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New Zealand have picked uncapped left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel among the three spinners for the three-Test series against Pakistan in the UAE in October. Ajaz, who has been the top wicket-taker in domestic first-class competitions for the last three seasons, was picked in place of Mitchell Santner who continues to recover from a long-term knee injury. New Zealand also named squads for the three ODI and as many T20s they will play against Pakistan.Ajaz, 29, was named last year’s domestic Player of the Year and was a vital member of the Central Stags team that won their first Plunket Shield title in five years. He took 48 wickets at 21.52 and is among the three frontline spinners in the squad alongside Ish Sodhi and Todd Astle.”Ajaz has deserved his inclusion on the sheer weight of his domestic first-class form over the past couple of summers,” selector Gavin Larsen said. “With Mitch Santner not fully recovered yet from his knee surgery, it’s nice to have both wrist (Astle and Sodhi) and finger (Patel) spin options, given the likely conditions in the UAE.”Ajaz will leave for the UAE with the New Zealand A squad in early October and will be among those competing for the two open spots in the ODI and T20I squads each. The A squad features first-time selections such as fast bowlers Kyle Jamieson and Blair Tickner, and NZ Under-19s player Rachin Ravindra.One of the two A players who’ll be drawn into the T20I squad will replace Trent Boult, who will be on paternity leave after the Test and ODI series.Tom Blundell was named as the back-up wicketkeeping option in the Test squad for BJ Watling, who has been named in the ODI squad. Watling last played an ODI in October 2016 but is said to be in the plans for next year’s World Cup.Fast bowler Adam Milne returns to the T20I squad, while Tim Seifert, Mark Chapman and Lockie Ferguson will represent the A side in the T20s before moving to the international T20 squad to face Pakistan.Test squad: Kane Williamson (capt), Jeet Raval, Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Tom Blundell, Colin de Grandhomme, Todd Astle, Ish Sodhi, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Matt Henry, Trent BoultODI: Kane Williamson (capt), Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Taylor, Nicholls, Latham, Watling, de Grandhomme, Astle, Sodhi, Southee, Henry, Boult, two to be added from NZ A/NZ T20 squadT20I: Kane Williamson (capt), Mark Chapman, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, two to be added from NZ ANew Zealand A (for T20, 50-over and first-class matches against Pakistan A): Corey Anderson, Astle, Blundell, Tom Bruce, Chapman, Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Scott Kuggeleijn, Patel, Glenn Phillips, Raval, Rachin Ravindra, Seifert, Blair Tickner, Logan van Beek, George Worker, Will Young, Wagner, Watling

Southampton have a rich history of producing and developing exciting young talents through their academy system over the years at Staplewood.

The likes of Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, James Ward-Prowse, Luke Shaw, and Alan Shearer are just a few of the many talented gems to have been nurtured on the south coast.

Current first-team head coach Russell Martin is now tasked with bringing through the next wonderkid through the youth set-up and has given opportunities to the likes of Will Smallbone and Samuel Edozie this season.

Jamal Musiala

£95.1m

Ben White

£47.6m

Luke Shaw

£36.3m

James Ward-Prowse

£32.8m

Tyrone Ming

£19m

Southampton's most valuable former academy players

The Saints currently have an exciting crop of U21 players who could make a first-team breakthrough in the future and one of them is 17-year-old ace Tyler Dibling, who the Scottish boss could develop into the next Walcott at St. Mary's.

How old was Walcott when he made his Southampton debut?

A record was broken when the English forward became the youngster player in the club's history at the age of 16 years and 143 days against Wolves in 2005.

Walcott went on to score five goals in 23 first-team matches for the club in all competitions throughout the 2005/06 campaign and that led to a transfer to Arsenal at the end of the season.

The former England international then racked up 108 goals and 80 assists in 397 outings for the Gunners before a spell with Everton, which then led to his return to the Saints in 2020 before his retirement earlier this year.

How many goals has Dibling scored for Southampton?

Dibling, who spent two months at Chelsea before returning to the Saints earlier this year, has scored 18 goals at U21 and U18 level combined for the Saints.

The 17-year-old gem, who was once hailed as one of the club's "shining" youth prospects by ex-boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, made his first-team bow against Gillingham in the EFL Cup earlier this season.

This suggests that Martin has seen potential in the teenage ace and believes that the quality is there for him to contribute at senior level, albeit in a cameo at this stage in his career.

Dibling's impressive form at U21 level so far this term indicates that the scope is there for him to develop into an exciting attacking option for the club if he can translate his performances to the first-team.

The England U18 international, who predominantly plays out wide on the right, has racked up three goals and two assists in six Premier League 2 appearances.

There is no guarantee that Dibling will be able to score and assist goals at a similar rate for Martin's team but there was no guarantee that Walcott would do the same when he made his emergence in 2005.

Southampton's manager may have to be bold and unleash the 17-year-old wizard at Championship level over the coming weeks and months to see if he is ready to make the step up.

If Dibling can rise to that challenge then he could emerge as Walcott 2.0 for the Saints as another goalscoring right winger from the academy making an impact as a teenager.

The list of talent being churned off the conveyor belt at Southampton is never-ending, with the South Coast club providing the platform for several players in their rise to stardom.

Of course, the academy graduate that every Premier League club will know in recent times is James Ward-Prowse. The creative maestro who boasts a wand of a right foot was integral to the Saints keeping their top-flight status for almost a decade before departing for pastures new, completing a £30m transfer to West Ham United this summer.

The Englishman has since become an instant revelation in east London, chalking up three goals and two assists so far, but he isn't the only academy player to have departed Southampton and risen to prominence elsewhere.

Gareth Bale is the biggest icon in the world of football to have been unleashed from the academy at St Mary's, but the likes of Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Theo Walcott have had or are having illustrious careers at the top of world football and in the ever-changing nature of the modern game, the Saints continue to unearth the next stars in the making.

17-year-old Samuel Amo-Ameyaw is right at the summit of that list.

Who is Samuel Amo-Ameyaw?

He only turned 17 in July, but Amo-Ameyaw is carrying the torch for the next generation of academy stars.

The pacey and direct winger, renowned for leaving defenders in his wake and gliding across the pitch in a perpetual motion, has made a sharp rise towards the first-team picture, enabled by Southampton's relegation to the Championship.

After signing his scholarship with the club last year, the teenager said: “My aim is to get into the first team as quick as possible, but first I’ve got to do well with the 18s and progress," and he's already ticked off that box.

Impressing in the Premier League 2 last season, scoring four goals in 12 appearances, the winger was rewarded with his first competitive start for the club in the EFL Cup defeat against Gillingham and impressed on the night.

Although Southampton bowed out against lower-league opposition, Russell Martin was encouraged by what he saw from his youthful side and Amo-Ameyaw was at the forefront of the praise having recorded more successful dribbles (4) than any other player on the pitch.

Speaking after his mature display, Martin said: "Sam Amo was outstanding, really pleased with him. Kami Doyle when he came on was great, Jayden [Meghoma] was fantastic, so that probably sums the night up, that those three were the real standouts for me."

The "talented" youngster – as dubbed by journalist Alfie House – clearly has a lot of healthy competition in the underage groups but having appeared on three occasions in the Championship this term, the teenager is competing for a place in the senior setup.

In his most recent Premier League 2 match, Amo-Ameyaw scored and assisted against West Ham, perhaps using the distaste in his mouth after being left out of the first-team as fuel to show Martin what he's capable of.

Southampton are enduring a torrid run in the Championship, losing four consecutive matches, while their wingers, including club record signing Kamaldeen Sulemana, have dramatically underperformed in recent weeks.

How has Kamaldeen Sulemana performed this season?

Since completing a £24.6m move from Rennes in January, Sulemana has only recorded three goal contributions in three goal contributions in 21 appearances, failing to make an impact so far in the Championship.

The Ghanaian winger has made three substitute appearances this season, averaging a lowly Sofascore rating of 6.3 and only recorded an xG of 0.12, losing possession on nine occasions and completing 42% of his dribbles, emphasising the minuscule threat he's had on the pitch when given the chance.

It's fair to say that more is expected of a club-record signing, especially after dropping to Championship level, but he is currently being kept out of the team by Samuel Edozie and Ryan Fraser while his frustrations were topped off in the 4-1 defeat to Leicester following a red card, although it was later overturned.

When he arrived in England, Sulemana was expected to be "unstoppable" in the Premier League – as dubbed by journalist Adam Bate – who compared him to some of the best dribblers in the world upon arrival.

While he is yet to live up to that hype, he could soon spring to life and start delivering match-winning displays but until he does, Amo-Ameyaw will feel he deserves more chances to impress in the first-team, especially given their current faltering approach.

Australia’s vice-captain David Warner is one demerit point away from a ban after he accepted a level two charge from the ICC for his part in the stairwell confrontation with Quinton de Kock in Durban.De Kock, however, has contested the level one charge against him and will attend a hearing – along with South Africa captain Faf du Plessis and manager Mohammed Moosajee – in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday evening. Match Referee Jeff Crowe will adjudicate on the matter.Warner was hit with three demerit points for the offence and also fined 75% of his match fee, about A$13,500, after meetings between the match referee Jeff Crowe and Australian team management on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Warner joined Kagiso Rabada and Faf du Plessis on the South African side in this series, as players who will be suspended if they are found guilty of one more disciplinary infraction.CCTV footage from the fourth day of the Durban Test showed Warner walking up the stairs to the players’ dressing room, engaged in heated conversation with someone else. As the clip rolled on, it emerged that he was talking to de Kock, and at several points had to be restrained by his team-mates until the Australia captain Steven Smith came out to pull his vice-captain away from the scene.

England’s 4-1 series win in Australia means they have now lost just three ODIs out of 22 in the past 12 months

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2018

The victorious England squad•Getty Images

Trevor Bayliss has challenged his England one-day cricketers to embrace the notion that they are favourites to win the World Cup in England in 2019, in a bid to pre-empt the pressure and expectation that will be generated by their impressive development in the 50-over format.England completed the bilateral leg of their tour of Australia with a 4-1 ODI series win, and have now lost just three ODIs out of 22 in the past year. Overall in that format, they have won nine out of the 12 series since Bayliss took over as coach in July 2015 to cement their status as the world’s leading exponents.”The way we have been playing one-day cricket over the last few years and the way we continue to play, and obviously with the World Cup at home, we should be one of the favourites,” Bayliss told reporters at the conclusion of the Australia ODIs. “Only time will tell how we handle that but, if we go in to all of the series between now and that World Cup thinking we are favourites, then that will be good practice for us and we will see how the players react.”England’s achievement in Australia was all the more impressive given that they were able to make light of the absence of their leading allrounder, Ben Stokes, who has been unavailable throughout the winter following his arrest in Bristol in September. Stokes had originally been slated for a recall during the forthcoming T20 triangular against Australia and New Zealand, but that has had to be pushed back due to a court appearance on February 13.However, while Bayliss welcomed the impending return of Stokes, he warned that he might have to wait his turn to slot back into the side, given how well his team-mates have covered for his absence. In particular, the top three of Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales have taken turns to impress in recent months, with Roy breaking Hales’ England one-day record score in the first ODI at Melbourne. And in the bowling stakes, Tom Curran’s match-winning five-wicket haul in the series finale at Perth marked the arrival of a player who deserves to compete for a regular spot in the side.”It is a good problem and he might not fit back in straight away,” Bayliss said of Stokes. “I do know that everyone knows he is coming back in the team at some stage and that keeps everyone on their toes trying to score runs and put their name forward to make sure they are not the ones who get pushed aside when he comes back.”We have had a very stable team over the last couple of years. We have had one or two different guys coming in and the good thing is that we have got competition for spots. It is not just the 11. It is 14, 15, 16 guys that can come into the team and play a part. That’s very healthy for the team.”One player who didn’t quite hit the high notes in Australia, with the bat at least, was the captain Eoin Morgan, who emerged with a top score of 41 in the five-match series. However, Morgan’s captaincy was exceptional throughout – particularly in the final three matches, in which England overcame the loss of Liam Plunkett to a hamstring injury at Sydney, almost fought back from a scoreline of 8 for 5 at Adelaide, then successfully defended a sub-par 259 at Perth.”From a batting point of view, Morgs is one of those guys who goes through a bit of a spell like that and then out of the blue he comes in and makes a heap of runs,” Bayliss said. “His role as captain, and the way this team is playing, he is at the forefront of that. He is the one that leads that. He is a very important part of this team. The way he has led this team out here I thought was fantastic, especially that Sydney match when we were down a bowler. The way he handled the bowling group then was top class.”He always talks to the boys about backing themselves and their ability and the way they always play and he leads from the front. If he is going through a bit of a lean trot, which batters do, he still goes out and tries to play that same way. Every now and then he goes out and hits a few in the middle and suddenly you are back in form. He is the one leading the pack. That is the good thing about this team. We have got seven batters that are able to make hundreds in one-day cricket. He is one of them.”

أعلن المدير الفني لفريق باريس سان جيرمان، لويس إنريكي، التشكيل الأساسي لمواجهة أولمبيك ليون مساء اليوم.

ويلتقي الفريقان في نهائي بطولة كأس فرنسا، موسم 2023/24، على ملعب “بيار موروا”.

اقرأ أيضًا | موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة باريس سان جيرمان وليون اليوم في نهائي كأس فرنسا.. والمعلق

وتُعد تلك المباراة هي الأخيرة للنجم كيليان مبابي مع باريس سان جيرمان، حيث سيرحل عن النادي بمجرد انتهاء عقده في 30 يونيو المقبل. تشكيل باريس سان جيرمان اليوم أمام ليون في نهائي كأس فرنسا

حراسة المرمى: دوناروما.

خط الدفاع: أشرف حكيمي، ماركينيوس، بيرالدو، نونو مينديز.

خط الوسط: زائير إيمري، فيتينها، فابيان.

خط الهجوم: ديمبلي، مبابي، باركولا.

البدلاء: تيناس، سكرينيار، دانيلو، أوجارتي، ليي كانج إن، أسينسيو، راموس، كولو مواني.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has provided an update on Manchester United's pursuit of Sofyan Amrabat.

The midfielder has been a target of the Red Devils all summer long.

What is the latest Sofyan Amrabat news?

The Manchester club may need to make their move quickly if they want to secure Amrabat's signature.

This is because rivals Liverpool have made contact with the Moroccan players representatives to sound out any interest in a move to Anfield as the Merseyside club weigh up whether to hijack the Red Devils move as they look to replace Fabinho after missing out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea.

According to the report from Dutch outlet AD, Liverpool are hoping to see off Man United, West Ham United and Bayern Munich to secure the signing of the 26-year-old who really caught the eye as he captained Morocco to a fourth placed finish.

The Erik ten Hag managed side have been the favourites for the Fiorentina midfielder throughout the summer, having agreed personal terms with the player, however due to Financial Fair Play constraints they have not been able to pull the trigger on the £26m deal.

What could worry Red Devils fans regarding the interest from Liverpool is the idea that the player may begin to get cold feet regarding the lack of movement from United, and instead of continuing to wait, instead opting for the switch to Anfield.

Manager Ten Hag will be desperate to bring in the midfield reinforcements following the disappointing start to United's season, where their midfield has been cut through very easily. Former player Roy Keane was very critical of Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes after the loss to Tottenham Hotspur, stating:

"When I look at Mount and Fernandes, out of possession they look like schoolboys! They haven't got the physicality to get the ball back. We make excuses all the time for them, we’re told Ten Hag is a brilliant coach but we need to see it."

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs revealed that whilst Manchester United remain Sofyan Amrabat's first choice destination, the player has become "quite frustrated" with the situation he finds himself in.

He said: "Not necessarily with Amrabat. If Manchester United choose to move formally, it's indicated on the Amrabat side that he would like to join the club, and I think he’s become quite frustrated about the situation. But part of this push between Manchester United and Amrabat has also been manufactured in the media. Man Utd sources continue to emphasise that they've never been quite as far along as a club-to-club dialogue. On the Amrabat side, I think the personal terms and the player desire have all been simpler, which is great for Manchester United's point of view because it means they can control the transfer’s timeline.”

How will Manchester United end this window?

Central midfield is not the only position that Man United are looking to strengthen before the deadline on September 1st.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the club have been in contact with representatives of French defender Jean-Clair Todibo to discuss a potential transfer. The Manchester club also sent scouts to watch Nice's season opener which outlines how serious their interest in the player is. Another player who was mentioned by the Italian journalist was Benjamin Pavard, who was seemingly the Red Devils first choice option for defensive reinforcement, however he seems to be closing in on a switch to Italian giants Inter Milan. Any move for a centre-back could be dependent on the future of Harry Maguire, whose move to West Ham collapsed.

Against Zimbabwe and India, Sri Lanka had not begun to respond to their new leader. But Dinesh Chandimal put a stamp on his outfit with bold leadership against Pakistan

Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Oct-2017Dinesh Chandimal officially stepped into the captaincy about 48 hours before the beginning of a Test, and his team very nearly lost it, against Zimbabwe. Then, as he was preparing for the biggest home series this year, against India, Chandimal contracted pneumonia, and was out for the first Test.Nominally, he was the captain, of course. He turned up to the press conferences, strode out to the toss, and made all the usual noises about needing to improve in all three areas at the presentations. But Sri Lanka, playing largely as they had under Mathews, had not begun to respond to their new leader. Against Zimbabwe and India, it had not yet begun to feel like Chandimal’s team.Now, finally, the man has been able to put a stamp on his outfit. The boldness that had once been key to his batting began to show in his leadership as well. Chandimal’s first major decision on tour was to field five bowlers in Abu Dhabi, thereby backing batsmen who had failed spectacularly against India to come good away from home. In both matches, the daring paid off. There were major batting failures as well, of course, but Sri Lanka were just good enough with the ball to emerge 2-0. Chandimal suggested the mettle with which Sri Lanka played was a quality he hoped would define his team through his captaincy.”As a captain I am looking for commitment, attitude and discipline from the players,” he said. “The selectors have also supported me to create the culture and passion we had in the past. You can tell when they are in the middle that we are really enjoying it.”The main thing is our attitude. It makes a lot of difference. And the management and selectors gave the team a lot of confidence.”Sri Lanka had to fall back on much of that confidence in the fourth innings of the Dubai Test, as Pakistan made a charge for the target. Sri Lanka’s was not the most straightforward defence of a good score. Between Pakistan collapses, in which they lost 5 wickets for 52 runs and later 5 further wickets for 23, there was a 173-run partnership through which Sri Lanka had to hold their nerve.In addition to the excellent counter-attack that Sarfraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq put together however, Sri Lanka also had to contend with a wet ball on the wicketless night session of the penultimate day, Chandimal said. It had long been thought that dew would play a role in day-night Tests at venues nearer the equator.On the fifth afternoon, however, after the field had dried, Sri Lanka began taking wickets again. Four Pakistan wickets fell to the second new ball, which was taken seven overs into play on day five.”It was tough last night. We did not expect dew will come, but last night it was there,” Chandimal said. “So it was tough for the spinners. But this morning, we had more than 120 runs to defend, so we all knew that in this session the ball will grip, as we have two experienced spinners in Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera. I knew they would do their job in this session and I am really happy with the way we played.”That Sri Lanka had worrying moments in the fourth innings at all, however, was thanks to their own poor batting, after claiming a lead of 220. Against a Pakistan attack missing Mohammad Amir, Sri Lanka collapsed to 96 all out in the space of 26 overs. Despite the eventual triumph, Chandimal bemoaned the lost opportunity to lock Pakistan out of the match much earlier than they did.”After we got a lead of 220 in the first innings, we spoke to the boys and said if we can score 100 runs for three or four wickets, then they need 350, so we can put Pakistan away. But we did not click as a batting unit in the second innings. In the end, we thought 315 was still a really good total on this track. We all know that here in Dubai, it spins more than Abu Dhabi. So credit goes to all the bowlers. They did a fantastic job throughout the series.”

Sunderland are keen to strike a deal to bring Universidad Catolica forward Alexander Aravena to the Championship, according to reports.

Who is Alexander Aravena?

Aravena is naturally a left-sided winger who has plied his trade with Cristian Paulucci’s side ever since his childhood days, having graduated from the club’s academy to make a total of 27 appearances so far, and despite having briefly left to join Nublense, he’s now returned for a second spell.

However, the 20-year-old’s contract is set to run out at the end of the calendar year meaning that the ongoing window will be the Primera Division outfit’s final chance to cash in should they not want to risk losing their prized asset for free upon the expiration of his deal.

The Black Cats and Tony Mowbray are likely to be searching the market for attacking reinforcements with Amad Diallo having returned to Manchester United following his successful loan, not to mention the uncertainty surrounding the future of Ross Stewart, and if the following update is to be believed, the Chile international has been flagged as an ideal candidate.

Are Sunderland signing Alexander Aravena?

According to Spanish outlet Minutod, Sunderland are "extremely interested" in signing Aravena this summer. The Stadium of Light side "would have arrived with a very good proposal" that would meet his club's expectations, but confirmation that an official bid has been submitted is yet to have been given.

Universidad Catolica chiefs are believed to have set a "minimum" price tag of €8m (£6m) for their attacker as a result of the northeast outfit "closely" keeping tabs on him, but they aren't the only admirers as he is also gaining "interest" from several unnamed clubs across Europe.

How many goals has Alexander Aravena scored?

In the Primera Division this season, Aravena has racked up an impressive 12 goal contributions (nine goals and three assists) in 19 appearances so he’s extremely prolific, and should he put pen to paper on a move to Sunderland, he would be an “excellent” addition for Mowbray according to journalist and Black Cats fan Josh Bunting.

The Huechuraba native has also so far recorded a total of 44 shots over the course of the campaign which is the second-highest number throughout his squad, via FBRef, highlighting his constant desire to find the back of the net, or at the very least try his best to test the opposition’s goalkeeper.

Furthermore, the youngster is a versatile operator having been deployed in seven various positions since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even four roles in the midfield, so he would be a great option for the boss to have at his disposal should any unexpected injuries occur.

The Black Cats have already completed the signing of centre-forward Eliezer Mayenda from FC Sochaux-Montbeliard but that clearly hasn't stopped the hierarchy from assessing what other targets are out there to bolster their ranks in the final third, and if an offer gets tabled in the final stages of the window, Aravena could be following in the former's footsteps by making the move to the Championship.

India batsman Karun Nair said he was not too perturbed by his exclusion from the Sri Lanka Test series but admitted his failure to build on the Test triple-century against England in the home series against Australia

Gaurav Kalra10-Jul-20175:16

Wasn’t in right frame of mind after Australia series – Nair

Batsman Karun Nair insists he is not too perturbed by his exclusion from the India Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour, after only four innings since becoming just the second Indian to get a Test triple-hundred. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo in Bengaluru a day after the squad was named, Nair conceded he should have “converted a couple of starts” in the Test series against Australia into “more substantial scores” to bolster his case, after the 303 not out against England in Chennai. Nair will instead travel with the India ‘A’ team to South Africa for a series of limited-overs and four-day matches at the end of the month.”I will have to respect the decision of the team management and selectors,” Nair said. “That’s the way it goes and I am just focusing on South Africa now, the India ‘A’ tour, looking forward to it. It is going to be a new experience for me, I have never been to South Africa, so trying to just prepare myself and do well there.”If I look back, I got a couple of starts which I feel I could have made into substantial scores. Those two starts I got were supposed to be converted, but you know that’s how it goes for a batsman, sometimes you get starts and you are not able to convert them. I don’t think there’s any point talking about it right now. I am just looking forward to the season coming up and try to do better.”Honestly, I was fortunate enough to get to play in the XI. So I was very happy, learning new things from everyone around and playing Test cricket. I was really enjoying myself and not thinking too much about it. But the competition is very high and it’s healthy competition. There’s nothing to worry about there, I am not thinking too much, just looking forward.”It will be a new experience to go to South Africa for the first time, to experience those conditions and see how it is to play cricket there. It is a stepping stone to do well and get myself back into the Test team. Even looking at it that way, I am looking forward and just trying to be positive.”In four Test innings after the triple-hundred, Nair scored a total of 54 runs•Associated Press

Nair has experienced an extended dry spell with the bat since the triple-hundred. In four innings against Australia, he made scores of 26, 0, 23 and 5 as India eked out a 2-1 series win. His form didn’t get much better in the IPL – and he ended the season with 281 runs at an average of 21.61 as Delhi Daredevils failed to make the play-offs. Nair says the series against Australia was a lot more intense than England, and his failures in those matches affected him in the early phase of the IPL too.”There was a lot a difference, the Australians were more at you. Even the English were good but the Australians had more aggression I felt,” he explained. “And we had lost the first game and that made it even more difficult for us and it put them on a high because England never got a sniff also. That also helped Australia.”At the end of the season, after the Australia series, I don’t think I was in the right frame of mind because I was thinking too much about how I should be playing and how well I should be doing for Delhi rather than just looking at the ball and reacting. It took me half the season to realise I was doing that. The second half was a little better I felt, just looked at the ball and played how the ball came down. Those were the things I learnt this season.”Nair, 25, took over as captain of Daredevils when Zaheer Khan was unavailable due to injury. He will now be leading the India A team in the two four-day games in South Africa. Having led teams at Under-19 level, as well as Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy, Nair is convinced his quiet, easy-going personality won’t be a hindrance in performing the role.”Everyone has their own style,” he said. “I don’t think I should change who I am to try and lead eleven people. I can still lead them by being myself and do it in my way. I have been captain on several occasions and I just enjoy the fact that whenever I am captain I do well. So, I have that positive mind frame when I am captain. It has been the same case from the U19 days to the Ranji trophy last year when I captained, we did well and I scored runs. It is obviously an extra responsibility, but generally when I am batting that kind of feeling doesn’t come.”