IND vs ENG: DSP Mohammed Siraj turns detective! He grabs England batter's bat and inspects it during Headingley Test
NEW DELHI: Just as the drinks break was called on Day 2 of the first Test at Headingley Stadium in Leeds,
, ever the character, walked up to the stumps and casually picked up an England batter's bat, inspecting it with curiosity.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Known not only for his fiery spells but also for his quirks, Siraj—who also holds a DSP post in Hyderabad—had beaten the bat on multiple occasions and extracted swing, but remained wicketless despite his spirited effort.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Earlier in the day, England clawed back into the contest with a superb bowling fightback led by pacer Josh Tongue, who finished with figures of 4 for 86. India, from a dominant position at 430/3 with both
and
on centuries, suffered a dramatic collapse, losing their last seven wickets for just 41 runs and being bowled out for 471.
India resumed Day 2 on 395/3 and added 53 runs without loss before drinks. Gill and Pant continued their sublime form—Gill stroked a delightful cover drive off Woakes, while Pant peppered the boundaries off Brydon Carse and Shoaib Bashir. Pant moved into the 90s with a falling scoop and then launched Bashir for a one-handed six over midwicket to bring up a spectacular century off 146 balls. He celebrated with his signature somersault—an ode to his gymnastics training in his younger days.
MLC 2025: Faf du Plessis on why cricket's American dream is just getting started
Pant's onslaught continued with more sixes and boundaries, but the 209-run stand came to an end when Gill, attempting to reach his 150 in style, holed out to deep square leg for a classy 147. Karun Nair, making a long-awaited Test return after 3,011 days, fell for a duck—caught brilliantly by Ollie Pope.
Pant, after scoring a scintillating 134, was eventually trapped lbw by a sharp nip-backer from Tongue. Shardul Thakur edged to the keeper on the stroke of lunch, as England walked off smiling. Post-lunch, Tongue cleaned up the tail with sharp reverse swing, dismissing Bumrah, Jadeja, and Prasidh Krishna, wrapping up India's innings swiftly within 23 minutes of the second session.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Sachin Tendulkar points out Pant's
Leeds [UK], June 21 (ANI): India's legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar believes vice-captain Rishabh Pant's falling paddle sweep is not 'accidental' but 'intentional,' which makes it 'extremely clever.' He also decoded the tactical ploy that was in play during captain Shubman Gill's partnership with his deputy. During Pant's 134(178) blitzkrieg, one shot from his loaded arsenal stood out, the paddle-pulled down shot he executed on several occasions. He used to target the fine leg area with control and pick up runs to keep the scoreboard ticking, especially off Shoaib Bashir. 'Rishabh's falling paddle sweep is not accidental. It is intentional and extremely clever. Going down with the shot allows him to get under the ball and scoop it over leg slip with control,' Sachin wrote on X. Another aspect that caught Sachin's eye was Gill and Pant's conversation in Hindi during Bashir's over. For the 'Master Blaster', the conversation was a tactical ploy to disrupt Bashir's rhythm, who could extract turn from the dry surface. 'Also noticed something interesting during Bashir's spell. Shubman and Rishabh were speaking loudly in Hindi between deliveries. It wasn't just casual talk. They were playing mind games with the bowler, trying to disrupt his rhythm. These minor details may not appear on the scoreboard, but they can have a significant impact on the game,' he added. After Yashasvi Jaiswal's explosive 101(159), the captain and vice-captain's act propelled India into a position of control. Gill and Pant forged a 209-run partnership and exposed England's pace bowling attack, bereft of experience. While Pant switched through gears, Gill maintained one tempo and tried to dictate the game's flow with it. Gill's exploits at the crease concluded after he dragged the ball towards the deep square into the hands of Josh Tongue. He wanted to bring up his 150 in style but was forced to return on 147(227). Pant, who brought up his century by heaving the ball past the boundary rope with a one-handed maximum, got pinned in front of the stumps by Tongue. He offered no shot, and the ball nipped in to trap Pant in front of the stumps, which pulled the curtains down on his 134(178). India's lower end collapsed after Gill and Pant's return to the dugout and forced the tourists to pack on 471. (ANI)
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
"He worked on certain things, credit goes to him...": Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak hails Shubman Gill
Leeds [UK], June 22 (ANI): Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak praised India test skipper Shubman Gill after his majestic hundred on captaincy debut against England on Saturday, in the first of five test match series at Headingley, Leeds. He said Gill had made specific changes in his batting, credited him with analysing what he needed to do, and felt he did really well. Sitanshu Kotak, while speaking in the post-match press conference, said, 'I think, after the Australia series, he [Shubman Gill] has thought of certain things, which he has implemented, after Australia, Champions Trophy, and then we had IPL. He worked on certain things, and as soon as I saw him in the nets, I spoke to him about the changes you made, and he said yes. So a lot of credit goes to him for analysing what he needs to do, and I think he did really well.' India were bowled out for 471 in 113 overs in the first innings, with captain Shubman Gill, vice-captain Rishabh Pant, and Yashasvi Jaiswal all crossing the century milestone. Gill scored his century in 140 balls, making him the fifth Indian to have scored a century in his first Test as captain. He was dismissed on 147, trying to hit a six and complete his 150, but he was caught on square leg off Shoaib Bashir. Kotak also praised Pant for his brilliance in the middle. He felt the wicketkeeper/batter makes his decision when he bats and he plays aggressive shots, which does not mean that he can't play defensive cricket. 'Rishabh Pant, I think, is someone who makes his own plans, makes his decision when he bats, so this inning was a little different than you would see him normally, but that is his plan, the way he wanted to approach it, and when he wanted to attack, he did. So, because he plays aggressively, it does not mean that he can't play defensively,' he added. Pant was eventually dismissed on the second ball of the 108th over for 134 by Josh Tongue. India squandered the advantage in the first session on Day 2 as the side lost four wickets in the last half an hour. Shubman Gill (147), Karun Nair (0), Rishabh Pant (134) and Shardul Thakur (1) all lost their wickets. A century by Ollie Pope and his partnership with Ben Duckett helped England put up a strong reply against India in their first innings, ending the final session of day two of the first Test on a high. England earlier made a strong comeback, dismissing India for 471 after the visitors had ended the day yesterday on 359 for three and looked poised for a huge score. At the end of the second day's play, England were 209/3, with Pope (100*) and Harry Brook (0*) unbeaten. They trail by 262 runs. Brief Scores: England: 209/3 (Ollie Pope 100*, Ben Duckett 62, Jasprit Bumrah 3/48) trail India (Shubman Gill 147, Rishabh Pant 134, Ben Stokes 4/66). (ANI)
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Pant overtakes Rohit to become India's top six-hitter in WTC history
Leeds [UK], June 21 (ANI): Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant overtook former skipper Rohit Sharma, becoming the team's leading six-hitter in the history of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) history. Pant accomplished this feat during his side's first Test against England at Leeds on Friday. During his knock of 134 in 178 balls, Pant smashed 12 fours and six sixes, scoring at a run-rate of above 75. With this, Pant's six count in WTC has gone up to 62, overtaking Rohit's tally of 56 in 40 Tests. The 27-year-old has smashed these sixes in just 35 matches, scoring a total of 2,386 runs at an average of 41.85 with five centuries and 13 fifties in his WTC career. The leading six-hitter in ICC WTC history is England skipper Ben Stokes, who has smashed 83 sixes in 54 Tests. Pant on Saturday also surpassed MS Dhoni to register the most Test centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter and continued his good show in what are regarded as tough wickets in countries outside Asia. Pant now has seven centuries, overtaking Dhoni, who has six Test centuries. This is also his fifth century in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) conditions, the most by an Asian batter. Three of these centuries have come in England and one each have come in Australia and South Africa. Also, he has equalled Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara (seven centuries) for most centuries in Tests as a designated keeper among all Asian countries. Earlier on Friday, Pant also completed his 3,000 Test runs, becoming the second Indian wicketkeeper-batter to do so after Dhoni and overtook Dhoni to become Asia's most successful wicketkeeper-batter in SENA on the basis of run count. In 44 Tests for India, Pant has scored 3,082 runs at an average of 43.40, with seven centuries and 15 fifties in 76 innings. His runs have come at a stunning strike rate of 73.69. Coming to the match, England opted to bowl first. Centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal (101 in 159 balls, with 16 fours), skipper Shubman Gill (147 in 227 balls, with 19 fours and a six) and Pant (134 in 178 balls, with 12 fours and six sixes) took India to 471 all out. Skipper Ben Stokes (4/66) and Josh Tongue (4/86) were the top bowlers for England. (ANI)
