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The Guardian
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Joe Root hits new milestones as century cements England dominance against India
It was Joe Root day in Manchester on Friday, where 20,000 people sat and admired a true master at work. Inevitable is a dangerous word in cricket, such is the fickle nature of the sport, and yet all that transpired felt as close to this as is possible: the likeliest of outcomes once Root gamboled out in the morning under an azure blue sky. The first expectation was that England, though still trailing India by 133 runs, would take full control of this fourth Test match and, sitting 2-1 up, the series as a whole. Ben Stokes, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley had inflicted such damage 24 hours earlier that it was going to take something remarkable from the tourists to turn things around. And there was also a strong suspicion that Root, on 11, would probably end the day with only Sachin Tendulkar above him in the sport's all-time run-scoring charts. Compiling 150 from 248 balls, his 38th Test century and another for his personal Louvre, this was very much achieved, with a trio of all-time greats surpassed and his career tally now sitting at 13,409 runs. Tendulkar, who retired with 15,921, is now the final boss left to conquer. Not that Root seemed too fussed when, on the stroke of tea, he guided the increasingly innocuous Anshul Kamboj for a single behind square to move past Ricky Ponting's 13,378-run stash. If anything he was sheepish here, offering a little wave of the bat in appreciation of the crowd's applause as the numbers flashed up on the big screen. But then Root is as team-first a cricketer as they come — No Ego Joe, if you will — and will probably have drawn more satisfaction from England's position at stumps. It was a pretty healthy one, too, the hosts closing on 544 for seven and leading by 186 runs. There is rain forecast on Sunday but Shubman Gill's men will need to get there first. There were support acts, of course; the Richard Ashcrofts to Root's Oasis. Ollie Pope made a frisky 71 that, over the course of 38 overs, added 144 for the third wicket alongside Root. Pope did not always exude a sense of permanence – he still jabs at the ball – but his role in a death-by-a-thousand-cuts morning of singles was important. And Stokes continued what is becoming very much his series, that long-awaited five-wicket haul on day two followed by a punchy 77 not out. Though it was paused for a spell on 66 – a battle with cramp forcing him to retire hurt for a spell – the England captain will go into day three eyeing a first Test century for two years. For India there was a brief spell in the afternoon when the door that Root and Pope were bolting shut creaked ajar just a slither. Washington Sundar made a mockery of his 68-over wait to have a bowl, with the drift witnessed at Lord's harnessed once more to see Pope jab to slip and have Harry Brook gormlessly stumped on three. England were 349 for four, still trailing by nine, and the second new ball was overdue. It was a fleeting pushback from the tourists, however, and soon their weary bodies started to fall apart. Jasprit Bumrah left the field after one over with the new ball due to an apparent ankle twinge. Mohammed Siraj got one delivery to rear up and clang Stokes in the box, only to soon follow his strike partner into the away dressing room with a hobble. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion Both men eventually returned, to their credit, and while Stokes was off the field getting treatment there was a brief flurry of wickets to give the Indian supporters a few moments of cheer. The problem for them, however, was that among them was the sight of Chis Woakes being knocked over by a ball from Siraj that kept remarkably low. When India's time to bat again comes, it will be anything but straightforward. But as much as the tourists frayed at the edges on this third day, most teams would have struggled with Root in such a rich vein of form. The only real inconvenience came when he was eventually stumped off Jadeja in the evening session, accidentally treading on the ball and, for a split second, giving rise to fears of something more sinister. That aside this was another display of Root's command of the crease, with his ability to pick up length early and manipulate the field to his will still so remarkably innate. A half-century from 93 balls, his century from 178 and little risk taken along the way. Provided Root stays fit and hungry enough – and the latter feels unlikely to diminish given his unbridled love for batting – he will surely top the lot one day.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
IND vs ENG 4th Test: Ruthless England batting sees India register unwanted record last seen a decade ago
India captain Shubman Gill on his knees in the field as England pile on the runs during Day Three of the 4th Test Match vs England (Photo by) India endured a punishing Day 3 at Old Trafford as England tightened their grip on the fourth Test with a commanding total and a historic statistic to show for it. The visitors were made to toil under clear skies in Manchester, with little reward for their bowlers despite sporadic breakthroughs. The damage began early, as Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett stitched together a dominant 166-run opening stand. Ravindra Jadeja and debutant Anshul Kamboj managed to break the partnership, but England were already in cruise control. Joe Root then took charge with a masterclass in batting, notching up150, while Ollie Pope contributed 71 off 128 balls to further frustrate the Indian attack. With runs flowing freely and no significant threat from the bowlers, England surged past the 500-run mark — the first time India have conceded such a total in an overseas Test since January 2015. Shardul Thakur opens up on being under bowled, gives inside details on Rishabh Pant That previous instance came during the Sydney Test in 2015. Since then, India had managed to avoid conceding 500-plus totals away from home. However, this is now the third time England have breached that mark against them in recent years — following 537 in Rajkot (2016) and 578 in Chennai (2021). Poll What do you think is the main reason for India's struggle in the current Test match? Strong English batting performance Poor fielding and catching Unfavorable pitch conditions With stumps coming soon on Day 3, England looked well set to push their total closer to 600 and bat deep into Day 4, leaving India staring at a massive first-innings deficit. With the series on the line, Shubman Gill 's men face an uphill battle to claw back into the contest. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
England vs India, fourth Test, day three: live scores and latest updates
Hello and welcome to Telegraph Sport's live, over-by-over coverage of day three at Old Trafford. This could be the day that a seriously hard-fought series turns decisively England's way. If they are still batting at the close, it will take a Herculean effort from India – or a repeat of the 2023 downpour that saved Australia – to stop England taking an unassailable 3-1 lead. England were brilliant yesterday, pummelling India all round Old Trafford with ball and bat. They will resume on 225 for 2, a deficit of 133, after scoring their runs at almost five an over. India bowled poorly, particularly with the new ball, but Zak Crawley and especially Ben Duckett played with a skill and chutzpah that we have rarely, if ever, seen from England openers. 'He's an unbelievable player,' said Crawley of his opening partner. 'We talk a lot in the middle about how we're going to play and some of the stuff he comes up with … he's a phenomenal thinker about the game and he hits the ball in areas that made it hard to contain him. I just tried to stay with him. He's the leader of that partnership.' One word of caution. India's bowling improved as the day progressed and they will come hard at England this morning. And there are some uncomfortable parallels with last year's Rajkot Test. On that occasion England started day three on 207 for 2 in reply to India's 445, having scored their runs at almost six an over. Then Joe Root tried to reverse ramp Jasprit Bumrah and the match went in a different direction. England were destroyed by 434 runs and lost the series 4-1. Not that the England dressing-room will be thinking of Rajkot. The past, the worst-case scenarios, are for people like us. They'll be accentuating a sizeable positive: if they dominate today's play, they will be on the cusp of lifting the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
TEST MATCH BREAKFAST: Zak Crawley responds to Shubman Gill's 'spirit of the game' accusations and the debate surrounding injury substitutes
Test Match Breakfast takes a look at some of the biggest issues around cricket during England's huge fourth Test against India at Old Trafford. Ahead of day three of the crunch fourth game of the five-match series, RICHARD GIBSON discusses Zak Crawley's response to Shubman Gill's suggested he had not acted in the 'spirit of the game', injury substitutions in Test cricket and the England all-rounder lighting up the county game. Right on time Zak Crawley pleaded innocence in response to a pre-match accusation from India captain Shubman Gill that he had gone against the spirit of the game midway through this series. Gill blamed the third evening flare-up during the Lord's Test on Crawley and his opening partner Ben Duckett for arriving at the crease 90 seconds late. It was that particular part of England's delaying tactics that had incensed the Indian team, Gill said, causing them to converge upon Crawley when he called for medical attention, after being struck on the glove by Jasprit Bumrah, as the clock ticked onto the 6.30pm close of play. 'I sit in my spot until the umpires go out. I wasn't aware we were late,' Crawley protested. Whether it was intentional or not, he also stirred things up by saying: 'I loved that eight-minute passage.' There were seven minutes of play remaining when England's second innings began, but India were only able to send down six deliveries following the late start to the innings and a couple of further interruptions. Pants on fire Injury substitutes should not come into Test cricket for another two years, according to India's Shardul Thakur. The International Cricket Council have signalled their intention to introduce subs for ailments other than concussion by announcing a trial period for domestic cricket around the world from October. However, talking about the issue in light of Rishabh Pant batting with a fractured foot on the second morning, Thakur said that changes to Test cricket's playing conditions ought to wait until mid-2027 when the current World Championship ends, rather than be introduced midway through its cycle. Of Pant limping back to the crease to transform his unbeaten 37 into a half-century, Thakur - who struck 41 himself - said: 'It was always our plan. There were quite a few efforts from our medical team. Yes, he was in a lot of pain, but we have seen him do a lot of amazing things for the team and this was another.' Pant's latest misfortune, set to keep him sidelined for around six weeks, did throw up an anomaly unlikely ever to be repeated again - Dhruv Jurel keeping in three consecutive innings during a Test series without being named in India's XI. The last laugh Lancashire provided a patronising response to spectators making it into ground on time on Thursday, following the chaos at the start of the match. 24 hours after thousands were queuing down the road, waiting to be admitted and missing half of the morning session in some cases, there was a near full house to witness Ben Stokes' fifth five-wicket haul in Tests. An X post from the club read: 'Thanks to all supporters for arriving early and prepared today. It makes a huge difference! 'We hope you have a great day here with us at Emirates Old Trafford.' Lancashire responded to anger from fans at delayed entry on day one by claiming nearly 9,000 supporters arriving at the ground 'very late' had caused the logjam at the turnstiles. On the beers! It was the 20th anniversary of one of the lesser known events of the 2005 Ashes on Thursday. Australia's victorious players opted to celebrate seeing off England at Lord's by storming the home dressing room and belting out their team song 'Under the Southern Cross I Stand.' England's players had long since departed, but the act of drunken bravado left some of the Australians uneasy post singing. 'Looking back now, I wish we hadn't had as many beers as we had before we went down there,' says Australia captain Ricky Ponting. Those events were kept secret for more than a decade, but came to light in the documentary Forged in Fire, charting international cricket's fiercest rivalry. England shook Australia in that opening match, fast bowler Steve Harmison famously scarring Ponting's cheek to lay down a marker for the series, and although the tourists won the Battle of St John's Wood, they didn't win the war. The response of Michael Vaughan, the man who orchestrated the historic 2-1 win, was one of muted satisfaction: 'There's a karma in sport, isn't there?' England's next star? Liam Dawson was the Englishman with the most recent match double of a century and 10 wickets until Thursday. Dawson, 35, managed the feat on this ground for Hampshire last August, and had also completed it against Middlesex in Southampton 14 months prior to that. But another spin-bowling all-rounder with Ashes ambitions this winter in Rehan Ahmed put his name in a rare club with only the fifth occurrence by an English player this century. Ahmed, 20, followed his first innings hundred with a career-best six for 51 and then took all four Derbyshire wickets to fall second time around as Division Two leaders Leicestershire closed in on an impressive away victory against their promotion rivals.
News18
5 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Zak Crawley Ends Silence After Shubman Gill's '90 Seconds Late' Claim: 'Saw The Umpires...'
Last Updated: Zak Crawley has responded to India captain Shubman Gill's claim that England openers wasted 90 seconds before arriving to bat at Lord's. One of the highlights of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has been the fierce exchange between India captain Shubman Gill and England opener Zak Crawley during the closing minutes of the third day's play of the Lord's Test. An angry Gill asked Crawley to 'Grow some f***** b***s!" for time-wasting as he called for the team physio after being hit on the gloves while facing Jasprit Bumrah. Gill later clarified his frustration wasn't because Crawley summoned the physio as India were trying to squeeze in a couple of overs to try and get an early wicket. The 25-year-old claimed that England openers came out to bat 90 seconds late which he felt wasn't in the spirit of the game. Crawley claims to have been unaware of that. 'No, no. Not at all. I sit in my spot (in the dressing room) until the umpires go out. I saw the umpires go, and I walked out. I wasn't aware that we were 90 seconds late, but fair enough," he said after the end of play on Day 2 of the 4th Test in Manchester. Crawley though admits he enjoyed the tense exchange with the Indian players. 'I've always enjoyed that part of cricket, to be honest, especially when you're batting. There's two of you against eleven and they're desperate to get you out, and they're chirping you," he said. 'Most of the time, I'd probably let it slide, and then other times, I feel like it's a good chance to put it back on them. I loved that little eight-minute passage. No-one stepped over the line. I thought everyone was in good spirits. It was just competitive cricket, and I really enjoyed it," he added. Crawley Dazzles In Manchester After India made 358-all out in their first innings at Old Trafford, Crawley, under pressure after a series of low scores spread across the second and third Tests, produced a vastly improved performance in England's strong response. Crawley made 84 off 113, an innings comprising 13 fours and a six as together with Ben Duckett, he stitched a century stand worth 166 runs. 'I have high standards for myself, and I work very hard in my game. I always want more for myself, and I've certainly wanted more for myself than I've got in the last year or so. That's just an internal thing. I don't feel that pressure from anyone else," Crawley told reporters. 'I just feel like I owe it to myself to have a few more good performances. Days like today make the practice and the tougher times worth it a bit more. Obviously, I wanted more runs today, but I feel like I've worked hard and earned those runs," he added. Crawley also praised Duckett who missed out on a century by six runs. 'He's a phenomenal player and he takes a lot of pressure off me. He scores at a run-a-ball effortlessly, and it allows you to go about your business. We talk a lot in the middle about how we want to go about it, and obviously our height difference – and being left-right-hand – probably makes it quite hard for the bowlers at times, when we're both going well at either end," Crawley said. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
