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Daily Mirror
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Sir Andrew Strauss has Ashes warning for England after 'Red for Ruth' day
The last England captain to conquer Australia in Ashes combat Down Under believes Ben Stokes has the batting firepower to repeat his triumph of 2010-11, but taking 20 wickets regularly remains a concern Ashes legend Sir Andrew Strauss says 'giving the Aussies a good stuffing' remains top of his genie wish list - but warned England's bowlers have much to prove this winter. Strauss was the last England captain to capture the urn Down Under in 2010-11, since when they have failed to win a single Test out of the last 15 in Australia. As Lord's turned 'Red for Ruth' in memory of his late wife, raising funds for the Ruth Strauss Foundation, Lord Brocket admitted England's attack was not yet Ashes oven-ready. He is satisfied that Ben Stokes has enough heavy artillery at his disposal with the bat, but Strauss admitted there is a 'question mark' against the bowling. The man who led England to No.1 in the Test rankings from 2010-12 said: "I don't think Ben needs to worry about where he sits in the pantheon of England cricketers - he's already done so many extraordinary things as a player and a captain. But if you want to win in Australia you need are momentum, confidence and a very stable team. 'These Tests against India will determine the mood in the camp heading to Australia, but the bowling has been exposed on some very flat tracks in good weather so far this season. That will be one question mark he's still scratching his head can we take 20 wickets? 'The batting is very dangerous. They grab the bull by the horns and have a lot of batters who can hurt you, but there are familiar concerns and issues around the bowling.' In the seventh 'Red for Ruth' event at Lord's, England players wore red numbers and lettering memory of Mrs Strauss, who died of non-smoking lung cancer in 2018. The Ruth Strauss Foundation has raised £4million over the years, supporting more than 5,000 families facing terminal cancer diagnosis and training more than 1,300 healthcare professionals. By stumps on Friday, Red for Ruth funds had been topped up by more than £300,000. Strauss said: "It's always humbling to see Lord's resplendent in red, it's an incredible showcase and we never take it for granted.' Red for Ruth day at Lord's mirrors other charitable dates on the cricket calendar. The Sydney Test in Australia now features a Pink Day in memory of fast bowling great Glenn McGrath's late wife Jane, while Edgbaston has a 'Blue for Bob' fixture annually to honour former England legend Bob Willis. As well as being a much-missed wife and mother to her two sons, Sam and Luca, Mrs Strauss was an extremely nice lady who was supportive of travelling media on long tours, readily acknowledging that players and hacks go through the same trials of separation and angst. Strauss led England to No.1 in the world Test rankings, including a 3-1 win in Australia 15 years ago.
Powys County Times
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Jofra Archer's instant impact lights up day two of third Test against India
Jofra Archer needed just three balls to remind England what they have been missing during his long absence, lighting up day two of the third Rothesay Test with a memorable dismissal of India's Yashasvi Jaiswal. Archer's last Test appearance came almost four-and-a-half years ago in February 2021, since when he has suffered stress fractures of the elbow and back and experienced a painful sequence of fitness setbacks. His eagerly-anticipated return sent a wave of excitement coursing around Lord's and the impact was instant, following a couple of promising looseners with a fiendish 90mph ball that climbed into Jaiswal's outside edge and settled in Harry Brook's hands at second slip. A Joe Root century. Jofra Archer back. A full house at Lord's. Another brilliant day of Test cricket 👊 — England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 11, 2025 He celebrated deliriously, sprinting towards square-leg with fists clenched and mouth etched with a broad smile, a moment far too long in the making. Archer's opening burst was England's third fastest new ball spell since tracking data began in 2006, bettered only by Andrew Flintoff and Steven Finn, topping out at over 93mph and averaging 89.8mph. He did not add a second scalp but his stint of 10-3-22-1 offered enough encouragement that there is more to come from one of the most exciting bowlers of his generation. The match was finely balanced at stumps, India reached 145 for three in reply to England's hard-fought 387. It was also a day to remember for Joe Root, who completed his 37th Test hundred off the first ball of the day and later swooped one-handed at slip to grab a record-breaking catch. Root had been level with Rahul Dravid as the most prolific outfield catcher in Test history, but as he snatched number 211 an inch off the ground, he went clear at the top. He had started the day unbeaten on 99, eyeing his eighth century at the home of cricket – which had broken out in a sea of red for the seventh year in honour of the Ruth Strauss Foundation. Having waited overnight, Root wasted no further time as he sprayed the first ball of the morning for four past gully. There was good news for his batting partner too, England skipper Ben Stokes moving comfortably and with no sign of the apparent groin injury which afflicted him on the first evening. But England's early optimism was fractured in devastating fashion as Jasprit Bumrah assumed control with three big wickets in the space of seven balls. Stokes was his first victim for a season's best of 44, Bumrah darting one back and flattening the off stump. Out on his own at the 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐩 🔝 What a way to go clear with the most catches in Test history 🥇 — England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 11, 2025 He returned next over to add Root, the definition of big-game hunting, the centurion dragging down middle stump on the drive. Chris Woakes provided easy pickings, nicking behind for a first-baller, completing a swift slump from 260 for four to 271 for seven. Had Jamie Smith been snaffled for five it could have been all-out surrender, but KL Rahul dropped a simple chance off Mohammed Siraj at second slip to kick off a fightback. Smith peeled off 51 at nearly a run-a-ball, continuing his prolific series with a sense of measured simplicity. A regular supply of singles kept him moving and when the chance came to bash through cover or roll his wrists on a pull, he took it greedily. In doing so he notched up 1,000 Test runs in his 21st innings, level with South Africa's Quinton de Kock as the fastest wicketkeeper to that mark. He and Brydon Carse put on 84 for the eighth wicket before the lunch break upset Smith's rhythm, caught behind off an airy drive at the start of the afternoon session. Carse kept the momentum going as he advanced to 56, bringing up his maiden Test fifty with a sweetly-struck six. He was last man out after Archer had been clean bowled by Bumrah, completing his five-for, with all eyes reverting to the returning quick as England took the field. Archer hared in for his first over at the Pavilion End roared on by the fans as he settled immediately into a groove and snapped up the dangerous Jaiswal. It was a quick ball but straightened and stood up off the seam, making it all but unplayable. There was joy all around, Archer engulfing Shoaib Bashir in a bear hug as the rest of the fielders swarmed. He continued to find an edge despite the reluctance of both pitch and ball but England had to work hard for their wickets. Edged… And carried! JOFRA IS BACK! 🌪️ — England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 11, 2025 Stokes, still showing no hint of discomfort, got the better of an intriguing tussle with Karun Nair and Root fell instinctively to his left to secure his history-making catch with one of his better takes. Smith then made another impressive contribution, standing up to the stumps to Woakes and taking a sharp catch to account for danger man Shubman Gill.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Archer strikes on comeback in see-saw third Test
Third Rothesay Test, Lord's (day two of five) England 387: Root 104, Carse 56, Smith 51; Bumrah 5-74 India 145-3: Rahul 53*, Nair 40 India are 242 runs behind Scorecard Jofra Archer took a wicket with the third delivery of his comeback on a memorable and fluctuating second day of the third Test between England and India. After more than four years away with career-threatening injuries, Archer electrified Lord's by having Yashasvi Jasiwal caught at second slip, wheeling away to celebrate with overflowing emotion. Advertisement Somehow, India suffered only one loss in Archer's opening burst, but England plugged away in the extreme heat for two more crucial breakthroughs. Joe Root's magnificent catch at first slip not only ended Karun Nair's resistance at 40, but also gave Root his 211th grab in Tests, a record for an outfielder. The bowler was captain Ben Stokes, fit after a first-day injury scare. Of more significance was the removal of prolific India captain Shuman Gill, caught behind off Chris Woakes for 16. KL Rahul remains on 53, Rishabh Pant is fit to bat after a finger injury and has 19. India closed on 145-3, 242 behind England's 387 all out. Advertisement For all of the excitement around Archer, his was not the most influential spell of fast bowling of the day: Jasprit Bumrah tore through England with 5-74. Bumrah bowled Stokes for 44, had Root play on after he completed his 37th Test century and took an edge to condemn Woakes to a golden duck, all in a seven-ball period. England slipped to 271-7, but India crucially dropped Jamie Smith on five. The wicketkeeper was fluent for 51, adding 84 with Brydon Carse, who was impressive for his maiden Test half-century. Action-packed at red Lord's The first day of this Test was a grind, England battling their way to 251-4. The second day, as Lord's turned red for the Ruth Strauss Foundation, was action-packed. Advertisement Whatever happens in Archer's career from now on, the wicket of Jaiswal, his celebration and the reaction of the crowd will go down in English cricket folklore. An 'I was there' moment. Even for the brilliance of Archer, who looked like he had never been away, England were struggling to make inroads under a burning sun and on an unresponsive pitch until the vital wicket of Gill. That, along with the likely deterioration of the surface perhaps tips the balance towards the hosts. History is on their side: only once on this ground has a team made more than 387 batting first and lost, and that was a 1930 England team to an Australia side containing Sir Donald Bradman. India might have been in a stronger position had they held Smith and not pushed to change the ball that gave Bumrah his first three wickets of the day. The replacement did nothing and the tourists got it changed again eight overs later. The morning was, at times, a frustrating spectacle. Advertisement That was forgotten as the shadows lengthened in an arm-wrestle of an evening. These two sides are evenly matched, this Test and the series are beautifully poised. Archer lights up Lord's again Archer's best moments in an England shirt came at Lord's in his debut summer of 2019. How fitting that he would return to Test cricket on this ground after being tormented by back and elbow injuries. His impact was almost instant, first going past the outside edge of Jaiswal to enliven the crowd. Two balls later, Archer found movement down the slope away from the left-hander, Jaiswal edged to Harry Brook and Lord's erupted. Advertisement Overall, Archer's average speed of 89.5mph is the third-fastest recorded opening burst by an England bowler since speeds began being logged in 2006. It is to the credit of Rahul and Nair they battled through. India dug in, England had to get creative. At one point, Stokes posted three catchers in front of the bat on the leg side. The captain bowled with good pace of his own to take the edge of Nair and Root took a sensational one-handed grab to break the fielding record of India great Rahul Dravid. Rahul looked immovable, but it was the wicket of Gill England craved and Woakes obliged. Smith, standing up to the stumps to keep the India captain in his crease, was sharp enough to hold an edge. Given the conditions, England are likely to need plenty from Shoaib Bashir in the coming days. The off-spinner is so far coming off second-best in his duel with the flamboyant Pant. Advertisement Brilliant Bumrah, passive India With all that happened on Friday, it was hard to recall Root scored the one run he needed to complete a superb century from the first ball of the day, delivered by Bumrah. After Root celebrated, Bumrah took charge. Stokes was cleaned up through the gate by one Bumrah moved down the slope. In Bumrah's next over, Root's drive was deflected back on to his stumps and Woakes played a loose waft at his first ball. In between, Smith was put down by Rahul at second slip off Mohammed Siraj. India, possibly distracted by the ball shenanigans, lost their way. The tourists dropped the field, offering plenty of opportunities for Smith and Carse to score through the off side. Advertisement Smith timed the ball more easily than any of his team-mates. The 407 runs he has so far is already the third-most by an England wicketkeeper in a single series, with a possible five more innings to score the 59 more required to overhaul Alec Stewart's 465. He was caught behind off Siraj just after lunch, opening the door for Bumrah to bowl Archer and put his name on the Lord's honours board for the first time. Carse's swiping off Siraj was entertaining, his half-century reached with a straight six, before Siraj had his revenge with a middle-stump yorker.
The Independent
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Jofra Archer's welcome return lifts the energy in England and India's battle of attrition
At just before a quarter-to-three came the moment that plenty at Lord's had yearned for. The grand old ground looked resplendent in red as it showed its annual support of the Ruth Strauss Foundation, the scarlet on the shirts of the England players making names and numbers even more prominent. The members in the pavilion fixed their focus on the back of the man many had hoped to see; a clinking of glasses and warbling of throats to toast Jofra Archer 's most welcome return. The famous facade and bright sun at his back, Archer began his languid approach. How he, and we, had wondered if this day would ever come; more than four years of recovery toil and injury turmoil between Test appearances, all of 18 first-class overs amid the incidents and accidents. An easy decision might have been to step away, to content oneself with white-ball riches rather than the rigours of running in with a red – but Archer soon showed why it had all been worth it. Ball one was tapped back gently; ball two nipped past the edge. Ball three extracted a helpless Yashasvi Jaiswal, caught at second slip; by ball four, Archer was touching 93mph. Lord's, which can drift on days like these, was rapt. It had been from that same Pavilion End that Archer had shattered the serenity of Steve Smith on debut to continue his glorious summer of 2019 – here, at last, was hope that a Test story cut short has many more chapters to be written. A pedestrian pitch was not, perhaps, the sort of surface on which England would have ideally liked to unleash their returning strike weapon but Archer's value was clear, his first over the fastest delivered by any bowler in the series so far. A match that had progressed at glacial pace – in part due to a number of bizarre delays, from ball changes to injuries and insects – was most certainly injected with energy each time he was tossed the ball. England will have been glad to see Archer bowl with intensity in each of his 10 overs, even when asked to bump in a few bouncers, and there may well be plenty more grinding to come. This remains a slow-burn Test of classical construction, unfolding without undue haste and challenging the patience of its participants. Honours remain, just about, even, visitors India 242 in arrears but only three down. It was a slightly strange morning of two parts, the opening stanza short, sharp and dramatic as Jasprit Bumrah ripped through England's lower middle order before a period of rather less eventful prose. An anxious night for Joe Root on 99 not out was perhaps betrayed by an airy drive at the day's first ball, a thick outside edge through the gully bringing up a 37th Test ton but betraying a batter not totally at ease. It wasn't long until Root was trudging off to take the plaudits from the pavilion, Root gone for 104 shortly after Stokes as Bumrah, north London's finest removal man, rearranged the furniture of two set England batters to prove his class. Chris Woakes, in at No 8, lasted all of one ball – a smart review taken by Shubman Gill at the urging of catcher Dhruv Jurel, continuing to keep in the absence of Rishabh Pant. It looked, then, as if England were ripe to be ripped through by a rampant Bumrah but the Indian charge was halted. The visitors were incensed when a ball barely 10 overs old was switched out by the umpires and rather happier when its replacement was also swapped. The use of three balls in a session will bring more scrutiny on the manufacturers in the toughest summer for Dukes since the French revolution. Jamie Smith, by contrast, is in his pomp and fluently found another 50, breezily bringing it up from 52 balls with Brydon Carse providing doughtier support at the other end. A crucial 84-run stand was snapped eight balls after lunch by Mohammed Siraj, though, with Smith dismissed, before the brilliant Bumrah pierced Archer's defences to complete his five-for. Carse, whose maiden Test half-century had been handy, was cleaned up to leave England all out for 387. It felt just about par on a slow surface, and England's bowlers surely knew they would have to embrace the graft in front them even after Archer's instant strike. The sight of Stokes bowling on the outfield in the morning had been heartening given overnight worries about his groin and the skipper looked smooth, thundering in from the opposite end as Archer and dislodging Karun Nair courtesy of a stunner at slip from Root. It was a sign of the surface that Smith was soon up to the stumps for the bowling of Woakes, which made a grab from Gill's outside edge mighty sharp and important given how impenetrable the Indian captain's defence had seemed at Edgbaston. Pant (19*) was able to bat at No 5 despite his injury, though, while the well-ordered Rahul (53*) looked unhurried in every sense on a day that ended with 15 of the scheduled overs unbowled. A battle of attrition continues.
Glasgow Times
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
England bowling remains a question mark
The former England captain will help turn Lord's 'Red for Ruth' on Friday, raising funds and awareness for his Ruth Strauss Foundation, and will be paying a close eye on how the team shapes up on day two against India. And while he is content that Ben Stokes' side have the batting depth to compete with the best in the world, uncertainty remains with the ball after seeing India rack up big runs at Headingley (471 and 364) and Edgbaston (587 and 427 for six declared). England's bowlers have toiled for long spells against India (Martin Rickett/PA) Strauss was the last England captain to win the urn Down Under but hopes Stokes can pick up the baton this winter. 'I don't think Ben needs to worry about where he sits in the pantheon of England cricketers, he's already done so many extraordinary things as a player and a captain,' he said. 'But if you want to win in Australia the number one things you need are momentum, confidence and a very stable team. These Tests against India will determine the mood in the camp heading to Australia. 'You need to have a complete team who can win in all competitions and the bowling has been exposed on some very flat tracks in good weather so far this season. That will be one question mark he's still scratching his head around…how can we take 20 wickets? 'They have sharpened up one or two elements overall and their batting is very dangerous. They grab the bull by the horns and have a lot of batters who can hurt you but there are familiar concerns and issues around the bowling.' Friday marks the seventh 'Red for Ruth' event at the home of cricket, in honour of Strauss' late wife, who died of non-smoking lung cancer in 2018. Coming to the Home of Cricket tomorrow? Lord's will be transformed into a sea of red as the cricketing world unites for the seventh annual #RedforRuth day. — Lord's Cricket Ground (@HomeOfCricket) July 10, 2025 The foundation has attracted donations of over £4million over the years, supporting more than 5,000 families facing an incurable cancer diagnosis and offering training to more than 1,300 healthcare professionals. A new school education programme is also being launched, featuring a Minecraft educational game. 'I'm very proud to see what the foundation has done over the last six years and we couldn't have done it without the support of the cricket community,' he said. 'It's always humbling to see Lord's resplendent in red, it's an incredible showcase and we never take it for granted. 'The impact we've made in the past six years is extraordinary, and a huge part of it is down to the generosity of the cricketing community and the public. With the schools programme now in place, we're ensuring that families feel supported not just at home or in healthcare settings, but in schools too.'
