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West Ham United's run of successive victories in the Europa Conference League came to an end on Thursday as they drew 1-1 against Belgian side Gent at the Ghelamco Arena.

What happened in West Ham vs Gent?

Although the home side would dominate the ball and the chances in the opening 45, the Hammers looked as if they had taken the lead when goalkeeper Davy Roef spilt the ball into his own net, but it was ruled out for a handball by Nayef Aguerd.

However, David Moyes' side would take the lead just before half-time when Vladimir Coufal's quick throw-in found Jarrod Bowen, and he squared the ball for Danny Ings to score his first-ever European goal.

That was as good as it got for the east London outfit, as the in-form Hugo Cuypers deservedly drew the home side level in the second half, with Moyes' side perhaps fortunate to escape with a draw, which puts them in a good position ahead of next week's second leg at the London Stadium.

Who was West Ham's worst performer vs Gent?

While there were a number of underwhelming performances in Belgium on a disappointing night for the Hammers, there was perhaps frustration that Flynn Downes was not able to take his rare chance in midfield alongside Declan Rice.

There have been clamours for Tomas Soucek to be dropped from Moyes' first team after some poor recent displays and Downes was given the nod to start in Belgium, having started just four games in the Premier League so far this campaign.

As per Sofascore, the summer signing would earn a less-than-impressive 6.5/10 rating for his performance, which was the joint-worst of any outfield player to start the game from both sides.

During his time on the pitch, the 24-year-old was fairly consistent with his passing, completing 28/31 with a success rate of 90%, but as has been typical of his time at West Ham, very few of these could be considered progressive passes.

In a 3-4-2-1 formation alongside Rice, the young Englishman should surely be expected to push forward and contribute to the attack, but he managed no key passes, no shots and no successful dribbles in 74 minutes against Gent.

This is perhaps no surprise when you consider that across his 15 Premier League outings this campaign, he has averaged 0.2 shots and 0.1 key passes per game, as he continues to struggle since joining from Swansea.

Moyes was critical of the midfielder early in his time at the London Stadium, suggesting that he "needs to do better" and that still holds true as we near the end of the season.

Unless he can drastically improve, it seems unlikely that he will be replacing Soucek in the Premier League starting side any time soon.

Arsene Wenger left a massive legacy at Arsenal upon his departure at the end of the 2017/18 campaign and looking back, it was similar to when Sir Alex Ferguson retired as Manchester United manager, with whoever came in next having an almost impossible task.

Unai Emery was the man tasked with the responsibility to continue the wonderful work done by Wenger over the previous 20 years, however, he made a few woeful signings and couldn’t quite adjust to the Premier League, despite enjoying success at Paris Saint-Germain.

The likes of Lucas Torreira, Bernd Leno and Nicolas Pepe were brought in during his first year in charge as he splashed the cash in the transfer market, yet it was all to no avail as the club failed to win anything during his 18-month tenure.

He also lured defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos to the club from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2018, and although he had impressed in Germany, playing nearly 200 times for the Bundesliga club, he couldn’t replicate this in England.

How much did Sokratis Papastathopoulos cost Arsenal?

The Greek centre-back did enjoy a solid debut campaign at the Gunners after his £17.7m move from Germany, playing in 40 matches across all competitions as the north Londoners reached the Europa League final, although they lost to Chelsea.

His second season wasn’t quite as consistent, having a drop-off in performance to play only 29 matches, and he clearly wasn’t the same once Emery was sacked in December 2019. Indeed, journalist James Benge remarked of one "woeful" error which rather summed up his time in the capital.

Mikel Arteta took charge, and it was evident that the former Dortmund defender wasn’t part of his future plans, making only 11 appearances during the remainder of 2019/20 once the Spaniard took over.

He did come off the bench in the FA Cup final during their win against Chelsea in 2020 and claimed a medal, but his time at the club appeared to be coming to an end.

Sokratis failed to even make one senior appearance during the first half of the following term before leaving on a free transfer in January 2021 to join Olympiacos.

During his 133-week spell in London, he rinsed the club for a grand total of £30.7m, combining his transfer fee plus the £13m he earned in wages across his contract, which was £100k-per-week.

This represented a colossal waste of money for Stan Kroenke and co, especially as he failed to contribute during his final 18 months at the club.

Hopefully moves like this will become less common under Arteta over the coming years.

Chelsea had previously considered bringing Mauricio Pochettino to Stamford Bridge as he closes in on being officially unveiled as the Blues' new manager, according to journalist Dharmesh Sheth.

What's the latest news involving Mauricio Pochettino?

As per 90min, Chelsea are said to be 'inching closer' to appointing Pochettino as their new manager and the two parties only have 'minor details' to iron out before the Argentinian is announced as Graham Potter's permanent successor.

The report also states that Pochettino will be given the freedom to shape his squad appropriately and will have a major say in who is allowed to depart Stamford Bridge this summer.

Sky Sports revealed last week that Chelsea have been 'admirers' of the 51-year-old manager in the past and 'enquired about his availability' following their decision to part ways with Thomas Tuchel in 2022.

Pochettino has been out of work since the end of the 2021/22 season after he left Paris Saint-Germain despite leading them to the Ligue 1 title.

Football Insider claims that the former Spurs boss is already getting to work scoping out potential additions for the Blues, with Bayern Munich winger Sadio Mane thought to be one of his transfer targets.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Sheth thinks that Pochettino will have been given 'reassurances' by the Chelsea hierarchy that will have given him encouragement as he closes in on returning to management at Stamford Bridge.

Sheth said: “I think he was considered a couple of times before by Chelsea, particularly when they appointed Graham Potter. At the time, it wasn't right for Pochettino.

“Something has changed, and in the discussions that he will have had with the Chelsea owners, he would have probably got the reassurances that he wanted, not only about issues like his backroom staff but also about how he's going to need to trim the squad.

“We know that Pochettino likes to work with a squad that's not inflated.”

What happens now for Chelsea?

In all honestly, Chelsea could do with some positive news in the near future, especially given their current woeful run of form in recent weeks.

Caretaker boss Frank Lampard hasn't been able to get a tune out of his squad, losing six from six since being brought in to steady the ship in west London.

Incredibly, despite their enormous spending power, the Blues lie 12th in the Premier League table with five games left to play and sit nine points above the relegation zone, signifying that they are still not mathematically safe from the drop.

Of course, it is extremely unlikely that Chelsea will suffer such a fate come the end of this term; however, it's an indication of how underwhelming this season has been at Stamford Bridge for all involved.

Pochettino will be keen to establish his vision early on in pre-season at the club to avoid a repeat scenario in 2023/24.

Newcastle United could reinforce their third-place position in the Premier League with a victory over title-chasing Arsenal this afternoon, with a number of clubs snapping at their heels for a Champions League place.

Continuing the form of last season's emphatic turnaround has left the Toon transcending hopes and expectations, with a Carabao Cup final complementing their likely return to the top table of European football after a 20-year absence.

The Magpies boast 65 points from 33 matches and have opened up a gulf of three points to Jurgen Klopp's Reds in fifth despite having played two fixtures fewer.

But the test against Arsenal could evoke further optimism from the club's closest challengers if it does end in defeat, and Magpies manager Eddie Howe must look to unleash vibrant forward Miguel Almiron rather than the lacklustre Anthony Gordon.

Should Almiron start for Newcastle vs Arsenal?

While turning the 13-point gap to the second-placed Gunners might be too tall an order at this late stage, even if victory is clinched against Mikel Arteta's side later today, it would reaffirm the north-east outfit's revitalised stature as one of England's elite.

Triumph over the Gunners would also leave the St James' Park side requiring only four points from a possible 12 in the final run-in to all but seal their place in the top four.

With Arsenal looking to reclaim their table-topping spot from the imperious Manchester City, however, Newcastle must have their wits about them if they are to overcome the fluid north London giants, and would only find their chances enhanced with Almiron in the starting fold ahead of Gordon, who has flattered to deceive since his £45m January transfer from Everton.

Having failed to surpass the four-goal mark in any of his first three Premier League seasons for the Toon, Almiron has eclipsed his former feats with an 11-goal haul from 25 divisional starts this term.

As per FBref, the £42k-per-week gem ranks among the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past 365 days for rate of goals per 90 and the top 10% for pass completion, with his slick assurance on the ball sure to come in handy against the Gunners, with only Liverpool and City completing more passes than them in the league this season.

Gordon, in retrospect, ranks among the top 21% of positional peers for rate of goals per 90 and the bottom 36% for pass completion, and it's clear to see who the more "electric" option would be in such a pivotal fixture.

To compound Gordon's woes, his past five matches have failed to yield a match rating higher than a lowly 6.5 – as per Sofascore – with three goals and zero assists from 27 league matches for Newcastle and the Toffees this term all he can muster.

Therefore, there may be a temptation to get the exciting prospect's Toon career off the ground, but with so much at stake, Almiron is surely the option Howe must select this weekend.

With Arsenal also lacking cohesion and consistency at the moment with just one win in five league matches and no clean sheet in seven, Almiron's cutting edge could exacerbate their issues and send the St James' Park faithful into raptures.

Newcastle are at a crucial stage in their season and must look to strengthen their foothold on third place with a resounding victory over Arsenal, and with Almiron on the pitch, this might just be achieved.

Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy have questioned the selection of the West Indies ODI squad for the tri-series involving Australia and South Africa in June

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2016Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy have questioned the selection of the West Indies ODI squad for the tri-series involving Australia and South Africa in June. They expressed surprise at Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine being in the squad despite not meeting what they considered to be one of the WICB’s criteria for selection – playing West Indies’ domestic 50-over competition.Gayle, Bravo and Sammy did not play the Nagico Super50 in January because they were playing the Big Bash League in Australia at the time. Pollard and Narine also did not participate in the Nagico Super50, though. Pollard was injured during the Ram Slam T20 in South Africa in November last year and only regained fitness in time for the 2016 IPL, and Narine was not allowed to play because his bowling action had been declared illegal. He was cleared to bowl by the ICC only in April.In a series of tweets and retweets, the players who had been left out of the squad expressed their incredulity at the selection. “@KieronPollard55 & #SunilNarine selected for WI Tri-Series. How is that possible @westindies?” asked Gayle on Twitter. “WICB stop Sunil from playing super 50 and now they pick him. If @KieronPollard55 was fit he would’ve play the B Bash just like the rest of us!!”Bravo called the development “magic” on Twitter. “Joke of the day: WI selectors. One minute Pollard & Narine were not good enough & now are perfect for Tri Nation series? It’s like magic! One minute we have to be available for domestic super 50 to be selected and the next minute, it seems we don’t. Magic! Get serious people!”Sammy, while congratulating Pollard, asked him how he had managed a comeback: “@KieronPollard55 great to see u back in odi team but tell me how did u qualify for selection having not played the super50 or ODI since 2014.”In response to Sammy and the others, Pollard seemed to say he did not know why he had not played an ODI since October 2014: “Bingo, or I should say Pingo. Numbers shuffled and up popped P55!! Or should I [say] lucky days!! Think the truth, or real reasons of expulsion will finally come out??? Have been baffled for 15 months. Then Pingo.”Andre Russell was the other high-profile omission from the West Indies ODI squad. He too did not play the Nagico Super50 and played the Big Bash League instead. It is not known, however, whether the injury he sustained during the IPL played a part in his non-selection. None of these players – Gayle, Bravo, Sammy and Russell – were contracted by the WICB earlier this year, but all four were part of West Indies’ title-winning squad at the World T20 in India.

The BCCI’s cricket advisory committee, appointed to pick the India coach, has carried out interviews with six to seven candidates on Tuesday in Kolkata

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-2016The BCCI’s cricket advisory committee, appointed to pick the India coach, carried out interviews with six to seven candidates on Tuesday in Kolkata. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who is one of the three members on the committee along with Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, said that the panel was likely to pick its final choice by the end of the day and forward it to BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke by Wednesday.While Ganguly had told reporters early in the day that ten candidates were to be interviewed, he later said that the panel had met with six to seven candidates. He added that he could not divulge any other details and would want the BCCI to announce all further information.Anil Kumble and Ravi Shastri were the most high-profile candidates who made their presentations on Tuesday. While Kumble appeared in person for the interview, Shastri spoke with the panel through Skype as he was overseas.The other candidates who were interviewed were Tom Moody, Stuart Law, Lalchand Rajput, Pravin Amre and Andy Moles. Amre told ESPNcricinfo that he had laid out his vision for the Indian side and told the panel that one of his main aims as head coach would be to help the team perform well consistently overseas.”It was also a good learning experience for me as the panel wanted to know exactly how I would achieve the objective of [helping] India become the No. 1 team in all forms,” Amre said. “We went in detail on each criterion listed in the job application.”Sandeep Patil, the chairman of selectors, once again confirmed on Tuesday that he had “not been invited for an interview.”The hunt for a new coach began after Shastri’s contract as team director expired at the end of the World T20 in April. The application process started on June 1, with an advertisement on the BCCI website, and the board set a deadline of June 10. It received 57 applications, and the list of candidates was trimmed to 21 last week.Among the important qualifications listed in the advertisement included coaching experience at the international or first-class level. The BCCI had also stated that candidates who were qualified with a certification/assessment programme conducted by any of the Full Member nations and currently hold such certification, would be preferred.

Chelsea could finally find a solution to their goalkeeping conundrum by issuing a transfer swoop for Aston Villa shot-stopper Emiliano Martinez.

Having signed for the Villans for £17m in 2020 after years of servitude as an understudy at Arsenal, Martinez has blossomed into one of the Premier League's finest between the sticks, with no small part played on the international stage.

Indeed, Martinez's heroics at the 2019 Copa America won Argentina their first piece of silverware for 18 years, with the 30-year-old the "hero" – as hailed by talkSPORT's David Preece – against the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup a year later before going on to save Kingsley Coman's penalty in the finale shootout to steer his nation towards the pinnacle of footballing triumph.

He has jumped levels above the expectations held in front of him upon his switch to the Midlands three years ago, and Argentinian journalist Gaston Edul is now reporting that the titan's time at Villa Park is set to come to an end, and he is "likely to change clubs in June".

Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be in pole position ahead of the summer market, though Chelsea and Manchester United are on Spurs' heels as the Premier League trio consider their options.

Should Chelsea sign Emiliano Martinez?

Martinez, receiving the honour of FIFA Best Men's Goalkeeper 2022, has recorded an average Sofascore match rating of 7.05 in the English top-flight this term, keeping 11 clean sheets from 33 matches and making 90 saves at a success rate of 72%.

Chelsea's goalkeeping fortunes have been inconsistent over the past several years, with world-record £71.6m signing Kepa Arrizabalaga fluctuating from the No. 1 spot during his time at Stamford Bridge and Edouard Mendy – so important during the Champions League-winning 2020/21 campaign – never quite the same after that standout year having now been restricted to a peripheral role at Stamford Bridge.

Such woes will undoubtedly have Blues fans harking back to a time when Thibaut Courtois dominated at the foot of the pitch with his commanding and imperious demeanour.

The Belgian made 154 appearances for the west London giants and kept 58 clean sheets, winning two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup, since going on to bask in more illustrious success in Spain.

The £120k-per-week Martinez, who was once hailed as "outstanding" by Jack Grealish, ranks among the top 1% of positional peers for crosses stopped per 90, as per analysis site FBref, which compares the Villa ace to the Los Blancos phenom, who himself ranks among the top 9% of peers for crosses stopped per 90 and the top 1% for save percentage, illustrating his superlative shot-stopping nature.

While Martinez does not boast the same admirable save percentage as the Belgian, he is a "monster" of a player – as described by reporter Gregg Evans – and could bring a commanding aura to instil a winning mentality at Stamford Bridge compared to their current options.

His exploits over the past few years are evidence that he may well be "the best goalkeeper in the world", in the words of former Lions striker Gabriel Agbonlahor, and Chelsea would be wise to swoop.

Wolverhampton Wanderers face a trip to Old Trafford next in the Premier League to face Manchester United, as Julen Lopetegui’s team look to end the season on a high in their final three fixtures.

Wolves will be full of confidence after reigning victorious over local rivals Aston Villa last weekend in a 1-0 win at Molineux.

Having just 38% of possession in the game, Toti Gomes’ goal in the opening ten minutes proved vital for the hosts, who have struggled to score all season.

While the victory was against Unai Emery’s in-form Villa side, the trip to Old Trafford will be a tougher challenge, with the hosts desperate for a win to remain as leaders of the pack in the race for the top four.

United have stumbled in their last two games, losing 1-0 to both Brighton & Hove Albon and West Ham United as their bid for Champions League football took a wobble. Despite still remaining in fourth place, Erik ten Hag’s side can’t afford to drop points again with a host of clubs fighting for the spot.

Loptegeui’s side will be reviewing the Red Devils’ weaknesses in recent fixtures, and aim to exploit them to get something from the game at Old Trafford.

One area for change has to be who leads the line for the visitors, with Diego Costa struggling to perform last time out.

Should Hee-Chan Hwang start ahead of Diego Costa against Manchester United?

United have suffered a significant double injury blow in central defence that has altered their performances towards the end of the season.

With no Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, Wolves should pry on ten Hag’s makeshift defence, which he can do by replacing Costa with Hwang Hee-chan in the starting lineup.

The Spaniard scored a poor 6.2 rating, as per Sofascore, against Villa last time out, and was replaced late on having made little impact on the game.

Lopetegui will need to inflict pace and directness against United if Wolves are to snatch anything from the Theatre of Dreams to take back to Molineux, attributes that the club's £14m signing could offer the side instead.

Lauded by Ian Wright as having “everything”, the former Arsenal legend expressed his delight in watching the South Korean striker whilst analysing Wolves’ win over Newcastle United on Match of the Day last season.

“He’s got pace, skill, touch and awareness and he’s always driving to get into the box.”

Known as ‘The Bull” by former RB Leipzig teammates, the 27-year-old is a livewire both on and off the ball, having once admitted himself to be "fearless" and "aggressive" to Sky Sports.

Averaging 0.91 successful take-ons per 90 minutes, Hwang is direct on the ball, which is also shown through his high scoring in shot-creating actions, averaging 2.23 per 90, via FBref.

Costa ranks lower for both attributes, winning an average of 0.32 take-ons per 90, as well as making just 1.73 shot-creating actions – showing that Hee-Chan is the more direct threat out of the two.

Therefore, Lopetegui could punish United for their poor luck with defensive injuries, should he unleash Hee-chan from the off this afternoon.

Mushtaq Ahmed, Pakistan’s former legspinner and current National Cricket Academy head coach, has been roped in by the PCB as assistant coach (with a focus on bowling) for the four-Test series against England

Umar Farooq14-Jun-2016Mushtaq Ahmed, the former Pakistan legspinner and current National Cricket Academy head coach, has been roped in by the PCB as assistant coach, with a focus on bowling, for the four-Test series against England. He will be replaced by former allrounder Azhar Mahmood for the subsequent one-day and T20 series on the tour, while Australian Steve Rixon is likely to play the role of fielding coach, ESPNcricinfo understands. The appointments are yet to be announced formally.Pakistan visit England for four Tests in July and August this year, followed by five ODIs and a T20.Mushtaq had been a part of the Pakistan coaching staff and team management in various capacities since 2014. His coaching credentials are heavy on experience in England; he has worked with England as a spin-bowling consultant. He is presently working as head coach at the NCA in Lahore and will be released from those duties for the Test series. Mahmood has a playing contract with English county Surrey that ends in July. It is understood that the split in duties for Pakistan’s England tour with Mushtaq was conceived to allow Mahmood to complete his Surrey contract and then join the team; he has been offered a one-year contract with Pakistan following that.Rixon, a former Australia wicketkeeper, had been part of Pakistan’s new head coach Mickey Arthur’s coaching staff with Australia between 2011 and January 2014. During his tenure with Australia, he had been employed as fielding coach, spin-bowling coach and assistant coach at various times.The PCB had already extended the contracts of batting coach Grant Flower and trainer Grant Luden for the England tour, after they had already completed their two-year terms. Luden had been working as trainer-cum-fielding coach, but the PCB decided to hand him the specialist role of fitness trainer and get in Rixon as fielding coach on Arthur’s advice.

England surged into a dominant position through a stand of 132 in 27 overs between Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali

The Report by Andrew McGlashan06-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJonny Bairstow aggression in the final session gave England a good lead•Getty ImagesFor two sessions this was a day of twists and turns, not the thrilling variety of batting collapses or exhilarating innings, but steady shifting of the sands, before England surged into a dominant position through a stand of 132 in 27 overs between Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali. It left them well-placed to push for a final-day victory at Edgbaston, with a lead of 311, because while the pitch remains true they will know there is a vulnerability to the Pakistan batting order.In each session there was a time where Pakistan had an advantage, and were one quick wicket away from sending jitters through the England line-up. They removed Alastair Cook and Alex Hales within the first five overs of the day, shifted Joe Root and James Vince before tea and when Gary Ballance fell to Yasir Shah for the third time in the series the lead was still an uncertain 179.But over the course of the remainder of the last session, Bairstow took control with a perfectly paced counterattacking innings, the most fluent batting of the day, as he and Moeen flayed a tiring attack. Having initially bided his time, he moved from 15 off 52 balls to a half-century from 83 deliveries, in the process becoming England’s highest-scoring wicketkeeper in a calendar year. His speed between the wickets took advantage of some heavy legs among the Pakistan side.Some of the finest shots, though, came from Moeen as he dominated Yasir: a dance down the pitch and a whip wide of mid-on were the best of the lot, but his controlled off-side drive was worthy of note given his much-criticised dismissal at Lord’s. His second half-century of the match came from 64 ballsMisbah-ul-Haq was content not to over-attack even after the early breakthroughs and opted to bowl at England’s ego for much of the day – namely, their desire to score briskly – with a combination of close catchers and boundary sweepers. Rahat Ali’s seven-over spell in the first session included five consecutive maidens. The first session brought 63 runs, the second 79 but, having not quite taken enough wickets to keep England firmly on the back foot, and again limited by the four-man attack, the last session brought 152 in 36 overs. By the close, Azhar Ali was unfurling his friendly legspin.There was, perhaps, one key moment Pakistan will look back on with regret before their long efforts in the field caught up with them. During a period of the morning session in which Pakistan kept the scoring rate down, Root, on 25, edged Rahat low towards Mohammad Hafeez at first slip but the chance was grassed. At that stage England were just 63 to the good.Instead, Root and Vince were able to consolidate either side of lunch which took the immediate sting out of the day following the jolt of losing both overnight batsmen. There was a brief surge in the scoring shortly after lunch as Root went to his fifty from 108 balls, and his eagerness to increase the tempo may have played a part in his dismissal when he top-edged a sweep against Yasir with the legspinner operating round the wicket.Vince had produced his sturdiest Test innings to date, resisting, ball after ball, from chasing deliveries outside off stump as Pakistan’s quicks hung the ball wide. He had again opened with a driven boundary, but forced himself to play within his body, profiting when the bowlers strayed too straight, with his other six boundaries come through the leg side. Yet, after 121 balls of composure, the nemesis returned as he dangled his bat at Mohammad Amir’s first delivery with the second new ball and edged to second slip.Ballance again looked solid, but was again undone by Yasir from around the wicket. At Lord’s he was bowled, in the first innings here he tickled to the keeper and this time the edge went wider to the perfectly positioned leg slip, as though he momentarily forgot the man was there. It was worthy reward for Yasir who finished with 42 overs to his name. The pitch did not offer him much, but he created some uncertainty from round the wicket into the footmarks.While the day ended strongly for England, and the threat of defeat has been all but removed barring something remarkable from one of Pakistan’s top order, it will irk them that none of the top three could convert their starts into three figures, something that was an issue in the first Test before being overcome at Old Trafford.After letting the game slip on the third evening – Mickey Arthur made his displeasure known after play – Pakistan needed an early spark. They got it from Yasir, but in the field rather than with the ball. Sohail Khan, who had come in for some of Arthur’s criticism, drew Cook into driving at a wide delivery which he spooned towards point where Yasir dived full length to his left.In the next over, Hales’ patience also snapped as Amir probed away outside his off stump and suckered him into a drive which was well taken at second slip by Younis Khan. There was a zip about Pakistan’s cricket, sensing a sniff to get into England’s middle order, and Root was given an early wake up when his second ball from Sohail leapt over his top edge.Root appeared to be having problems with his back, a long-standing issue he manages, and at one stage need attention from the physio. But it did not appear to overly hamper him in the afternoon, the pain on his face as he walked off more a realisation that another Test hundred had passed him by.