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Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Cherie Blair flirting with KP and Roy Keane slating the ‘Poms' – untold stories of 2005 Ashes
It is perhaps England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith who best embodies the effect of the 2005 Ashes. Smith was not brought up in a cricket-mad family but, captivated by a box-set of the series, a six-year-old Smith pestered his parents to take him to summer camp to try out the sport where he wielded his Kevin Pietersen bat that was several sizes too big. Now a rising star, this winter he will taste Ashes cricket for the first time, all thanks to the 2005 legacy. When Smith nets with England at Old Trafford on Monday, it will be 20 years since day one of the 2005 Ashes. Every player who appeared in the series has written a book or given interviews. But the anniversary is a chance to take a different approach; to hear from those behind the scenes. The kit man, physio, fitness trainer, coaches, an inventor and a young 12th man – who went from his local pub to standing at cover in a Test – are among those who share their memories with Telegraph Sport, shedding new light on that most captivating of summers. The build-up Australia played 15 matches before the first Test, losing to Somerset and Bangladesh. Andrew Symonds was disciplined for drinking and bizarre off-field events hampered preparation. Trevor Crouch (Australia team kit manager): 'There was a tour game at Leicester with a dozy steward on the door. They were loading the bus and there were loads of supporters hanging round. Some drunken Australian supporters nicked the players' gear. Pup [Michael Clarke] lost all his bats. If ever there was someone you didn't want that to happen to it was Pup.' John Buchanan (Australia coach): 'We stayed at Lumley Castle for a game at Durham. It was a lovely spot but supposedly haunted. One or two of the guys acted as a ghost to scare Shane Watson, or whether there was a real ghost I don't know. His room-mate later said they never wanted to share with Shane again.' Crouch: 'Lumley Castle is a horrible place to stay. The players were asking if it was haunted. Then, bugger me, two days later Watson moved into Brett Lee's room because he was scared. I heard him in reception, I will never forget this big sportsman towering over the receptionist and saying: 'My room is haunted, I had to sleep on the floor of my mate's room.' The ironic thing was he ended up in the room that was supposed to be haunted but nobody told him. They also had a press officer who instead of killing the story, said she had seen ghosts and it all kicked off.' The Aussies walked the half-mile from the hotel to the ground. Walking back up the hill to Lumley Castle somebody jumped out of the bushes to scare them. It was a reporter from one of the papers. He nearly got knocked out. London bombings On July 7 England played Australia in an ODI at Headingley when news filtered through about the bombings on the London Underground. The Australian families were arriving in London that day. At one stage, the tour was threatened. Steve Bernard (Australia team manager): 'I got a phone call at Headingley to say this has happened, don't come down to London. After a quick chat with security we decided we would drive down to London that night. It was an eerie experience driving to the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington. There was not a vehicle on the road. It was a ghost town, and had a profound effect on us. They [the players] were nervous.' Crouch: ' Some of the players were very worried. The families were coming over and they were staying in the heart of London, and were vulnerable but safety in numbers helped. Remember, this was before the IPL and players having money or power.' First Test The Lord's Test was over quickly. Australia won by 239 runs but the result covered the cracks in the team. Kirk Russell (England physio): 'I would say 'good morning' to Ricky Ponting every day and I would get nothing back. Just silence. I always found that really weird. Perhaps he thought it was showing weakness to say hello to a physio.' Nigel Stockill (England strength and conditioning coach): 'The Australians started a childish turf war before play every morning. It cost them in the end.' Russell: 'Fletch [Duncan Fletcher, the England head coach] had got word that Australia would warm up where we normally warm up on the outfield at Lord's. We got there before 8am and sure enough they had been in and laid their cones out. By the time the guys wanted to bowl, the Aussies were out warming up close to the wicket. Ashley Giles wanted a bowl. I would take a mitt and Ash said politely to the Aussies 'can you just move a bit because we want to bowl?' Fair to say their response was not 'good morning, yes of course'. It was basically 'f--- you'. Anyway it was the most high-pressure mitting experience I ever had because I had a couple of the Aussie guys by my feet. The fun and games started early on.' Bernard: 'At the end of the match we sang the team song and our guys had a few too many drinks, and this was the only time this happened in my time, we went to the England dressing room to do the team song. I was not comfortable with that. We got out of Lord's late and as one of our players got on the bus he leant on the horn, gave it a celebratory blast. Our driver was not happy because he got a fine of a couple of hundred quid for disturbing the peace. On the last afternoon I went over to the Lord's shop and bought 25 prints of the ground to hand to everyone. Because [Glenn] McGrath was man of the match, I asked him to sign it. He wrote: 'Glenn McGrath, man of the match 1997, 2001, 2005.' He played three Tests and was man of the match in each. I kept that one.' Crouch: ' The only two guys who came in the Australian dressing room for a drink were Pietersen and Geraint Jones – the two non-English. McGrath owned Lord's but before the series I took him to see a knee specialist in Wimbledon. I don't think he was right the whole series.' Second Test The second Test at Edgbaston was one of the greatest of all time, England winning by two runs. McGrath trod on a ball, Ponting opted to bat and the rest is history. Matthew Maynard (England batting coach): 'After Lord's I gave the players a DVD of the Ricky Hatton-Kostya Tszyu fight because I thought it would reflect the series and give them inspiration. Kostya Tszyu was hammering Hatton, Hatton came back, then Tszyu came back before Hatton won. Tszyu was fighting as an Aussie too. It was England v Australia in boxing parlance.' Stockill: 'When we went to Edgbaston, they decided they would have our side of the pitch to train on again. Buchanan put balls out to mark their territory rather than plastic cones. It was one of those balls that McGrath stood on. There is a bit of karma there. They tried to upset the balance of things and if ever there was a backfire, that was it.' Russell: 'I have done hundreds of games and since then I have always put the balls away. It is something that has always stayed with me.' Bernard: 'When Glenn trod on the ball, he went down in a screaming heap. I was told later that some young Aussie blokes had got to the ground early and saw it happen. They raced off to the betting tent and had a bet McGrath wouldn't take a wicket and apparently had a good win.' Australia decided to bowl first despite the loss of McGrath. England made 407 on day one. Stockill: 'I remember Shane Warne kicking off at Ponting for the toss. He was properly vocal in the dressing room. We couldn't believe it, he was going mad. 'What are you doing?' There were a lot of WTFs going on.' Bernard: 'Best I don't comment on the toss.' On the last day Australia needed 108 to win, with two wickets in hand. Russell: 'I remember Warne giving us so much grief. He was childish. 'You're going to lose' that kind of thing. Then when we won, I remember I wanted to shake his hand and look him in the eye because he gave us so much s---.' Maynard: 'All the Aussies were sat there, not shifting their position whereas we were moving from dressing room to dining room, anything to will a wicket. Silly cricket superstitions.' Russell: 'Fred [Flintoff] was in tears at the end. He was exhausted. I thought, 'wow, he really has come of age'. I never saw that before or again. He gave everything. That night we ended up in the Walkabout bar. Quite ironic (Joe Root was punched there a few years later by David Warner).' Third Test The third Test was at Old Trafford. It was now that England had a secret weapon to take on Warne – the Merlyn spin-bowling machine invented by Henry Pryor on his farm near Hay-on-Wye. Maynard: 'Yes it made a difference. The big moment was prior to Old Trafford. At Edgbaston, [Andrew] Strauss tried to kick Warney away and was bowled by that big turning ball. I had spoken to him about staying a bit more leg side to Warne. He got it. Strauss and Tres [Marcus Trescothick] would use Merlyn a lot.' Henry Pryor: 'I would drive around the country with this thing in a horse box, taking it from Test to Test. I had been working on it for years. In 2005 I knew Warne was coming and I thought the England team should have a means for practising to face him. Several of them were very complimentary.' Before the third Test Australia were caught up in a row with, of all people, Sir Alex Ferguson. Bernard: 'Our coach driver used to work for Manchester United and he got us an invite to their training ground. Roy Keane walked past at one stage and said 'make sure you beat those effing Poms'. There was talk in the papers about Michael Owen coming to play for United. We were talking to Sir Alex and he said 'any questions'. I said I'd been reading about Owen going to United. He basically said it wouldn't happen. Unfortunately our coach [Buchanan] is there and he was writing a column for a newspaper. This was something in-house, not to be spoken about but he put it all in his column. I was mortified.' 'I rang up Sir Alex's secretary. She couldn't get him. I just wanted to apologise and said anything I can do to make up for it, let me know. She rang back and said he would like two tickets for his son. Remember there were people queueing for hours to get in. Tickets were like gold nuggets at the bottom of the garden even for us. On day five Sir Alex was there and interviewed. He was asked 'I believe you are going to the Australian rooms'. He said there had been an issue and he wouldn't be going. He hadn't forgiven us. I've never spoken to Alex since.' The match ended in a draw, last man McGrath blocking out the final over. Crouch: 'Pup [Michael Clarke] had a back spasm and went back to the hotel. Suddenly I had to go and get him because he had to bat. I had this great big white transit van and this bloke has a bad back. Poor Pup had to clamber in this big van with his stiff back and feel every bump. It was hardly VIP treatment for sportsmen playing at the highest level. Daryl Mitchell (England 12th man): 'I got on at short cover when Flintoff had [Adam] Gilchrist caught in the gully. What a moment to be on the field. I remember Strauss got a hundred in the second innings and I was earwigging on the balcony as he spoke to Fletcher. I was amazed he had just got an Ashes hundred with a cut on his ear but he was so level. Things are never as good or as bad as they seem and I remember taking that on in my career. For contrast, KP was out first ball and carrying on like he had scored 150.' Bernard: 'I remember vividly watching McGrath bat. He had decided to take lbw out of the equation and was standing a foot outside his crease. And about the second-last over he played a ball to cover and didn't move back in his crease. The ball was thrown to the keeper who just threw the ball back to mid-off. We were screaming at McGrath to get back. Dare I say it, it was a Jonny Bairstow moment. They would have been within their rights to take off the bails, match over and England win.' Mitchell: 'After the draw there was a big speech about the Aussies celebrating a draw. The chat was 'which Aussie player do you dislike the most?' Imagine yourself grabbing them by the b------s and squeezing them as tight as you can because that is where we have them now. I reckon Matt Hayden was quite high on the list. I sat on the balcony afterwards and there was a photo taken of [Michael} Vaughany and Fletcher and me stood next to them looking over Old Trafford. It was in the papers. I was working part-time at the local pub in my village, the Round of Gras. That photo was framed and put above the bar. It looked like I was part of the brains trust.' Stockill: 'KP was now getting a bit more confident and some of the other guys were not ready for that. Fred was feeling a bit threatened that he was getting knocked off his golden-boy perch, which is totally un-Fred like because he never gave that off in his public persona but I think personally he found it a bit difficult.' Fourth Test The series moved to Trent Bridge. England won to go 2-1 up. Crouch: ' At Nottingham I had to take Warney to his hair [transplant] place in the transit. He sat at the front with McGrath. Poor old Pup, with his bad back, had to sit in the back. McGrath was saying go faster, they were like little kids wanting to throw him around.' Stockill: 'I was right behind Fletch when Ponting came off when he was run out by Gary Pratt. He was effing at Fletch. At one point I realised I was on camera because I was giving as much back. I think I said 'Show some class you f------ whatever'. I got a bit carried away. Fletch was loving it. Ponting was ticking. The way Trent Bridge works (England dressing room is on top of the away dressing room) we could hear Ponting clattering around, throwing stuff and making all sorts of noise.' Buchanan: 'If you bring in a 12th man from outside what are you doing it for? Was that in the spirit of cricket? Depends where you sit.' Russell: 'When we were chasing that small target [129 runs], I massaged one player after the other because none wanted to watch. We had 129 empty cups in the room and knocked one off for every run. When we won Vaughany was standing next to me on the balcony and hugged me and we fell over, which was not very dignified. There is some footage and we just disappear.' Now, plans were being hatched for an open-top bus parade. Colin Gibson (ECB head of communications): 'Remember this was after 7/7. The Mayor's office were keen to show London was open for business. It was after Trent Bridge we started to talk about 'Operation Victory'. Duncan was adamant the players should not know about it.' The fifth Test England drew at the Oval, Pietersen made his name and the nation came to a standstill. Pryor: 'I arrived at the Oval with Merlyn in the back of the horse box. You can't bring horses in 'ere' I was told by the gateman.' Maynard: 'KP was a bit jittery at lunchtime asking how he should play. I said score runs, not bat time. He was not playing his way. I loved working with KP. He had one of the best work ethics of any player but someone said 'if you give KP a piece of rope make sure that rope is short, because if not he ends up hanging himself'. Probably right. Bernard: 'In our room on the last day was Ron Howard – Ritchie Cunningham from Happy Days. He was there because Errol our physio had worked with him through Russell Crowe on a movie. Ron was coming to London to make a movie. What I remember was he knew nothing about cricket but the broadcasters had a camera that took 2,000 frames a second. There would be this slow-motion ballet-like thing with the guy moving slowly to take a catch. Ron just watched the replays in the room.' Buchanan: 'I made some poor strategic coaching calls through the series and I allowed myself to be distracted by crowds and results which I had not beforehand. In doing that you make poor decisions.' Gibson: 'The parade bus had to have NPower [the Test sponsor] branding. It was in a garage near Watford and it was in and out of the garage every half-hour for the branding to be started then stopped because we didn't know what the result would be.' Stockill: 'The umpires came in and told us they were going to call the game off. We all had to keep quiet because it had not been announced officially. When they dropped the bails, everyone went mad.' Russell: 'I was always annoyed the Aussies didn't come to our dressing room at the Oval for a drink, we went to theirs. I thought, really? They should be coming to ours. Strange.' Bernard: 'Losing sides don't hang around long. Ethos is if you win, you deserve to celebrate, if you lose, you don't. We had seen enough.' The party The celebrations went through the night and into the following day with an open-top bus parade and trip to 10 Downing Street. Russell: 'On the ticker-tape bus I had great delight in winding up KP because we had the crystal replica of the Ashes urn. In my life it was the only time I was ever going to lift a trophy and people were going to cheer because they thought I was a player. I kept doing that and Kevin kept grabbing it off me.' Gibson: 'I arrived at the team hotel at 5.30am and a famous all-rounder was still in the bar. We had to help them on to a bus to Mansion House. Elton John sent a case of champagne to help them celebrate. Not sure they needed topping up. Someone described them by saying they were 'over-hydrated'.' Stockill: 'When we got to Downing Street the boys were half-hammered. We'd had a few on the bus. We get into the garden and there was one table with a tablecloth on it and a jug of water with 12 glasses. I said to someone you might need to up your game on the drinks. Then they rustled out a box of warm Beck's. Hmm you're still not cutting it. Anyway they did finally bring stuff in. It was incredible. It reflected the Prime Minister of the time not being a cricket follower and doing it out of a sense of duty or political points. Imagine if it had been the football team. They would have put on a full spread.' Russell: 'I reckon Cherie Blair had had a few before we arrived. She was quite flirtatious.' Stockill: ' KP was chit-chatting. I wouldn't say flirting, but there was a bit going on with Cherie. She was saying 'you boys, behave yourselves' as she was fluttering around the garden. KP went 'Tell me Nige, who the f--- is that?'' Russell: 'It was incredible really. Something you never experience again. I remember getting drenched later that night with champagne in a nightclub. A whole bottle was poured over my head by KP.' It was later said one of the players urinated in the garden. A wall of silence persists 20 years on. Maynard: 'I didn't see anyone urinate in the garden.' Russell: 'I don't think that happened.' Stockill: 'As a physiologist I can categorically state that everyone was so dehydrated from the previous evening's revelry that I doubt anyone was hydrated enough to wee for at least 48 hours post-victory.' An Ashes series (and an open-top bus tour) that will never be forgotten! Twenty years on from one the most iconic summers in English cricketing history, How To Win The Ashes 2005 on BBC iPlayer takes a deep dive into one of sport's fiercest rivalries. #BBCCricket — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 18, 2025
The Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Sun
‘He is a son to me' – Erik ten Hag gives Man Utd fresh hope he could take outcast off their hands with telling comments
MANCHESTER UNITED'S former boss Erik ten Hag suggested he could help the Premier League giants offload one of their priciest outcasts. Ten Hag, 55, was sacked by United in October following a poor start to a disastrous campaign despite winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in his first two years at Old Trafford. 3 3 3 The Dutch tactician returned to work in May as he took over at Bayer Leverkusen where he replaced Xabi Alonso after he decided to return to Real Madrid. And the ex-Ajax boss teased a major reunion at Leverkusen, which would really help Man Utd's finances. Ten Hag declared his undying admiration for the Red Devils' outcast Antony, whom the Manchester giants are looking to offload this summer. The Dutchman signed the winger at Ajax in 2020 when he lured him from Sao Paulo and then had him follow him to United in 2022 following a staggering £85.5m deal with the Eredivisie giants. And the ex-Utrecht boss suggested he is open to yet another reunion by describing the Brazil international as a "son". The experienced head coach admitted Leverkusen are not currently monitoring Antony, but that could change. Ten hag told BILD: 'He has great quality. I signed him twice. He was like a son to me, he still is a son to me. 'We're not interested in him at the moment, but we'll see what happens in the future.' Antony is one of five outcasts - including Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia - currently training alone at Carrington. Ten Hag' successor Ruben Amorim is not planning to re-integrate any of the above and has ordered them to work out after the first team has left the premises at 5pm. Man Utd fans fume over ill-timed video and rage 'get a grip' Antony has struggled throughout his three-year stint at United with a mere total of 12 goals and five assists in 96 appearances under his belt. The Brazilian revived his career in the second half of last season, which he spent on loan at Real Betis where he registered nine goals and five assists in 26 appearances. Betis want to have him back but lack the necessary finances - mainly due to Antony's astronomical wages - and another loan stint is more likely than a permanent transfer. Ten Hag could really use the forward after an embarrassing coaching debut at Leverkusen on Friday. The ex-Man Utd boss saw his new team suffer a humiliating 5-1 loss to Flamengo's Under-20s.
Times of Oman
2 days ago
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Ahead of 4th Test, Jadeja 58 runs away from joining Garry Sobers elite company
Manchester: As Team India gears up for the fourth Test at Manchester's Old Trafford Stadium, Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will be aiming to join West Indies icon Sir Garfield Sobers as the only second visiting batter to score 1,000 runs or more in England while coming to bat at number six or lower. With the series 2-1 in favour of the England camp despite a commendable fight by Indian lower-order, particularly Jadeja, India will be heading into Manchester all fired up, aiming to make amends after a narrow 22-run loss while chasing 193 runs. Jadeja is the second-highest run-getter among batters positioned 6-12 in England, with 942 runs in 14 Tests at an average of 40.95, with a century and seven fifties in 27 innings, with a best score of 104. Just 58 more runs will make him the part of the elite club with Sobers, a feat a world-class all-rounder would like to have to his name. Sobers is the best lower-order batter to have visited England, having made 1,097 runs in 11 Tests and 16 innings at an incredible average of 84.38, with four centuries and five fifties. His best score is 174. With half-centuries in his last four successive innings, Jadeja is the fifth-highest run-getter in the series so far, with 327 runs in six innings at an average of 109.00, with a best score of 89. On the other hand, he has not delivered a lot with the ball, having taken just three wickets at an average of above 110. In the previous match, Jadeja completed 7,000 international runs, now having 7,018 runs in 361 matches and 302 innings at an average of 33.41, with four centuries and 39 fifties. His best score is 175*. Tests remain by far his best format, with 3,697 runs in 83 Tests at an average of 36.97, with four centuries and 26 fifties and a best score of 175*. The fourth Test match will kick off in Manchester from July 23 onwards. India's Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Man United finally agree Bryan Mbeumo deal after Brentford's Cunha wish
Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Bryan Mbeumo after agreeing a £71m deal with Brentford for the forward. United have committed to pay £65m, with the possibility of a further £6m in add-ons, as Mbeumo is set to become Ruben Amorim 's biggest buy at Old Trafford. The forward, who scored 20 Premier League goals last season, was also a target for Newcastle and Tottenham but made it clear his preference was to go to Old Trafford. Personal terms are not expected to be an issue and he may be able to join United in time for their pre-season tour of the United States. But Brentford had held out to secure the price they wanted for the 26-year-old and United submitted a third offer for Mbeumo on Thursday after weeks of talks had failed to produce a breakthrough. United's first offer for Mbeumo was of £45m with a further £10m in add-ons, while their second was of a guaranteed £55m with up to £7.5m more. Brentford had used Cunha's £62.5m price as a marker, aware that Mbeumo had outscored the Brazilian in the Premier League last season. Mbeumo will be a club record sale for Brentford and a regular from last season's team to leave, after goalkeeper Mark Flekken's move to Bayer Leverkusen and captain Christian Norgaard joined Arsenal. Brentford are also fielding interest in striker Yoane Wissa from Newcastle and Nottingham Forest but have already signed goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. At £71m, Mbeumo could become United's sixth or seventh biggest ever buy. Paul Pogba, Antony, Harry Maguire, Romelu Lukaku and Jadon Sancho cost more while Rasmus Hojlund was bought for £64m, which could rise to £72m. United are hoping to sell Sancho and Antony this summer to raise funds, along with Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrell Malacia. However, they have already brought in £14m in sell-on clauses from Anthony Elanga's move from Nottingham Forest to Newcastle and Alvaro Carreras' transfer from Benfica to Real Madrid.
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Bumrah must play the last two Test matches, says Engineer
Farokh Engineer may have been living in England for more than 50 years, but the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman remains a proud Indian. Engineer, whose peak in the 1960s and 1970s coincided with the glory days of the iconic Indian spin quartet — Bishan Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan — is also incredibly proud to see the phenomenal rise of Jasprit Bumrah. The Indian pace spearhead's scorching displays of pace, swing and relentless accuracy have even earned him comparisons to Malcolm Marshall, the fabled West Indian widely hailed as the greatest fast bowler of all time. While Engineer's heart swells with pride when Bumrah is showered with such accolades, what baffles him is the Indian think tank's decision to play the 31-year-old only in three matches of the ongoing five-Test series against Ben Stokes' team in England. Bumrah, Engineer believes, will be needed in the fourth Test (July 23-27) at Old Trafford, Manchester, where India will aim to bounce back from the heartbreaking defeat in the third Test match at Lord's. 'Now we are 2-1 down, and it's a must-win game for us. So he has to play at Old Trafford,' the 87-year-old Engineer told the Khaleej Times over the phone from Manchester. Many still believe that the result of the India-Australia Test series earlier this year would have been different had Bumrah not suffered a back injury in the middle of the fifth Test. Since then, the Indian management has been very careful about managing Bumrah's workload. But Engineer offers a solution. 'Of course, he has to be handled carefully, they have to wrap him in cotton wool, so just bowl him for three-four overs at a time, when needed, to break a partnership and certainly at the start, he is the jewel in the side,' said Engineer of Bumrah, who has taken 12 wickets in two Tests against England this summer. 'Look, there are quite a few days of rest between the third and fourth Tests. Even Jofra Archer — who made a Test comeback after four years — said he wants to play the remaining Test matches. So I don't know why India came with the pre-conceived idea to play Bumrah only three Tests.' Engineer, who scored a stunning Test hundred against fearsome West Indies fast bowlers Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith in 1967, then opened up about what makes Bumrah such a special bowler. 'His action is such that the batsman thinks the ball is going to come in, but the odd one hits the seam and just goes out, and that's the most difficult ball to face, it's almost an unplayable ball,' he said. 'It's the ball that swings in, hits the seam, and then it becomes a leg cutter. So, which batsman can play that? Even the best batters would be troubled by that. No other bowler can do that, and that's why it's so important that he plays at Old Trafford. 'In fact, India need him not just at Old Trafford, but also at The Oval for the final Test.' For India to take the series to the decider with a victory in the fourth Test, the team management must also show confidence in Kuldeep Yadav. 'If Kuldeep had played any of the three Test matches, he would have made a huge difference. And the results might have been different because he can turn the ball on any surface, he is a wrist spinner,' Engineer said. 'Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja are fine bowlers, but in Test cricket you need a genuine wrist spinner which we are fortunate to have and I don't know why we nor not playing him.' While some of the tactical decisions from the Indian team may have disappointed Engineer, he is hugely impressed by the fierce competition in the series and the great sportsmanship spirit displayed by both teams. 'The two teams fought so hard in the third Test, there were occasions when tempers flared, but it was wonderful to see Stokes hugging Ravindra Jadeja at the end of the match. That's exactly what happened in the 2005 Ashes when Andrew Flintoff went up to the crestfallen Brett Lee to console him after England beat Australia in that dramatic Test (at Edgbaston),' he said. 'I mean this is what Test cricket is all about, the beauty of Test cricket — you fight hard, you play for your country, so you give your 100 per cent, but at the end of the day, you accept the result in a sporting manner, and that is exactly what this series has also shown. 'It's been a great advert for Test cricket at a time when a lot of countries, including India unfortunately, are leaning towards T20. Of course, the IPL is such a huge success, but Test cricket is Test cricket. It's the ultimate challenge.'
