Lord's Test vs India will be Ben Stokes' toughest challenge as captain: Atherton
Atherton said that the next couple of days would be crucial and used the words of Stokes to drive home his point. Stokes said that he had shut himself from everything after the Leed's win. Atherton said that Stokes will need to use the upcoming days now to lift the side after being outplayed at Edgbaston. 'It is not hard to imagine, then, how he must be feeling now. There was a gap of seven days between the first and second Tests The three days that Stokes used to shut himself off from the world after Leeds for his own benefit, are essentially the days he must use now to rally his players. His workload at Edgbaston was not dissimilar. He spent 25 overs longer in the field; he bowled nine overs fewer and batted 16 minutes less. Defeat, of course, exacerbates matters. If he was feeling knackered after a win at Leeds and with a seven-day break, how must he have been feeling on Monday morning with the Lord's Test three days away?' said Atherton. Atherton suggests changes for Lord'sWhen it came to the playing XI for the Lord's Test, Atherton said he would bring in Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson for Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse. Atkinson was added to the squad after the end of the Edgbaston Test. 'I'd keep faith with the batting and freshen up the seam attack, bringing in [Jofra] Archer and [Gus] Atkinson for Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse,' said Atherton. India and England will lock horns in the third Test, starting from July 10. - EndsTune InMust Watch
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
7 minutes ago
- Indian Express
England announce playing XI for 4th Test vs India at Manchester
The England cricket team on Monday announced their playing XI for the 4th Test against India in Manchester which is scheduled to start on Wednesday. The hosts made one change to their team which was forced as off-spinner Liam Dawson replaced the injured Shoaib Bashir. Bashir was ruled out of the remainder of the England vs India Test series on Monday due to a finger fracture which he sustained during the third match at Lord's, which his side won to take a 2-1 lead. 'England men's spinner Shoaib Bashir has sustained a fracture to his left finger and has been ruled out of the remainder of the Rothesay Test series against India. He is scheduled to undergo surgery later this week. England will name their squad for the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford in the next couple of days,' the ECB said a couple of weeks ago. Our XI for the fourth Test is here 📋 One change from Lord's 👊 — England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 21, 2025 Bashir sustained injury to his little finger of his left hand on the third day of the Lord's Test while bowling to Ravindra Jadeja, who hit a powerful low drive straight back to the bowler. He bowled just 5.5 overs in India's second innings, but had the honour of ending the visiting side's run chase of 193, scalping the wicket of last batter Mohammed Siraj as England notched a memorable 22-run win. Dawson, meanwhile, last played Test cricket for England in July 2017 and will be looking to make his comeback after eight long years. The 35-year-old has been a consistent performer for Hampshire over several years and was named PCA Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Earlier, ECB had also released pacers Sam Cook and Jamie Overton, both of whom have returned to their respective counties to play in the County Championship. England lead India 2-1 in the 5-match Test series with the hosts winning the 1st and the 3rd Tests at Leeds and Lord's respectively while the visitors clawed one win back at Edgbaston.
The Hindu
10 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Focus on Anshul Kamboj as India gears up for must-win Test against England
As Anshul Kamboj marked his run-up, he was greeted by Mohammed Siraj. 'Welcome to Manchester, man!' Siraj told the young fast bowler, who had joined the team on Sunday, following Arshdeep Singh's thumb injury. The youngster smiled, and over the next hour, he toiled hard in the nets, bowling long spells alongside Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna. With the series on the line, Bumrah will be available for the fourth Test, which begins on Wednesday at Old Trafford. While Siraj is an automatic choice, Arshdeep and Akash Deep, yet to recover fully from a groin niggle, have been ruled out. India's third seaming option is now limited, and there are indications that the 24-year-old Kamboj may be drafted into the playing eleven. Known for his skiddy deliveries and the ability to extract a sharp bounce when needed, Kamboj was recently part of the India A squad for the two unofficial Tests. In the second match in Northampton, he claimed a four-wicket haul, including two in a single over in the second innings. READ: Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out of remaining ENG vs IND Test series, Arshdeep Singh to miss Manchester clash That experience could come in handy for the 24-year-old. He bowled long spells to K.L. Rahul, Shubman Gill, and then Rishabh Pant in the nets. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and Morne Morkel had frequent conversations with the youngster, perhaps initiating him to the rigours of Test cricket. Kamboj looked at ease and often challenged batters with his pace. Midway through the session, he was spotted deep in discussion with Bumrah and Siraj, while national selectors Ajit Agarkar and Shiv Sundar Das watched from a distance, taking notes. Coming on the back of a successful First Class stint, where he claimed 79 wickets in 24 games for Haryana, Kamboj has also proved his mettle with the bat as he forged an unbeaten 149-run stand with Tanush Kotian to help India A force a draw during the match in Nottingham. ALSO READ: Farokh Engineer and Clive Lloyd to have stands named after them at Old Trafford during ENG vs IND 4th Test While Bumrah's presence will be a major boost, the real test lies in how the newcomers in the bowling unit cope with the pressure. 'The combination is changing by the day. Our plan is to bowl in good areas, considering how the England batters played with a lot of patience in the last match,' Siraj said. The team management may also consider tweaking the bowling combination, potentially favouring Kuldeep Yadav over Washington Sundar, given that the Old Trafford surface is expected to assist wrist spinners. Pant ready for 'keeping duties After missing his wicketkeeping duties during the Lord's Test due to a left index finger injury, Pant had an extended session behind the stumps on Monday. Initially monitored by fielding coach T. Dilip, Pant later joined a slip-catching drill alongside Rahul, Gill, Karun Nair, and B. Sai Sudharsan. He looked comfortable throughout and is expected to keep wickets. Meanwhile, there are signs the team management may hand Sai Sudharsan the No. 3 spot, following a string of underwhelming performances from Karun.
NDTV
17 minutes ago
- NDTV
Shubman Gill "Somewhere In Between" Virat Kohli And MS Dhoni: Sanjay Manjrekar's 'Best' Version Prediction Ahead Of 4th Test
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has rallied behind skipper Shubman Gill 's leadership skills to bounce back from 1-2 down in the upcoming fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester. Gill's captaincy debut has been quite balanced for him in the tour so far. The scoreline might reflect the dominance of England, but the Indian side has been at its attacking best to give a tough fight. The narrow 22-run loss at Lord's was the best example of India's attacking approach on the tour. With the fourth Test giving the final chance for the visiting side to bounce back, Manjrekar feels the break will allow Gill to reflect on his captaincy style and come out all guns blazing in Manchester. 'Gill is a young captain, and he has already surpassed expectations, both with the bat and as a leader. The scoreline might be close, but India has won a Test match, and that's credit to how he has gone about it. This eight-day break comes at a perfect time for him. "He has good people around him, and his father, more than anyone, would know what kind of personality Shubman really is, whether he's a potential Virat Kohli or Dhoni, or somewhere in between," Manjrekar said on JioHotstar. "I'm guessing somewhere in between. He has to find his own path now, a path that enhances both, his leadership and his batting. And, if there is anything coming in the way of either, he's got to quickly let go of it. "In the first Test, he was leaning heavily on Rishabh Pant and others. In the second, he started asserting himself, and the results followed. Now, after this little setback in the third Test, we might see the best of Shubman Gill, the captain, in Manchester. Hopefully, we'll also see the best of Shubman Gill, the batter,' he added. India's camp is marred by injuries to Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy, other than Rishabh Pant, who is recovering from a finger injury sustained during the Lord's Test. This comes on top of workload management concerns that have restricted Jasprit Bumrah to just three of the five Tests in the series. He featured in the first and third Tests and with an eight-day gap between for the fourth Test, India have suggested they are "leaning towards" playing him at Old Trafford.
