Former Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu, chief executive Oscar Grau and legal head&nbsp;Roman Ponti have been arrested by the police for their role in the much-talked-about BarcaGate scandal, where the Spanish club reportedly hired and overpaid a company to smear some of the club's footballers, including Lionel Messi, and political opponents.

Police on Monday raided the offices of FC Barcelona while carrying several arrests. The massive&nbsp;development comes just six days ahead of Barcelona presidential elections, a Catalan regional police spokesman told AFP.

Spain's Cadena Ser radio reported that one of those arrested was former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who had resigned in October 2020, along with&nbsp;CEO Oscar Grau and the club's head of legal services. However, the police said that the operation was being run by officers from the financial crimes unit.

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In 2020, it was claimed that the Spanish giants had paid a whopping sum to a social media company in a bid to carry online criticism of important club figures in what turned out to be a scandalous 'Barcagate'.

Allegedly, the likes of Lionel Messi, Pep Guardiola, Xavi and Gerard Pique were among those targeted by I3 Ventures in a three-year smear campaign'. The reason behind the attacks included Messi's reluctance to pen&nbsp;a new deal at the Camp Nou while iconic defender Pique was attacked for his project to revamp the Davis Cup.

However, Barcelona's then-president Bartomeu had denied the accusations. However, eight Barcelona members decided to launch an official police complaint which resulted in an investigation.&nbsp;

Emili Rousaud, who resigned as Barcelona vice president in March last year,&nbsp;said in an interview with RAC1: "If the auditors tell us the cost of these services is 100,000 euros and we have paid one million, it means someone has had their hand in the till." The club took legal action against him.

Rousaud was among six Barca executives to leave their posts, with a joint letter citing the controversy as a key issue needing to be resolved.

Bartomeu said the company had been hired only to monitor posts on social media and announced an internal audit by&nbsp;PricewaterhouseCoopers, which cleared the club of financial corruption in July.

"Let one thing be clear," Bartomeu said. "To the question: Have we commissioned the monitoring of social networks? The answer is yes.

"To the question: Have we commissioned to discredit people or institutions through social networks? The answer is no and we will take action against all those who accuse us of that."

Former Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu, chief executive Oscar Grau and legal head Roman Ponti have been arrested by the police for their role in the much-talked-about BarcaGate scandal, where the Spanish club reportedly hired and overpaid a company to smear some of the club's footballers, including Lionel Messi, and political opponents.

Former Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu, chief executive Oscar Grau and legal head Roman Ponti have been arrested by the police for their role in the much-talked-about BarcaGate scandal, where the Spanish club reportedly hired and overpaid a company to smear some of the club's footballers, including Lionel Messi, and political opponents. Police on Monday raided the offices of FC Barcelona while carrying several arrests. The massive development comes just six days ahead of Barcelona presidential elections, a Catalan regional police spokesman told AFP. Spain's Cadena Ser radio reported that one of those arrested was former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who had resigned in October 2020, along with CEO Oscar Grau and the club's head of legal services. However, the police said that the operation was being run by officers from the financial crimes unit. ALSO READ: Atletico hold La Liga rivals at bay with tight Villarreal win In 2020, it was claimed that the Spanish giants had paid a whopping sum to a social media company in a bid to carry online criticism of important club figures in what turned out to be a scandalous 'Barcagate'. Allegedly, the likes of Lionel Messi, Pep Guardiola, Xavi and Gerard Pique were among those targeted by I3 Ventures in a three-year smear campaign'. The reason behind the attacks included Messi's reluctance to pen a new deal at the Camp Nou while iconic defender Pique was attacked for his project to revamp the Davis Cup. However, Barcelona's then-president Bartomeu had denied the accusations. However, eight Barcelona members decided to launch an official police complaint which resulted in an investigation. Emili Rousaud, who resigned as Barcelona vice president in March last year, said in an interview with RAC1: "If the auditors tell us the cost of these services is 100,000 euros and we have paid one million, it means someone has had their hand in the till." The club took legal action against him. Rousaud was among six Barca executives to leave their posts, with a joint letter citing the controversy as a key issue needing to be resolved. Bartomeu said the company had been hired only to monitor posts on social media and announced an internal audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers, which cleared the club of financial corruption in July. "Let one thing be clear," Bartomeu said. "To the question: Have we commissioned the monitoring of social networks? The answer is yes. "To the question: Have we commissioned to discredit people or institutions through social networks? The answer is no and we will take action against all those who accuse us of that."

Ex Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu arrested over 'Barcagate' scandal against Lionel Messi & Co

Table tennis sensation Anna Hursey is making waves for her&nbsp;environmental advocacy&nbsp;with the 14-year-old set to help US President Joe Biden in a bid to tackle the climate crisis. Hursey is all set to talk to Deputy Chief of Mission Yael Lempert to discuss participating in the "Earth Day" on April 22 while also&nbsp;talking about the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland later in 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;

With Hursey's passion for&nbsp;climate change has caught the attention of many, the US Embassy had got in touch with her parents earlier this year, inviting the young table tennis sensation to work with US President Biden in his mission to fight the climate crisis.&nbsp;

"I was just at home, my parents just got a phone call and I was kind of like, what is this about? And they told me, but I was really excited," Hursey told CNN Sport.&nbsp;

Biden had signed an executive order, starting the 30-day process for the US to rejoin the Paris Agreement – an international accord to limit global warming – just after being sworn into office on January 20. Notably, the US had quit the agreement in 2020.&nbsp;

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"I feel so proud because President Biden can continue the great progress made by President Obama on the Paris agreement," said Hursey.&nbsp;

"I think President Biden is great, he clearly cares for people, not only for the US but for the world too. [His] new climate change agenda is very bold. To achieve zero emissions in America by 2050 is incredible."&nbsp;

At the age of 11, Hursey became the&nbsp;youngest&nbsp;ever to compete at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 but aims to win an Olympic medal. However, besides winning the coveted gold medal, Hursey's ambitions relay onto other aspects of the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"It means so much. I really want to win a medal in the Olympics," she said. "That would mean the world."&nbsp;

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"I think that loads of things are happening in the world, like earthquakes and hurricanes, and not everyone is taking notice of this. I think everyone should definitely take more notice and act upon it," she added.&nbsp;

"I think sportspeople have influence and many people play and watch sport and climate change is about caring for your family and friends. Everyone is affected by climate change and sport can definitely influence change.&nbsp;

"I would really just like to use my voice to tell people about climate change and hopefully they will take notice and act upon it."&nbsp;

Table tennis sensation Anna Hursey is making waves for her environmental advocacy with the 14-year-old set to help US President Joe Biden in a bid to tackle the climate crisis.

Table tennis sensation Anna Hursey is making waves for her environmental advocacy with the 14-year-old set to help US President Joe Biden in a bid to tackle the climate crisis. Hursey is all set to talk to Deputy Chief of Mission Yael Lempert to discuss participating in the "Earth Day" on April 22 while also talking about the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland later in 2021. With Hursey's passion for climate change has caught the attention of many, the US Embassy had got in touch with her parents earlier this year, inviting the young table tennis sensation to work with US President Biden in his mission to fight the climate crisis. "I was just at home, my parents just got a phone call and I was kind of like, what is this about? And they told me, but I was really excited," Hursey told CNN Sport. Biden had signed an executive order, starting the 30-day process for the US to rejoin the Paris Agreement – an international accord to limit global warming – just after being sworn into office on January 20. Notably, the US had quit the agreement in 2020. ALSO READ: Argentines bring legend Diego Maradona back to life with mosaics "I feel so proud because President Biden can continue the great progress made by President Obama on the Paris agreement," said Hursey. "I think President Biden is great, he clearly cares for people, not only for the US but for the world too. [His] new climate change agenda is very bold. To achieve zero emissions in America by 2050 is incredible." At the age of 11, Hursey became the youngest ever to compete at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 but aims to win an Olympic medal. However, besides winning the coveted gold medal, Hursey's ambitions relay onto other aspects of the world. "It means so much. I really want to win a medal in the Olympics," she said. "That would mean the world." ALSO READ: Golf star Tiger Woods transferred to Los Angeles hospital for further treatment "I think that loads of things are happening in the world, like earthquakes and hurricanes, and not everyone is taking notice of this. I think everyone should definitely take more notice and act upon it," she added. "I think sportspeople have influence and many people play and watch sport and climate change is about caring for your family and friends. Everyone is affected by climate change and sport can definitely influence change. "I would really just like to use my voice to tell people about climate change and hopefully they will take notice and act upon it."

Table tennis sensation Anna Hursey, 14, set to help US President Joe Biden fight climate crisis

The pitch of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for the pink-ball Test between India and England have been central to widespread debate over the few days.&nbsp;The third Test was over within two days with India outplaying the visitors and winning the match by a comfortable 10-wicket margin.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While the likes of Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan among other prominent former cricketers have&nbsp;criticised&nbsp;the Ahmedabad strip, Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has come to the support of the pitch as he said "everyone in the world seems to starts&nbsp;crying" as&nbsp;soon&nbsp;as the ball starts spinning.&nbsp;

England are even considering whether to lodge a formal complaint to the International Cricket Council (ICC) about the Ahmedabad pitch for the third Test.&nbsp;

Lyon, meanwhile, has said that the best thing about the pink-ball Test was that England opted with four seamers&nbsp;suggesting&nbsp;that the visitors read the conditions wrong.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"The best thing about this Test match that just passed is that England went in with four seamers," Lyon&nbsp;was quoted as saying by Cricket.com.au.&nbsp;

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"That will do me. I don't need to say any more."&nbsp;

Notably, Lyon had worked as a curator before embarking on his 100-Test journey which is still continuing. The veteran Aussie was gripped by the dominance of Ravichandran Ashwin and&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;Patel.&nbsp;

"I was up all night watching it," he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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"It was absolutely brilliant. I'm thinking about bringing that curator out to the SCG.&nbsp;We play on seaming wickets around the world and get bowled out for 47, 60. Nobody ever says a thing (about the pitch).&nbsp;But as soon as it starts spinning, everyone in the world seems to start crying about it.&nbsp;I don't get it. I'm all for it, it was entertaining."&nbsp;

Earlier on Saturday, Ravichandran Ashwin hit back at the pitch critics as he said:&nbsp; "I think I have said that in the past as well, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I am not here to say that your opinion is right and it is wrong. The fact remains that the talk about the surface is getting out of hand. Why would you talk about the surface and sell that to us time and time again? Is there any instance where the pitch has been talked about this much when we have played games in other countries," said Ashwin while replying to an ANI query during a virtual press conference on Saturday.

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"I somehow find it funny that when they speak about the surface, it immediately gets quoted all over in our press and this is the issue here. There have been instances, we have been to New Zealand, where both the Tests got over in a total of five days. There is a video doing the rounds where Virat Kohli is talking in South Africa and he says I am not here to talk about the pitch. That is how we have been taught to play cricket, that's why I say let them sell thoughts, buying is our choice," he added.

Meanwhile, for Australia's contention to be in the ICC World Test Championship final, England need to find the fourth Test against India, scheduled to be played at the same venue on Thursday.&nbsp;The result was a major blow to Australia's hopes of sneaking into the Test championship final.&nbsp;However, a win or a draw for India will ensure Virat Kohli &amp; Co's spot in the summit clash against New Zealand in England later in the year.&nbsp;

The pitch of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for the pink-ball Test between India and England have been central to widespread debate over the few days. The third Test was over within two days with India outplaying the visitors and winning the match by a comfortable 10-wicket margin.

The pitch of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for the pink-ball Test between India and England have been central to widespread debate over the few days. The third Test was over within two days with India outplaying the visitors and winning the match by a comfortable 10-wicket margin. While the likes of Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan among other prominent former cricketers have criticised the Ahmedabad strip, Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has come to the support of the pitch as he said "everyone in the world seems to starts crying" as soon as the ball starts spinning. England are even considering whether to lodge a formal complaint to the International Cricket Council (ICC) about the Ahmedabad pitch for the third Test. Lyon, meanwhile, has said that the best thing about the pink-ball Test was that England opted with four seamers suggesting that the visitors read the conditions wrong. "The best thing about this Test match that just passed is that England went in with four seamers," Lyon was quoted as saying by Cricket.com.au. ALSO READ: 'We must know what we should buy': Ravichandran Ashwin's explosive take on pitch criticism "That will do me. I don't need to say any more." Notably, Lyon had worked as a curator before embarking on his 100-Test journey which is still continuing. The veteran Aussie was gripped by the dominance of Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel. "I was up all night watching it," he said. ALSO READ: 'Guilty of thinking too far ahead': Ian Bell on England's rotation policy "It was absolutely brilliant. I'm thinking about bringing that curator out to the SCG. We play on seaming wickets around the world and get bowled out for 47, 60. Nobody ever says a thing (about the pitch). But as soon as it starts spinning, everyone in the world seems to start crying about it. I don't get it. I'm all for it, it was entertaining." Earlier on Saturday, Ravichandran Ashwin hit back at the pitch critics as he said: "I think I have said that in the past as well, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I am not here to say that your opinion is right and it is wrong. The fact remains that the talk about the surface is getting out of hand. Why would you talk about the surface and sell that to us time and time again? Is there any instance where the pitch has been talked about this much when we have played games in other countries," said Ashwin while replying to an ANI query during a virtual press conference on Saturday. ALSO READ: 'Looking after the groundsmen': Andrew Strauss slams Indian captain Virat Kohli "I somehow find it funny that when they speak about the surface, it immediately gets quoted all over in our press and this is the issue here. There have been instances, we have been to New Zealand, where both the Tests got over in a total of five days. There is a video doing the rounds where Virat Kohli is talking in South Africa and he says I am not here to talk about the pitch. That is how we have been taught to play cricket, that's why I say let them sell thoughts, buying is our choice," he added. Meanwhile, for Australia's contention to be in the ICC World Test Championship final, England need to find the fourth Test against India, scheduled to be played at the same venue on Thursday. The result was a major blow to Australia's hopes of sneaking into the Test championship final. However, a win or a draw for India will ensure Virat Kohli & Co's spot in the summit clash against New Zealand in England later in the year.

'Everyone in the world starts crying': Nathan Lyon gives his verdict on Ahmedabad pitch

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 19th goal this campaign but champions Juventus had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Hellas Verona in Serie A on Saturday.

The draw gives leaders Inter Milan the chance to pull 10 points clear of Juventus when they play mid-table Genoa at the San Siro on Sunday.

Juventus are third and three points adrift of second-placed AC Milan who travel to Roma, two points behind the champions in fourth, on Sunday.

"We managed to take the lead, which was the hardest part, it's a pity not being able to hold it," said Juve coach Andrea Pirlo.

Pirlo's side paid for their many absences and a redesigned defence with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini out injured and Danilo suspended.

Also missing were Juan Cuadrado, Arthur and Paulo Dybala to injury with Alvaro Morata recovering from a viral infection.

"We lacked experienced players, we had many youngsters on the pitch and there are details that they don't understand," continued Pirlo.

"I asked Ronaldo and Alex Sandro to make their voices heard, but it wasn't enough."

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and the post saved Juventus just minutes into the game at the Stadio Bentegodi following a Davide Faraoni header.

Ronaldo broke through four minutes after the break connecting with a perfect lay-off from Federico Chiesa to fire in.

Aaron Ramsey missed a chance for a second before the hour mark after a Dejan Kulusevski pull-back which the Verona defence closed down.

Antonin Barak headed in an equaliser with quarter of an hour to go and the hosts were denied a late winner with Szczesny deflecting a Darko Lazovic effort onto the crossbar.

<h2>- Immobile penalty miss -</h2>

Lazio's European ambitions took a knock with a 2-0 loss at Bologna, days after a heavy defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Ciro Immobile missed a penalty with goals in either half from Ibrahima Mbaye and Nicola Sansone sealing all three points for Bologna who snapped their 15-match winless league run against the Romans.

"The missed penalty set the tone for the game," said Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi.

Inzaghi's side showed signs of fatigue as they came off a 4-1 Champions League last 16, first leg loss to holders Bayern Munich.

"We must forget about these two defeats which hurt. An ambitious team like ours needs to roll up our sleeves and do better."

Lazio have lost momentum since losing to Inter Milan in the league two weeks ago, and next host Torino before travelling to Juventus.

Last season's European golden shoe winner Immobile had a chance to score from the spot after Joaquin Correa was tripped in the box with goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski easily holding the striker's weak effort.

And 11th-placed Bologna got the breakthrough two minutes later when Mbaye tapped in a rebound after Pepe Reina parried a Riccardo Orsolini volley.

Musa Barrow set up Sansone for the second after 64 minutes as Lazio's 19-game league scoring streak ended, two short of their record run in 1956.

Lazio stay sixth on 43 points and could also be overtaken by Napoli on Sunday, while European rivals Atalanta travel to Sampdoria.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 19th goal this campaign but champions Juventus had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Hellas Verona in Serie A on Saturday. The draw gives leaders Inter Milan the chance to pull 10 points clear of Juventus when they play mid-table Genoa at the San Siro on Sunday.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 19th goal this campaign but champions Juventus had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Hellas Verona in Serie A on Saturday. The draw gives leaders Inter Milan the chance to pull 10 points clear of Juventus when they play mid-table Genoa at the San Siro on Sunday. Juventus are third and three points adrift of second-placed AC Milan who travel to Roma, two points behind the champions in fourth, on Sunday. "We managed to take the lead, which was the hardest part, it's a pity not being able to hold it," said Juve coach Andrea Pirlo. Pirlo's side paid for their many absences and a redesigned defence with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini out injured and Danilo suspended. Also missing were Juan Cuadrado, Arthur and Paulo Dybala to injury with Alvaro Morata recovering from a viral infection. "We lacked experienced players, we had many youngsters on the pitch and there are details that they don't understand," continued Pirlo. "I asked Ronaldo and Alex Sandro to make their voices heard, but it wasn't enough." Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and the post saved Juventus just minutes into the game at the Stadio Bentegodi following a Davide Faraoni header. Ronaldo broke through four minutes after the break connecting with a perfect lay-off from Federico Chiesa to fire in. Aaron Ramsey missed a chance for a second before the hour mark after a Dejan Kulusevski pull-back which the Verona defence closed down. Antonin Barak headed in an equaliser with quarter of an hour to go and the hosts were denied a late winner with Szczesny deflecting a Darko Lazovic effort onto the crossbar. - Immobile penalty miss - Lazio's European ambitions took a knock with a 2-0 loss at Bologna, days after a heavy defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Ciro Immobile missed a penalty with goals in either half from Ibrahima Mbaye and Nicola Sansone sealing all three points for Bologna who snapped their 15-match winless league run against the Romans. "The missed penalty set the tone for the game," said Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi. Inzaghi's side showed signs of fatigue as they came off a 4-1 Champions League last 16, first leg loss to holders Bayern Munich. "We must forget about these two defeats which hurt. An ambitious team like ours needs to roll up our sleeves and do better." Lazio have lost momentum since losing to Inter Milan in the league two weeks ago, and next host Torino before travelling to Juventus. Last season's European golden shoe winner Immobile had a chance to score from the spot after Joaquin Correa was tripped in the box with goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski easily holding the striker's weak effort. And 11th-placed Bologna got the breakthrough two minutes later when Mbaye tapped in a rebound after Pepe Reina parried a Riccardo Orsolini volley. Musa Barrow set up Sansone for the second after 64 minutes as Lazio's 19-game league scoring streak ended, two short of their record run in 1956. Lazio stay sixth on 43 points and could also be overtaken by Napoli on Sunday, while European rivals Atalanta travel to Sampdoria.

Ronaldo scores as Juventus held in Verona

Barcelona reignited their title hopes after Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele scored in a 2-0 victory over Sevilla on Saturday to put them two points behind Atletico Madrid.&nbsp;

Atletico still have two games in hand, the first of those coming against sixth-placed Villarreal on Sunday, but a dip in form from La Liga's leaders has given their chasing rivals hope.&nbsp;

Barca looked dead and buried a few weeks ago but this was their ninth win out of 10 in La Liga, a surge that has put them back in contention, with Atletico playing against Real Madrid next weekend.

"We've taken some big hits and we have got up again," said Barca's Gerard Pique.&nbsp;

"Of course the title race is on, there is confidence and a lot of hope in this team."&nbsp;

Sevilla started the day as arguably the form team at the top, having won all of their last six league games, the last five of those without conceding a goal.&nbsp;

But they were second best at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, a dominant performance from Barcelona exposing them still as slightly short of Spain's top three.&nbsp;

It also creates an intriguing back-drop to Wednesday's Copa del Rey semi-final second leg when these two teams meet again, with Barca hoping to overturn a 2-0 deficit at Camp Nou.&nbsp;

Although Pedri and Ronald Araujo could be doubts after both were substituted in the second half with injury problems.&nbsp;

"We believe we can come back but Wednesday is a different game," said coach Ronald Koeman. "We have to play a perfect match, only then do we have a chance."

Koeman could well stick with his new 3-5-2 system, which saw Jordi Alba and Sergino Dest playing as wing-backs ahead of a back three and Dembele deployed up front alongside Messi.&nbsp;

Without Antoine Griezmann, who dropped to the bench, Koeman sacrificed some creativity in the final third for control through the middle, not to mention the threat of Dembele in behind.&nbsp;

Certainly for the best part of an hour Sevilla struggled to escape Barcelona's press or establish any sustained pressure, even after Julen Lopetegui introduced three substitutes at half-time and switched formation to match their opponents.&nbsp;

Marc-Andre ter Stegen was passed fit to play by the team doctor despite hurting his right thumb in the warm-up and in truth it was hardly tested in the first half.&nbsp;

Barca controlled the game and while Alba and Dest never really advanced as much as Koeman might have liked, Frenkie de Jong and Pedri were a constant threat through the middle, with the speedy Dembele just in front.&nbsp;

Chances, though, were few and far between and it took a counter-attack for Barcelona to take the lead.&nbsp;

Fernando gave the ball away cheaply up front and two passes were enough, Messi curling the decisive one through for Dembele to race clear and finish.&nbsp;

Lopegtegui reacted with three changes at half-time and two more after the hour but even by matching Barcelona's system, Sevilla struggled to gain a foothold.&nbsp;

Alba came up just short of De Jong's cross, Dest slammed against the post and Messi blazed over after another surge from Dembele.&nbsp;

One of Lopetegui's substitutes Youssef En-Nesyri had Sevilla's best chance but headed over.&nbsp;

Yet without a second goal, a nervy finale was always likely and En-Nesyri found the corner on the turn but had the goal ruled out for a handball, his tussle with Araujo seeing Barca's defender go off and he booted some chairs over in frustration.&nbsp;

But Sevilla's push was brief, ended by Messi with six minutes left.&nbsp;

He traded passes with Ilaix Moriba, nipped inside Diego Carlos and tried to finish with a chip. Bono saved but the ball came to Messi, one yard out.&nbsp;

Barcelona reignited their title hopes after Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele scored in a 2-0 victory over Sevilla on Saturday to put them two points behind Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona reignited their title hopes after Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele scored in a 2-0 victory over Sevilla on Saturday to put them two points behind Atletico Madrid. Atletico still have two games in hand, the first of those coming against sixth-placed Villarreal on Sunday, but a dip in form from La Liga's leaders has given their chasing rivals hope. Barca looked dead and buried a few weeks ago but this was their ninth win out of 10 in La Liga, a surge that has put them back in contention, with Atletico playing against Real Madrid next weekend. "We've taken some big hits and we have got up again," said Barca's Gerard Pique. "Of course the title race is on, there is confidence and a lot of hope in this team." Sevilla started the day as arguably the form team at the top, having won all of their last six league games, the last five of those without conceding a goal. But they were second best at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, a dominant performance from Barcelona exposing them still as slightly short of Spain's top three. It also creates an intriguing back-drop to Wednesday's Copa del Rey semi-final second leg when these two teams meet again, with Barca hoping to overturn a 2-0 deficit at Camp Nou. Although Pedri and Ronald Araujo could be doubts after both were substituted in the second half with injury problems. "We believe we can come back but Wednesday is a different game," said coach Ronald Koeman. "We have to play a perfect match, only then do we have a chance." Koeman could well stick with his new 3-5-2 system, which saw Jordi Alba and Sergino Dest playing as wing-backs ahead of a back three and Dembele deployed up front alongside Messi. Without Antoine Griezmann, who dropped to the bench, Koeman sacrificed some creativity in the final third for control through the middle, not to mention the threat of Dembele in behind. Certainly for the best part of an hour Sevilla struggled to escape Barcelona's press or establish any sustained pressure, even after Julen Lopetegui introduced three substitutes at half-time and switched formation to match their opponents. Marc-Andre ter Stegen was passed fit to play by the team doctor despite hurting his right thumb in the warm-up and in truth it was hardly tested in the first half. Barca controlled the game and while Alba and Dest never really advanced as much as Koeman might have liked, Frenkie de Jong and Pedri were a constant threat through the middle, with the speedy Dembele just in front. Chances, though, were few and far between and it took a counter-attack for Barcelona to take the lead. Fernando gave the ball away cheaply up front and two passes were enough, Messi curling the decisive one through for Dembele to race clear and finish. Lopegtegui reacted with three changes at half-time and two more after the hour but even by matching Barcelona's system, Sevilla struggled to gain a foothold. Alba came up just short of De Jong's cross, Dest slammed against the post and Messi blazed over after another surge from Dembele. One of Lopetegui's substitutes Youssef En-Nesyri had Sevilla's best chance but headed over. Yet without a second goal, a nervy finale was always likely and En-Nesyri found the corner on the turn but had the goal ruled out for a handball, his tussle with Araujo seeing Barca's defender go off and he booted some chairs over in frustration. But Sevilla's push was brief, ended by Messi with six minutes left. He traded passes with Ilaix Moriba, nipped inside Diego Carlos and tried to finish with a chip. Bono saved but the ball came to Messi, one yard out.

Barcelona brush aside Sevilla to reignite La Liga hopes

Manchester City's centre-backs Ruben Dias and John Stones both struck as the Premier League leaders beat West Ham 2-1 on Saturday, while West Brom enlivened the battle to beat the drop with a controversial 1-0 win over Brighton in which the Seagulls missed two penalties.

Pep Guardiola's men are now 13 points clear thanks to a 20-game winning run in all competitions that has seen them close in on an unprecedented quadruple of trophies.

For the first time in recent weeks, City showed signs of fatigue, though, and needed the dominant centre-back pairing that has been a huge part of their success defensively this season to also make their mark at the other end.

"After 10 or 15 minutes today we realised we were not going to paint anything beautiful," said Guardiola.&nbsp;

"When you play a lot of games - in the league and then the Champions League - this is normal. We were lucky to get all three points."

Kevin De Bruyne made just his second start since returning from a hamstring injury and the Belgian's teasing cross was powered home by Dias for his first City goal since joining from Benfica in September.

City had kept eight clean sheets in their previous 10 league games, but West Ham showed why they are fourth and pushing to edge out the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal to qualify for next season's Champions League.

"I'm really disappointed we didn't get a point," said West Ham boss David Moyes.&nbsp;

"It was a terrific performance. We came here and tried to match a top side - and for long periods we did."

Michail Antonio had already threatened an equaliser by hitting the post before he did level by tapping home Jesse Lingard's mishit shot just before half-time.

But City's determination to keep winning shone through in the second-half as Stones smashed home Riyad Mahrez's pass for the winner on 68 minutes.

<h2>- Blunder costs Brighton -</h2>

West Brom kept their hopes of avoiding the drop alive with just a second win in 13 games under Sam Allardyce in a match overshadowed by a surreal moment of refereeing by Lee Mason that cost Brighton an equaliser.

Kyle Bartley's early header gave West Brom the lead before Pascal Gross and Danny Welbeck both hit the woodwork either side of half-time from the penalty spot for the visitors.

Brighton did have the ball in the net when Lewis Dunk's quickly taken free-kick, after Mason had whistled for it to be taken, caught Sam Johnstone napping.&nbsp;

Mason initially did not award the goal before reversing his decision. However, after reviewing the incident on VAR, the goal was ruled out as the referee changed his mind for a second time.

"It's embarrassing, it's just a horrendous decision," said Dunk. "I said to the ref 'can I take it', he blew his whistle and I took it. I don't think he knew what he was doing."

In a statement, the Premier League said: "Referee Lee Mason has overturned the goal because the whistle had been blown a second time before the ball had crossed the line."

Victory for the Baggies hauls Allardyce's men to within eight points of safety, while Brighton remain just four points clear of the drop zone in 16th.

Newcastle are also now four points clear of the bottom three despite blowing the lead to draw 1-1 at home to Wolves.

Jamaal Lascelles's towering header put the Magpies in front before Ruben Neves equalised for Nuno Espirito Santo's men, who remain in 12th.

Aston Villa coped without the injured Jack Grealish and kept their bid for the top four alive with a 1-0 win at Leeds.

Anwar El Ghazi's early strike moved eighth-placed Villa to within six points of West Ham with two games in hand to come.

Manchester City's centre-backs Ruben Dias and John Stones both struck as the Premier League leaders beat West Ham 2-1 on Saturday, while West Brom enlivened the battle to beat the drop with a controversial 1-0 win over Brighton in which the Seagulls missed two penalties.

Manchester City's centre-backs Ruben Dias and John Stones both struck as the Premier League leaders beat West Ham 2-1 on Saturday, while West Brom enlivened the battle to beat the drop with a controversial 1-0 win over Brighton in which the Seagulls missed two penalties. Pep Guardiola's men are now 13 points clear thanks to a 20-game winning run in all competitions that has seen them close in on an unprecedented quadruple of trophies. For the first time in recent weeks, City showed signs of fatigue, though, and needed the dominant centre-back pairing that has been a huge part of their success defensively this season to also make their mark at the other end. "After 10 or 15 minutes today we realised we were not going to paint anything beautiful," said Guardiola. "When you play a lot of games - in the league and then the Champions League - this is normal. We were lucky to get all three points." Kevin De Bruyne made just his second start since returning from a hamstring injury and the Belgian's teasing cross was powered home by Dias for his first City goal since joining from Benfica in September. City had kept eight clean sheets in their previous 10 league games, but West Ham showed why they are fourth and pushing to edge out the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal to qualify for next season's Champions League. "I'm really disappointed we didn't get a point," said West Ham boss David Moyes. "It was a terrific performance. We came here and tried to match a top side - and for long periods we did." Michail Antonio had already threatened an equaliser by hitting the post before he did level by tapping home Jesse Lingard's mishit shot just before half-time. But City's determination to keep winning shone through in the second-half as Stones smashed home Riyad Mahrez's pass for the winner on 68 minutes. - Blunder costs Brighton - West Brom kept their hopes of avoiding the drop alive with just a second win in 13 games under Sam Allardyce in a match overshadowed by a surreal moment of refereeing by Lee Mason that cost Brighton an equaliser. Kyle Bartley's early header gave West Brom the lead before Pascal Gross and Danny Welbeck both hit the woodwork either side of half-time from the penalty spot for the visitors. Brighton did have the ball in the net when Lewis Dunk's quickly taken free-kick, after Mason had whistled for it to be taken, caught Sam Johnstone napping. Mason initially did not award the goal before reversing his decision. However, after reviewing the incident on VAR, the goal was ruled out as the referee changed his mind for a second time. "It's embarrassing, it's just a horrendous decision," said Dunk. "I said to the ref 'can I take it', he blew his whistle and I took it. I don't think he knew what he was doing." In a statement, the Premier League said: "Referee Lee Mason has overturned the goal because the whistle had been blown a second time before the ball had crossed the line." Victory for the Baggies hauls Allardyce's men to within eight points of safety, while Brighton remain just four points clear of the drop zone in 16th. Newcastle are also now four points clear of the bottom three despite blowing the lead to draw 1-1 at home to Wolves. Jamaal Lascelles's towering header put the Magpies in front before Ruben Neves equalised for Nuno Espirito Santo's men, who remain in 12th. Aston Villa coped without the injured Jack Grealish and kept their bid for the top four alive with a 1-0 win at Leeds. Anwar El Ghazi's early strike moved eighth-placed Villa to within six points of West Ham with two games in hand to come.

Man City stride clear, Brighton pay the penalty amid refereeing chaos

David Beckham says Inter Miami are ready to make big-name signings as they prepare for their second season in Major League Soccer under new coach Phil Neville.

Speaking Saturday at an event to launch Miami's new jersey, Inter co-owner Beckham said the club saw home-grown talent as the cornerstone of the franchise's long-term success.

However he acknowledged that Inter remained in the hunt for big-name players, citing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have both previously indicated interest in playing in MLS.

"I have said from day one that our academy system is a massive part of this club and if we can bring players through here that have lived and breathed Inter Miami then that is the goal," Beckham told AFP.

"But we also know that being in Miami, our fans want to see the big stars.

"We already have players like Gonzalo Higuain and Blaise Matuidi who add to the glitz and glamour but also going forward we want to have the opportunity to bring some great names in."

Asked about Messi and Ronaldo, Beckham refused to rule out a move for either player.

"The player has to be right for the team, still have ambition and want to win," Beckham said.&nbsp;

"So whatever player we talk to, we have to make sure that is a priority.&nbsp;

"Of course, we always want to bring in great players. Miami is a great pull for anyone and those kinds of players (Messi and Ronaldo) are the kind we aspire to bring here."

Beckham said Miami's recruitment policy took inspiration from his former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson.

"Sir Alex Ferguson was the master at choosing the right player, he didn't always bring the best player in the world, he brought the right player for the club and that is one of the things that I have taken into this place," he said.

Miami boss Neville has already added former Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross to his squad as well as Brazilian midfielder Gregore while talks with West Bromwich Albion full-back Kieran Gibbs continue.

David Beckham says Inter Miami are ready to make big-name signings as they prepare for their second season in Major League Soccer under new coach Phil Neville. Speaking Saturday at an event to launch Miami's new jersey, Inter co-owner Beckham said the club saw home-grown talent as the cornerstone of the franchise's long-term success.

David Beckham says Inter Miami are ready to make big-name signings as they prepare for their second season in Major League Soccer under new coach Phil Neville. Speaking Saturday at an event to launch Miami's new jersey, Inter co-owner Beckham said the club saw home-grown talent as the cornerstone of the franchise's long-term success. However he acknowledged that Inter remained in the hunt for big-name players, citing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have both previously indicated interest in playing in MLS. "I have said from day one that our academy system is a massive part of this club and if we can bring players through here that have lived and breathed Inter Miami then that is the goal," Beckham told AFP. "But we also know that being in Miami, our fans want to see the big stars. "We already have players like Gonzalo Higuain and Blaise Matuidi who add to the glitz and glamour but also going forward we want to have the opportunity to bring some great names in." Asked about Messi and Ronaldo, Beckham refused to rule out a move for either player. "The player has to be right for the team, still have ambition and want to win," Beckham said. "So whatever player we talk to, we have to make sure that is a priority. "Of course, we always want to bring in great players. Miami is a great pull for anyone and those kinds of players (Messi and Ronaldo) are the kind we aspire to bring here." Beckham said Miami's recruitment policy took inspiration from his former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson. "Sir Alex Ferguson was the master at choosing the right player, he didn't always bring the best player in the world, he brought the right player for the club and that is one of the things that I have taken into this place," he said. Miami boss Neville has already added former Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross to his squad as well as Brazilian midfielder Gregore while talks with West Bromwich Albion full-back Kieran Gibbs continue.

Miami ready for big-name signings - Beckham

Star Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Sunday pinned 2017 world champion V Kaladzinskay to grab a gold medal at the Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial tournament in Kiev, and returned to the mat in style after a long coronavirus-forced break.

Up against the world number seven Belarusian, it was not an easy bout for the world number three Indian as the two grapplers kept testing each other with consistent attacks in the sea-saw battle in which Vinesh prevailed.

Vinesh opened up a 4-0 lead in the 53kg final with a throw which she initiated with a left-leg attack but Kaladzinskay made it 4-4 with her brilliant move. Vinesh took the break leading 6-4, adding to her score with a take down, 10 seconds before the break.

The Belarusian put pressure on the Indian with another four-point throw but with 25 seconds to go, Vinesh's move fetched her four more points for a 10-8 lead. She got into a position from where she pinned Kaladzinskay to ensure herself a gold.

Since the coronavirus halted all competitions last year, it was the first competition for Vinesh, who is the only Indian woman wrestler to have qualified for the Tokyo Games. Asked about her defence, Vinesh's Belgian coach Woller Akos said he would speak only after he discusses the bout with his ward.

The next tournament for Vinesh is UWW ranking series event -- Matteo Pellicone in Italy, where fellow Tokyo Qualifiers Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya will also be seen in action from March 4-7.

Star Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Sunday pinned 2017 world champion V Kaladzinskay to grab a gold medal at the Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial tournament in Kiev, and returned to the mat in style after a long coronavirus-forced break.

Star Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Sunday pinned 2017 world champion V Kaladzinskay to grab a gold medal at the Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial tournament in Kiev, and returned to the mat in style after a long coronavirus-forced break. Up against the world number seven Belarusian, it was not an easy bout for the world number three Indian as the two grapplers kept testing each other with consistent attacks in the sea-saw battle in which Vinesh prevailed. Vinesh opened up a 4-0 lead in the 53kg final with a throw which she initiated with a left-leg attack but Kaladzinskay made it 4-4 with her brilliant move. Vinesh took the break leading 6-4, adding to her score with a take down, 10 seconds before the break. The Belarusian put pressure on the Indian with another four-point throw but with 25 seconds to go, Vinesh's move fetched her four more points for a 10-8 lead. She got into a position from where she pinned Kaladzinskay to ensure herself a gold. Since the coronavirus halted all competitions last year, it was the first competition for Vinesh, who is the only Indian woman wrestler to have qualified for the Tokyo Games. Asked about her defence, Vinesh's Belgian coach Woller Akos said he would speak only after he discusses the bout with his ward. The next tournament for Vinesh is UWW ranking series event -- Matteo Pellicone in Italy, where fellow Tokyo Qualifiers Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya will also be seen in action from March 4-7.

Vinesh Phogat pins former world champion to win gold at Ukraine Wresting Event

Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur may have to be with manager Jose Mourinho for a while as there is no break clause in his contract. Daniel Levy always wanted Mourinho to take the charge at his club and pounced on the chance when the 'Special One' was available while offering him a contract until 2023 worth a whopping&nbsp;£15&nbsp;million&nbsp;a&nbsp;season.&nbsp;

While Tottenham Hotspur were doing well under Mourinho till December, the London club has been on a crashing run of late&nbsp;spiralling&nbsp;them down in the points table. Since then, Mourinho has been under immense pressure with the club out of the title race.&nbsp;

According to a report in Daily Mail, Levy would have to shell out a massive&nbsp;£35&nbsp;million&nbsp;if he was to sack the former&nbsp;Real Madrid manager.&nbsp;&nbsp;

With Mourinho bagging a reported&nbsp;£290,000-a-week&nbsp;at Tottenham Hotspur,&nbsp;the London club would need to fork out&nbsp;£5m for the remainder of this season, as well as a further £30m for the next two&nbsp;seasons.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/man-city-stride-clear-brighton-pay-the-penalty-amid-refereeing-chaos-366746" hreflang="en">Man City stride clear, Brighton pay the penalty amid refereeing chaos</a>

However, the type of pay would be nothing new for the Portuguese who has earned&nbsp;£68m in compensation after being&nbsp;sacked by his former clubs&nbsp;Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid.&nbsp;

Interestingly, Tottenham Hotspur have just finished paying former boss Mauricio Pochettino, whom Mourinho replaced in the late stages of 2019.&nbsp;

Tottenham Hotspur faithful have already grown tired of Mourinho's defensive and unattractive football with the club dropping to ninth place in the standings following five defeats in their last six Premier League matches.&nbsp;

Reportedly, RB Leipzig manager Julian&nbsp;Nagelsmann&nbsp;is ready to accept an offer in Premier League and that has mounted even more pressure on Mourinho.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/monchi-speaks-to-wion-regarding-uefa-champions-league-and-en-nesyris-transfer-rumours-366477" hreflang="en">Monchi speaks to WION regarding UEFA Champions League and En-Nesyri's transfer rumours</a>

However, Mourinho remains&nbsp;confident&nbsp;over his future at the club.&nbsp;

“The problem is if you don’t have pressure,” Mourinho said.&nbsp;

“I felt in trouble when I was at home and did not have pressure for a few months.&nbsp;

“That’s the problem. It comes like oxygen, it is out life, I don’t think there is any coach in the world without objectives or any kind&nbsp;if&nbsp;pressure.&nbsp;

“You just get used to it and also used to the way the press is at the time, you just have to adapt to it.”&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur may have to be with manager Jose Mourinho for a while as there is no break clause in his contract. Daniel Levy always wanted Mourinho to take the charge at his club and pounced on the chance when the 'Special One' was available while offering him a contract until 2023 worth a whopping £15 million a season.

Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur may have to be with manager Jose Mourinho for a while as there is no break clause in his contract. Daniel Levy always wanted Mourinho to take the charge at his club and pounced on the chance when the 'Special One' was available while offering him a contract until 2023 worth a whopping £15 million a season. While Tottenham Hotspur were doing well under Mourinho till December, the London club has been on a crashing run of late spiralling them down in the points table. Since then, Mourinho has been under immense pressure with the club out of the title race. According to a report in Daily Mail, Levy would have to shell out a massive £35 million if he was to sack the former Real Madrid manager. With Mourinho bagging a reported £290,000-a-week at Tottenham Hotspur, the London club would need to fork out £5m for the remainder of this season, as well as a further £30m for the next two seasons. ALSO READ: Man City stride clear, Brighton pay the penalty amid refereeing chaos However, the type of pay would be nothing new for the Portuguese who has earned £68m in compensation after being sacked by his former clubs Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid. Interestingly, Tottenham Hotspur have just finished paying former boss Mauricio Pochettino, whom Mourinho replaced in the late stages of 2019. Tottenham Hotspur faithful have already grown tired of Mourinho's defensive and unattractive football with the club dropping to ninth place in the standings following five defeats in their last six Premier League matches. Reportedly, RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann is ready to accept an offer in Premier League and that has mounted even more pressure on Mourinho. ALSO READ: Monchi speaks to WION regarding UEFA Champions League and En-Nesyri's transfer rumours However, Mourinho remains confident over his future at the club. “The problem is if you don’t have pressure,” Mourinho said. “I felt in trouble when I was at home and did not have pressure for a few months. “That’s the problem. It comes like oxygen, it is out life, I don’t think there is any coach in the world without objectives or any kind if pressure. “You just get used to it and also used to the way the press is at the time, you just have to adapt to it.”

Tottenham Hotspur in dilemma over Jose Mourinho sacking due to to £35m contract clause

Wicket-keeper Ben Foakes on Sunday said that England are expecting a turning pitch for the fourth Test against India, scheduled to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad from March 4. India&nbsp;lead&nbsp;the four-Test series 2-1 after winning&nbsp;the last two matches by 317 runs and 10 wickets respectively.&nbsp;

The pink-ball Test turned up to be controversial with many former England cricketers and pundits&nbsp;criticising&nbsp;the pitch, which, according to them, turned from the first day. Ahead of the series decider&nbsp;between India and England, Foakes was pretty much clear in regards to what to expect from the pitch as the youngster said that the players know what they are going to get in Ahmedabad while adding that India are "pushing their conditions to the&nbsp;extremities.”&nbsp;

Foakes further said that England expect the ball to spin for the first delivery suggesting it is going to be another turner at the Narendra Modi Stadium.&nbsp;

"We know what we are going&nbsp;to&nbsp;get. They are pushing their conditions to the extremities. We know it's going to spin quite considerably from ball 1.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;it will&nbsp;be about trying&nbsp;and play well in those conditions,” Foakes said during a virtual press conference on Sunday.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/poor-pitch-in-ahmedabad-or-abysmal-batting-performance-366843" hreflang="en">Poor pitch in Ahmedabad or abysmal batting performance?</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It’s time for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pitchwatch?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pitchwatch</a> again ahead of the fourth <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvENG</a> Test in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ahmedabad?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ahmedabad</a>... <a href="https://t.co/rvczZyGbVX">pic.twitter.com/rvczZyGbVX</a>
— Brian Murgatroyd (@murgersb) <a href="https://twitter.com/murgersb/status/1365891760157679617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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When asked about his experience of wicket-keeping in Indian conditions, Foakes said he has never witnessed pitches like in the last two Test matches while saying they were the toughest&nbsp;games,&nbsp;he has kept wickets.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Last two matches have been the toughest I have kept at ever. With the ball skidding and spinning in the third Test, it was quite challenging,” Foakes quipped.&nbsp;

With India leading the series 2-1, Virat Kohli &amp; Co will push for a win to take the&nbsp;series 3-1. Foakes said if England can conclude the series at 2-2 then it will be a&nbsp;monumental achievement for the visitors.&nbsp;

"We are still in the series and if we can get a 2-2 result from here, In India, that will be an incredible&nbsp;achievement,” Foakes said.&nbsp;

Wicket-keeper Ben Foakes on Sunday said that England are expecting a turning pitch for the fourth Test against India, scheduled to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad from March 4.

Wicket-keeper Ben Foakes on Sunday said that England are expecting a turning pitch for the fourth Test against India, scheduled to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad from March 4. India lead the four-Test series 2-1 after winning the last two matches by 317 runs and 10 wickets respectively. The pink-ball Test turned up to be controversial with many former England cricketers and pundits criticising the pitch, which, according to them, turned from the first day. Ahead of the series decider between India and England, Foakes was pretty much clear in regards to what to expect from the pitch as the youngster said that the players know what they are going to get in Ahmedabad while adding that India are "pushing their conditions to the extremities.” Foakes further said that England expect the ball to spin for the first delivery suggesting it is going to be another turner at the Narendra Modi Stadium. "We know what we are going to get. They are pushing their conditions to the extremities. We know it's going to spin quite considerably from ball 1. So, it will be about trying and play well in those conditions,” Foakes said during a virtual press conference on Sunday. ALSO READ: Poor pitch in Ahmedabad or abysmal batting performance? It’s time for #pitchwatch again ahead of the fourth #INDvENG Test in #Ahmedabad... pic.twitter.com/rvczZyGbVX — Brian Murgatroyd (@murgersb) February 28, 2021 × When asked about his experience of wicket-keeping in Indian conditions, Foakes said he has never witnessed pitches like in the last two Test matches while saying they were the toughest games, he has kept wickets. "Last two matches have been the toughest I have kept at ever. With the ball skidding and spinning in the third Test, it was quite challenging,” Foakes quipped. With India leading the series 2-1, Virat Kohli & Co will push for a win to take the series 3-1. Foakes said if England can conclude the series at 2-2 then it will be a monumental achievement for the visitors. "We are still in the series and if we can get a 2-2 result from here, In India, that will be an incredible achievement,” Foakes said.

4th Test: India pushing conditions to extremities, ball will turn from ball one - Ben Foakes

Bundesliga club FC Schalke on Sunday sacked almost their complete sporting leadership group, including head coach Christian Gross, following an alleged player revolt after the German club's 16th&nbsp;league defeat took their season deeper into crisis.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

"The decision had become unavoidable after results against Dortmund and Stuttgart," said Schalke chairman Jens Buchta in a statement following Schalke's 5-1 loss to Stuttgart on Saturday, a week after a defeat&nbsp;to arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"The team now owe it to the club and the fans to be as successful as possible in the last third of the season."&nbsp;

&nbsp;Head coach Gross, sporting&nbsp;director Jochen Schneider and team&nbsp;co-ordinator&nbsp;Sascha Riether were all sacked from their respective roles in Sunday's mass clear out of FC Schalke. Gross’ assistant Rainer Widmayer and fitness coach Were&nbsp;Leuthard&nbsp;were also fired from their roles&nbsp;with the move coming with one-time giants Schalke lying bottom of the Bundesliga standings and nine points clear of safety after winning just one of their 23 league matches in the ongoing 2020-21 season.&nbsp;

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Schalke are now heading towards their first-ever relegation since 1988. Notably, they were playing Champions League football two seasons ago – making their dip even more shocking.&nbsp;

Gross took over Schalke just two months ago, taking over from interim coach Huub Stevens to&nbsp;become&nbsp;the club's fourth coach of the season.&nbsp;

While Gross won his second game in charge – defying a record-equalling&nbsp;54-year-old Bundesliga record of 31 matches without a win. However, he couldn't stop the downward spiral.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/man-city-stride-clear-brighton-pay-the-penalty-amid-refereeing-chaos-366746" hreflang="en">Man City stride clear, Brighton pay the penalty amid refereeing chaos</a>

Reports of player revolt against Gross came to light in the German media last week.&nbsp;Team&nbsp;co-ordinator&nbsp;Reither played down the speculations,&nbsp;saying it was "normal that players are disappointed"&nbsp;&nbsp;

However, both Gross and Reither were relieved of their duties on Sunday.&nbsp;The club has already begun to rebuild for the second division, handing over squad planning duties to loan director Mike&nbsp;Bueskens&nbsp;and youth director Peter Knaebel.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A replacement for Gross as head coach is yet to be announced.&nbsp;

Bundesliga club FC Schalke on Sunday sacked almost their complete sporting leadership group, including head coach Christian Gross, following an alleged player revolt after the German club's 16th league defeat took their season deeper into crisis.

Bundesliga club FC Schalke on Sunday sacked almost their complete sporting leadership group, including head coach Christian Gross, following an alleged player revolt after the German club's 16th league defeat took their season deeper into crisis. "The decision had become unavoidable after results against Dortmund and Stuttgart," said Schalke chairman Jens Buchta in a statement following Schalke's 5-1 loss to Stuttgart on Saturday, a week after a defeat to arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund. "The team now owe it to the club and the fans to be as successful as possible in the last third of the season." Head coach Gross, sporting director Jochen Schneider and team co-ordinator Sascha Riether were all sacked from their respective roles in Sunday's mass clear out of FC Schalke. Gross’ assistant Rainer Widmayer and fitness coach Were Leuthard were also fired from their roles with the move coming with one-time giants Schalke lying bottom of the Bundesliga standings and nine points clear of safety after winning just one of their 23 league matches in the ongoing 2020-21 season. ALSO READ: Table tennis sensation Anna Hursey, 14, set to help US President Joe Biden fight climate crisis Schalke are now heading towards their first-ever relegation since 1988. Notably, they were playing Champions League football two seasons ago – making their dip even more shocking. Gross took over Schalke just two months ago, taking over from interim coach Huub Stevens to become the club's fourth coach of the season. While Gross won his second game in charge – defying a record-equalling 54-year-old Bundesliga record of 31 matches without a win. However, he couldn't stop the downward spiral. ALSO READ: Man City stride clear, Brighton pay the penalty amid refereeing chaos Reports of player revolt against Gross came to light in the German media last week. Team co-ordinator Reither played down the speculations, saying it was "normal that players are disappointed" However, both Gross and Reither were relieved of their duties on Sunday. The club has already begun to rebuild for the second division, handing over squad planning duties to loan director Mike Bueskens and youth director Peter Knaebel. A replacement for Gross as head coach is yet to be announced.

Relegation-bound FC Schalke 04 sack coach Gross in major clear out

England started the four-Test series against India with a thumping 227-run win in Chennai&nbsp;and the&nbsp;visitors including former English cricketers&nbsp;were&nbsp;ecstatic&nbsp;over the accomplishments achieved by the Joe Root-led outfit in Asian conditions.&nbsp;However, things changed&nbsp;drastically&nbsp;as India reverted to their preferred choice of pitches. Praises turned into criticism&nbsp;but interestingly,&nbsp;the critics have been more interested in the pitch while ignoring the poor batting on display – mainly by the England batsmen.&nbsp;In the second Test in Chennai, England suffered a thrashing of 317 runs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While voices started to echo about the ‘rank turner and 'dustbowl’,&nbsp;they mostly remained&nbsp;suppressed&nbsp;due to the fact that&nbsp;two Indian batsmen (Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin) scored a century each while three (Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli) ended up bagging half-centuries in the match.&nbsp;Compare that with England's performance, their highest scorers over the second Chennai Test were Moeen Ali (43) and Ben Foakes (42). England's struggle against spin was evident at the MA Chidambaram Stadium as it was exploited by the likes of&nbsp;Lasith&nbsp;Embuldeniya&nbsp;in Sri Lanka.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The focus shifted to the world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, which just before hosting its first-ever Test match after being refurbished completely&nbsp;was named after India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As the grandeur of the 1.32 lakh capacity Narendra Modi Stadium set in on a hot afternoon in Ahmedabad for the pink-ball Test, England skipper Joe Root&nbsp;quickly opted to bat first after winning the coin flip.&nbsp;

What followed was sheer domination by Indian spinners&nbsp;–&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin&nbsp;-&nbsp;as the duo scalped 18 out of the 20 England wickets to wrap up the game in just two days.&nbsp;While critics, mostly non-Indians were quick to point all their fingers towards the pitch of the Narendra Modi Stadium, it seemed like there was a sense of sheer ignorance&nbsp;over England's abysmal batting performance&nbsp;or over the fact that there have been only 16 Day/Night Tests so far in international cricket and the chances are likely,&nbsp;that due to lack of matches in pink-ball under the lights,&nbsp;players can end up struggling.&nbsp;

It was clear with the way both India and England lined up for the match. While England went with three pacers excluding Ben Stokes, India went with three spin options with Ashwin,&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;and Washington Sundar at the helm. One could say, England&nbsp;failed to read the conditions like many other teams have done over the past when playing matches in England, Australia, South Africa or any other country and went on to lose the game. But the critics chose to blame the pitch, urging ICC to dock points&nbsp;for India, even when there was no drastic turn on offer&nbsp;on&nbsp;the Ahmedabad strip.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The likes of&nbsp;Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan,&nbsp;Monty Panesar, David Llyod among other notable voices in cricket fraternity chose to lambast India's&nbsp;choice of pitches when it comes to playing Test matches&nbsp;but interestingly, none of them had&nbsp;an issue when the ball was seaming around for four days during the West Indies’ tour of England in the year 2020.&nbsp;But the outcry isn't surprising, remember the reactions when Ashwin decided to run-out (Mankad) England batsman Jos Buttler in IPL? One could understand what Ashwin meant with the series of tweets he put out recently.

IN PICS:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/team-india-beat-england-in-pink-ball-test-at-worlds-largest-cricket-stadium-366282" hreflang="en">Team India beat England in pink-ball Test at world's largest cricket stadium</a>

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Products are sold using various marketing strategies and that’s an accepted practice! We now live in an era where ideas are also being sold to us and it’s a classic example of “outbound marketing”, however I would like to add that buying ideas being sold to us is like telling us
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99/status/1365194203219722240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Finally. We can always have and stand by our opinions even if it’s against the majority as long as we know that it is our own and not the one thats been sold to us! 
 
“The choice is always ours”
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99/status/1365194208059879427?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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More interestingly, no one had&nbsp;an issue&nbsp;when New Zealand prepared&nbsp;'green mambas’&nbsp;when they hosted the likes of India (in February 2020), West Indies (in December 2020) and recently Pakistan (in December-January 2020-21).&nbsp;The argument came, the live grass was "deceptive" in nature.&nbsp;While the visiting teams struggled,&nbsp;New Zealand&nbsp;were sublime in their home conditions and bagged results that ensured a spot in the final of the ICC World Test Championship. It seems like everyone loves a packed slip cordon when Tests are being played in England and Australia but get frustrated to see close-in fielders coming in early in India.

Critics came out from their caves on the top of their voices as soon as Indian spinners started to bamboozle England batsmen.&nbsp;What should have been a good debate, turned out to be an outcry. So much so,&nbsp;that veteran spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon came out to express their views on the matter.&nbsp;Ashwin came out all guns blazing in a press conference, dated February 27, two days after the third Ahmedabad Test was wrapped up.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/everyone-in-the-world-starts-crying-nathan-lyon-gives-his-verdict-on-ahmedabad-pitch-366756" hreflang="en">'Everyone in the world starts crying': Nathan Lyon gives his verdict on Ahmedabad pitch</a>

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Entertaining .. YES .. but this is a awful pitch for Test cricket .. !!!! Complete lottery on day 2 !! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvENG</a>
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelVaughan/status/1364916182588010496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"I have said that in the past as well, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I am not here to say that your opinion is right and it is wrong. The fact remains that the talk about the surface is getting out of hand. Why would you talk about the surface and sell that to us time and time again? Is there any instance where the pitch has been talked about this much when we have played games in other countries," Ashwin addressed the virtual press conference&nbsp;attended by both UK and Indian&nbsp;media.&nbsp;

"I somehow find it funny that when they speak about the surface, it immediately gets quoted all over in our press and this is the issue here. There have been instances, we have been to New Zealand, where both the Tests got over in a total of five days. There is a video doing the rounds where Virat Kohli is talking in South Africa and he says I am not here to talk about the pitch. That is how we have been taught to play cricket, that's why I say let them sell thoughts, buying is our choice.&nbsp;

"The bowler wins the&nbsp;game,&nbsp;the batsmen need to bat well to score runs. Who defines what a good surface is? Seam on the first day, then bat well in the next couple of days and spin on the last two days, come on, who makes these rules? We need to get over it and if you are asking whether the pitch in the third Test was a good surface, I do not see any players of England coming out and complaining. You should be hoping for a good cricket match, not the surface."&nbsp;

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🗣️ 🗣️ "We have never complained about the pitch in the past."<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a>'s ace spinner <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ashwinravi99</a> sets the record straight.<a href="https://twitter.com/Paytm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Paytm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvENG</a> <a href="https://t.co/K2V4OvBQDn">pic.twitter.com/K2V4OvBQDn</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1365658192554852353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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India planned well,&nbsp;utilised&nbsp;their resources to perfection, brought&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;Patel into the action&nbsp;with the ball, in the sixth over of the match,&nbsp;in a bid to trouble the England batsmen with that extra lacquer on the pink-ball. The plan&nbsp;should have been branded a "masterpiece"&nbsp;but then&nbsp;a terrific performance was diverted by the pundits towards the pitch, which they termed&nbsp;"lacklustre"&nbsp;and&nbsp;"poor advertisement"&nbsp;for Test cricket.&nbsp;&nbsp;

But they should, at the same time, look at the batting display by the England batsmen as well. Even Indian batsmen were poor with their footwork and shot selection in the third Test, which was pointed out by Virat Kohli during the post-match presentation. But&nbsp;the likes of Andrew Strauss thought the Indian skipper was defending the pitch as if it is a BCCI style.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“To be honest, I don't think the quality of batting was up to standards. We were 100 for 3 and then got bowled out for less than 150. It was just the oddball turning and it was a good wicket to bat in the first innings. It was&nbsp;bizarre&nbsp;that 21 of the 30 wickets fell to straight balls, Test cricket is about trusting your&nbsp;defence. Lack of application ensured it was a quick finish,” the Indian skipper had said.&nbsp;

Kohli was&nbsp;correct to some extent. Experienced English batsman Jonny Bairstow missed straight deliveries in both innings by&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;Patel to bag a pair.&nbsp;

Half of the Englishmen were anticipating spin as they&nbsp;threw their wickets away to&nbsp;Axar, who was simply relentless with his line and length after getting a hang of the wicket&nbsp;quickly&nbsp;on his local ground. He didn't spin the ball much or neither did the pitch assist him in getting&nbsp;big turns.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<img alt="India vs England, 3rd Test (Photo: BCCI)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e0f7b783-4d84-41b1-a7cc-9a50b6e141cc" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/IND-ENG-1.JPG" />
And for Bairstow's technique in the second innings, the gap between the pad and bat was wider than&nbsp;road twists at Monaco Grand Prix. Like Bairstow, every England batters’ technique was flawed as they pressed&nbsp;forward and anticipated spin despite the ball skidding on. Poor cricket? Yes.&nbsp;

It was just the case of extra lacquer of the pink-ball or 'glare' as&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;said in a post-day press conference, helping the ball skid and rush the batters. For the visitors, they kept on missing the line of the stumps. The&nbsp;much-talked-about&nbsp;umpires’ call did help the Indians get some of those wickets.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Even the Indian batsmen missed deliveries by Jack Leach which didn't spin much. The case of inexperience in the pink-ball Test comes into play here and not only for India but for England as well.&nbsp;But the critics chose to blame the curator, the BCCI for “not ready for Test cricket” pitch.&nbsp;&nbsp;

And for those&nbsp;urging ICC to rate the pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium as ‘poor' or 'below average’, they must read the rating rules put in place by the ICC.&nbsp;&nbsp;

For a pitch to&nbsp;be rated as 'poor',&nbsp;it needs to offer excessive spin movement early in the match or excessive unevenness of bounce. For a pitch to be rated as ‘below average', the strip needs to offer either very little carry/or bounce or&nbsp;occasional&nbsp;variable&nbsp;bounce/carry.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Was there an excessive spin on offer on Day 1 and Day 2 of the pitch? No. Only Joe Root, with his sidearm action, zipped through and got a few deliveries to spin. Ashwin,&nbsp;Axar&nbsp;and Leach&nbsp;occasionally&nbsp;bowled some deliveries that spun sharply. But it was inconsistent and something for which one can't rate the pitch as poor.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One could understand the frustration of broadcasters who shell out a heavy sum&nbsp;and expect full five days of Test cricket. But teams play to win and it is not the players’ fault if the opposition batsmen are missing straight deliveries and displaying a poor sense of cricketing technique.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dom Sibley's dismissal in the second innings sums up how the Englishmen applied themselves. To try and play against the line of the ball with little or no technique – against a bowler who picked up six wickets in the first innings&nbsp;–&nbsp;is super ambitious. Is that acceptable? Maybe a few former English cricketers could&nbsp;analyse&nbsp;and answer that.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Test cricket is regarded as the toughest format of the game. When Asian teams visit countries like England, Australia, South Africa – it is built up as a test of their temperament and technique.&nbsp;The same is said when SENA teams visit Asian conditions but following some poor performances, the focus doesn't remain on&nbsp;cricket,&nbsp;it gets diverted towards the pitch and conditions.&nbsp;

Maybe it is time when some critics start following what a great man once said, "focus on cricket, not on pitches”.

&nbsp;

England started the four-Test series against India with a thumping 227-run win in Chennai and the visitors including former English cricketers were ecstatic over the accomplishments achieved by the Joe Root-led outfit in Asian conditions.

England started the four-Test series against India with a thumping 227-run win in Chennai and the visitors including former English cricketers were ecstatic over the accomplishments achieved by the Joe Root-led outfit in Asian conditions. However, things changed drastically as India reverted to their preferred choice of pitches. Praises turned into criticism but interestingly, the critics have been more interested in the pitch while ignoring the poor batting on display – mainly by the England batsmen. In the second Test in Chennai, England suffered a thrashing of 317 runs. While voices started to echo about the ‘rank turner and 'dustbowl’, they mostly remained suppressed due to the fact that two Indian batsmen (Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin) scored a century each while three (Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli) ended up bagging half-centuries in the match. Compare that with England's performance, their highest scorers over the second Chennai Test were Moeen Ali (43) and Ben Foakes (42). England's struggle against spin was evident at the MA Chidambaram Stadium as it was exploited by the likes of Lasith Embuldeniya in Sri Lanka. The focus shifted to the world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, which just before hosting its first-ever Test match after being refurbished completely was named after India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As the grandeur of the 1.32 lakh capacity Narendra Modi Stadium set in on a hot afternoon in Ahmedabad for the pink-ball Test, England skipper Joe Root quickly opted to bat first after winning the coin flip. What followed was sheer domination by Indian spinners – Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin - as the duo scalped 18 out of the 20 England wickets to wrap up the game in just two days. While critics, mostly non-Indians were quick to point all their fingers towards the pitch of the Narendra Modi Stadium, it seemed like there was a sense of sheer ignorance over England's abysmal batting performance or over the fact that there have been only 16 Day/Night Tests so far in international cricket and the chances are likely, that due to lack of matches in pink-ball under the lights, players can end up struggling. It was clear with the way both India and England lined up for the match. While England went with three pacers excluding Ben Stokes, India went with three spin options with Ashwin, Axar and Washington Sundar at the helm. One could say, England failed to read the conditions like many other teams have done over the past when playing matches in England, Australia, South Africa or any other country and went on to lose the game. But the critics chose to blame the pitch, urging ICC to dock points for India, even when there was no drastic turn on offer on the Ahmedabad strip. The likes of Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan, Monty Panesar, David Llyod among other notable voices in cricket fraternity chose to lambast India's choice of pitches when it comes to playing Test matches but interestingly, none of them had an issue when the ball was seaming around for four days during the West Indies’ tour of England in the year 2020. But the outcry isn't surprising, remember the reactions when Ashwin decided to run-out (Mankad) England batsman Jos Buttler in IPL? One could understand what Ashwin meant with the series of tweets he put out recently. IN PICS: Team India beat England in pink-ball Test at world's largest cricket stadium Products are sold using various marketing strategies and that’s an accepted practice! We now live in an era where ideas are also being sold to us and it’s a classic example of “outbound marketing”, however I would like to add that buying ideas being sold to us is like telling us — Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) February 26, 2021 × Finally. We can always have and stand by our opinions even if it’s against the majority as long as we know that it is our own and not the one thats been sold to us! “The choice is always ours” — Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) February 26, 2021 × More interestingly, no one had an issue when New Zealand prepared 'green mambas’ when they hosted the likes of India (in February 2020), West Indies (in December 2020) and recently Pakistan (in December-January 2020-21). The argument came, the live grass was "deceptive" in nature. While the visiting teams struggled, New Zealand were sublime in their home conditions and bagged results that ensured a spot in the final of the ICC World Test Championship. It seems like everyone loves a packed slip cordon when Tests are being played in England and Australia but get frustrated to see close-in fielders coming in early in India. Critics came out from their caves on the top of their voices as soon as Indian spinners started to bamboozle England batsmen. What should have been a good debate, turned out to be an outcry. So much so, that veteran spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon came out to express their views on the matter. Ashwin came out all guns blazing in a press conference, dated February 27, two days after the third Ahmedabad Test was wrapped up. ALSO READ: 'Everyone in the world starts crying': Nathan Lyon gives his verdict on Ahmedabad pitch Entertaining .. YES .. but this is a awful pitch for Test cricket .. !!!! Complete lottery on day 2 !! #INDvENG — Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 25, 2021 × "I have said that in the past as well, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I am not here to say that your opinion is right and it is wrong. The fact remains that the talk about the surface is getting out of hand. Why would you talk about the surface and sell that to us time and time again? Is there any instance where the pitch has been talked about this much when we have played games in other countries," Ashwin addressed the virtual press conference attended by both UK and Indian media. "I somehow find it funny that when they speak about the surface, it immediately gets quoted all over in our press and this is the issue here. There have been instances, we have been to New Zealand, where both the Tests got over in a total of five days. There is a video doing the rounds where Virat Kohli is talking in South Africa and he says I am not here to talk about the pitch. That is how we have been taught to play cricket, that's why I say let them sell thoughts, buying is our choice. "The bowler wins the game, the batsmen need to bat well to score runs. Who defines what a good surface is? Seam on the first day, then bat well in the next couple of days and spin on the last two days, come on, who makes these rules? We need to get over it and if you are asking whether the pitch in the third Test was a good surface, I do not see any players of England coming out and complaining. You should be hoping for a good cricket match, not the surface." 🗣️ 🗣️ "We have never complained about the pitch in the past."#TeamIndia's ace spinner @ashwinravi99 sets the record straight.@Paytm #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/K2V4OvBQDn — BCCI (@BCCI) February 27, 2021 × India planned well, utilised their resources to perfection, brought Axar Patel into the action with the ball, in the sixth over of the match, in a bid to trouble the England batsmen with that extra lacquer on the pink-ball. The plan should have been branded a "masterpiece" but then a terrific performance was diverted by the pundits towards the pitch, which they termed "lacklustre" and "poor advertisement" for Test cricket. But they should, at the same time, look at the batting display by the England batsmen as well. Even Indian batsmen were poor with their footwork and shot selection in the third Test, which was pointed out by Virat Kohli during the post-match presentation. But the likes of Andrew Strauss thought the Indian skipper was defending the pitch as if it is a BCCI style. “To be honest, I don't think the quality of batting was up to standards. We were 100 for 3 and then got bowled out for less than 150. It was just the oddball turning and it was a good wicket to bat in the first innings. It was bizarre that 21 of the 30 wickets fell to straight balls, Test cricket is about trusting your defence. Lack of application ensured it was a quick finish,” the Indian skipper had said. Kohli was correct to some extent. Experienced English batsman Jonny Bairstow missed straight deliveries in both innings by Axar Patel to bag a pair. Half of the Englishmen were anticipating spin as they threw their wickets away to Axar, who was simply relentless with his line and length after getting a hang of the wicket quickly on his local ground. He didn't spin the ball much or neither did the pitch assist him in getting big turns. And for Bairstow's technique in the second innings, the gap between the pad and bat was wider than road twists at Monaco Grand Prix. Like Bairstow, every England batters’ technique was flawed as they pressed forward and anticipated spin despite the ball skidding on. Poor cricket? Yes. It was just the case of extra lacquer of the pink-ball or 'glare' as Axar said in a post-day press conference, helping the ball skid and rush the batters. For the visitors, they kept on missing the line of the stumps. The much-talked-about umpires’ call did help the Indians get some of those wickets. Even the Indian batsmen missed deliveries by Jack Leach which didn't spin much. The case of inexperience in the pink-ball Test comes into play here and not only for India but for England as well. But the critics chose to blame the curator, the BCCI for “not ready for Test cricket” pitch. And for those urging ICC to rate the pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium as ‘poor' or 'below average’, they must read the rating rules put in place by the ICC. For a pitch to be rated as 'poor', it needs to offer excessive spin movement early in the match or excessive unevenness of bounce. For a pitch to be rated as ‘below average', the strip needs to offer either very little carry/or bounce or occasional variable bounce/carry. Was there an excessive spin on offer on Day 1 and Day 2 of the pitch? No. Only Joe Root, with his sidearm action, zipped through and got a few deliveries to spin. Ashwin, Axar and Leach occasionally bowled some deliveries that spun sharply. But it was inconsistent and something for which one can't rate the pitch as poor. One could understand the frustration of broadcasters who shell out a heavy sum and expect full five days of Test cricket. But teams play to win and it is not the players’ fault if the opposition batsmen are missing straight deliveries and displaying a poor sense of cricketing technique. Dom Sibley's dismissal in the second innings sums up how the Englishmen applied themselves. To try and play against the line of the ball with little or no technique – against a bowler who picked up six wickets in the first innings – is super ambitious. Is that acceptable? Maybe a few former English cricketers could analyse and answer that. Test cricket is regarded as the toughest format of the game. When Asian teams visit countries like England, Australia, South Africa – it is built up as a test of their temperament and technique. The same is said when SENA teams visit Asian conditions but following some poor performances, the focus doesn't remain on cricket, it gets diverted towards the pitch and conditions. Maybe it is time when some critics start following what a great man once said, "focus on cricket, not on pitches”.

Poor pitch in Ahmedabad or abysmal batting performance?

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