Arsenal are back in Premier League action today, however, they face a tough task as old rivals reunite at the Emirates, welcoming Manchester United to north London.

What's the latest Arsenal team news?

Having endured a stuttering start to the league season, with their two wins coming by just a sole goal, and having surrendered two points to ten-man Fulham just last week, Mikel Arteta will have a real headache regarding how he can turn his team around and get them thriving once again.

Fortunately, the travelling Red Devils have hardly set the world alight either, having come from two goals down most recently to defeat Nottingham Forest at home.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

It is expected that the Spaniard could make wholesale changes in an effort to reignite his side's spark, with players such as Fabio Vieira and Eddie Nketiah surely meriting a start after they shone from the bench against Fulham.

However, there is a far greater call that he must ruthlessly make, by surely handing David Raya his debut and finally ditching Aaron Ramsdale.

Who is Arsenal's number-one goalkeeper?

When the Gunners swooped for the former Brentford shot-stopper, many questioned the decision to unsettle the England international who had grown into a fine asset under Arteta.

Arsenal, 2022/23

6.86

Arsenal, 2021/22

6.92

Sheffield United, 2020/21

6.87

AFC Bournemouth, 2019/20

6.90

All stats via Sofascore.

However, at key moments last campaign the 25-year-old buckled, with his start to the season showcasing the continuation of a worrying trend that could be eradicated with the inclusion of Raya.

That, therefore, makes it difficult to pin down exactly who is their number one at this moment in time, especially after last week's shocker from Ramsdale.

Posting the worst rating of any throughout the Arsenal side, only Calvin Bassey on the entire pitch recorded lower, and he was dismissed after receiving two yellow cards, via Sofascore.

His positioning for Andreas Pereira's opener was ludicrous, and he was comically beaten from range as he stumbled backwards into his own goal.

Although not registered as an error that led to a goal, it has drawn criticism, with Martin Keown telling BBC Sport: "Ramsdale is so far off his line, he does this so often and I’m not sure why, and Pereira shoots into the near post.”

After all, just last season saw him make two errors that led to a goal, and four that led to a shot on his goal, via Sofascore.

It seems that errors are becoming more and more commonplace in his game, coincidentally proving right the claims of ex-keeper Paul Robinson from even before the £120k-per-week ace had signed for Arsenal: "I think he conceded too many goals at Bournemouth and made too many mistakes, and the same again at Sheffield United. I haven’t seen enough from him yet."

To compare this with Raya, who last term recorded the most saves in the division whilst also keeping an impressive 12 clean sheets for a far worse side, it seems that a gulf has started to open up between these two elite goalkeepers that could see the Spaniard now star.

It may be a strange tactic to employ two shot-stoppers of this quality in the same side, but in times like these, when Ramsdale perhaps cannot be trusted, it certainly helps to have someone as experienced and exceptional as the 27-year-old to step up.

The allrounder will be eligible to resume playing from midnight on January 14, having “inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups”

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2018Baroda allrounder Yusuf Pathan has been handed a back-dated five-month ban by the BCCI. The 35-year-old, who last played for India in 2012, was found to be in violation of the BCCI’s anti-doping rules, having ingested the banned substance terbutaline. The ban expires at midnight on January 14, 2018.A BCCI statement said Pathan had “inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups”. Pathan had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI’s anti-doping testing programme during the domestic T20 competition on March 16 last year. Upon testing, his sample was found to contain terbutaline, a substance that is prohibited both in and out of competition in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) list of prohibited substances.Pathan was charged with an anti-doping violation under the BCCI Anti-Doping Rules on October 27 and was provisionally suspended pending determination of the charge. Eventually, his five-month ban was deemed to have started from August 15 last year as the BCCI was satisfied with Pathan’s explanation that – as per the board release – he had “taken terbutaline inadvertently to treat an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) and not as a performance-enhancing drug”.”Having considered all of the evidence and taken expert external advice, the BCCI has accepted Mr Pathan’s explanation of the cause of his ADRV [anti-doping rules violation], and on that basis has agreed that a period of ineligibility of five months should apply,” the BCCI release said.On the decision to back-date the suspension, the release said: “Under BCCI ADR [anti-doping rules] Article 10.10.3, Mr Pathan is entitled to the full credit against that period of ineligibility for the provisional suspension that he has been serving since 28 October, 2017.”In addition, there is discretion under BCCI ADR Article 10.10.2 to back-date the start date of the period of ineligibility still further on account of Mr Pathan’s prompt admission of his ADRV upon being confronted with it by the BCCI, and under BCCI ADR Article 10.10.1 on account of the delays in the results management in this case that are not attributable to Mr Pathan.”The BCCI also noted that Pathan had previously been drug-tested five times without any “adverse analytical findings”. According to the board, while Pathan had departed from the rigorous standard of “utmost caution” expected of a player under the BCCI’s Anti-Doping Rules in this instance, his departure from such standard was deemed to not be “significant”.In a statement, Pathan said he would be more careful with his choice of medication in the future. “The prohibited substance was detected in my sample because of a medicine I was taking for throat infection,” he said. “I would like to once again assure to the BCCI, Baroda Cricket Association and my fans and I promise to be more careful with what I consume henceforth. In hindsight, I should have been more careful and checked the status of the medications with the BCCI’s dedicated anti-doping helpline.”Pathan had played only two matches for Baroda during the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season, before his provisional ban took effect, scoring 111 and 136* against Madhya Pradesh. He will be eligible to return to action in the Super League phase of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament.

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their plans to add another centre-forward to their squad before the end of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Sunderland transfer news?

According to the Sunderland Echo, the Black Cats are 'pursuing' a swoop to sign Jay Stansfield from Premier League side Fulham.

The report claims that Tony Mowbray and Kristjaan Speakman are eyeing up a loan deal for the number nine to bolster their forward options.

Fellow Championship teams Queens Park Rangers and Millwall have also been named as interested suitors, which means that the club are facing stiff competition to secure the talented youngster's signature.

How good is Jay Stansfield?

Mowbray could land the club's next Ellis Simms by securing a deal for the 20-year-old striker as he could make the step up to Championship football after an impressive spell in League One.

Stansfield went on loan to Exeter in the third tier last term and caught the eye with nine goals and seven assists in 28 starts, which means that he averaged a goal contribution every 1.75 starts.

Simms enjoyed an excellent time on loan at Blackpool in League One prior to his move to Sunderland as he scored ten goals and assisted one in 19 starts – an average of one every 1.73 starts.

After a stint at Hearts in Scotland, the then-Everton finisher moved to the Stadium of Light and impressed last season with seven goals and two assists in 14 Championship starts before being recalled in January.

Stansfield could follow in his footsteps by taking his game to the next level in a move to Wearside after an excellent level of production in League One.

Ross Stewart (ten) is the only current Sunderland player who scored more than nine league goals and only Jack Clarke (12) managed more than seven assists, which shows how impressive the youngster's displays were last term.

Fulham boss Marco Silva claimed that the 6 foot 1 whiz became stronger and developed as a player during his spell at Exeter, which suggests that he could now be ready to take the next leap in his development.

The 20-year-old marksman's form for the Cottagers at youth level suggests that there is a prolific centre-forward to be unearthed there as he racked up a staggering 38 goals and seven assists in 49 U21 and U18 matches combined.

Therefore, the England U20 international has the potential to be a fantastic scorer for Sunderland if he is able to push on and improve upon his performances for Exeter. He now has experience of playing first-team football week-in-week-out and could use that to thrive for the Black Cats.

Stansfield, whose runs were hailed as "powerful" by journalist Josh Bunting, is yet to prove himself at Championship level but neither had Simms when he arrived on Wearside on loan from a Premier League side, which is why he could be the next version of the now-Coventry ace.

It would be a gamble from Mowbray but one that has the potential to result in a huge pay-off for Sunderland if the exciting talent is able to hit top form and make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch.

West Ham United are "assessing" the viability of offering a player David Moyes once described as "quality" a "short-term deal" as the club look to bolster their squad for next season, per Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

West Ham United news – What's the latest?

After a languid start to the transfer window this summer, the East Londoners have finally decided to be proactive and have started to take action, welcoming their first signing early last week.

That first name through the door was Mexican international Edson Alvarez, who joined from Ajax in a deal worth an estimated £35m, which seems like a pretty good deal given the state of the market this year.

Not to get complacent, the club followed up by paying Southampton £30m for their captain and club talisman James Ward-Prowse, which, again, looks to be a good bit of business from the Conference League champions.

Read the latest West Ham United transfer news HERE…

However, another player the Irons may sign this summer could raise a few eyebrows among the fanbase and beyond, former Manchester United product Jesse Lingard.

Moyes and Co have been allowing the former England international to train at the club over the summer to keep his fitness up after he left Nottingham Forest following a rather disastrous season there last year, but according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, the 5 foot 9 dynamo could earn himself a short term contract should he impress in training.

Sheth explained the situation on Sky Sports News (via Football Daily), saying:

"He's a free agent, as we know, he had that one-year deal at Nottingham Forest last season. It wasn't renewed in any way, so he became a free agent, and in the past week or so, he has been training with West Ham United primarily to keep his fitness up.

"However, I'm told the club are assessing the possibility of a short-term deal. It hasn't gone any further than that as far as I'm aware, and he's just keeping this fitness up, but if he's in the building and he's impressing, you know you catch a few people's eyes, maybe they will decide you know what, we could use you."

How old is Jesse Lingard?

Born December 15th, 1992, in Warrington, England, the 30-year-old has had a career of ups and downs since making his debut for Leicester City in the 2012/13 season.

While he made 232 senior appearances for United, scoring 35 goals and providing 21 assists along the way, he never truly established himself as an undroppable player for the Red Devils, spending a lot of his career in the northwest on the substitutes bench.

His most impressive spell in the top flight came when he spent the second half of the 2020/21 season on loan with the Hammers, starting 16 league games, scoring nine goals, providing four assists, taking 2.6 shots per game, winning two Man-of-the-Match awards and averaging a sensational match rating of 7.22, per WhoScored.

Moyes was clearly a big fan of what the then 28-year-old was bringing to the team, waxing lyrical about him following a 2-1 defeat at the Etihad, saying:

"Jesse has brought us quality, which he's got. Over the years, he has shown his level. He can play several roles – wide, as a 10, as a forward, an out-and-out 9 if we needed, a midfield player.

"He takes the ball. He is someone who is helping us open games up. We needed something else [in the squad] and I think Jesse has given it and he has also helped the players around him by running with the ball and building play up. I've been really pleased."

While it's impossible to avoid the fact that the former United man failed miserably during his stint with Forest last season, not registering a single goal or assist in the 17 league games he played for them, if the East Londoners can sign him on a one-year deal for free, it seems like a gamble worth taking.

Heart of Midlothian have enjoyed a solid start to their 2023/24 season which has seen them remain unbeaten in the Premiership while reaching the Europa Conference League playoff round.

Steven Naismith has enjoyed a solid transfer window too, signing players such as Frankie Kent, Kenneth Vargas and Alex Lowry in order to bolster his squad ahead of another draining season.

They have an excellent chance of securing European group stage football for the second year in a row as they narrowly trail Greek side PAOK 2-1 from the first leg.

Naismith will be without winger Barrie McKay however, as he sustained another injury during that clash last week.

How long will Barrie McKay be injured for?

Naismith discussed McKay’s injury recently, explaining that he could be out for longer than anticipated, saying: "Barrie, I think it's worse than a couple of days or a couple of weeks. We're still waiting to hear back from the specialist. He will probably be out a bit longer than we had hoped. It was strange. He felt it in his knee but the symptoms were showing it might have been calf or hamstring. I think it is more something to do with the knee. Until we hear what the specialist has to say, we aren't going to speculate.”

This could be a big blow for the Gorgie outfit as they chase success, and they will have to make a change to their starting XI ahead of the trip to Greece.

With the left-winger injured for the foreseeable, Naismith could turn to the transfer market or perhaps take a look into the B team for a potential heir, with Bobby McLuckie an ideal candidate.

Who is Bobby McLuckie?

Since arriving at Tynecastle back in the summer of 2021, McKay has shone for the club, scoring six goals and grabbing 19 assists during that time.

Last season, the 28-year-old ranked second among his teammates for key passes per game across the Hearts squad (1.3) while also topping the pile for successful dribbles per game (1.6) and these qualities will be missed due to his injury blow.

McLuckie signed a three-year deal back in April, despite being in just his first professional season, and it suggested the club had high hopes for the player.

Sporting director Joe Savage was full of praise for the 17-year-old, saying: “It’s very good news that Bobby has committed his future to the club.

“He’s had a really impressive debut season in senior football with the B Team and we were very keen for him to stay and continue his development with us.

“Promoting youth is one of our key targets at the club and Bobby is still a very young player, so to see the progress he and his teammates have made with the B Team is exciting.”

Indeed, the youngster has demonstrated the traits which has seen McKay become an excellent winger, as he has registered 28 goal contributions – 11 goals and 17 assists – across 40 matches for the B team, showing that he doesn’t just score, but also creates plenty of chances for his teammates too.

Four goals and three assists for the Scotland U17 team has demonstrated that he can also shine at international level, and it appears as though Naismith has a wonderful young talent who could become a major part of the senior squad in the coming years.

D’Arcy Short, the man of the moment in the BBL, left his Hobart Hurricanes coach Gary Kirsten needing emergency dental work after he was struck a nasty blow in the face at training.Short, who has tallied a record BBL run tally in this season’s competition to push himself into contention for an international call-up, was being given throwdowns by Kirsten in the indoor school at Bellerive Oval when he fiercely struck one back at his coach, who suffered a cracked jaw and needed dental work to fix multiple broken teeth, although he did not require surgery.The incident again showed the dangers posed to coaches when feeding hard-hitting batsmen in the nets and George Bailey, the Hurricanes captain, said Kirsten was fortunate that the injuries were not more severe.”It was wet, so we were in the indoor centre,” Bailey told . “Darce just whacked one back at him [Kirsten]that he didn’t pick up in time.”He is hitting the ball pretty cleanly and hard at the moment. It was a bit messy. [Kirsten] has actually come out of it very luckily in the big scheme of things.”He said that he’s probably been a bit blase about that over the years. Everyone has had [helmets] on since.”In recent times, the requirement for coaches to protect themselves has been taken more seriously. Darren Lehmann, Australia’s coach, has worn full baseball and hockey masks when giving throwdowns while Graham Thorpe, one of England’s assistant coaches, has also worn a helmet when providing throwdowns using the ‘dog-thrower,’ which is now very popular for feeding batsmen but also enables the coaches to get dangerously close.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na última semana, o Bahia garantiu uma de suas principais promessas pensando no futuro do clube. Gabriel, de apenas 16 anos, assinou seu primeiro contrato profissional e pode ser um dos goleiros mais novos a defender o Esquadrão no elenco principal. Com passagens pelas categorias de base da Seleção Brasileira, chama atenção por seu reflexo e porte físico.

O jovem goleiro afirma que sente que seu trabalho está sendo reconhecido e revelou a felicidade em continuar no clube que deu as primeiras oportunidades à ele. Além disso, também espera retribuir o carinho dando alegria à torcida em campo.

– A sensação é de que meu trabalho está sendo bem executado e reconhecido, que todo esforço está valendo a pena. Estou extremamente feliz assinando meu primeiro contrato profissional com o clube que me abraçou, me acolheu e que me dá novas oportunidades todos os dias. Só tenho que agradecer a essa instituição e dizer pra nação tricolor que vou dar meu máximo pra dar alegria ao clube e à torcida – comentou.

Gabriel treinou com o elenco principal após o retorno do futebol brasileiro e desceu para o Sub-17 para reforçar a equipe nas competições. Ele destaca a importância do período com os profissionais e quer fazer história com a camisa do Bahia.

– O período que fiquei com o elenco principal foi muito bom pro meu desenvolvimento, tanto fisicamente quanto psicologicamente. Acho que tudo ocorre no momento certo e no tempo de Deus. Será uma marca muito importante pra mim, porque é um sonho poder jogar no profissional. Se surgir a oportunidade, estarei preparei e darei o meu melhor. Quero fazer história pelo Bahia e ter um futuro brilhante com essa camisa – concluiu.

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Hibernian finally lost patience with manager Lee Johnson following an underwhelming start to the 2023/24 campaign, relieving him of his duties.

The Easter Road outfit may have secured progress to the quarter-finals of the League Cup and the playoff round of the Europa Conference League, yet it was their performances in the Premiership that were clearly the catalyst in him being sacked.

The Edinburgh side have lost all three of their league matches so far, scoring five goals but conceded eight, and they are rooted to the bottom of the table.

The question is, who will replace Johnson in the role?

Who are the candidates to replace Lee Johnson at Hibs?

The former Sunderland boss was only in charge of the club for just over a year following his appointment in May 2022 and across his first full season he led them to a disappointing fifth spot in the league while failing to progress to the quarter-finals of both the Scottish and League cups.

There will be no shortage of candidates who will want to take the role, despite their position in the league table, but for now, former defender David Gray will be in caretaker charge until the international break at least.

The Scotsman compiled a list of some potential new appointments with names including ex-manager Neil Lennon, Scott Brown, and Derek McInnes among others, yet could it be a current Premiership manager in Stephen Robinson who is perhaps the best person for the job?

Could Stephen Robinson take over at Hibs?

Hibs have struggled recently and considering only two managers in the 21st century have reached 100 games at the club, this is probably a key reason behind their lack of success.

Robinson could be a wonderful appointment by the Edinburgh side, especially considering his recent success at St Mirren.

Since taking charge of the Paisley side in February 2022, the Northern Irishman has rejuvenated them, securing a top-six finish last term for the first time in nearly 40 years, and he drew praise from journalist Ben Banks.

He said: “Stephen Robinson btw, should be on the Manager of the Year list.

“St Mirren third from bottom last April, challenging financial situation, redundancies, skeleton coaching staff, but one weekend away from their first top-half finish in the top flight since 1985. So impressive.”

Considering they have one of the lowest budgets in the top flight, yet still finished above the likes of Motherwell and Dundee United is wonderful and the fact the 48-year-old knows Scottish football so well, it would surely make him an excellent choice.

He had previously enjoyed a spell at the Steelmen, winning 72 and drawing 27 games from his 169 in charge across three years while showcasing his attacking ideologies as his team scored 244 goals during those ties, working out at nearly 1.5 goals per game.

Johnson did see his team score 1.6 goals per game, but they also conceded the same number. In essence, they struggled at both ends of the pitch as he lost more games (24) than he won.

Robinson's contract expires at the end of the current season and this could certainly tempt the Hibs board into launching a move for the St Mirren manager in the coming weeks.

There will be plenty of attention for the vacant role, but Robinson stands as one of the better options available.

أعلن دومينيكو تيديسكو، المدير الفني الإيطالي لمنتخب بلجيكا الأول لكرة القدم عن قائمة اللاعبين الذين سيخوضون بطولة كأس الأمم الأوروبية، يورو 2024 في ألمانيا.

وتقام بطولة يورو 2024 في ألمانيا خلال الفترة من 14 يونيو وحتى 14 يوليو، ويتواجد المنتخب البلجيكي ضمن المجموعة الخامسة إلى جانب سلوفاكيا ورومانيا وأوكرانيا.

طالع أيضًا.. كورتوا: مواجهة بوروسيا دورتموند ليست سهلة كما يتوقع البعض

ويفتتح المنتخب البلجيكي مبارياته أمام سلوفاكيا في 17 يونيو، ثم بعد 5 أيام يواجه رومانيا، وفي 26 من الشهر ذاته يلاقي أوكرانيا.

وفي فيديو نشره الموقع الرسمي للاتحاد البلجيكي، تم الكشف عن قائمة اللاعبين الذين تم اختيارهم من قبل المدرب الإيطالي، وعلى رأسهم كيفين دي بروين، وروميلو لوكاكو.

ويغيب تيبو كورتوا عن قائمة المنتخب البلجيكي، رغم عودته من الإصابة ومشاركته في حراسة مرمى ريال مدريد خلال المباريات الأخيرة. قائمة منتخب بلجيكيا لبطولة يورو 2024

حراسة المرمى: كوين كاستييلس (فولفسبورج الألماني)، ماتز سيلس (نوتينجهام فورست الإنجليزي)، توماس كامينسكي (لوتون تاون الإنجليزي).

خط الدفاع: فوت فايس (ليستر سيتي الإنجليزي)، تيموثي كاستاني (فولهام الإنجليزي)، ماكسيم دي كيوبير (كلوب بروج البلجيكي)، توماس مونييه (طرابزون سبور التركي)، آرثر ثياتي (ستاد رين الفرنسي)، يان فيرتونخن، زينو ديباست (أندرلخت البلجيكي)،

وسط الملعب: أمادو أونانا (إيفرتون الإنجليزي)، كيفين دي بروين (مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي)، كارليس دي كيتيلاري (أتالانتا الإيطالي)، أكسيل فيتسل، آرثر فيرمييرن (أتلتيكو مدريد الإسباني)، يوري تيليمانس (أستون فيلا الإنجليزي)، أوريل مانجالا (ليون الفرنسي)، أستير فرانكيكس (فولفسبورج الألماني).

خط الهجوم: لياندرو تروسارد (آرسنال الإنجليزي)، دودي لوكيباكيو (إشبيلية الإسباني)، روميلو لوكاكو (روما الإيطالي)، جوان باكايوكو (بي اس في أيندهوفن الهولندي)، يانيك كاراسكو (الشباب السعودي)، جيرمي دوكو (مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي)، لويس أوبيندا (لايبزيج الألماني).

A difficult chase of 270 ended up being straightforward thanks to a mighty Virat Kohli century and solid contribution from Ajinkya Rahane at No. 4

The Report by Alagappan Muthu01-Feb-20180:44

‘Scoring runs in a losing cause is not ideal’ – du Plessis

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHe wanted to bat first at the toss. He was then rolling on the floor not laughing when his knee jammed into the Durban outfield. He might even have been peeved that his fast bowlers, so reliable at home, had turned liabilities for a few hours. But put a bat in Virat Kohli’s hands, tell him he has to lead a tough chase, and just watch him go.There is a template, and it appears to work regardless of opposition, and of conditions. Step one, intimidate. Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada were nudging 145 kph and above but he stood outside his crease and charged at them. Step two, keep the ball on the ground. Batting second is largely about risk-assessment. And this trick takes the possibility of being caught out of the picture. He’s rarely ever lbw so that’s two modes of dismissals negated. But for all this to come together, he has to run like the wind. There is, sometimes, collateral damage – Shikhar Dhawan tonight – but otherwise the people tearing their hair out mostly belong to the opposition. Step three, exploit the slightest weakness, aka South Africa’s fifth bowler. Kohli barely gave Andile Phehlukwayo breathing room, and it was by flaying him through point and then through cover that he raised his 33rd ODI century. Over the past five years, he has made one every five innings. Kohli has made the extraordinary look normal for quite a while in one-day cricket.”It’s a lot of fun,” he said at the end of it all with a perfectly straight face. You would think he was talking about going to a movie, or eating ice-cream. With this score of 112, Kohli has made centuries in each of the nine countries in which he has played 50-overs cricket.Faf du Plessis slaps the ball away•BCCI

Ajinkya Rahane was at the other end for most of that knock, and his 79 off 86 was no less significant. Given a resounding endorsement to take the No. 4 slot a day before the match, he came out with India wobbling. The score was 67 for 2 and there were 37 overs left. Another wicket would have opened up the middle order, which is filled with players who were yet to bat in these conditions on this tour. South Africa had a chance, but to convert it, they needed Imran Tahir to be as effective as India’s wristspinners had been.Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, playing in tandem for the first time outside the subcontinent, on a pitch that did not afford any turn, brought the scoring rate down and spurred second thoughts in the batsman’s mind as they claimed five wickets for a mere 79 runs. Tahir was economical too, but that was all he was.Rahane and Kohli completely negated the opposition’s biggest threat in the middle overs during their 189-run partnership. South Africa tried to do the same earlier in the day but found it rather more difficult. They had been 79 for 1 in 14 overs when India turned to spin at both ends. And they sunk to 134 for 5 by the time the stranglehold relented.That was when Faf du Plessis took over. He knew the recovery would take time, and that he had to be present every step of the way. The job required patience and diligence and skill, and the South African captain was not found wanting, despite that bad back of his flaring up. Du Plessis was 91 not out in his previous ODI when he had to retire hurt because of it. This time he simply wouldn’t let it – or the Indian bowlers – win. The Durban crowd were bowled over; the noise they made when he took strike on 99 was nothing short of poignant.As hard as he applied himself, du Plessis looked every bit as awkward as anyone facing the wristspinners; his strike-rate against Kuldeep was 63.63. And he could have been lbw on 18 if India had chosen to double-check an appeal from Chahal in the 13th over. Given that slice of luck, he worked hard not to need another, forced to do so because the South African middle order simply fell limp. JP Duminy tried cutting a wrong ‘un and was bowled. David Miller played away from his body and was caught at short cover. All they needed was survive the spinners and India would be forced to bring back their quicks, who were far easier to handle considering there was no sideways movement.Du Plessis collected 82 runs off 60 balls from the seamers, and was particularly brutal on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, as a strike-rate of 189 showed. His 120 ended up looking like an aberration on the South African scorecard; the next best contribution was 37 and no one who faced more than 20 balls managed a strike-rate anywhere near his 107.14. It was a masterful innings, just not a match-winning one.