he was looking ahead to Saturdays Major League Soccer game

SSNHQs cricket correspondent Tim Abraham helps document the beginnings of Englands five-Test tour of India. Johnny Davis Jersey ... Part two of Englands long winter on the sub-continent is under way.India has a completely different feel to Bangladesh in every way. Its more relaxed and laid back, which is saying something for India as it still has such hustle and bustle, and chaotic qualities. Arriving in India you notice a definite change from Bangladesh... Were in Rajkot, in the state of Gujarat for the first Test. This is the city where Mahatma Gandhi went to school, and its a dry state, meaning no alcohol.Its a new city for me, and new Test venue for India, let alone England, though one-day internationals have been played at the impressive Saurashtra Stadium.Its another state of the art modern cricket facility in India, on the outskirts of town, with a feeling of home for the England players as the media centre is a mini version of the spaceship-like Lords media centre. Just like HQ... the media centre at Rajkot looks strangely familiar We are once again staying with the team, and theres no mistaking the hotel are just so delighted England are staying with them.Theres a massive facade on the outer walls, featuring the players, and when you step inside the lobby, pictures of the players adorn the walls, even in the lifts the England players are poster boys.On top of that, theres a specially designed room service menu For the England team and in the main restaurant the players can use their own mugs, with their pictures on. Poster boys... Englands presence is felt off the pitch, as well as on it When Joe Root, Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes got their hundreds in this Test, the hotel specially baked cakes in time their return.While there is security around the players, as there always is in this part of the world, it all just seems so much more laid back. No road blocks or armed convoys speeding through the streets here like in Bangladesh.That tour was a big success for the ECB, even though the team lost the final Test in dramatic circumstances.One of our last jobs in Dhaka, just before we left, was to shoot a security review story with the man who said it would be safe for England to come here, Reg Dickason - a security advisor who has been around the team for years, and a man the players trust. Staff at the Rajkot Hotel surprise England cricketers Moeen Ali and Joe Root with a cake after their impressive innings against India My travel day to Mumbai did not get off to the best of starts. I was on the team flight (a big mistake!) and upon arrival at the airport, there was team manager Phil Neale checking in all the players bags and kit.Row upon row of kit bags and cases that stretched right back through the check-in area. The players dont do it themselves, you know, they just turn up and walk into the plane.Of course its a massive job, and Phil took up one check-in desk completely, with only one other desk open for the rest of us.I had loads of gear myself, as I was taking all of our equipment on with me, and it was touch and go as to whether I would check-in on time.The first few days in Mumbai were chill-out time for the players, so with this cushion of no interview access, it was a good chance for me and cameraman, Jake Utley, to shoot a colour piece around the city.England may have been having a few days off but cricket does not stop in this city and we headed straight for the Oval Maidan, where on a long strip of park land, bang in the middle of the city, there are so many games of cricket going on side by side. India vs England November 12, 2016, 3:45am Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass Its quite a sight when full. I have shot this scene so many times down the years but you never tire of seeing the passion and the chaotic nature of so many games going on at the same time, with balls so often hit into the playing area of another.This was a good chance to catch up with the locals and get them to talk about the series and Englands chances. The agreed consensus; England were the overwhelming underdogs against the best team in the world, particularly after that defeat in Bangladesh.But given Englands good start to the first Test in Rajkot, a fantastic five-match series appears to lie ahead.Watch all five Tests between India and England live on Sky Sports 2 and across Sky Sports digital platforms. Also See: First Test blog Scorecard D3 highlights Cricket videos Stitched Rays Jerseys . As deep as their roster is, they need their superstar. Rose scored 23 points in his return from a five-game absence due to back pain, and Chicago hung on to beat the struggling Atlanta Hawks 90-79 on Monday. Tommy Pham Jersey . - Playing a road game against a division rival raises the intensity for linebacker Clay Matthews. https://www.cheapraysonline.com/1256i-kevin-kiermaier-jersey-rays.html . Kevin Durant certainly played like there was on Sunday night, scoring 36 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Thunder made quick work of the visiting Pacers with a 118-94 win.TORONTO -- The artistry Justin Mapp displayed in scoring Montreals lone goal drew rave reviews from even Toronto FC coach Ryan Nelsen on Wednesday night. Mapp danced through Torontos defence to score on Montreals only shot on net as the Impact salvaged a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship against a TFC side missing star striker Jermain Defoe. "Hes a lovely man, he goes about his business quietly," Nelsen said of Mapp. "That was a classy classy goal, to tell you the truth, and the only way I think really they were going to score, to break us down. "Sometimes you have to tip your hat." Defender Doneil Henry scored the lone goal for Toronto. The draw could be considered a victory for Montreal, since road goals carry more weight. If next Wednesdays second leg in Montreal was to end in a 0-0 tie, the Impact would win based on Mapps goal at BMO Field. "Coming away, the first leg, you score an away goal, its very important," said Impact coach Frank Klopas. "But also I felt we finished the game the second half, we played some good soccer, we had some good opportunities, and so its a good result on the road. But nothings done yet." The draw was the latest chapter in a Canadian Championship battle between these two teams. Toronto has won four of the six titles, Montreal has won the other two, including the inaugural tournament in 2008, and then last year. The winner earns the right to represent Canada in the CONCACAF Champions League. Toronto dominated possession for most of the night, and had five shots on net to the Impacts one in front of 18,269 mostly red-clad TFC fans at BMO Field. Nelsen sat Defoe because the former Tottenham Hotspur star was feeling "a wee bit tight." The coach admitted that, with the lineup he fielded, he was looking ahead to Saturdays Major League Soccer game against the visiting Columbus Crew. "But in saying that, I put out the team that I thought should have won that game," Nelsen said. "We gave a lot of guys a chance to prove themselves, and it looked a bit like they hadnt played together, sometimes it wasnt pretty. But they worked hard." Henry leapt to head home a corner from Daniel Lovitz in the 20th minute, a blistering shot from the top of the six-yard box that Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush had little chance of stopping. The goal was a positive -- finally -- for Henry, whos been mired in negatives lately. Most recently, in Torontos 2-2 draw at Sporting Kansas City, a foul by the Toronto defender inside the box cost the team a Kansas City penalty shot. "For Doneil, he showed his character," Nelsen said. "Obviously hes had a couple of tough ones that everybody likes to remind him of. Its the ability to get back on the horse and get back in the arena that I love about the kid." Mapp tied the game in the 70th, dribbling through Torontos back line and beating a lunging Steven Caldwell to fire a shot past keeper Joe Bendik. "Just collected it on thhe right side, started driving toward the top of the box. Blake Snell Jersey. . . ultimately nobody put pressure on the ball and I found myself at the top of the 18 and just had a go. Snuck in," Mapp said. "Nice of him to say," he added, when told of Nelsens praise. "Just trying to stay consistent and do my job each week. Its been tough for us, just trying to play my part, and hopefully it continues." "Tough" is an understatement for a Montreal team that has been struggling mightily this MLS season, looking nothing like the squad that made the playoffs last season. Montreal sits dead last in the league with one win, six losses and four draws. Toronto FC is 4-4-1. But the Impact picked up their pace in the second half, and are in the drivers seat heading into Wednesdays game. "It was tough, (Toronto) had a little more bite (in the first half), winning all the second balls, the soccer really wasnt pretty from either team," Mapp said. "But its Toronto-Montreal Cup final and at halftime, we just said Look, leave it all out there, and good or bad, you just dont know when youll have this chance again." Klopas raged about the refereeing in his post-game news conference. "For me to come here again and complain with the referees. Two clear hand balls in the box, for me its embarrassing. Its embarrassing," he said. "It was a good game played by both teams. . . but me the referees, to be talking about two clear hand balls. . "If youre going to have a final, at least let the players decide, not the referees making calls like this. For me, its an embarrassment." Nelsen said he had little sympathy for the opposing coach. "Talk about bad calls, weve been on the back end of a few of them this season, so Im not going to feel too bad for Frank," Nelsen said. Toronto controlled possession for much of a game that saw few scoring chances by either side. Dwayne De Rosario, who is tied for the tournaments all-time lead in goals with four and won back-to-back tournament MVP honours (2009 and 10), almost put Toronto up by two goals in the 58th minute when he rung a hard shot off the crossbar from about 25 yards out, drawing groans from the crowd. DeRosario sat on the turf in disbelief at his bad luck. De Rosario had another great chance in the 70th, lobbing a high ball over the head of Bush, who was well out of his net. But Heath Pearce was there to head the ball off the goal-line. De Rosario would have a third chance in the 84th minute, when Toronto was awarded a free kick just outside the 18-yard box, but he fired it high of the net. Lovitz had perhaps the best opportunity in the first half, one-timing a rebound off a beautiful cross from Ashtone Morgan. But he launched it well over the top of the crossbar. Toronto, which is 7-1-3 all-time against the Impact in Canadian Championship action, defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps to make the final, while Montreal edged second-division side FC Edmonton to earn its spot. ' ' '