David de Gea is a mentality monster! Winners and losers as goalkeeper goes from zero to hero in FA Cup semi-final shootout win against Brighton

David de Gea dusted himself off after a harrowing night in Seville to help Manchester United see off Brighton in a cagey FA Cup semi-final

David de Gea is far from a perfect goalkeeper, but one thing you cannot question is his mentality. Three days after the worst performance of his life in Manchester United's capitulation against Sevilla, the Spaniard was his team's hero at Wembley as the Red Devils held Brighton to a 0-0 draw before winning 7-6 on penalties.

As it turned out, De Gea did not actually save the decisive penalty which Solly March sent over the bar, but he made four top-draw saves during a tense 120 minutes in which Brighton often looked the better side but lacked a killer instinct.

Victor Lindelof kept his nerve to clinch victory for United and set up the first-ever FA Cup final between the Red Devils and Manchester City.

By doing so, United matched Arsenal's record of reaching 21 FA Cup finals, and they will now be aiming to win their second domestic cup under Erik ten Hag.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Wembley…

GettyWINNER: David de Gea

Football's history is littered with examples of fine goalkeepers who were eventually swallowed by their own mistakes and self-doubt.

Iker Casillas was forced to leave Real Madrid two years after being dropped by Jose Mourinho and was never the same at Porto. Loris Karius never recovered from his Champions League final embarrassment in Kiev. Joe Hart was forced out by Pep Guardiola and it was all downhill from there.

De Gea had a horrific night at the Sanchez Pizjuan, playing his part in all the goals of United's 3-0 surrender to Sevilla. But at Wembley, he showed the psyche of a world-class player, redeeming himself for his suspect kicking by demonstrating his undeniable qualities as a shot stopper.

His first act was to tip away Alexis Mac Allister's dangerous free-kick, and in the second half he made acrobatic stops from Julio Enciso and March. Right before the shootout, he made a brave save with his foot to stop Kaoru Mitoma.

And he was happy to acknowledge his problems with passing out from the back, pumping the ball away to safety whenever he was under pressure.

The Spaniard still might not be United's best long-term solution in goal and there is a strong argument against renewing his contract.

But he is still capable of match-winning performances like this, and after the week he has had, that says a lot about his mentality.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: United's misfiring forwards

If De Gea was outstanding at one end, United's forwards left a lot to be desired down the other.

Anthony Martial did almost nothing of note, sending his one chance woefully over the bar when he had other options. The Frenchman also lacked pace and energy and his passing was sloppy, bungling more than one promising move.

Antony was also disappointing. The Brazilian made a few dangerous runs against Brighton, but time and time again he made the wrong decision. He opted for a soft shot straight into Robert Sanchez when Bruno Fernandes was screaming for the ball and after running through Brighton's defence he made a botched pass to Martial.

Marcus Rashford performed best of the three starting forwards and was close to grabbing the winner just before full-time, only to be thwarted by a fine Sanchez save. He also flashed a shot just wide in extra-time after a storming run, but the England forward was almost anonymous in the first half.

Against an imperious Man City defence in the final, United's attackers will need to be a lot sharper if they are to have any hope of winning.

Getty ImagesWINNER: Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka

De Gea did not perform the only resurrection at Wembley. But while the Spaniard's reputation had only plummeted three days previously, Lindelof and Wan-Bissaka had been written off long ago.

Wan-Bissaka was widely expected to leave Old Trafford last summer and did not manage to start a Premier League game under Erik ten Hag until January.

Lindelof, meanwhile, has only started six league games under the Dutchman and is the club's fourth-choice centre-back.

Wan-Bissaka's recovery began a few months back, and has slowly but surely won the battle with Diogo Dalot as the manager's first-choice right back.

This was his graduation, an almost flawless display against one of the most exciting attacks in the Premier League.

Lindelof had a more understated performance but was just as effective, always keeping tight to his marker and making sure that whenever he chose to dive in, he won the ball, unless he was making a tactical foul.

The Swede was calm and comfortable on the ball and under pressure, in contrast with how Harry Maguire has looked in recent weeks.

And when the pressure of taking the crucial penalty rested on his shoulders, he slotted it home with power and precision.

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Getty ImagesLOSER: Solly March

Poor old Solly March.

No-one has contributed to more Brighton goals this season than the midfielder, and he had scored three and provided three assists in his previous seven matches.

But he will be hugely disappointed with himself for skying his penalty, especially as De Gea had been unable to get a hand on any of the previous six Brighton spot-kicks.

He had another decent opportunity to score during the match, and while De Gea did well to get low and parry his shot, March might also feel that he could have done better with that attempt.

But he cannot and should not be painted as the villain in Brighton's courageous performance. Someone has to win a shootout, and it only takes one player to miss.

Mendy, Awoniyi and En-Nesyri: What did you miss this weekend?

GOAL highlights the outstanding moments from the continent's stars in Europe

Getty ImagesInsightful details from the weekend

In this feature, GOAL picks out some of the under-the-radar stats you may have missed this week – and explains what they mean for Africa's biggest stars.

AdvertisementGetty.Samuel Kalu

Having had to make do with appearances off the bench, the Watford winger started successive games for the Hornets since his January move in the 5-1 thrashing by Leicester City on Sunday.

Particularly noteworthy for Kalu was the fact he played for the entirety of the game at Vicarage Road, something he had not hitherto managed this season for Bordeaux and the Premier League side.

Despite missing large portions of games for both clubs, the Nigerian seems to be ending the campaign in favour and could start for a third game running against Chelsea on the final day.

Getty ImagesVictor Osimhen

Osimhen netted his 14th Serie A goal of the campaign in Napoli’s 3-0 victory over Genoa, seeing him set a new personal best.

The centre-forward’s previous best return (13 goals) was set in the 2019/20 campaign in his only season at Ligue 1 side Lille.

Having outdone that tally, the Super Eagle will look to better that return next year.

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Getty.Edouard Mendy

Mendy saved Sadio Mane’s penalty in Saturday’s FA Cup final but it was not enough for Chelsea who lost their third successive final in the competition.

For the Blues goalkeeper, it was his first penalty stop since thwarting Sergio Aguero’s failed Panenka in the Blues’ 2-1 success at Manchester City last season.

Having endured rife criticism in a difficult few weeks, a strong showing against Liverpool was timely to restore some confidence in his expertise.

Out of contract in 2019: Football's best free agents in the new season

Some of the world's top players are into the final year of their deals, meaning they could leave at the end of the season – Goal takes a look at them

Check out the football players out of contract in 2020 in this updated article!Getty ImagesMario Balotelli | FW | Marseille

Mario Balotelli has enjoyed a career resurgence in Ligue 1 and has recently completed a move to Marseille from Nice until the end of the season.

The Italy international will see out the second half of the campaign at the French side – but where he goes afterwards will depend on how he performs during the season. He has been pictured attending games in Serie A, most recently the encounter between Inter and Atalanta. Make of that what you will.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesHatem Ben Arfa | MF | Rennes

Former Newcastle United, Paris Saint-German and Lyon star Hatem Ben Arfa is often considered one of football's 'nearly men'. Blessed with oodles of ability, the France international's career never quite took off as many would have hoped.

He has shone since joining Rennes in 2018 and his exploits will not have gone unnoticed, nor will the fact that his contract expires this summer. However, it must be noted that there is an option to extend.

Getty ImagesYacine Brahimi | FW | PortoYacine Brahimi has been a key member of the Porto team for the past five seasons since joining from Granada, but he could potentially decide to move on next summer. The Algeria international has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs, including Wolves, Everton and West Ham.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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GettyGary Cahill | DF | Chelsea

No longer considered first-choice at Chelsea, Gary Cahill is weighing up his options as his career with the Blues approaches an end.

Derby County have been heavily linked with the 32-year-old, who recently retired from international duty as part of an effort to prolong his club career, but his vast experience means he would also be an attractive acquisition for a number of Premier League teams too.

Suriname pull out of ICC Americas U-19 Championship

Suriname’s anticipated debut at the ICC Americas U-19 Division One championship will have to wait at least another two years after the team was forced to withdraw from the event starting on Sunday in Bermuda

Peter Della Penna06-Jul-2015Suriname’s anticipated debut at the ICC Americas Under-19 Division One championship will have to wait at least another two years after the team was forced to withdraw from the event starting on Sunday in Bermuda. According to an ICC release, the U-19 Division Two champions had to pull out after failing to secure transit visas.A source told ESPNcricinfo that because there were no direct flights from Suriname to Bermuda, the squad needed to secure visas to transit through either the USA or Canada in order to get to Bermuda. However, the visa applications were not processed in time.The tournament’s format originally stipulated that the four competing teams – Bermuda, USA, Canada and Suriname – would play an initial round-robin stage after which the lowest-ranked team on the points table would be eliminated before commencing a second round-robin stage with the three remaining teams. Instead, USA, Bermuda and Canada will play a double round-robin amongst themselves, as was the format in 2013.The first-place team in Bermuda gains automatic entry into the 2016 ICC U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. The runner-up will have a second chance at qualification in a global qualifier comprised of runner-up teams from other ICC Associate regions due to be held in Nepal later this year.In addition to the 10 Full Members who received automatic entry, other teams to have qualified for next year’s U-19 World Cup include Afghanistan, Namibia and Fiji while the runner-up teams who have gained a spot at the repechage qualifier are Nepal, Uganda and Papua New Guinea. The ICC Europe U-19 Qualifier begins on July 11 in Jersey.

New South Wales on top despite Christian's five

New South Wales were well poised to secure a place against South Australia in the Sheffield Shield final after dismantling Victoria’s top order late on the third day in Alice Springs

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2016
ScorecardDaniel Christian picked up 5 for 40•Getty ImagesNew South Wales were well poised to secure a place against South Australia in the Sheffield Shield final after dismantling Victoria’s top order late on the third day in Alice Springs. Chasing 249 for victory, which would put them in the decider instead of the Blues, the Bushrangers closed the day wobbling at 3 for 20, with Marcus Stoinis on 13, Matthew Wade on 1, and a further 249 runs needed.The day had started with Victoria 8 for 239 in their first innings and they added just 12 more for the loss of their last two wickets. New South Wales started shakily in their second innings and were 2 for 8 in the fifth over, but captain Nic Maddinson (40) helped to steady the effort before Ryan Carters (39) and Trent Copeland (47) added some important later runs.Daniel Christian picked up 5 for 40 for Victoria and Jon Holland collected 3 for 48 as the Bushrangers dismissed the Blues for 178 to give themselves a realistic hope of victory. However, Copeland removed both of Victoria’s openers in his first two overs and Sean Abbott also picked up a wicket before stumps to leave New South Wales on top.

Shakib, Sabbir fifties crush Pakistan

A haphazard batting performance left the onus on the Pakistan bowling again. With only 141 to defend though, all Bangladesh needed was one partnership. Shakib Al Hasan and Sabbir Rahman provided that

The Report by Alagappan Muthu24-Apr-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:33

Isam: Bangladesh won it in style

A maiden ODI series win, and whitewash, over Pakistan. And now a maiden T20 triumph against the same team. Bangladesh have dominated the limited-overs leg of this tour, and added to that narrative with a seven-wicket thrashing in Mirpur.A haphazard batting performance left the onus on the Pakistan bowling again. With only 141 to defend though, all Bangladesh needed was one partnership. That need increased a touch when the score slipped to 38 for 3, but Shakib Al Hasan and Sabbir Rahman steadied ship and shut Pakistan out with a 105-run stand. Both batsmen collected half-centuries and were around for the winning runs to be scored.Their strokes were crisp and both batsmen imposed themselves on the bowlers despite reputation. Umar Gul’s two overs went for 23. Wahab Riaz was clattered for seven fours in four overs and nursed an economy rate near 10. Shakib and Sabbir were together for over 10 overs and the partnership run-rate was 9.84.”They are in such a great momentum,” Shahid Afridi conceded after the match. “We have to learn from the way the Bangladeshi players played”It wasn’t mere generosity either. After Pakistan had decided to bat, the cricket was so ordinary that it appeared the broadcasters had switched from the live feed to a blooper reel. Ahmed Shehzad, beset by rust, spent 10 balls on zero. He went hands first at the ball but could not find it. The defensive bat not working, he decided to hit his way out of trouble. Cue inside and outside edges. Finally, and ironically, the first promising stroke he played led to his downfall. A crisp lift, the elbow high and the head still, ended up in the hands of long-off.Shehzad, a man who hasn’t played for Pakistan in a month was paired with a man playing for Pakistan for the first time. Mukhtar Ahmed appears a power hitter, and despite trying a slog every other ball he walked back with 37 off 30 balls.Afridi hiked himself up to No. 3, for the first time in T20Is since November 2013, missed two balls, and was judged caught behind when there was daylight between bat and ball. The umpires’ two cents to a first hour of cricket that left much to be desired. Afridi even signaled for a review, and was told DRS wasn’t being used for the match.Mushfiqur Rahim evened the scales by missing a straightforward stumping off Mukhtar in the sixth over. There were multiple run-out chances that weren’t converted. The saving grace, though, was Bangladesh’s new-ball bowlers.Mustafizur Rahman, a 19-year old left arm seamer, got the ball to jag around quite strikingly and tormented Shehzad – 10 balls faced, only one run scored. Mashrafe Mortaza hit the off-stump corridor. Shakib’s darts around leg stump frustrated a set of batsmen, who wanted to cane the ball more than hit the gaps. What would hurt Pakistan was despite their constant slogs, there were 52 dot balls in the innings and only one boundary in the final four overs.

Nethula, Ferguson help Auckland finish second

A round-up of the Plunket Shield matches that ended on April 4, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2015Four-wicket hauls from Tarun Nethula and Lachie Ferguson, who picked up a five-for in the previous game, set up Auckland’s six-wicket win over Otago, enabling them to finish second on the points table.Half-centuries from Michael Guptill-Bunce and Jeet Raval ensured that a relatively small chase of 187 didn’t prove tricky after Otago were restricted to 143.Guptill-Bunce (91 off 99 balls) and Raval (63), scoring their second fifties off the match, knocked 91 runs off the target by stumps on the third day, and proceeded to add 69 more runs the following morning. Both batsmen were then dismissed in the space of four deliveries, and Auckland went on to lose Carl Cachopa and Robert O’Donnell for the addition of only six runs, offspinner Josh Finnie accounting for three off the four wickets.But that would only prove to be a minor blip, as Anaru Kitchen and Donovan Grobbelaar polished off the remaining runs.In their first innings, though, Otago had produced an impressive batting performance after being inserted. Despite not having the best of starts – the visitors were 37 for 2 and 102 for 4 at different stages – Otago’s middle-order strung together some meaty scores.While Derek de Boorder (78), who scored an unbeaten fifty in the last game, and Michael Bracewell (62) were the top-scorers, each of Otago’s batsmen save for Finne entered double figures. At 224 for 7, Otago again dug themselves out of trouble, with de Boorder and Craig Smith (42 off 57 balls) putting on 77 runs. There was also a 63-run partnership for the last wicket between Rhys Phillips (23*) and Jacob Duffy (37).Guptill-Bunce (88) and Raval (52) set the tone for Auckland’s response, contributing 89 runs for the opening wicket. The home team’s innings unfolded in a similar manner to that of Otago’s, as they found themselves on 255 for 7 and required a 66-run alliance between captain Michael Bates and Kitchen, who smashed a 49-ball 64. Auckland nevertheless were in deficit of 43 runs when they were bowled out.Central Districts secured six points in a drawn encounter with Wellington in Napier, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the last place on the standings.Wellington had a slim chance of winning the title going into the game. Needing an outright win and as many bonus points as they could muster, they started poorly, folding for 227 on the opening day after being sent in.Central Districts, driven by fifties from Will Young (78), Greg Hay (51) and Ben Wheeler (55*), secured a 128-run lead. Wheeler, who had picked up three wickets as well, stretched his team’s lead by adding 55 runs for the last wicket with Andrew Mathieson.Wellington’s batting was markedly better in their second dig as Stephen Murdoch (112 off 147 balls) found support from fifties from captain Michael Papps (82), Michael Pollard and Luke Woodcock. They set Central Districts a target of 312 after declaring on 439 for 7. Central Districts didn’t play ball, batting out 37 overs to score 86 for 1.

Two new names in SL Women squad

Pakistan and Sri Lanka Women announce their squads for the limited-overs matches in January in the UAE

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2014Sri Lanka Women have named uncapped players Chathurani Gunawardene and Sugandika Kumari for their limited-overs tour of the UAE where they will play Pakistan Women in January. The other notable changes were the returns of Lasanthi Madushani and Dilani Manodara. They were included in place of Anushka Sanjeewani, Sanduni Abeywickrema, Imalka Mendis and Nilakshi de Silva, who were a part of the squad that played against the South Africa Women at home in October.Gunawardene, 23, is a middle-order batsman and right-arm pacer, while 24-year-old Kumari is a left-arm spinner. Wicketkeeper Manodara had been left out of the squad for the South Africa series and has now come back for the UAE tour. She had last played ODIs and T20s on the tour of India in January this year. Nilakshi Silva, Sanduni Abeywickrama and Nipuni Hansika were named in the list of standby players.Sri Lanka and Pakistan are scheduled to play three ODIs and two T20s in the UAE in January.Sri Lanka Women’s squad: Chamari Atapattu (capt), Hasini Perera (vice-captain), Lasanthi Madushani, Prasadini Weerakkody, Chamari Polgampola, Chathurani Gunawardene, Dilani Manodara, Shashikala Siriwardene, Eshani Lokusuriyage, Ama Kanchana, Sripali Weerakkody, Udeshika Prabodhani, Maduri Samuddika, Inoka Ranaweera, Sugandika Kumari.: Nilakshi de Silva, Sanduni Abeywickrama, Nipuni Hansika.Pakistan Women, on the other hand, brought back 23-year-old pacer Iram Javed in their squad for the matches in the UAE. Nahida Khan also made a comeback after she was left out of the Australia tour and the Asian Games earlier this year. Javed has the experience of only one ODI that she played in July last year, against Ireland.Unlike Sri Lanka, Pakistan did not make many changes and largely stuck to the squad that toured Australia in August-September, where they lost all their eight matches. Medium-pacer Kainat Imtiaz, who was not in the squad for Australia tour, but was part of the squad for Asian Games, was also named. Imtiaz has played only one ODI, in November 2011.Aliya Riaz, Anum Amin, Sidra Amin and Rabiya Shah were named the reserve players.Pakistan Women squad: Sana Mir, Nain Abidi, Bismah Maroof, Nida Dar, Javeria Khan, Sania Khan, Marina Iqbal, Sidra Nawaz, Asmavia Iqbal, Qanita Jalil, Sumaiya Siddiqi, Sadia Yousuf, Kainat Imtiaz, Nahida Khan, Iram Javed, Naila Nazir.: Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Sidra Ameen,

'Weary' Afghanistan put positive spin on scheduling

The Afghanistan squad could be forgiven for looking a little bleary-eyed as they ran around the outfield at McLean Park and it would have been no surprise if they weren’t quite sure what the time was

Andrew McGlashan in Napier07-Mar-2015The Afghanistan squad could be forgiven for looking a little bleary-eyed as they ran around the outfield at McLean Park and it would have been no surprise if they weren’t quite sure what the time was.In the space of a week they have criss-crossed a continent, racking up 10,000kms in the air, traveling from Dunedin to Perth after playing Scotland and back again to Napier following the thrashing by Australia. They were grateful to be in the big seats up front, but the coach Andy Moles did not shy away from the fact that it has been a tough schedule.”It’s not ideal. We were in Dunedin and it would have been much better and easier for us to come straight here then go to Perth,” Moles said. “I’m sure there are elements we aren’t aware of to squeeze the fixtures in. We are being positive, we managed to get to the front of plane which was nice and we got some rest. We are not using it as an excuse.Starc helps out Hamid Hassan

Mitchell Starc took time after the match at the WACA to speak to Afghanistan’s three quicks, sharing some thoughts on the fast-bowling trade, and also tried to help Hamid Hassan overcome problems he has had with his bowling boots.
Hassan has been through five pairs already at the World Cup and Starc showed his fellow fast bowler the equipment he uses to see if it could be a solution.
“We have got problems with Hassan, particularly,” Moles said. “The soles keep breaking off and Mitchell Starc brought his boots out and they discussed how he gets them made, where he sends them and they did talk about some bowling.
“With the schedule players rush off after games, but it was nice to see Mitchell come and talk to Shapoor, Dawlat and Hamid so there was some communications there which was excellent.”

“It’s true to say we are bit weary. We’ve tried to put a positive spin on it; the guys have seen a new part of the world so for their development as human beings it’s been a good thing. I think every side is feeling a little weary. We’ve had a bit of a jaunt but we all ready for tomorrow.”Following the 5500km flight from Perth, Afghanistan have had a low-key build-up to the match against New Zealand. They did not train on Friday and had just a very light session on Saturday. Having not “got out of the blocks with the bat” against Bangladesh, as Moles termed it, they then pushed Sri Lanka very close in Dunedin before the historic one-wicket against Scotland.Despite the overwhelming 275-run reversal against Australia, where they felt the full force of David Warner, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell, Moles is confident that his charges will be able to find reserves of energy for the final two contests, which include another skip back across the Tasman to face England in Sydney.”The thing about these Afghans is that they are very passionate and very proud – their history shows that,” Moles, who coached New Zealand for an 11-month period in 2008 and 2009, said. “They will want to show everyone, they are in the shop window. They want to make sure we compete. It didn’t happen in Australia, and we know we are in a very tough examination against New Zealand but as a group we are putting our best foot forward.”The match at the WACA Ground was an eye-opening experience for all involved. For the first 10 overs, which included Dawlat Zadran removing Aaron Finch cheaply, it was closely fought but then the chasm appeared between the sides.”It was a good experience to play against Australia in their conditions,” the wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai said. “We enjoyed the match but we had a bad day. But I can say when our team has a bad game the next game we come back strongly and we will try our best against New Zealand.”We had not faced 150kph bowlers before and we faced Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson so we learned a lot. When we go home we will work hard on our game to get used to the pace and hope we get more chances against the big teams.”There are discussions in progress to make those chances a reality. Afghanistan, along with Ireland, are now a full part of the one-day rankings but that is unlikely to generate a mass of fixtures, certainly from the more influential Full Members. Echoing the thoughts of William Porterfield, the Ireland captain, who wants his side to benefit from teams who tour England, Moles wants greater consideration given to including Afghanistan when teams visit the UAE.”We’re realistic, we’re very rarely going to get standalone tours but it’d be nice if we could add on to a series somewhere and make it a tri-series where we could pick up the opportunity to compete against some of the better sides,” he said. “If we can present ourselves as good preparation ahead of a Test series or ahead of a ODI series by coming and playing us in some cricket then it’s excellent for us and I think it’ll be a huge benefit to any of the sides heading into the UAE.”

'Was confident I had it in me' – Hooda

As Deepak Hooda glided Iresh Saxena behind square on the leg side two balls before tea, the whole Baroda dressing room stood up to applaud the 19-year-old’s feat of scoring a century on first-class debut

Amol Karhadkar in Vadodara09-Dec-2014As Deepak Hooda glided Iresh Saxena behind square on the leg side two balls before tea, the whole Baroda dressing room stood up to applaud the 19-year-old’s feat of scoring a century on first-class debut. With his back to the dressing room, Hooda first raised his bat to the far corner of the field before turning back and acknowledging the robust applause of his team-mates and handful of spectators.Behind a tree at the far end, Hooda’s family – his parents and brother – had a sense of fulfilment on their faces. “I had told them before I left for the ground in the morning that I would score a century. I am delighted to have lived up to the promise,” Hooda said after the day’s play of Baroda’s Ranji Trophy opener against Bengal on Tuesday.Having displayed a glimpse of his talent with consistent performances during the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, Hooda entered the season as one of the youngsters to look forward to. His knock assured that he was ready to absorb the pressure. He admitted that the confidence of having played for India Under-19 and West Zone one-dayers for Baroda last season helped him.”I was confident that I have it in me to perform at the higher level, so I just kept on doing what I was doing all along,” he said. “Obviously there was a bit of pressure at the start of the match but Munaf Patel helped me relax by telling me to treat it as just another game.”The only time Hooda appeared to be under pressure was early on in his innings when he drew the wrath of senior partner Yusuf Pathan due to a mix-up while running between the wickets. But once his nerves settled, he batted like a seasoned batsman and played a chanceless innings.Hooda thus became only the second Baroda batsman to score a hundred on first-class debut after Snehal Parikh, the current joint-secretary, who had scored 104 against Gujarat at home in 1981-82. Three other batsmen have made a century in their first match for Baroda. But all three of them – Raosaheb Nimbalkar (119 vs Bombay in 1938-39), Deepak Shodhan (261 vs Maharashtra in 1957-58) and Ambati Rayudu (200* vs Orissa in Cuttack) – had played first-class cricket for other teams earlier.Despite having come good in his maiden knock at the big stage, a soft-spoken Hooda was disappointed to have “made a mistake” and dismissed off the second new ball. “I should have continued and possibly helped the team get closer to the target,” he said.

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