Latest news with #5thRothesayTestMatch
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
IND vs ENG: Chris Woakes on injury replacements in Tests - 'You lose a player, you find a way'
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 04: Chris Woakes of England greets Mohammed Siraj of India after the end of the match on day five of the 5th Rothesay Test Match at The Kia Oval on August 04, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by) England seamer Chris Woakes , currently nursing a shoulder injury, has backed his captain Ben Stokes ' stance in the ongoing debate over "injury substitutions" in Test cricket. Poll Do you agree with Ben Stokes' stance on injury substitutions in Test cricket? Yes, I fully support it. No, I think substitutions should be allowed. Not sure, need more information. India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant had retired hurt on the first day of the drawn fourth Test in Manchester but returned to bat the next day, despite scans confirming a fracture in his right foot. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! India head coach Gautam Gambhir subsequently advocated for the introduction of injury replacements in Tests—a suggestion Stokes had dismissed as 'absolutely ridiculous.' Interestingly, in the fifth Test at The Oval, England found themselves in a similar situation when Woakes suffered a fractured shoulder. Despite the injury, he came out to bat on the final day with England nine wickets down and needing fewer than 20 runs to win. 'I'm with Stokesy, to be honest,' Woakes told The Guardian. 'Having played for 18 years, the game is what it is—you lose a player, and as a team, you have to find a way. It makes you more resilient and the team stronger." 'I understand why people might feel it's necessary in cases of freak injuries like mine, but there would be too many grey areas and loopholes.' Inside The Oval: An Exclusive Tour of the Stadium Where India Played the Final Test Woakes' gritty decision to bat despite his injury has earned him widespread respect. 'I mean, it's not the way you want to make the front page—you'd rather it be for five wickets or a century. There have been a lot of ups and downs since, but yeah, the love from the public has helped,' he said. 'It's so strange to go from starting a Test week thinking, 'One last push,' to ending up on a physio's table wondering what the future holds.' Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
IND vs ENG: Mohammed Siraj's tough upbringing has hardened him up, says coach
Mohammed Siraj of India greets the crowd after being announced as the player of the match on day five of the 5th Rothesay Test Match at The Kia Oval on August 04, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by) If you haven't watched Mohammed Siraj 's delivery that dismissed Gus Atkinson to end the Oval Test, drop everything and watch the highlights reel now. The ball curved in deceptively and went under Atkinson's bat to dismantle his off stump. Amid the euphoric celebrations that helped India clinch their narrowest Test win, here was another statistic that quietly went unnoticed. That was Siraj's fifth-fastest delivery of the series. In all, he delivered 185.2 overs over the course of the five Tests, and in the second innings at the Oval, he hurled 30.1 of England's 85.1 overs. So much so, that even in the final ball of the series, he was willing to bend his back and extract every ounce from the fifth-day pitch. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! It illustrated the never-say-die attitude and the indefatigable spirit of the Hyderabadi pacer. Siraj would finish the series with 23 scalps and walk away with the Player of the Match award, but there were numerous instances when fate and circumstances were pitted against him. IND vs ENG: Mohammed Siraj reflects on memorable win at The Oval Be it the time when he kept missing the edge of the bat through the course of the series, or when on Day 4 of the final Test, when he failed to grab the catch off Harry Brook at the boundary. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Fastest Selling Plots of Mysore from 40L | 40+ Amenities PurpleBrick Learn More Undo Despite these setbacks, Miyan bhai, as he is popularly known, carried on undeterred. Naturally, his childhood coach Mohammed Mahboob Ahmed, who watched Siraj take tentative steps towards becoming Team India's leading pacer, is chuffed about his ward. 'Nothing perturbs him anymore. It doesn't matter if he keeps missing the batter's edge or whether he drops a catch. He keeps bowling with a big heart and a huge smile on his face. His tough upbringing has hardened him up,' Ahmed, the secretary of Charminar Cricket Club, told TOI. Siraj's father, late Mohammed Ghouse, was an auto-rickshaw driver, whose unflinching support fuelled Siraj's cricketing aspirations. He put in the hard yards and became a regular during numerous India 'A' tours before finally making his Test debut against Australia in Dec 2020. Ahmed reckoned that the key reason for Siraj's success was his ability to pick wickets at crucial junctures. The searing yorker in the dying moments of Day 3 to dismiss England opener Ben Duckett was a case in point. 'He will always remain relevant for India because he has the X-factor,' he added. In Jasprit Bumrah's absence, Siraj put his hand up and delivered when it mattered the most. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
IND vs ENG: 'Even the clouds cried on the pitch' - R Ashwin slams England for disrespecting 'cricketing gods'
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 04: Mohammed Siraj of India celebrates the match winning wicket of Gus Atkinson of England with teammates on day five of the 5th Rothesay Test Match at The Kia Oval on August 04, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by) R Ashwin didn't mince his words while talking about the recently-concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and criticised England cricketers for disrespecting the "cricketing gods. " Ashwin slammed England captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum for encouraging what he called reckless cricket. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'As a captain, as a coach, you can proclaim to the world that this is your brand of cricket,' Ashwin said on his Hindi YouTube show Ash Ki Baat. 'They can say that Brook played the way we wanted him to play, that he embraced our beliefs. 'All of this is easier said than done, but Test cricket needs a certain amount of balance. Yes, I agree that this approach got you runs in the first innings, but in the fourth innings, when you're batting on 100 and the finish line is in sight, it becomes your responsibility to see your team through.' IND vs ENG: Mohammed Siraj reflects on memorable win at The Oval Ashwin pointed out Harry Brook's reckless shot after scoring a fantastic century, which gave India an opening at The Oval. 'When he (Brook) walked in at 100/3, England were not in the game at all. He took chances against Akash Deep when England were staring down the barrel, and a big defeat was looming. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like When Knee Pain Hits, Start Eating These Foods, and Feel Your Pain Go Away (It's Genius) Click Here Undo But when he got out, it was a moment he could have cherished. 'He could have walked out of The Oval with his bat held high alongside Joe Root, who was breaking record after record, and could have won the series 3-1 for England. But he played a reckless shot, and that punishment is why England lost the match and ended up drawing the series. Poll Was Harry Brook's shot a turning point in the match? Absolutely, it cost the game No, the team had other chances Maybe, but other factors played a role 'Brook definitely missed that opportunity. Everything fell on Root's shoulders. And, fortunately for India, the conditions changed. Such things happen when the cricketing gods are disrespected. 'The way England disrespected the cricketing gods — even the clouds came together, cried on the pitch, and allowed the ball to move a lot,' Ashwin said. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
4 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
What you sow is what you reap! R Ashwin lambasts Ben Stokes for his 'ridiculous' comment on injury substitution
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 04: Chris Woakes of England walks off the field following day five of the 5th Rothesay Test Match between England and India at The Kia Oval on August 04, 2025 in London, England. (Photo byfor Surrey CCC) On Monday, England all-rounder Chris Woakes came out to bat with his arm in a sling to support Gus Atkinson, with England needing 17 runs to reach their target of 374. Woakes received a hero's welcome and stood at the non-striker's end as Atkinson attempted to steer England to victory. However, Mohammed Siraj held his nerve and cleaned up Atkinson with a searing yorker, handing India a dramatic six-run win and leveling the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The topic of injury substitutions has been a point of debate throughout the series. Former England captain Michael Vaughan had advocated for it, especially after Rishabh Pant sustained an injury and had to be taken off the field on a cart. Speaking on his hindi YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, former India off-spinner R. Ashwin criticized England captain Ben Stokes , who had dismissed the idea as "ridiculous" when asked about it earlier in the series. Ben Stokes press conference: On Mohammed Siraj, Chris Woakes batting with injury, 2-2 result "What you sow is what you reap," Ashwin said. 'At Old Trafford, after Rishabh Pant's injury, the press conference included questions about injury substitution. Gautam Gambhir had said that injuries like these warrant substitutions. Immediately after, the same question was asked to Ben Stokes and he said, 'It's absolutely a joke.' 'I'm a big fan of Ben Stokes. I admire his attitude. But you need to think before you speak. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Family Adopted A New 'Dog', But When The Vet Sees It He Calls The Police Undo Today, Chris Woakes walked out with his shoulder tucked into his sweater and gave it his all to help the team win. He almost did it. He was running, showing immense game awareness. Hats off to Chris Woakes — remarkable attitude, remarkable fight, putting his body on the line.' Ashwin added that Vaughan's point about allowing substitutions is worth considering: 'Michael Vaughan said this is one area where the game can evolve. Substitutions should be allowed.' Poll Should cricket allow injury substitutions during matches? Yes, it's necessary for fair play No, it disrupts the flow of the game Only for serious injuries Undecided 'All I'm saying is: show a little empathy for the other team. Stokes should have considered what it would be like if a player of Rishabh Pant's calibre was in his team and got injured. Wouldn't you want a substitution? Wouldn't that be fair? 'You are free to share your opinion — but using words like 'joke' and 'ridiculous' isn't respectful. Think before you speak. "Karma hits instantly.' Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
4 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
IND vs ENG: Siraj Sartaj! Finally, Mohammed Siraj emerges out of senior Jasprit Bumrah's shadow
Mohammed Siraj of India greets the crowd after being announced as the player of the match on day five of the 5th Rothesay Test Match at The Kia Oval on August 04, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by) London: Mohammed Siraj woke up at 6 am on Monday. He typed the word 'believe' on his phone's browser. He discovered a Cristiano Ronaldo backshot where the footballer is seen pointing to the sky, with the words 'believe' superimposed on the photograph. He downloaded and saved the image as his phone's wallpaper. Just over a year ago, after Jasprit Bumrah helped India clinch a thrilling T20 World Cup final in Barbados, a video of Siraj had gone viral, in which he said, 'I only believe in Jassi bhai (Bumrah). He is a gamechanger.' Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Siraj is a simple human being who has done superhuman things over the course five Test matches in the last two months on English soil. After finishing off the last Test match with a searing yorker, he was the only pacer standing — from both sides — after playing in all five Test matches. On Monday after the dramatic win in the fifth Test, with Siraj next to him, Gill said, 'We always tell him that we only believe in Siraj.' 'Believe' is the most operative word in any conversation around Siraj. He is a man driven by emotion. He looks for emotional triggers to motivate himself. Joe Root laughed off his on-field stares and chatters on Sunday evening. 'He has the fake anger. He is a lovely lad and a good competitor. I love playing against him,' Root would say of the duel with Siraj. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Flexible MBA by SRM—Apply Now! SRM Online Apply Now Undo Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj press conference: India stars answer all questions Siraj has truly come of age on this tour. At a time when India's fast-bowling resources started to look grim with all the uncertainty around Bumrah's fitness, he has put his hand up and body on the line to emerge as India's true leader of the pace attack in Test cricket. He has bowled over 185 overs on this tour. This has been one of the flattest and most batting-friendly English summers. He came out of the summer with 23 wickets in nine innings at an average 26.9. Yet, he cringes at the term 'workload management'. 'To be honest, my body is fine right now. It's almost 187 overs in this series. When you play for the country, you give everything. Don't think too much. It doesn't matter if you are bowling your sixth over or the ninth of a spell. I believe in myself. You bowl every ball for the country, not for yourself,' Siraj said. Siraj channelled all his passion into the spell he put in at the Oval. He was hurling deliveries at 90 mph on Monday morning. He ran in every delivery with his limbs and mind directed towards one goal — get India over the line. There is ample guile and skill in his bowling too. It's true that the conditions favoured seam and swing but the control over the proceedings he had on Monday morning, while darting the ball around in the air and off the seam, was impeccable. If he played with Jamie Smith's eagerness to score quickly with outswingers, he darted one back from the same spot to trap Jamie Overton in front of the stumps. Poll How important is emotional motivation for athletes like Siraj? Very important Somewhat important Not important Unsure Siraj talks about being a leader now. Much of his career has gone by in the shadow of Bumrah's excellence. He has emerged out of it. He has proven that he can carry a pace attack even as Indian cricket stays obsessed with Bumrah's 'workload management' issues. The time he spent playing second fiddle has groomed him to be a leader. He has worked on the art of bowling in partnerships. He chose to remind the press that he picked 20 wickets even in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which was headlined by a stellar Bumrah. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
