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Celtic have been handed an injury boost ahead of their first away clash of the new Premiership season against Ross County on Saturday.

What’s the news?

In a recent post on Twitter, Sky Sports journalist Alison Conroy revealed that Hoops defender Carl Starfelt will be available to play at Dingwall following his recovery from an injury that he picked up over the summer.

Celtic signed the centre-back from Rubin Kazan last summer for a fee of £4m. His debut season at Parkhead saw the defender play a big role in seeing the Hoops secure the league title as he racked up more league minutes (3,015) than any other outfield player at the club.

In terms of his defensive output, the Sweden international ended the campaign with the second-highest number of interceptions (42) and successful tackles (30) at the club, along with the second-highest average for clearances per game (3.6)

Big boost for Postecoglou

His overall performances throughout the campaign earned him a solid season rating of 7.19/10 from WhoScored, making him the sixth-highest rated Celtic player currently at the club.

This shows just how important he is for the Hoops and why his return to fitness could provide a massive boost for the team and Ange Postecoglou.

Celtic’s opening match of the new campaign saw them secure a 2-0 win over Aberdeen, in which Stephen Welsh started next to Cameron Carter-Vickers in Starfelt’s absence.

Not only did the Scotsman help the Bhoys to keep a clean sheet by making two tackles and two clearances and winning six duels, he also scored his team’s first goal of the afternoon.

This could duly give Postecoglou a headache over whether or not he decides to give Starfelt his first appearance of the season against Ross County on Saturday or reward Welsh with another start after making such a big impression last weekend.

Either way, that the 27-year-old is now fully recovered from his injury will still be a huge positive for the club, especially with the number of games ahead of them across all competitions this term.

Irrespective of whoever Postecoglou decides to select at his starting centre-backs on Saturday, the main objective will undoubtedly still be to pick up another win, along with another clean sheet if possible.

Lewis Bate is set to follow the likes of Jamie Shackleton and Ian Poveda out of the Leeds United exit door this summer, reports Joe Donnohue.

The Lowdown: Busy summer

Jesse Marsch, along with Victor Orta, has been hard at work all summer, rebuilding the Whites’ squad with six exciting new signings.

Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra, Tyler Adams, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca and Darko Gyabi have all arrived, but of course, their presence requires spaces to be cleared within the squad.

Alongside the high-profile exits of Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips, Marsch and Orta are also hard at work finding homes for many of the club’s young players, and Bate now looks set to venture away from the Premier League in search of regular first-team football.

The Latest: Another exit

According to Donnohue, Bate, who has one very important admirer in the shape of Andrea Radrizzani, ‘could be the next LUFC youngster heading on loan after Shackleton’, with interest from multiple League One clubs.

‘Understand the reason he didn’t go on tour is due to (the) loan interest,’ the Yorkshire Evening Post reporter writes.

Ian Poveda is also expected to depart, with the club reportedly willing to listen to loan and/or permanent offers for the former Manchester City talent.

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The Verdict: Great decision

With the arrivals of Gyabi, Roca and Adams more than filling the void left by Phillips, the decision to send Bates out into the big bad world of lower-league football is certainly a good one.

At 19, the midfielder has already paid his dues in underage football, racking up 57 appearances for Chelsea’s various youth sides and a further 23 while at Leeds, popping up in the Whites’ first-team just four times, per Transfermarkt.

Likened to a young Jack Wilshere and hailed by Jermaine Beckford for his ability to control the ball in tight spaces, spray passes around and drive forward with the ball, if Bate can display all of these skills on a consistent basis in League One there is no reason he cannot be a part of Marsch’s plans from 2023/24.

West Ham are lining up a €40m (£34m) bid for Sassuolo and Italy striker Gianluca Scamacca.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth, who took to Twitter to share news of the Hammers’ interest in the forward and other potential deals at the London Stadium.

He tweeted: “West Ham bid of €40m + add-ons for Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca under consideration. PSG bid €35m + add-ons – but are now close to signing Hugo Ekitike. Broja still a WHU target. If deals get agreed with both, final decision rests with David Moyes.”

It would be a great signing

Although the reported fee is quite high, finding an ample alternative to the seemingly irreplaceable Michail Antonio – still West Ham’s only senior striker – would be priceless in Moyes’ eyes.

This 23-year-old, who enjoyed something of a breakout season in 2021/22, could be the answer.

The Italian bagged an impressive 16 goals across 36 league appearances last term, and this reliability not only in front of goal but actually being on the pitch will be a welcome addition due to Antonio’s chequered injury history.

This consistency led to a deserved 7.03 SofaScore rating for the campaign, and his performances helped Sassuolo to a comfortable mid-table finish. In fact, this rating was second only to Domenico Berardi amongst his team-mates.

Although Scamacca’s hulking 6 foot 4 frame makes him a huge aerial threat, he is renowned for an incredibly deft touch and ability to link up the play despite this size. He fits the bill as the perfect Antonio alternative, and his goalscoring prowess only boosts this claim.

Former Italy under-21 coach Luigi Di Biagio dubbed the striker “very strong”, adding that the Sassuolo marksman “can become a very high-level centre-forward”.

Di Biagio went on to laud the 23-year-old’s ability on the ball, as well as his physical presence, saying: “He has the technique of a 1.75 m tall player and the physicality of a 1.95 m tall player, like him… and then he is complete: right foot, left, head, he attacks from deep, but also plays on the edge for his teammates.”

This prospective move could prove to be a huge coup for West Ham and could provide them with the perfect heir to Antonio for years to come.

AND in other news: Newman eyeing West Ham deal for “frightening” £35m “leader”, he’d be Moyes’ own Robertson

Tottenham Hotspur could dip back into the transfer market in search of another central defender, even if Clement Lenglet completes his loan switch from Barcelona, according to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Lenglet arriving in N17

As per reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano (2 July), Spurs are ‘hopeful’ of completing a deal with the La Liga giants for the Frenchman ‘very soon’.

Spanish sources claim that the 27-year-old has been granted permission by the Catalan club to complete his loan switch to north London, with reports suggesting that personal terms have already been agreed with the player.

The Lilywhites are expected to pay in the region of £6m to help cover the defender’s wages.

The Latest: Jacobs’ claim

Jacobs believes that Antonio Conte could look to go back into the transfer market for another centre-back once a deal for Lenglet is completed.

When asked whether Spurs could sign another central defender, the reporter told GiveMeSport: “Yes, it’s very possible. The thing about Lenglet is it would be a loan deal.

“They would still have financial capability to get another one in. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if two defenders come in.”

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The Verdict: Short-term signing

Whilst the France international has a wealth of experience playing at the top level, illustrated by his 156 appearances in La Liga and 42 outings in the Champions League (via Transfermarkt), Lenglet’s arrival at Hotspur Way only fills the void temporarily.

After the culmination of the 2022/23 season, the defender will return to Spain, and Conte will be left without a left-sided centre-back.

Therefore, it is crucial that Fabio Paratici brings in a younger and permanent addition for Spurs’ backline, somebody who can grow into Conte’s team under a more long-term vision.

With that in mind, Jacobs’ promising claim will surely be welcomed by Tottenham fans.

Leeds United employee Noel Whelan has hailed the Whites for acting quickly in the summer transfer window, as per Football Insider.  

The Lowdown: Three players in already

Andrea Radrizzani has already backed up his promise for first-team squad improvements following a major scare last season, when the Whites needed a final-day victory to secure their Premier League status.

Leeds have brought in Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen from Red Bull Salzburg and Marc Roca from Bayern Munich. The three deals have cost a combined £52.06m, as per Transfermarkt, with a new forward now seemingly next on the agenda for Victor Orta.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Arnaud Kalimuendo and Wolves winger Adama Traore have both been heavily linked with moves to Elland Road in recent days.

The Latest: Whelan impressed

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan was full of praise for Leeds, labelling those early moves as ‘the best approach’ and ‘important’ ahead of pre-season.

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The 47-year-old club ambassador chirped:

“This is the best approach for us. For me, it is the only approach that works for club, player and manager.

“It is important to get that core of players into your squad so everyone knows where they are at in pre-season. They can get settled into the area before pre-season.

“Everything starts early when it comes to transfers. It helps the squad, the manager and certainly the player. It helps them adapt. It is not a whirlwind as they know where they are before pre-season starts.”

The Verdict: Spot on

It was crucial that Leeds acted swiftly to bolster what was a slim first-team squad following a close shave with relegation. Securing three crucial senior signings early in the transfer window is a solid starting point for Jesse Marsch as he prepares for a first full season in charge at Elland Road.

There could still be two big exits in Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, making it even more critical that signings have already been secured, with more additions looking likely.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Lewis O’Brien to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

That’s according to a report by The Sun, who claim that Jesse Marsch will make a move for the Huddersfield Town central midfielder this summer, with the 23-year-old said to have a £10m release clause written into his contract with the Championship side.

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The report goes on to state that, should the Terriers have secured promotion to the Premier League in Sunday’s play-off final, the Whites could have once again missed out on the player they attempted to sign 12 months ago, however, with Nottingham Forest defeating Carlos Corberan’s side at Wembley, the door is now open for Marsch to move for O’Brien.

Rice 2.0

Considering just how impressive O’Brien was for Huddersfield this season, it is unsurprising to learn of Marsch’s interest in a move for the box-to-box midfielder.

Indeed, over his 43 Championship appearances this term – excluding his three play-off fixtures – the £3.15m-rated talent was imperious in the middle of the park, scoring three goals, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.1 shots, making 1.0 key passes and completing 2.0 dribbles per game.

The £5k-per-week midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, enjoying 56.7 touches of the ball, in addition to making an average of 0.8 interceptions, 2.2 tackles, 29.5 passes and winning 7.5 duels – at a success rate of 56% – per fixture.

These returns saw the Huddersfield academy graduate showered with a considerable amount of praise, with Jonathan Hogg stating of the 23-year-old earlier this season:

“I think it’s only a matter of time before he plays in the Premier League. He has a lot of great attributes, his energy and intensity is sensational, up there with the best I’ve seen in my career. He certainly drives the team with his energy and forward runs, it helps the team massively… it’s only a matter of time before he does play at the top level.”

Furthermore, Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff backed up Hogg’s claim that O’Brien is ready for a Premier League move, with the former Crystal Palace, Reading and Watford forward stating of the youngster:

“He’s probably not a household name but he’s a midfielder who, for me, has been a massive part of that Huddersfield team. He’s only 23 years of age but he’s had four real good, solid seasons now at this level and he’s really, really developing. He’s led the team at times, captaining in the absence of Jonathan Hogg.

“He can play central midfield, he’s got a bit of everything; he’s a good tackler, carries the ball ever so well and you can see him popping up with a few goals this season. He literally is a midfielder who’s got every part of his game and I certainly feel there’d be some Premier League clubs knocking if Huddersfield don’t get through the play-offs.”

Indeed, O’Brien’s metrics this season, coupled with Hogg and McAnuff’s descriptions of the 23-year-old, would very much appear to draw comparisons between the Town starlet and West Ham United’s Declan Rice – the driving midfielder who scored one goal, registered four assists, made 2.2 tackles, completed 1.4 dribbles and won 5.1 duels per game over his 36 Premier League appearances this term.

As such, should Victor Orta manage to get a deal over the line for Hogg this summer, the Spanish sporting director could well have unearthed the next Rice at Leeds – something that is sure to be an extremely exciting prospect for both Marsch and supporters of the Whites alike.

AND in other news: Huge transfer twist emerges that will have Leeds United supporters buzzing

Real Madrid have reportedly named their price for midfielder Dani Ceballos, amid interest from Crystal Palace.

What’s the word?

According to Spanish outlet AS, the La Liga giants are set to demand just £10m for the 25-year-old, with the player having only a year remaining on his existing deal at the Bernabeu.

The Spaniard’s former side Real Betis – whom he left on a €17m (£14.5m) deal back in 2017 – are credited with an interest, although the report suggests that Manuel Pellegrini’s side are unwilling to stump up the fee required to recapture the player.

The report goes on to add that there is interest from clubs in Serie A and the Premier League, with previous links earlier this season suggesting that Palace are one of those sides believed to be eyeing a move.

Gallagher replacement

The £13.5m-rated man would seemingly be available at a relative bargain price, while he also offers previous top-flight experience in English football having spent two seasons on loan at Arsenal between 2019 and 2021.

Although the £128k-per-week playmaker came in for criticism during his time at the Emirates, notably from pundit Tim Sherwood, he offers genuine quality to Patrick Vieira’s side, having been dubbed a “very clever” player by Robin van Persie while in north London.

A route out of the Spanish capital is seemingly needed for the 11-cap international having made just two league starts this season, although even in his brief outings he has shown flickering of quality, notably recording an impressive 7.5 match rating in the 4-0 win over Espanyol at the end of April.

Palace appear in need of a new midfield addition with current loan star Conor Gallagher set to return to parent club Chelsea next season, the 22-year-old having chipped in with eight goals and three assists during his stellar stint at Selhurst Park thus far.

The young Englishman – who has been dubbed “like N’Golo Kante with goals” by talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino – has shown his quality as an all-action presence in the centre of the park, averaging 0.8 interceptions, 2.1 tackles and o.7 clearances per game in the top-flight this term.

In comparison, however, Ceballos has proven he can match or even better that dynamic quality, averaging 1.4 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and 0.6 clearances per 90 while with the Gunners during the 2020/21 campaign, as well as winning 51% of his total duels.

Although he failed to net a single league goal in 49 appearances during his previous stint in English football, he did register five assists in that time, showcasing he can make the difference in the final third if required.

There’s no doubting Gallagher’s absence next term will be a huge blow, although in Ceballos the club can secure an affordable and experienced addition with similar traits and attributes.

AND in other news: Lost the ball every 2.4 touches: Palace flop who lost 63% duels let Vieira down again

RCB won their last league game but did they miss a trick by not bowling Washington in the Powerplay and by giving Umesh more death overs?

Deivarayan Muthu04-May-2019The sample size is fairly small for Rashid Khan – he has played only three seasons in the IPL, but this has been his most underwhelming season yet in terms of wickets. He took 15 wickets in 14 matches this season and only twice he took more than one wicket. Despite that, he maintained an economy rate of 6.46.Shimron Hetmyer gets the better of Rashid Khan•ESPNcricinfo LtdIn isolation, though, Rashid was expensive against Royal Challengers, conceding 44 runs in four overs; it was the second time this season that he conceded more than 40 runs. Shimron Hetmyer was particularly brutal on Rashid, smashing him for 32 off 15 balls. Only Chris Gayle, Manan Vohra and AB de Villiers have hit more runs off Rashid in a T20 game.Mohammad Nabi, Sunrisers’ other spin option, had started the season strongly with the ball, but has tapered off in the end, adding to Sunrisers’ troubles, particularly in the middle overs.Did RCB miss a trick with Washington Sundar?Washington Sundar celebrates a wicket•BCCIOffspinner Washington Sundar burst into the spotlight during Rising Pune Supergiant’s run to the IPL final in 2017, when he had an economy rate of 6.55 in Powerplays – the joint second-best among spinners who had bowled at least 50 balls in that phase. He was snapped up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 3.2 crore in the next season, and since the start of IPL 2018, Washington has played 10 matches for Royal Challengers, bowling only 42 balls in the Powerplay, conceding 86 runs off them.The easy-paced hit-through-the-line Chinnaswamy pitch hasn’t been kind to him either, so his captain Virat Kohli has been using him in the middle overs as opposed to the Powerplay, where Washington himself prefers bowling.In his previous match, against Delhi Capitals, Washington was taken for back-to-back boundaries when he took the new ball. But he redeemed himself with his constricting lines and lengths in the middle overs.On Saturday, Washington came on to bowl when Sunrisers Hyderabad were 59 for 1 after seven overs. He struck with his second ball – a non-turning offbreak – to have Martin Guptill chip a catch to midwicket. Three balls later, he got rid of Manish Pandey with a 101kph dart. Washington’s Tamil Nadu team-mate Vijay Shankar then launched him for a brace of leg-side boundaries, but then the spinner went around the wicket, shifted his line wider and had the batsman holing out.Washington had just recovered from an ankle injury ahead of the IPL and didn’t quite pose similar wicket-taking threat in his first two matches this IPL, but have Royal Challengers missed a trick by not giving him more game-time?Umesh at the death again? Are you kidding me?
Worst performers with the ball at the death in IPL 2019•ESPNcricinfo LtdUmesh Yadav’s errant lines and lengths nearly cost Royal Challengers their match against Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru. And unlike last year, he hasn’t been effective in the Powerplay either. He still got a game because Royal Challengers don’t have enough depth in their squad. Still, he could have been managed better.Instead of asking Umesh to bowl the last over, Kohli could have used him much earlier and given Navdeep Saini or Kulwant Khejroliya the responsibility of closing out the innings. They both get the ball to skid off the pitch and hit the bat harder. But, here Umesh went too full against Kane Williamson and with both mid-on and mid-off up, it was right up the Sunrisers captain’s alley.Williamson isn’t a power-hitter, but is a master of chipping or lifting the ball over the infield. He hoisted the first two balls over mid-off for six and four, and then smoked an offcutter over the square-leg boundary. Umesh went for the yorker again, but it came out as a full toss, and there would be just one result: Williamson lofting it for four. All told, Umesh has an economy rate of 14.37 at the death – the worst among bowlers who have bowled at least 50 balls between overs 17 and 20 this season.This wasn’t Royal Challengers’ only questionable bowling tactic on Saturday. Washington had returned 3 for 24 in his three overs, but he didn’t finish his quota. Colin de Grandhomme, who is more a middle-order power-hitter than a reliable seamer, got one over which ended up costing 12 runs.

On a first-day pitch, Kuldeep Yadav outfoxed three Australian top-order batsmen with guile and his natural attributes

Aakash Chopra25-Mar-20171:36

Chappell: Kuldeep’s perfect ball was wicket of Handscomb

There are legspinners and there are left-arm wristspinners. While both ply the same craft, albeit with a different arm, they are treated and viewed differently. Familiarity is a highly underrated virtue and a decent left-arm wristspinner spinning a web around batsmen highlights that. The same variations bowled by a legspinner don’t seem to have the same mystery as compared to a left-arm wristspinner. Kuldeep Yadav, the first left-arm wristspinner to play for India in Tests, used his variations to great effect on the first day.At the outset, there are two things that work in his favour – his short stature, which allows him natural dip. Taller bowlers find it difficult to create the parabola loop and therefore, have to work really hard to get the ball to dip on the batsman. Some of Kuldeep’s deliveries land a touch shorter than where the batsman expects them to fall. The other key difference is his unique angle from over the stumps. He forces right-handed batsmen to open their stance – to take care of the blind spot outside the leg stump – and that in turn is testing the batsman’s footwork more. Now, they have to plant the foot a little straighter and play inside the line for deliveries pitching within the stumps, and yet be mindful that they don’t go too straight as some might hold the line and go across with the angle. Also, there’s a demand to have a bigger front-foot stride going across to the ones that pitch a little wider outside off.David WarnerWhile facing Kuldeep, batsmen often misread full balls for short ones, like David Warner. Since the trajectory is quite low, you mistake normal falls for faster and shorter deliveries. He went back to a ball that was too full and too close to cut. My coach Tarak Sinha would tell us to avoid playing an attacking shot when an error – misreading the line or length – is committed. That would add to the first mistake, and batting doesn’t let two errors go unpunished. Kuldeep’s biggest strength on the first day was the cluster he created, which highlighted that he bowled a lot fuller than any other spinner in the series. Bowling it full forced the batsmen to play offensive shots, thereby creating possibilities of committing errors. Also, his length took the flat nature of the pitch out of equation, for he was no longer reliant on a positive response from the pitch to create doubts. Kuldeep has two different legbreak deliveries; the one that dismissed Warner was bowled with the seam going across the pitch.Kuldeep Yadav’s pitch map in the first innings•ESPNcricinfo LtdPeter HandscombThe other variety of Kuldeep’s legspin dismissed Handscomb: this one was bowled with a scrambled seam which caused the ball to spin sharply after pitching. The sequence of deliveries that led to Handscomb’s wicket highlighted Kuldeep’s guile in weaving a trap. He bowled a flatter googly that stayed low. Handscomb went back and missed it by a fair distance. Kuldeep flighted a few deliveries to which Handscomb responded by stepping out and reaching the pitch of the ball, which he successfully managed a few times. Then Kuldeep bowled one wide of the off stump, luring Handscomb into playing an expansive drive. This time the foot was nowhere close to the ball – due to the angle created by bowling over the stumps – and the ball sneaked through. A tactic for Kuldeep could be to start leaving the cover area vacant to invite more such shots.Kuldeep Yadav was the slowest of the Indian spinners•ESPNcricinfo LtdGlenn MaxwellExcept Steven Smith and Matthew Wade, most Australian batsmen failed to read the spin from Kuldeep’s hand. Therefore, they were trying to read it off the pitch, which led to playing more off the back foot, even to deliveries that should’ve been played off the front foot. Maxwell has a tendency to stand on the leg stump and staying besides the ball. This allows him to create extra room, which is an asset in limited-overs cricket, but that works against him in Tests. The ball that dismissed him was bowled from the back of the hand and since Maxwell didn’t have a second line of defense, it crashed into the stumps. It was quite obvious that he didn’t read the spin from the hand and hence ended up playing down the wrong line.Kuldeep’s first bowling performance in Tests was quite impressive, for picking wickets on a first-day pitch is always tough for a spinner. Since his optimum speed is a little slower than both Ashwin and Jadeja, it’ll be interesting to see if and how the slowness of the pitch impacts his bowling in the second innings of this Test.

Opening batsman, offspinner and yoga expert, Jalaj Saxena reveals the intensely driven cricketer behind the self-effacing facade

Arun Venugopal02-Feb-2016It isn’t easy to mine information about Jalaj Saxena. When I tell him about my futile attempts at researching his story on the internet, he offers an almost apologetic smile. I ask him half-jokingly if he doesn’t give interviews. “I can’t possibly ask people to interview me, right?” he says, and offers a shy smile. “People who want to interview me, like you in this case, I never say no to.” The shy smile was on display as well when he won the Lala Amarnath award for being the best allrounder in the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy. It was recognition for his 583 runs and 17 wickets for Madhya Pradesh in that season.In a way it was a slightly belated reward for his performances in preceding seasons. In 2013-14, he had scored 545 runs and claimed 35 wickets, while in 2012-13 his corresponding numbers were 769 and 10. Jalaj’s performances have retained their gloss this season as well; so far he has scored 530 runs at an average of 44.16, opening the batting, while his offspin has earned him 46 wickets at 20.30, including a 16-wicket haul against Railways to record the second-best figures in Ranji Trophy history.It is this consistency that gives Jalaj the most satisfaction. “I have been quite consistent with both bat and ball over the last three-four years, and I will work even harder to ensure it continues this way,” he says. “Because if you perform well in one season and fail in the next then it means there is something wrong with your game as you aren’t able to perform consistently. It feels good that MP values me as a key player.”While Jalaj’s numbers no doubt make for impressive reading, you get the impression that, at 29, it has taken him a while to reach his current level. After all, for someone who prides himself on being a genuine allrounder, he was regarded as little more than a bits-and-pieces journeyman until recently. There were insinuations in some quarters that Jalaj was picked for the India A tour of West Indies in 2012 because Narendra Hirwani, who also hails from Madhya Pradesh, was part of the then selection committee.Jalaj admits to feeling hurt then but says it only made him decide to work even harder at his game. He feels he justified his selection with a half-century and three wickets in the third unofficial Test followed by a decent showing in the one-day series.”I did feel hurt at one point of time [at not being called a proper allrounder],” Jalaj says. “But then I told myself – not to prove to anyone else, really – that I had to improve my game. I feel really blessed that God has given me two skillsets. Not everybody becomes an allrounder. I make sure I don’t think about bowling while I am batting and vice-versa. As far as blooming late is concerned, there is a time for everything. I believe in destiny.”Jalaj’s quest for improvement gained traction during his IPL stints in recent years with Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers despite the fact that neither team gave him any playing time. Apart from greater attention to physical fitness, a big takeaway for Jalaj was the purposeful preparation that he saw among top international players.”Their work ethics are really strong. Once while batting I was concentrating for every delivery, but I was wondering why I wasn’t getting to the pitch of the ball,” Jalaj says. “Sachin [Tendulkar] sir made a minor change by asking me to spread my feet a little wider and it immediately made a difference.”Generally, at a lower level, you bat and bowl and train once or twice in a week. But the IPL experience taught me the value of training regularly, especially during the off-season, and it is something that I strictly follow now.”Jalaj’s efforts to align his mental energy with the physical have been aided by yoga, the practice of which is a tradition in the Saxena family. “My father learned it from my grandfather and has passed it on to me,” he says. “I also visualise during every single activity, be it breathing or stretching.” He then points to his shoulder. “If you are stretching out this part, then at that point you need to visualise the muscle being stretched.”There are times when you realise that your mind wants to do something but the body doesn’t cooperate. That’s why you see that when a coach instructs something there are some boys who quickly grasp it while others take a lot more time. It’s very important to coordinate your mind and body. Yoga helps me do that.”That he comes from a family that has a sporting background has also helped Jalaj. While his father was a state-level swimmer and has also coached at the National Institute of Sports in the past, his brother, Jatin, is an active cricketer who has represented Madhya Pradesh in all three formats. After their formative years in Bhilai, the Saxena siblings moved to Indore, where Jalaj was coached by the current president of the MPCA, Sanjay Jagdale, at the Cricket Club of Indore. Jalaj continued to idolise Jatin, his senior by four years, and feels Jatin is the better allrounder of the two.”I have learnt a lot from his experiences,” Jalaj says. “Whatever mistakes he made, I watched and learnt from him. I learnt about what could go wrong in a cricketing career and how to make a comeback from him. I am very close to him and discuss a lot of cricket with him.”Jalaj says every action of his is geared towards fulfilling his dream of playing for the country. According to him, one of the bottlenecks in this regard is his reticence. “Because of my shyness, I don’t end up talking to a lot of former players.”But whenever he has managed to seek out former cricketers for advice, he has invariably been the better for it. “Hirwani helped me become a little more side-on in my action, and pivot more. I also worked a lot with Anil Kumble at Mumbai Indians on strengthening my stock delivery. I want to talk as much as I can to senior players.”On the subject of a national call-up, Jalaj says he doesn’t feel hard done at not receiving one. “I think the dream of playing for India motivates me to improve my game,” he says. “If I haven’t got a call yet, then I don’t think I have done so much and yet haven’t been selected. I think I should be doing even better than what I am doing at the moment. I will keep trying till I am good enough. It’s my dream and I will work very hard to achieve that.”He then breaks into a smile and adds for good measure: “I don’t let shyness come in the way of performance on the field.”