Latest news with #TestSeries
Times of Oman
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Relentless and promising: Siraj-Krishna-Akash trio steps out of Bumrah's shadow, walks off from England with names etched in gold
New Delhi: During the Team India's recently-concluded tour to England, which ended in a well-fought 2-2 draw, an extremely heartwarming aspect of the series was a raw, inexperienced and written-off pace attack consisting of Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna stepping out of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's shadow and deliver something off note during the course of these five matches for themselves. Before the series began, Bumrah's workload and him consequently playing three Tests was the hottest topic undoubtedly. After sustaining a stress fracture in his back during the backend of a massive 32-wicket Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, India's beloved 'Jassi Bhai' had to be wrapped in cotton wool. It was a hard task to decide which Tests Bumrah was going to play given the unpredictability of the series and the 'Bazball-charge' that had kept Englishmen firing big runs since last three years or so. In the first Test itself, Bumrah made an impact with a five-wicket haul. However, when Bumrah went wicketless during the second innings while defending 371 runs, it was Prasidh who had broken the partnership between openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett and struck twice. Shardul Thakur's golden arm also had Harry Brook and Duckett, but the pairing of Jamie Smith and Joe Root took England beyond the finishing line with five wickets in hand. While the match was lost and runs were leaked, there was some promise nonetheless. This bubbling promise exploded during the Birmingham Test when Bumrah did not play. In reply to India's 587, Akash Deep removed Duckett and Ollie Pope while Siraj ended Crawley's stay at the crease. During the next day three, Siraj removed Stokes and Root quickly, reducing England to 84/5. While Brook and Jamie smashed massive tons during their 303-run stand for the sixth wicket to avert an innings loss, Siraj still walked away with a six-fer to his name, while Akash Deep had a four-fer, ending England's innings at 407. When the target of 608 runs was set, Akash ran through the English top-order with the ferocity of a bull, delivering the 'Ball of the Series' (as per legendary Sachin Tendulkar) to dismiss Joe Root, which was pitched on attacking full length and nipped away, crashing into Root's bails. England was skittled out for 271, losing by a massive 336 runs. Akash walked with his head held high, securing the best-ever figures by an Indian in England with 10/187 and only second ten-fer by an Indian in England. Siraj took a total of seven wickets, starting off England's second innings implosion. Bumrah was back for the Lord's fixture and figures of 5/74, which included a key spell of him removing skipper Ben Stokes, centurion Root and Chris Woakes, marked a historic fifer for Bumrah, as he overtook Kapil Dev to register his 13th fifer away from home. England was all out for 387, and so was India in their first innings. During the second innings, it was Siraj once again delivering a double whammy, packing up Duckett and Pope to reduce England to 2/42 before a Nitish Kumar Reddy full-length delivery tempted Crawley to drive, handing a catch to gully to Yashasvi Jaiswal. Bumrah took two more wickets, and spinner Washington Sundar bowled an amazing four-wicket spell to bundle out England for 192. However, India failed to chase down the total. India trailed 1-2. The Manchester Test was not kind to Indian pacers, with Bumrah drawing his most expensive Test figures of 2/112. Debutant Anshul Kamboj and Siraj went at over four runs an over, getting just one a piece. The match ended in a draw. The future of the Indian pace, at least for a while, hinged on the fifth and final Test at The Oval. After India was bundled out for 224, a fine spell in tandem from Siraj (4/86) and Krishna (4/62) reduced England from 142/2 to 247 all out, allowing for a slim 23-run lead. When 374 runs were set, England was in the driver's seat with Brook and Root having stitched a 195-run stand and making centuries. However, Siraj and Krishna replicated the first innings magic once again, reducing England from 301/3 to 367 all out to seal a six-run classic. During the last day of the Test, 35 runs were needed and four England wickets were left. Siraj hit the deck relentlessly, removing three Englishmen from the crease while Krishna got Josh Tongue's wicket with a scorching yorker. Siraj got a five-wicket haul, while Krishna got four wickets. While Bumrah took 14 wickets in three games at an average of 26.00, with two five-wicket hauls, Siraj ended at the top of the charts with 23 scalps at an average of 32.43, with two five-fors and having bowled a whooping 185 overs, including 30 overs in the final innings at The Oval. Krishna finished with 14 wickets in three matches at an average of 37.07, with two four-fers, that too when it mattered the most. While his economy of 4.94, largely blamed on the short-ball tactic India resorted to often, is the highest among all bowlers with 10-plus wickets, he drew the most false shots (28.7 per cent) from English batters. Akash took 13 wickets at an average of 36.46, with a historic ten-fer to his name. Siraj, Krishna and Akash, all walked away from the English shores, with a piece or two of individual glory to their name. Will India persist with Krishna and Akash as Team's next important pacers?
Daily Telegraph
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
Sam Konstas cops brutal truth bomb as tough Australian Ashes decision looms
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News. Sam Konstas has been told that even a starring role in Australia A's tour of India won't guarantee him an Ashes debut after the opener struggled for form against the West Indies. On Thursday, it was announced that Konstas will feature alongside the likes of Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy and Lance Morris for Australia A next month as he tries to retain his spot in the Test side. It will mark the teenager's first hit out since his horror tour of the West Indies, where he averaged just eight runs across three Tests. Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Cricket Australia views Konstas as the next long-term Test opener, but the move to pick him to play in what is effectively the reserves squad speaks volumes. It shows selectors feel the 19-year-old needs more experience under his belt before again making the leap into the Test team. Sam Konstas has been told even an exceptional performance in India won't guarantee him a spot in the team for the upcoming Ashes series. (Photo by Santanu Banik/Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) And it was a message echoed by chief Australian selector George Bailey, who suggested even a starring performance in India wouldn't guarantee the teenager a spot in the squad. 'While we'd be thrilled to see that (Konstas make three tons) — and it's a really important tour for us and we're really interested in the performances of players there — there will be some separation and I do think performing across the start of the summer is going to be important,' Bailey said. Also in the running for the Test opener spot are Kurtis Patterson and Jake Weatherald, who featured in the A series against Sri Lanka A in Darwin last month but were left out of the Indian tour. Patterson and Weatherald were two of the form batters across the last Sheffield Shield season and will be looking to pile on further runs early this summer when the 2025 season gets underway. Both will be pushing their case to open the batting come November 21, with Bailey stating domestic form will weigh heavily on Test selection. 'The start of a domestic summer is always critical, given where the Test series always starts, there always tends to be three, four, five rounds of Shield cricket,' he said. Sam Konstas struggled for runs against the West Indies. (Photo by) 'Performances in the early rounds of Shield cricket always put your name up in lights and always help your team off to a good start. 'That's critically important, and I don't think that will be anything different this year, (but) clearly there will be some players where it's about purely performing and putting as many runs and taking as many wickets as they can. 'For some who are already in the Test team, striking that balance right to make sure they're actually performance ready … that'll be important too.' Australia have an incredibly one-sided record over England in Ashes Test matches Down Under over the last decade. England have not won an Ashes series since 2015, drawing two and losing two, and have not won a series – or a Test – in Australia since 2010-11. The Ashes series will get underway on November 21 in Perth. - with NewsWire Originally published as Sam Konstas cops brutal truth bomb as tough Australian Ashes decision looms
CNN
2 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Former England spin bowling great Ashley Giles reflects on recent England vs. India test series
Former England spin bowling great Ashley Giles has unsurprisingly been a keen observer of the sensational Test series this summer between England and India, with the tourists forcing a 2-2 draw after dramatically winning the fifth and final Test match this past Monday at The Oval. Giles, now 52 years of age, gave a decade of dedicated service to his country, taking 143 wickets across 54 Test matches, and was memorably part of that great England side that regained the Ashes from rivals Australia in 2005. Giles has just released his autobiography, "The King of Spain and I: Surviving cricket, depression and the greatest ever Ashes," with more on Ashley's book coming on future editions of CNN World Sport but first up, he's been chatting about the pulsating matches we've been treated to across England over the past few weeks with Patrick Snell.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Warner's awkward exchange with nemesis as Aussie doubles down
Former Australian opener David Warner has doubled down on his criticism of Joe Root, predicting the England superstar will be having 'nightmares' about facing Josh Hazlewood during this summer's Ashes. Currently representing the London Spirit in the Hundred, Warner was quizzed by local reporters about the upcoming Ashes campaign during a media day at Lord's, predicting that Australia would win the marquee series 3-1. Last week, the 38-year-old took a gentle dig at Root by suggesting the second-leading run-scorer in Test history was susceptible to LBW dismissals when facing Hazlewood. The former England captain, who has never scored a century in Australia, averages 51.29 in Tests, but that figure slips to 31.40 when facing Hazlewood. It prompted a response on social media from Warner's tormentor in chief Stuart Broad. The pair then came face to face on Tuesday iduring the BBC's pre-game coverage of the The Hundred where Warner is playing for the London Spirit. 'I have to ask - do you always call your pads surfboards or do you save that for Rooty?' Broad asked his old sparring partner. 'You've got to understand that I'm small, so I tend to say they are surfboards,' Warner replied. 'I liked your (X post) but I forgot to tweet back actually, I will do that after the game.' Pressed by reporters later on whether Australia's bowlers would target Root's pads this summer, Warner did not back away from his original comments. 'That's where we always targeted him.' The New South Welshman also compared the looming battle between Root and Hazlewood to his own struggles against former England bowler Stuart Broad, who dismissed him 17 times in the Test arena. 'The way that he brings down his bat playing on Australian wickets, it can bring him undone and I've seen it in the past,' Warner said of Root. 'I think he will have nightmares before he gets over there about Josh Hazlewood. A bit like me and Broady. 'Joe is a hell of a cricket player, look at the runs he has scored, the second leading run-scorer in the world. But I'm sure he'd like to score a hundred in Australia. It's one that has eluded him. I think that will be on his mind, so we will have to wait and see.' Since the start of 2013, no cricketer has been dismissed LBW in the Test arena more often than Root with 51, accounting for 19.39 per cent of his wickets, which is noticeably higher than teammates Ben Stokes (12.69), Ollie Pope (15.84) and Zak Crawley (14.29). Hazlewood has dismissed Root ten times in Tests — three of which were LBW — while only Australian captain Pat Cummins and Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah have achieved the feat more often, with 11 each. Warner also warned that Harry Brook, named player of the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy after smacking a 91-ball hundred at The Oval, will be tested by short-pitched bowling this summer. According to Warner, England's ultra-aggressive approach to batting, colloquially known as 'Bazball', may backfire on Australia's bouncier decks with a spread field. Brook was undone by bouncers on multiple occasions during the 2023 Ashes in the United Kingdom. 'If England want to take that approach in Australia, they are going to have to expect a deep third man, a deep backward point, two men out square and all that and then you can play your shots,' Warner explained. 'There are going to be a lot of chances and Australia will have to take them. In Australia, there is not one place where you can drive on the up and play shots willy nilly. Especially in the last two years, the wickets have been very conducive. 'If Australia start bowling the bumper barrage, like they have done in the past few years, there are going to be no real answers. 'Guys like Brooky can come out and play the way he wants, but he is going to have to start practising more on the short ball because I think that's what he is going to get.' Two years ago, Warner was a central figure during the infamous stumping of England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, confronting an MCC member in the Lord's Long Room as players retreated to the changing rooms. 'For me, it was laughable,' Warner reflected. 'I just found it funny how people behaved. I've got no bad memories of it - just some people who wanted to react the way they did.' Warner's Spirit will next face Steve Smith's Welsh Fire at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens on Saturday.
Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Times
Why England v India was the best series I have ever covered
I have been covering and writing about cricket for 12 years. I've watched Ashes battles, home World Cup wins for both the men's and women's teams, entertaining T20 finals days, dramatic County Championship title wins and more rain delays than I can count — but this Test series between England and India has been the best. Perhaps there is an element of recency bias, but I cannot recall a Test series that has given so much on every day: so many talking points, so much drama and tension, such displays of human endurance and resilience. The players were all in, and so were the fans. One of my roles during a Test is writing our daily live file. It means I'm there, really there — glued to the cricket, yes, but also tuned into the rhythm of the ground. The role demands not just covering the wickets and the runs, but adding colour and texture; the things you wouldn't get from watching the television or listening to the radio. What the vibe inside the ground is, what the players are doing in the nets before the gates open, what the chat in the press box is, what's happening on the concourse, what everyone is having for lunch, whether there are any celebrities in the ground, what we're being told about injuries — as well as monitoring several weather apps and rain radars. I try to let readers feel the match; all of it, not just what's happening on the 22 yards of cut grass. Barely a session went by when I wasn't delving into statistics while also keeping an eye on the players' body language and the expressions, shouts and screams of the spectators. Every day, in every ground, there was a full house. Speaking of spectators, one of the many wonderful things about a series against India is the dedication and passion of their supporters. They turn out in huge numbers — more than for any other opposition, even Australia — and always add to the electric atmosphere. I'll let you into a secret: sometimes the press conferences at the end of a day's play can be a bit dull, with no one saying very much at all, but that wasn't the case in this series. Every day something had happened that we needed to ask about, with both sides continuing the contest from the field into their press conference words. None of it nasty — all of it adding to the entertainment and the intense competition. In among the needle and the drama, there were individual performances that will be etched in the memory; Joe Root moving second on the all-time list of Test runscorers, the brilliant batting and captaincy by Shubman Gill, and the return of Jofra Archer, with his wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal causing Lord's to erupt. And then there was that incredibly dramatic final Test at the Oval. After the fourth day finished on a knife edge thanks to a random shower, I sent my editor a text message, saying: 'Cricket is both the most incredible and stupidest sport ever invented'. That evening we sensed the ending might be special, but not as special as it turned out to be. There were 56 minutes and every ball was an event. I typed every delivery up for the live file — not something I would normally do — but this warranted it. Never have I been so glad I was taught to touch type. Finding the adjectives to convey the drama on the pitch, and the emotion of seeing a one-armed Chris Woakes walking out to bat, was something of a challenge. Some days in this job you worry there won't be enough to write about. That was never the case in this series and now, a couple of days after the end, as I reflect on the 25 days of cricket, more things keep coming back to me. At Headingley, I saw a fan dressed as a traffic cone doing karaoke with an India flag tied around his shoulders. At Edgbaston, I watched a steward help two youngsters get nearer the players for an autograph. At Lord's, I wandered around the concourse at lunchtime on the fourth day and listened to a fierce debate between a group of friends about whether Zak Crawley's time-wasting tactics on the third evening were legitimate. At the Oval, I stood up, along with 25,000 other people, to applaud Woakes walking to the crease and fell in love with Mohammed Siraj — a player who came into the series as Jasprit Bumrah's understudy and ended it as India's hero. I'm not usually overly sentimental or emotional about the cricket I am covering. It is better, in this job, to try to stay calm and objective, but this series brought smiles, a fair few swear words, and a reminder of how privileged I am to be there for these moments. The summer of 2019, with a home World Cup win at Lord's and that incredible Ashes innings by Ben Stokes at Headingley, had been the best summer of my career to date, but now this one, 2025, is right up there alongside it. I'll cover more series, I'll write more live files, but it's going to take something special to top the past six weeks.
