IND vs ENG: 'Where are they getting 20 wickets?' Stuart Broad sounds alarm bells over England's bowling attack
LEEDS, ENGLAND - JUNE 20: Ben Stokes of England reacts as he bowls during day one of the Rothesay Test Match between England and India at Headingley on June 20, 2025 in Leeds, England. (Photo by)
A couple of days before the first Test of the five-match series between India and England,
Stuart Broad
raised questions about the Ben Stokes-led team's inexperienced bowling attack.
On the opening day of the Test match, the England attack lacked bite.
They were all over the place with their lengths, and hardly any phase saw them creating sustained pressure on the Indian batters.
India finished Day 1 on 350 for 3, with excellent centuries from captain
Shubman Gill
(127* not out) and
Yashasvi Jaiswal
(101).
Broad, who took 604 Test wickets during his career, including 74 against India, had expressed concerns that England's attack could struggle against India's talented batting unit.
'Looking at England with the injuries they've got at the moment — where are they getting 20 wickets?' Broad told The Times.
'Chris Woakes will probably have the new ball. I love Woakesy, but I am worried about the number of overs he's bowled this summer — not enough. He's someone who needs overs under his belt to get his rhythm. He's not like Mark Wood, who can hit the ground running straight away after a layoff — Woakes needs to get going and find his rhythm.'
Broad had also predicted how an error in length might cost England at Headingley.
'Headingley has a lightning-quick outfield — if you make any mistakes in your length, the batsman just whizzes away,' Broad said.
'If there are clouds, it can swing around, but if you get it wrong there, you disappear at a rate of knots. We've got an inexperienced young spinner too [Shoaib Bashir], so there are a lot of unknowns. It spins at Headingley, so there is no chance they don't pick their specialist spinner.'
Dominant India on Day 1! Jaiswal & Gill Hit Centuries | ENG vs IND 1st Test - Sahil from Leeds
England fast-bowling consultant Tim Southee defended skipper
Ben Stokes
' decision to bowl first on a dry Headingley wicket.
Stokes' decision came in for sharp criticism from former captain
Michael Vaughan
, who said he didn't find any logic in the move.
'With the colour of the wicket yesterday, and a little bit of moisture left in it, if there was going to be a little bit of help, it was probably going to be this morning. That was the thinking behind the decision,' Southee said in the post-stumps press conference.
'You look at the surface and make the decision on what you think will give you the best chance. Not all the time do you get it right.'
Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
21 minutes ago
- Time of India
IND vs ENG: Rishabh Pant breaks MS Dhoni's record, slams his seventh Test century vs England at Headingley
Rishabh Pant (Getty Images) NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant 's love affair with England continues, and the dynamic wicketkeeper-batter once again showcased his class with the bat. On Day 2 of the opening Test at Headingley in Leeds, Pant brought up his seventh Test century — his fourth against England — reinforcing his status as one of India's finest modern-day red-ball batters. Pant reached the triple figure mark in 146 balls. This latest ton was also Pant's third Test century on English soil, following his 114 at The Oval in 2018 and 146 at Edgbaston in 2022. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! His other century against England came in Ahmedabad in 2021, where he scored 101. Interestingly, Pant's latest hundred in Leeds was the slowest Test century of his career, bringing up the milestone off 146 balls — a rare display of restraint from the typically explosive left-hander. Pant has also surpassed MS Dhoni to become the Indian wicketkeeper with the most Test centuries. Pant now has 7 Test hundreds as a designated wicketkeeper, eclipsing Dhoni's tally of 6. Wriddhiman Saha follows with 3 centuries. Dominant India on Day 1! Jaiswal & Gill Hit Centuries | ENG vs IND 1st Test - Sahil from Leeds PANT'S CENTURIES vs ENGLAND: Year Runs Balls 4s 6s Strike Rate Venue Innings Dismissal 2018 114 146 15 4 78.08 The Oval 4th Caught 2021 101 118 13 2 85.59 Ahmedabad 2nd Caught 2022 146 111 19 4 131.53 Birmingham 1st Caught 2025 100* 146 8 2 64.70 Leeds 1st Not Out Most Test Centuries by Designated Wicketkeepers (India): Player Test Centuries Rishabh Pant 7 MS Dhoni 6 Wriddhiman Saha 3 PANT'S CENTURIES (BY BALLS TAKEN): Opponent Runs Balls 4s 6s Strike Rate Venue Year Australia 100 137 8 0 72.99 Sydney 2019 England 100 89 15 1 112.36 Birmingham 2022 England 100 117 14 3 85.47 The Oval 2018 Bangladesh 100 124 11 4 80.64 Chennai 2024 England 100 115 13 2 86.95 Ahmedabad 2021 South Africa 100 133 6 4 75.18 Cape Town 2022 England 100 146 10 4 71.92 Leeds 2025 Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Rishabh Pant vrooms past MS Dhoni's India record with scintillating century: 'Difference between sexy and silly'
India vice-captain Rishabh Pant began the five-match series against England with a bang as he completed his seventh ton in the longest format on Day 2 of the first Test at Headingley, Leeds. The left-handed batter mixed caution with aggression as he kept the England attack of Ben Stokes, Brydon Carsen, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes and Shoaib Bashir at bay. India vs England, 1st Test: Rishabh Pant smashes seventh ton. (Action Images via Reuters) With this century, Rishabh Pant now has the most number of hundreds as an Indian wicketkeeper-batter, going past MS Dhoni. The latter had six Test tons to his name while Pant now has seven. Pant is now on level terms with England's Matt Prior, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, South Africa's AB de Villiers and New Zealand's BJ Watling in the number of centuries scored as a Test wicketkeeper-batter. Also Read: IND vs ENG Live: Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill continue India's dominance The 27-year-old brought up his century off the bowling of Shoaib Bashir. He brought up the three-figure mark in 146 balls. Pant brought up the century with a one-handed six off the bowling of Bashir. Upon achieving the milestone, Pant soaked in the applause of the Headingley crowd. Moments later, he brought out the somersault celebration and the entire Leeds crowd erupted in applause and cheers. 'One of the best hundred celebrations I have seen in my entire life,' said Ian Ward on air. Coming into bat in the third and final session on Day 1, Rishabh Pant made his intentions clear as he danced down the track off the bowling of Ben Stokes to smash him down the ground for a four. This was just Pant's second delivery in the innings. 'Outrageous. There's a difference between sexy and silly. It is going to look sexy when it comes off and silly when it doesn't,' said Dinesh Karthik on Sky Sports before the start of play on Day 2 while talking about Pant's shot off the bowling of Stokes. However, after hitting his second ball for a four, the left-hander went back into his shell as he displayed a full blockathon. However, once Shubman Gill completed his century, Pant decided to change gears, and he started to smash the England bowlers all around the park. Even in the last over of the day, Pant showed no hesitation in playing an aggressive aerial shot. Also Read: Rishabh Pant snaps at Shubman Gill's aggression, calls him out for taking aerial risk Pant, who was batting on 65 overnight, carried on from where he left off on Day 2. The left-handed batter displayed his aggressive instincts and showed no hesitation in taking down the likes of Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes. Sunil Gavaskar's praise for Rishabh Pant On Day 1 of the first Test between India and England, Sunil Gavaskar heaped praise on Pant, saying he likes to dance down the track on the first few balls he faces as it makes him feel "free". 'It seems like that's how he plays. When he comes in to bat, on the second or third ball, he often uses his feet and hits a boundary. It makes him feel free and then allows him to play the way he wants," Gavaskar said during a segment on Sony Sports. "Over here, he's been measured in his approach, giving himself time out in the middle. But once he's in and the bowlers start to tire, that's when he begins to step down the pitch and really attack, hitting big shots, sixes, and boundaries," he added. India are completely bossing the first Test against England after being asked to bat. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal set the tone through a 91-run opening stand. Jaiswal and Gill then took the momentum ahead with their smashing hundreds.
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Shubman Gill's fashion blunder in England Test may attract ICC penalty
Shubman Gill 's commanding debut as India's Test captain may have made headlines for all the right reasons on Day 1 of the Headingley Test against England, but an unusual wardrobe choice could now draw sanctions from the International Cricket Council (ICC). Gill, who scored an unbeaten 127 and led India to 359/3 at stumps, was seen wearing black socks — a potential breach of ICC's Clothing and Equipment Code for Test matches. According to Article 19.45 of the ICC regulations, players are required to wear socks in white, cream, or light grey while playing in Tests. By donning black socks, Gill may have committed a Level 1 violation, which could attract a reprimand for a first offence or fines ranging between 10 and 20 percent of match fees for a deliberate breach. Repeat infractions in a 12-month period can escalate to 75% of the match fee. The match referee will assess whether the breach was accidental or a deliberate oversight. Live Events The sock controversy came amid an otherwise dominant day for the 25-year-old, who became only the fifth Indian Test captain to score a century in his first innings as skipper. He joins the elite company of Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Virat Kohli. Gill's knock came after an impressive 101 from Yashasvi Jaiswal, who shared a 129-run stand with the captain. Earlier, KL Rahul contributed 42 in a 91-run opening partnership. Though debutant Sai Sudharsan fell for a duck, India regained momentum with Rishabh Pant's unbeaten 65, including a six in the final over. Despite the sock slip, Gill's leadership and batting have set the tone for India in the five-match series.
