Chelsea's co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley have backed Cole Palmer to win the Ballon d'Or in the future.
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Chelsea directors heap praise on PalmerCalled the star player a 'maverick'Revealed how Blues signed him from CityFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The England international had a dream debut campaign at Stamford Bridge as he emerged as the club's highest scorer with 27 goals in 48 appearances across all competitions. Palmer's magnificent performances for the Blues were rewarded as he was nominated for the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
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While Palmer's chances of winning the Golden Ball this year are slim, Chelsea co-directors Stewart and Winstanley feel that the star player can go on and claim the prestigious award in the future. They also revealed how the club managed to sign the talented 22-year-old from reigning champions Manchester City last summer.
WHAT HAS BEEN SAID
Speaking to The Telegraph, Winstanley said when asked if Palmer can be crowned the best player in the world one day: "No doubt he can, no doubt. He’s got a bit of maverick personality on the pitch, you can see that. You can see it in training, you can see it in the games. He’s got that ability."
Stewart added on how Chelsea signed Palmer: "We didn’t think necessarily that we’d be able to get him here really, did we? There was a feeling that ‘no, Cole Palmer won’t be for sale’. We’d been speaking about him throughout that window and then as it came towards the latter stage of the window, we felt like we wanted to do something else and do something around that area of the pitch. He came up again and we all said ‘let’s go for it, let’s see what’s possible’. And then there seemed to be a little bit of feedback that there could be something there."
Winstanley continued: "He showed great desire to come here and that’s the sort of player we want, the personality and the desire to come here.”
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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?
Enzo Maresca's Chelsea side, who are unbeaten in their last seven matches across all competitions, will next take on Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday at Anfield.
Celtic could use the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business last Friday, to make additions to bolster their playing squad.
The Hoops won two trophies during the 2023/24 campaign as they lifted the Scottish Premiership title and the SFA Cup in May, beating their local rivals to both.
Brendan Rodgers, however, may want to go in search of a domestic treble, which was achieved by Ange Postecoglou the season before, next term.
In order to do that, the Northern Irish manager could need to improve his options across the park by dipping into the market before the window slams shut at the end of August.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers looks on.
Whilst that could involve new additions coming through the door at Parkhead, Celtic are also looking to bring back at least one of their loan stars from last season.
Celtic's pursuit of Portuguese wizard
Portuguese outlet Record, via the Daily Record, recently reported that the Scottish giants are struggling to secure a deal to sign central midfielder Paulo Bernardo on a permanent deal this summer.
The Benfica maestro spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Paradise and the club had an option to make it permanent for a fee of £6m, but decided to attempt to negotiate a lower fee with the Liga Portugal giants.
It was stated that the Bhoys were able to clear that hurdle and, yet, a deal does not appear to be close as they have not been able to agree personal terms with the young magician.
Paulo Bernardo
The report claimed that Bernardo is on a substantial wage and is unwilling to take a pay cut to make the move to Scotland on a permanent basis, and the Hoops 'having difficulty' meeting his demands at this moment in time.
Record did not reveal how much the right-footed whiz is on per-week at Benfica but noted that it is a contract that he signed as a teenager when he was viewed as a player with similar potential to Joao Felix, which is why it is a substantial package for the Bhoys to take on.
Rodgers and Celtic could, however, ditch their pursuit of the expensive midfielder by pushing ahead with a deal for reported target Luke McCowan.
Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph recently reported that the Scottish giants have been keeping tabs on the SPFL central midfielder, whose current deal with Dundee is set to expire next summer.
The journalist added that teams in the MLS and the English Championship are also interested in the left-footed dynamo, which suggests that the Hoops are facing plenty of competition to secure his signature before the end of the window.
It remains to be revealed, however, how much Dundee would demand for their star midfielder, as his contract expiring next year means that they run the risk of losing him for nothing if they do not cash in on him ahead of next season.
Celtic can now abandon their pursuit of Bernardo and swoop to sign McCowan instead to bolster Rodgers' midfield for the 2024/25 campaign.
Paulo Bernardo's season at Celtic in numbers
The 22-year-old talent joined the club on a season-long loan from Benfica last summer and enjoyed a solid, but unspectacular, first year in Scottish football.
Celtic midfielder Paulo Bernardo.
Bernardo failed to nail down a regular place in the starting XI, with just 11 starts to his name in the Premiership, but did show glimpses of his quality when given an opportunity to shine.
The likes of Matt O'Riley, Reo Hatate, Tomoki Iwata, and Callum McGregor being on the books provide strong competition for minutes in the middle of the park, which is why the young talent did not rack up starts week-in-week-out.
In his relatively limited time on the pitch for the Premiership champions, though, the Benfica loanee did showcase his ability to make things happen at the top end of the pitch.
Appearances
22
Starts
11
Goals
3
Assists
3
Big chances created
4
Duel success rate
48%
As you can see in the table above, the Portugal youth international was directly involved in six goals in 11 starts – more than one every other start on average.
However, he also lost more duels than he won and this suggests that the young gem struggled with the physicality of Scottish football in his first, and possibly last, year with the Hoops.
Why Celtic should sign Luke McCowan
The Bhoys could forget all about their pursuit of Bernardo, though, with a swoop to sign McCowan due to his proven quality in the Premiership.
At the age of 26, he would not arrive with as much potential as the 22-year-old Portuguese starlet but is also not an over-the-hill veteran with no room to grow.
The left-footed ace should be heading into the prime years of his career and this means that the Hoops could get plenty of seasons of quality out of him, if he can adapt to playing for Rodgers at Parkhead.
His form for Dundee last season suggests that the potential is there for him to come in and offer more than Bernardo as competition for the likes of Hatate, O'Riley, and McGregor for a starting spot in midfield.
Appearances
37
22
Goals
10
3
Assists
5
3
Big chances created
9
4
Key passes per game
1.6
0.5
Duel success rate
45%
48%
As you can see in the table above, both players struggle with physical duels against opposition players but excel when it comes to scoring and creating goals.
McCowan has proven his ability to score and assist goals at an impressive rate from a midfield position at Premiership level, with more than three times as many goals as Bernardo and 1.1 more key passes per game on average.
The 26-year-old ace, who writer Kai Watson dubbed "tenacious", could, therefore, provide more than the Benfica youngster in the middle of the park, due to his superior quality in the final third.
Kelleher signs, £8m star bought: What Rodgers' dream Celtic XI could be
A look at what the Hoops team could be next season if they have a successful summer transfer window.
ByDan Emery Jun 15, 2024
This is why Celtic should ditch their pursuit of Bernardo and, instead, push ahead with a deal to sign the Dundee wizard ahead of the MLS and Championship clubs before the window slams shut later this summer.
Ethan Mbappe led wild celebrations following Lille’s stunning win over Real Madrid, with fans joking that brother Kylian has “turned off mentions”.
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European champions suffered shock defeat
World Cup winner stepped off the bench
Younger brother missed out through injury
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Champions League title holders Real made their way to France for the latest round of fixtures in elite European competition. Carlo Ancelotti named a strong side, with Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham all starting for the Blancos.
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World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe had to settle for a place on the bench after making a surprisingly quick recovery from injury, and he was only introduced just before the hour mark. Real found themselves trailing by that stage, with Jonathan David converting a penalty on the stroke of half-time.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Lille were able to hold on from there, allowing them to savour a memorable victory. Ethan Mbappe played no part in a meeting with his brother, as he is nursing a knock of his own, but was on the field at the end and got the party started behind the scenes afterwards.
O Palmeiras fechou na tarde desta sexta-feira (30), na Academia de Futebol, sua preparação para o clássico contra o São Paulo, no sábado (31), às 19h, no estádio do Morumbi, pela 14ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.
Futebol, vôlei, handebol, atletismo e chances de medalha: confira a agenda do dia nos Jogos Olímpicos de Tóquio
A comissão técnica de Abel Ferreira comandou uma atividade tática no campo. Foram aprimorados marcações, balanços, verticalizações, passes entre linhas e movimentações. Na sequência, os jogadores participaram de um descontraído recreativo. Antes do fim ainda, alguns atletas aperfeiçoaram cobranças de faltas e pênaltis.
No gramado anexo, os atacantes Rony e Luiz Adriano cumpriram cronograma de transição junto do lateral-esquerdo Jorge; os três trabalharam na parte interna do centro de excelência e também com bola no campo. O atacante Borja treinou em tempo integral com os companheiros.
Veja a tabela completa do Brasileirão
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A provável escalação do Palmeiras para enfrentar o São Paulo é: Weverton; Marcos Rocha, Felipe Melo, Gustavo Gómez e Renan; Danilo, Zé Rafael, Gustavo Scarpa e Raphael Veiga; Wesley e Deyverson.
Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada
O Verdão é o atual líder do Brasileirão com 31 pontos e vem de nove triunfos consecutivos na temporada, sendo os quatro últimos sem sofrer gols. No Brasileirão, são sete vitórias seguidas, deixando o Maior Campeão do Brasil a uma de igualar o recorde do clube na competição.
Ipswich Town won't want to flood their squad with new recruits for the sake of it making the leap up to the Premier League, knowing that can actively work against you when ripping up what worked so well the previous season.
Kieran McKenna's squad has remained a constant throughout both the League One promotion story and the subsequent success in the Championship, tweaks here and there have added in quality but the lineup fielded on the second-tier final day comprised of eight of the starters who also played the final match in the third-tier.
The Tractor Boys might well have a battle on their hands keeping their manager at the helm, if reports are correct, but will be looking for Conor Chaplin to star making another jump-up the divisions having been key over the last two unbelievable campaigns.
Conor Chaplin's time at Ipswich
Chaplin, after impressing at Barnsley, Coventry City and Portsmouth up and down the EFL with 50 goals amassed at those clubs, was snapped up by Ipswich for a small fee of just £750k in 2021 which continues to look like a bargain.
The Tykes must have really regretted offloading their ex-attacker for such a cut-price when looking at his heroics last season as Ipswich's rise up to the Premier League began, bagging 26 goals and helping himself to five assists as the Suffolk-based club finally got out of their League One slump.
This season, Chaplin has been as much a creator for McKenna's men as he has been an out-and-out goalscorer with 13 goals and nine assists amassed from 44 Championship games.
Chaplin's continued excellence this campaign backed up Sky Sports commentator Don Goodman's lavish praise when the ex-Barnsley man won League One Player of the Season, describing his form in the third-tier as "scintillating" which didn't relent moving up a division.
It's resulted in his worth rising higher and higher, according to Football Transfers, with his current valuation, after more heroics donning Ipswich blue, seeing him now worth more than double Sam Morsy's amount in the Tractor Boys camp.
That's the case despite Morsy equally playing a key role in Ipswich defying the odds to pull off back-to-back promotions, reinforcing Chaplin's rise from a player trying his hardest in and around League One and the Championship with his whole host of former employers to now being a Premier League level gem.
Chaplin's transfer worth in 2024
Chaplin's valuation now comes in at a handsome £4.1m, showcasing that Ipswich uncovered a diamond in the rough when taking a punt on the 27-year-old for £750k.
That makes the agile 5 foot 6 forward the fifth highest valued asset in the Portman Road ranks currently, just falling behind George Hirst's higher price tag of £4.4m who has been as efficient as Chaplin in patches this season with 14 goal contributions up top.
Ipswich's highest valued assets – 23/24
1. Luke Woolfenden
£7.2m
2. Harry Clarke
£5.5m
3. Leif Davis
£4.8m
4. George Hirst
£4.4m
5. Conor Chaplin
£4.1m
Sourced by Football Transfers
Morsy's name is nowhere to be seen in and amongst the five most valued assets in Suffolk at the moment, even whilst only missing four games all season long in the league, with the Ipswich captain's future in slight doubt owing to his contract expiring next month.
The Egypt international might well view bowing out from Ipswich off the back of a surreal promotion up to the Premier League as an apt fairytale ending, with the 32-year-old's valuation coming in at a lesser £1.8m now compared to Chaplin's.
With Morsy moving on potentially, Chaplin will just hope he stays put to enter into another new league and passes his assessment again with flying colours as one of the main stars in attack.
Ipswich could forget Hutchinson by signing "top quality" EFL star
Ipswich Town could get over any potential Omari Hutchinson heartbreak by signing this star.
يرغب نادي ليفربول في حسم الموقف بشأن مستقبل ظهير الفريق الأول لكرة القدم الأيمن، ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، مع اقتراب عقده على الانتهاء.
وينتهي عقد أرنولد مع ليفربول كما هو الحال مع محمد صلاح وفيرجيل فان دايك في 30 يونيو 2025، وليس هناك اتفاق حتى الآن بين جميع الأطراف للاستمرار في “أنفيلد”.
ويريد ليفربول اليوم على شرف مباراة ريال مدريد أن ينهي كل شيء، حيث أن مأدبة الغداء بين الناديين لن يكون الحديث فيها فقط عن المواجهة المرتقبة مساء اليوم.
حيث يلتقي ليفربول وريال مدريد في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” ويسعى الناديان للفوز خاصة وأن الريدز يلعب على مراكز القمة ويريد الملكي العودة إلى الطريق الصحيح والانتصارات بعد خسارة ميلان الأخيرة.
اقرأ أيضًا.. فرديناند وكاراجر يختلفان حول تصريحات محمد صلاح ضد إدارة ليفربول
وبحسب صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية أن مأدبة الغداء سيكون من أهم مواضيعها هو مستقبل أرنولد الذي يرغب ريال مدريد بحسب الصحافة الأوروبية ضمه بالمجان خاصة مع تقدم داني كارافخال في العمر وإصاباته المتكررة.
وأفادت الصحيفة أنه كانت هناك محادثات بين الناديين في الأيام الماضية وصفتها بالجريئة ولكن هناك علاقة جيدة بين الإدارتين لذلك كان الاتفاق هو الحديث وجهًا لوجه بشأن الصفقة في تلك الزيارة.
هناك حاجة ضرورية داخل ريال مدريد بضم ظهير أيمن مع إصابة لوكاس فاسكيز الأخيرة والذي كان يعتبر البديل الوحيد لغياب كارفاخال، لذلك سيكون من المهم أن يعرف الملكي موقف أرنولد النهائي في ليفربول مع عدم وجود اتفاق على التجديد.
الصحيفة الإسبانية تشير إلى أن الوضع في ليفربول هادئ خاصة وأن هناك بديل بالفعل إذا رحل أرنولد وهو كونور برادلي الذي بدأ في المشاركة أساسيًا منذ الموسم الماضي.
وعلى الرغم من ذلك، ليس من المنطقي أن يوافق ليفربول على رحيل أرنولد في الشتاء نظرًا لحاجة ريال مدريد لتدعيم خط دفاعه في يناير 2025
Na noite deste sábado, o Internacional ficou no empate diante do Corinthians em 1 a 1 e o gol do Colorado saiu através do volante Edenílson.
Em jogada polêmica, Victor Cuesta sofreu pênalti de Jô e o camisa 8 converteu a favor da sua equipe, que cedeu a igualdade na etapa final.
Pênalti
Contra seu ex-time, Edenílson chegou a marca de 14 gols de pênalti com a camisa do Inter. O desempenho é assustador, já que ele nunca perdeu uma cobrança.
Vale citar, que no meio de semana contra o Palmeiras, ele antou o gol do Colorado em penalidade na derrota por 2 a 1.
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O Vasco foi derrotado pela Portuguesa-RJ por 2 a 1 pela Copa Rio Sub-17 neste sábado. Com isso, esse foi o primeiro revés dos Meninos da Colina na competição estadual. O próximo jogo da equipe comandada pelo técnico Igor Guerra, será pelo Campeonato Brasileiro contra o Internacional, na próxima segunda-feira, às 17h30, no Estádio Francisco Novelletto.
> Confira a classificação da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro
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Apesar do Vasco ter iniciado a partida com mais volume de jogo e uma boa chance comGuilherme Estrella, a Lusa abriu o placar logo aos 9 minutos. Vinícius recebeu um bom passe e acertou um bonito chute de fora da área para colocar o time da ilha do Governador na frente.
> CONHEÇA O APLICATIVO DE RESULTADOS DO LANCE!
Em seguida, foi a vez deJerônimo arriscar o chute, mas mandar por cima da meta da Portuguesa-RJ. Minutos depois, o meio-campista apareceu novamente em cobrança de falta perigosa. Após a batida, a bola desviou e o arqueiro adversário fez grande defesa.
Na etapa final, o Gigante da Colina seguia pressionando, mas foi a Lusa que ampliou o marcador. Em rápida jogada de contra-ataque, em que Diogo aproveitou o bom cruzamento e estufou a rede. Por fim, o Cruz-Maltino descontou comLeozinho, em cobrança de falta. O atleta bateu com categoria, sem chance para o goleiro da Portuguesa.
Both Shaun and Mitch made half-centuries but Renegades lost steam towards the end of their chase
Tristan Lavalette21-Dec-2019 Mitchell Marsh spoiled older brother Shaun’s much-anticipated home return with a belligerent half-century to fuel Perth Scorchers’ 11-run victory over Melbourne Renegades at Perth Stadium.After being sent in, the Scorchers took advantage of a batting paradise with Cameron Bancroft and Liam Livingstone sharing a rapid half-century stand before Mitchell Marsh devastatingly provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 56 off 22 balls.The Scorchers’ total of 7 for 196 – their third highest ever – might have been even greater if not for the lionhearted effort of Kane Richardson, who finished with career-best BBL figures of 4 for 22. Renegades fell short in the chase despite the brilliance of Shaun Marsh, who top-scored with 55.The Scorchers won their first match of the season, while defending champions Renegades remain winless.Mitchell Marsh is quite strong down the ground•Getty Images
Under pressure Scorchers’ top-order firesThe Scorchers have backed the duo of Livingstone and Josh Inglis at the top after struggling to find a reliable opening combination last season. Inglis showed his inventiveness with a scooped six in the second over but fell tamely after, when he got a leading edge off a full Richardson delivery to point.An aggressive Bancroft was in sparkling touch, marked by precise footwork, to take advantage of the power play. On the big expanses of Perth Stadium, Bancroft smartly nudged the ball around for twos after the powerplay to ensure the runs flowed.Livingstone, who made a duck against Sydney Sixers, broke the shackles spectacularly with a scooped six off Jack Wildermuth – matching Inglis’ earlier ingenuity. He took a liking to Cameron Boyce’s spin and clubbed a massive six as his confidence grew.Livingstone, however, couldn’t keep it going as he miscued a short delivery off Richard Gleeson. But the 64-run second-wicket partnership built a strong platform.Mitchell Marsh explodes at the deathBancroft impressively ended a form rut to notch his half-century off 36 balls, as he combined well with Ashton Turner who similarly has struggled across the formats this season.With the Renegades unable to penetrate, skipper Aaron Finch turned to spearhead Richardson in the 14th over and it did the trick as he claimed the wicket of Bancroft with a short delivery.Air (Chris) Jordan, after sprinting several yards to his right at full tilt•Getty Images
Mitchell Marsh played himself in before targeting Harry Gurney in the 17th over and nailing a blow over the bowler and into the crowd. Much like Bancroft, Mitchell Marsh smartly found the gaps to continue the Scorchers’ penchant of finding twos.Turner fell for 36 leaving the responsibility at the death to Mitchell Marsh, who didn’t disappoint with five huge sixes in the final two overs to reach his half-century off just 21 balls. Richardson’s solo act was capped off by a sensational return catch to dismiss Ashton Agar, but he lacked support.The Marsh brothers square offAlready without mainstays Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye, the Scorchers’ bowling depth was tested with young quick Matthew Kelly missing due to illness. And the weakened attack was tested by an opening onslaught from Finch and Sam Harper, who combined for 43 in an aggressive stand.Finch, particularly, was in ominous touch until he smashed straight to cover to end his whirlwind 28. The wicket brought Shaun Marsh, the all-time leading Scorchers run-scorer, to the crease and he was greeted by jeers from the crowd.Shaun Marsh hit a fifty on his return to Perth as a Renegade•Getty Images
Joel Paris, who bowled sedately, dismissed Harper for 15 and then should have had Tom Cooper next ball had Livingstone not fumbled at deep square. With his brother on strike, Mitchell Marsh brought himself into the attack in the seventh over, in what was a return to bowling after an injury layoff. Watched on by their father Geoff, the brothers faced up to one delivery with Shaun Marsh scoring a single in an anti-climax.When Agar bowled Tom Cooper with his second delivery, the pressure rested on Shaun Marsh to conjure heroics on his former home ground.Shaun Marsh’s brilliance falls shortShaun Marsh eyed a fairy tale return as he clubbed a pair of sixes in the 14th over off Agar and he found a willing ally in Beau Webster as the pair breathed life into the contest.With Kelly and Tye sidelined, Chris Jordan stepped up and delivered clutch bowling in the latter overs and Fawah Ahmed bowled accurately to stymie the burgeoning partnership.Shaun Marsh stepped it up with sweet strokes until he holed out to Ahmed in the 18th over to effectively end the contest. Jordan spectacularly capped off the victory with a brilliant diving catch on the boundary to dismiss Dan Christian.
Shami impressed upon return, as did the other seamers and Kuldeep
The Report by Sidharth Monga11-Dec-2019Three years ago, India were asked to bat first in a World T20 semi-final by the same team at the same ground in similar conditions. They lost just two wickets in their 20 overs, but were possibly not aware that their 192 was “only” 192 in those conditions in T20 cricket. Three years later, in the series decider at Wankhede Stadium, India came with doubts still persisting if they had shed their conservatism.The answer was an emphatic yes with their three main batsmen taking two, two and five balls to hit their first boundary. And the big hits just kept coming as Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli hit 35 boundaries between them in just 119 balls. India’s attitude was clear: if it is tough to defend totals in this format, they were going to give their bowlers a well above-par total, or get dismissed trying. Under the mountain of runs, West Indies, hit by an injury to Evin Lewis, crumbled spectacularly.What will especially please India is that this is the second successive series decider they have won batting first.Start as you mean to go onIt is arguable India lost that 2016 semi-final in the first powerplay when Ajinkya Rahane went at a strike rate of around 100. Here both Sharma and Rahul went for it. Sharma even made a technical change, opening his front leg to face Sheldon Cottrell. He threw his bat at the second ball he faced, crashing it over cover. Rahul did the same the second ball he faced, getting a thick outside edge past slip. It was remarkable because Sharma is known to take his time before he starts hitting, but here he had taken the lead over Rahul, who caught up soon enough. Both struck at 200 in the powerplay, giving India their second-best powerplay batting first, a good 17 more than what they had scored in 2016.Post powerplay, Sharma took over the mantle of chief aggressor, launching Khary Pierre for six, six and four in the eighth over. India 102 for 0 in eight overs.Walsh, Williams slow India downAmid the carnage, Hayden Walsh bowled the ninth over without a boundary. India made up for it with a six and two fours in the 11th over, but in the 12th Kesrick Williams managed to get the better of Sharma with a slower legcutter. That brought about a promotion for Rishabh Pant, who tried to hit boundaries off the two balls he faced. He missed one, and drilled the second straight to long-off. The idea was right, but his dismissal had buoyed West Indies with a spell of play that read 17 balls, 13 runs, two wickets. India 145 for 3 in 13.5 overs.Kohli goesThe last ball of the 14th over, with his score reading two off four, Kohli went for his second slog and sent it over midwicket for a six. This was the start of an onslaught that was the need of the moment with Rahul having slowed down out of a combination of fatigue and the need for stability at one end. Once again, as in the first T20I of this series, it was a Jason Holder over in which Kohli cut loose. That 22-run 15th over seemed like it had put India back on track at 173 for 2.Williams comes backWilliams then came back to bowl a superb 16th over where Kohli and Rahul struggled to pick his pace, managing only three runs. Cottrell followed it up with a decent one for 11. India 187 for 2 after 17.Decision timePollard now had an over each from his gun bowlers, Williams and Cottrell, but three overs to bowl. He had to decide when to bowl the best bowler of the night, Williams, and whom to use for the third over. Both calls went awfully wrong for West Indies. Williams was asked to bowl two in a row, and it turned out both Rahul and Kohli had the measure of him. They both waited for the slower ball, hitting a six each, giving Kohli the final word in what has been an entertaining contest between the two.Well, it turned out Kohli was not done with Williams yet. Pollard took it upon himself to bowl the 19th, and Kohli got stuck into it, hitting three sixes, India taking 27 runs off the over. The second off those sixes brought up India’s fifth-fastest T20I fifty, and Kohli pointed the bat to Williams at short fine leg. , ladies and gentlemen, was the final word.India seal it off quicklyApart from Walsh and Williams, Lewis was the only man having a good day in the field. In the first few exchanges, he pulled off a ridiculous save overhead at the boundary, threw the ball back in play, jumped over the boundary hoardings, came back, and nearly ran Sharma out when taking the second run. In the 12th over, as he made a regulation save at the fence, he jammed his knee into the ground, causing himself soft tissue damage that ruled him out of the rest of the match.In Lewis’ absence, and facing a tall task, West Indies felt the pressure pretty early and started to play lower-percentage shots. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar got a wicket each, but the biggest positive was Mohammed Shami’s return. A specialist bowler playing ahead of an allrounder, Shami looked the most difficult bowler to hit, and also took out the dangerous Lendl Simmons. West Indies 19 for 3 after four overs.Full toss extinguishes flickering lightPollard and Shimron Hetmyer gave India a brief scare with effortless hitting for 60 runs in the next five overs. In the sixth, Hetmyer had it in for Kuldeep Yadav, who had replaced Yuzvendra Chahal, who had been taken apart by left-hand batsmen. The first two balls were effortless sixes again, and the third from around the wicket was a full toss. Six sixes seemed squarely on, but Hetmyer shanked this one to be caught at long-on.This wicket-induced slowdown put the matter beyond West Indies, but Pollard’s flame kept flickering at his IPL home ground. It was in the 15th over that Kumar got rid of Pollard for a career-high 68, but 100 off 31 required at that point was anyway improbable.