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Newcastle United have made contact regarding a deal to sign Barcelona forward Raphinha this summer, according to reports.

Is Raphinha leaving Barcelona?

The Brazilian international only swapped the Premier League for La Liga last summer when he arrived at Camp Nou in a big-money move from Leeds United. He’s made 50 appearances in Catalonia to date, but there's a chance he could already be hitting the road once again.

Xavi’s right-sided winger still has another four years remaining on his contract, but after establishing himself as the manager’s joint second top-performing offensive player during his debut season, is attracting interest ahead of the upcoming window, in particular from St. James’ Park.

Speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano revealed last month that the Magpies, alongside top-flight rivals Chelsea, both hold an “interest” in the 26-year-old, but it sounds like it’s Eddie Howe who is the first to make an official move.

Are Newcastle signing Raphinha?

According to Spanish outlet Sport (via Sport Witness), Newcastle have “already made a first approach” to enquire about a deal for the man called a "phenomenon" by his international teammates. Barcelona’s attacker is “keen to continue” where he is, but it’s stated that the northeast outfit will “insist” on signing the player regardless of his stance.

The Magpies have “positioned themselves” and “would be willing to pay a fee” to bring him to St. James’ Park. The Blaugrana have made it clear he could “only leave” if they received an offer in excess of €80m (£68m), and the opportunity to play in the Champions League could end up “convincing” him to join.

Should PIF splash the cash on Raphinha?

Newcastle will already know what Raphinha is capable of having played against him several times during his spell at Leeds, where he was dubbed “frightening” by members of the media, and with that impressive form having continued since joining Barcelona, PIF should definitely test the waters by making an offer.

Barca’s left-footed gem, who is represented by D20 Sports, clocked up 14 goal contributions (seven goals and the same number of assists) in 36 La Liga appearances last season, with this high standard of displays seeing him collect six man-of-the-match awards.

The World Cup participant was also a major threat when providing for his fellow teammates having recorded 172 crosses and 117 shot-creating actions, which were both higher than any other member of his squad, as per FBRef, so should he put pen to paper in the near future, he would only improve Howe’s attacking ranks even further.

Manchester United bidders INEOS, who are fronted by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, are 'cautiously optimistic' over their chances of sealing a deal to take over at Old Trafford, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest takeover news involving Manchester United?

As per Sky Sports, Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm INEOS are said to be the 'leading candidate' to assume control of Manchester United from the Glazer family.

The report states that Ratcliffe wants to buy a majority controlling stake in the Premier League giants that would leave Joel and Avram Glazer in minority stakeholding positions and INEOS remain the preferred option despite a new offer from rival bidder Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani.

Former Manchester United icon Gary Neville has spoken about his frustration surrounding the ownership debacle on Twitter, stating: "Plainly obvious the Glazer family aren’t going to announce anything on the ownership until the season is closed! They’ve been spinning it out unprofessionally for weeks and months now. They know fan protests would have been more significant than they already have if matches were still being played and the end result of the sale process is unpopular."

INEOS want to purchase 69% of the club, whereas Sheikh Jassim and the Nine Two Foundation want to claim 100% of Manchester United and clear debt owed by the club, as per GOAL.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that Ratcliffe and his INEOS team will be quietly confident over their chances of becoming the new owners of the Red Devils.

Jacobs told FFC: "INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have a flexible offer on the table, they're prepared to get in control of the club and allow Joel and Avram Glazer to stay, but they're also prepared to buy 69% of the football club. As a consequence of that and because their valuation is higher than the Nine Two Foundation, at around £6.5 billion, there's less of a negotiation there and more questioning around technical points of that bid and INEOS remain cautiously optimistic."

What next for Manchester United?

Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag will be keen to focus on matters on the field and will be readying his side for another tilt at trophy glory this weekend as they prepare to face Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

The Red Devils have already recorded Carabao Cup success this term and Ten Hag will want to add another trophy to his cabinet to complement what has been a commendable season in charge as his side will also have Champions League football to look forward to in 2023/24.

Transfer targets will also be on the agenda for Manchester United and they are reportedly going to make a 'formal approach' to try and acquire Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, as per Sky Sports.

Mount may be the first of several arrivals at Old Trafford as things get set to hot up on and off the pitch at Manchester United in the next few weeks.

Tim Bresnan made an unbeaten 72 to keep Yorkshire’s Championship hopes alive, as Nick Compton’s dropped catch cost Middlesex

George Dobell at Lord's21-Sep-2016
ScorecardHe may have scored two Test centuries and played a part in England series victories in India and South Africa but, around these parts at least, Nick Compton is in danger of being remembered as the man who dropped the 2016 Specsavers County Championship.Had Compton, in the slips, held on to the relatively straightforward chance offered by Andy Hodd on 22 off Steven Finn, Yorkshire would have been 87 for 5 and in danger of seeing their relatively long tail exposed. One of the runners in this three-horse race may well have fallen away.Instead, the chance went down and Hodd, in partnership with the wonderfully resolute Tim Bresnan, added 116 for Yorkshire’s fifth wicket to keep their side in the game. The extent of the dent put into Middlesex’s Championship aspirations remains to be seen but it may well be that Compton has inadvertently done his former club, Somerset, a huge favour. A future in ‘He should have gone to Specsavers’ adverts is unlikely to provide much consolation.Such a reputation would be harsh, of course. Compton played crucial roles in two recent victories against Durham and Nottinghamshire and may yet have a defining contribution to make here. But when title races become as tight as this – and this one is beautifully, breathlessly tight – the importance of such moments is magnified.The concern for both these teams is that their excellence – and this has been a terrific game of tough, high-quality cricket albeit one marked by some significant dropped catches – is in danger of cancelling each other out. While Somerset do battle with a foe currently boasting the resilience of a butterfly, these two teams are bashing each other into a double knockout.For victory alone is unlikely to be enough for Yorkshire. With Somerset seemingly on course for victory at Taunton, Yorkshire need to not only win but win with a minimum of four batting bonus points. They therefore have to score 350 (or more) within the first 110 overs of their first innings here. With 115 more runs required from 41 more overs and three bowlers with modest batting pretensions to come, much remains required of the two batsmen who will resume in the morning.That Yorkshire remain in the race at all is largely due to Bresnan. Having bowled with skill and persistence to help squeeze the life out of the Middlesex batting, he then produced his highest score of the campaign – and his fifth half-century – to take his side within sight of first-innings parity.It’s hard to imagine Bresnan pulling out of a game like this due to weariness or lack of focus. Indeed, you imagine he may well report for duty with an arm hanging by a thread or nursing a nasty attack of the bubonic plague. While there were some murmurs ahead of the game that he was a little high at No. 5 in the batting line-up, he justified his promotion with a mature innings featuring much patient defence and some fine shot selection.Six of his seven fours came on the off-side – a couple of meaty drives, a couple of beefy cuts and a well-judged reverse sweep the most memorable of them – with one laced through midwicket. Reflecting the improvement in his batting, he took his career average above 30 for the first time during the course of this innings and, if he makes the 100 his side probably requires, it will stay there.He came to the crease with the three batsmen above him in the order having failed to contribute a run. Toby Roland-Jones, comfortably the pick of the Middlesex seamers, had defeated Alex Lees with a full ball and drawn edges from hard-handed prods by Gary Ballance and Andrew Gale. By the time the previously fluent Adam Lyth played on in Steven Finn’s first over, perhaps slightly surprised by the pace of a fuller delivery, Yorkshire were 53 for 4 and in danger of seeing their challenge fall away.Had Compton been able to cling on to the chance offered by Hodd – instead he seemed to go at it with hard hands – Middlesex may have taken an unassailable advantage in this match. But, as the sun came out and the ball softened, so batting started to look a little easier and the teams go into day three with the game all but even.Hodd played Ollie Rayner especially well. Refusing to let him settle, he scored at almost a run-a-ball off him, hitting him off his line with reverse sweeps and punishing him if he dropped short. Even after he departed, beaten by a full one from Roland-Jones that he tried to force, Rayner was unable to gain much purchase from the dry-looking square and was twice thrashed for sixes – one drive, one pulled – by David Willey. Though Willey also departed before the close, Azeem Rafiq gave Bresnan good support to keep Yorkshire’s hopes just about alive. Still, 350 looks some way distant.”We just tried to take the game situation – and the table situation – out of it,” Bresnan said. “We tried to focus on little goals: ten runs at a time. They bowled really well at us for a little spell and made it really tough for us. But cricket is about little battles and we managed to overcome that challenge and kick on.”With the clientele we’ve got in dressing room we never say never. We’ve managed to win from some unbelievable positions this season and if we can get up to 350 we’ll be in a good position. We’ve got 40-odd overs left to get 350, which should be plenty of time. We’ll just take it in tens.”Yorkshire’s bowlers were little short of magnificent in the morning session. While Jack Brooks, as accurate and whole-hearted as ever, finished with career-best figures of 6 for 65, he would be the first to admit he was the beneficiary of a sustained performance by all five seamers that never allowed Middlesex to score at even 2.5 an over. It was relentless in the way Test bowlers tend to be relentless: building pressure; forcing batsmen to earn every run. Even with little help from the pitch or the overhead conditions, they were so disciplined that Middlesex were never able to get away from them. Yorkshire aren’t giving up on their status as champions without a hell of a fight.Eventually that pressure showed. Nick Gubbins, perhaps mindful of Middlesex’s sluggish run-rate and keen to gain at least a third batting bonus point, was drawn into a loose drive that ended his fine innings, before James Franklin edged a good one that demanded a stroke. Unsure whether to go for a third batting point or deny Yorkshire a third bowling point, Middlesex blocked for a while only to then give it away when Tim Murtagh slogged to mid-off with just 20 balls left before the cut-off. It may yet prove to be crucial. In all, Middlesex were able to add only 62 runs for the loss of five wickets in 26.3 overs in the morning session. Without Gubbins’ century – and the dropped catch that allowed him a life on 22 – they would have had no answer to Yorkshire’s fine attack.”We’re in a dogfight, but we’re hanging in there,” Brooks said. “We didn’t let them get away and we’re still in there fighting. Bressy has worked his way up from eight to five with his batting and he’s probably been our best bowler in this game as well after coming in as fifth seamer. It shows what a world-class bowler he is.”The equation for Middlesex is, at least, simple. If they win this match, the Championship is theirs. The winning bit is far from guaranteed, though.”It’s nicely poised,” Roland-Jones said in understated fashion afterwards. “We’re trying to treat it as if it’s any other game when it’s obviously an experience you want to be part of and it’s quite high pressure.”You try not to pay too much attention [to what has been happening at Taunton], but of course you see it there. Our attitude coming into the game was to win it. If you come into the last game and dangle the carrot that if you win it you win the Championship, you take that. It’s not a bad place to be.”It will probably be no consolation to any of the sides that fall short – and truly, all three deserve better than disappointment – but the quality and intensity of this encounter reflects wonderfully well on English cricket. Perhaps familiarity has invited a certain complacency (if not contempt) to England’s first-class competition but if we still value developing Test players we will tinker no further with this great competition. The 9000 or so spectators who have attended over the first two days know this already; it’s a shame not all those inhabiting the ECB offices just beside the Nursery Ground share their enthusiasm.

Craig Meschede completed a fine all-round match with bat and ball with a brief attacking innings to confirm Glamorgan’s victory on the fourth evening at Colwyn Bay

ECB Reporters Network20-Jul-2016
ScorecardCraig Meschede had a fine all-round match•Getty Images

Glamorgan gained their first Championship win of the season as they chased down their target with over 17 overs to spare, in a game that provided splendid entertainment on a good pitch where 1,431 runs were scored and provided a perfect advertisement for four-day championship cricket.Although Glamorgan stuttered in their run chase, losing three wickets in mid innings for 20 runs, skipper Jacques Rudolph patiently guided torwads a victory target of 196 from a minimum of 62 overs, helped by a late flurry by Craig Meschede to complete a fine personal match with bat and ball.Earlier, Derbyshire had taken their second innings score to 536, their highest against Glamorgan, before they were all out at 1.15pm. Billy Godleman and Matthew Critchley put on 113 in 26 overs, with Godleman scoring 106, his sixth century for Derbyshire, before he was well caught by wicketkeeper Mark Wallace down the leg side off Graham Wagg.He was Wallace’s ninth victim in the game, equalling the club record set by Colin Metson in 1995. There was little resistance from the Derbyshire tail, as Glamorgan were left 196 to win from a minimum of 62 overs.Wallace and Nick Selman gave Glamorgan a positive start, scoring at four an over, but Selman was reprieved in Ben Cotton’s second over when he edged him between first and second slip to the third man boundary. Cotton bowled a probing opening spell, but it was Shiv Thakor who made the immediate breakthrough when he trapped Selman leg before with the last ball of his first over with the score on 52.Nine runs later, Glamorgan lost their second wicket when Will Bragg played over a ball from Palladino which hit the top of the off stump. Worse was to follow when Wallace, in the final over before tea, swept Wayne Madsen’s off spin to backward square leg, and in the first over after the interval, Aneurin Donald, the first innings double centurion, chipped Will Davis to midwicket without scoring.Rudolph and Lloyd then settled into a productive partnership, with Rudolph, who has been short of runs this season, playing every ball on its merit, while Lloyd punished the bad ball, once striking Will Davis for three successive boundaries until he was dismissed leg before, sweeping at Madsen.Three runs later, Matthew Critchley dismissed Graham Wagg, and Glamorgan still needed 39 more runs to win, but Rudolph and the rapid intervention of Meschede calmed Welsh nerves – Rudolph scoring an undefeated 51 with Meschede striking 36 from 22 balls, including a six that struck a passing bus. He then struck another maximum to win the game, this time leaving the public transport system unaffected.

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier League games played on May 24, 2016

Mohammad Isam24-May-2016

Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club beat Kalabagan Cricket Academy (KCA) by 49 runs (D/L method) in Fatullah after rain curtailed proceedings 21 overs into KCA’s run chase. Doleshwar now sit atop the points table with 12 points from eight games.Having been asked to bat, Doleshwar posted 287 for 6, on the back of strong performances from their top three. Imtiaz Hossain and Robiul Islam Robi shared an opening stand of 112, before the latter was stumped for 50 in the 20th over. Imtiaz, who made 86 off 94 with six fours and two sixes, added 62 runs for the second wicket with Raqibul Hasan. Raqibul went on to score 66 off 79 balls.After their strong start, Doleshwar lost their way in the middle order, plodding from 160 for 1 in 30 overs to 224 for 4 in 45 overs. During this period, new Indian recruit Ashok Menaria struggled with a 15-ball 6. But captain Farhad Reza blasted four sixes in his unbeaten 15-ball 34 to take the side close to the 300-run mark.In reply, KCA slumped to 81 for four in the 19th over. Nasir Hossain took two wickets and Al-Amin Hossain picked up one, while the fourth wicket was a run-out. KCA were even worse off than the scoreline suggested, as captain Mahmudul Hasan had retired hurt on 2 after the 13th over.Rain forced a premature end to the match with KCA on 98 for 4 in 21 overs.The other two Dhaka Premier League matches scheduled for May 24 were called off for the day due to rain and will resume on May 25. In Mirpur, Prime Bank Cricket Club were 41 for 1 in 6.2 overs in reply to Mohammedan Sporting Club’s 224 all out. At the BKSP-3 ground, Abahani Limited posted 276 for 6 in their 50 overs, against Gazi Group Cricketers.

Crystal Palace have held talks with former Borussia Monchengladbach manager Adi Hutter over a potential summer move to Selhurst Park.

The Lowdown: Hodgson in

As we know, the club decided to part ways with Patrick Vieira prior to the international break and confirmed on Tuesday that the man who Vieira replaced, Roy Hodgson, has returned on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

The 75-year-old is already at work with the Palace squad who aren’t representing their countries, with Ray Lewington also returning as first-team coach.

The pair are hoping that three wins from the club’s last 11 Premier League games will be enough to avoid relegation, with their first game against fellow relegation rivals Leicester City at Selhurst Park next Saturday.

The Latest: Hutter update

The Eagles were linked with a move for Hutter prior to appointing Hodgson, and it looks as if he is still of interest to Steve Parish and co.

Sports Witness relayed an update from Krone regarding Palace and Hutter in the last 48 hours, suggesting he is ‘attracted’ to the idea of moving to Selhurst Park in the summer.

Hutter is ‘hungry’ to return to management but looks set to remain out of work until the summer. First talks between the Eagles and Hutter’s management ‘have already taken place’, with the Austrian likely to travel to England over the coming weeks for further discussions, depending on how Hodgson’s side are faring.

The Verdict: One to watch

It appears as if Parish is already on the search for a long-term replacement at the club, with Steve Cooper and Paulo Fonseca also rumoured as possible targets in the coming months.

However, the pair are currently in work with Nottingham Forest and Lille respectively, whereas Hutter is available right now so could prove to be an easier option, should the club want to finalise their next manager prior to the summer.

The 53-year-old likes to play a 3-4-2-1 system and has experience of managing sides in the Europa League and in the qualifying stages of the Champions League.

Hutter has taken charge of 365 games as manager of Monchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt, BSC Young Boys and Red Bull Salzburg, winning the double with Salzburg during the 2014/15 season and the league title with BSC Young Boys in 2017/18.

Monchengladbach midfielder Lars Stindl previously called Hutter a ‘good communicator and an open guy’, so he may have come across well during initial talks with Palace, and it seems as if a move could be one to keep an eye on following this update.

As Liverpool headed to the Bernabeu on Wednesday evening to face Real Madrid, they did so with only a glimmer of hope.The chances of overturning a 5-2 deficit against the most successful team in the competition’s history was always going to be a tall order, and that it was, as Jurgen Klopp’s men lost 1-0 on the night.Typically, it was Karim Benzema who found the net on an evening where the Reds never really got going.Mohamed Salah was guilty of rare errant passes in the final third, the midfield looked as toothless as it has all campaign and Trent Alexander-Arnold was cooked by Vinicius Jr on the right flank.The defeat meant that any hope of winning a trophy has now disappeared. Considering how the last few years has played out at Anfield, that is a particular surprise.Klopp and co now need to turn their attention to the summer and a transfer window that will be decisive in how they bounce back in 2023/24.One man who could well leave the club during that period is Fabio Carvalho. The former Fulham man looked capable of magic moments in his early days in Merseyside but has barely featured of late, playing just two minutes of Premier League football following the World Cup.He was then given a matter of seconds in Madrid on Wednesday as Klopp threw him into the action in the dying embers, quite literally. There was only around nine seconds left when the youngster was introduced into the fray.It was a truly bizarre substitution and one that drew plenty of reaction on social media, the best of which can be found below.

England captain Harry Kane scored twice to carry Bayern Munich to a scrappy win over RB Leipzig and stay in the Bundesliga title race.

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Kane scored before Sesko equalisedEngland captain won it in stoppage timeBayern eight points behind LeverkusenTELL ME MORE

Kane came the closest for the Bavarians in the first half, seeing a free header denied by an acrobatic stop. He didn't miss in the second half, creating space inside the box before lashing a left-footed effort into the bottom corner. But Leipzig battled their way back, Sesko bagging the equaliser with 20 minutes to play. Kane had the last laugh, though, guiding home a fine finish in second half stoppage time.

AdvertisementGettyTHE MVP

It hasn't been an easy few weeks for Kane. The English striker was toothless against first Leverkusen, then Lazio, going missing in the Bavarians' biggest games of the season. And although he scored in a losing effort against Bochum last week, he failed to convince. On Saturday, he turned in a far more convincing performance. He was unlucky not to open the scoring after five minutes, and took first his goal well when the moment came. The second was even better – a fine left footed finish. A welcome return to form.

GettyTHE BIG LOSER

It's on nights like these that big players need to show up. And Leipzig's Lois Openda simply didn't. The pacey forward has been excellent in the Bundesliga this season, scoring 16 goals and adding four assists. But he was almost anonymous here. He managed just 27 touches – only four of which came in the Bayern box – and didn't put a shot on goal. In the end, Leipzig were perhaps unlucky that the opposition had a truly elite striker leading their line. But they could have done with a better contribution from their own centre-forward in this one.

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GettyWHAT COMES NEXT?

Bayern will face a scrap to stay in the Bundesliga title race – as current leaders Bayer Leverkusen keep winning. Thomas Tuchel's side continue that effort with a clash with Freiburg on Friday, before turning their attention to the second leg of their Champions League last 16 clash with Lazio.

Arsenal could be one of the sides opting to take a late dip into the transfer market, as the Premier League prepares for the close of the window on Friday.

The Gunners have used the summer to recruit wisely, welcoming Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice and David Raya to strengthen in all areas, however an early injury blow has disrupted the depth going into the season.

50 minutes into his debut and Mikel Arteta’s side’s league opener, Timber was forced to withdraw with the club later announcing that the Dutchman will be absent for the foreseeable future.

For that reason, and with departures expected, Arsenal have been linked to defensive reinforcements ahead of deadline day.

Who could Arsenal sign this summer?

As reported by news in Spain, Arteta could be plotting a reunion with one of the talents he worked with during his time at Manchester City.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

The report links Barcelona centre-back Eric Garcia with a move to the Emirates, as the Spaniard weighs up his options with reference to his expected role at the Nou Camp this season.

It’s reported that a fee of €20m (£17m) would be the region that the Catalan giants would expect for the 22-year-old, according to other reports in Spain (as relayed by Football365 earlier in the year), who has a mammoth €400m (£344m) release clause in place.

What is Eric Garcia’s playing style?

Previously lauded as an “elegant” player who’s “excellent on the ball” by scout Jacek Kulig, Garcia has been schooled in the art of defending by the famed La Masia academy, as well as at City’s Etihad campus.

The Spaniard would be the ideal fit for Arteta’s plans of his back line, with one of his most notable qualities being his ability to play the ball, highlighted by his average of 7.49 progressive passes per 90 over the past year, via FBref.

Such numbers rank him in the top 1% of centre-backs in Europe's top five leagues in this area, suggesting his strength and composure in playing the ball from the back, an attribute favoured in Arsenal’s style of play.

In signing Garcia, the Gunners could find themselves armed with a talent capable of far more than being a rotational figure to the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, with the 22-year-old already built to play in the Premier League.

With reference to Garcia’s progress at City, Kulig tipped the defender to become a “future world-beater”, high praise for a player so young being part of two of the most impressive sides in Europe.

During his time in Manchester, the Spaniard gained 19 Premier League appearances across two seasons, being part of only four defeats in that time and adapting well to the demands of the English game.

His experience in England already backs his cause to become a favourite in north London, in a figure that could see the likes of Gabriel usurped by his ability and suitability to Arteta's style of play.

When comparing the two players based on their averages in their respective 2022/23 league campaigns, the numbers suggest that the two could be in close competition at the Emirates.

As per FBref, Gabriel averaged 1.27 tackles and 2.64 aerial wins per 90 for Arsenal, closely followed by Garcia who recorded 1.46 aerial wins and 1.52 tackles per 90 in LaLiga last term.

In terms of distribution, the Spaniard showed up the Brazilian with respect to last season's displays, averaging a monstrous 8.26 final third passes per 90 while maintaining a pass completion rate of 90.9%.

Arteta’s centre-back registered an average of 4.51 final third passes and a pass completion rate of 89.4% per 90 in the Premier League, equally impressive numbers but ones that only reinforce the talent of Garcia.

With deadline day fast approaching, Gabriel could find his position in the starting XI even more threatened than it currently is, as the former Lille colossus still waits for his first Premier League start of the campaign.

Shardul Thakur dominated with the ball, Virat Kohli with the bat and India cruised to an eight-wicket win in Centurion, taking the six-match series 5-1

The Report by Nikhil Kalro16-Feb-2018

Confidence and form are two of the most influential factors in batting. They often dictate timing and placement – requisites for scoring runs. South Africa have lacked both after their sub-par performances this series. Therefore, in good batting conditions in Centurion, South Africa’s batsmen grappled with their own lack of confidence and India’s disciplined bowling, resulting in another mediocre total. Shardul Thakur, playing his first match of the series, led another clinical display from India with figures of 4 for 52 as South Africa were bowled out for 204.On the other end of that form spectrum lies Virat Kohli. With 429 runs in five games prior to the final ODI, Kohli was oozing confidence. Against a jaded bowling attack, and with all that belief, his 35th ODI hundred was almost a formality. It helped India coast to an eight-wicket win, and take the six-match series 5-1. Kohli finished with 558 runs in six matches, the most by a batsman in a bilateral series.Just like in the second ODI at the same venue, South Africa began cautiously to suss out conditions early. What their openers, Hashim Amla and Aiden Markram, found was a surface that was sluggish, with strokes on the up taking the inside and outside halves of the bat. In the thin air of the Highveld and under some pressure, Amla saw an opportunity to hit Thakur over fine leg for six in the seventh over. His attempt to pull, from bottom to top to get underneath the ball, cost him a fraction of a second, and he could only strangle a leg-side delivery to the keeper.Markram played some fluent strokes, including a well-timed six over square leg, but like in Port Elizabeth he was caught in the circle trying to force the pace. He was caught, looking to clear cover, a shot that was preceded by two languid drives off overpitched deliveries that found the same fielder.South Africa’s best period of batting followed, with AB de Villiers and Khaya Zondo attacking India’s wristspinners. In the 18th over, de Villiers hit Kuldeep for three successive fours – a drive through point, an inside-edge just past the stumps, and a reverse sweep. Zondo pulled Yuzvendra Chahal for two sixes over midwicket in the next over. They had added 62 off 65 balls before de Villiers missed a straight, flat delivery, trying to cut.Zondo and Heinrich Klaasen, after the loss of South Africa’s best ODI batsman and with a fragile middle order to follow, were overly cautious, accumulating 30 in 58 balls. Klaasen then drilled a slower delivery to short cover. Farhaan Behardien, playing his first match of the series, holed out to third man in the next over. Zondo’s spirited fight ended when he chipped Chahal to sweeper cover, for 54. South Africa’s score hadn’t progressed much since de Villiers’ dismissal and their momentum had been sucked out.Andile Phehlukwayo and Morne Morkel pleased the sparse Centurion crowd with an exciting 36-run partnership, the second-highest of the innings. Then Morkel scythed a cut to sweeper cover, and Imran Tahir and Phehlukwayo were caught off slower balls. Even though they did reasonably well against the wristspinners – scoring 89 runs for three wickets off 20 overs – South Africa fell well below the target they must have aimed at, ending up with 19 unutilised deliveries.Fresh off a match-winning hundred, Rohit Sharma began the chase with a few exquisite cuts behind and in front of point. South Africa’s short-ball ploy worked as he gloved a bouncer from Lungi Ngidi to the keeper. They persisted with that length thereafter which, on a slow pitch, was always fraught with risk.Kohli pounced on that length. With attacking fields and the short deliveries sitting up, Kohli laid into cross-batted strokes on either side of the pitch. He blazed away to 38 off 25. Dhawan, on the other hand, struggling for timing, was 14 off 30. Dhawan’s 34 ball struggle ended when he nailed a cut to backward point, for 18, South Africa’s last moment of respite in an effortless chase.Kohli and Rahane added an unbeaten 129 off just 117 balls. Rahane contributed 34 off 50 balls, playing adeptly around the belligerence of Kohli. In stark contrast to his usual mode of operation in ODIs, Kohli’s ton was filled with boundaries: 19 fours and two sixes, making up 68.21% of his runs. The trouble he faced in mustering all those runs, though, was nearly zero.