
‘Bit of karma!' How did Glenn McGrath get injured during the famous 2005 Ashes that England won?
On the morning of the second Test at Edgbaston after he had won the man of the match award in the first game, McGrath had slipped on a ball lying on the ground, and was ruled out. But here is the story behind that injury, with 'karma' according to Nigel Stockill (England strength and conditioning coach), and England's physio Kirk Russell.
'The Australians started a childish turf war before play every morning. It cost them in the end,' Stockill has now told the UK newspaper Telegraph.
Russell explained what happened during the first Test at Lord's during training sessions.
'Fletch [Duncan Fletcher, the England head coach] had got word that Australia would warm up where we normally warm up on the outfield at Lord's. We got there before 8am and sure enough they had been in and laid their cones out. By the time the guys wanted to bowl, the Aussies were out warming up close to the wicket. Ashley Giles wanted a bowl. I would take a mitt and Ash said politely to the Aussies 'can you just move a bit because we want to bowl?' Fair to say their response was not 'good morning, yes of course'. It was basically 'f— you'. Anyway it was the most high-pressure mitting experience I ever had because I had a couple of the Aussie guys by my feet. The fun and games started early on.'
Russell claims that Australia's captain Ricky Ponting wasn't that nice to him during the first Test at Lord's. 'I would say 'good morning' to Ricky Ponting every day and I would get nothing back. Just silence. I always found that really weird. Perhaps he thought it was showing weakness to say hello to a physio.'
When the caravan moved to Edgbaston for the second Test, there was more drama in store. The S&C coach Stockill takes up the story here.
'When we went to Edgbaston, they decided they would have our side of the pitch to train on again. Buchanan put balls out to mark their territory rather than plastic cones. It was one of those balls that McGrath stood on. There is a bit of karma there. They tried to upset the balance of things and if ever there was a backfire, that was it.'
McGrath was taken to hospital for a scan that revealed two ruptured ligaments and bone damage in his right ankle. Later he would talk about the moment. 'It was tough sitting there watching,' he says.
'Not so much that we lost, but I always wonder what positive impact could I have had on the team. It's not so much the bowling impact, it's the impact on the mental state of the opposition. All of a sudden, I'm not playing. I'd bowled well at Lord's, then I'm out, which gives a lift to the opposition that wouldn't have been there otherwise,' he had told BBC.
It was McGrath's replacement Michael Kasprowicz who became the last wicket to fall in that thriller. Kasprowicz had made 20 in a 59-run partnership with Brett Lee when he gloved a Steve Harmison bouncer down the leg side to give England victory by two runs.
'If we had got those last three runs, it would have killed the series there and then,' said McGrath. 'England's confidence would have been shattered.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
21 minutes ago
- Time of India
Rishabh Pant becomes only wicketkeeper in Test history to achieve this record
Synopsis Rishabh Pant etched his name in cricket history during the fourth Test against England, becoming the first wicketkeeper to surpass 1,000 Test runs in an away country. He reached the milestone with an unbeaten 37 before a foot injury forced him off the field. Pant's achievement adds him to the list of Indian legends with 1,000+ Test runs in England.


News18
33 minutes ago
- News18
Why Indian Cricket Fans Cannot Stop Talking About Karun Nair
Last Updated: England Vs India: Karun Nair was dropped from the squad in the fourth Test in Manchester which led to social media chatter. Karun Nair had asked the universe to give him one more chance. The 33-year-old batter got three in the five-match Test series between England and India before he was excluded from the fourth Test in Manchester. What went wrong? Nair's bat has not produced any big innings so far with 40 in the first innings of Lord's Test being his highest score so far in the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy. With scores of 14(33), 40(62), 26(46), 31(50), 20(54) and 0(4) behind him, Nair was made to sit out while Sai Sudharsan returned to the squad. Were the selectors too harsh in their choice or made the right decision? Career End? Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif asserted that captain Shubman Gill should have backed Nair who is struggling to get going and score big for the country in all-whites. Kaif added that Gill may have missed an opportunity to making a tough decision as the pack leader. 'Today was Shubman Gill's chance to back karun who was down but deserved one more chance. He should have picked Karun Nair. Chance missed to earn the respect when it comes to making tough decisions as a leader (sic)." Users on X wondered if Nair's Test career, that saw a gap of eight years, may have come to an abrupt and cruel end. End of Karun Nair's test career. Don't know if it's harsh. But he certainly can't complain much having got 6 chances on great batting pitches and not being able to make it count even once. At 32-33, there's no likelihood for more chances now. 'Karun Nair is the only batter to finish his test career under 1000 runs despite a triple century," sports journalist Himanshu Pareek remarked. Fair or Unfair? 'Karun Nair was literally dropped from his State Ranji team, he had to go else where and restart his career from zero . People keep bringing his tweet up . Him representing ICT again after everything he went through is a W itself man, (sic)" an ICT fan expressed. Gill's tough call was the right one because of Nair's lack of contribution in the middle order, a user wrote. 'Out of all the batters only Karun nair hasn't scored enough runs he doesn't deserve that backing. I have seen this average players whine over another average player. Also Gill has earned a respect by taking tough call. Another tough call is to trust Anshul Kamboj." Gautam Gambhir, the Head coach, wasn't left out from the raging debate. 'Sai Sudharsan young talent made his debut and was dropped without reason. Then they brought in Karun Nair 3 dropped him after 3 matches and brought Sai back. If they wanted to play Sai again, why drop him in the first place especially in OS Tests. Gambhir has no idea in Tests," a fan wondered. Memes Some chose to exhibit their feelings via memes. You can see the exact moment, Karun Nair's heart breaks — Sank (@CricketIsSimple) July 23, 2025 Karun Nair : Dear Cricket give me one more rn: — Abhishek (@MSDianAbhiii) July 13, 2025 Day 1 India lost 14th toss on a trot, the probability of that being 16384/1. The visiting squad were asked to bat first. Yashasvi Jaiwal (58) and KL Rahul (46) provided India a solid start but failed to convert their starts into big scores. The duo put up an opening partnership of 94. KL was the first to depart in the 30th over when he edged one of Chris Woakes' deliveries. His partner, Jaiswal, joined him in the pavilion after about 10 overs as he too edged one and was removed by Liam Dawson. India may have ended the day with 264/4 on the scoreboard but Rishabh Pant's freak injury could be a serious cause of concern. Pant, batting at 37, attempted to reverse sweep Woakes' yorker when he was hit on his right boot. When the shoe came off, the visuals weren't pretty. Pant had a swollen and bruised foot and appeared to be in a lot of pain so much so that he had to be carted off the field at the Old Trafford Stadium. view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 24, 2025, 10:33 IST News explainers Why Indian Cricket Fans Cannot Stop Talking About Karun Nair 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.


India.com
34 minutes ago
- India.com
Ayush Mhatre Scripts History With Fastest-Ever Youth Test Century In 64 Balls During Thrilling Chase Against England
IND vs ENG U 19: India U-19 captain Ayush Mhatre made history on Wednesday, July 23, by smashing the fastest-ever century in youth Test cricket. His scintillating 64-ball hundred came during a dramatic final-day chase against England in the second Youth Test, where India were set a steep target of 355. Record-Breaking Knock in High-Pressure Chase Chasing a massive 355-run target on the final day, India U-19 got off to a poor start as opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi was dismissed for a golden duck. However, skipper Mhatre took charge of the innings and launched a stunning counterattack. After a cautious start, he unleashed a flurry of aggressive strokes, hitting a six and a four in the third over to set the tone. By the fifth over, Mhatre had taken a particular liking to England bowler Alex Green, hammering him for 14 runs, including three boundaries. He reached his fifty in just 25 balls, showcasing a blend of aggressive intent and impeccable timing. India Turns the Heat Up Early India scored 78 runs in the first 10 overs, adopting a one-day-style approach in the four-day format. The aggressive strategy paid off, as Mhatre and his batting partners kept the scoreboard ticking. After Vihaan Malhotra's dismissal, India stood at 104/2 in just 14 overs, well on course to challenge the stiff target. Partnership with Kundu Lays Strong Foundation Abhigyan Kundu joined Mhatre at the crease and played the perfect supporting role. While Kundu rotated the strike and relieved the pressure, Mhatre closed in on his record with calculated aggression. A towering six took him into the 90s, and a couple of quick singles helped him rewrite the history books. Shattering the Record: Century in 64 Balls Mhatre's century came in just 64 balls, smashing the previous record of 88 balls held by England's George Bell against Sri Lanka U-19 in 2022. Mhatre himself now holds both the first and third spots on the list he had earlier scored a 107-ball century in the first Test of the series. The Indian skipper didn't stop after reaching his century. He continued his onslaught before eventually being dismissed for a spectacular 126 off just 80 balls. His innings included 13 boundaries and five towering sixes, leaving fans and teammates in awe. A Series to Remember for Mhatre Ayush Mhatre has been in sensational form throughout the Youth Test series. He scored a hundred in the first innings of the first Test, followed it up with a crucial 32, and then dazzled with 80 in the first innings of the second Test before delivering this record-shattering performance. Mhatre's fearless batting and leadership have been at the forefront of India U-19's performances in the series. With his name now etched in the record books, Indian cricket fans have plenty of reasons to be excited about the future.