uthappa, who scored a 46-ball 51 down the order on Sunday against Australia, ahead of Sehwag. Dhoni doesn’t want to disturb an in-form Gautam Gambhir’s fine run at No.3 but felt he had enough options to choose from.The other matter is that of fatigue. Players like Dhoni and Ishant Sharma have been playing non-stop from the start of the Test series and India’s inability to qualify for the finals means these two have had no time to rest. “It’s tough on guys like Ishant and Gautam, but we have some time to recover and we need them,” was Dhoni’s response to whether a 36-hour break was enough for the team to bounce back after yesterday’s game against Australia.Without any indication of the combination he will opt for, Jayawardene’s focus was on tomorrow and not too far down the road. “We have to win both the games. If we get our batting sorted out, we have a very good chance,” he said. “We need to concentrate first on getting the victory on Tuesday.”Both teams have their share of top-order batting concerns and there’s an outside chance, given the Hobart conditions, that they both go in with five bowlers. If Munaf Patel recovers from a bout of food poisoning suffered on Saturday he might just sneak into the Indian XI. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have dropped Farveez Maharoof and Chanaka Welegedara. Tillakaratne Dilashan is likely to continue in the middle order, with one out of Upul Tharanga and Dilruwan Perera opening with Sanath Jayasuriya. Depending on the conditions, they will choose from Chamara Kapugedera and Nuwan Kulasekara for the last spot in the XI.Teams
India: (likely) 1 Robin Uthappa, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Yuvraj Singh, 7 Irfan Pathan, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Sreesanth, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Munaf Patel.Sri Lanka: (from) Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Dilruwan Perera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ishara Amerasinghe, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga.

A post-mortem showed Bob Woolmer was strangled in his Jamaica hotel on Sunday © Getty Images

Almost eighteen hours after announcing that Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer had indeed been murdered, Jamaica police have yet to make an arrest or name suspects. The Pakistan players and officials will undergo DNA testing after which they are expected to leave the Caribbean for home. The investigators, meanwhile, are keeping the probe open-ended in trying to arrive at possible motives and a definitive picture of how the murder occurred.During a press conference in Jamaica on Thursday police confirmed Woolmer was strangled in his hotel room on Sunday and that he showed few signs of struggling with his attackers.”The pathologist’s report states that Mr Woolmer’s death was due to asphyxiation as a result of manual strangulation,” Karl Angell, the police spokesman, said. “In these circumstances, the matter of Mr Woolmer’s death is now being treated by the Jamaica police as a case of murder.”Mark Shields, Jamaica’s deputy commissioner of police, is now heading the investigation and said there were many lines of inquiry. “Bob is a large man and it would take some significant force to strangle him, but we don’t know at this point how many people were in his room,” he said. “There was very little evidence of a struggle.”In an interview with BBC Radio, Shields said that it was difficult to believe that the murder could have been committed by a stranger. “It is imperative that we keep an open mind, but I have to say at this stage it looks as if it may be somebody somehow linked to him, because clearly he let somebody into his hotel room and it may be that he knew who that person was.”When asked why it had taken so long to prove the case of strangulation Shields said: “There were no visible signs in this particular case and we had to make sure.”Shields said there was no reason why the Pakistan team would be detained in Jamaica, “but we’re ruling nothing out”. He said the coroners would decide whether Woolmer’s body would be allowed to travel back with the team on Saturday. “I have a meeting with them in morning,” Shields said.Woolmer was pronounced dead at 12.14pm on Sunday, but Shields said “there were no visible signs of life when found”. “He went to his room at 8.30pm in the evening and was found by a chamber maid at 10.45am. We don’t have a time of death as of now, but I would say it’s closer towards the time he was found.”When asked if there were any other injuries Shields said: “There were some other issues around the body which we’ll take time to look at and examine.”Vomit and blood was also found in the room, but Shields was still waiting for the toxicology and histology results. “A full forensic examination of the body in the room was done for finger prints,” he said. “We have sealed all CCTV records as well as all electronic records. Calls to the room, calls from his mobile all have been checked.”Shields said Scotland Yard, his former employers, had offered its assistance and he would take it “should we need it”. Woolmer held a British passport, but split most of his time since taking the Pakistan job living in Lahore and Cape Town.”We’re also in touch with Pakistan and South African police,” Shields said. “The ICC has offered us all assistance [with regard to the Anti-Corruption Unit] and we’re exploring every avenue.”Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, confirmed at the conference the World Cup would continue and they would not be “put off by a cowardly criminal act”. “This is not the first time that tragedy has visited a sporting event,” Speed said, “but what we must all do now is to show how resolute the game is by proving ourselves strong enough to move on from what has happened.”Meanwhile, Pakistan have announced that a diplomat from Washington will arrive in Jamaica to interact with the police. “We do not have any diplomatic presence in Jamaica and we have decided to send a senior official from our Washington mission to interact with the Caribbean authorities,” Tasnim Aslam, a foreign ministry spokeswoman, told AFP. She added that Pakistan’s Washington embassy was accredited to handle affairs in Jamaica.

The West Indies Players Association (WIPA) offered a counter-proposal to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) yesterday as the retainer contract impasse continued unresolved.And the board was to discuss the matter by teleconference last night to decide on their next move, while the Caribbean Media Corporation reported that both parties “are expected to meet again on Tuesday in a bid to end the protracted negotiations, even as the recommended deadline passed on Friday with little fanfare”.With the Zimbabwe tour scheduled to start in Antigua on Saturday, and with the West Indies captain and team still to be named, the Board and WIPA have not yet reached an agreement on the contentious issue which cast regional cricket into the headlines again following the WICB’s announcing of an ultimatum.That ultimatum was recommended by the WICB Cricket Committee, comprising Clive Lloyd (chairman), Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Desmond Haynes, Deryck Murray and Ian Bishop, following what they claimed were three months of bargaining. And the committee advised the WICB to set last Friday as the deadline for the finalisation of the retainer contract matter. It further suggested that in case of the failure to conclude the talks, “thereafter the team shall be selected based on those players who make themselves available”.But the deadline has come and gone with no such drastic action taken. Dinanath Ramnarine, the WIPA president and CEO, who said he was “very shocked and surprised” at the WICB ultimatum, met with Murray yesterday and delivered his association’s counter-proposal. “We put forward a proposal,” he stated, “now it’s for them (the WICB) to get back to us.” Asked if the talks yesterday were compromised by the WICB ultimatum, Ramnarine said his organisation approached it as business as usual.”We (he and Murray) conducted our business as normal, I did not have a mandate before but I got one yesterday from my membership and got a consensus from the membership which I put in a proposal and delivered to Mr Murray.”Asked if he felt the best West Indies team available will take the field for the start of the Zimbabwe tour, he replied: “We hope that good sense prevails. We negotiated in good faith … and now we hope we can get on with what is best for West Indies cricket.”So what if there is failure to agree on the retainer contract? “We’re optimistic,” Ramnarine stated, “because we are absolutely for the retainer contracts, once it is done in the best interest of the players and West Indies cricket, but if the retainer does not come through we have the example of the match/tour contracts from previous tours which has worked. But if we can’t reach an agreement on that, that is something that the Board and us will have to discuss, but we would like it to be resolved as soon as possible.”

Even a blind man in Jamshedpur might be able to tell you who this is© AFP

The many chimneys of the steel plant in Jamshedpur, spewing forth fumes of various hues, provide a fine backdrop for the cricket. From some of those outlets come white, snowy emissions, which look like a fluff of clouds; others look altogether more venomous, dark and angry; all of them are the result of the steel-making process, the reason for the existence of the township of Jamshedpur.Set-up in 1908 by the Tatas, a huge corporate entity, the steel plant gradually attracted people from all over the country, many of whom stayed back over generations to create a quite unique cosmopolitan community. The Tatas pride themselves on putting corporate ethics and people over everything else – the entire upkeep of the township is their responsibility, roads, hospitals, electricity, parks and gardens; plus, they invest plenty in the upliftment of the tribals around the region – but this spirit of generosity hasn’t always rubbed off on the people of Jamshedpur, at least not when they come to see a cricket match. More than once, they have earned notoriety for their boorish behaviour against the visiting teams – England, West Indies and Pakistan have all borne the brunt of their ill humour earlier.Today, though, they were in a much better mood. The boundaries hit by Pakistan’s batsmen got reasonable applause, while there was generous hand-clapping in anticipation of Salman Butt’s century. When he reached the landmark, the cheers were, again, fairly generous.Obviously, the Indians got a much bigger round of applause for everything they did on the field, but among all the superstars in the Indian line-up, there was little doubt about who the fans wanted to see the most .Sample this conversation between two gents in the crowd: “First slip mein kaun hai?” (Who’s at first slip?) “Dravid.” “Aur second mein?” “Sehwag.” “Aur keeper?” “Arre woh to andhaa bhi bataa dega.” (Even a blind man can answer that one.) It matters not that Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag have together played 359 one-day internationals; Mahendra Singh Dhoni is only in his sixth. For the doting fans on his home ground, Dhoni the superstar towers above everyone else – when Dhoni gets into the act, the cheers, the whistles, the bugles, all seem infused with more energy.Dhoni didn’t get too much opportunity to show his skills with the gloves, though: he effected a regulation stumping, but not much else. Then the moment the entire Keenan Stadium has been waiting for – Virender Sehwag’s dimissal is never a happy occurence for Indian fans, but here it is laced with more than a silver lining. And soon the crowd is chanting “Dhoni, Dhoni” as the local hero launched into some vicious drives and cuts. After one particularly rasping upper-cut off Mohammad Sami, a young boy of about ten revealed the secret of Dhoni’s power: “Yeh sab chaar litre doodh ka kamaal hai.” (It’s all the effect of four litres of milk.) Dhoni’s dietary habits are soon becoming stuff of lore – here is a celebrity waiting to be picked up by an Amul or a Nestle to endorse their dairy products.It was all too good to last, sadly. Dhoni went for one adventurous stroke too many, the crowd was first hushed, then reacted with a more ugly piece of behaviour, which threatened to undo all the good work they’d done earlier. Indian hopes were going up in smoke, and suddenly the backdrop looked not only scenic, but also entirely appropriate.

East Zone 227 for 2 (Kiran Powar 79*, Gandhi 75*) beat North Zone 225 for 7 (Manhas 72, Sodhi 68, Sanyal 4-48) by 8 wickets
Scorecard
An unbroken 160-run stand between Devang Gandhi and Kiran Powar guided East Zone to a comfortable eight-wicket win with 12 overs to spare at Cuttack. After a solid 67-run partnership between Nikhil Haldipur and Mahendra Dhoni, both fell in quick succession to Sanjay Gill’s medium-pace. But Powar carried on his runscoring spree and along with Gandhi, his captain, ensured that the target was reached without too many hassles. Sandip Sanyal (4 for 48), the medium-pacer, was instrumental in keeping North Zone down to a modest 225. North were struggling at 53 for 4, before a 134-run stand between Mithun Manhas and Reetinder Sodhi bailed them out. It proved too little as East romped home to their second consecutive win of the tournament.West Zone 247 for 7 (Kanitkar 103, Ganesh 4-39) beat South Zone 245 (Sriram 54) by 2 runs
Scorecard
South Zone’s last five batsmen were run-out as West Zone won a humdinger at the Keenan Stadium at Jamshedpur. Chasing 247, Sadagoppan Ramesh(42) and Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan (47) got them off to a steady start. But both fell in quick succession and South lost their way in the middle overs. Sridharan Sriram anchored the innings with a 62-ball 54 but the running between the wickets was far from assured as West scraped home by two runs. Earlier in the day, Hrishikesh Kanitkar’s 103 was the highlight of the West innings, and his important partnerships with Nishit Shetty (47) and Ranjit Khirid (34) ensured that they reached a competitive score.

Marlon Samuels’ promising start to his international career has been put on hold for at least three months and probably beyond the upcoming home series against India and New Zealand.Team manager Ricky Skerritt said yesterday original estimates that a knee operation here on Sunday would put the 21-year-old Jamaican out for between six and seven weeks had been amended.Unable to play in the two Tests here, he would still be recuperating during India’s tour of the West Indies for five Tests and five One-Day Internationals April 11 to June 2.Although New Zealand’s series of two Tests and three One-Day Internationals is not until June 5 to July 2, Samuels would have no chance to get match fit by then.The surgery removed a piece of bone after X-rays taken following his arrival here for the current series against Pakistan revealed a large defect on the inner part of the right knee.The part of the bone that required removal proved bigger than anticipated and three small incisions had to be made, rather than two, Skerritt said, quoting orthodpaedic surgeon Dr Deepak Bhajia who performed the keyhole operation.He said it had been a success and Samuels had reported feeling no pain in his knee for the first time in two years.Marlon is to have the stitches removed tomorrow and, to avoid putting pressure on the knee, is using crutches, the manager added. He will remain in Sharjah until the series is over and fly back with the team on Monday.As middle-order batsman and useful off-spinner, Samuels has played 12 Tests and 29 One-Day Internationals since he was suddenly pitch-forked into the series in Australia just over a year ago as a replacement for Shivnarine Chanderpaul.He made an immediate impression against the strong Australian attack but has not maintained his consistency since.Samuels joins another of the young band of batsmen sidelined by injury.Ramnaresh Sarwan, also 21 who has had 17 Tests since his debut against Pakistan in April 2000, was ruled out of the trip to Sharjah by a back complaint that has bothered him since the tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya last June and July.It is not known when he will return but he has not yet played for Guyana in the current Busta Series in the West Indies.While Samuels and Sarwan have been eliminated by injury, another young batsman gets his first chance at international level.Runako Morton, the 23-year-old Nevisian, arrived here Sunday after Samuels’ indisposition and Sherwin Campbell’s fractured finger that left the team short of two batsmen. He is expected to be in the 11 for the opening day-night One-Day International here tomorrow.Morton, who was not among the listed stand-bys for the tour, has been preferred to Leon Garrick, the little Jamaican who was.The selectors were clearly seeking a middle-order batsman, which Morton is, rather than an opener, which Garrick is.It is unlucky for Garrick who was on the West Indies tour of Sri Lanka last November and December but returned home before the One-Day Internationals because of a potentially serious heart problem.That has since been corrected and Garrick is enjoying a productive Busta Series, averaging 53.2 after three rounds.Morton was enjoying his best season when selected, averaging 73.5 for the Leewards from the first two Busta rounds.It marks a significant turnaround for the strongly-built Nevisian.He missed most of last season because of a broken hand and was expelled from the inaugural Shell Cricket Academy in Grenada last August on a disciplinary charge.He is a naturally gifted player, a stroke-playing batsman, fine, fast-moving fielder and occasional medium-pace bowler.Like Samuels, his opportunity has unexpectedly come knocking through someone else’s misfortune. It is there for him to take.

Test captain Nasser Hussain opted to turn out for Essex in the Division Two game at Bristol because he needs runs. His hopes for a long stay in the middle were shattered though as he was out for three as Essex totalled 263.Gloucestershire’s second line seamer Mike Cawdron found a ball to keep low off a length and won an LBW shout. The 23 year old was in a purple patch of 25 deliveries which were to bring him three wickets for seven runs, the other victims being Paul Grayson who prodded a catch to extra cover for 19 and Stuart Law who fished wide outside the off to be caught at the wicket for four.Early moisture gave the home side the advantage in the morning as skipper Mark Alleyne believed it would when he won the toss. But the surface became more friendly by the hour and after losing their first five wickets in 46 overs for 161 the rearguard were able to put on 102 in 56 overs.Gloucestershire were to some extent the makers of their own misfortune for with the Benson and Hedges Cup final coming up against Glamorgan on Saturday they decided to rest four of their leading players.A win over Essex carried the promise of taking over at the top of the division but they have given their Australian Ian Harvey the match off along with Jack Russell, Kim Barnett and opening bowler Mike Smith.While the wickets were falling Gloucestershire covered well for the absentees but the lack of penetration became more evident as the day wore on.Paul Prichard had set the tone for the batting as he waited for the right ball to hit reaching his 50 with seven fours and sharing his most productive stand of 86 with Ronnie Irani for the fourth wicket.With three wickets gone Irani set out to rattle the bowling, Jon Lewis in particular, and he crashed 16 runs in one over off Lewis who began the day with more first-class wickets than anyone else this season.Alleyne had to cover for him and although Lewis came back to bowl a total of 17 overs there were no wickets for him and he went for 64. While Irani was making 52 of their 86 runs Prichard was accumulating steadily and looked certain to reach his 100 for he had never looked in trouble but he fell four runs short.Facing his 170th ball he drove it straight towards Tim Hancock at mid-off. There could have been a hotly scampered single there in a tight finish but there was no need to look for one.Prichard though called and was well out of his ground when Hancock threw down his wicket.Prichard had hit 13 fours and Essex were needing a stabiliser. They found him in wicket keeper Mark Hyam who led a sturdy tail end fight which brought in a second batting point. A third half century of the day saw him to 53 with five fours until he was picked up in the slips by Rob Cunliffe off his 169th ball.Essex could be pleased with the first day, it was a case not of getting out of jail but of not getting into trouble. For Gloucestershire there must have been regrets at the way they had weakened their side – in football it would have attracted an inquiry and a large fine – but at least their deputy wicket keeper Reggie Williams had something to celebrate.In 11 summers with the county this is only his 38th first-class game for he has been kept in the background by Russell but he showed with three brilliant catches he is as sharp as anyone around. Stuart Law chased a wideish ball to find his right glove at full stretch for 4, Darren Robinson fell to a leg side spectacular without scoring and finally Tim Mason saw one fly off the handle into the gloves.That last dismissal gave Williams his 100th first-class catch which showed what Glamorgan and Notts missed when Gloucestershire offered him to either of them so he could have the chance of regular cricket his talents deserve.Facing one over before the close Gloucestershire were five without loss.

A new report has hinted that Rodrigo’s future could lie away from Leeds United, following the sacking of manager Marcelo Bielsa.

The Lowdown: Bielsa sacked as manager

The Argentine lost his job on Sunday, following a dreadful run of form that saw the Whites ship 14 goals in the space of three matches against Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham.

It was an extremely sad day at Leeds, however, given the manner in which Bielsa transformed the club in 2018 and guided his team back into the Premier League.

Jesse Marsch has been named as his replacement and the hope is of course that he can enjoy similar levels of success in the coming years, though you have to wonder if any replacement could motivate the fan base quite the way Bielsa did.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Rodrigo unsettled

According to Las Provincias [via Sport Witness], Rodrigo has suffered a big blow because of Bielsa’s sacking, with the 66-year-old ‘one of the main reasons’ he joined Leeds.

It is stated that the striker is now ‘facing his toughest time’ at the club, potentially suggesting that he could move on in the near future.

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The Verdict: Blow for Marsch

Hailed as a ‘phenomenon’ by former teammate Neto, there is no denying that Rodrigo has been a disappointment at Leeds despite some flashes of his talent, coming in as the club’s record signing in 2020 but scoring just 10 goals in 50 appearances.

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Should his form continue to be hit-and-miss, it is easy to envisage a scenario where he moves on at the end of the season, perhaps being replaced in the number ten role by Brenden Aaronson.

Either way, it is an immediate blow for the new boss at Elland Road if he already has unsettled players just 24 hours after arriving. It is absolutely crucial that he gets the players on side with every passing fixture becoming increasingly important given their position in the table.

In other news, Leeds have been backed to sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Scorecard

	Vikramjeet Malik took five wickets as South Zone were bundled out for 157 © Cricinfo Ltd

A whirlwind century from Yusuf Pathan took West Zone to a strong 349 for 7 at stumps on the first day against Central Zone in Rajkot. Opting to bat first, West were off to a confident start as the Mumbai pair of Ajinkya Rahane (50) and Sahil Kukreja (72) forged a 124-run partnership. Central then fought their way back into the match as Sanjib Sanyal removed both of them before Sanjay Bangar dismissed captain Parthiv Patel. Pathan walked in at the fall of the fourth wicket on 174 and blitzed a 66-ball 107 to give West the upper hand. He carted 13 boundaries and five sixes during his 88-minute stay and made all his runs in a 136-run stand with Chetheswar Pujara, who made a sedate 44. For Central, Bangar and Sanyal finished with three wickets each, but Sanyal was expensive conceding five runs an over.
Scorecard
Fifteen wickets tumbled on a dramatic first day as North Zone seized the advantage in their encounter against South Zone in Ahmedabad. Medium-pacer Vikramjeet Malik tore through the top order while Delhi’s Rajat Bhatia cleaned up the tail as South were bundled out for 157. After being put in to bat, South were off to a solid start with openers Ravi Teja (41) and Swapnil Asnodkar putting on 37, before Malik snared five wickets, including the big one of captain S Badrinath, in a five-over burst, to leave them tottering at 69 for 5. South lost three more quick wickets before a 68-run partnership between Vinay Kumar (41*) and Kalyankrishna (31) brought in a semblance of respectability to their scorecard.North’s reply started with a 58-run opening stand before they had a collapse of their own: they lost four wickets for seven runs to Karnataka’s duo of Vinay Kumar and NC Aiyappa and lost Bhatia shortly before the close to finish the day on 104 for 5.