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The writing appeared to be on the wall for Erik ten Hag during that summer of 2024, even after Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co had afforded him a stay of execution, with Manchester United’s transfer business not exactly pointing to joined-up thinking.

Of course, there was yet another raft of Dutch or Ajax-linked arrivals that summer, be it Noussair Mazraoui, Joshua Zirkzee and Matthijs de Ligt, although it appeared evident that not every move was led or influenced by the manager.

Indeed, the decision to swap out Scott McTominay for Manuel Ugarte appeared to be at odds with Ten Hag, with the FA Cup-winning coach later admitting that he “didn’t want” to sell the Scotland star, albeit with the decision likely influenced by the need to meet PSR regulations.

Whether the 55-year-old was happy with that exit or not, he certainly didn’t appear over anamoured with McTominay’s replacement, with Ugarte starting just a solitary Premier League game under his watch, before the manager was sacked in late October.

The Uruguayan would have been delighted with that change in the dugout and the arrival of his former Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim, although just over a year later, his place at Old Trafford already appears under threat.

Man Utd make contact to sign dream Ugarte replacement

Such is the nature of United’s squad right now, amid a string of injury and AFCON absentees, departures are likely to be limited, even for those on the periphery under Amorim.

That said, with Turkish giants Galatasaray seemingly pushing to sign Ugarte this month, INEOS should no doubt consider cashing in, even with both Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo sidelined.

The 24-year-old, who has started just five Premier League games all season, seemingly isn’t United’s long-term midfield solution, with a genuine upgrade needed before the window closes.

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That perfect replacement could well emerge in the form of Atalanta’s Ederson, with TEAMtalk reporting that talks have already been held – on behalf of intermediaries – to gauge whether a move would be possible for INEOS this month.

As per the report, the Brazilian is a long-term target, with United ready to pounce should he be available for a reduced price in the winter window.

There is a suggestion that the 25-year-old could be on the market for below €40m (£35m), and if that is to be the case, the Red Devils would be ready to strike.

Why Ederson would be the perfect Ugarte upgrade

Much like it looked to be the beginning of the end for Ten Hag in 2024, the same was arguably true of Ugarte this summer, with the former Paris Saint-Germain man having been an unused substitute for the Europa League final defeat in May.

Subsequently given a dressing down by Amorim at Carrington, the defensive-minded midfielder has been bypassed by the ageing Casemiro this season, while failing to truly capitalise on the injury woes of Mainoo and Fernandes of late.

Indeed, United’s South American duo were particularly poor against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, while Ugarte was especially off the pace in the loss at Villa Park not too long ago.

An upgrade is then just what Amorim is in need of, and Ederson could represent the perfect pick, having been hailed as a “monster” by journalist Ryan Taylor.

Part of the Atalanta side that swept to Europa League glory in 2024, the 26-year-old is a real all-round midfield asset, notably ranking in the top 14% of Serie A midfielders last season for interceptions per 90, as per FBref, while also ranking in the top 11% for progressive passes per 90.

For comparison, Ugarte did rank in the top 6% for tackles in the Premier League in 2024/25, highlighting his ball-winning prowess, although it is the other side of his game that is distinctly lacking, having ranked in just the bottom 18% for progressive carries.

It has, unfortunately, become a familiar sight seeing the United struggler turning into trouble or seeking the safe option when in possession, while his long ball accuracy is particularly erratic.

Ederson vs Ugarte – 25/26 League stats

Stat (*per game)

Ederson

Ugarte

Games (starts)

13 (12)

13 (5)

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

0

Key passes*

0.6

0.2

Pass accuracy*

91%

84%

Long ball pass accuracy*

73%

47%

Pass accuracy (opp. half)*

89%

82%

Tackles & Interceptions*

2.9

3.0

Total duels won*

50%

53%

Stats via Sofascore

As can be seen above, Ederson outstrips his midfield counterpart across key passing metrics in 2025/26 again, while there is little difference in their defensive contributions, with regard to tackles, interceptions and total duels won.

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In essence, the £35m man has the same relentless work ethic as his fellow South American, but while also possessing quality on the ball too, providing Amorim with the best of both worlds in the centre of the park.

With INEOS having chased different priorities over the summer, it would almost be an act of negligence not to strengthen the midfield this month.

Related Their own Declan Rice: Man Utd hold talks over signing CM "machine"

Manchester United could finally secure a midfield upgrade this month.

Posts ByJoe Nuttall

The fifth ODI against South Africa is likely to be Shoaib’s first since September 2006 © AFP

Two-all with the decider to play: from a five-match series you can’t ask for much more. But that scoreline also suggests more excitement and greater parity perhaps than has been witnessed in Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan. No doubt it’s been an engaging series but one without a definitive, crackling, edge-of-the-seat, I-was-there contest. One chanceremains and if Shoaib Akhtar returns, the Gaddafi Stadium might just get it.First to South Africa, however, and if Makhaya Ntini is any indicator of the mood in the camp, then they are both jolly and confident. Pakistan’s training began with an eclectic background score, courtesy Ntini, of loud chants, songs and general chatter, none of which anyone really understood.Perhaps the prospect of taking home two trophies has spurred Ntini on. No doubt it has his captain, Graeme Smith. “The feeling in the team is very good right now. We’ve had a successful tour where we’ve played good cricket barring two matches. If someone had said to me before coming over that we would go back with two trophies, I would’ve said it’s a lot of hard work but we’ve done that and are confident for tomorrow.”The assertion is difficult to disprove. In the ODIs at least, they have done it without a contribution from Jacques Kallis. The one spinner they have played – Johan Botha – is the one they shouldn’t have: Botha’s first wickets of the series in Multan were lower-order, death-over heaves and who knows what Paul Harris might have done.”We’ve come a long way in learning how to play cricket on the subcontinent,” said Smith. “Our batting unit has performed well on slow, turning wickets. Our bowlers’ plans have been better than in the past. We’ve become a lot more battle-hardened as a team certainly in these conditions.”The wicket, Smith was not shy in pointing out, looks under-prepared. Spin and seam both will benefit. South Africa countered Pakistan’s spin by using Shaun Pollock as a pinch-hitter in Multan and it might be the way again tomorrow.”The wicket is a little under-prepared and it’s going to spin,” said Smith. “The seamers might also play a role. We’re well-prepared and we have certain plans. We’ll discuss the pinch-hitter role and see what selection they play as well.”The feel-good factor, this talk of pitches, could go to pot tomorrow of course. If Shoaib plays, teams and pitches matter little. You wouldn’t guess it but Shoaib hasn’t played an ODI since September 2006. A 13-match ban finally out of the way, he will start tomorrow.About time too, for as committed as Pakistan’s bowling has been through the series, it has lacked a zip, a proper threat, an element of unknown. With Umar Gul and Mohammad Asif both likely to be rested, Smith cheekily – but correctly – said that pressure would be on Shoaib, not South Africa. “He’s the one making a comeback. We’ve prepared for him because we knew he would be available. He’s short on cricket and whether they risk him in such an important game will be the key.”Shoaib Malik knows it is a risk worth taking, as he knows this is as good a chance as ever to win a first-ever ODI series against South Africa. “It’s a great opportunity to win a series against them for the first time. We will use Shoaib as our main bowler in the hope of bringing the best out of him,” said Malik.”If fit, he is an asset. But we will need a team effort to win the last match and if we win we will go on the tour of India with more confidence.”Naturally, half the mind is on India already. No opener or opening pair has announced itself and Pakistan will fiddle again. Neither Shahid Afridi or Yasir Hameed, providers of the best start thus far (42) are expected to open: a truly Pakistani solution to a truly Pakistani problem. Kamran Akmal comes back up the order and Imran Nazir is likely to play again, Malik admitting they were experimenting with options before India.The good news is that Younis Khan has a score behind him and Mohammad Yousuf is in good form. If they can stop running each other out, then allied to the form of Malik himself, Pakistan’s middle order is healthy. An innings from Misbah-ul-Haq would top it off nicely, though not as much as a fearsome Shoaib spell and a Pakistan victory.Pakistan (probable): 1 Kamran Akmal (wk), 2 Imran Nazir, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Shoaib Malik (capt), 6 Misbah-ul-Haq, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Abdur Rehman, 9 Sohail Tanvir, 10 Shoaib Akhtar, 11 Rao Iftikhar Anjum.South Africa (probable): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 JacquesKallis, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Shaun Pollock, 8 AlbieMorkel, 9 Andre Nel, 10 Johan Botha, 11 Makhaya Ntini.

Mehrab Hossain jr: a maiden ODI fifty, and confident of more © Getty Images

Mehrab Hossain jr, one half of Bangladesh’s newest opening pair, is confident of his rapport with Shahriar Nafees. The duo added 104 in a six-wicket victory over Zimbabwe as Bangladesh took a 2-0 series lead in the second match at Bogra yesterday.”This was nothing new for me to open the innings with him [Nafees] because we have had experiences at different levels,” Mehrab told reporters after scoring his maiden ODI fifty. “We have a very good understanding, so we enjoyed the batting. My partner was in a good form and easily played the strokes and that’s why I had a different role in the match. I played a slow game but this is not my natural innings. I love to play according to the team’s demand.”Nafees, who scored a brisk 67, regretted not being able to score three consecutive ODI hundreds in a row. “I learnt about the record before the match and it would have been nice for me if I could score another hundred today,” he said. “But at the end I am happy that my team won the battle and it came quite convincingly.”It is not true that we scored runs because of weak bowling attack rather I must say we played good cricket. I really enjoyed today’s batting under lights because the ball came quite nicely on to the bat.”Nafees, who has hit three hundreds in a row against Zimbabwe, however, added: “We are only thinking about our next game and not about a series whitewash”.

Peter Chingoka: failure to raise a quorum shows ‘who the real enemies of the game or people with ultra motives are’ © Getty Images

Attempts by Zimbabwe Cricket to hold a board meeting grew increasingly farcical as yet another scheduled gathering was cancelled at short notice. There has still not been a legitimate meeting since the controversial AGM almost three months ago.On Thursday, Peter Chingoka, the embattled ZC chairman, called board members and told them that once again he had failed to obtain the quorum necessary to enable Saturday’s meeting to proceed. But Cricinfo has established that seven officials, including some provincial chairmen, had actually committed themselves to attending and Chingoka would have been the eighth, which would have completed the quorum. An insider suggested that the latest cancellation was a move by the pro-Chingoka faction on the board – primarily Tavengwa Mukuhlani, Cyprian Mandenge and Wilson Manase – fearing that the chairman and Ozias Bvute, the managing director, could face a tough time.On Wednesday, Clive Field, the players’ representative, met with the government-appointed Sports and Recreation Committee as the commission continued with its stakeholders’ investigation aimed at resolving the crisis. The commission asked the players to have faith in them, and they responded by agreeing to stay put for a few weeks while monitoring progress.”We were well-received. They understood our concerns,” said Field. “They have asked us to give them time to do a report and make recommendations. The players are prepared are prepared to stick around. But we explained to them that time was running away, and we need to move in a way that will not make cricket collapse.”The news of the cancellation comes on the day that the Herald quoted Chingoka as calling on the board members to appear at the meeting. “I am saying if the provincial chairmen really have cricket at heart as they claim then they should attend,” he said. “Their continued absence will not only delay the solving of a number of outstanding issues, it will also show who the real enemies of the game or people with ultra motives are.”On my part, I have been making myself available for meetings but there is nothing I could do without a quorum. I don’t make unilateral decisions but everything has been collectively done and even the response to the provincial associations should also be a collective responsibility.”There have been some attempts to isolate me and hold me responsible for board decisions yet such decisions have involved others on the board. That collective responsibility must also apply in our response to the provincial associations.”Chingoka also claimed that the “players haven’t signed contracts because there is need to clarify which exchange rate to use on their remuneration and it’s an issue the ZC management has referred to the board for guidance.” The players, however, would counter that the contracts are a side issue. They want Chingoka and Bvute out, and on Tuesday released a statement stating that they would not play for Zimbabwe while the pair remained at the helm, as well as supporting former captain Tatenda Taibu.The latest cancellation also leaves the game in limbo. It was hoped that a new national captain would be chosen, with it being a choice between Andy Blignaut and Hamilton Masakadza, and also confirmation of the new selection panel originally picked in September but subsequently voided when it was found that meeting had been unconstitutional.An Special General Meeting is scheduled for December 23 when ZC will try to pass its highly-controversial move to create five new provinces. If it succeeds, then the faction supporting Chingoka will almost certainly have enough muscle to regain control of the board and be able to quash the attempted rebellion by some provincial chairmen. The players, however, seem more determined to see the back of Chingoka and Bvute, and they, and the investigations into the board, could be the decisive factors in the battle for the future of cricket in Zimbabwe.

Scorecard

Michael Lewis nailed three wickets and helped Victoria to an outstanding win© Getty Images

Victoria completed an amazing turnaround at the Gabba, dismissing Queensland for 169 to win their Pura Cup game by 156 runs. It was only the fourth time in the 112-year history of the competition – which was originally known as the Sheffield Shield – that a team had won after following on.”We had to find a way back into the game, it was graciously given to us by the opposition captain,” Greg Shipperd, Victoria’s coach, told the Australian Associated Press. “We took full advantage. A couple of times in the last couple of seasons I think Queensland have seriously underestimated our ability to play at the level that we have.”Resuming at 6 for 472, Victoria declared their second innings on 8 for 508, setting Queensland an improbable victory target of 326. A more achievable aim for them was batting out almost five-and-a-half hours to force a draw, but their batsmen proved hopelessly inadequate to the task, lasting just 59 overs.They started well, reaching 1 for 51 at lunch, but the slump came about in the afternoon session, when six wickets went down. The slide started immediately after the break, when Martin Love and Shane Watson fell in quick succession. Clinton Perren made 52, but wickets continued to tumble at the other end, with Michael Lewis and Ian Harvey taking three wickets apiece. Ashley Noffke provided some resistance, remaining unbeaten on 45, but Victoria were not to be denied.Shipperd pointed out that Victorians aren’t the type to give up. “Last year they [Queensland] scored 600 down at the Junction Oval, and expected us to roll over – it was another indication of that sort of thinking,” he said. “In the last couple of years, Victoria have deserved to be respected, probably more than they are by the opposition.”Jimmy Maher, Queensland’s captain, denied any lack of respect on their part. “I’m sorry if it’s disrespectful for enforcing the follow-on,” he said. “Next time I’ll give them 100 runs as well to show them a lot of respect. My bowlers were fresh. They wanted another go at them because we only bowled 45 overs [in the first innings]. And then in the second we had them 6 for 100 effectively, so I think he’s looking at the wrong things.” After being 6 for 293, a lead of 110 overall, Cameron White and Ian Harvey rallied for Victoria, and put on 205 for the seventh wicket, the first stage of a remarkable turnaround.The win lifted Victoria to fourth spot with 12 points, but Queensland continue to lead the Pura Cup table with 22 points, two clear of New South Wales.

Day 3 ReportFrizzell County Championship Division OneEssex 271 for 6 v Leicestershire 600 for 7 dec at Southend
Scorecard
Only 16 overs at Southend, but it was enough for Leicestershire to tighten their grip on the game. Charlie Dagnall bowled Antonio Palladino for 5 in the first over of the brief evening session. Andy Flower, however, hung on to remain 125 not out and James Middlebrook hit a sprightly 28 not out before the close. Essex need another 179 to avoid the follow on.There was no play elsewhere in either division due to rain.Surrey 411 v Middlesex 346 for 8 at Guildford
Scorecard
Jimmy Ormond had a day to remember with four wickets in six balls, including a maiden first-class hat-trick, to give Surrey the edge against Middlesex at Woodbridge Road. To add to his heroics with the ball, Ormond nearly scored what would have been the second fifty of his career earlier in the day as he and Saqlain Mushtaq added a further 36 runs to Surrey’s first innings of 411. Andy Strauss (87) and Sven Koenig (42) then replied in emphatic fashion, putting on 101 for the first wicket. But when Strauss became Ormond’s first victim, Middlesex lost five wickets for only two runs. Ormond’s hat-trick accounted for Ben Hutton, Ed Joyce – who suffered his third golden duck against Surrey this season – and Paul Weekes. And when Owais Shah fell to Martin Bicknell for 22, Middlesex had collapsed to 165 for 6. However, Abdul Razzaq (78) and David Nash (69*) saved them with a stand of 155 as Middlesex closed 65 behind Surrey, and with two wickets in hand.Lancashire 575 for 6 dec v Warwickshire 192 for 8 at Old Trafford
Scorecard
Glen Chapple continued his sparkling form with the bat – not the mention the ball – as Lancashire took total control over Warwickshire in Manchester. Chapple scored 132 and shared a partnership of 228 with Stuart Law, who ended unbeaten on 236. It was a mammoth effort from Law: the fourth double-hundred of his career and his highest score for Lancashire. He batted for over eight hours in all, and smashed 32 fours and two sixes. Three of the Warwickshire bowlers went for over 100, and Neil Smith had the embarrassment of being despatched for 22 off four consecutive balls. Warren Hegg declared on 575 for 6 and he then took five catches behind the stumps as wonder boy Chapple took 4 for 43 to leave Warwickshire staring at the follow on at 192 for 8.Frizzell County Championship Division TwoNorthamptonshire 325 beat Somerset 96 and 168 by an innings and 61 runs at Northampton
Scorecard
Somerset lost an astonishing 18 wickets in one day as they crashed to an inning defeat against Northants at Wantage Road inside two days. Resuming on 26 for 2, and 203 behind, Andre Nel and Adam Shantry took three wickets each as Somerset crumbled to 96 all out. And things didn’t go much better second time round. This time it was Jason Brown who starred as he spun out six wickets in Somerset’s second innings of 168. Michael Burns (55) and Ian Blackwell (40) put up some resistance with 83 for the fifth wicket, but once they were both out, Brown made light work of the tail with the last four wickets tumbling for 11 runs. While questions were thrown up about the state of the pitch, ECB inspector Peter Walker afterwards confirmed that although it was, in his opinion, “below average”, he would not be docking Northants any points. He said: “It was a lot of wickets to fall in a day……but you had one side on the top of their form and another at the bottom of theirs.”Gloucestershire 271 v Worcestershire 392 for 7 at Cheltenham
Scorecard
Ben Smith and Andrew Hall drove Worcestershire into a strong position against Gloucestershire at the College Ground. Resuming the day on 48 for 1, Worcestershire made steady progress to a valuable first-innings lead, despite a mid-innings wobble. Graeme Hick made only nine on his return to the side, caught off Shoaib Malik, and when Anurag Singh also fell to Malik, the score was 103 for 4. However, Vikram Solanki got the show back on the road with a solid 35, before Smith (92) and Hall (73) put on 108 for the sixth wicket as Worcestershire increased their lead to 121 runs.Yorkshire 384 and 23 for 0 v Hampshire 289 at Scarborough
Scorecard
Simon Katich single-handily rescued Hampshire against Yorkshire at the North Marine Road Ground. Katich likes to reserve his best against his former counties and he saved Hampshire from the depths of 96 for 5 with a gutsy 143 not out, including 20 fours and a six. It was his 19th first-class century and his second of the season, and both have come against his former clubs, Durham and Yorkshire. After polishing off the Yorkshire tail for 384, Hampshire were in immediate trouble as Chris Silverwood (4 for 86) and Steve Kirby (2 for 79) removed four of the top six for ducks. But Katich came to the rescue and with some sturdy support from Shaun Udal (26) and debutant Iain Brunnschweiler (34), Hampshire avoided the follow on. However, they still have some work to do as Yorkshire closed with a lead of 118, and all 10 wickets in tact.Day 2Derbyshire v Durham 434 for 7 at Derby
Scorecard
Dominic Cork’s decision to put Durham in at the County Ground turned out to look as foolish as his new mullet hair cut as Vince Wells and Nicky Peng cashed in on some wayward bowling. Jonathan Lewis (77) and Michael Gough (36) put on 110 for the first wicket and built the platform for Wells to smash 106 from 112 balls, and for Peng, who in the end fell for 99. It was a long day, and one to forget, for Derbyshire’s bowlers. Kevin Dean went for 0 for 117, and Lian Wharton 2 for 103 as Durham ended on 434 for 7.

Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya admitted that he felt Sri Lanka’svictory chance had slipped away during a nail-biting final hour in Kandy.Sri Lanka eventually won the match with just 16 minutes to spare as man ofthe match Muralitharan grabbed three wickets in 12 balls to finish off theWest Indies and win the match by 131 runs.Going into the final hour, with the light fading fast, West Indies still hadfour wickets remaining with Marlon Samuels and Mervyn Dillon going strong.”In my heart I had doubts that we could win it in that last hour,” he said.”But the light was okay and I had to keep persevering with Murali. Thewicket of Dillon allowed us to break through.”Jayasuriya was delighted with the performance of his two senior bowlers:Muttiah Muralitharan, who took ten-wickets in the game for the fourthconsecutive Test, and Chaminda Vaas.”Both Murali and Chaminda bowled really well. The ball bounced and turned inthe first innings, but getting wickets in the second innings was not easy.They bowled one line and kept the batsmen under pressure.””It was an all round performance that won us the game. Everyone is doingtheir job at the right time and we are playing well as a team at themoment.”He revealed that the presence of Lara had delayed the declaration, which wasmade after discussion with the senior players and coach Dav Whatmore.”Brian Lara and Carl Hooper were in our minds when we made the declaration.Lara can score a hundred at anytime. We didn’t want to lose. That was ourfirst consideration.””We felt though that 84 overs would be sufficient to bowl out the WestIndies on a fifth day wicket. The weather was out of our control. If it hadrained then that was bad luck.”

Match facts

November 5-9, 2015
Start time 0930 local (0400GMT)4:42

Manjrekar: SA stuck without a quality spinner

Big Picture

India’s wait for a Test at home is finally over. It has been two years since the team played a home series, and the drought is ending with a downpour. This is not just any series. This is the first four-Test series against South Africa in India, and South Africa’s first in India since they became No.1.The last time South Africa were in India, five years ago, the roles were reversed. Then, India were on top. But since then, South Africa have overtaken them and hosted India twice. Both times, the action has been absorbing. In 2010, India were hours away from upstaging South Africa in their own backyard. In 2013, the drawn drawn Test at the Wanderers provided one of cricket’s greatest what-ifs and the Boxing Day game which followed was a farewell to Jacques Kallis.That day, India may have wondered how South Africa would cope without Kallis and although they are still searching for the answer in ODIs, in Test cricket they have transitioned well. Better than India, some would say.South Africa have gone through a change of coach and captain without a change in results. India have grappled with a much more difficult changing of the guard, that will see play a home Test without any of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag or Saurav Ganguly for the first time since 1988. Virat Kohli was born that year, and half the current squad were not. But they are a young group, with a lot to prove, mostly to themselves. They need to show that cricket can move on.South Africa have already done that but need to keep moving. They have learnt that to hold on to their position at the top, they have to keep coming up with more creative ways to stay there. This trip will test those skills more than any other.

Form guide

(last five completed games most recent first)India WWLDD
South Africa DDWDW

In the spotlight

The series opener requires someone to set the tone and the two people most suited to doing that are the captains. Both are relatively new in the job with Virat Kohli leading India for the first time at home and only the seventh time overall .At least he has a good day to do it, on his 27th birthday. Kohli will want no gift other than a strong first showing from his men.Hashim Amla has been in charge for just eight matches, and has not lost yet. His own form, though, is under scrutiny. Amla has not scored a fifty on this tour of India and is struggling for runs. But he has a record in the country few can match. On three tours, Amla has scored four centuries, including a double-hundred, and amassed 823 runs, the most by any South African in India. If he can add 177 to that, he will become only the fourth overseas batsman to score 1000 Test runs in India. If he does that all in one innings, or even in one match, he will be back in form too.

Team news

India will field five bowlers, even if it means shortening their batting line-up. They are likely to play all three specialist spinners with only two of the three seamers, and will have to choose between Chesteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma at No.5.India: (probable) 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 M Vijay, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Cheteshwar Pujara/Rohit Sharma, 6 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 7 R Ashwin, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 and 11 Umesh Yadav/Varun Aaron/Bhuvneshwar KumarJP Duminy, who had stitches removed from the cut on his hand, is “unlikely,” in Amla’s words, to be rushed back from injury which will allow Temba Bavuma an opportunity in the middle order. South Africa will have to find holding overs from someone else, probably part-timers. They are likely to rely on their usual three-pronged pace pack, provided Morne Morkel passes a fitness test, which could see Dean Elgar and Stiaan van Zyl bowl more than usual. Imran Tahir could make a Test comeback 11 months after he last appeared in the longest format unless South Africa go conservative and opt for Simon Harmer.South Africa: (probable) 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Stiaan van Zyl, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 Hashim Amla (capt), 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Temba Bavuma, 7 Dane Vilas (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Simon Harmer/Imran Tahir

Pitch and conditions

The PCA pitch has been the subject of more speculation than is normal ahead of this Test because it is expected to be India’s 12th man. Ravi Shastri has spoken about the importance of home conditions, which suggests India will request rank turners, and after the recent controversies with ground curators, they are likely to get them, even in Mohali which has traditionally been kinder to quicks. Amla said he expected the surface to turn “a bit,” but laughed when asked if that was all he expected. The square has not been relaid in 23 years, which would also suggest spin on offer. The pitch was yellowish-green in colour on the eve of the Test.The weather up north has been much cooler than in other parts of the country with pleasant temperatures in the mid-20s and no humidity. The seasonal smog, a product of the stubble-burning from rice farmers throughout the state, continues to hang in the air and with early sunsets, bad light could become a concern.

Stats and Trivia

• India have only lost one home Tess series in the last 11 years, to England in 2012. Between November 2004 and November 2015, they played 17 series at home, winning 12 and drawing five. They have not had any home Tests for the last two years.
• South Africa’s unbeaten nine-year streak on the road has included 13 series in all 10 Test countries other than their own where Test cricket is hosted, including Pakistan. Of those, there are only two places where South Africa have not won, but drawn series: India and the UAE, both twice.

Quotes “It will be an exciting and special moment for me tomorrow when I take the field in my first home game as captain. Secondly it’s my birthday as well so it doubles up the excitement for tomorrow.””I think we know the way South Africans play, whether it’s under me or Graeme. We try and play tough cricket on the field. There’s no need to look further than that. We try not to put any emphasis on the opposition, but on what we do. One of our successes is we’ve managed to bat, bowl and field pretty decently away from home and we want to continue that.”

Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket, 1984-85, Final, Melbourne
India won by eight wickets

Venkatesh Prasad dismissed Aamer Sohail in the 1996 World Cup after the batsman sledged him © Getty Images

This was the first high-profile ODI clash between the two teams. India entered the final as favourites, having bowled out every opposition team till then. Three-wicket hauls from Kapil Dev and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan helped India restrict Pakistan to a below-par 176 for 9. Kris Srikkanth and the Man-of-the-Series Ravi Shastri scored contrasting half-centuries to take India home with six overs to spare.World Cup, 1992, Sydney
India won by 43 runsThis was the first World Cup encounter between the two. In conditions that aided swing and seam movement, India overcame a very slow start to reach 216 for 7. Srikkanth played an uncharacteristic innings, batting out 40 balls for five runs, before Sachin Tendulkar hit a counter-attacking fifty and Kapil made a breezy 35 to give the bowlers a total to defend. Pakistan’s reply was built on an 88-run partnership between Javed Miandad and Aamer Sohail but Tendulkar broke the partnership, dismissing Sohail for 62. That turned the match – Pakistan crumbled as the asking run-rate spiralled up and Javagal Srinath sealed their fate with a yorker that cleaned up Miandad.World Cup quarter-final, 1996, Bangalore
India won by 39 runsThere was controversy even before the start, with Pakistan captain Wasim Akram pulling out at the last minute. Navjot Singh Sidhu laid the foundation for India with 93 before Ajay Jadeja set the stadium ablaze with a brutal 25-ball 45, including 40 from the final two overs by Waqar Younis, to catapult India to 287. Pakistan came up with a stunning riposte with Saeed Anwar and Sohail thumping 84 in the first 10 overs. Anwar fell at that score but Sohail continued to shred the opening bowlers till a verbal joust with Venkatesh Prasad did him, and Pakistan, in. After hitting a boundary to extra-cover fence, he openly lampooned Prasad, pointing to the region with the bat. But when Sohail tried to repeat the slash off the next ball he was bowled by a charged-up Prasad who gave Sohail a verbal send-off. India went on to complete a famous win. Incidentally, this was Miandad’s last international game.World Cup, fourth Super Sixes match, 1999, Manchester
India won by 47 runsIndia and Pakistan squared off during a time when the armies of both countries were engaged in a stand-off over Kashmir. Fears were raised to a great levels and security was incredibly intense. Against that backdrop, fans of both sides came together in tumult to cheer their heroes on. There was much flag-waving, whistle-blowing and drum-beating, creating a passionate atmosphere. Tendulkar dominated the start after India opted to bat, passing 8,000 one-day international runs, but the batting did not quite click thereafter. Mohammad Azharuddin was left to construct the innings, and he added 60 in nine overs with Robin Singh to get India to 227.In reply, Saeed Anwar began with with six hurried fours even as Javagal Srinath chipped away at his partners. But it was that man Prasad again, bowling accurately and with good movement, to finish with 5 for 27. Sample his victims: Salim Malik, Anwar, Moin Khan, for an explosive 34 in 37 balls, Inzamam-ul-Haq, unusually subdued for 30 overs, and Wasim Akram, the captain. It all added up to a third successive victory over Pakistan, with Azharuddin winning all of the three India – Pakistan matches he’d captained in World Cup history.

Saeed Anwar’s 101 wasn’t enough in Centurion as India maintained their World Cup-winning streak against Pakistan © Reuters

World Cup 2003, Centurion
India won by six wickets
Anwar guided Pakistan to a daunting 273 with a dogged hundred but an awe-inspiring 98 from Tendulkar helped India romp home to a memorable win. Tendulkar dismantled the bowling attack with shots all around the ground and in particular, took apart Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar with some clinical hitting. He stitched together a 102-run partnership with Mohammad Kaif to help India win with more than four overs to spare.Champions Trophy 2004, Edgbaston
Pakistan won by three wickets
Pakistan broke the jinx of losing to India in what would be the last encounter between the two sides in a major tournament before the World Twenty20. English conditions in late September meant nine of the 15 matches were won by the team chasing. Inzamam-ul-Haq won the crucial toss at Edgbaston and put India in. Shoaib Akhtar and Naved-ul-Hasan shared eight wickets as India were bowled out for 200. Irfan Pathan gave India a shot at reaching the semi-final when he reduced Pakistan to 27 for 3 in 11 overs. But Inzamam and Mohammad Yousuf’s calm 75-run partnership steadied Pakistan’s nerves. Yousuf was unbeaten on 81 as Pakistan reached the target with four balls to spare.ICC World Twenty20, 2007, Durban
Match tied, India won on bowl-outViews remain divided as to the virtues of having a bowl-out in the 20-over format, but when India and Pakistan met for the first time in the inagural ICC World Twenty20 it was another classic. Ultimately India’s players held their nerve to win an extraordinary encounter, taking the game 3-0 in a bowl-out to beat Pakistan and seal their place in the Super Eights after their group match ended in a thrilling tie. India were reeling after Mohammad Asif took 4 for 18 but Robin Uthappa (50) helped set Pakistan 142 to win in Durban. Misbah-ul-Haq made a brilliant 53 from 37 balls even as Pakistan lost three wickets for three runs and Pakistan, who had already qualified, needed one to win off the last ball. However, Misbah could not manage it off Sreesanth’s last ball and was run out to set up the dramatic bowl-out to decide the winner. India’s first three all hit the stumps but Pakistan’s top three all missed. Few could have predicted this thriller, but once again it was India would had trumped Pakistan in a major world tournament.

Scorecard
A seven-hour 165 from Simon Katich was not enough to earn New South Wales the lead against Western Australia after Brad Hogg wrapped up the Blues’ innings with 38 runs still required. Katich and Matthew Nicholson put on 84 for the eighth wicket to give their side hope but the Blues lost their last three wickets for 13 to hand the Warriors first-innings points. At stumps Chris Rogers and Clint Heron had helped Western Australia extend their lead to 188.Katich and Beau Casson started the day with plenty of work ahead of them at 6 for 196, needing 352. Things looked even more grim for the Blues when Casson was caught behind off Hogg for 12 but Nicholson dug in with Katich for nearly two hours, advancing the score to 301 before he was bowled by Ben Edmondson for 38.Thirteen runs later Hogg effectively ended the New South Wales resistance when he lured Katich, who had struck 20 fours and one six, into giving Adam Voges a lofted catch at deep mid-off. In his next over, Hogg picked up the final wicket when Stuart MacGill (0) skied a catch to Shaun Marsh at cover.With just under a day-and-a-half to play, Rogers quickly set about establishing a target, racing to a half-century from 58 balls. It was the fifth time he had passed fifty in seven Pura Cup innings this season and reminded the Australia selectors that Phil Jaques was not the only opener knocking on the door for a place in the Test team. He was eventually out to Casson for 73, which included seven fours and one six.Marsh was run out for 2 but Heron and North continued to frustrate the New South Wales bowlers and took the score to 2 for 151 at stumps. North was on 29 not out and Heron was unbeaten on 45.