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Short-ball ploy and close catchers: how England wrapped up India's tail

Short-ball ploy and close catchers: how England wrapped up India's tail

Times14-07-2025
B en Stokes has led England to some tight victories bowling last — in Multan in 2022 by 26 runs, against Australia at the Oval in 2023 by 49 runs and in Hyderabad last year by 28 runs — but tactically this win at Lord's was the toughest. The pitch was slow and the ball was old, and every wicket had to be dug out. It took an age.
Had England scored even another 30 runs in their second innings, a second new ball would have come into play, and they might have had a surer route to the win. As it was, that new ball remained tantalisingly out of reach.
Even so, by the lunch break, England must have thought the job was almost done. But with India still needing 81, Ravindra Jadeja, the last recognised batsman, opted to play carefully and control the strike, and nudge his side towards their target. His partners — first Jasprit Bumrah, then Mohammed Siraj — focused on surviving what few balls they faced.
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