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The Independent
02-08-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
England's new ‘bad boy' persona against India leaves us with one question
It is a confusing time to be an England player. The year started with head coach Brendon McCullum speaking about the need for his players to show more 'humility'. Then, before the Lord's Test, McCullum instructed his players that they had been guilty of being too nice. And then it emerged that while balancing McCullum's desires for England to be humbly unpleasant, they had also hired Gilbert Enoka, the mental performance coach credited with the All Blacks famous 'no d***heads' policy. So, in conclusion, don't be a d***head, but don't be nice, and do be humble when sledging your opponent. Cut to the final throes of day five at Old Trafford and as Harry Brook was caught on the stump mic imploring Washington Sundar to, 'f**king hell Washy, get on with it', and then mock extending his hand to offer a draw when Ravindra Jadeja reached his century, the whole thing irked, but tracked. Is the new fiery England one just for now, or is it here to stay? 'No regrets,' Ben Stokes summarised before the fifth and final Test, even after he and England had had a few days to cool off. 'I think it's one of those where if you've been in the field for 250 overs, you'd have a bit more understanding towards both sides. 'We're over it. And I think India are over it too.' First things first. Hypocrisy is a human right. God forbid anyone checked for consistency in your every move. England are performing in a high-pressure environment at the culmination of a three-year project which will define legacies for many. Slip-ups are inevitable. And while England have got rougher around the edges in personality, they have become more refined in their cricket. Their innings at Lord's was the second slowest of the Bazball era. Which, rather than a contradiction of their previous lunacy, was an acknowledgement of the stakes going up. Bazball was a creation of Ben Stokes to unlock the potential of a failing batting unit. In Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and, at that point, Jonny Bairstow, they had a talented, but timid batting line-up fearful of failure. The point was to push the boat out, prove to them what's possible, and then rein it back in. Ben Stokes' batting itself is the perfect example. At the start, he was a maniac. In matches, he charged at seamers at every opportunity and in training he would look to hit as many boundaries as possible. The purpose was to prove to his troops that nothing was too extreme. Cut to a week ago, and Stokes' century came off a measured 164 balls. But the Old Trafford fallout was unpleasant. England have prided themselves on being the entertainers and playing cricket with a smile on their face, but instead they finished the Test mocking a bloke who had outplayed them for the day. At one stage earlier in the match, Brook removed his chewing gum and lobbed it at the spidercam that whizzes above the ground. It was all just a bit weird. Your mate who doesn't smoke pulling out a cigarette at the pub. This isn't you. What are you doing? The question is whether we're likely to see more, or less, of such behaviour as we head into the Ashes. The spark for this series came when Crawley and Duckett dragged out a single over at the end of the day three at Lord's across seven minutes, with the resulting to-and-fro raucous theatre. All 11 Indians piling into England, and in return, England, when it was their turn to field, decided to give it back. 'I've had a lot of compliments," Brook said afterwards. "Everybody said it was awesome to watch and it looked like there was 11 versus two when we were fielding. It was good fun, I have to admit.' That trajectory continued to Old Trafford in a series that has flipped between the vitriolic and the collegiate. Barbs have been thrown in either direction. But friendships are present between the two sides. Joe Root and Yashisav Jaiswal are close from their time at Rajasthan Royals, where Jaiswal was known as 'Joe-swal' given how much he stuck to the England legend's side. Furthermore, when England won at Lord's, the condolences extended at the close to the pantomime villain of the series, Mohammed Siraj, were genuine. England raising the temperature on the field has been a deliberate ploy; whether they feel it's one that suits them or not will decide whether it continues. On day two at The Oval, Ben Duckett's muted reaction to Akash Deep bizarrely putting his arm round his shoulder after dismissing him suggested a taming of emotions, but Root's fiery, and out of character, burst back at Prasidh Krishna in response to a sledge suggested otherwise. For the most part, fans didn't like the carry on at Old Trafford. It was chest puffed out behaviour when the contest was dead. But when it was Crawley vs India at Lord's and the contest was live - it was loved. Like everything in life, it was all about timing. The reaction has been an insight into the media pressures that await. If the telling off in the English press has been a disappointed slap on the wrist, the reaction in Australia has been giddy. Cross-paper coverage of England confirming their place as the bad boys of world cricket. They don't like us; and we don't like them. Tempers, even three months ahead of time, are fraying. 'When you're playing Test cricket,' said Brydon Carse earlier this series, on the topic of sledging, 'with the crowd and the pressure and the emotion, and how much everyone wants to win the game, I think it's great. 'There's always obviously a line, and you don't want to cross that line. But when you're out on that field, and there's 10 other blokes all fighting your corner, it's pretty cool.' Over the last three years England have been fun, they have been different, and now they're dabbling with being nasty. And that could be nice.
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Prasidh Krishna: India planned to ruffle Joe Root
Prasidh Krishna said India had a pre-conceived plan to ruffle Joe Root at the Oval, leading to a heated exchange between the pair. On a day of high drama and terse words at the Oval, Krishna drew an unusually animated response from the usually composed Root after sledging him when he was on nought. Root, the world's top-ranked Test batsman, then hit Krishna for four, and returned a verbal volley. Root has had an excellent series, making hundreds at Lord's and Old Trafford, but made just 29 before being dismissed by Mohammed Siraj amid an English collapse. By stumps, India were two down leading by 52 runs. Krishna said he was surprised by Root's response to him, given that the pair are former IPL team-mates. 'It was a very small thing, just a competitive edge amongst us coming out,' he said. 'Both of us are good friends off the field and it was just a little bit of banter and both of us enjoyed it. 'That was the plan [to ruffle Root] but I didn't expect a couple of words I said to get such a big reaction from him, but I love the guy he is. He's a legend of the game. For him to come out, it's great when two people are out there wanting to be the best and be a winner in a given moment.' Marcus Trescothick, England's assistant coach, played the incident down as 'nothing you wouldn't hear on a normal game day', but said Ben Duckett had done well not to react when Akash Deep put his arm round him after dismissing him. Trescothick said: 'Joe just reacted differently than he has before. Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. It was nothing serious to worry about. 'I was just saying [to the coaches] that many in my time would have dropped the elbow on [Deep], a bit different! I don't think I've ever seen a bowler do that after getting someone out. We've seen many words between the sides, and it was just different. We were laughing and joking about it. 'Yeah, of course he [Duckett] did well [not to react]. We've seen it in the series. Ben doesn't really do a great deal. There may be occasions in the future where he does. But you put your head down and walk off, the job is done. There is no need to walk him off in that fashion but the game has been fought in good spirits. Been many words and arguments, but the teams are getting on well enough and will continue to do so.' Eight of the biggest flare-ups in series full of needle Just as assuredly as it brought more compelling cricket, the second day at The Oval brought more skirmishes on the field too. These added to the sense that England's series with India has been among the most fraught of recent years. One simple reason for what is euphemistically called the needle between the sides has been time. With the first four Tests all finishing late on day five, there has now been cricket on 22 days this series: ample time for disagreements to fester, especially with all the matches so competitive. A five-Test series simply allows greater scope for tensions to multiply. There has been another dynamic that has informed this series, too: the cooling of England's relationship with the Indian Premier League. Only two of England's players at The Oval – Jacob Bethell and Jamie Overton, who are both playing their first Tests of the series – featured in this year's IPL. A striking number of England players have indicated a relative lack of interest in the IPL. Harry Brook is banned from the next two seasons of the competition after withdrawing at late notice this year. Brook, like his teammates, has not struck up friendships with Indian players during the IPL, in the manner that men like Jos Buttler, Sam Curran and Kevin Pietersen did. All these forces have come together to make for a series that has contained more needle since perhaps any involving England since the 2005 Ashes. Here are eight of the biggest flare-ups this series. Shubman Gill v Zak Crawley, Lord's day three At precisely the moment when a series is normally coming to an end – the third evening of the third Test – this clash burst into life. With six minutes remaining on day three at Lord's, England's openers used elaborate time-wasting tactics to ensure that they would only have to face a solitary over. India sarcastically applauded Crawley as he called over the physio, with captain Shubman Gill telling him to 'grow some f------ balls'. These scenes set the template for much of what has followed since. Before day four, KL Rahul promised that India would be 'fired up' when play resumed; the team were as good as his word. When Mohammed Siraj dismissed Ben Duckett on the fourth day, he screamed in the batsman's face. Brydon Carse and Harry Brook v Akash Deep, Lord's day four Twenty-four hours after England's skulduggery, India attempted some flagrant time-wasting of their own to try to avoid facing another over. Brydon Carse pointed at Akash Deep, India's nightwatchman. Harry Brook was even more direct, telling Deep to 'do your f------ job'. Ben Stokes and Harry Brook v India, Old Trafford, day five After Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar had batted with admirable discipline to secure a draw at Old Trafford, thereby keeping India alive in the series, Ben Stokes offered his hand to Jadeja to offer a draw. But India's pair, as they were well within their rights to do, preferred to bat on – both securing their centuries, and also forcing England to remain in the field longer before the last Test. In response, a petulant Harry Brook offered his hand sarcastically when Jadeja reached his century, and bowled a series of slow, loopy off breaks which made clear that he was piqued. Gautam Gambhir v Lee Fortis, The Oval, two days before the Test As the fifth Test loomed, tensions extended beyond even the players themselves. At The Oval, two days before the last Test, India head coach Gautam Gambhir and Surrey's head of ground staff Lee Fortis squared off. Fortis told Gambhir to avoid encroaching on the square. In response, Gambhir shouted and wagged his finger at the groundsman. Gambhir shouted 'you can't tell us what to do' and was heard to say later: 'You're just a groundsman, nothing beyond that.' The pair were eventually separated by Sitanshu Kotak, India's batting coach, and other members of the Indian support staff. Showing little inclination to defuse the situation, Kotak later accused Fortis of being 'a bit arrogant'. Mohammed Siraj v everyone Mohammed Siraj's sheer zest for the fight has been a common feature in much of the most compelling cricket this series. In his desperation to succeed, Siraj can sometimes irk opponents, as when screaming in Duckett's face at Lord's. At The Oval, Duckett could be overheard referring to Siraj as 'Mr Angry'. Akash Deep v Ben Duckett, The Oval, day two Struggling to defend against Deep, Duckett instead resorted to a series of extraordinary scoops and reverse scoops. When one such shot led to his downfall, gloving the ball behind, Deep smiled and put his arm on the batsman's shoulder. In theory, such physical interaction is prohibited by the International Cricket Council's code of conduct, but Duckett did not respond. For all the evident competitiveness of the two men, this interaction seemed essentially good-natured. Prasidh Krishna v Joe Root, The Oval, day two Joe Root is very seldom involved in altercations. But even he hasn't been immune from the wider tensions against India. From the fifth ball of his innings at The Oval, Root played and missed, leading Prasidh Krishna to utter uncomplimentary words. The pair then exchanged heated words and stares on multiple occasions, leading the umpires to intervene. Ben Duckett v Sai Sudharsan, The Oval, day two In the last throes of the second day at The Oval, there was still time for one more high-octane incident. After Sai Sudharsan was rightly given out lbw to Gus Atkinson, he started to walk off the field. Then, seemingly goaded by Duckett, Sudharsan decided to review his lbw decision after all. The upshot was that India squandered one of their reviews: a welcome bonus for England, on top of Sudharsan's wicket. By the end of this series, you suspect, there will be more on-field incidents to add to this list. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Guardian
01-08-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘He was angry': India admit wind-up strategy to disrupt Root's batting
At the end of another day of backchat and occasionally fraying tempers, in which the former England captain Michael Vaughan suggested of the two sets of players that 'it's almost like they've had enough of each other', India admitted Joe Root had been the target of a deliberate plan to wind him up and put him off his game. Alastair Cook, another former England captain, had suggested as much after Root reacted to a comment from Prasidh Krishna. 'He was angry, he wasn't in much control, but why wouldn't you try to upset Joe Root?' Cook said. 'I don't know if it was a plan but you can say that it did work. I just hope what he said was within the line. I hope it didn't cross the line, and was good old honest sledging. It definitely got Joe out of his bubble.' 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 Root, who across the first four matches of the series had scored two centuries and averaged 67.16, was duly dismissed for 29. 'That was the plan,' Krishna said. 'But I didn't really expect the couple of words that I said to get such a big reaction from him. It was a very small thing. We're good mates off the field – it was just a little bit of banter and both of us enjoyed it, I think.' On another occasion Akash Deep put an arm around Ben Duckett's shoulder to usher him off the field after the England opener was dismissed for a quickfire 43, something England's assistant coach Marcus Trescothick thought might have provoked a more violent response. 'A lot of players would have just dropped the elbow on him,' he said. 'I don't think I've ever seen a bowler do that after getting someone out. I'm sure there'll be occasions in the future where he may well [react]. It is what it is, isn't it? There's no need to walk him off in that fashion, but the game has been fought in good spirits – although there's been many words and arguments along the way, the two teams are still getting on well enough and will continue to do so once the game is done.' India finished the second day on 75 for two, nursing a lead of 52 with 21 wickets having already fallen on a green-tinged pitch described by Trescothick as 'extreme'. 'This pitch has been challenging,' he said. 'There's no doubt about it, with the way it was prepared to be a little bit greener. I think it's been at the top end of what you want it to be. We're at the extreme version of what we see in these types of pitches, but it's kind of what we like – we want pace on the ball, we want the ball to bounce and we want the ball to carry through. We're happy with how it's performed so far.'
Times of Oman
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Nobody cried themselves to sleep: Stokes "all for" on-field "spectacle" after tempers flared at Lord's
London: England Test captain Ben Stokes is "all for" the aggression and tempers that flared during the third Test against India at the 'Home of Cricket', Lord's. According to Stokes, despite all the emotions that boiled over in the last three days, nobody overstepped the line or cried "themselves to sleep over what was said or done out" on the field. Temperament frayed, emotions ran thin as the element of spice entered the picture. In the last three days, India and England players engaged in sledging, which even led to Mohammed Siraj receiving a demerit point and losing 15 per cent of his match fee. After a thrilling contest concluded with England's 22-run victory, Stokes was quizzed about the heated on-field atmosphere. The English skipper didn't mince his words and claimed that it was understandable for emotions and tension to soar high when two behemoths are scuffling for victory. "No, I think in big series like this there's always going to be a time and a moment where the two teams are going to clash. I'm all for it. I don't think it really stepped over the line. I think at the end of it, if you think about it, there's 22 people out there playing for their country. It's the highest honour that you can do in our given sport. So you can understand that sometimes the emotions and the tension can get quite high," Stokes told reporters in the post-match press conference. It all started with India Test captain Shubman Gill screaming at Zak Crawley in the final moments of the third day. He felt the lanky English opener was trying to run down the clock to deny India the opportunity of bowling a second over. Fingers were pointed, words were exchanged, and the trend continued for the next two days. On Sunday, Siraj celebrated close to Ben Duckett in his follow-through after scything his wicket and made contact as the English opener began his walk back to the Lord's long room. "But I don't think there's anyone in the Indian dressing room or anyone in the English dressing room that's going to bed, going to cry themselves to sleep over what was said or done out there. Sometimes it gets a little bit over-egged from an outsider's point of view. I don't think it overstepped the line from the Indian team or from our team," he added. Even on the last day, Carse and Jadeja engaged in a heated altercation, which was soon subdued. In the 35th over, the two players collided while Jadeja sprinted for the first run. After the first contact, Carse had his arm around Jadeja's shoulder, which didn't sit well with the seasoned Indian all-rounder. Jadeja and Carse began a war of words, which led to Stokes intervening in the matter and cooling things off. Stokes didn't believe that there was a buildup to the heated moment and said, "There was always going to be a moment in a series like this when it was going to implode. It wasn't really boiling up to it, it just sort of happened. But look, that's the spectacle of England v India, isn't it." (
SBS Australia
12-07-2025
- Sport
- SBS Australia
Provocazioni, parolacce e acrobazie: lo sport australiano
Transcript You're at your first Aussie sports match. The crowd is shouting, the players are yelling — and you're doing your best to understand... but it all sounds so weird! Hi, I'm Dr. Howie Manns. I study language and how people use it. After moving to Australia, I fell in love with AFL football. But I was shocked by the way Aussies talk about sport — on and off the field. It isn't always polite. But once I understood it, I found more ways to join in the fun. Not-so-polite passion for sport In Australia, being a little rude during sport is part of the game. Let's start with cricket. Back in 1877, Australia and Britain played their first official Test series. Australia shocked Britain by holding them to a draw — and then winning the Third Test. Tensions rose. At one match, a controversial umpire call led to an Aussie crowd storming the field. A British player called them 'Sons of convicts!' This moment tells us two key things: Australians love the underdog. And we don't always play it cool under pressure. Sledging and sportsmanship One of Australia's most famous sports terms is sledging — on-field banter meant to distract or intimidate your opponent. The term came about in the 1960s or '70s, likely from the word 'sledgehammer' (as in, 'subtle as a sledgehammer'). Sledging can be friendly — or harsh. Cricket legend Shane Warne (a.k.a. Warnie) said it's about timing, and not every sledge is meant to hurt. Footy talk: Aussie rules and colourful language I'm an AFL fan — go, Doggies — so let's talk footy. We've called it 'Aussie Rules' since World War I. In fact, we started saying 'Aussie' around the same time. Footy is full of expressive phrases: 'Give him the don't argue' – a player pushes away an opponent with an outstretched arm. 'Selling the candy' – faking out an opponent by pretending to pass. 'Blinder' – a spectacular play or performance. We even name moments after athletes. Steven Bradbury became a legend by winning gold when everyone else fell. Now we say someone 'did a Bradbury' if they win unexpectedly. And of course, there's the chant: 'Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, oi, oi!' Made famous during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Underdogs, jokes, and 'a bit of a hit' Aussies love a humble winner. Even top athletes downplay their success in interviews. We love the underdog — and we love not taking ourselves too seriously. If a game's just for fun, we might say: 'Just having a bit of a hit' or 'a bit of a knock.' That phrase — 'a bit of' — is uniquely Aussie. It shows we're being casual, playful, even self-deprecating. Sport is everywhere — even at work Sport is more than play in Australia — it's part of the culture. It shows up in everyday talk and even in the office. 'Opening the batting' = starting a meeting 'Shirtfront' = confronting someone head-on (even in politics) 'Handball' = passing a task on to someone else Whether on the field or in the boardroom, Aussies love a bit of slang and banter. Sport connects us Sport connects Australians — even when we disagree about the game. We joke with teammates. We cheer in the stands. We argue about the score at the pub. This shared language makes us feel like part of a team — on and off the field. Language keeps evolving Aussie English is always changing. New words arrive. Old ones fade. And our sports language reflects that evolution. Understanding the past — from sledging to shirtfronts — helps us feel more at home here. So stay curious. Because sometimes, those weird sports words can open the door to a wonderful life in Australia. Weird and Wonderful Aussie English Video production company: New Mac Video Agency
