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Reports that Aston Villa are planning to sell Ezri Konsa has come as a shock to multiple journalists. 

The lowdown

Football Insider broke the news in late February that Villa would be receptive to offers for the centre-back, with Steven Gerrard said to be unconvinced about his ‘reliability and consistency’.

The Villa manager is reportedly determined to bring in Joe Gomez from his former club Liverpool this summer, making that his top priority in the transfer market.

With that in mind, it is possible that Gerrard views the 24-year-old as a direct upgrade on Konsa at Villa Park.

The latest

O’Rourke insisted that Konsa is currently Villa’s best option at centre-back and had believed that any signings in that position would be partnered with the defender rather than replacing him.

“It’s a surprising one to me,” he told Give Me Sport. “For me, when I watch Villa, most times, I think Konsa’s their best centre-half. So that will be a shock to me if they were willing to listen to offers.

“We know Villa are in the market for central defensive reinforcements in the summer, but for me, it will be a shock to see Villa willing to let Konsa go.”

Meanwhile, Dean Jones admitted that he would be ‘surprised’ if Villa put the 24-year-old up for sale when the summer transfer window opens.

Speaking to GMS, the journalist said: ‘”I’d be surprised if they were putting him on the market. I can see why they might be open to an offer if it was there, but I’d be surprised if they were actively looking to move him on.”

The verdict

Does O’Rourke’s claim that Konsa is Villa’s best centre-back stand up to statistical scrutiny?

It might not – the 24-year-old’s average SofaScore rating of 6.76 is actually lower than that of positional peers Tyrone Mings (6.95) and Kortney Hause (6.82) at Villa Park.

That said, Konsa boasts a better overall duel success than Mings (64% to 60%), along with a better long passing accuracy than the England international, and he is also dribbled past less frequently than the 28-year-old.

Indeed, many Villa fans might tend to agree with O’Rourke’s assessment. Konsa was voted by fans as the club’s second-best player of 2021, behind only Emiliano Martinez.

In other news, two potential midfield incomings have been mooted at Villa Park

West Ham are looking to build on their Premier League success this season by making a move for Hull City winger Keane Lewis-Potter in the summer transfer window.

What’s the Word?

That’s according to Football Insider sources, who reveal that West Ham appear to be in pole position to sign Lewis-Potter from Hull, with Brentford also pursuing the player.

David Moyes was spotted at the Hull-Millwall match on Easter Monday casting his eye over the 21-year-old.

His contract expires at the end of next season, and it looks increasingly likely that Hull could cash in on the player during the summer.

Moyes could boost West Ham attacking options

The Englishman has played a key role in the Hull squad this season, scoring 12 goals in 46 matches as he has arguably been one of the few shining lights as the club has struggled in the Championship.

With the player’s market value currently sitting at £900,000, the Hammers could grab themselves an excellent deal as Hull won’t want the winger to leave for free next year.

Lewis-Potters performances led to Hull youth coach Craig Fagan branding him “similar to Eden Hazard” proving just how highly rated he is, while Alan Hutton said it would be a “brilliant” move for all parties.

It’s clear to see why that comparison has been made with the 21-year-old producing an impressive 1.4 dribbles per game in England’s second-tier this term.

With one England U21 cap to his name already, the winger’s future looks extremely bright and he could follow in the footsteps of Jarrod Bowen, who moved from Hull to West Ham in January 2020.

Moyes will be looking to boost his attacking options ahead of next year where he hopes to keep West Ham riding on the crest of a wave that they are right now. Aiming to cement a top-six spot and with a Europa League final spot up for grabs, it’s exciting times to be a Hammer right now.

AND in other news, Moyes can axe “superb” £50m ace with WHU swoop for “one of the most exciting talents”

Leeds United have been credited with an interest in Aston Villa defender Matt Targett, 90min report.

The Lowdown: Newcastle loan

Targett has been on the books at Villa Park since 2019 but made the move to Newcastle United on loan in January after Steven Gerrard brought in Lucas Digne.

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The 26-year-old, who Villa Park legend Gabby Agbonlahor believes is ‘really comfortable on the ball’, has made 12 appearances for the Magpies, helping them climb up the Premier League table under Eddie Howe.

Jamie Carragher has hailed the left-back during his time at St. James’ Park, and it looks as if his displays have now caught the eye of Leeds chiefs.

The Latest: Leeds links

90min shared a Newcastle transfer story on Tuesday evening, which involved an update on Targett.

They claimed that Leeds, Leicester City and Wolves all hold an interest in Targett, although his preference is to stay at Newcastle, who have a ‘broad agreement in place’ ahead of a £15m permanent deal.

The Verdict: Firpo replacement?

It is interesting that Leeds have been credited with an interest in Targett, as they have also been linked with Celta Vigo left-back Javi Galan earlier this month.

Junior Firpo was the club’s main marquee signing last year from Barcelona but has had a first season to forget, making just 15 Premier League starts and picking up more yellow cards than any other Leeds player.

Links to two left-backs this month could mean that the Whites are looking to replace the Spaniard ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge, however, relegation back to the Championship could blow the club’s transfer plans wide open in regards to both incomings and outgoings.

In other news: ‘Big blow…’ – Sky Sports man now reacts to ‘dramatic’ confirmed Leeds news for run-in. 

Rangers defender Borna Barisic came under fire during his side’s 1-1 draw in the Old Firm derby on Sunday afternoon. 

The lowdown

The Gers fell behind after 21 minutes at Parkhead when Jota found the net for the home side, with the Portuguese forward able to steal a march on the Croatian full-back to convert Daizen Maeda’s low cross.

Fashion Sakala later equalised midway through the second half to earn a point which keeps the Light Blues six adrift of the Hoops with just three league matches remaining.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst had selected Barisic at left-back in his 4-2-3-1 formation for the third Premiership match in succession, and the 20th overall.

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The latest

Barisic’s lapse in concentration in the lead-up to Celtic’s goal drew plenty of scorn from the watching media.

Heart & Hand, one of Rangers’ official media partners, accused the 29-year-old of ‘sleeping at the back post’, while The 4th Official tweeted that it was a ‘really bad’ error from the Croatian.

On Sky Sports’ live coverage of the game (via Ibrox News), Andy Walker noted that Barisic had been ‘caught on his heels’. Fellow commentator Ally McCoist agreed with that assessment, with the club’s all-time record goalscorer fuming: “Once again, Barisic switches off”.

The verdict

Was Barisic able to redeem himself for his error?

On the one hand, he did win four out of his five ground duels and both aerial battles that he contested (via SofaScore). On the other, the statistics suggest that he offered little when on the ball.

The 29-year-old misplaced nine of the 10 crosses that he attempted and all three of his long passes. In all, he lost possession a whopping 26 times – second only to James Tavernier among all 29 players who were involved in the match.

Barisic certainly can’t afford any more lapses in concentration when Rangers take on RB Leipzig on Thursday, needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit to reach the Europa League final.

In other news, Jordan Campbell was critical of another Rangers player on Sunday

All is not lost in West Ham United’s bid to keep midfield star Declan Rice at the club, according to journalist Paul Brown…

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the respected insider revealed that the 23-year-old could still be convinced to stay at the club, should the Hammers manage to run out winners in this year’s Europa League.

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Amid rumours that the Englishman could leave the club this summer, following interest from the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, Brown said of his future that:

“We don’t know yet how desperate Rice is to get out of West Ham. Moyes said this could be a negotiating tactic just because he wants more money. He has been offered more money by West Ham and it’s clear that he’s ambitious and wants to win things too. West Ham could still win things this season. That might change his thinking.”

Recent reports had suggested that the 29-cap international – who David Moyes claimed could be worth as much as £150m – has turned down a contract extension to stay at the London Stadium, although with two years still remaining on his existing deal, plus the option of a further 12 months, it is not time to panic just yet, particularly after this latest news.

Supporters will be buzzing

Following all the recent speculation about his future, Brown’s update will surely have West Ham supporters breathing a sigh of relief, with there seemingly still lingering hope that the club’s talisman will be lining up for the east London outfit at the start of next season.

It is perhaps no surprise that the £67.5m-rated man is courting so much attention of late, such have been his outstanding performances for both club and country in recent times.

Fresh off the back of featuring in all seven games of England’s surge to the Euro 2020 final last summer, Rice has kicked on again this term for Moyes’ men, carrying the mantle of being his side’s main man and skipper, in the absence of club captain Mark Noble.

In his 33 Premier League outings this season, the academy graduate has registered 1.7 interceptions, 2.1 tackles and 1.2 clearances per game, while also enjoying a pass success rate of 92%, showcasing he is much more than just a midfield destroyer.

That is the view shared by pundit Joe Cole, who likened his progression to that of Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard and also noted his ability “breaking from midfield with that power”, with the £62k-per-week gem ranking in the top 6% among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries.

A constantly developing talent, the London-born star has plenty of strings to his bow, albeit with one thing that is missing at present being silverware.

As Brown mentioned, that bid to win trophies may sway him to depart, although he still has the chance to claim what would be a remarkable Europa League triumph this season, even with the Hammers currently 2-1 down at the halfway stage of their semi-final tie with Eintracht Frankfurt.

If the club can match his potential, there’s no reason why can’t continue to delight the home support for years to come.

IN other news, West Ham can unearth huge Antonio upgrade in £9m-rated gem who gives “a new dimension”…

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Pau Torres to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Fabrizio Romano, with the Italian transfer insider and journalist revealing in a recent interview with Que Golazo that, after failing with a bid to sign the Villarreal centre-back 12 months ago, Fabio Paratici remains interested in the 25-year-old – whom both Manchester United and Chelsea are also reportedly keen on – this summer.

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Regarding Spurs’ interest in the Spain international, Romano said: “Tottenham wanted him one year ago and he was close to joining, then he decided to stay at Villarreal to play Champions League football. But now, Tottenham are still following him.”

An “extraordinary” signing

With Fabio Paratici being reported to have prioritised the signing of a left-sided centre-back ahead of Tottenham’s 2022/23 campaign, it is easy to see why the Italian sporting director is keeping an eye on the situation of Torres this summer.

Indeed, over his 30 LaLiga appearances this season, the £60m-rated defender has been a colossus in Unai Emery’s backline, helping his side keep ten clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 0.6 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 3.1 clearances and winning 4.0 duels – at a success rate of 66% – per game.

The £126k-per-week talent has also impressed going forwards, bagging four goals and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as completing an average of 54.4 passes, 4.5 long balls, 0.8 dribbles and taking 0.7 shots per fixture.

These metrics have seen the player who Javi Calleja labelled an “extraordinary talent” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.06, ranking him as Villarreal’s fourth-best performer in the top flight of Spanish football.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Torres would make an exceptional addition to Antonio Conte’s current options at the back, leading us to believe that Paratici simply must activate the centre-back’s reported £55m release clause this summer – as the 25-year-old would undoubtedly help to take Spurs to a different level next season.

AND in other news: Conte could land his new Kante as Spurs eye £17m signing who’s “absolutely everywhere”

A big Rangers claim has emerged on Ibrox duo Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent ahead of the summer transfer window in Glasgow…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has claimed that securing a place in the Champions League will play a big role in being able to retain the club’s best players heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

The Gers will go straight into the group stage of the competition next term if they come out on top in the Europa League final in Seville on Wednesday night.

O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “If you’re playing Champions League football, it’s going to help your chances of keeping hold of your best players, the likes of Morelos and Kent, who obviously would like to be playing at the highest level.

“So, if Rangers can go on and win it and they get in the Champions League, it’s only going to help their chances of keeping their best players at the club for the foreseeable future.”

Gio van Bronckhorst will be excited

The Ibrox manager will be excited by the prospect of being able to keep both players at the club if his side can win the Europa League this week.

Whilst it is not a guarantee that either player will stay, O’Rourke believes that it will have an impact on their potential outgoings this summer. The club might be able to offer both of them European football at the top level and will therefore be able to add talented players around them in the market instead of sourcing replacements for them.

Both Kent and Morelos have been crucial to the Gers this season and Van Bronckhorst will be desperate for them to remain in Glasgow. The former has been a creative threat throughout the campaign, with three goals and 19 assists in all competitions so far.

Meanwhile, the latter has racked up 19 goals and eight assists in all competitions. Before suffering a season-ending injury, the Colombian was on fire for Rangers as the figurehead of their attack with his ability to both score and set up goals on a regular basis.

The pair’s respective statistics this term illustrate how important they have been to the team and shows why it would be a major boost to keep them at the club. This is why Van Bronckhorst will be excited by the thought of having both players in his starting XI come the start of next season, if they can first get the job done against Eintracht Frankfurt tomorrow night.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst must finally unleash “powerful” 19 y/o Rangers gem who “took his chance” in 2022…

Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav all contributed too, as England lost 4 for 6 on the final afternoon to decisively swing the match

Matt Roller06-Sep-20214:51

Harmison: Bumrah took the pitch out of the equation

Jasprit Bumrah’s devastating reverse-swing, Ravindra Jadeja’s miserly spell into the rough and crucial breakthroughs from Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur took India into a 2-1 series lead against England, sealing a 157-run win that had seemed improbable for much of the fourth Test at The Oval.India were 127 for 7 on the first afternoon, conceded a 99-run first-innings lead, and watched England’s openers pile up an unbroken 100-run partnership on the final morning on a flat pitch offering almost nothing for their bowlers. But, after fine individual performances from Thakur and Rohit Sharma had forced them back into the game after the early obstacles, their attack split six wickets in 22.4 dramatic overs to turn the game decisively on the final afternoon, led by Bumrah’s remarkable spell with the old ball.India’s task on the final day – take 10 wickets in 90 overs – was plain but hardly straightforward. They had opted to leave out their best spinner, R Ashwin, and the pitch had offered nothing for England’s seamers in the second innings. But they succeeded where England had failed, rotating their attack with great effect, using Jadeja to rough up the old ball, and giving their seamers the opportunity to rip through the middle order with reverse-swing. Bumrah’s high-class spell after lunch – 2 for 6 in six overs – was particularly crucial as he spearheaded a collapse of four wickets for six runs, and Umesh finished things off with the final two wickets after tea.England started the day hopeful of pulling off an improbable fourth-innings run chase for the third summer in a row after wins against Australia and Pakistan in the last two years. Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed had both batted fluently on the fourth evening and brought up half-centuries and a 100-run opening partnership but Burns fell immediately after.2:47

Laxman, Harmison pick the defining moments of India’s win

It was Thakur who made the first breakthrough. He had spoken to Sky Sports in their build-up to the final day, revealing India’s optimism about the prospect of getting the ball to reverse thanks to Jadeja scuffing up one side bowling into the rough, and now he managed to move the old ball away from Burns’ outside edge after angling it in from around the wicket. Rishabh Pant took a straightforward chance after a thin nick.With Jadeja finding turn and bite from the rough outside Dawid Malan’s off stump, England were bogged down. Hameed struggled to score against the seamers – he added only 19 runs to his overnight 43 while batting through the morning session – and with the prospect of victory still at the back of their minds, the pressure to score paid. Hameed nudged Jadeja into the covers and called Malan through for a single, but Mayank Agarwal – on as a sub fielder for Rohit – threw quickly and cleanly to Pant in time to beat Malan’s dive.Related

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Joe Root came out firing after lunch, reverse-sweeping the first ball of the afternoon session for four as if to warn Jadeja that landing the ball in the rough outside the right-handers’ leg stump would not be enough. But Jadeja stuck to his guns, spinning one past Hameed’s outside edge to peg his off stump back as he looked to guide a single to cover with an open face, and England never recovered.Bumrah sensed an opening and began to reverse the ball prodigiously, moving it late, hitting speeds of 88mph/142kph and targeting the stumps. His full length and late tail was enough to burst through Ollie Pope’s defence, angling in from wide on the crease and beating him on the inside edge. It was a fitting dismissal for his 100th in Tests, brought up in his 24th appearance to break Kapil Dev’s record for fastest to the landmark by an Indian fast bowler.Root survived a tight lbw appeal on review in the following over, DRS confirming Jadeja had pitched the ball outside leg stump, but Bumrah was purring and struck moments later. He beat Jonny Bairstow with the first ball of his over, full and reversing away, before turning it around on its axis and zipping it through him with a fast, in-ducking yorker two balls later. India were ecstatic, Kohli geeing the crowd up in celebration, and England’s hopes were in tatters.Kohli’s explanation at the toss for Ashwin’s continued omission was that Jadeja would provide him with a good match-up against England’s left-handers, which prompted some confusion given Ashwin’s record against them. But Jadeja’s success vindicated his selection: he struck with the first ball he bowled to Moeen Ali, turning one sharply out of the rough created by the right-arm seamers and inducing a hard-handed poke away from the body, which gave Suryakumar Yadav – the other sub fielder – a simple catch at short leg. The slide was four wickets for six runs, enough to turn the game on its head.Virat Kohli leaps in celebration as the DRS confirms last-man James Anderson is out•Getty Images

India had time to take two more wickets before tea, including the crucial scalp of Root. Kohli opted to delay the second new ball, bringing Thakur back to bowl the 81st with the reversing old one, and an innocuous, back-of-a-length ball proved deadly: Root looked to run it down to third man, but inside-edged onto his stumps.Craig Overton survived two tight calls, first dropped at third slip by Ajinkya Rahane, then successfully overturning an lbw decision given against him as Bumrah thudded one into his pad. But Woakes, who had looked solid for his 18, offered a low chance to KL Rahul at short midwicket to give Umesh Yadav his first wicket, and England were eight down at the interval.India belatedly took the new ball shortly after tea and Umesh struck again, finding extra bounce from a length as Overton played on via the elbow, wincing in pain as he trudged off. James Anderson was the last man out, fending a catch behind to give Umesh a third that was given out on-field and upheld on review.Kohli and India celebrated a fine win that had looked unlikely for large swathes of the match, completed despite the absence of their head coach, Ravi Shastri, and two injured senior players in Rohit and Cheteshwar Pujara being off the field through the final innings. England, by contrast, were left facing up to the prospect of consecutive series losses at home – unless they can square this one in Manchester – leading into an away Ashes this winter.

The workloads, especially around the day-night Test, will be closely monitored by coaching staff

Andrew McGlashan16-Sep-2021Australia fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck will not be considered for selection until the T20I series against India next month as head coach Matthew Mott weights up the delicate balancing act of protecting the young quick bowlers.Mott confirmed that Vlaeminck, who missed last year’s T20 World Cup with a stress fracture of her foot, had suffered some injury niggles during her pre-season in Victoria and a cautious approach would be taken to increasing her workloads with an eye on next year’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand.Vlaeminck had made her international comeback on the tour of New Zealand in March and April where she played four of the six matches although one was washed out.He also conceded that how to get Australia’s pace bowlers through the day-night Test with very limited preparation – which has included 14 days hard quarantine for those from Victoria and New South Wales – had been the “biggest headache” leading into this series. The squad had their first hit out on Thursday in an intra-squad match.Australia were already without swing bowler Megan Schutt and left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen for this series so the attack will have a youthful look. Mott expected every player in the squad would get a game over the course of the seven matches, which begin with the first ODI on September 21.Related

• Haynes, Lanning, Mooney, Campbell shine in Australians' warm-up win

• Perry: 'You've always got to push to get better'

• Darcie Brown eager for chance to fill Megan Schutt's boots

• Alyssa Healy looks to Rohit Sharma's template for cross-format opening success

• Sneaky battles, weird results: the Australia-India rivalry

“It’s a congested schedule so we’ll have to churn through some bowlers, the young bowlers will need to be managed really well particularly with the preparation we’ve had,” he said. “The first couple of days were always the danger period, so getting a match like that under our belt was absolute gold.”It’s definitely given the [Sport Science Sport Medicine] staff the biggest headache in the off-season, planning for that Test, because we are used to so much one-day cricket. Managing the loads and building them up nicely has been the way, then we’ve had to compromise with tools down for 14 days. It will be a challenge, but it is for both teams.”Mott saw the spinners taking on a significant amount of work in the Test – tipping left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux to fill the role vacated by Jonassen’s injury and Ash Gardner’s offspin to be used more – with the quicks saved for short bursts.The chance of a Test debut for Darcie Brown, one of the few players who did not need to undergo the 14 days hard quarantine as she lives in Adelaide, has improved significantly. Stella Campbell and Maitlan Brown, who are both uncapped at international level, will also be in the frame.”They are resilient, strong players but they are young and history suggests they are at their most vulnerable age so we’ll have to be really smart about what the one-day series looks like and how we can graduate their loads safely,” Mott said.”What we have found in our stats for the last few Tests is that spinners bowl a lot of the overs as well, so having someone like Darcie come in for short spells is probably how she’ll be used. Meg will make those decisions on the field but think our quicks will certainly be used a lot more for impact than grunt work.”Ellyse Perry is also shaping as an important figure in the attack having had another off-season to work on her form after struggling to find her best rhythm in last summer’s comeback from the serious hamstring injury suffered at the T20 World Cup.”[Bowling coach] Ben Sawyer is really happy with where she’s at, thinks at the crease he can’t remember her being as strong as she has been,” Mott said. “It’s something we’ve spoken about, that without Schutt and Jonassen she’ll play a pivotal role in leading our attack with some young bowlers around her.”Mott also confirmed that Alyssa Healy and Rachael Haynes are the likely opening pair for the Test, although Healy’s workload in the field would be monitored.

Smith’s floating position is in part designed to overcome the challenging batting conditions on display in the UAE

Andrew McGlashan26-Oct-2021Australia batter Steven Smith believes the T20 World Cup could become a scrap to the finish line rather than a cascade of boundaries as he beds into a new middle-order role that will be key to Australia overcoming conditions if they unfold that way.The early stages of the Super 12s has seen a variety of outcomes, ranging from the blowouts of West Indies being dismissed for 55 and Scotland 60 to the relatively high-scoring contest between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka alongside Pakistan’s wicketless chase against India.Australia’s opening match against South Africa in Abu Dhabi fell somewhere between the extremes as 118 provided a challenging chase and while Smith suggested two iffy batting displays played a part, he would not be surprised to see that template on show more regularly.”Even throughout the IPL there was a lot of really scrappy cricket, not huge scores, which made the games pretty interesting and quite close,” he said. “Slightly different to a lot of T20 cricket, quite often it’s flat wickets and big scores, so you have to change slight ways you play and adapt according to what’s required on that surface. It’s been interesting so far.”Don’t think the other day 120 was indicative of the surface. Both teams bowled and fielded really well and probably didn’t bat very well but do think we’ll see plenty of scrappy cricket in this tournament.”Related

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Smith’s floating position in Australia’s batting order is in part designed to overcome those challenging conditions. In both warm-up matches against New Zealand and India, and then the opening group game against South Africa, Smith came in at No. 4 with Australia having lost early wickets in the powerplay. If the top three of David Warner, Aaron Finch and Mitchell Marsh fire collectively, Smith is likely to cede ground to Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.”It’s a little bit different to what I’ve played previously, but my job basically is to fix it if our top order don’t come off, then if our top order do go well the likelihood is I’ll slide slightly down the order and let our big strong boys go out and attack it,” he said. “Think I’ve done it pretty well in the first couple of trial games and our first game.”A renowned worker of the ball, Smith made 35 off 34 balls against South Africa and appeared set to take Australia closer to victory before a fine running catch by Aiden Markram ended his stay.”Think you need ability to get off strike, manipulate the ball to certain areas more than just the power,” Smith said. “Some of these wickets even the powerful blokes have struggled to hit sixes so you need some smarts about you, playing the situation, and having the ability to limit dot balls.”In the months leading up to this tournament – and the IPL which preceded it – Smith was recovering from a recurrence of the elbow problem he had suffered earlier in the year. At the start of his return to batting he was limited to 10-minute net sessions as part of a graduated comeback to manage the problem, which for someone with such a love of batting even outside of matches would not have come easily.He is still managing his out-of-game workloads somewhat by not batting for three consecutive days at training but is confident he is over the problem ahead of the increased demands in the lead-up to the Ashes.”On the days I’m batting I’m batting for as long as I want to which is really nice,” he said. “I’m still taking it easy at the moment, just making sure I’m only batting two days in a row and I’ll build up again as we get closer to playing longer format stuff.”Smith is comfortable he will have adequate preparation when the team returns from the T20 World Cup which will involve two weeks quarantine although training will be permitted. It remains to be confirmed whether the Australians will have a proper match ahead of the first Test at the Gabba on December 8 but a large squad is expected to decamp into Queensland to aid the build-up.”It’ll just be hitting plenty of balls in the lead-up,” Smith said. “There’s not too much else we can do in the times of the pandemic. We are going to be having some really solid centre-wickets and training sessions where I know our fast bowlers will be firing up getting themselves ready, so they’ll be no shortage of quality practice.”