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Chelsea’s rebuild under Liam Rosenior continues to gather pace following the dramatic departure of Enzo Maresca earlier this month.

The 41-year-old arrived from Strasbourg on a stunning six-and-a-half-year contract and has wasted no time identifying areas which require immediate strengthening in January.

Rosenior faces the challenge of transforming a squad that sits fifth in the Premier League table, 17 points behind leaders Arsenal, and on a run of just two wins from their last 10 games in all competitions.

The Blues have shown flashes of their best, reaching the Carabao Cup semi-finals, beating Barcelona 3-0 on a famous night in Europe and maintaining their charge for Champions League qualification.

However, they’ve been on a torrid run of late, with the largely inexperienced Rosenior now tasked with steadying the ship.

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The new manager has already made clear his transfer priorities as well, with Chelsea reportedly preparing a substantial £130 million January transfer outlay, which includes a potential move for 2025 summer target Fermin Lopez from Barcelona.

However, the former Hull City boss recognises that defensive solidity must form the foundation of any successful campaign.

Chelsea have looked vulnerable at the back this season, shipping goals at crucial moments and lacking the physical presence required to compete against the Premier League’s more direct opponents.

Taking this into account, Rosenior has now reportedly identified his primary centre-back target for the winter.

Rosenior asks Chelsea to sign Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae

According to reports from Spain, £200,000-per-week Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae has emerged as the leading candidate to bolster Chelsea’s defense.

The South Korea international currently finds himself in an uncomfortable situation at Bayern where playing time has become increasingly scarce in the German giants’ rotation system.

His lack of continuity represents a dramatic fall from grace for a player who joined Bayern with considerable fanfare.

The 29-year-old, who José Mourinho tried to bring to Tottenham when he was manager of the north Londoners, now finds himself facing uncertainty surrounding his future.

Kim has been in and out of the starting eleven this term, but made a solid comeback from injury in a 5-0 friendly win over Salzburg this week to round off Bayern’s post-winter break preparations.

Chelsea view his current situation as a genuine market opportunity, with Rosenior asking Chelsea to target the towering Asian defender.

Subscribe to the newsletter for Chelsea transfer insight Craving deeper transfer and tactical context around Kim Min-jae and Chelsea’s rebuild? Subscribe to the newsletter for clear transfer breakdowns, scouting insight, and tactical perspectives that make sense of the club’s plans and priorities.

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As well as this, it is believed that BlueCo are ready to pay up to £26 million for Kim’s signature this month, while Bayern are open to selling.

The Bavarians will apparently sanction a departure if an acceptable proposal arrives during the window. The Bundesliga champions need to adjust their squad and no longer consider Kim untouchable given his secondary role.

A sale would allow Bayern to free up significant wage space while generating funds, and their willingness to negotiate could encourage Chelsea to pursue a deal, with Rosenior conveying his belief that Kim represents exactly the profile Chelsea require.

The manager wants a physically imposing centre-back with international experience who can dominate aerial duels and provide leadership from the back. Kim’s attributes may align perfectly, and with just two years remaining on his current deal, he could be available for a cheap-ish fee.

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Posts ByEmilio Galantini

While it’s not all been plain sailing, Mikel Arteta has got an awful lot right since taking the Arsenal job six years ago.

One area where he’s seen more success than failure has been transfers.

The likes of Declan Rice, David Raya, Martin Odegaard, Leandro Trossard and Jurrien Timber have all been transformational additions made to the team under the Spaniard’s stewardship.

However, when it comes to Arteta’s best signing, it’s hard to look past the monstrous Gabriel Magalhães, and if reports are to be believed, Arsenal could soon sign their next version of the centre-back.

Arsenal target their new Gabriel

While most of the team have performed to a great level so far this season – they are top of the league after all – there have been a few real standouts for Arsenal.

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Perhaps the most impressive, alongside Rice, has been Gabriel.

The Brazilian titan has combined his no-nonsense throwback style of defending with an often underappreciated level of technical ability to become arguably Arteta’s most important defender, just ahead of the unreal William Saliba.

On top of his work at the back, he’s also become an even bigger goal threat at the other end of the pitch, be that with his head or, like against the Cherries, with his feet.

With all that said, it’s hardly a surprise to see the club eyeing up another defender who could be their next Gabriel.

At least, that’s according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, which claims Arsenal are among several sides interested in Jeremy Jacquet.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are ‘tracking’ the 20-year-old gem.

A potential price for the youngster is not mentioned in the report, but stories from earlier this month stated that £35m could be enough to tempt Stade Rennais into selling amid claims the Gunners had already held initial talks over signing the youngster.

Therefore, it could be a complicated and somewhat costly transfer to get over the line, but given Jacquet’s ability and potential, one Arsenal should be all over, especially as he could be another Gabriel.

Why Jacquet could be another Gabriel

Now, there are, of course, some differences between Jacquet and Gabriel, but there are more than a few similarities between them and their potential transfers.

The first is that, as with the Brazilian in 2020, if the Frenchman were to join the Gunners in January or the summer window, he would be moving from Ligue 1 as a highly rated defensive prospect.

For example, ahead of his move to the Emirates, former LOSC Lille owner Gerard Lopez described the Gunners’ number six as “among the top five dominant central defenders in Europe” and that “he’s an absolute machine.”

Similar things have already been said about the Rennais gem, with respected analyst-turned-scout Ben Mattinson describing him as having “top five centre-back in the world potential” and U23 scout Antonio Mango claiming that “whoever signs him is getting a monster.”

Subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth transfer analysis Get deeper scouting breakdowns by subscribing to our newsletter — stats, scout notes and positional context on transfer targets like Jacquet and how they compare to Gabriel, giving focused coverage and expert analysis of Arsenal’s recruitment.

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Another trait that the “insane CB in the making,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, shares with the North Londoners’ star man is that he’s a colossus at the back while also having real quality on the ball.

For example, FBref rank him in the top 3% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles in the attacking third, the top 4% for interceptions, the top 6% for tackles plus interceptions, the top 12% for key passes, the top 15% for expected assisted goals and more, all per 90.

Finally, as Mattinson highlights, the Frenchman’s “jumping prowess and ability to create separation” helps him to “be dominant in aerial duels and on set-pieces”, which sounds a lot like the Gunners’ Brazilian star.

Jacquet’s Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.27

Top 3%

Interceptions

1.69

Top 4%

Pass Completion % (Long)

75.1%

Top 5%

Tkl+Int

3.64

Top 6%

Tackles (Mid 3rd)

0.77

Top 11%

Key Passes

0.46

Top 12%

% of Aerials Won

67.6%

Top 14%

xAG: Exp. Assisted Goals

0.05

Top 15%

Tackles Won

1.23

Top 15%

Tackles

1.95

Top 16%

Successful Take-Ons

0.34

Top 18%

All Stats via FBref

Ultimately, it won’t be easy to get over the line, but Arsenal should do what they can to sign Jacquet, as he looks like a superstar in the making and could be another Gabriel.

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Eddie Howe will soon know what the complexion of Newcastle United’s season is going to look like after a hectic January is over and done with.

Indeed, in the Premier League alone, the Magpies have a jam-packed schedule to contend with, as five league fixtures come thick and fast.

On top of wrestling with this tricky string of clashes, the Tyneside titans also have the Champions League and the EFL Cup still on their agenda, in a month that has been rightly dubbed as “season-defining” by their manager.

Howe can flesh out his squad more with some January signings, though, as the up-and-down Magpies continue to be linked with a whole host of names, to ensure the intimidating fixture schedule doesn’t swallow them whole.

Newcastle prepared to spend big on midfield signing

Newcastle’s squad has often been stretched to its limits this season, with Lewis Hall unfortunately finding himself in and out of his manager’s starting XI plans, owing to recurring injuries.

To lessen this concern, Newcastle could soon go after rising Toulouse star Dayann Methalie, with reports suggesting that an enquiry will soon be made by the Magpies involving the promising left-back.

Moreover, Howe and Co. could be prepared to splash the cash on AZ Alkmaar midfield sensation Kees Smit, as he remains at the top Newcastle’s list when it comes to potential midfield additions.

This had been reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, with the i Paper further adding fuel to the fire to suggest that if Newcastle are to ‘go big’ for anyone this January, it will be the Dutch midfielder.

The piece notes that while the Magpies are expecting it to be a ‘quiet month’, the situation could change if they feel there is a deal there to be done for Smit.

If Newcastle are prepared to spend big to land the Real Madrid-linked ace, who has been valued at £52m, it could be bad news for Lewis Miley.

Miley is currently starring at St James’ Park, but the competition for midfield spaces would only intensify further with the arrival of the classy 19-year-old.

Why Smit joining would be bad news for Miley

While Newcastle weren’t always at their electric best towards the latter stages of 2025, Miley still managed to stick out, with the homegrown product even bagging his first-ever Champions League goal last month, when placing this header past Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Mark Flekken.

It wasn’t just this header, though, with the 19-year-old battler also managing to score a last-minute goal in the EFL Cup to send Newcastle to the semi-final stages of the competition.

Moreover, he further looked lively when others downed tools versus Burnley, with four duels won, capping off a brilliant individual month for the teenage sensation, as the December player of the month accolade also fell into his lap.

Still, even with the special number 67 being at the top of his game at the moment, he would find it a lot harder to keep a firm grip on a spot in the main lineup, if Smit were to talk through the door at some stage this month.

Smit vs Miley – League stats (25/26)

Stat – per 90 mins*

Smit

Miley

Games played

15

15

Goals scored

2

1

Assists

2

2

Touches*

62.3

41.3

Accurate passes*

42.7 (89%)

27.8 (89%)

Key passes*

1.7

0.6

Big chances created

3

1

Ball recoveries*

5.6

3.3

Total duels won*

3.3

2.7

Stats by Sofascore

While Miley continues to generate a lot of hype in Newcastle circles exclusively, Smit seems to be the talk of the town in the whole football world this January, with one scout even revealing to TEAMtalk that the 6-foot midfielder is a talent “everyone is watching” at the moment.

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It’s clear to see why there is so much interest at his door, when taking in the table above, with Smit displaying very few flaws in his well-rounded game in the Eredivisie this season, with more accurate passes averaged by the 19-year-old per 90 minutes than Miley, alongside also displaying more vigour and energy when trumping the Englishman’s ball recovery and duels won numbers.

With a fierce effort up his sleeve, too, seeing content creator Spencer Mossman hail him as a “difference maker” from the middle of the park for Maarten Martens’ side, Smit could well be capable of storming straight into the Newcastle XI without looking out of his depth, with Miley tumbling down the pecking order, subsequently.

After all, Smit looks to be the real deal, already, while Miley arguably needs to fine-tune aspects of his game to be on the same level as the £52m-rated star.

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Usman Khawaja is in line for what could become his first-class debut © Getty Images

Usman Khawaja has been named for a potential first-class debut in one of New South Wales’ most important matches of the season. The Blues host Victoria at the SCG starting on Friday and with both sides on 32 points, well clear of the third-placed Western Australia on the Pura Cup table, the game could be crucial in determining who hosts the final.New South Wales have been forced to make changes with Brad Haddin and Nathan Bracken in the Australia one-day squad, while Phillip Hughes and Steven Smith are in Malaysia for the Under-19 World Cup. The loss of Hughes at the top of the order might open the door for his fellow opener Khawaja, who was born in Pakistan and moved to Australia with his family at the age of three.Khawaja, 21, is a left-hand batsman who describes his style as “medium attacking” and he is the leading run scorer in Sydney’s grade cricket this season. A former Australia Under-19 representative, he earned his second rookie contract with New South Wales for 2007-08.His debut is not certain, though, with Phil Jaques returning to the squad after finishing his Test duties. Daniel Smith replaces Haddin behind the stumps and Mark Cameron has been added to the pace attack.Victoria chose a 12-man squad that included the opener Lloyd Mash for what could be his first match of the season. Michael Klinger is still recovering from a broken finger and was not selected, while Allan Wise has been omitted. Shane Harwood returns from a groin strain and the Bushrangers also named Clint McKay.New South Wales squad Phil Jaques, Greg Mail, Usman Khawaja, Peter Forrest, Simon Katich (capt), Dominic Thornely, Daniel Smith (wk), Moises Henriques, Beau Casson, Matthew Nicholson, Mark Cameron, Doug Bollinger.Victoria squad Nick Jewell, Lloyd Mash, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Cameron White (capt), Rob Quiney, Andrew McDonald, Matthew Wade (wk), Shane Harwood, Peter Siddle, Clint McKay, Bryce McGain.

Group A
After chasing down Zarai Tariqiati Bank Limited’s (ZTB) 267 in the previous game Habib Bank Limited (HBL) collapsed to 179 against National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Salman Butt scored 83 and with some down-the-order hitting NBP reached the target with four wickets to spare.Tahir Mughal took three wickets matching his performance against ZTB. The top-scorer for HBL was their No.7 batsman Kamran Hussain with 34. Apart from Butt, the NBP top order did not contribute much and it was some late hitting by Naved Latif, with 36 off 44, and Mansoor Amjad, with 32 off 37, which ensured NBP chased the score without too much trouble.Zarai Tariqiati Bank Limited beat Pakistan Customs by four wickets after they reached their revised target of 219 under the D/L method with the last ball of the game at the Sheikhupura Stadium.ZTB bowled out Customs for 222 with Mohammad Khalil taking 4 for 40. Atif Ashraf and Naved Ashraf contributed to the ZTB total with half-centuries.Group B
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) cruised to a six-wicket win over Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) on the back a 127-run partnership between Bazid Khan and Faisal Iqbal at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.With an unbeaten 93 from Bilal Khilji WAPDA made 218 in their 50 overs. PIA’s first wicket fell early but then Agha Sabir and Yasir Hameed added 71 for the second wicket after which Khan and Iqbal came together at the wicket, While Khan fell with four runs needed to win Iqbal was unbeaten on 66.Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGP) won their second match in a row beating Khan Research Laboratories by 39 runs in Rawalpindi.SNGP captain Misbah-ul-Haq contributed 75 runs to their winning total. Ashar Zaidi’s 57 off 63 balls proved futile as KRL were bowled out for 201. Imran Ali took three KRL wickets while Imran Ali, Tauqeer Hussain and Mohammad Saeed took two each.

Dav Whatmore oversees a training session ahead of the first Test © Getty Images

Dav Whatmore, Bangladesh’s coach, has envisaged a bright future for his side, but in the meantime promises “to push it as far as we can”, as they prepare to take on the mighty Australians in a two-Test and three-one-day series, starting in Fatullah on April 9.The Australians landed at Dhaka Airport on Thursday morning, fresh from the 3-0 clean sweep in South Africa last week, and Whatmore was under no illusions about the task that lies ahead. “Nothing’s really changed in terms of the ICC rankings table,” he told Cricinfo on the eve of the series. “We’re still No. 10 and they’re still No. 1.”Even so, in the three years since Whatmore took charge of the team, Bangladesh cricket has come a long way. His first series as coach was the corresponding tour to Australia in 2003, when two schoolmasterish centuries from Steve Waugh helped put an overawed side firmly in their place.”There’ve been three years since we last played each other, and I feel the team’s improved a little bit,” said Whatmore. “We’re playing in our own conditions, and they are going to have to adjust a bit to their last six months in South Africa and Australia. We’re very keen to go out there and compete against the No.1 ranked team, knowing that we’ve played some good teams in the last three years.Bangladesh’s solitary Test series win came against Zimbabwe last year, but Whatmore was happy with the effort his players had been making in the intervening months. “We’ve put in some encouraging performances in terms of taking the games to the fifth day or late in the fourth day, having leads against the opposition, that sort of stuff,” he said. “We’ll be playing against a good side, but we’re going to try really really hard.”The sense of anticipation surrounding the Australians’ arrival has been heightened by memories of that extraordinary NatWest Series victory at Sophia Gardens last year, and Whatmore himself admitted that it was the one-day leg of this tour that was of greatest importance to him.”After this series against Australia we’ve got no Test matches for 12 months, so I’ve got to say, I’m a bit more excited about the one-day game. We’re getting a nice little group together, and I can only see it improving in next six to 12 months leading up to the World Cup. That’s very important and it keeps me going, knowing that we are heading in the right direction in that form of the game.”

Habibul Bashar cools down with a coconut drink © Getty Images

Bangladesh took Sri Lanka to a decider in their recent three-match series, before routing Kenya 4-0, and Whatmore was mindful of the need to manage expectations among a public that has forever been hungry for success. “I’m pretty sure that the people here in Bangladesh will be very appreciative if the boys show a big fight,” he said. “If we really show that the opposition has to work hard to win, then the expectation of the public I think will be satisfied. But within the cricket board, the players and the management, we want to push it, push it, push it, as far as we can.”Off the pitch, Bangladesh’s development is continuing apace, with the inauguration of five new stadia and the establishment of a national academy. “The infrastructure is coming along,” admitted Whatmore. “In broad terms, the domestic competitions are pretty much okay, with a good four-day competition in place, one-day cricket in place, and a Twenty20 tournament in place. We’ll need some time to fertilise them and grow them and make them look nice, but I’m pretty sure there’ll be a bit more money available next year. The necessary ingredients are here. We just need more time.”That much could equally be said of the national squad, which is benefiting from the identification of a talented crop of youngsters who were among the favourites for the recent Under-19 World Cup. “They played a really bad game in the quarter-final against England, who they had beaten eight times in a row not so long ago,” explained Whatmore, “but at the end of the day, they still lost just one match. I’m sure that within six or 12 months, one or two of them will start to filter into the international team.”One of these players, the captain Mushfiqur Rahim, is already flitting around the fringes of the senior side. Having impressed on debut against England at Lord’s last summer, he returned for the second Test against Sri Lanka at Bogra last month, but struggling, making 2 and 0. “The Sri Lanka Test was a tough one for him but we won’t want to just play one or two games and get rid of him,” said Whatmore. “We think he can play the longer game pretty well. He’s only just starting off, but he’s got good potential.”With the aggressive Shahadat Hossain emerging as a pace spearhead, and the spin pairing of Enamul Haque jr and Mohammad Rafique continuing to impress, the future looks bright for Bangladesh, especially now that their most talented batsman, Mohammad Ashraful, is beginning to make runs when they really count. “He has got tremendous potential – anyone can see that,” said Whatmore. “But Ashraful himself will tell you he needs more consistency. He didn’t have the best of Kenya series, but hopefully this next one will be more to his liking than Kenya.”All things told, Bangladesh will enter their next challenge with the confidence of a side on the up, and the lessons of last summer lodged firmly in their memory banks. “That tour [of England] was definitely a huge learning experience,” stressed Whatmore. “To play in England at the early part of the summer is never an easy time, especially when playing against two good sides. But here we are in our own conditions, and all we can do is give it our best.”Of course, everyone cares about winning or losing,” he concluded, “but so long as you’re really putting in your best, nobody can really can get angry. In our case, what is important is that we give our best every time we walk out there, because we can’t afford not to.”

Virender Sehwag: lone wolf in a pack of sheep?© Getty Images

Virender Sehwag has said that he was the only batsman capable of leading India to a win in the third Test against Pakistan at Bangalore. In his syndicated column, he has also criticised his fellow batsmen for playing for a draw, and has said that there are many lessons to be learned from it.Speaking about his run-out, the only wicket of the morning session, he has written, "I was upset at that point because I knew that my dismissal meant that we would not win. I saw myself as the only batsman who could score at four-an-over since the rest of our batsmen are more correct and conventional Test cricketers. In my mind I felt that the rest would be able to draw the game but I was the only one capable of winning it."The Indians abruptly went on the defensive after Sehwag was out, and this was a key factor in Pakistan’s ascendence. Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s captain, was later to say, "This [India’s change in tactics] helped me to set attacking fields. I did not have to worry about giving away runs, and could concentrate on wickets.”Sehwag elaborated, "Perhaps playing for a draw was not such a good idea since most of our batsmen are cast in the strokeplaying mould. Even at tea, the general mood was that we would scratch out a draw. The possibility of defeat dawned on us when Sachin Tendulkar got out. There were still 20 overs left and we knew that the remaining batsmen would not be able to play out time with umbrella fields in operation."Sourav Ganguly had come under a lot of criticism for both his captaincy and his batting. Sehwag, however, defended him. "I have always found Sourav to be a positive captain," he said. "Whatever his personal form, whatever the media writes about him, he has always been strong, focussed and aggressive at team meetings. Perhaps these are the qualities that make him India’s most successful captain."

The South Australian Women’s Cricket Association has named a team of 12 to play New South Wales this weekend (December 6 and 7) at Bowral Oval.Australian vice-captain and 2003 Women’s Cricketer of the Year, Karen Rolton, is again captain of the State side, with SACA school cricket officer Shelley Nitschke named as vice captain.The squad sees the State debut for 18-year-old medium-pace bowler Neisha Iles and 19-year-old batter Rebecca Pollard.Also making her debut for the South Australian side is former England squad member, Caroline Atkins. The right-handed batter moved to Adelaide this year to further her cricketing career with the Scorpions.The Scorpions team to play NSW is:

Karen Rolton (c)	Julie Woerner
Shelley Nitschke (vc)	Caroline Atkins
Kris Britt	Rebecca Pollard
Lauren Ebsary	Neisha Iles
Jo-Anna Kenney	Olivia Magno
Emma Sampson	Heather Booth

This year also sees a new coach, with SACA cricket officer and last year’s assistant coach, Greg Quinn, taking over the mantle from Mark Sorell who was appointed as High Performance Coordinator within the SACA.

The NSW Blues have made it through to Sunday week’s ING Cup final after anailbiting win over Western Australia at the WACA ground last night. TheRedbacks must now beat Queensland in their ING match this Sunday at AdelaideOval to make it through to the final. A win by the Redbacks would also giveSouth Australia a home final.The Redbacks team for this Sundays clash against the Bulls is as follows:

• Greg Blewett (Captain)
• Bradley Young (V.Captain)
• Nathan Adcock
• Chris Davies
• David Fitzgerald
• Mark Harrity
• Ben Higgins
• Ben Johnson
• Graham Manou
• Paul Rofe
• Mike Smith
• Paul Wilson

The match is televised by Channel 9 and will start at 9.30am and go throughtill 5.00pm, with the interval from 1.00pm to 1.30pm.

As someone mentioned very early in the piece, “This was old fashioned Test cricket”. That was exactly the truth. With England scoring 221 while losing 5 wickets in 89.4 overs, the sold-out crowd of about 19,000 paying patrons could not be dissatisfied. Honors would be about even too, with England, at 159-0 at one stage, winning the first part of the day, up to exactly the tea interval, then allowing that initiative to slip away somewhat as the West Indies rebounded to take five wickets, one immediately before tea, the rest after the second interval of the day. Yes, it was an old fashioned Test day.When Jimmy Adams won the toss and elected to field first, he took the easier, and in my mind, the better, way out. Okay, the pitch was supposed to do nothing, as the recent Oval pitches have done, for the faster bowlers. If there has been a better batting track during the Test series so far, I have not seen it, but bowl the West Indies had to. When comparing the relative returns of the West Indies team, the bowlers and their efforts far outweighed the batters, so with a 60-40 equation to the bowlers, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose and Jimmy Adams had no choice but to field first, especially with the thought of trying to square the series at the back of their minds.Mike Atherton and Marcus Trescothick started well, and I was sure that Atherton was good for a big innings here. He is much too good a batsman not to score at the right time, especially on this pitch, and he was simply due some runs. My feeling was amplified when he and Trescothick took nearly six overs to get the score board moving. They simply were taking their time, with no rush at all. I was sure then that the West Indies were in for a hard day.By the time lunch had arrived, with England on 66-0 from 29 overs, one thing was already very evident. For once, Ambrose and Walsh were struggling to maintain the impeccable length and especially line that they are so renowned for. For once, the two great fast bowlers took a session off. That progressed to the second session, as both Atherton, playing majestically, and Trescothick, playing with the aplomb of a veteran after just a few Test matches, looked as if nothing would remove them. Then, wonder of all wonders, Mahendra Nagamootoo, the leg-spinner, struck.Actually Nagamootoo bowled pretty well. He finished his first day of Test cricket, the 235th (only) person to have played Test cricket for the West Indies, with a very credible 24-7-63-2; not bad figures at all for a player who was brought on this tour to, more or less, learn something about bowling, after being rewarded with this tour for his 31 wickets in the Busta Cup first class series back in the Caribbean this year. That he was selected at all for this Test must have depended greatly on the fitness of the other faster bowlers. He held his own well.Nagamootoo is a nephew of that wonderful Guyanese and West Indies left-handed batsmen, Alvin Kallicharran. Indeed, he could well have been selected, too, because he has just made his maiden first class century, against Somerset; selected for his first Test because of his batting, even though he is supposedly a leg-spinner. He is also the 4th such bowler that the West Indies have used on tours in the last four years, the others being Dininath Ramnarine and Rajendra Dhanraj, both of Trinidad & Tobago, and Rawl Lewis, of Grenada. At least, Nagamootoo looked more aggressive that any of his predecessors, even if he does not turn the ball as much as perhaps Lewis and Ramnarine.Once Thescothick had gone for a well made 78, on the tea interval, and Nasser Hussein was also dismissed in the same over, two balls after that interval, for no score, the West Indies were in with a fighting chance of winning the day. The West Indies continued their afternoon effort well with another support bowler, Nixon McLean, beating Mike Atherton, who looked certain for his 15 Test hundred, for pace and removed his off bail with a good off-cutter; Atherton out for an excellent 83, including twelve superlative fours. His only regret could be that he did not eventually make 100. Then both Alec Stewart, playing at home, and Michael Vaughan, were out LBW, and a day when the West Indies would have wondered if they had made the wrong decision came back to some parity.My own belief is that England are still ahead somewhat, as “real” batsmen Graeme Hick and Graeme Thorpe still remain. Hick was involved, remember, with a partnership with Vaughn, at the last Test at Leeds, which was worth 98, the winning partnership of that game. England’s ploy of keeping the extra batsman was again paying off well.Come Day 2, the West Indies have the option of taking the new ball. Though Ambrose and Walsh did look somewhat out of sorts early in the 1st Day, and somewhat tired at the end of it, Adams will have no trouble in making that decision to get that new ball working first thing in the morning. If the West Indies are to win this game, they must bowl England out before lunch on Day 2, for less than 275. Then they must set about batting for two days. On this pitch, perhaps the words of the West Indies Assistant Coach, Jeffrey Dujon, would come to pass:”We must endeavor to bat only once,” he says, “then we can put the pressure on England to save the game if we have at least a first innings lead of about 150-200.”That is true, and on such a pitch as this, it can be done, but Brian Lara and company will have to bat with blood in their eyes, fight to the death. England might have something to say about that.