MADRID: Less than a month after saying Gareth Bale's transfer would be good for everyone, Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has called the Wales forward an important player for his squad.
Zidane said Friday he is counting on Bale for the season that begins for Real Madrid with a visit to Celta Vigo in the Spanish league on Saturday.
"It looked like he was going to leave but now he is here with us," Zidane said. "Things change. I will count on him. He has a good record and is an important player and I hope that all the players want to make it difficult for me to pick the team."
Zidane last month stated his desire to get rid of Bale by saying the club was negotiating the player's transfer and that his exit would be "better for everyone's sake."
Madrid in 2013 paid a then world-record fee of 100 million euros (then $132 million) to sign Bale from English club Tottenham.
Zidane also said he is "happy" to have playmaker James Rodríguez in the squad despite talks he could still be transferred after the loan to Bayern Munich ended last season.
"I will repeat what I said the other day, I will count on everyone who is here," Zidane said. "They are also happy to be here."
Zinedine Zidane now says he is counting on Gareth Bale at Real Madrid
Zinedine Zidane now says he is counting on Gareth Bale at Real Madrid
- Zidane said Friday he is counting on Bale for the season
- Madrid in 2013 paid a then world-record fee of 100 million euros for Welsh forward
Archer dismisses Australian tailenders for a 5-wicket haul to keep England in the Ashes contest
ADELAIDE, Australia: Jofra Archer dismissed Mitchell Starc for a well-made 54 and No. 11 Nathan Lyon to restrict Australia to 371 on Thursday and complete a five-wicket haul to keep England in the Ashes contest.
Archer picked up the first wicket of the third test, two more in the first over after lunch later Wednesday and the last two on Day 2 after Australia resumed at 322 for eight.
Starc made it back-to-back half centuries to continue his run of form that has earned him player-of-the-match honors in Australia’s opening eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane.
He was unbeaten on 33 overnight and quickly raced to his half-century, plundering four boundaries in the first 10 deliveries of the morning: two slashing cuts in the first over from Archer and two more to wayward deliveries from Brydon Carse.
Starc reached 50 with a single, hit the first ball of Archer’s next over to the boundary but then the England paceman bowled him with a delivery that angled in from around the stumps.
The last-wicket pair added 23 runs before Archer trapped Lyon lbw, leaving Scott Boland unbeaten on 14 from 21 deliveries.
Archer returned 5-53 from 20.2 overs for his fourth five-wicket haul in test cricket, and third in the Ashes.
Victory a must by England
England needs a victory in Adelaide to have any chance of reclaiming the Ashes in this five-test series. A good batting performance in hot conditions on Thursday will help the cause, particularly with the Australians in the field and the temperature forecast to get close to 40C on Day 2.
On Wednesday, Alex Carey posted a hometown hundred and Usman Khawaja scored 82 after he was recalled at the last minute to replace Steve Smith on the eve of his 39th birthday.
Carey’s 106 was slightly contentious after he survived a review for caught behind when he was on 72. England reviewed the initial not out decision but Carey survived as decision review technology showed a noise spike before the ball had reached his bat.
The technology’s operators, BBG, later conceded after play ended that an operator error was most likely.
“Given that Alex Carey admitted he had hit the ball in question, the only conclusion that can be drawn from this, is that the Snicko operator at the time must have selected the incorrect stump mic for audio processing,” BBG founder Warren Brennan said in a statement.
Before play on Day 2, the ICC match referee restored one review to England because of the error.
