Chelsea have endured a torrid campaign and it is safe to say everyone connected with the club will be relieved to see 2022/23 come to an end as soon as possible.

Of course, the Blues still have one more Premier League match left to complete on Sunday when they take on Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge before taking some time off and then regrouping ahead of 2023/24.

Once Chelsea fulfil their last fixture of this season against the Magpies, attention will turn to the summer transfer window for incoming boss Mauricio Pochettino, who is set to preside over plenty of incomings and outgoings as the west Londoners look to ensure they climb the Premier League table next term.

One man who looks to face an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge is Levi Colwill, who has spent the year on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion and has attracted interest from Liverpool and Manchester City in recent times, as per talkSPORT.

What's the latest transfer news involving Levi Colwill and why is he highly regarded?

The talkSPORT report states that Chelsea may have to sell several homegrown players this summer to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, with Colwill, Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek being earmarked as assets that could generate the club 'pure profit'.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Paul Brown thinks that Chelsea could be tempted into selling Colwill in the off-season if a suitable offer for his services arises.

Brown told FFC: "The only issue is if anybody comes in for him, whether a really big bid might tempt Chelsea's owners to sell. Ultimately, they're businessmen and I think if they see any opportunity to bring money in and reduce the squad, they might be tempted to do it. That is the one question mark over him and several players really."

In 2022/23, the 20-year-old has made 23 appearances in all competitions on loan at Brighton and has managed to register three assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Colwill is regarded as one of the brightest youth products to come through at Stamford Bridge and earned enormous praise from former boss Carlos Corberan when on loan at Huddersfield Town in 2021, as per Yorkshire Live, who said: “I think he’s going to be one of the most important centre-backs for this country in the future.”

It is easy to see why the £15k-a-week ace has been given such plaudits in the past, with WhoScored showing that Colwill has managed to maintain a pass success rate of 89.1% in the Premier League this campaign, demonstrating his composure in possession and capacity to play out from deep.

FBRef conclude that Colwill has also managed to establish dominance in the Brighton backline and has fared well compared to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the art of aerial duels won, successfully winning 3.27 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the sixth percentile for this metric.

Since allowing Antonio Rudiger to leave Stamford Bridge for Real Madrid on a free transfer last year, Chelsea have struggled to replace the Germany international and Todd Boehly would be making a huge mistake if he sanctioned a deal for Colwill, who has extremely high potential, to depart SW6 in the forthcoming transfer window.

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi gave Colwill praise for his role in the Seagulls' 3-0 victory over Arsenal earlier this month, as cited by The Argus, stating: “I think the best example of courage was Colwill in this game. We defended man-to-man and Colwill’s man was Odegaard.

Colwill went 90 minutes to defend with Odegaard 80 metres from Jason Steele. This is courage.”

The Italian coach also spoke of his desire to work with the England Under-21 international on a longer-term basis and didn't rule out trying to sign him permanently, adding: “I would like to work with him for another two, three, four years because it’s difficult to find another left centre-back with his qualities. He’s a good guy, he’s improving a lot. This year his improvement has been fantastic and I hope he can stay with us.”

Chelsea would be making a poor decision if they allowed Colwill to leave the club in the summer. Nevertheless, The Evening Standard claimed in March that they are working to extend his deal, which would be a wise decision for all involved and would provide more first-team opportunities for the youngster in west London.

Liverpool are on the brink of making Alexis Mac Allister's move to Anfield official this week and now a new update has emerged on another transfer target for the Reds.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Romeo Lavia?

According to Football Insider, Chelsea have stepped up their pursuit to compete with Liverpool for the signing of Southampton star Romeo Lavia this summer.

As per the report, the West Londoners are preparing a new move to beat Liverpool to the signing of the midfielder after the Reds also registered their interest.

Both clubs will need to meet a fee of up to £50m to be in contention to snap up his services from the relegated side.

Should Liverpool sign Romeo Lavia this summer?

Both Chelsea and Liverpool are in desperate need of reinforcements in midfield this summer and Jurgen Klopp is clearly keen to focus his attention on up-and-coming talent as opposed to more experienced professionals.

The Reds have been strongly linked to and held discussions to sign Kephren Thuram and Kouadio Kone who are both 22 years old, proving that sparking a youthful revolution in the centre of the pitch seems to be the clear intention this summer.

As a result, the signing of Lavia would be a major coup for the Merseyside giants as he is not only a young midfielder that Klopp can mould and develop but already boasts Premier League experience, something the aforementioned French targets do not possess.

Over 29 top-flight appearances, the 19-year-old – hailed an "absolute monster" by Southampton correspondent Benjy Nurick – has tallied up an 86% pass completion rate and completed 68% of his dribble attempts, as well as averaging 47.7 touches, 1.1 interceptions, 2.1 tackles and 4.9 duels won per game, proving that he is a dominant defensive presence.

The Belgian midfielder – who polished his craft in the Manchester City youth academy – has been the recipient of high praise during his first season of playing consistent Premier League football, with Pep Guardiola complimenting his impact on Southampton:

"I am really impressed with what Romeo has done and is doing. We had, and we have, an incredible opinion about him."

Bearing in mind the youngster's quality, Lavia could well be Klopp's next version of fellow teenager Stefan Bajcetic.

Indeed, the Liverpool academy graduate was given the opportunity to compete for a defensive role in the first team this season after impressing in the youth set-up, which led to the Spaniard adding some much-needed energy into the centre of the pitch.

Like Lavia, he boasts excellent defensive attributes, winning 3.1 duels per game and ranking in the top 2% of midfielders in Europe for the number of dribblers he attempted to tackle every 90 minutes, a marker of his keenness to get stuck in.

Should be be acquired, then the Saints ace would be the perfect understudy for Fabinho over the next season as the Brazilian ace has struggled to maintain his own high standards in the deeper midfield role, notably being described as an "old man" by 90min journalist Graeme Bailey.

As a result, if Lavia arrives in the red side of Merseyside it could be exactly what Klopp needs to provide quality competition for the position.

With that being said, it is an exciting and transformative time at Anfield with Klopp on the hunt to build the next generation of success and this ambitious rebuild could be an extremely attractive prospect for a young player like Lavia to become a part of.

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante would "love to stay" at Stamford Bridge beyond the summer transfer window but is about to receive a huge £86m salary offer, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

When is Kante out of contract at Chelsea?

The Frenchman has been an incredible servant for the Blues, arriving back in 2016 and going on to make 269 appearances so far, as well as win the Champions League and Premier League once apiece.

Kante suffered a frustrating 2022/23 season for Chelsea, with injuries constantly curtailing his progress, ultimately limiting him to just six starts in the league and only seven appearances in the competition in total.

Worryingly, the 32-year-old's current contract expires at the end of this month, so the Blues are really running out of time to agree an extension with him. A move away has been mooted, but the hope is that an agreement is reached in the next few weeks.

Does a new deal for Kante look likely?

Taking to Twitter, Romano gave an update on Kante's situation, admitting that a new deal isn't close to being agreed, but that he wants to remain at the club:

"N’Golo Kante situation remains open as he’d love to stay at Chelsea but talks are not advancing to final stages after being close to full agreement in March.

"Understand Al Ittihad and Al Nassr are the two Saudi clubs who are ready to tempt Kante for new experience."

Romano later revealed however that Saudi emissaries have flown to London to offer the player a package worth "€100m (£86m) inclusive of the image rights & commercial deals".

Kante's future simply has to be sorted in a positive manner before the month reaches its conclusion, considering he still has so much to offer as a footballer. Granted, his injury issues have been problematic and he is now in his 30s, but he is a physical machine who can still cover ground at will, when fit. That is highlighted by an average of 2.3 tackles per game across his aforementioned seven Premier League appearances this season.

Kante has been hailed as "world-class" by former Chelsea teammate Cesc Fabregas in the recent past, so to suddenly lose him this month would be a massive blow, considering he still has some years left in him at the top level. He would have to accept that a long-term extension is not called for, of course, and the fact that he seems so desperate to stay is perhaps the only positive amidst the huge bid from the Saudi clubs.

The 53-cap France international can still be the perfect foil for younger midfielders like Enzo Fernandez next season, as well as hopefully some new signings, not necessarily starting every game but being managed carefully by Mauricio Pochettino.

Glenn Maxwell was a surprise omission from Victoria’s first match of the Sheffield Shield season, but the Bushrangers enjoyed a strong day on the field with new opener Marcus Harris scoring a century

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2016
ScorecardGlenn Maxwell started the Sheffield Shield season as 12th man•Getty Images

Glenn Maxwell was a surprise omission from Victoria’s first match of the Sheffield Shield season, but the Bushrangers enjoyed a strong day on the field with new opener Marcus Harris scoring a century. The Victorians went to stumps on 4 for 351 on what was a tough day for the Tasmania attack, although Test hopeful Jackson Bird bowled tidily for 1 for 53 from 22 overs.But as much as the on-field action, attention was focused on Victoria’s pre-match decision to make Maxwell the 12th man. During the off-season, Maxwell had explored a switch to New South Wales, a move that was blocked by Victoria, who chose to enforce the terms of his Cricket Australia contract. However, they could find no room in the starting XI for him.”It’s just a matter of balance,” the new Victoria coach Andrew McDonald said on Tuesday. “There will be some unlucky players. We’ve got nearly the full list available and we’ve selected the team we think can beat Tasmania.”It has been an up-and-down year for Maxwell, who in January was named Australia’s ODI Cricketer of the Year at the Allan Border Medal ceremony, was dropped from the ODI squad for the series in Sri Lanka, then blasted an unbeaten 145 in the first T20 against Sri Lanka, and now has been cut from Victoria’s Sheffield Shield side. Maxwell averages 41.03 with the bat in first-class cricket.But the Victorians did not seem to suffer in his absence, as openers Harris and Travis Dean put on 76 to set the stage for a day full of runs. Dean was bowled by Cameron Boyce for 26 but Harris, playing his first Sheffield Shield match for Victoria after moving from Western Australia, turned his start into the fifth first-class century of his career.Harris ended up with 115, including 14 fours and two sixes, before he fell to the bowling of Beau Webster. But there were plenty more runs to come for Victoria as Peter Handscomb posted 78, Matthew Wade finished unbeaten on 56 and Cameron White went to stumps on 50. Aaron Finch was the one middle-order man who fell cheaply, caught behind off Bird for 17.Bird is effectively the incumbent third fast bowler in Australia’s Test line-up having played on the tour of New Zealand in February – in Sri Lanka the Australians played an extra spinner and only two frontline fast men. The MCG Shield clash had the potential to become a battle between Bird and Peter Siddle for a place in the Perth Test XI.Bird was typically hard to get away and sent down seven maidens in his 22 overs, while Siddle will have to wait until later in the match for his opportunity. Siddle is playing first-class cricket for the first time since the Test tour of New Zealand, after which he was diagnosed with stress fractures of the back.

Manchester United have come a long way since the arrival of Erik ten Hag and the Dutch coach will surely be wanting to continue to rebuild the squad this summer as a new update emerges on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Man United's interest in Randal Kolo Muani?

According to Bundesliga transfer insider Christian Falk, Man United transfer target Randal Kolo Muani will make a decision on his future after the DFB Pokal cup final.

Falk exclusively revealed to Caught Offside (via Football.London):

"Randal Kolo Muani’s decision will come after the DFB Pokal cup final and France’s upcoming national games (until the 19th June),"

"He has time, then, to reach a decision and keep an eye on Manchester United’s ownership situation (which will affect how much they can spend). Chelsea are still in the race and he wants to wait and see if there will be talks with Mauricio Pochettino."

Would Kolo Muani be a good signing for Man United?

There is no doubt that the highest priority for Man United and Ten Hag this summer will be the signing of a prolific centre-forward who can become the main focal point in the forward line.

Following the premature departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, the former Ajax boss has had to lean on Anthony Martial and also acquired the services of Wout Weghorst on loan, however, the pair have only managed to provide 11 goals in all competitions combined.

As a result, the signing of Kolo Muani could solve Ten Hag's biggest headache heading into next season and can provide the squad with a player who is not only a great finisher in front of goal, but displays selflessness in his approach too by delivering numerous opportunities to his teammates.

Over 45 appearances this season, the 24-year-old Frenchman – hailed "very clever" by Louis Saha – has scored 23 goals and registered 17 assists, with a goal contribution every 88 minutes which is an incredible output that would be a huge asset to Man United next season.

Not only that, Kolo Muani ranks first for dribbles completed, assists via open play in the entire Bundesliga this season, according to One Versus One, and is currently the league's third top goalscorer too, proving that he is one of the most talented forwards in Germany right now.

Indeed, securing the services of the Eintracht Frankfurt whiz won't come cheap as it is reported that the club will command a fee in excess of €90m (£78m) this summer, but considering his efficiency in attack and Man United's desperation for a striker who can show solid consistency, he could be worth every penny.

With that being said, if the powerbrokers at Old Trafford can secure a deal for Kolo Muani it could put the team in a fantastic position to compete comfortably in both the Premier League and Champions League next season, especially if he could match his unbelievable output in Germany.

علق رئيس رابطة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم “لاليجا”، خافيير تيباس، على اقتراب قدوم كيليان مبابي إلى الدوري الإسباني عبر بوابة ريال مدريد.

ويضع نادي ريال مدريد لمساته الأخيرة، حول إنهاء تعاقده بشكل نهائي مع، كيليان مبابي، نجم المنتخب الفرنسي وباريس سان جيرمان.

وأبلغ كيليان مبابي إدارة نادي باريس سان جيرمان، بقرار رحيله عن صفوف نادي العاصمة الفرنسية عقب انتهاء عقده بالموسم الحالي.

اقرأ ايضاً.. لو باريزيان: ماكرون يدعو مبابي إلى مأدبة عشاء في قصر الإليزيه

وفي تصريحات لصحيفة آس الإسبانية، أكد خافيير تيباس أن قدوم كيليان مبابي إلى ريال مدريد سيكون له تأثيراً كبيراً على منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

وقال تيباس: “لدي شعور بأنه وقع بالفعل مع ريال مدريد بنسبة 99.9%. أنا واثق بما يقال حول قدوم مبابي إلى الدوري الإسباني”.

وتابع تيباس: “سيكون لدينا أحد أفضل اللاعبين في العالم، على الرغم من أن لدينا بالفعل بيلينجهام وفينيسيوس في ريال مدريد، وجريزمان في أتلتيكو، وليفاندوفسكي في برشلونة”.

وأوضح تيباس: “بقدوم مبابي إلى الدوري الإسباني، سنصبح الدوري الأكثر امتلاءً بالنجوم في العالم”.

Manchester City are close to signing Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic, with a verbal agreement reached, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

What’s the latest Man City transfer news involving Kovacic?

Pep Guardiola’s side completed a historic treble, sealing the achievement with a 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final last weekend. There have been plenty of celebrations between everyone involved at the club and the supporters, however, it looks as if those at the Etihad are already working on summer signings.

One player who has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester is Kovacic, who has been on the books at Stamford Bridge since 2018. The Croatia international, hailed as an "unbelievable footballer" in the media, will soon be entering the final 12 months of his Chelsea deal and a move north looks to be on the cards.

Plettenberg took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to provide an update on the transfer talk between City and Kovacic. He said that a move is close, with a verbal agreement reached.

“Everything is going in the right direction. Kovacic is close to join MCFC & Pep. Verbal agreement is done confirmed. Negotiations between Man City and CFC should follow this week.”

How much does Mateo Kovacic earn?

Kovacic, sponsored by Nike, can play in a defensive, central or attacking midfield role, so should provide Guardiola with a versatile midfield option next season. He also has a history of winning plenty of honours, for example, he has won the Champions League on four separate occasions and the Europa League once.

A player like Kovacic could be needed over the coming month, especially if captain Ilkay Gundogan decides against renewing his Etihad contract over the coming weeks, as has been speculated.

Kovacic also has plenty of Premier League experience under his belt, turning out on 142 occasions in the top flight. And ranks in the 98th percentile for passes into the final third, so could prove to be a shrewd addition in midfield.

He currently picks up £150,000-a-week in London, the biggest wage of his career to date, so it’ll be interesting to see the terms he has seemingly agreed with City. A transfer fee still needs to be agreed between the two clubs, though, but at this moment in time, it appears as if Kovacic could be the first through the door this summer to link up with the treble winners.

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany could be a busy man over the next few months as the Belgian attempts to build a squad capable of competing in the Premier League.

The head coach led the club to glory in the Championship, winning the title with 101 points, and could look to the summer transfer window to improve his team.

Foot Mercato recently reported that the Clarets are seriously considering a swoop to sign Bristol City defensive midfielder Han-Noah Massengo, who has been on loan at Auxerre this season.

The 21-year-old is out of contract at Ashton Gate this summer after joining them from Monaco for €8m (£6.9m) in 2019 and is set to be available as a free agent, which could make him a bargain signing for Kompany.

How has Han-Noah Massengo performed this season?

He joined Ligue 1 side Auxerre on loan for the second half of the 2022/23 campaign and enjoyed a strong five months of action in his home country.

The talented France U21 youngster, who was once dubbed a "roaming playmaker" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has showcased his defensive instincts in the middle of the park and his ability as a holding midfielder could make him the perfect heir to 33-year-old Burnley ace Jack Cork.

Massengo averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.85 across 13 appearances in Ligue 1, where he also made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game, which shows that the French enforcer is able to win the ball back for his side on a regular basis.

Cork, on the other hand, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.77 across his 39 outings, where he made 2.5 tackles and interceptions per league match for the Clarets.

The former Monaco man has also won 53% of his duels in comparison to the Englishman's 51% and this means that the youngster has made more defensive interventions per appearance whilst also being more efficient in his attempted challenges.

Both players have a pass completion rate between 86 and 87% and have the quality to be reliable in possession to go along with their excellent defending in front of the back line.

Massengo is also 12 years younger than Cork and this means that the ace has plenty of years left ahead of him to grow and develop and could do just that under Kompany's coaching at Turf Moor.

Therefore, the soon-to-be free agent could be the dream long-term heir to the veteran defensive midfielder and could lean on the Englishman's experience to help him improve before eventually taking over in that position in the team.

Mithali Raj’s team are playing their first international game in nine months, and with the series against Pakistan up in doubt, the ODIs against West Indies could be their last chance to identify combinations for the Women’s World Cup next year

Shashank Kishore09-Nov-2016

In March this year, India women’s World Twenty20 campaign went up in smoke after their defeat to eventual winners West Indies women in a must-win clash. A team that was building up to challenge other contenders like Australia and England perhaps wilted under the pressure of expectation and playing on the biggest stage at home.Squads

India women: Mithali Raj (capt), Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Jhulan Goswami, Thirush Kamini, Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Smriti Mandhana, Mona Meshram, Shikha Pandey, Sukanya Parida, Poonam Yadav, Deepti Sharma, Devika Vaidya, Sushma Verma (wk)
West Indies women: Stafanie Taylor (capt), Anisa Mohammed, Merissa Aguilleira, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Kycia Knight, Hayley Matthews, Chedean Nation, Shaquana Quintyne, Shakera Selman, Tremayne Smartt

Yet, the team management drew solace from the fact that the young side would only learn from the experience. Mithali Raj, the captain, said “such situations” will only make the side tougher, when asked if it was stage fright.The problem, though, has been that “such situations” haven’t come about as often as Raj and Co would have liked. The BCCI’s promise of “more cricket” to have them match-ready for the World Cup may have raised hopes, but it has not quite translated into action.The team has not played an international fixture in nine months, and is preparing for a three-match ODI series at home against West Indies on the back of a month-long camp, a hastily-arranged Challenger series and the domestic one-day competition, where a majority of the first set of group matches were washed out. The rest were played on damp wickets, where Railways, with the presence of more than half the Indian squad, defended their title. It was largely a one-sided affair.It is against this backdrop that the side will prepare for the ODI series against West Indies, which starts in Vijayawada on November 10. The matches will count towards the ICC Women’s Championship that aims to identify four direct qualifiers for the World Cup, to be played in England next year. As things stand, Australia are the only side assured of direct entry, while England and West Indies are each one win away from securing their berths. That leaves three teams – New Zealand, South Africa and India – potentially fighting for one slot.But with India’s fixtures against Pakistan under a cloud – they could potentially lose six points – because of political tensions, the matches against West Indies could effectively be their last. Even a 3-0 whitewash may not be enough to finish in the top four, which means they are all but certain to head into the World Cup qualifiers in Sri Lanka in February.”In a way, it is good that we get to play the qualifiers, because we get more game time before the World Cup,” Raj said. “We will also get to play those four teams which we might be facing in the World Cup. It will be good, I think, given what the situation is. Ideally, it would have been nice to qualify directly, but we will look at this as an opportunity to play more matches.”The West Indies series will be important to narrow in on combinations for the World Cup. Allrounder Mona Meshram, legspinner Devika Vaidya and left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht have been recalled, while uncapped seamer Sukanya Parida has also earned a call-up. Meshram last played for India in April 2013, Vaidya has played only one T20I for India in November, 2014, and is uncapped in ODIs. Bisht had missed the home ODIs against Sri Lanka earlier this year.With Raj hinting at the 2017 World Cup being her last, the team management and selectors have identified Harmanpreet Kaur as a potential leader, at least for the shortest format to begin with. But, with the focus firmly on ODIs, as was the case with T20Is last season, Purnima Rau, the coach, underlined the importance of making every opportunity count.In that sense, this will be a test for Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet, who are both set to play in the Women’s Big Bash League later in the season, to carry the team’s batting and ease the burden on Raj. There’s also an opportunity for Veda Krishnamurthy to showcase consistency. The bowling department, led by Jhulan Goswami, is spin-heavy. Only time will tell if that’s a conscious decision, though, considering it is West Indies’ weakness.That the series has been scheduled at a venue that the teams described as “spin friendly” may prove to be a blessing in disguise, considering the World Cup qualifiers in Colombo will be played in similar conditions. A solid show against West Indies could possibly be a giant leap in India’s quest to qualify for the World Cup. A setback, however, could be yet another classic case of ‘two steps forward and four steps back’.

New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee said he had the aid of the wind at Seddon Park, as well as the support of his seam-bowling compatriots, as he claimed 6 for 80 in the first innings – his best-ever figures at home. Southee’s performance helped the hosts dismiss Pakistan for 216 and take a lead of 55 on the third day in Hamilton.Southee is familiar with Seddon Park, which is the home ground for his Northern Districts domestic team for whom he had taken a first-class five-wicket haul at the venue in early November. The wind that blows in from the North-West has also been a near-constant presence in the first three days of the Test. It helped Southee take balls away from right-hand batsmen, particularly early in Pakistan’s innings.”I play a lot here, and it’s always nice because it’s one of the few grounds in the world where the wind actually assists a right-arm outswing bowler,” Southee said. “It was nice to pick up wickets, but it’s just good to contribute to the bowling performance. Bowling second on that pitch and taking a 55-run lead into the second innings just shows how well we did as a bowling group. Matt Henry didn’t get a wicket but I think he bowled exceptionally well throughout – most of it was into the wind. He did a great job and deserves a lot more credit than his figures show.”Southee had been especially effective with the new ball, removing openers Sami Aslam and Azhar Ali in the same over, before having Younis Khan caught behind to leave Pakistan 12 for 3. The away-swingers that took Azhar and Younis’ edges had been preceded by balls that seamed towards the batsmen. It is a ploy Southee has often used before.”Each bowler has different strengths, and those are things that have worked for me in the past,” he said. “The new ball period was crucial for us. We knew if we took wickets with the new ball it put pressure back on them. You have plans for certain batsmen, and it’s nice when they do come off.”Southee bowled 21 overs in the innings, but had conceded 32 of his runs in the space of three overs on day three. Sarfraz Ahmed plundered six fours off Southee early on day three to force him out of the attack – though the batsmen did also almost lose his wicket in the process.”Personally I was a little bit off in that first spell,” Southee said. “The rest of the guys bowled pretty well throughout that first innings. There were five overs in the start of the day where we missed a little bit. They [Pakistan] had a positive mindset and put the bad balls away. The nature of Sarfraz is that he’s an aggressive player. If you do miss, he’s going to look to put it away. We did that a few too many times.”Southee said New Zealand remained wary of Pakistan’s attack as they head into the third innings of the match, but said the surface had become much better for batting. Only one ball of the New Zealand innings was bowled on Sunday, before rain washed out the remainder of the day’s play. The forecast for the remaining days is promising, however.”If you have positive intent and the bowlers are a little bit off, you can score on this pitch,” Southee said. “It’s not a big ground. I think the pitch has settled down a bit. There will still be some assistance there with the new ball, but once it becomes reasonably old – we saw today how guys could get in and play their shots.”