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It's like 2005 again… spats, niggles and flare-ups but mutual respect

It's like 2005 again… spats, niggles and flare-ups but mutual respect

Times15-07-2025
W ith Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer centre stage at Lord's on Monday, much was made of the six-year anniversary of the World Cup final, when, inspired by both players, England won a tight encounter against New Zealand, just as they did against India. Yet, when Mohammed Siraj slumped over his bat moments after the leg bail had plopped down ever so gently from its groove, there was another anniversary that resonated too.
As Joe Root and Zak Crawley went to commiserate with the disconsolate Siraj, it was impossible not to think back to the 2005 Ashes and the moment, seconds after the end of the Edgbaston match of that series, when Brett Lee went to his haunches in similar fashion, to be consoled by Andrew Flintoff. It became the defining image of the summer, much as, one suspects, the final moments of the Lord's Test will become for this one.
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