Test series win in any SENA country bigger than IPL title: Shubman Gill
The 25-year-old Gill said his young Indian side without superstars Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin will play without any 'baggage' in England with the opening Test starting here on Friday.
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The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Data Shows India Struggles Most When the Ball Swings Less in England: A Stats Feature
A new era for Indian Test cricket begins on June 20, when the side starts its five-match series against England in Leeds. For a new-look Indian batting order, now without the experience of the recently retired Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, English conditions will present a stern examination. Newly appointed captain Shubman Gill and his fellow batters will have their techniques tested by the moving ball in England's swing-friendly environment. Swing has long been a defining feature of Test cricket in England. This is enabled by the country's near-perpetual overcast skies, the generally lush and unabrasive outfields, and the firm nature of its pitches. These factors combine to ensure that swing persists throughout a Test match and is more pronounced on average than in any other SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) country. Notably, swing in England tends to remain consistent regardless of ball age. The red cherry continues to move more in the air across innings than it typically does elsewhere in the SENA group. This phenomenon is further amplified by the use of the Dukes ball. Its pronounced seam and greater durability allow for more sustained and pronounced movement in the air. Conversely, reverse swing is relatively rare in England. The milder weather and softer outfields reduce the chances of the ball scuffing up enough to reverse appreciably. For Indian batters, who have grown up playing in conditions far less conducive to swing, the English question has long been a perplexing one. India's top-order batters have averaged just 30.31 in England across 121 Tests since 1932 — their second-lowest return in any country, ahead of only South Africa (28.88). While Indian batting began to improve in England in the 1970s and peaked in the 2000s, the trend has reversed in recent times. Since 2010, India has played 23 Tests in England — across four bilateral series and two World Test Championship finals. In these matches, its top-order average has slumped to 28.69 — only four teams have fared worse in that span. It is also India's third-lowest average in any country during this period. Interestingly, India's struggles are more pronounced when the ball swings less. Since 2010, Indian top-seven batters in England average just 25.23 when the ball swings under 0.75° — only West Indies has done worse. India's averages remain subpar even in higher swing brackets (0.75–1.50° and 1.50–2.25°). Virat Kohli summed up the challenge of batting in England during the 2021 series: 'You can never say in England that now you are set. You have to put your ego in your pocket. You need good decision-making because conditions in England are the toughest in the world, in my opinion.' Kohli's own journey in England was marked by extremes. In 2014, he averaged just 13.40 across five Tests. Four years later, he bounced back with a superb 593-run series, including two centuries and three fifties. That turnaround, Kohli said, came from understanding that batting in England demands sustained focus: 'The conditions are not like in other places where, once you reach 30 or 40, you can start picking balls to hit. In England, you have to bat the way you did for your first 30 runs and repeat the same template for as long as possible. This discipline and patience are essential. If you're not patient in England, you can get out at any time — regardless of your experience or the number of runs you have.' While this advice is sound in theory, executing it is far from easy — especially for a largely inexperienced Indian line-up in 2025. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Washington Sundar are all yet to play a Test in England. One small consolation for the visitor is the absence of England's legendary swing duo — James Anderson and Stuart Broad. The pair has taken a combined 169 wickets against India at home, at an average of just 23.41. Even so, for Gill and company, this series promises to be as tough a baptism as Test cricket gets. Related Topics India vs England
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Neeraj Chopra at Paris Diamond League 2025 Live Streaming: Indian thrower seeking 1st victory of season
Neeraj Chopra at Paris Diamond League 2025 Live Streaming: The last time India's Neeraj Chopra and Germany's Julian Weber met on the Diamond League circuit, both athletes breached the 90m mark on the same night. First, Neeraj had breached the elusive threshold with a 90.23m effort in the third round, finally ending his long quest to break the 90-metre barrier. But soon, he was joined in the 90m club by Weber, thanks to a 91.06m effort in the final throw of the competition, snatching victory away from his Indian rival. That heady night in Doha will still be fresh in many memories. But here comes the sequel as Neeraj and Weber meet in Paris at the Diamond League. Of course the duo also competed in the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial a week after Doha. There too, Weber was on top, throwing the spear thrice beyond 85m while Neeraj could only manage a best of 84.14m with his last attempt which helped him end second. Can Chopra best the German javelin thrower? We'll know soon enough. The Meeting de Paris will see five throwers who have breached the 90m mark. Besides Neeraj and Weber, there are also current World No 1 Anderson Peters (Season Best 85.64), Kenya's Julius Yego (SB 78.74) and Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott (SB: 84.65).The three throwers rounding up the field are Brazil's Mauricio Luiz Da Silva (SB: 86.34), Moldova's Andrian Mardare (SB: 80.51) and France's Remi Rougetet (SB: 80.49). Here's a live streaming guide for the Paris Diamond League meet: When will Neeraj Chopra's javelin throw event at the Paris Diamond League take place? Neeraj's javelin throw event at the Paris Diamond League will be held in the early hours of Saturday (Friday night in Paris). Where is Neeraj Chopra's javelin throw event at the Paris Diamond League taking place? Neeraj will compete at Paris' Stade Charléty on Saturday in the Paris Diamond League meet. What time does Neeraj Chopra's javelin throw event at the Paris Diamond League start? Neeraj Chopra's javelin throw event at the Paris Diamond League is scheduled for 1.12 am IST (Saturday). Which TV channels will broadcast Neeraj Chopra's javelin throw event at the Paris Diamond League? There is no telecast option of Neeraj Chopra's javelin throw event at the Paris Diamond League in India. You can catch the streaming of the event at Wanda Diamond League YouTube channel.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
"When New Leadership Role Comes...": Ben Stokes On India Test Skipper Shubman Gill
Ahead of the first Test against India, England skipper Ben Stokes said that the visitors have an "exciting time" in the longest format of the game as they have announced young Shubman Gill as the new captain of the national team. After batting wizards Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli bid adieu to Test cricket last month, India was left short on experience. With India bereft of its torchbearers, the management turned to youngsters to mark the beginning of a new era. After their decision, the captaincy baton was passed from Rohit to Gill. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Ben Stokes told the media, "I think Subhman Gill is a very fine player. He's been around a long time now, considering he's only young. He's played a lot of cricket, a lot of IPL cricket, actually a lot of cricket for India. I think it's an exciting time for Indian cricket to be under the new leadership. It's a lot of pressure to be the captain of any Indian team. But yeah, it's an exciting time. I think it is always for teams when a new leadership role comes into play. So yeah, obviously, he will be my opponent for the next six weeks so that I won't go into it too much, but all the best." At 25, Gill has become one of the youngest players to hold the position in recent years. Though he lacks captaincy experience in the red-ball format, he has led India in a five-match T20I assignment in Zimbabwe in 2024. Gill has also been captaining the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Gill has also served as vice-captain in ODIs and T20Is. He was Rohit Sharma's deputy in India's victorious Champions Trophy campaign in the UAE in February 2025. In Test cricket, Gill has played 32 matches and scored 1,893 runs, including five centuries. India tour of England will take place from June to August 2025, with matches to be played at Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord's (London), Old Trafford (Manchester), and The Oval (London). A new era beckons for India in the Test format as the modern-day giants gear up for their first assignment without the prized batting bigwigs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Shubman Gill, India's youngest Test captain, has taken the baton from Rohit to guide the nation to success and challenge for the World Test Championship mace. India squad for England Test series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav. England on Wednesday announced its playing XI for the opening Test of the five-match series against India, which will kick off on June 20 at Headingley. For the opening Test, England has retained the majority of the XI they fielded against Zimbabwe during the one-off Test last month. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett will open for England, followed by Ollie Pope at number three. England Playing XI for the 1st Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
