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Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
India vs England: From predictability of Bazball to new Indian era in Tests, reasons to watch series
The Indian cricket team starts a new era under captain Shubman Gill on Friday when the first Test of the India versus England series starts in Leeds. India legend Sachin Tendulkar believes that India will return from England victorious with a 3-1 scoreline. Naseer Hussain believes it will be 3-1 in England's favour. Ahead of the five-match Test series, here are a few talking points: England have already named their playing XI for the first Test at Headingley. In the series defeat to Australia Down Under, India had taken just three full-time quicks through the series. But in England, under Shubman Gill there could be as many as four out-and-out pacers that could line up, Gill indicated. 'You can't win a Test match without taking 20 wickets, no matter how many runs you have scored. So, that has been one of our key discussion points: how we're gonna take 20 wickets. And there might be a case where we could only be going with some pure batters and you could see a bowling allrounder and three to four premier fast bowlers or proper bowlers.' So how India line up will be a mystery that only unravels on Friday afternoon. Ever since Brendon McCullum has taken over the reins of the England team, the side has done its best to entertain. Stats reveal that under coach McCullum, England have won 22 of their 35 Tests. 15 of those wins came at home (out of 20 matches). But the one stat that stands out is that England have drawn just one game out of 35 Tests with McCullum as coach. Even that game was a rain-affected one. 'It's a matter of taking this team from a good team into being something English people are really proud of,' McCullum had said in an interview with the BBC Radio 5 Live Cricket show earlier this year. England have had a run rate of 4.6 in the McCullum era, which is the best among all Test-playing nations since June 2022. The numbers under captain Ben Stokes are also illustrative: England have won 23 Tests while losing 12 since Stokes took over from Joe Root as captain. 'We have a team identity about how we want to go out there and play the game,' Stokes told the BBC before the series against India. 'We know that when we are on top of teams, we are very, very good, and where we maybe have let ourselves down in the past over the last three years is when we have been behind the game, we've not given ourselves the best chance of wresting ourselves back into the game, and that's an area that we have looked at and know that we need to get better at if we want to end up being where we want to end up being as a team. 'We still want to be known as a team who play an exciting style of cricket. [It's] not that we never wanted to win every game that we played, but it's changing what we say and how we say it. We want to be playing exciting games of cricket because we know that's what brings the best out of individuals and us as a team. But it's about winning,' Stokes added.
Int'l Cricket Council
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Int'l Cricket Council
McCullum's England aim for glory in decisive WTC year
England are committed to building further on the platform that has seen them improve their Test run in recent years, according to head coach Brendon McCullum. Under McCullum's leadership, England have won 22 of their 35 Tests, a major improvement from the time when he took over when they had just one win from their previous 17 Tests. The New Zealander had brought about a visible change in their approach, making them a more attacking outfit with the bat and the ball. But the base having been set, McCullum is eyeing further gains in the upcoming World Test Championship assignments. Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have turned around England's playing style in Tests // Getty Images 'We're not trying to pick this team up any more. It's a matter of taking this team from a good team into being something English people are really proud of,' McCullum told the BBC Radio 5 Live Cricket show. And opportunity beckons England in the form of the five-Test India challenge at home starting in June, and then a five-game Ashes tour Down Under in the winter, both of which will be key series in the next World Test Championship cycle. Ponting goes deep on the 'Bazball' phenomenon | ICC Review But neither series will be an easy outing. Despite losing some of their prime batting assets to retirements, India still have a potent pace attack led by Jasprit Bumrah. While Australia, the no. 1 ranked side in ICC Test rankings, haven't lost a home Test to England since the 2010/11 season. 'We're actually travelling pretty good but there's an opportunity now," McCullum added. "We're working from a position of strength but now's the time where we shoot for the stars." 'There's no greater opportunity than playing in big series against the best opposition on the biggest stage under the brightest lights to be able to test that.' England are yet to win a Test series against Australia or India under McCullum, though they have had their moments against each of their opponents, with four Test wins over the last three years. They will also be boosted by the return of their regular captain and talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes, who has recovered from a hamstring surgery, and will return to lead the side against Zimbabwe. McCullum is excited at the prospect of reuniting with the 33-year-old, believing his presence will be a catalyst to lift the entire side. 'He [Stokes] is unbelievably driven, to push himself, to push his teammates, to win at all costs," McCullum said. 'We're very lucky to have him in the chair because he's going to be very strong about trying to push this team to the next level.' Despite keeping an eye on the future, McCullum remains focused on England's immediate assignment against the Chevrons, who will play Test cricket in the nation for the first time in 22 years. 'This game has an amazing ability to bring you back down to earth if you don't have the respect for the game or the respect for the opposition. 'We go into it as favourites so we need to make sure we're rock hard fit and ready to go and make good decisions under pressure.' NewsMen's NewsICC World Test ChampionshipEngland
United News of India
20-05-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
England must shoot for the stars: McCullum
London, May 20 (UNI) England men's Test team are ready to "shoot for the stars" in a defining year, said head coach Brendon McCullum. They rose to second in the International Cricket Council Test rankings earlier this month, their highest position since McCullum was appointed in May 2022. After a one-off Test against Zimbabwe, starting on Thursday, they will play marquee series at home against India and the Ashes in Australia. "We're not trying to pick this team up any more," McCullum told the BBC Radio 5 Live Cricket show. "It's a matter of taking this team from a good team into being something English people are really proud of." England have won 22 of the 35 Tests they have played under McCullum, having won one of their previous 17 matches before the New Zealander took over, the BBC reported. "We're actually travelling pretty good but there's an opportunity now," he added. "We're working from a position of strength but now's the time where we shoot for the stars." Under McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, England have delivered often thrilling cricket and secured landmark series wins away in Pakistan and New Zealand. However, they failed to regain the Ashes in 2023, having gone 2-0 behind against Australia before surging back to draw the series, while they were also heavily beaten in India and lost in Pakistan last year. After securing the series win in New Zealand in December, they lost the third and final Test in feeble fashion. McCullum said he and his side wants England fans to feel an "attachment" to them, liking them both as players and their style of cricket, while also winning series. "There's no greater opportunity than playing in big series against the best opposition on the biggest stage under the brightest lights to be able to test that," he added. Stokes said he hated the word "ruthless" when asked about England trying to seal a 3-0 sweep in New Zealand. But McCullum said the all-rounder is "the most ruthless" sportsperson he has ever met. "He is unbelievably driven, to push himself, to push his team-mates, to win at all costs," he said. "We're very lucky to have him in the chair because he's going to be very strong about trying to push this team to the next level." Despite the obvious focus on the five-Test series against India and the Ashes down under, McCullum said England will not underestimate Zimbabwe in the four-day Test at Trent Bridge. "We want to be where our feet are," he said. "This game has an amazing ability to bring you back down to earth if you don't have the respect for the game or the respect for the opposition. "We go into it as favourites so we need to make sure we're rock hard fit and ready to go and make good decisions under pressure." UNI BM
