Aiden Markram has scored his first half-century in the subcontinent but is careful not to consider his corner turned just yet. After 84 runs from eight innings on previous tours to Sri Lanka and India, Markram knows that one 74 does not necessarily make a summer, but his second-innings half-century in Karachi is significant because it gave him confidence.

"By no means am I all of a sudden a finished product. It's a small step in the right direction. Thats how I am trying to see it," he said. "There's a still a lot of learning and growing in conditions like these. From a satisfaction thing, there is a bit I can take form this knock, a little bit of confidence. I would have loved to kick on."

Not only was Markram dismissed on the way to what could have been his first hundred since March 2018, but he was sent on his way 15 balls before the close of play on day three, after battling for more than five hours, and laying the foundation for a longer vigil. He found that patience was the one trait he had to lean on more than any other and was disappointed it ran out. "The longer you batted, the lower it got which posed its own challenge, putting spin aside. It was a slightly different innings for me. It was quite a challenge to accept spending time and not worrying about scoring," Markram said.

His fifty, off 158 balls, was the slowest of his career but that was less important than that it came as part of a 127-run stand with Rassie van der Dussen. That partnership was the highest of the match and it took South Africa into the lead.

From a position where they were bowled out for 220 in the first innings, then conceded 70 runs in 12.2 overs to allow Pakistan to build a first innings lead over 150, for South Africa to have threatened to post decent target was a massive stride forward. "And then we took a few steps back, if that makes sense," Markram said, in reference to the three wickets that fell for 10 runs at the end of day three.

Still, South Africa had recognised batsmen in the middle on day four and may have fancied their chances of scoring over 300 but ended up losing 9 for 70 in the second innings, to set Pakistan a target of just 88.

While Quinton de Kock could not put his finger on why South Africa lost wickets in clusters, Markram felt that conditions had something to do with it, because the in-coming batsmen often faced spin first up. "It's generally very difficult for a new batter to get in. It's something we've highlighted on previous tours to the subcontinent and on this tour. So (as a batsman) your first 20-30 balls are vital. It's generally tough to get in against a spinning ball," he said.

The trick is in two things: watching the way Pakistan played and drawing on experiences from home, not conditions-wise, but in approach. "On the mental side of things, there are times in South Africa in seamer-friendly conditions where you have to be brave and try something different. It's the same here," Markram said. "And we had the chance to learn from how Pakistan played and saw that we need to have the ability to back defence even in conditions that start to turn."

On green tops in South Africa, batsmen often have to be willing to play more on the back foot and take on the short ball. On drier pitches in the subcontinent, they must do the opposite. They have to go forward, often to meet the pitch of a spinning ball, a strategy that worked well for Markram and van der Dussen. What South Africa need now is for it to work consistently and throughout the line-up, which may come the more this group tours the subcontinent.

For all of them, this is their first Test in Pakistan, while only three of them - de Kock, Faf du Plessis and Dean Elgar - have won a Test in the subcontinent (Galle 2014). The rest have been part of tough tours to India in 2015 and 2019, a rained out visit to Bangladesh in 2015 and a humbling trip to Sri Lanka in 2018. Across those series, South Africa's problems remained the same: the inability for their batsmen to settle against spin. If they are to truly turn the corner, Markram suggested that needs to change.

"It's important that we don't make the same mistakes we've made in previous tours," he said. "The thing that helped me was spending time in the middle and feeling like you can find a way to score."

The NFL expanded the Rooney Rule to give more minority candidates opportunities to become a head coach and reward teams that develop them.

More interviews didn't equal more hiring this offseason.

According to an analysis of candidates known to have interviewed for seven head-coaching openings this month, 11 were minorities and 16 were white. Only two of the seven jobs went to minorities.

Some consider it progress, but most agree there's a long way to go.

"There's still work to be done in this area, no question about it," Pittsburgh Steelers team president Art Rooney II said Thursday.

The Houston Texans hired David Culley this week, making the 65-year-old longtime assistant the league's third Black head coach hired. The New York Jets previously hired Robert Saleh, the son of Lebanese immigrants and the first NFL head coach who is known to be Muslim.

Culley and Saleh join Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin, Miami's Brian Flores and Washington's Ron Rivera as the league's only minority head coaches. In a sport where about 70% of the players are minorities, the lack of diversity among the head-coaching ranks sticks out.

Rooney said the league will take another look at the rule named after his father, Dan Rooney, who was chairman of the NFL's diversity committee.

"We didn't make as much progress on the head-coaching side as we would have liked," Rooney said. "But I would say we did make some progress on the general manager side, which is encouraging. And then we'll have to look on the coordinator side to see how much progress we make on that front.

"There are a lot of pieces to it that we're going to have to sit down when it's all said and done and really analyze what happened, and are there things we can do to strengthen the opportunities for minority coaches. I think last year we did take a number of steps that I think over time are going to pay dividends, but that's not to say we can't do more, and we'll take another strong look at it this offseason."

Two of the seven vacancies for general manager were filled by minorities when the Atlanta Falcons hired Terry Fontenot and the Detroit Lions tabbed Brad Holmes. They join Cleveland's Andrew Berry and Miami's Chris Grier as the only Black GMs in the league.

Perhaps an increase in minority executives will lead to more minority head coaches. Ultimately, the owners are the ones making the decision and 31 of the 32 are white. They have to be convinced.

"I got this job simply because I was the best football coach that they wanted in this situation, and I happen to be African American," Culley said Friday. "I'm proud of that. I'm happy for that. And I hope if me getting this job because of that reason allows other teams in this league to see that ... so be it. I'm part of it and I'm for that."

In November, the NFL implemented a resolution that rewards organizations with draft picks for developing minority coaches and front-office executives who become head coaches, general managers or team presidents for other clubs.

That was part of a seven-point mobility plan designed to enhance opportunities.

Last May, the NFL amended the Rooney Rule to stipulate teams must interview at least two minority candidates not associated with their own team for a head-coaching vacancy. Also, one minority candidate has to be interviewed for coordinator positions as well as high-ranking positions in the front office, including the general manager role.

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy had six interviews but was passed over again. Coach Andy Reid, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and other Chiefs expressed disappointment that Bieniemy didn't get an opportunity.

"It's very shocking that he didn't get a job," wide receiver Tyreek Hill said. "I know deep down inside he's going to look at himself in the mirror and say, 'What can I do better so I can get that job?' He's that kind of dude. He wants to get better and he wants to become a head coach. His time will come."

The list of Black candidates who interviewed for head-coaching positions included five guys who previously held the position: Marvin Lewis, Jim Caldwell, Todd Bowles, Leslie Frazier and Raheem Morris.

The Eagles interviewed their assistant head coach/running backs coach, Duce Staley, who left for Detroit after Nick Sirianni was hired to replace Doug Pederson. They also interviewed Patriots inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, Bowles and Saleh among a total of 10 candidates.

"I was blown away by the quality of these candidates," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said. "The NFL is lacking in slots, not in candidates. ... They'll be the hot candidates in a year, two or three, no question about it. That's what we learned in the process."

The Jets interviewed then-Saints secondary coach Aaron Glenn. He later joined Dan Campbell's staff in Detroit.

Many players, and their union leader, have voiced concern about the lack of diversity in the coaching ranks.

"A rule or any modifications to a rule that has very little transparency and very little accountability, none of us should be surprised when it fails, right?" NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith said this month. "So, I think to the league's credit they've asked the NFLPA and us to help them improve diversity across the NFL, not only coaches or head coaches but entire coaching ranks, NFL team front offices, the league office, and ultimately ownership. Those are conversations that I know we're going to start to have with the league after the Super Bowl.

"But, to me, it has to start with those two things. Without a level of transparency and accountability, none of us should be surprised when there are only incremental steps of change or times where we've gone backward. There are concrete ways of addressing this. A lot of them mirror what people have been doing in corporate America for years. But increasing transparency, giving someone the responsibility of increasing diversity and then making it accountable, I think if you have those three things as the core of how you want to make the league look like its membership and its community, I think those are the only ways to go about it."

CLEVELAND -- Eddie Rosario has gone from hammering to helping the Indians.

The free-agent outfielder, who spent the past six seasons with the Minnesota Twins, agreed Friday to a one-year, $8 million contract with the Cleveland Indians, sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday.

Rosario's contract is pending the completion of a physical, according to sources.

The Indians know the 29-year-old Rosario well. He has been a nemesis with the AL Central rival Twins, hitting more career homers (22 in 93 games) against Cleveland than any other team. He hit 11 of those homers at Progressive Field, his most at any road ballpark.

Earlier Friday, the Indians finalized a one-year, $5 million contract with free-agent second baseman Cesar Hernandez, who was a solid free-agent pickup in 2020 when he won his first Gold Glove.

Rosario is a huge addition for Cleveland's outfield, which has been an issue for the past two seasons as the team has used a platoon of players.

After the Indians sent All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor and starter Carlos Carrasco to the New York Mets earlier this month and cut more than $30 million from their payroll, Chris Antonetti, the team's president of baseball operations, tried to soothe some outraged Cleveland fans by pledging to put money back into the roster.

He has done that in bringing back Hernández and acquiring Rosario, who will provide some needed pop to manager Terry Francona's lineup following the losses of Lindor and Carlos Santana.

Rosario had his best season in 2019, when he reached career-highs with 32 homers and 109 RBIs in 137 games. During the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, he batted .257 with 13 homers and drove in 42 runs in 57 games.

A left-handed hitter, Rosario has a career .277 average with 119 homers and 388 RBIs.

Hernandez's deal with the Indians includes a $6 million club option in 2022 with no buyout.

Hernández, 30, was an invaluable addition last season. He led the AL with 20 doubles and helped the Indians secure a wild-card berth. He batted .283 with three homers, 20 RBIs and 35 runs in 58 games.

Cleveland acquired middle infielders Amed Rosario and Andrés Giménez from the Mets in the Jan. 7 trade of Lindor, a four-time All-Star who was entering his final year under contract and had rejected numerous long-term offers.

MLB Network first reported the Rosario deal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

When Nolan Arenado signed his eight-year contract extension with the Colorado Rockies in spring training of 2019, it appeared he would spend the rest of his career in a Rockies uniform. He had stated all along he wanted to play for a consistent playoff contender and the Rockies were coming off back-to-back postseason appearances. "I think the future is much brighter in Colorado than it's been in the past," he said at the time.

Things can change quickly in baseball, however, and Arenado's relationship with the Rockies soon soured. After two bad seasons, a big league roster lacking depth, a minor league system that ranks as one of the weakest in the sport and trying to compete in a division with the Dodgers and Padres, the Rockies' immediate future looks a lot more depressing than bright. With Arenado agreeing to waive his no-trade clause, the Rockies traded their franchise icon to the St. Louis Cardinals in a blockbuster deal.

The Cardinals acquire a five-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner, a superstar in even the narrowest definition. From 2015 to 2019, he hit .300/.362/.575 while averaging 157 games, 40 home runs and 124 RBIs. He finished no lower than eighth in the MVP voting and ranked third behind Mike Trout in Mookie Betts in WAR among position players.

As good as Arenado has been, it's not necessarily a risk-free trade for the Cardinals.

The St. Louis Cardinals have acquired third baseman Nolan Arenado in a trade with the Colorado Rockies, sources confirmed to ESPN's Jeff Passan on Friday.

The Rockies are getting multiple players in the deal and will send upward of $50 million to St. Louis, sources said.

The news was first reported by The Athletic.

Arenado, 29, is scheduled to make $35 million in 2021 as part of a $260 million, eight-year contract he signed with the Rockies in 2019. The deal includes an opt-out clause after the '21 season.

A five-time All-Star, Arenado struggled at the plate during the abbreviated 2020 season, hitting .253 with eight homers before missing the final nine games with a left shoulder bone bruise. He also earned an eighth straight Gold Glove.

The down year came after he hit a career-best .315 with 41 homers and 118 RBIs in 2019.

In December, Rockies manager Bud Black downplayed rumors that Arenado and shortstop Trevor Story would be traded, saying, "My expectation is that they'll be with us come Opening Day."

The Rockies have missed the playoffs the past two seasons after making the wild-card round in 2017 and the National League Division Series in 2018.

Up to 30,000 fans a day will be allowed to attend the Australian Open, Victoria's minister for sport has announced.

It will then be reduced to 25,000 from the quarter-finals - half the average attendance of previous years.

The Australian Open runs from 8-21 February in Melbourne.

"Over the 14 days, it means we will have up to 390,000 people here at Melbourne Park, about 50% of the average over the past few years," said Martin Pakula.

"Rod Laver Arena will have incredible atmosphere, not that different to the atmosphere we've seen at all the Opens in the years past.

"It will not be the same … but it will be the most significant international event with crowds that the world has seen in many, many months."

Players have started to leave hotel quarantine after completing their mandatory 14-day isolation period upon arrival in Australia.

In early January, more than 1,700 players, staff and others tied to the first Grand Slam of the year were flown into the country on chartered flights.

Most players were allowed out of their rooms for five hours a day to practise on court and exercise, but a smaller group of 72 players were fully confined to their rooms after coronavirus cases were discovered on their flights.

Melbourne endured one of the world's longest lockdowns last year and many locals have concerns about the potential Covid-19 risk posed by the tournament.

The Vegas Golden Knights have postponed two more games next week as four members of the team -- including three coaches -- are in isolation with the league's COVID-19 protocol, it was announced Friday.

Games against the San Jose Sharks on Monday and Wednesday will be rescheduled for later in the season, the league said. Thursday's game against St. Louis also was postponed.

The league on Thursday said a player also was in the protocol.

The Golden Knights' off-ice player areas at the practice facility have been closed indefinitely.

"The Golden Knights organization has, and will continue to follow, all recommended guidelines aimed at protecting the health and safety of its Players, staff and community at large as set by the NHL, local, state and national agencies," the team said in a statement.

That brings the total to 11 NHL games to have been postponed due to the COVID-19 protocols.

ESPN's Greg Wyshynski contributed to this report.

Minnesota Wild forward Kevin Fiala has been suspended three games for boarding Los Angeles Kings defenseman Matt Roy during a game on Thursday.

The NHL's Department of Player Safety announced the decision on Friday, following a hearing.

Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, Fiala will forfeit $77,586.21, an amount based off his average annual salary. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Fiala was assessed a major and game misconduct for the play, which occurred in the second period. It caused him to miss the remainder of the 5-3 win. Roy was slow to get up and was helped off the ice by teammates Jeff Carter and Anze Kopitar. Roy was able to fly home with the team.

"It will be on multiple videos, teaching clips for young players, older players, junior players, pro players on basically what not to do," Kings coach Todd McLellan said after the game. "I feel bad for Roysie. I don't even know if there's any intent on the Fiala thing; it just happened. But we have to know by now that we can't do that."

Fiala does not have a prior history of suspensions. The 24-year-old scored a goal earlier in Thursday's game.

SAN DIEGO – Adam Scott joined the PGA Tour in 2002 and has played 336 events in his career, so it was a bit of a surprise that 2019 was the first time he played the Farmers Insurance Open.

The Australian would normally play late into the fall back home and he often took January off to recharge. That changed in ’19, when he finished alone in second place at Torrey Pines. He returned for his second start in the event this week and after rounds of 67-69 is tied for second place.

Perhaps he should have played Torrey Pines earlier in his career.

“Maybe, but hopefully I've got a few more years in me to take advantage of it, but I'd like to take advantage of the next two days given the position I've put myself in,” Scott said. “It's been a little while since I've kind of been right up there heading into weekends, so looking forward to what's to come the next couple days.”

Scott does have one other experience at Torrey Pines. During the 2008 U.S. Open on the South Course officials paired the then-world Nos. 1 (Tiger Woods), 2 (Phil Mickelson) and 3 (Scott) for the first two rounds.

“It's a strong, strong memory in my career. Outside of my own performance in winning, it's right up there in special moments,” said Scott, who tied for 26^th at the ’08 U.S. Open. “The atmosphere for the whole 36 holes that I played with Phil and Tiger was incredible, but Thursday morning the energy around the first hole was like I can't compare it to anything else actually. It was not even like teeing off at the Masters or anything like that.”

It was after Bruno Fernandes' third game for Manchester United that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knew he had made the right decision in bringing the midfielder to Old Trafford.

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While the rest of the squad were largely satisfied with a 1-1 draw against Club Brugge in the last-32 of the 2019-20 Europa League knowing there was another leg to come, Fernandes was not. It was the type of reaction Solskjaer had seen before in the United teams he played in, and the Norwegian was quietly pleased to see his new signing from Sporting CP throw his shirt down in the corner of the dressing room.

Solskjaer is also of the opinion that draws, even ones that can be rectified a week later, are never good enough. After only playing the final nine minutes in Belgium, Fernandes asked Solskjaer to start the return leg in Manchester. He scored, and United won 5-0.

As he approaches his first anniversary at the club, it remains one of only four times Fernandes has played at Old Trafford in front of fans. Since making his debut on Feb. 1, 2020, the Portugal international has been one of United's most transformative signings. He has been so influential to even draw comparisons with Eric Cantona, whose arrival in November 1992 triggered a run of four top-flight titles in five seasons after a 26-year run without one.

Fernandes still has a long way to go to match Cantona's trophy haul, but it's worth noting that United finished second the season before the Frenchman was signed. When Fernandes pulled on a United shirt for the first time, they were fifth in the table, 36 points behind leaders Liverpool. A year on, they are one point off the top.

His numbers speak for themselves. By winning the Premier League's player of the month award for December, he became the first player to collect the trophy four times in a calendar year, having also won it in February, June and November.

Given his broad impact, it is remarkable that in the summer of 2019, United appeared happy for Fernandes to join Tottenham Hotspur. Having grown weary of talks with Sporting that were going nowhere and with nagging reservations about how Fernandes might adapt to the Premier League, they were prepared to let him move to north London, particularly after learning Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy had been quoted a much lower price. But the deal never materialised, and when United's Portuguese scouts urged the recruitment department to take another look, Solskjaer and assistant Mike Phelan went to watch Sporting themselves, seeing a player they believed had improved markedly since the end of the previous season.

Desperate to improve his team's attacking output, Solskjaer asked executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and chief negotiator Matt Judge to enquire about Jack Grealish, but after that was knocked back by Aston Villa, United ploughed ahead with talks for Fernandes. The deal, completed on Jan. 30, 2020, could end up costing £67.6 million if certain performance indicators are met, but if Fernandes continues on the same trajectory, Woodward can consider it the best value for money signing since he took over from David Gill in 2013.

In just 12 months, Fernandes has established himself as the focal point of the club. There is already talk of a new contract to reflect his status despite already having a deal until 2025 plus the option of another year. His shirt is the best seller in the Megastore, and when it comes time for international broadcasters to submit interview requests before and after games, his name is usually top of the list. When Amad Diallo has trained with the first team following his move from Atalanta, Fernandes has been keen to offer the 18-year-old winger advice and encouragement during training.

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One of the things that had impressed Solskjaer most during the background checks on the 26-year-old was how well he had captained Sporting. Having decided the squad lacked leaders when he took over from Jose Mourinho in December 2018, it was one of the reasons Solskjaer has also tracked Grealish, captain of Aston Villa. Fernandes was made United captain for the first time for the Champions League group game with Paris Saint-Germain in October. He was sitting in the pre-match news conference with Solskjaer when his manager announced the news. Caught by surprise, the midfielder was worried the cameras had filmed him looking confused, and so keen to project the right image, he asked club officials to pull the video before being assured everything was fine.

On the pitch, Fernandes has been just as carefully managed. Solskjaer has admitted to "pulling my hair out" at how often Fernandes is prone to losing the ball -- even for an attacker attempting risky passes -- but it was something he was made aware of by the analysts before Fernandes joined, and the United boss has told his players, who can sometimes become frustrated in training and games, to let him keep trying.

"He's expected to create goals, score goals and sometimes the margins are against him," Solskjaer said of Fernandes earlier this season. "He's always on the verge of creating something, even when he loses the ball, and that's the position I want him in and that's what he's been told to do. I want him to play the passes he sees."

Solskjaer has said privately that Fernandes is allowed to give the ball away, particularly given the amount of running he does to get it back. Members of the coaching staff have tried to encourage him to become more thoughtful in the way he uses his energy, but have since learned he is happier charging around, desperate to get on the ball and relentlessly pressing opponents. He is the same in training, and staff have repeatedly had to order him inside for fear he would stay out on the Carrington pitches all night if there was no one there to tell him to go home.

Following his appointment two years ago, Solskjaer realised very quickly that the team needed to change off the pitch if they wanted to win on it. New players have been key to his mission at Old Trafford, and none more important than Fernandes. A year on from his arrival, the decision to sign him has already been vindicated.