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How to watch Bologna against AC Milan in Serie A in the USA, as well as the kick-off time and team news.

AC Milan shift their focus to Serie A where they take on a prime Bologna side at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on Saturday.

💻 Watch Bologna vs AC Milan live on Paramount+ today!

The Rossoneri will aim to return to winning ways in the domestic circuit after beating Napoli in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, as Stefano Pioli's men look to hang on to their top-four spot in Serie A.

However, the hosts pose themselves as tricky customers after scoring five and conceding none in their last two league outings including the previous weekend's 2-0 win at Atalanta.

GOAL brings you details on how to watch the game on TV in the U.S. as well as how to stream it live online.

GettyKick-off timeGame:Bologna vs AC MilanDate:April 15, 2023Kick-off:9am EDTVenue:Renato Dall'Ara

The game is scheduled for April 15, 2023, at the Renato Dall'Ara stadium in Bologna, Italy.

It will kick off at 9am EDT in the USA.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesHow to watch Bologna vs AC Milan online – TV channels & live streamsTV channels & streaming options

Country TV channel Live stream

U.S.N/AParamount+

In the United States (USA), the game can be watched live on Paramount+.

(C)Getty ImagesTeam news & squadsBologna team news

Roberto Soriano could be out of action for over a month after picking up an injury against Atalanta, with Marko Arnautovic to remain sidelined, while Riccardo Orsolini is out suspended.

Bologna boss Thiago Motta would be looking towardsMichel Aebischer to replace Soriano on the right flank, as Musa Barrow continues in attack.

Bologna possible XI: Skorupski; Posch, Lucumi, Soumaoro, Kyriakopoulos; Schouten, Dominguez; Aebischer, Ferguson, Barrow; Sansone

Position Players

GoalkeepersSkorupski, Bardi, Ravaglia, BagnoliniDefendersPosch, Lucumi, Soumaoro, Bonifazi, Sosa, Amey, Cambiaso, Kyriakopoulos, Lykogiannis, De SilvestriMidfieldersSchouten, Moro, Medel, Urbanski, Dominguez, Ferguson, Aebischer, Pyyhtia, Barrow, Sansone, OkwonkwoForwardsZirkzee, RaimondoAC Milan team news

Stefano Pioli may resort to resting his key players for the trip to Naples in midweek.

As such, Malick Thiaw can see himself start in place of Simon Kjaer at the back, while Divock Origi is likely to be handed the goalscoring responsibility from Olivier Giroud.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is out injured.

AC Milan possible XI: Maignan; Kalulu, Tomori, Thiaw, Ballo-Toure; Krunic, Pobega; Saelemaekers, De Ketelaere, Rebic; Origi

Position Players

GoalkeepersMaignan, Tatarusanu, Vasquez, MiranteDefendersTomori, Kalulu, Gabbia, Thiaw, Kjaer, Hernandez, Ballo-Toure, Calabria, Dest, FlorenziMidfieldersTonali, Bennacer, Bakayoko, Pobega, Vranckx, Krunic, De Ketelaere, Diaz, AdliForwardsGiroud, Rebic, Leao, Origi, Messias, Saelemaekers, RobackHead-to-head record

Date Result Competition

August 28, 2022AC Milan 2-0 BolognaSerie AApril 5, 2022AC Milan 0-0 BolognaSerie AOctober 24, 2021Bologna 2-4 AC MilanSerie AJanuary 30, 2021Bologna 1-2 AC MilanSerie ASeptember 22, 2020AC Milan 2-0 BolognaSerie AENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Serie A top scorers 2022-23 ⚽

The Blues were made to work hard for their 2-1 victory but their superior quality was evident in the terrific goals they scored.

Chelsea are through to the knockout stage of the Champions League, and in fine fashion.

The Blues were made to work hard for their decisive 2-1 win over Red Bull Salzburg but, in the end, their quality shone through, with Mateo Kovacic and Kai Havertz both scoring stunners.

After an inauspicious start, Chelsea seized control of the game, taking the lead when Kovacic instinctively swept a loose ball into the top corner from the edge of the box midway through the first half.

The visitors continued to dominate possession but were pegged back early in the second period when Salzburg striker Junior Adamu expertly converted a pinpoint cross.

After Jorginho had seen an effort cleared off the line, Havertz produced a sensational winner, controlling the ball on the edge of the box before curling a sublime strike in off the underside of the crossbar.

Below, GOAL runs through the winners and losers from a crucial win for Chelsea in Austria…

GettyThe Winners

Mateo Kovacic:

Kovacic's game has lacked goals for as long as he's been at Chelsea, but the Croatian gave another tantalising glimpse of the player he be with a fantastic all-round display. His goal was instinctive and brilliant, sweeping the ball into the roof of the net first-time from the edge of the box. Always on the front foot, he was absolutely everywhere.

Kai Havertz:

Another player who doesn't contribute enough in a goalscoring sense, but the man who has netted a Champions League-winning goal came up trumps once again when Chelsea needed it most. It was a peach of a strike, too, with the curling effort kissing the crossbar on its way in. It was a much improved display in general, with his intelligent runs causing plenty of issues for the home side's defence.

Trevoh Chalobah:

Chalobah really is doing his chances of breaking into Gareth Southgate's England squad no harm at all. Another astute display at centre-back alongside Thiago Silva, Chalobah looked as comfortable at this level as his decorated team-mate. Chelsea still haven't lost a game he's started. It would surely be remiss for England to overlook him for much longer.

AdvertisementGettyThe Losers

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang:

This would have been a far more comfortable evening for Chelsea had their No.9 taken his chances. After he'd seen a deflected header brilliantly saved, Aubameyang spurned a glorious opportunity one-v-one when he was played in by Havertz, taking an age to pick his spot and seeing his effort smothered by Salzburg keeper Philipp Kohn.

Philipp Kohn:

Speaking of Kohn, the stopper was outstanding and only finds himself among the losers because he was on the losing side. The German made a string of fine saves, including from Aubameyang and Havertz, which ultimately kept his side in the game. Basically, Kohn deserved better from those in front of him.

Christoph Freund:

The Red Bull Salzburg sporting director came close to becoming a part of Todd Boehly's new-look boardroom at Stamford Bridge back in September but opted to remain in Austria despite holding talks. This result may come as a bitter pill to swallow as a result, especially given he cited Salzburg's Champions League campaign as one of his reasons for staying put. Salzburg now face an uphill task to qualify as they face Milan in their final group game.

GettyChelsea ratings: Defence

Kepa Arrizabalaga (6/10):

Quiet night before being beaten by Adamu. Good save from Sesko but lucky not to be punished after failing to claim a cross.

Trevoh Chalobah (7/10):

Continues to boost his England hopes. Solid throughout and passed well.

Thiago Silva (7/10):

His uncharacteristically hasty step into midfield left Chelsea exposed for the leveller. Made amends, though, to deny a goal-bound effort.

Marc Cucurella (6/10):

Saw plenty of the ball and passed well. Left isolated as Salzburg levelled.

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GettyMidfield

Christian Pulisic (6/10):

Charged with doing a defensive job. Worked hard and played a part in the build-up to both goals.

Mateo Kovacic (8/10):

Doesn't score many, but his instinctive first-time finish was a cracker. Survived a handball shout. Ubiquitous.

Jorginho (6/10):

Typically tidy in possession and came so close to a goal.

Conor Gallagher (7/10):

Busied himself with great energy and played the link between midfield and attack.

Raheem Sterling (6/10):

Just like Pulisic, put in a decent shift. Passed well and progressively but no cutting edge.

Goal looks at the best and worst from men's soccer in the region this year including Mexico's Gold Cup stars and Honduras' roller-coaster season

FREDERIC J. BROWNBest Player – Raul Jimenez, Mexico

What a year for Raul Jimenez. He scored eight goals for Mexico, including five during the Gold Cup when he helped lead El Tri to the regional title.

With his club, he's been unstoppable as well, helping Wolves push into the knockout stages of the Europa League and also playing a big role in upsets over teams like Manchester City.

With eight goals in Premier League play, Jimenez sits just outside the top 10 in the Premier League. Combine his nine Europa League goals, though, and you'll begin to understand why he was the most important Concacaf player in Europe this season and is Mexico's No. 9 for the foreseeable future.

AdvertisementFrederic J. BrownCoach of the Year – Marc Collat, Haiti

Marc Collat's Haiti ended the year on a bitter note, getting relegated from its Concacaf Nations League group. Yet, you have to understand the challenges with which Collat is working.

Haiti wasn't able to play its second set of CNL matches at home because of political turmoil in the country, and already the manager is pulling players from all over the globe.

Now, the path back to the Gold Cup involves extra qualification. So why is Collat the Coach of the Year? Because in this year's Gold Cup, Haiti was the story of the tournament, getting into the semifinals and pushing eventual champion Mexico to extra time.

They did it thanks to strong game plans from Collat and a collective mentality the coach instituted despite cultural and language barriers few other teams have to overcome.

Getty ImagesBreakout Star – Charly Rodriguez, Mexico

Carlos Rodriguez already is such a fixture with the Mexico national team that it's difficult to remember that his debut came in this calendar year. With Hector Herrera out of a March friendly, Rodriguez stepped into the void and didn't look at all out of place in a 3-1 win against Chile.

His showings with Monterrey also have been quality, with the 22-year-old midfielder impressing during the Club World Cup and eventually lifting the Liga MX title with Rayados.

Now, he's being asked questions about heading to Europe, something that would only help him become a bigger star in the region.

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GettyFuture star flying under the radar – Jonathan David, Canada

Jonathan David was the Golden Boot winner at this summer's Gold Cup with six goals in four matches.

He scored a dozen goals with Gent last year, a mark he's set to surpass with nine already this season. Oh, and he's 19. Why are we not talking more about this guy?

Sure, the Gold Cup goal tally was run up thanks to a hat-trick against a hapless Cuba, but as Canada pushes to make the World Cup in 2022 before hosting four years later, we're going to be seeing David have plenty of success against more formidable teams in the very near future.

Kent were a delight to watch in limited-overs cricket last season, but as the international-ground counties dominate it will take some special performances to break the trend

David Hopps01-Apr-2016Head coach: Jimmy Adams
Captain: Sam Northeast
Last season
In: Adam RouseOut: Brendan Nash (released), Ben Harmison (released)Overseas: Tom Latham, Kagiso Rabada (July)2015 in a nutshell
Kent were a delight to watch in limited-overs cricket last season, but could not follow up the plaudits with trophies as they exited in the quarter-final stage in both competitions. In the likes of Sam Northeast, Sam Billings (one of only three England players signed up for an IPL deal) and Daniel Bell-Drummond they have an exciting crop of young players who are bringing fresh live to Canterbury under the wise observation of Rob Key.2016 prospects
Kent do not have the appearance of serious challengers in Division Two of the Championship, for all their batting depth, but they have been lifted by a six-week mid-season spell for the young South African quick Kagiso Rabada. Early season will be more challenging for Sam Northeast’s exciting young squad, especially with Sam Billings on IPL duty: Tom Latham has the batting attributes to help them through the tough days. In one-day cricket, though, they can surely push for a trophy. South African-born Sean Dickson can add to that batting lustre, and all it needs is one young pace bowler to take his opportunity for them to be a limited-overs side to be reckoned with. With many seeing England’s T20 future as wedded to international grounds, they need to make themselves heard.Key player
With question marks around their pace bowling stocks, Kent’s potential trump card lies in two offspinners at either ends of their career, James Tredwell and Adam Riley. Riley had a second-season dip in 2015 after he was prematurely touted as an England possible in his breakthrough year. Kent remain convinced Riley has all the attributes to become an international spinner and are delighted to have tied him to a new contract.Bright young thing
Kent have any number of bright young things when it comes to batsmen, but they are sorely in need of extra pace bowling resources. They will hope that Matt Hunn, a 6ft 5ins fast bowler, will make further strides this summer after winning a few headlines last season with five wickets against the Australian tourists but the solve the problem long term they might have to widen their developmental base.ESPNcricinfo verdict
Kent’s formidable T20 batting line-up gives them an excellent chance of reaching Finals Day, even without a heavy overseas spend, but it would take a summer of turning pitches for them to challenge for the Second Division title.Bet365 odds: Specsavers Championship, Div 2: 9/1; NatWest Blast n/a; Royal London Cup 20/1

The Bombay High Court has ruled that IPL 2016 matches scheduled in Maharashtra after April 30 will be moved out of the state

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-20163:51

Bal: IPL just a soft target

All IPL 2016 matches scheduled in Maharashtra after April 30 must be moved out of the state, the Bombay High Court has ruled. The ruling came after a Public Interest Litigation questioned the hosting of matches in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur due to a severe drought in Maharashtra.The ruling affects 13 matches, including the final which was to be held in Mumbai on May 29. Pune will miss out on six matches, including the Eliminator and Qualifier 2, while no games will be held in Nagpur. The state was earlier scheduled to host 20 matches.Last week, the court had sought an explanation from the BCCI and the three state associations on why water should be “wasted” on hosting the games when the state faced one of its worst ever droughts. The court later allowed the opening match to be held as scheduled in Mumbai on April 9, and asked the Maharashtra state government and Mumbai’s civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, to respond on plans to tackle the issue of water shortage. On Tuesday, the court orally asked the BCCI if matches could be shifted out of Pune.In its defence, the BCCI had stated that less water was used to prepare the ground for an IPL game when compared to an international fixture. The board also stated that it intended to use treated sewage water for ground preparation in Mumbai and Pune. Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants, the franchises based in Mumbai and Pune, had proposed to contribute INR 5 crore to the Maharashtra chief minister’s drought relief fund and supply 40 lakh litres of water to drought-hit areas at their own cost.While the BCCI is mulling its next move, IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla has admitted that moving games out of Maharashtra is a logistical problem for the board. He also pointed out that no objections of this kind were raised when Mumbai and Nagpur hosted World T20 matches last month.”Organising the IPL is a gigantic work. It’s not easy. All preparations had been done, completed,” Shukla said. “Now shifting the matches will be a problem. So far, we have not got the written order, after we get that, we will study the order and work out an alternative plan. We always respect the court. We need to talk to other franchises. We will have to work it out.”The key problem is water for farmers, which we are trying to find a solution to. We were willing to give water, contribute to the CM’s fund. Now shifting matches will be a problem. If matches are to be shifted, where will they be moved, how will they be moved, all these issues are involved. And this comes after nobody raised an issue about the 24 World T20 matches that were held recently.”Nobody raised these issues for six months. Whatever was required, we were willing to do. In fact, I would like to point out that a lot many other sports and cultural events are going on in Maharashtra, which also use water and they should also help.”Anurag Thakur, the BCCI secretary, said there was an attempt to create negativity over issues: “We are not using drinking water, we have said that we will use treated sewage water only. How many swimming pools of five-star hotels have been shut? Have people stopped watering their lawns? There is an attempt to create negativity on every issue these days. IPL was to use 0.00038% of water so that shows the requirement was not much.”Ness Wadia, co-owner of the Kings XI Punjab franchise, welcomed the order. Kings XI were scheduled to play three home matches in Nagpur between May 7 and 15, apart from games in Mumbai and Pune on May 13 and 21, respectively. “I’m very happy with this, we welcome this decision,” he said.

Offspinner Tharindu Kaushal and pacer Dhammika Prasad carved out Pakistan’s batting order, bowling the visitors out for 138 on the first day of the second Test at P Sara Oval

The Report by Rachna Shetty25-Jun-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsOffspinner Tharindu Kaushal and pacer Dhammika Prasad carved out Pakistan’s batting order, bowling the visitors out for 138 on the first day of the second Test at P Sara Oval. Pakistan’s batting implosion took place in the second session of the day – a rain-affected one with an interruption of 55 minutes – as they slumped from 70 for 2, losing their last eight wickets for 68 runs.Sri Lanka’s top order blunted Pakistan’s attack and they went to stumps at 70 for 1, trailing by 68 runs with Kumar Sangakkara and Kaushal Silva to take strike tomorrow.Sri Lanka had found themselves in a similar position in the Galle Test, when Pakistan’s top order had failed. In that game, Sarfraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq’s resistance had snatched the game away from Sri Lanka, but on a pitch known for its record of producing results, Sri Lanka’s attack tightened their grip on Pakistan, all without the help of Rangana Herath, who did not bowl an over in the day.At the centre of Sri Lanka’s effort was Kaushal, who was picked for the second Test in place of the injured Dilruwan Perera. He was given only one over before lunch, but he owned the second session with a spell of nine overs, conceding 35 runs for five wickets. He tossed up the ball, extracted sharp turn and also made use of the bounce on offer from the track.Kaushal, playing his first Test at home, deceived both Mohammad Hafeez and Asad Shadiq with turn. The 31st over, cleaved in half by a rain break, saw Kaushal trapping Shafiq plumb in front before Misbah-ul-Haq was run-out by a mile a result of poor calling between the Pakistan captain and Sarfraz.Sarfraz nudged and nurdled in his effort to revive Pakistan’s innings with the lower order but fell to a flighted delivery from Kaushal, going for the drive but only managing an inside edge that ballooned off his pad to Angelo Mathews at slip. Pakistan’s innings lasted only four overs after that and Sangakkara’s diving effort at long-on to dismiss Yasir Shah, after he had run from mid-on, fittingly capped off Kaushal’s five-for.If the second session belonged to Kaushal, it was the quicks Prasad and Dushmantha Chameera, making his debut, who set up the first, responding to the challenge of having to bowl first.Prasad struck early with Ahmed Shehzad’s wicket, bending his back to extract all the help he could find from the pitch, but just as impressive was Chameera, who harried Pakistan’s batsmen with speeds of 145kph in his first spell, and even reached the 150kph mark in the second session.There was swing on offer, too, and Chameera’s pace and accuracy discomfited Azhar Ali and Hafeez during their 46-run second wicket partnership. The pair found themselves squared up and often late on pulls and defensive shots, besides having to dig out accurate, swinging yorkers from the young pacer.Just as the pair had seen off the toughest period of play, Prasad returned in the 16th over and struck with his first ball, with umpire Paul Reifell overturning the on-field umpire’s decision and declaring Azhar out caught behind.Hafeez’s innings had held most of the first session together, and he hit some pleasing shots during his stay – the straight drive off Chameera to bring up Pakistan’s 50 was one of them. A partnership between him and Younis could have taken Pakistan to a very different situation, but the latter struggled in his 100th Test appearance, surviving two lbw shouts from Mathews on 0. In the first over after lunch, he tried dropping his wrists to what appeared to be a short delivery off Prasad. The ball didn’t sit up as much as he anticipated and he only ended up lobbing it to Dinesh Chandimal behind the stumps, setting off the implosion.Chameera also got among the wickets towards the end of Pakistan’s innings, when Zulfiqar Babar chopped a quick delivery on to his stumps.Before the game, Mathews had called for better shot selection from his batsmen and the manner of Dimuth Karunaratne’s dismissal would have come as a disappointment. The opener had worked for a start but chased at a full, wide delivery off Junaid Khan on 28. Silva survived a close review in the 19th over, when Pakistan went up in appeal for a catch at slip. Replays showed there was no contact between bat and ball, but later suggested the batsman was struck in line and there was a chance of an lbw, which appeared to remain unexplored. Silva finished unbeaten on 21, with Sangakkara on 18.

Axar Patel wants to be in the Indian side for the World T20 in March next year and is also working towards a maiden Test call-up

Amol Karhadkar05-Jun-2015Axar Patel’s performance in Twenty20 cricket, especially in the 2014 IPL, had been the catalyst for an ODI debut within two years of his first List A appearance. The 21-year old allrounder’s next goal is to break into the Indian Test and T20 teams as well.”World Twenty20 is the main target since it’s a World championship and India will be hosting it. But if I can get selected for the Test series against South Africa, it will be a huge achievement,” Axar told ESPNcricinfo. “I have played in ODIs so far, if I can earn the India cap in the remaining two formats this season, it would be a great reward.”Even though I didn’t feature in the Test squad for the Bangladesh tour, I am working hard on earning the Test cap. I don’t want to be tagged as a limited-overs cricketer. I want to establish myself in all three formats of the game. That would make me a complete cricketer. So earning a Test cap would be the biggest achievement, I hope it would come soon.”Axar will join the rest of the India squad for a two-day training camp in Kolkata ahead of their departure to Dhaka on Monday.In IPL 2014, his left-arm spin secured 17 wickets, cost only 6.13 per over and earned the boy from Nadiad, a small town in Gujarat an hour’s drive away from Ahmedabad, the Emerging Player of the season award. A first India call-up and an international debut followed when India had visited Bangladesh in June last year.He followed that with impressive outings in home series against West Indies and Sri Lanka and became a contender to make the World Cup squad. Prior to that, he was picked as cover for the injured Ravindra Jadeja for the Australia Tests.Things went downhill after that though. Axar found a place in the 15-man side for the World Cup, but did not play a single game. A budding allrounder, he went through a form slump with the bat during the tri-series in Australia that preceded the World Cup. That bad patch, however, was part of a learning curve for Axar.”When things weren’t going my way, especially while batting in the ODIs, the manner in which the whole squad stood behind me taught me that come what may, you have to keep backing yourself,” he said.”All the coaching staff and senior players gave me the confidence that one bad match doesn’t mean you are a bad player. When you are selected for India, you are special and you have to trust your abilities. One good ball by the bowler or a patch of bad form doesn’t make you a bad cricketer.”IPL 2015 didn’t turn out as good. Axar managed 13 wickets at an average 30.15 and an economy rate of 8.40 while his team Kings XI Punjab finished bottom of the table.”I knew that the batsmen will try and target me,” he said. “Most teams try and target the main bowler of a team, so I was prepared for that. But I feel when I was introduced into the attack, the momentum had already been with the batting side most of the time.”It was obviously easier for the batsmen to attack me. But at the most, I conceded at the odd boundary every over. Otherwise I managed to restrict most of the batsmen to singles. But when there isn’t a bowling partnership, I knew I was handicapped. When runs are being scored in heaps from the other end, it becomes a lot difficult to contain the batsmen.”All through the IPL, Axar kept going back to the advice of India captain MS Dhoni during his stint with the national side.”I spoke a lot with Mahi . He would help me improve bowling in match situations. He would make me understand a batsman’s mindset at different times in an innings and help me set fields that would force the batsman to play according to my plans. He let me express myself and then trap a batsman with a specific field, even in the nets.”

Max Sorensen openly admits to shedding a few tears when he was left out of Ireland’s original 15-man squad, but a few weeks later he was parachuted in to replace Tim Murtagh and is now set to play in the team’s opening match against West Indies

Andrew McGlashan in Nelson15-Feb-2015One man’s World Cup heartbreak is another man’s World Cup joy. And occasionally, places are swapped very quickly. Max Sorensen openly admits to shedding a few tears when he was left out of Ireland’s original 15-man squad, but a few weeks later he was parachuted in to replace Tim Murtagh and is now set to play in the team’s opening match against West Indies.It was during the pre-World Cup trip to UAE where Murtagh injured his foot and flew home to find out he required surgery; his dream shattered. During the tour Sorensen and Murtagh had been room-mates, with Sorensen still trying to digest the shock at being omitted from the World Cup.However, by the time he reached Dubai as a back-up bowler – a mentally tough experience to be around a squad he was not official part of – Sorensen had already started putting his plan in place about regaining his spot. He would never have wished injury upon a team-mate, but he had a feeling that he was not meant to miss the World Cup after making a considerable impression during his early ODI career, which began with the 2013 match against England in Malahide.After nine matches he has 12 wickets at 22.58 – his T20 figures are also tidy – but it was not enough for the final cut as Craig Young and Peter Chase were preferred.”There were a few days of real disappointment and tears,” Sorensen told ESPNcricinfo. “Then I decided to pick myself up. I believed in myself that I wasn’t going to be left out eventually. I felt I deserved to be there. I played well last year and that spurred me on. I wanted to prove people wrong.”I was rooming with Murts [Tim Murtagh] in Dubai when he got injured. It has been a roller-coaster of emotions, starting with disappointment and then trying to work hard to get my place back. When I got told I was called up, Tim was one of the first to congratulate me. I was sorry for him, but we also agreed that it’s the way sport goes. We said that if you aren’t doing it then I will.”Now, after taking seven wickets in Ireland’s three warm-up matches in Australia, including 3 for 31 in the victory over Bangladesh, he is likely to be thrown the new ball against West Indies. He is determined not be overcome by the occasion.”I just can’t wait, I’ve been building up to this for a long time,” he said. “I’ve done the hard work, done the hard yards. I’m just going to grab it with both hands and enjoy it. I haven’t played in many big atmospheres so I’m going to savour it. I’ve not got special plans. We’ll see what happens. It would be nice to get a couple of early wickets like in the warm-ups.””I’ve felt really good since we got out here. I think I’ve been hitting the right length in Australia and I think it will be fairly similar out here. I’ll back myself to have some success. You just have to take the emotion out of the equation and remember what has got you here.”

An invigorated Younis Khan and a determined Azhar Ali took command of the second Test, putting on 250 for the third wicket, as Pakistan loped to 323 for 3 at stumps

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando06-May-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:12

Isam: Pakistan took full advantage of conditions

An invigorated Younis Khan and a determined Azhar Ali took command of the second Test, putting on 250 for the third wicket, as Pakistan loped to 323 for 3 at stumps. Azhar and Younis defused the early menace when they came together at 58 for 2, began to counterpunch in the second session and were bludgeoning Bangladesh around the Shere Bangla when Younis was dismissed for 148 off 195, with only five full overs to play in the day. Azhar stayed not out on 127, having ridden early luck.Seduced by an unusually dense covering of grass on the Mirpur surface, Mushfiqur Rahim was dealt a poor hand. He had already gambled by bowling first with only two seamers in the attack. Two balls into the match Shahadat Hossain – who had come into the side for the injured Rubel Hossain – hobbled off the field after taking a tumble during his delivery stride. Mushfiqur was forced to rely on part-time seamer Soumya Sarkar and a phalanx of spinners, who were defanged by a first-day pitch that offered only modest turn. That both centurions should have been out earlier if bowlers had not delivered no balls, added to Mushfiqur’s considerable stress.The seam movement Mushfiqur had anticipated played a role in Mohammad Hafeez’ dismissal, when Shahid set him up with lifter that jagged back in, then drew the edge with a straighter delivery. That dismissal had Pakistan at 9 for 1, but the injury to Shahadat prevented Bangladesh from pushing as hard as they could have in the first hour. With lunch in sight, they took their second wicket, when Sami Aslam ran at Taijul, and put him in the hands of deep midwicket.There was tug-and-pull in the first overs of the Azhar-Younis association, as Azhar overcame a series of close calls. Earlier in the morning, he was walking back to the dressing room after edging Mohammad Shahid to third slip, when replays showed the bowler had not landed his heel behind the popping crease. Reprieved on 18, Azhar gave further chances off spin at 34 and 35 to Mominul Haque at silly point and short leg. Both times the ball whizzed quickly between the fielder’s legs before he could get low enough.Younis deadbatted his way to 1 off 15 before lunch, but opened his shoulders in the second session, clearing his front leg to send the spinners over mid-on – once for six – before masterfully employing the sweep to raise the tempo further. By the fourth hour of the day, a pattern to his progress emerged. Every now and then, he’d interrupt the steady thrum of singles he and Azhar had worked up, to shuffle forward into a sweep. He’d watch for the overcorrection next ball then play off the back foot, often finding runs square on the off side. He reached 50 off 72 balls and by late-afternoon, his strike rate hovered around 75.Azhar meanwhile, sunk time into re-establishing himself at the crease after his early scares, and was only punishing bad balls for most of the day. Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam attempted a variety of plans, tempting Azhar outside off in the second session to lure another mistake. But Azhar gritted through this, while Younis gave the innings impetus at the other end.Younis was the first to his hundred after tea, but not before he too was called back to the crease, after presenting a catch to short cover. Soumya had overstepped to reprieve him on 78, and then Younis breezed through to the second new ball, reaching his 29th Test ton with a tow to deep cover to end a period of relative calm, before attacking again. A slog-swept six over deep midwicket off Shakib heralded the charge, which Azhar soon joined. His made his eighth trip to triple-figures by launching Taijul down the ground for four.With neither spinners nor seamers able to glean much from the old ball, Mushfiqur threw his part-timers at Pakistan, who were only too glad to face them. By the 80th over, Pakistan’s run rate had ticked above 3.5.Shahid broke the stand with the second new ball, when he had Younis slicing to backward point, two runs short of his 150. Misbah-ul-Haq announced himself at the crease with a six over long-on off the second ball he faced, but otherwise he and Azhar were content to hunker down till stumps.

Hyderabad Hawks made a strong start to the semi-final stage of the President’s Silver Cup tournament with a seven-wicket win over Water and Power Development Authority

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2015Hyderabad Hawks made a strong start to the semi-final stage of the President’s Silver Cup tournament with a seven-wicket victory over Water and Power Development Authority. The semi-final stage is being played in a round-robin format between the three top teams of the league stages, and the two teams that finish at the top of the triangular stage will qualify for the final. Faisalabad Wolves are the third team in the semi-final stage along with Hawks and WAPDA.Hawks bowlers gave the side an early advantage after they opted to bowl in a match that was reduced to 43 overs a side. Quick strikes from Babar Khan and Mir Ali left WAPDA at a shaky 76 for 4 and they were able to improve their position through useful knocks from Aamer Sajjad (39), Naved-ul-Hasan (31) and Ayaz Tassawar, who top-scored for WAPDA with a 49-ball 40. The Hawks bowlers, however, kept picking wickets and eventually limited WAPDA to 212 for 8. Babar Khan was the best bowler for Hawks with 3 for 40, while Mir Ali and Nasir Awais picked up two wickets apiece.Hawks were in a spot of bother at 50 for 2 but unbeaten fifties from Faisal Athar and Shoaib Laghari, and a 110-run, fourth-wicket partnership between the pair steered the side to a win with 14 deliveries to spare. Athar was unbeaten on 68 off 78 balls, with eight fours and a six, while Laghari scored a swift 55 off 39 deliveries with three fours and three sixes.