Ben Stokes hits century as England take stranglehold on India Test
Only the 823 they amassed in Multan is a higher total under the leadership of Stokes and Brendon McCullum but the 157.1 overs they batted in Manchester represented the longest innings under the duo.
After Root's 150 moved him up to second among all-time Test run-scorers on Friday, Stokes went past 7,000 himself. Only Stokes, Jacques Kallis and Sir Garfield Sobers have that many and 200-plus wickets.
He also joins Lord Botham, Tony Greig and Gus Atkinson as the only Englishmen to make a ton and take a five-wicket haul in the same match, as India, who went to lunch on one for two after Chris Woakes' double strike, were ground into the dust.
Having struggled with cramp the previous evening, Stokes was put through his paces first thing, scampering through for a single, getting home despite Anshul Kamboj's direct hit from mid-on.
Stokes smeared Mohammed Siraj twice through the covers but lost Liam Dawson for company after he was bowled by one that kept low from Jasprit Bumrah, having fended one off a length the ball before.
Stokes breezed to 99 but then played and missed at Bumrah, facing five more nervous dots before glancing Siraj off his pads for his ninth four and 14th Test ton, which he celebrated by removing his left glove and doing his crooked finger celebration, looking at the sky in memory of his father, Ged.
Stokes went to 7,000 Test runs in style by thrashing off-spinner Washington Sundar back over his head for six then reverse-sweeping him for four after England's total had gone past 600.
Ravindra Jadeja was also carted for a couple of sixes before Stokes holed out while Carse did likewise in the slow left-arm spinner's next over, leaving India a tricky 15-minute period to bat before lunch.
They were unable to emerge unscathed as Woakes squared up Yashasvi Jaiswal fourth ball, with Root initially unable to cling on but scooping the rebound just above the turf.
It got even better as Sai Sudharsan shaped to leave the next delivery but the ball took the edge and flew to Harry Brook.
While Shubman Gill survived the hat-trick ball after it hit his pad, with umpire Ahsan Raza ignoring optimistic appeals, India have it all to do to avoid a heavy defeat and stop England moving into an unassailable 3-1 series lead.
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The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Watching the third Test at Harpenden RFC, modern Lions breeding ground
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Farrell lives nearby and played through the age grades at Harpenden during his teenage years. The first thing you see when you walk in the door is a big picture of him lifting the Tom Richards Cup after the Lions' third Test against Australia in 2013, and one of the shirts he wore in that series is up on the wall. Harpenden is a commuter town, 35 minutes from London by train. It's all ancient trees, trimmed hedgerows and little brick cottages with wonky wooden beams. Almost everyone's an out-of-towner. In the middle of all the coming and going, the foundations of the last decade of English rugby were laid down here. Farrell was the club's first Lion and Maro Itoje, just a few years below him, was their second. Last week, the Lions' midweek and Test match captains were both Harpenden RFC men. 'Not bad for a wee club,' says Stu Mitchell, a Scot who used to coach here. 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I saw Maro do that same thing in a school game and I thought: 'Well, there's only one other player I've ever seen do that before'.' Itoje was big, they used to make him get off the bus first if he saw the opposition were watching, but he was shy with it, softly spoken and impeccably polite. He used to turn up to the family BBQs with extra chicken. When Mitchell told him he didn't need to bring his own food, Itoje explained it was for after he had eaten. The Test match in Sydney is drifting. Itoje has gone off with a head injury and the Lions are missing his leadership. Farrell's on in the midfield, it's a tight and hot-tempered match in terrible weather. You'd think it would be made for him. 'People always ask me if I ever sent Owen off,' says Paul Nolan, who has been refereeing at the club since the 80s and remembers how the Farrell family used to watch on the sidelines. 'And the answer's no, because I was too scared of his mum.' Nolan can't abide swearing on the pitch. 'People say: 'Why would an Irishman worry about bad language?' Well, it's a Sunday morning and this is my church.' Up on the screen, Farrell is cursing a blue streak at one of the Aussies. Nolan chuckles. 'I was down at Saracens watching him not long ago, and his dad turned to me and said: 'He's not changed, has he?'' The artificial pitch was a reward from the RFU for the work the club did in bringing them through, which annoyed their local rivals no end. Long before the end of the Test, the kids are back out on it, more interested in winning their five-a-side than watching the Lions lose. I'm told they have hundreds of them down here on Sundays in season, all dreaming of wearing that famous red jersey.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
TEST MATCH BREAKFAST: David Warner's cheeky dig at Joe Root, the dangers of covering cricket, and why the Graham Thorpe tribute fundraiser could become ANNUAL
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The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
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Subconsciously I guess I will never know the answer to that question.' So the 2025 Lions are a good side, but not a great one; a team capable of fantastic highs and passages of thrilling rugby but without an 80-minute showing to really be proud. They threatened to run rampant in the first half in Brisbane, but thereafter, with Will Skelton back amongst things, Australia won four of the five remaining 40-minute periods in the series. Overmatched opposition they were not. The Lions, though, set high standards and asked to be judged on them - in that context, they did not succeed, and they will be disappointed to go out on a damp squib. Those facts should not at all take away from what the Lions have achieved in Australia. It is a real feat to secure a series with a game to spare – this was only the second time it had occurred in the professional era. 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He sees everything so he's prepared to call you out in the middle of the session if something's not good enough. He sees it all and he'll then have it clipped up and you'll see it in reviews. There's no hiding place, his standards are so high. He knows exactly what he wants from everyone.' Selection criticism is a natural by-product of a venture like this but much of Farrell's work in that regard looks strong in retrospect. He may reflect that he could have refreshed his pack, particularly, for the affair in Sydney but those involved had earned the chance to go again. Tadhg Beirne, something of a surprise selection for the first Test, was named player of the series; the impact made by a beefed up bench at the MCG was pivotal. The arrival of Owen Farrell, too, added an extra competitive edge and experienced head to a squad that probably needed it - though his third Test showing was not his best outing. Suggestions of an Irish bias do not necessarily stand up to real scrutiny given how strong the men in green have been over the last few years and how many of them stood up in the heat of battle. It is impossible to avoid such an accusation, anyway. The idea of a neutral coach plucked from outside of the coaching staffs of the four unions in a neat one in theory, yet the international and club games are vastly different. Of those currently coaching the unions, Steve Borthwick is tracking well and, like Farrell, has the benefit of a Lions tour as an assistant. A strong next two years and World Cup with England, which looks increasingly within reach, would see him really press his candidacy. But much the same could be said of the man in possession, and right now it would be a surprise if it is not Farrell coaching the Lions in New Zealand. 'Everyone knows what I think about this concept,' he said late on Saturday night. 'I love everything that the Lions is about and I've thoroughly enjoyed the last eight weeks. There's always ups and there's always downs but the inner circle is a special place to be. 'We all know how hard it is to be successful on a Lions tour against a good side like Australia. When we get a bit of time to ourselves we will be unbelievably proud of what we have achieved. Lions tours are tough. The legacy for us is in that changing room. The togetherness of the whole group has been an absolute delight.'
