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One club are preparing for their "on fire" player to leave in January as West Ham United eye a move to sign him, according to Sky Sports.

Steidten's rumoured transfer plans for January

Lead by technical director Tim Steidten, who is now seen as a real first advisor to Hammers co-chairman David Sullivan and the board, West Ham have their eyes on shoring up key areas.

"Leader" in talks to join West Ham as club president shares public defiance

There’s discussions ongoing behind-the-scenes.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 20, 2023

There are reports that West Ham are keen to sign Southampton star Kyle Walker-Peters, with Moyes eager to bring in alternatives to Vladimir Coufal and Emerson Palmieri.

Aaron Cresswell and Ben Johnson's deals also expire next summer, making the need for new full-back options all the more prevalent. Elsewhere, West Ham are rumoured to hold an interest in Kalvin Phillips as well, who is looking pretty likely to leave Man City mid-season after his consistent lack of opportunities.

Moyes has actually poured cold water on West Ham's need for a striker recently, but reports are still coming in that they could move to sign one next month.

The Hammers are tipped for a busy January window by reliable media sources like Fabrizio Romano, and they may have been boosted in their rumoured pursuit of Stuttgart star Serhou Guirassy.

Stuttgart prepared to sell Guirassy in January

West Ham have reportedly come knocking for the Guinea international, and he could leave for the bargain price of his £15 million release clause. The 27-year-old has scored 16 goals in just 13 Bundesliga appearances this season, making him both a quality and affordable option for Moyes who can play in attacking midfield as well.

Now, Sky Sports Germany claim that Stuttgart are preparing for Guirassy to leave amid reports West Ham are keen to strike a deal for him.

They're said to be on the look out for replacements already, which is a sure-fire indicator that the African's future is far away from the MHP Arena.

Journalist Dean Jones, commenting on the links to Guirassy recently on GiveMeSport, suggested West Ham have a good chance of signing the player but may need to go all out and offer him an enticing package.

“The race to sign Guirassy is getting quite interesting because half the Premier League are now considering whether they should be signing him in January, but I’m learning that this will probably come down to big pay offers," said the reporter.

“The release clause makes an actual transfer relatively easy to get going, but because of that, the player himself will probably be looking for a handsome package that lands in his account.

“West Ham are definitely on the lookout for a striker, and they would probably have a decent chance of getting him if they are willing to push the boat out and offer him the sort of deal they might not usually put out there for a player of this age that has had this career path.

“But he’s on fire, a European boot contender, and goals are hard to find these days at the top level.”

Sunderland hold a genuine admiration for an up-and-coming forward, but they aren’t the only club who are hoping to bring him to the Championship in January.

Sunderland updates

Tony Mowbray’s side have made an extremely mixed start to the new campaign having won seven, drawn two and lost six of their opening 15 games, meaning that they currently find themselves eighth in the league table.

Rotherham United (2-1)

Coventry City (0-0)

Ipswich Town (2-1)

Southampton (5-0)

Swansea City (0-0)

Preston North End (2-1)

Queens Park Rangers (3-1)

Cardiff City (1-0)

Blackburn Rovers (3-1)

Middlesbrough (4-0)

Sheffield Wednesday (3-0)

Stoke City (2-1)

Watford (2-0)

Leicester City (1-0)

Norwich City (3-1)

The Black Cats will no doubt be confident that they are able to compete from promotion being just two points outside of the play-offs as it stands, but that won’t stop the boss from assessing his options in the market to search for players that he could strengthen his squad with.

Barnsley’s left-winger Fabio Jalo has emerged as a potential target due to his deal being set to expire at the end of the season (Barnsley contracts), meaning that he is likely to be made available for transfer during the upcoming window should he not put pen to paper on fresh terms.

The Portugal youth international was named the Academy Player of the Season at the Oakwell Stadium for the 2021/22 term which shows what a bright future he has ahead of him, and the 17-year-old’s impressive performances have caught the eye at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland showing genuine interest in Fabio Jalo

According to TEAMtalk, Sunderland are keen on a deal for Fabio Jalo, but they aren’t alone in their pursuit of the promising attacker with five other teams additionally looking to reach an agreement.

“TEAMtalk can exclusively confirm that Brighton, Everton and Fulham are among several English clubs showing an interest in the highly-rated winger. Our sources suggest that along with the Premier League trio, Leeds United and Sunderland are also amongst the sides showing a real interest.

"Sporting Lisbon back in Jalo’s native Portugal have also been checking on his progress, so a return to his homeland could also potentially be on the cards.”

Fabio Jalo's "magnificent" left foot

During the 2021/22 season, when he received his aformentioned individual accolade, Jalo scored a remarkable 27 goals across all competitions (Leeds Live), which shows just how prolific he can be in the final third.

The Tykes’ “magnificent” left-footed forward, as hailed by their academy manager Bobby Hassell, is also a versatile operator with his ability to play as a centre-forward, right-winger and an attacking midfielder alongside his usual role out wide on the left flank (Transfermarkt – Jalo statistics).

Additionally, Jalo only pockets £550-per-week (Barnsley salaries), so he would be more than affordable for chiefs to recruit – that would make him the lowest-earner on their books (Sunderland salaries) – making this a move worth considering in January.

حقق منتخب مصر الأولمبي، فوزًا تاريخيًا على باراجواي، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما، اليوم الجمعة، ضمن منافسات أولمبياد باريس.

وتواجه منتخب مصر مع باراجواي، في ربع نهائي أولمبياد باريس 2024.

منتخب مصر فاز على باراجواي بنتيجة 5-4 بركلات الترجيح، بعد انتهاء الوقتين الأصلي والإضافي بالتعادل الإيجابي 1-1، ليتأهل إلى دور نصف النهائي من منافسات كرة القدم لـ أولمبياد باريس.

وكان منتخب مصر قد تأهل إلى دور ربع النهائي بعد تصدر مجموعته برصيد 7 نقاط من الفوز على أوزبكستان 1-0 وإسبانيا 2-1 وتعادل سلبيًا مع الدومينيكان.

طالع | المنتخبات المتأهلة إلى نصف نهائي أولمبياد باريس 2024

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي منتخب مصر مع فرنسا بـ دور نصف النهائي بعدما استطاع منتخب الديوك الفوز على الأرجنتيتن بهدف دون رد. موعد مباراة مصر وفرنسا في نصف نهائي أولمبياد باريس

تقام مباراة مصر مع فرنسا، يوم الإثنين الموافق 5 أغسطس المقبل في تمام الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. 

Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim is remaining tight-lipped on speculation linking him with Liverpool, insisting "you'll see in the end".

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Sporting boss heavily linked with Reds
• Liverpool searching for Jurgen Klopp's replacement
• Xabi Alonso ruled out as contender

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Amorim has emerged as the favourite to replace Jurgen Klopp after the German tactician announced his intention to leave at the end of the season. There had been fevered speculation that the Reds would turn to Xabi Alonso, their former midfielder, but the Bayer Leverkusen boss has since confirmed that he will remain at the BayArena. As a result, focus has shifted towards Amorim, with Sporting currently one point clear of Benfica at the top of the Portuguese Liga NOS.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Amorim has a release clause in his contract that fee has gradually dropped during his time in charge and now stands at around £13 million ($16m). However, he is remaining quiet on the potential of a switch and issued a defiant response when asked about the prospect of moving to Anfield.

• WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Amorim told reporters: “Right now, I’m focused on Sporting. I’m very proud to be Sporting’s coach. We’re focused on winning titles. You’ll see in the end. I have a contract and I’m very happy here. That’s the most important thing, more than contracts, I’m very happy here. The focus is on beating Benfica in the Portuguese Cup.”

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Liverpool will continue their hunt for a new manager as the season reaches its climax, while Amorim will aim to win his second Portuguese league title since being appointed as Sporting's manager.

TalkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has heaped praise on a reported West Ham United transfer target who they are apparently in pole position to sign.

Who could West Ham sign in January?

The winter transfer window is slowly approaching and manager David Moyes will see it as a prime opportunity to strengthen his Hammers ranks. There are currently a fair few players who look set to leave when their contracts expire next summer, a long list including the likes of Tomas Soucek, Pablo Fornals, Ben Johnson, Vladimir Coufal, Michail Antonio, Conor Coventry, Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski and Angelo Ogbonna (Transfermarkt).

Coufal, Antonio and Soucek's deals contain options for the club to extend by another year, but reports have suggested that the latter could still be sold in January if talks over a new and improved contract go nowhere (Football Insider). Elsewhere, it is rumoured that Fornals, Johnson and Coventry are set to leave in 2024; which could mean the east Londoners need to think about replacing them.

Amid doubts surrounding the futures of both Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma also, who are reportedly attracting big-money interest from Saudi Arabia, West Ham are believed to be eyeing up a new centre-half. Bayer Levekusen defender Edmond Tapsoba has been linked, while the Moyes could go back in for Man United defender Harry Maguire.

Harry Maguire transfer update

The England international, who has struggled under Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford this last year, has been linked with a move to the London Stadium yet again very recently. Indeed, a West Ham transfer update from Football Insider this week claimed that West Ham are in pole position to sign Maguire if he decides to leave in January.

Now, talkSPORT's Agbonlahor has heaped praise on the 30-year-old amid these reports, claiming he would be the "perfect" man-for-man replacement for Zouma. Commenting on the latter player's exit links, Agbonlahor told Football Insider:

“That’s one I can picture happening. I don’t know when, but I can see Kurt Zouma in Saudi Arabia. He will know players who are over there playing, and the money will be just so hard to turn down.

“He’s approaching his thirties now, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see him make that move in the near future. West Ham, then, would probably have to go back in for Maguire. It would be the perfect man-for-man replacement.”

While the Englishman hasn't exactly been on top form lately, ten Hag did call him a "dictating" player earlier this year, all while praising Maguire's attitude and application in training.

Likes to play long balls

Indirect set-piece threat

"Definitely. I'm really happy with the progress that Harry is making in this moment," said Ten Hag to the media in March.

"He's more dominant and dictating, he's taking more initiative on the training pitch and I think also in the Real Betis game, he showed leadership, especially in those aspects of initiative and dictating of the game."

The midfielder has picked up another potentially long-term problem, and may never hit the heights many felt he would

Pedri couldn't hide the tears. The Barcelona midfielder had slumped onto the San Mames pitch after tweaking his right quad, and though he didn't need help off the field, he cut a distraught figure as he limped to the sideline, the Athletic Club fans applauding him off.

That injury, sustained on Sunday, was the latest in a long line of fitness problems that have stunted what should be a glittering career. Now, less than four years after making his Barca debut, it's easy to wonder if the former Golden Boy winner and 'next Iniesta' will ever be the top-level midfielder that so many expected him to.

GOAL takes a look Pedri's injury history, and if the Barcelona star will ever be able to return on his undoubtedly huge potential…

AAJune 2020: Talent acquired

Pedri is not a La Masia graduate. It is one of the greatest misconceptions in recent football history that the silky midfielder came through the same academy as Gavi, Ansu Fati and co. Instead, the Blaugrana hashed out a deal with then-Segunda Division side Las Palmas in late 2019 to sign Pedri the following summer, agreeing on an initial €5 million (£4.3m/$5.5m) fee – then regarded as a significant sum for a 16-year-old with little first-team experience.

Still, there was a sense that Barca had a real talent on their hands. In the months between agreeing his transfer and Pedri's arrival, the Spaniard impressed for Las Palmas, becoming the youngest goalscorer in club history and tallying 10 goal involvements in the second tier.

AdvertisementSoccrates Images/Getty ImagesOctober 2020: 'Signing of the decade'

"Pedri is the signing of the decade" Spanish publication claimed in October 2020. The teenager had just turned in a mesmerising performance against Juventus in the Champions League, his display outshining that of a certain Lionel Messi – despite the Barca legend burying a crucial stoppage-time penalty that sealed a 2-0 win.

That game capped off a rapid rise to prominence for Pedri, one in which the teenager needed less than a month in Catalunya to crack Ronald Koeman's starting XI. He soon became a fixture in a buzzing midfield, and a rare bright spot for a Barcelona team in transition.

Getty ImagesAugust 2021: Worked into the ground

Issues started to arrive for Pedri because, you could argue, he was playing too well. The 2020-21 campaign was a grim one for Barca, Messi's swansong ending in a third-placed La Liga finish. Pedri, the humming midfield presence, offered hope that the post-Messi years could be just as beautiful, though.

A series of managers bought into that hype. Koeman handed him 53 appearances in his debut campaign, rarely giving him a day off as Barca fought to stay alive in three competitions. Luis Enrique was even more assertive with the youngster, a he called Pedri into his Spain squad in March 2021, and had him start two Euro 2020 qualifiers. By the time the tournament proper came around, Pedri was the focal point of the squad, playing all-but one minute as La Roja made a semi-final run. He covered the most ground in the tournament, was named in the Team of the Tournament, and took home the Young Player of the Tournament award.

That should have been enough, but Pedri was then inexplicably shipped off to Japan to repreent Spain in the Olympics. Unsurprisingly given the amount of matches he had already played over the previous 12 months, he turned in a series of beleaguered showings for his country. By the end of it all, he had played 73 games – and over 4,000 minutes – in less than a year.

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Getty ImagesSeptember 2021: Injury strikes

It didn't take a medical expert to figure out what would happen next, and Pedri's hamstring was the first muscle to tell him that it had had enough. He missed three games – and less than two weeks – with a minor strain in September 2021, with it the kind of injury that top-level athletes pick up all the time. Unfortunately, for Pedri, it was a sign of things to come.

West Ham United could dip into the transfer market come January after a recent twist emerged surrounding one of their reported targets.

West Ham updates: Zouma contract, Paqueta exit, Soucek form

According to a contract update on Kurt Zouma from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano's Daily Briefing, talks are set to open between the club and the France international over a potential new deal at the London Stadium.

Romano wrote: "West Ham have contract talks scheduled with Kurt Zouma, so discussions will take place in the next weeks or months and we will see how it goes. He is the club captain and an important player for the Hammers, and guys at the moment honestly, there are no concrete negotiations with other clubs."

In other news, a transfer update on West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta claims that the Brazil international is keen to move to Manchester City amid rumours that he has a release clause worth £85 million that will activate in the summer of 2024, as per The Sun on Sunday (print edition October 15th, page 75), via Hammers News.

West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek meanwhile managed to get himself on the scoresheet on international duty as the Czechs defeated the Faroe Islands 1-0 at the Doosan Arena in Plzen on Sunday evening.

Edson Álvarez and Mohammed Kudus faced off as Mexico defeated Ghana 2-0 in the United States, while Michail Antonio played 88 minutes for Jamaica as they saw off Haiti in the CONCACAF Nations League.

West Ham United's upcoming fixtures – all competitions

Competition

Opponent

Venue

Premier League

Aston Villa (A)

Villa Park

Europa League

Olympiacos (A)

Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium

Premier League

Everton (H)

London Stadium

EFL Cup

Arsenal (H)

London Stadium

Premier League

Brentford (A)

Gtech Community Stadium

West Ham transfer update – Kalvin Phillips

According to a West Ham transfer update on Kalvin Phillips, the England international would be open to joining the Hammers – or their Premier League rivals Newcastle United – due to the fact both sides are involved in European competition.

The outlet claim that Manchester City would seek to accumulate around £45 million for Phillips' services, which is around the fee that he was brought to the Etihad Stadium for from Leeds United in the summer of 2022.

Since his arrival, Phillips has failed to establish himself as a regular contributor for the Blues and is behind the likes of Matheus Nunes, Mateo Kovacic, Rodri in Pep Guardiola's pecking order.

Phillips, who was labelled "excellent" by Breaking The Lines in 2021, has featured just 26 times in all competitions for Manchester City over the course of his time at the Etihad Stadium and he is yet to register a single goal or assist (Phillips statistics – Transfermarkt).

Nevertheless, he is a regular pick in the England squad and featured as a substitute in their 1-0 victory over Australia last week, coming off the bench to replace Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher on 62 minutes.

Moyes isn't shy about giving homegrown players an opportunity to play their part for West Ham and Phillips would add further composure and solidity to their already talented engine room.

MatériaMais Notícias

Esteve desligado do esporte durante alguma parte do fim de semana? Se você perdeu algo, o LANCE! traz o resumo do que rolou de mais quente no sábado e no domingo. Teve polêmica com o árbitro de vídeo em São Paulo, goleada histórica do Flamengo em cima do Corinthians (Cássio desabafou depois dos cinco gols…), Palmeiras em sua quarta derrota seguida e um novo líder no Brasileirão. Confira tudo o que rolou!

Grêmio x VAR agita sábado
O São Paulo recebeu o Grêmio às 21h de sábado pela 17ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro e a partida acabou empatada por 0 a 0. No entanto, o Tricolor gaúcho não gostou nada do resultado, já que, em dois lances diferentes, pediu pênalti, não marcados pelo árbitro e muito menos pelo VAR, além de possíveis expulsões não dadas. Revoltado, Romildo Bolzan, presidente do clube, usou as redes sociais do Grêmio para reclamar da arbitragem e chamar o jogo de “assalto”.

Vale lembrar que houve troca na arbitragem na quinta-feira (15), quando Raí e Alexandre Pássaro estiveram na CBF para debater os erros de arbitragem em seus próprios jogos. Veja mais aqui!

Corinthians leva maior goleada em sua arena, e Cássio desabafa
O domingo não foi nada bom para o torcedor do Corinthians. Depois de ter conquistado uma importante vitória sobre o Athletico-PR, na estreia de Vagner Mancini, o Alvinegro levou uma goleada do Flamengo, placar final de 5 a 1, maior quantidade de gols já aplicada sobre o time em sua própria casa, a Neo Química Arena, desde a inauguração, em 2014.

Com o resultado, a equipe permanece com 18 pontos, na 14ª posição, dois pontos a mais que o primeiro da zona de rebaixamento, o Furacão. Além disso, o desabafo do goleiro Cássio na saída do gramado também chamou atenção: ele disse que não se considera maior que o clube, se precisar ficar no banco não há problemas, que as críticas estão caindo todas em suas costas e, caso seja melhor, ele abre as portas para sair do Corinthians.

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Novo líder no Brasileirão com gol de artilheiro
Falando em tabela, o Internacional venceu o Vasco por 2 a 0 (um dos gols dele, Thiago Galhardo, que agora soma 14 na competição) e é o líder do Campeonato Brasileiro, com 34 pontos. Em segundo, o Flamengo, com a mesma pontuação, seguido de Atlético-MG (31), São Paulo (27) e Santos (27). O Galo joga nesta segunda, às 20h, contra o Bahia, fora de casa.

Palmeiras perde do aniversariante Fortaleza e aumenta sequência negativa
O Palmeiras perdeu mais uma, a quarta seguida, dessa vez diante do Fortaleza, por 2 a 0, fora de casa. Foi a quarta partida sem triunfo do time, que foi comandado por Andrey Lopes, já que Vanderlei Luxemburgo acabou demitido no meio da semana. O capitão Gustavo Gómez acabou expulso depois de “peitar” o árbitro, em uma das cenas que viralizaram no final de semana.

Volta ao mundo: confira principais resultados
Pela quinta rodada da Premier League, Everton e Liverpool empataram por 2 a 2, enquanto o Manchester City venceu o Arsenal por 1 a 0. Chelsea e Southampton ficaram no 3 a 3 e o United goleou o Newcastle por 4 a 1. No Espanhol, o Atlético de Madrid venceu seu compromisso contra o Celta de Vigo por 2 a 0, mas Barcelona e Real Madrid foram derrotados.

No Calcio, a Juventus apenas empatou com o Crotone por 1 a 1, enquanto o Napoli goleou a Atalanta por 4 a 1 e a Roma aplicou 5 a 2 no Benevento. O Milan fez 2 a 1 na Internazionale, com dois de Ibrahimovic.

Brady vence duelo particular com Rodgers
Esta semana aconteceu o tão aguardado confronto entre Tom Brady e Aaron Rodgers, e o Tampa Bay Buccaneers se deu melhor no embate, deste domingo (18), contra o Green Bay Packers, no Raymond James Stadium, válido pela semana 6 da NFL. Vitória por 38 a 10, com direito a atuação dominante da defesa dos Bucs, interceptando Aaron Rodgers duas vezes.

Stokes returned to England colours in the first ODI against New Zealand in Hamilton and almost helped conjure a victory with two late wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2018

Ben Stokes picked up Colin De Grandhomme with a slower ball•Getty Images

Former Australia captain Steve Waugh has said that Ben Stokes “owes” England following the fallout from the incident in Bristol last September which led to a charge of affray – which Stokes has pleaded not-guilty to – and meant he missed the Ashes.Stokes returned to England colours in the first ODI against New Zealand in Hamilton, and almost helped conjure a victory with two late wickets, but Waugh believed the “circus” around his absence meant England were on the back foot in Australia before the series even started.”It’s been chaotic, a bit of a circus,” he told at the Laureus World Sports Awards. “He certainly owes his team some good performances over the next couple of years because he really put them in a bit of a hole with the Australian tour, which was unsettling for the whole team.”For Trevor Bayliss and Joe Root to answer those questions was wearing – it was tough on Root. I’m sure Stokes has learned his lesson from what has happened, he left England in an awkward position. It put them off kilter for the whole trip and they didn’t really recover.”With England under scrutiny from the moment they arrived in Australia, their trip was further destabilised by the Jonny Bairstow ‘headbutt’ on Cameron Bancroft early in the tour at a Perth bar, which emerged towards the end of the first Test, and then Ben Duckett was reprimanded for throwing a beer over James Anderson’s head in the same Perth nightclub.”On any other tour they would have been non-events but they become magnified and all of a sudden you’re dealing with problems every day which you don’t need to,” Waugh said. “It just became a bit of snowball effect for the team.”On the field in Australia, England failed to take their chances when they had moments of holding the edge in most of the Tests. Their pace attack particularly struggled to make an impact. Waugh said Stuart Broad was “below his best” but believed he and James Anderson, who led the attack manfully, still had plenty to offer.”In New Zealand they will get much better conditions to bowl in, while I saw Anderson bowl last year in England and it was the best I’ve ever seen him bowl. When conditions suits and with the type of ball they use in England, I think those two are still a major force.”

“My dream is fulfilled. Now it becomes a job.”Players will struggle to top this as a description of how it feels to fill in for an injured player, win a couple of games for your country, and then go back to being the second rung. Heinrich Klaasen has come a long way from looking for tickets for the Pink Day ODI. He not only played that match but actually won it for his country. Now he has won them their only other limited-overs game in a one-sided match-up between the injury-hit hosts and the rampant Indian side.Yet, Klaasen is under no illusion. He knows the injured Quinton de Kock is too good a player to be left out when fit despite all that he himself has done in de Kock’s absence. “No, not at all,” Klaasen said without a moment of hesitation when asked if de Kock should be worried. “I think he is a world-class player. And our change room definitely misses him. Especially top of the order. I don’t think he has anything to worry about yet.”Still Klaasen doesn’t necessarily need to replace de Kock to play for South Africa. That middle order has shown signs of brittleness, and two keepers could actually share the workload too. He still doesn’t think he might have a chance in a full-strength South Africa side, but that’s not at the top of his mind yet. “If you look at Quinny, AB [de Villiers] and Faf [du Plessis] and with Temba [Bavuma] coming back as well, they are world-class players. So, in some sort, to put my name in that list as well. It is definitely a very important stage of my career. Put myself on the map or in this set-up. But if this is my last game, the weekend one, so be it, I am happy with it. My dream is fulfilled. Now it becomes a job.”And a dream is exactly what it has been for Klaasen, to help his side win a game at his home ground, Centurion. He will be watching re-runs of this innings before he moves on to the next match. “That’s great fun [to be able to execute your shots in pressure situations],” Klaasen said. “But in that moment you don’t usually think how fun it is. Next ball you think where it is going, so [you] need to figure couple of plans and areas where to hit, try to figure out where he is going to bowl to. But looking back, I’d probably go back home tonight, probably watch it, hopefully, if recorded. But later tonight or tomorrow I will enjoy it.”Klaasen might have once again had the damp conditions going for him, but he continues to be the only South Africa batsman to have truly dominated the India legspinners. In Centurion, he targeted Yuzvendra Chahal brutally, hitting five of his 12 balls for sixes and taking 41 runs off them. It turns out he has always taken a shine to legspin bowling.”I fancy him quite a lot,” Klaasen said, without a hint of arrogance. “Especially when I was in amateur cricket, there were a couple of quality leggies in that time when I started my career. I faced Shaun von Berg at the Titans a lot as well. We always made a joke that I need to finish the other leggie’s career so he can go up. Sometimes it works. Tonight it worked perfectly. I just tried to cash in as much as possible.”Chahal’s second over was all class from Klaasen with an extra-cover drive for a six and a switch-hit too. Klaasen was all muscle in Chahal’s third, which went for 23. “It [that assault] wasn’t planned,” Klaasen said. “But the way the seamers bowled, the cutters, they’ve got very, very good skills. I just fancied my chances more against the leggie, had more options against him. So when I got the first two boundaries, I thought this is the over I have got to target. Maybe if I can get 20-odd in this over.”The 20-odd came, the chase was sealed, and Klaasen walked back to a huge applause from his home crowd. If it is indeed just a dream, there is one more match to go, which, thanks to him, is not a dead rubber.