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The Ukraine forward was a major disappointment as the Blues underwhelmed against Unai Emery's team, losing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea have dropped into the bottom half of the Premier League table as the pressure continues to mount on manager Graham Potter after they suffered a 2-0 home defeat against Aston Villa on Saturday.

Ollie Watkins and John McGinn fired the visitors to victory, lifting them above the Blues in the table, who have dropped to 11th.

Mykhailo Mudryk passed up two great chances to rescue Chelsea but fluffed his lines in yet another disappointing display by the Ukraine international, who is still searching for his first goal since joining the club in January.

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Chelsea looked stronger after going 2-0 down, but were unable to get the ball in the net as they lost for the first time in five matches.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Kepa Arrizabalaga (6/10):

Beaten from distance once again as McGinn's effort sailed past him and into the corner.

Reece James (5/10):

Another defensively tame performance as he was caught ball watching and out of position a few times.

Kalidou Koulibaly (6/10):

Chelsea's best defender in the game. He made some strong tackles to keep Villa at bay.

Marc Cucurella (4/10):

At fault for the opening goal with a bad header that sent Watkins in to finish.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Ruben Loftus-Cheek (5/10):

Saw enough of the ball but did not make much of an impact before going off early in the second half.

Enzo Fernandez (6/10):

Tried to keep the ball circulating and support his team's attack but let down by his team-mates.

Mateo Kovacic (6/10):

Tried to get his side back into the game with a few long-range shots but could not lift his team.

Ben Chilwell (7/10)

Dangerous in attack as he got into the box a lot and hit the post on one occasion before having a goal disallowed.

Getty ImagesAttack

Kai Havertz (6/10):

Had a few chances on goal and dropped back to link up with team-mates but nothing really worked for him.

Joao Felix (7/10):

Tried his best to create some danger for the visitors but was unable to find the net.

Mykhaylo Mudryk (5/10):

Had a shot saved from close range and then ruined a great chance with a weak shot straight at Emi Martinez.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

N'Golo Kante (6/10):

Made his first appearance since mid-August and got forward a lot to help create some trouble.

Noni Madueke (6/10):

Came on before the hour mark and tried to make something happen on the wing, but Villa were too strong.

Conor Gallagher (5/10):

Introduced for the last 10 minutes but had little impact on the game.

Christian Pulisic (6/10):

A late addition, he had an effort saved by Martinez late on and looked lively in his brief appearance.

Graham Potter (4/10):

A poor set up from the coach, whose team looked weak defensively since the beginning and were not as threatening as they should have been with Felix, Havertz and Mudryk all in the line up.

Former West Indies fast bowler Joel Garner, who is one of the directors on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), has questioned the CARICOM cricket review panel’s suggestion of dissolving the WICB

Nagraj Gollapudi10-Apr-2016Former West Indies fast bowler Joel Garner, currently a director of the WICB, has questioned the CARICOM cricket review panel’s suggestion of dissolving the board and asking all its members to resign. Garner, who is also president of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), wondered how some members of the WICB could suddenly be called “illegal” when they were formed according to the individual constitutions of the region’s countries.”My questions are: is the BCA, which was constituted by an act of parliament in 1933, an illegal entity and my selection as president of the BCA an illegal act?” Garner asked while speaking at the association’s quarterly meeting on Thursday. “So I have to ask the question: is the GCB [Guyana Cricket Board] an illegal entity? Is the Jamaica Cricket [Association] an illegal entity? Is the Leeward Islands Cricket Association an illegal entity? Is the Windward Islands Cricket Board an illegal entity? Is the TTCB [Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board] an illegal entity?”If they are so, they have all been established in countries in which the prime ministers are making noise, and they have to tell the public of the region, if these entities are illegal, how they were able to remain vibrant for so long.”The five-member CARICOM panel, comprising V. Eudine Barriteau, Sir Dennis Byron, Dwain Gill, Deryck Murray and Warren Smith, was appointed by the Prime Ministerial Committee on the Governance of West Indies Cricket in response to the crisis that engulfed the WICB after the BCCI suspended bilateral ties and slapped $41.97 million as damages following the West Indies team’s decision to pull out midway through their India tour in 2014. The panel concluded its report in October last year.After extensive discussions and interviews with various stakeholders that included the management of the WICB , the CARICOM panel concluded that the governance structure of the board was obsolete. “There is an inherent and as yet unresolved tension between the evolution of the game of cricket into a powerful, professionally-driven entertainment and sporting industry and a system of governance predicated on an earlier, more simplified set of requirements,” the panel stated. “In this regard, the panel strongly recommends the immediate dissolution of the West Indies Cricket Board and the appointment of an Interim Board whose structure and composition will be radically different from the now proven obsolete governance framework. These two key measures are absolutely necessary in order to transform and modernize the governance, management, administration and the playing of the game.”In its response, the WICB rejected the CARICOM panel’s report in January. According to WICB president Dave Cameron, the panel had not consulted either the six territorial boards – Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Leeward Islands and Windward Islands – or its directors, clubs, representatives and, hence, the panel’s findings were not supported by facts.”This [lack of consultations] has caused or triggered findings and recommendations by the panel which are not supported by the facts. The panel made statements and conclusions related to the structure and governance of the WICB, while ignoring the sweeping structural and governance changes which have taken place at the WICB since 2002,” Cameron said.

Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has cleared the national men’s and women’s teams to travel to India for the World T20

Umar Farooq and Nagraj Gollapudi11-Mar-2016Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has cleared the national men’s and women’s teams to travel to India for the World T20. The decision came after the government received letters from the West Bengal state government and Kolkata’s police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, assuring special security measures for Pakistan’s men’s team while in Kolkata, where their match against India will be played on March 19. The teams are expected to arrive in India on Saturday.*Najam Sethi, the chairman of the PCB’s executive committee, met Pakistan’s interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Khan on Friday and later informed the media that the government had received “solid assurances” from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs.”We have got the assurances we had wanted from India [the federal home ministry and the West Bengal government] about the security around the Pakistan teams and the good news for the fans is that Chaudhry Nisar has said the teams can travel to India,” Sethi said. “Chaudhry Nisar said that the government has received solid assurances from the Indian home ministry so we can send our teams to India. The team will be leaving either tonight or tomorrow morning.”Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly had submitted the letters from Kumar and West Bengal’s chief minister Mamata Banerjee to the ICC on Thursday afternoon. According to two senior CAB officials, the content in both letters, which were addressed to CAB, was brief: both Banerjee and Kumar stated they will take responsibility for the Pakistan team’s security for the duration of their stay in Kolkata for the match against India.On Thursday, India’s home minister, Rajnath Singh, had said: “Anyone coming to India will be provided security, there is no doubt about it.” Kuldip Singh Dhatwalia, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs, reiterated the home minister’s statement. “Home Minister has already said it on record that government of India will provide all the due and proper security. It is not only for the Pakistani team, but for any other team also, the government of India is committed to provide the security,” Dhatwalia told ESPNcricinfo.The match was shifted to Kolkata from Dharamsala due to concerns over security of the Pakistan team. It is understood that the ICC had specifically asked the Cricket Association of Bengal, the host association for the match, to obtain the assurances.Both teams were scheduled to depart for India earlier this week, but the departure was put on hold due to the controversy over security assurances. The Pakistan men’s team is currently in Lahore, while the women’s team is in Karachi. The players were briefed by PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan on Thursday about the security situation in India.The ICC moved the match from Dharamsala to Kolkata, after Pakistan asked for a change in venue. The request was based on the report of a three-member delegation from Pakistan that visited India to assess security arrangements in Dharamsala, and stated that ‘security is not assured’ at the venue.The Pakistan government had initially cleared the team to play in India, but the board decided to put the visit on hold until they were guaranteed foolproof security. The PCB’s move was prompted after the Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh had expressed concerns over providing security for the match in Dharamsala. 1203 GMT, March 11, 2016. The news piece was updated after the Pakistan government cleared the teams to travel to India

Jackson Bird stunted a Durham afternoon comeback with two wickets in two balls as Hampshire edged the first day of their LV= County Championship Division One clash at the Ageas Bowl

ECB/PA19-Jul-2015
ScorecardMichael Richardson fell nine runs short of his hundred•Getty ImagesJackson Bird stunted a Durham afternoon comeback with two wickets in two balls as Hampshire edged the first day of their LV= County Championship Division One clash at the Ageas Bowl.Australian fast bowler Bird produced a thunderous spell with the second new ball to first end a frustrating 142-run fifth wicket stand between Michael Richardson and Gordon Muchall before getting Ryan Pringle out for a duck with his next delivery.Richardson departed nine runs short of what would have been a fifth career first-class century and Muchall ended on an unbeaten 85 as Durham reached 278 for 6 at the close.After losing the toss under blue skies and a green-tinged wicket, Division One’s bottom side Hampshire struck in the first over of the match as Mark Stoneman was trapped on the pads by the pacy Bird.He nearly had Scott Borthwick with the next delivery but Liam Dawson – who was recalled from his successful loan from Essex last week – shelled it at second slip.James Tomlinson was not included in the last two County Championship games at Middlesex and Worcestershire after only taking 16 wickets in his first seven matches of the season.But he came back with a bang as he picked up two scalps before lunch, trapping debutant Graham Clark in front before Paul Collingwood chipped to Jimmy Adams at mid-off.Dawson dropped Borthwick for a second time on 15, but had the last laugh when he had him lbw to the last ball of the morning session attempting to play an ugly sweep – departing for one short of a third fifty in four innings.Richardson and Muchall came out after the lunch break with survival on their mind and steered Durham back on track with a hard grafted 142-run stand.Richardson in particular impressed with his slow paced 122 ball fifty – his fourth of the season – before his batting partner reached the same milestone in an equally sluggish 136 balls.Hampshire’s attack bowled with more control than in previous four-day matches this season, but could not make a breakthrough in the afternoon.Neither batsman offered a sniff of a chance until Bird made the double breakthrough with the second new ball.Bird fashioned an in-ducker to Richardson, who did not offer a shot as he was struck in front, before Pringle edged to James Vince at first slip next ball – giving Bird his 150th first class wicket – and the Australian finished with figures of 3 for 80.Usman Arshad blocked out the hat-trick delivery, but was lucky in the next over after Gareth Berg spilled his edge to third slip and he composed himself to reach 19 not out at stumps.

Wrexham suffered a major injury blow against Harrogate Town on Tuesday after losing goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo to injury.

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Okonkwo injured in first halfTaken off at half-timeFears he's suffered jaw injuryWHAT HAPPENED?

Okonkwo started the game at Harrogate but suffered an early injury in a collision. The goalkeeper received lengthy treatment on the pitch but was initially able to continue. He was subsequently seen taking painkillers, after receiving further medical attention in another stoppage, and did not emerge after the break. Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson opted to send on Mark Howard in his place at half-time.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

There are fears that Okonkwo has suffered a jaw injury which could see him forced onto the sidelines. Wrexham will certainly be hoping that their goalkeeper is not set for a lengthy lay-off. The 22-year-old has become a regular with the Red Dragons this season after arriving on a season-long loan from Premier League giants Arsenal.

DID YOU KNOW?

Wrexham's Okonkowo had the best save percentage for stopping attempts in the whole of League Two heading into the game.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR OKONKWO?

Wrexham will be sweating on Okonkwo's fitness ahead of their next match. Parkinson's side continue their FA Cup campaign next time out when they host National League South side Yeovil Town in the second round of the famous competition. If Okonkwo is ruled out then Howard will be expected to take his place between the sticks.

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has said that the Indian board and PCB are in discussion over the host broadcaster of India’s series against Pakistan, scheduled to be played in December, and that deciding the broadcaster is the Pakistan board’s “prerogative”

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-20150:24

‘Ball is in PCB’s court’ – Anurag Thakur

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has said that the Indian board and PCB are in discussions over the host broadcaster of India’s series against Pakistan, scheduled to be played in December, and that deciding the broadcaster is the Pakistan board’s “prerogative”. The rights to Pakistan’s home matches are held by Ten Sports, but the BCCI has an ongoing tussle with the channel’s owners Essel Group.”As far as Ten Sports is concerned, the talk is on between BCCI and PCB. There are certain issues related to the Essel Group which are pending in the court, I would not like to comment on that as of now. But the ball is in the PCB court, it is their prerogative”, Thakur told reporters in Chandigarh on Thursday.Thakur has said they may indulge in a second round of talks in the coming weeks to discuss the fate of the series.”Possibility is that in the coming few days or coming weeks, second round of talks will take place,” he said. “I want to say only this, which is that the talks between the boards of two countries have taken place, which are at early stages. And when talks between two boards take place, you limit the talk to just cricket only. At government level, what is their thinking, whether they want [the series to be played] or not, on this no talk has taken place.”Thakur was speaking after PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan discussed the possibility of the scheduled tour with BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya in Kolkata, followed by a meeting with Thakur in New Delhi. Thakur, also a member of parliament from the ruling party in India, said “there are many things between BCCI and PCB which need to be discussed.””Whether it [the series] will take place or not, and if it happens, then in which country will it take place, since the situation in Pakistan is not conducive, and if the series will be held then how many matches are to be played, these are some things and other issues on which talks are going on,” he said.ESPNcricinfo had reported on Wednesday that one of the contentious issues that may hinder the series is Ten Sports’ association as the official broadcaster of the PCB. The Essel Group, involved in a court case with the BCCI, is also planning to revive its unrecognised Indian Cricket League.

After suffering another setback in the race for the Scudetto, Juventus must face the reality that they are now in the race for a second place finish.

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Juve draw 2-2 with Hellas VeronaRabiot argues Serie A title dreams are overSays Juventus in race for second placeWHAT HAPPENED?

After drawing 2-2 with Verona on Saturday, their fourth-straight match without a win in Serie A, Adrien Rabiot admitted that a first-place finish in Serie A no longer feels achievable. Inter are nine points clear and also have a game in-hand over the Bianconeri.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT RABIOT SAID

Rabiot said: "We must be realistic right now, Inter are on their path and we must fight to keep hold of second place. We got here with 53 points being what we were, we just need to rediscover that again and fight it out for second. We were too sluggish tonight."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The Bianconeri are in their worst form of the season so far, winless in their last four – only two of which were draws. Their early February loss to Inter in a title-contenders clash set the tone for their miserable run, but now, they have to adjust if they want to save their season. AC Milan sit just two-points back from Juventus in third-place, and they have a game in-hand as well. If they claim victory on Sunday against Monza, they'll leapfrog the Old Lady into second.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

The Bianconeri take on Frosinone next Sunday, while boss Massimiliano Allegri will surely be feeling the heat heading into the clash. As the highest-paid coach in Italy, the Italian has high expectations – and they have not met them over the past few weeks. The likes of USMNT stars Weston McKennie and Tim Weah will hope to help inspire the Turin team back to winning ways before long.

From getting Ronaldo onside to bloodying the nose of Pep and Klopp, these are the key objectives he needs to nail in his first season…

Erik ten Hag's gigantic task of getting the Manchester United juggernaut back on the road is as big as it gets in a footballing sense, and one that proved too big for David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

With Manchester City and Liverpool setting a new standard and pulling further away from the chasing pack, a Premier League title challenge is beyond them, so what will success look like in Ten Hag’s first year in charge?

GOAL has had a look at seven areas that will define the Dutchman's first season at the helm.

(C)Getty ImagesHandling Ronaldo

Ronaldo is absolutely pivotal to United’s hopes.

He has been labelled the problem and the cure – but the benefits of a fully firing Ronaldo outweigh the negatives.

He proved once again last season that he remains a devastating centre forward with 24 goals in all competitions. And after United had to watch on as targets Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez joined City and Liverpool, they will have to rely on their veteran striker to provide the bulk of their firepower.

But it will be about Ten Hag finding a way to fit the Portuguese into his system while accepting that he will not press in the manner of modern forwards.

United will have to rely on other players picking up the slack in the knowledge that Ronaldo will deliver in front of goal.

It is a delicate balancing act – and one that could be absolutely critical to Ten Hag’s first season.

AdvertisementGettyRevitalise Rashford and Sancho

Jadon Sancho endured an underwhelming start to life at United – going from a key member of Gareth Southgate’s England squad to a major doubt for the World Cup.

He has it all to do to make Qatar – even after FIFA extended the squad lists to 26 players. But his priority is to kick start his United career.

Sancho was supposed to be the iconic winger United fans have been crying out for since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in 2009. He could still be that – and it was hardly ideal for him to see the manager who signed him get the sack a few months later.

He had some of his brighter moments under Ralf Rangnick and Ten Hag will need to build on that.

Marcus Rashford is another who needs some love from the new manager.

He is also fighting for his World Cup place and wants Ten Hag to let him establish himself on the left of attack.

He is hopeful he will finally get the sort of man-management and coaching he has lacked since bursting onto the scene six years ago.

If Ten Hag can get the best out of Rashford and Sancho, it would breathe new life into United’s attack.

GettyChampions League qualification

The absolute minimum requirement in his first season is to get United back to the top table of European football.

They have gone from being a club that would qualify for the Champions League on muscle memory alone, to one that has become all too used to missing out.

The problem for Ten Hag is that the battle for the top four maybe at its most fierce this season, with a rejuvenated Tottenham under Antonio Conte, Arsenal making strides and Chelsea a regular fixture.

Throw in West Ham – and maybe even a newly-monied Newcastle and United have a fight on their hands.

It would be hard to make any claim that the season was a success if United miss out on the Champions League for a second year in succession.

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GettyA trophy… any trophy

It is five years since United last picked up some silverware. Five long years of false dawns and empty promises, reboots and reshuffles.

When Mourinho led them to the double of the Carabao Cup and Europa League in 2017, it felt like the good times were set to return.

He guided them to second place the following season and the FA Cup final.

In the meantime United have had to watch on as City and Liverpool have dominated and set new standards.

It has been painful viewing – and while Solskjaer came within a penalty shoot-out of delivering the Europa League, United have been nowhere near close enough to lifting major honours on a regular basis.

Ten Hag is used to picking up silverware – winning three Eredivisie titles and two Dutch Cups in his time at Ajax.

He would join a select group of United managers if he can deliver any trophy at Old Trafford.

While New Zealand are assured of topping the group, a win for Bangladesh will push them past Sri Lanka, meaning they will avoid facing defending champions India in the quarter-final. However, the home side remain strong favourites for this match

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan12-Mar-2015Match factsMarch 13, 2015
Start time 1400 local (0100 GMT)Big PictureFor both these teams a place in the quarter-finals is safe – New Zealand courtesy of a serene run through the tournament and Bangladesh after their seismic victory over England in Adelaide. Now there is a final chance for fine-tuning before the knockouts. While New Zealand are assured of topping the group, a win for Bangladesh will push them past Sri Lanka, meaning they will avoid facing defending champions India in the quarter-final.Despite Bangladesh’s performance against England the home side remain strong favourites for this match. Bangladesh have never beaten New Zealand in New Zealand, and the co-hosts are on an ODI winning streak of seven.But this hasn’t quite been a seamless few days between matches for New Zealand. A sickness bug has taken down three players, with Kane Williamson the last to recover, while Adam Milne has been nursing a sore shoulder. Still, they are minor blips in a smooth campaign.For Bangladesh this is a brief return across the Tasman before heading back to Australia for the quarter-final. “We’ve proved a point,” said Ruwan Kalpage, their spin bowling coach, when the team arrived in Hamilton. Their performance against England was notable for its calmness and efficiency, led by Mahmudullah’s hundred followed by the all-round bowling performance. The quarter-finals was their initial target at this tournament, now they are looking at greater deeds.Form guide(last five matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WWWWW
Bangladesh WWLWWIn the spotlightWill we see New Zealand’s middle order under pressure? Only against Australia have they been threatened, and it nearly proved too much. Ross Taylor remains short of form, while Grant Elliott has faced 94 balls in the tournament and Luke Ronchi 36. New Zealand insist they are not into box-ticking, but if a situation arises that gives these players a significant role it would be no bad thing.Rubel Hossain is the man of the moment, and should have been the Man of the Match against England. It was his twin double-strikes, first to remove Ian Bell and Eoin Morgan and later Stuart Broad and James Anderson, which condemned England. He will also have fond memories of facing New Zealand having taken 6 for 26, including a hat-trick, in Dhaka in October 2013.Teams newsBrendon McCullum could not confirm his side with doubts remaining over Milne. He said that would err on the side of caution – Mitchell McClenaghan would be the favourite to replace him if required. Kane Williamson has overcome his sickness.New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum (capt), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Grant Elliott, 6 Corey Anderson, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Adam Milne/Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Trent BoultMashrafe Mortaza has been suffering from a sore throat and a decision on whether he plays will be taken on the day of the game. Significantly, Mortaza is sitting on an over-rate warning after being docked following the England match and if the team were slow again in Hamilton he would miss the quarter-final. Chandika Hathurusingha, the coach, suggested that the balance of the attack would remain the same with Arafat Sunny retaining his place.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Soumya Sarkar, 4 Mahmudullah, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Sabbir Rahman, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Arafat Sunny, 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Taskin AhmedPitch and conditionsIndia had no issues chasing down 260 against Ireland and it should be a challenging pitch for the bowlers. But New Zealand have had no problems so far finding swing when others have not. Hathurusingha did not think the pitch would aid spinners much – saying it was quite hard with a good covering of grass – although R Ashwin and Suresh Raina bowled well for India against Ireland. It was a damp day on Thursday but the forecast for the game is much better, although being under covers could change the pitch’s characteristics a little.Stats and trivia If New Zealand win it will be the first time they have progressed to the knockouts of a World Cup unbeaten When the sides met for a Test on this ground in 2010 Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill added 339 for the sixth wicket On home soil Bangladesh have won the last seven completed ODIs against New ZealandQuotes”For us it’s just about winning and however you can get that job done is important. We’ve had the ability to bowl teams out for under 200 and when we have batted first we managed to get over 300.”
“Confidence is high because we have qualified for the quarter-final, that’s one of the goals we had. The guys had been confident throughout but that win against England has given us a little more freedom to do things.”

After centuries from Younis Khan and Ahmed Shehzad scored centuries, Australia’s top order crumbled in the face of a massive target

The Report by Daniel Brettig25-Oct-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAhmed Shehzad scored his second Test hundred•Getty ImagesAn Australian television promo for this series has cribbed from the film poster for Lawrence of Arabia. After four days of the Dubai Test match a suddenly mighty Pakistan have pushed Australia into a position where the avoidance of defeat seems even less likely than the taking of Aqaba.David Warner, Alex Doolan and the captain Michael Clarke all demonstrated different symptoms of Australia’s deeply entrenched malady against spin. The loss of Nathan Lyon completed a rush of four wickets for five runs, and left Chris Rogers clinging on at stumps in the company of Steve Smith. Ninety overs tomorrow seem far too many for a team so utterly and unexpectedly humiliated.So far, the loss of Saeed Ajmal has barely seemed to matter to Pakistan, so skilful have his proxies proven to be. Zulfiqur Babar and Yasir Shah ran rings around the Australian top order in the final session, much as Younis Khan and Ahmed Shehzad had done against their pacemen and spinners while establishing a gaping, 437-run advantage.Younis became Pakistan’s most prolific Test century-maker and also the first batsman in more than 40 years to post twin centuries against Australia – not since Glenn Turner did the trick in 1974 had a batsman saluted a century in each innings in the face of 11 baggy greens. The rarity of the feat was in line with the scarcely believable indignities being piled upon the same team that won the Ashes at home last summer before besting South Africa away.Shehzad had also soared to three figures before Younis completed his second of the match, at which point Misbah-ul-Haq declared. Steve O’Keefe claimed the only Pakistani wickets of the day, isolated moments of joy for Clarke’s tiring team.Australia’s bowlers struggled once more to pose significant dangers with either pace or spin. The lack of wickets or even appeals from the Australians has contrasted notably with their time at the batting crease in both innings, when Pakistan’s use of reverse swing and spin brought regular questions before the umpires Marais Erasmus and Richard Kettleborough.Mitchell Johnson occasionally beat the bat or struck the body, but neither batsman allowed these moments to affect them. Shehzad and Younis accelerated steadily after lunch, choosing the right moments to attack while also frustrating Australia’s bowlers with patient defence in between.It said much for the comfort of the batsmen that Clarke chanced an lbw referral for a Peter Siddle delivery that struck Younis well outside off stump and may have also hit the bat first. From there Shehzad sprinted towards his century, clattering four sixes along the way.But the shot of the day belonged to Younis, a low, skimming drive to the cover boundary from the bowling of Johnson. If Australia’s spearhead was unable to break through, the No. 1 spinner was barely used – Clarke ignored Lyon for much of the session in favour of O’Keefe. It had become a matter of damage limitation.After tea Shehzad perished attempting a reverse sweep at O’Keefe, but Younis was more successful in using the stroke against Lyon, on the way to a hundred that brought every spectator to their feet. Warner and Rogers began brightly against a token two overs of pace, but the introduction of Mohammad Hafeez and then Zulfiqur drew numerous false strokes.Even so, Rogers’ reprieve from an incorrect caught behind decision seemed likely to get Australia through to stumps unscathed. Little more than half an hour’s play remained when Warner danced fatally past a Zulfiqur delivery that carried on with the arm, and his exit opened up the wound.Doolan was transfixed on the crease and lbw for a duck, Clarke unable to get his bat out in front of pad against Yasir’s canny use of line and pace, and Lyon completing a dismal match by falling in similar fashion. There was the scantiest consolation in the fact that Smith twice eluded freak run outs after advancing down the pitch. Tomorrow he and Rogers must cross the sun’s anvil.