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The Hindu
21-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
New addition Kamboj likely to be drafted into playing XI
As Anshul Kamboj marked his run-up, he was greeted with a banter by Mohammed Siraj. 'Welcome to Manchester, man!' Siraj told the young fast bowler, who has been added to the Indian team, following Arshdeep Singh's thumb injury. The youngster smiled and over the next hour, he toiled hard in the nets, bowling long spells, alongside Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. With the series on the line, Bumrah will be available for the fourth Test at Old Trafford, beginning on Wednesday. While Siraj is an automatic choice, Arshdeep and Akash Deep, yet to recover fully from a groin niggle, have been ruled out. India's third seaming option is now limited, and there are indications that the 24-year-old Kamboj could be drafted into the playing XI. Known for his skiddy pace and the ability to extract sharp bounce, Kamboj was recently part of the India-A squad for the two 'Tests'. He claimed a four-wicket haul in the second match at Northampton, including two in a single over in the second innings. That experience could come in handy for the Haryana seamer. As he bowled to K.L. Rahul, followed by Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant in the nets, head coach Gautam Gambhir and Morkel had frequent conversations with him, in an effort to make him feel comfortable. Kamboj looked at ease, and often challenged the batters with his pace. In fact, in the middle of the session, the youngster could be seen picking the brains of Bumrah and Siraj as he was being monitored by the national selectors — Ajit Agarkar and Shiv Sunder Das. Coming on the back of a successful domestic season, where he claimed 79 wickets in 24 games, Kamboj has also proved his mettle with the bat as he forged an unbeaten 149-run stand with Tanush Kotian to help India-A force a draw during the match at Nottingham. While Bumrah's presence will be a huge boost, it will be interesting to see how the bowling unit handles the pressure. 'The combination is changing day by day. Our plan is to bowl in good areas, considering how the England batters played with a lot of patience in the last match,' Siraj said. The team management may also consider tweaking the bowling combination, potentially favouring Kuldeep Yadav over Washington Sundar, given that the Old Trafford surface is expected to assist wrist spinners. Pant ready After skipping wicketkeeping duties, following a left index finger injury during the Lord's Test, Pant had a long session behind the stumps on Monday. Initially monitored by fielding coach T. Dilip, Pant later joined a slip catching drill, along with Rahul, Gill, Karun Nair and B. Sai Sudharsan. He looked comfortable throughout and is expected to keep wickets. Meanwhile, there are signs the team management may hand Sai Sudharsan the No. 3 spot, following a string of disappointing performances from Karun.
The Hindu
20-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Long wait could be over for Jurel at Old Trafford
Dhruv Jurel isn't quite expressive. He is calm, though not often quiet. He comes with a positive mindset, and is always ready to put in the hard yards. The son of an army man, he focuses on 'process' and 'discipline'. Those two words, he believes, have helped him grow as a cricketer. In a competitive environment, where opportunity doesn't come easy, long waits may often make or break careers, and for Jurel, it has been a long eight-month wait since his last Test outing in Perth last November. But the 24-year-old has taken it in his stride. Ever since landing in England a couple of months ago, Jurel has featured in just two games for India-A, where he scored 227 runs in four innings and claimed seven catches. But in the senior team, Jurel has been under the shadow of Rishabh Pant, the team's vice-captain and the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter. While Pant featured in all three Tests in the series so far, Jurel worked closely with fielding coach T. Dilip and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak over the last several weeks to make sure he remains fit and in the groove. When India had a long session at Beckenham earlier this week, Jurel was among the first few batters to have a long session in the nets. As bowling coach Morne Morkel aimed at Jurel's stumps to test his outside edge, the youngster remained unperturbed and looked confident throughout. And as India gears up for the must-win fourth Test at Old Trafford, India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate indicated that if Pant, who hurt his left index finger during the Lord's Test, isn't ready to keep the wickets, India could look at Jurel. In that case, Pant could be used as a specialist batter. Jurel, being a steady middle-order batter, could also add depth to the batting department. However, if both Jurel and Pant end up playing together, it would be a selection headache for the team management. But sources indicated that Pant will be monitored over the next couple of days before taking a call. 'We don't want to go through that again where we have to replace the keeper halfway through in the innings. We are just trying to give (Pant's finger) as long as possible (to heal), and hopefully he's good to go in Manchester in the first training session,' Doeschate said, adding: 'Jurel is in the equation.' In the previous Test, Jurel came in as Pant's substitute after the latter hurt his finger, and ended up conceding 25 byes in the second innings, as India went down by 22 runs to concede a 1-2 lead in the five-match series. But it's not just Jurel, several wicket-keepers have struggled in England where the ball wobbles a lot once it goes past the batter. Despite earning praise from the cricketing fraternity, it has still been a long wait for Jurel. But now, with the series on the line and the team management not willing to risk Pant, he could just get lucky.
The Hindu
01-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Logistics affected India during Pro League but there were some positives: assistant coach Shivendra
While most of the Indian men's hockey team players and staff took a break after the disappointing outing in the European leg of the FIH Pro League, assistant coach Shivendra Singh landed straight back at the SAI Centre, Bengaluru. As in-charge of the India-A side on its two-week tour of Europe against the top teams later this week, Shivendra will have a chance to put the lessons learnt to good use. He admitted that the Pro League was a disappointing campaign, but added there were things beyond control that contributed to it. 'We had issues right from the start. The original plan was to be together in Ireland and play three or four practice matches, develop a team plan and then go for the Pro League. But that didn't happen. There were visa issues, five or six players and a staff member landed late directly for the competition. Travelling was staggered, some of them coming after the first couple of matches, and it disturbed the whole planning,' Shivendra told The Hindu. 'We didn't have Lalit (Upadhyay) and Gurjant Singh for the initial games, and we had to rework the entire set-up. It was an unsettled start. It got better towards the end, and that was visible in our performances. So, given everything, it was ok,' he insisted. Injuries didn't help either, with captain Harmanpreet Singh missing matches and Gurjant returning almost immediately. 'Of course, it affects when the leader is not playing three to four matches. Harman got a back injury and was then hit on the finger. He couldn't even hold the stick. We had limited resources, only four or five players in forward and barely any substitutes. Of course, none of it is an excuse, and everyone is disappointed; it was a good chance to qualify for the World Cup. But our focus now is completely on the Asia Cup at home,' he added. Asked about the seven-match losing streak, Shivendra admitted it was a tough one to accept. 'We have to remember that, barring Argentina which surprised us, the rest are top three-four teams in the world. We know expectations are high from this team. Losing consecutive games does affect your confidence. But we try to ensure the pressure does not reach the players because that will only make things worse. We were also trying new ideas in these games, and there were positives,' he said. About the India-A side, the former India striker said the main objective was to create a strong bench for the National side. 'The squad is a mix of seniors and juniors. A new player, even when training with the National team, cannot suddenly jump in for important competitions... he needs to adjust to that level. This tour will give these players an idea of the competition at the top,' he explained.
The Hindu
01-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
India-A squad
A 20-member India-A men's team will tour Europe later this month as Hockey India hopes to cultivate and improve the national team's bench strength ahead of a crucial 18 months, culminating in the Asian Games next year. The squad was announced on Tuesday and includes a bulk of players from the senior core group and youngsters who impressed during the Hockey India League. The team will play eight games in 13 days, from July 8 to 20, with two matches each against Ireland, France and Netherlands and one each against England and Belgium as the teams prepare for the European Championships. Two players from the Pro League squad – Sanjay and Rajinder Singh – will be part of the team with the former leading the side. While India assistant coach Shivendra Singh will be in charge, chief coach Craig Fulton is likely to join directly and return with the side towards the end of the tour. The squad: Goalkeepers: Pawan Malik, H.S. Mohith; Defenders: Pratap Lakra, Varun Kumar, Amandeep Lakra, Parmod, Sanjay. Midfielders: C.B. Poovanna, Mohd. Raheel Mouseen, Rabichandra Singh, Vishnukant Singh, Pardeep Singh, Rajinder Singh; Forwards: Angadbir Singh, Boby Singh Dhami, Maninder Singh, Venkatesh Kenche, Aditya Lalge, Selvam Karthi, Uttam Singh.
The Hindu
19-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
ENG vs IND, 1st Test: Shubman Gill-led India takes on England's inexperienced bowling attack in battle of the unknown
It is quite fashionable – and a bit of a truism too – to say that no team or player carries secrets anymore. Such is the speed at which information travels and so many are the opportunities to mingle – like in franchise T20 leagues – that every cricketer's every move is broken down, analysed threadbare and bespoke plans hatched. Yet, when England hosts India in the first of five Tests starting Friday at Headingley here, there is a fair sprinkling of the unknown. How will a new-look Indian batting order sans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma fare? How will an inexperienced English bowling attack perform? And how will a venue which has long been synonymous with swing and seam behave under hot conditions and forecast for very little rain. The chief among the intrigues for India is about who would bat at No. 3, with skipper Shubman Gill – who started his career up top and then became the designated No. 3 – confirmed to occupy the No. 4 position, a right of passage, following in the footsteps of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. B. Sai Sudharsan is spoken of highly, and Karun Nair has past experience of playing Tests, two seasons of county cricket for Northamptonshire and a 204 at No. 3 for India-A versus England Lions recently. The bowling, set to be led by the irresistible duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, will see a shuffle too. Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep Singh lead the race for the third seamer's berth, and there is Akash Deep too. Prasidh can threaten the top half of the willow while Arshdeep brings a left-armer's variety and know-how of the Dukes ball, having played for county side Kent. ALSO READ | Reached out to Pataudi family to ensure his legacy will remain, says Sachin Tendulkar Who among all-rounders Nitish Reddy and Shardul Thakur, and tweaker Kuldeep Yadav play will indicate the Indian think tank's philosophy. Nitish can shore up the batting while Thakur offers a better chance of taking 20 scalps. With the turf expected to flatten progressively, the left-arm wrist spin of Kuldeep, which fetched up 19 wickets at 20.15 across four home Tests against England last year, can come in handy. England, in contrast, cannot boast of such riches. Captain Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes are seasoned men but Stokes has had a limited role as a bowler in recent times while Woakes was out of action for four months (ankle trouble) and has just two First Class games leading in. However, there is a familiar look to the batting. With Ollie Pope set for No. 3, it is near-certain that the home side will sport the same top-four of Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Pope and local hero Joe Root as it had the last time it met India, in Dharamsala in March 2024. England would, however, like a different result, for back then, it lost the match by an innings and 64 runs, a result that secured India a 4-1 series win. Confidence can be gained from the fact that England has won each of the last five matches at Leeds going back seven years, including the innings-and-a-76-run victory over India in 2021. A continuation of this streak will only further whet the appetite of the average fan in these parts after the enthralling World Test Championship final that ushered in this summer's big-ticket action. The teams: India (from): Shubman Gill (capt.), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, K.L. Rahul, B. Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav and Harshit Rana. England (XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt.), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir. Match starts at 3.30 p.m. IST.
