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NDTV
2 hours ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Rishabh Pant Surpasses Rohit Sharma, Equals Virender Sehwag For Historic Feats But India Struggle vs England
Rishabh Pant continues to break records and win hearts, this time, with the bat in hand even while limping. On Thursday, during Day 2 of the Manchester Test against England, the wicket-keeper batter matched the legendary Virender Sehwag 's record for the most sixes by an Indian in Test cricket. Both now have 90 sixes to their name in the longest format. Pant, known for his fearless strokeplay, is now tied at the top with Sehwag, while India captain Rohit Sharma follows closely behind with 88 sixes. MS Dhoni has 78, and Ravindra Jadeja sits fifth on the list with 74 sixes. If that wasn't enough, Pant also leapfrogged Rohit Sharma to become India's leading run-scorer in the World Test Championship (WTC) era. The southpaw now has 2731 runs from just 38 Test matches, which includes six centuries and sixteen fifties. Rohit, on the other hand, has 2719 WTC runs. Despite the heroic effort, India finised the day on backfoot as England played Bazball brand of cricket. England were comfortably placed at 225 for two at stumps after bowling out India for 358 on the second day of the fourth Test on Thursday. Openers Ben Duckett (94 off 100 balls) and Zak Crawley (84 off 113 balls) led England's strong response with a brisk 166-run partnership, as the home team trailed India by 133 runs in their first innings at close of play. Ollie Pope (20) and Joe Root (11) were at the crease at stumps. What makes Pant's achievement even more special is the context, he returned to bat on Thursday despite suffering a painful toe injury on Day 1 and still made a solid impact. After Pant's fifty in Manchester in the fourth Test, now he has 14 fifty-plus scores, while Dhoni has thirteen fifties. The left-hander has six hundreds and eight fifties. Pant smashed 54 off 75 balls, laced with three boundaries and two maximums. The BCCI has confirmed earlier that Rishabh Pant will not keep wickets for the remainder of the Manchester Test after suffering a toe injury, but he will be available to bat if required. Team India suffered a setback on Day 1 after Pant was forced to leave the field when a toe-crushing yorker from England pacer Chris Woakes struck him on the right foot. The left-hander was in visible pain and could not continue batting, raised concerns over his participation in the rest of the match.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
The Ben Stokes revival spearheading England's charge at Old Trafford
Ben Stokes raised the ball that he had swung to dismiss Anshul Kamboj for a duck. Stokes has received plenty of applause and acclaim in the last few years, but never for this. The days when he took five wickets in an innings seemed consigned to the past; sometimes he didn't take five in a series. A day that featured a terrific opening partnership between Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley was shaped by the bowling double act of Jofra Archer and Stokes. The England captain was in fine company in another respect. Only Garry Sobers, Ian Botham and Jacques Kallis had made at least 10 Test centuries and got a minimum of five five-wicket hauls. Now Stokes is the fourth all-rounder in a select group. At a point in his career when he has gone two years without a Test hundred, his revival as a bowler was cemented with a landmark. Stokes being Stokes, it came when it mattered. England have the advantage heading into day three, just as their series lead owes much to Stokes' efforts with the ball at Lord's. He has been England's best bowler this series. He swings it more than Brydon Carse. He is quicker than Chris Woakes. He may be more durable than Jofra Archer. His first wicket of the Test was his biggest, Shubman Gill trapped leg before wicket without playing a shot. Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar were both caught at long leg but Stokes has the pace to bounce them. Shardul Tharkur was brilliantly held by Duckett in the gully. Kamboj got a beauty. He finished with 24-3-72-5, the last number significant, but the first as well. Stokes bowled 24 overs in the second innings at Lord's, 24 in the first at Old Trafford. It is becoming a regular workload. He has never bowled more overs in a series and he has three more innings to go. He has never taken more wickets in a series, his 16 beating the 15 he took in his first. But, after Liam Dawson 's first Test wicket since 2017, came Stokes' first five-wicket haul for eight years. His 6-22 against West Indies was before his World Cup final and Headingley 2019 heroics, before Bristol and Bazball. At 34, he has rewound the clock. In recent years, there were matches where Stokes didn't bowl, others where he was very much the fifth bowler. He had knee and hamstring injuries. He entered his mid-thirties. Even given Stokes' propensity for the unexpected, few envisaged this bowling comeback. Now he has drawn level with Darren Gough on 229 Test wickets; he may pass Sobers by the end of the series. It helped that he had support. He and Archer shared the six wickets to fall on Thursday. Archer, with his wonderful record against left-handers, dismissed Ravindra Jadeja, courtesy of a terrific catch from Harry Brook, and removed the off stump of Rishabh Pant, India's limping Lazarus, with a glorious delivery. Yet India's total of 358 had felt above par until England batted, before the deficit was under 200 when they still had their openers together and just 133 at the close, with Ollie Pope and Joe Root together at 225-2. The conditions were better for England, with cloud cover when they bowled and the sun emerging when they batted. Yet England also bowled better. India were too wayward with the new ball, with even Jasprit Bumrah less menacing than usual, allowing England to rattle along at more than five an over. Duckett raced away at better than a run a ball, getting 26 before Crawley was off the mark. Yet he overtook his partner in the evening session. Crawley, back on the scene of his 189 in the Ashes, enjoyed Old Trafford again. He had one reprieve, when he didn't play a shot against Mohammed Siraj and was rapped on the pads. Otherwise, it was the sort of innings to explain England's unwavering faith in him and to invite questions why a player with such strokeplay barely averages 30. There was, though, no century for either, Crawley on 84 edging Jadeja to KL Rahul at slip, Duckett taking a swipe to give Kamboj his maiden Test wicket. Gone for 94, his conversion rate remains too low, but his attacking bent makes him invaluable. Duckett had set the tone, taking three boundaries from the debutant Kamboj's first over. Shubman Gill's surprise decision to give the newcomer the new ball backfired. Mohammed Siraj had struck early in three of the previous four innings and he was relegated to first change. By then, Duckett had seized the initiative. By the time Kamboj eventually struck, England were only 161 behind. It was the second time in the series that Crawley and Duckett had added more than 150. Their stand of 188 at Headingley laid the platform for victory. It is too soon to say this was a sequel. But if it is, it may need another influential display from the bowler Stokes may be coming to trust the most. Himself.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Steve Smith on Ashes: ‘England batters are going to be challenged'
Six months before the Ashes Down Under, Australia's Steve Smith has sounded out a warning to England. Talking to BBC on the sidelines of The Hundred, he said. 'Their batters are going to be challenged a little bit differently to the wickets they have had over in England for a while, which have looked pretty flat and good for batting.' For instance, in India's tour to Australia last year, only three batsmen scored a hundred, whereas Shubman Gill alone registered three in the series against England. This comes after swelling criticism that the pitches in the Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes era had been bereft of typical English characteristics, like moisture-laden surfaces that propitiate swing in the first hour of each day. Surfaces have tended to last all five days with the surface not deteriorating dramatically. 'But the wickets in Australia in the last three or four years have been very tricky for top order batters. It is going to be a good challenge for them,' Smith fired a salvo. However, Australia batting is far from formidable. They have not yet pencilled in on an opening partner to Usman Khawaja, who himself is riding a trough. There is an uncertainty for the No 3 slot, where Cameron Green has not quite prospered, managing only one fifty-plus score in eight outings. 'If you can get lateral movement at 83 to 85 (mph), I think you'll bowl Australia out. I saw that in the World Test Championship final,' Michael Vaughan too observed recently. 'If we're honest, there are only two or three players from both sides that can play forward defences properly. If you can challenge the forward defence with a bit of lateral movement, it's no surprise you see clusters of wickets fall when England or Australia are batting when the ball is moving around a bit, because they play the expansive game and not many of them have the basics of playing forward defence and seeing the ball off. That's the modern game,' he had said. But Smith, who averages 56.01 in Tests against England, anticipates a wonderful series. 'But it's going to be a wonderful series. I have been watching the India and England series and there has been some great cricket played there, so I think the Ashes this year is going to be an absolute belter,' he said. He has also noticed the different gears England had shown in the series against India. Rather than full-throttle Bazball, they have played according to the situation. 'They have started to play a little bit differently in the last couple of weeks in terms of playing the situation, as opposed to going out and trying to be the entertainers that they said they wanted to be. They are actually trying to win the games now which is perhaps different to what was said in their comments previously,' he said. Looking beyond, he expressed his desire to feature in the LA Olympics. 'I decided to stop playing one-day cricket so I can play more franchises, with the aim to make the Olympic team. So to play more shorter-form tournaments around the world is only going to be beneficial. It has been a long run for me and I have been doing this a long time. I am still enjoying it and particularly the shorter formats, and want to keep putting my name out there,' he said.
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Stokes' commitment, efforts to lead by example make him stand out, says Moeen Ali
In his nearly decade-long Test career, Moeen Ali played under three different captains - Alastair Cook, Joe Root and Ben Stokes. Having witnessed England's cricketing metamorphosis up close, the former all-rounder has no hesitation in admitting that 'full-on leader' Stokes has been able to bring the best out of his players as he leads by example. 'He's a full-on leader who always leads from the front. Whatever he asks of the team, he does himself first — whether it's being aggressive or playing a certain way — and everyone follows,' Moeen told Sportstar in an exclusive chat. 'That's what people love about him in the dressing room, including senior players like Joe Root and Jimmy Anderson, who have been there longer than him. It is love for captaincy and his commitment that make him stand out…' Moving on from its traditional approach, England has changed the template of Test cricket with 'Bazball', and Stokes' fearless leadership has been at its core. Having played with him for a long time, Moeen believes that backing the players to the hilt has been Stokes' biggest strength. ALSO READ | Rishabh Pant advised six weeks rest after sustaining toe fracture during Manchester Test 'Stokes has played a massive role in the team. His impact on the way they play has been huge — even better than when I was still playing. They've had many more wins in a shorter period. Both Stokes and (Brendon) McCullum have identified players who can score runs at this level and handle different types of bowling,' Moeen said. 'From the start, Stokesy knew exactly what he wanted as captain. Having played in sides that struggled over the years, he had a clear vision and stuck to it, backing himself and his method. He's especially good with younger players, giving them the freedom to play their natural game…' Since 2020, Stokes has led England in 37 Tests, of which it won 22, lost 13 and drew once.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Live England vs India, fourth Test: Ben Stokes wins toss and opts to bowl
10:32AM England win the toss and bowl Shubman Gill calls incorrectly for the fourth game in a row. Ben Stokes laughs a little sheepishly and announces that - as in the first two Tests - England will bowl first. As Will said, it feels like a decent bowling day. 10:30AM Kamboj set to make Test debut for India Good morning from Old Trafford, where it's grey and gloomy but crucially dry. Historically, it's been a brave captain who bowls first here, but I wouldn't be surprised if both Stokes and Gill are planning to today. It feels a lovely bowling day. Lancashire are honouring two of their great overseas players this morning, by naming a stand after Farokh Engineer and Clive Lloyd. There was lots of whooping and hollering in the India huddle just now. Looks like the uncapped Anshul Kamboj will make his debut, having beaten Prasidh Krishna to replace the injured Akash Deep. 10:13AM England right to embrace dark arts with Bazball legacy on the line Shubman Gill is right: England did break the spirit of cricket with their time-wasting at Lord's, but it may well turn out to be a decisive moment in the evolution of the team. The 'spirit of cricket' is a nebulous concept interpreted by teams according to whether they are on top or under pressure. If England are serious about embracing the darker arts then they cannot cling to notions about moral Ashes but you suspect those days have gone anyway. England are more business-like now. The clock is ticking on Bazball and they know this series and the next will define their legacy. The results matter and that may involve sharp elbows and even sharper practices. As long as they are prepared to take it as well as dish it out then so be it. 10:11AM Scyld Berry: 500 not out Our chief cricket writer Scyld Berry is in the press box at Old Trafford, ready to cover his 500th England Test match. Five hundred. This piece, on his memories of the first 499, is highly recommended. Most exciting day It is not as if the result of this Test was anywhere close. It was the type of cricket that was exciting, and we will never see its like again, not least because umpires now do not allow more than two bouncers per over. It was the opening match of the West Indies v England Test series in 1985-86, played at Sabina Park in Kingston (where pitches have not always been reliable). And it was cricket at its most basic, a fight for survival. It was like boxing without gloves – a fight between the heavyweight West Indies and the lightweight England. Joel Garner and Michael Holding were made to look like medium-pacers by Malcolm Marshall and his new opening partner Patrick Patterson: hence the inner game, in which the Barbadian was intent on proving he was faster than the young Jamaican. One ball reared and passed over the heads of the batsman and wicketkeeper and then, with only one more bounce, over the boundary rope. I wish the speed of the action could be conveyed by other objective measurements, but it was the last England Test of which there was no film coverage. West Indies won, by the way. 10:03AM Good morning Hello and welcome to Telegraph Sport's live, over-by-over coverage the fourth Test between England and India at Old Trafford. A five-Test series is one of sport's great endurance challenges, for spectators never mind players, yet it can still have a blink-and-you'll-miss-it quality. It feels only last week that Ben Stokes chose to bowl first on a Headingley belter. Yet here we are, heading into the final straight of a series that has slowly come to the boil. Back-to-back Tests at Old Trafford and The Oval will determine whether Ben Stokes or Shubman Gill is the first captain to lift the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Six different results are possible, from 4-1 England all the way round to 3-2 India. But for England the situation couldn't be much simpler: if they win here they will clinch the series with a match to spare. The good news is that the Manchester weather forecast is decent. It's overcast this morning, with a chance of rain, but it looks clear for days 2-4 and pretty good on Sunday. Given the over-rates and the quality of English pitches this summer, the two bowling attacks may need every minute they can get to take 20 wickets. England's attack includes Liam Dawson, the left-arm spinner who has been recalled after an eight-year absence from the Test team and umpteen outstanding performances for Hampshire. Right now he is a replacement for England's No1 spinner Shoaib Bashir, but that could change in the next fortnight – especially as he is a superb batsman whose presence at No8 gives England their best lower order since the glory days of Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad. 'He is a wily, old fox, very experienced and a very skilful cricketer,' said Harry Brook, who captained Dawson in this summer's T20 series against West Indies. 'He's willing to always fight for the team, he's very competitive and it's good to have him here.'
