Indian batting coach unfazed by green Lord's pitch, acknowledges Jofra Archer's threat
Furthermore, the Indian batting coach admitted the threat of Jofra Archer, who's likely to return for the third Test and said that England are within their right to prepare any kind of wicket they want.'It will be a challenge with Jofra coming in. There might be a couple of bowling changes in the England team which we don't know about. But wicket also will be a little more challenging, it seems, and after the last two games, if as a host England think that they want to give a little bit more challenging wicket, it's fair enough. And it will be a challenge for anyone on any wicket. So I'm not really thinking that it will be very challenging. You bat well, it's fine, if you don't bet well, any wicket can be challenging,' he added.Archer recently made a comeback to the Test team after four years, having last played against India in 2021. He recently scalped 1/32 in 18 overs on his red-ball comeback for Sussex and also scored 31 (34). The 30-year-old has played two Test matches against India and picked four wickets at an average of 30.50.With questions being raised on England's inexperienced bowling attack, the management will be desperate to play Archer at Lord's. They have already added Gus Atkinson to the squad to reinforce their fast bowling. It remains to be seen if including some fresh legs in the playing XI will have any impact on England bowling, which has been taken apart by India so far in the series.- EndsMust Watch
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
'I just coloured my beard two days ago... ': Virat Kohli breaks silence on Test retirement
India's Virat Kohli (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake, File) in London: Many prominent current and former cricketers assembled under one roof for the gala dinner hosted by Yuvraj Singh to raise funds for his YouWeCan Foundation. The entire Indian cricket team, including the support staff led by Gautam Gambhir , was in attendance and the star-studded gathering included the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Chris Gayle, Kevin Pietersen, Brian Lara and Ashish Nehra. Team India stayed for a little over an hour and participated in some fun activities before leaving the plush hotel in the heart of the city. Just when everyone was well settled for the dinner, and waiting for the other activities to begin, the giant screen flashed a familiar face as former India Test captain Virat Kohli was seen chatting with his friend Kevin Pietersen while having a bite. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Next up was a candid chat hosted by Gaurav Kapoor and it featured former India head coach Ravi Shastri , cricketers Yuvraj Singh, Kevin Pietersen, Chris Gayle and Darren Gough. The initial segment didn't feature Kohli on the stage but after insistence from Gaurav, he made his way up and joined the rest of the pack. A trademark meet-and-greet with Chris Gayle later, he gave a rare reaction on Test retirement when Gaurav said that everyone misses him on the field. "I just coloured my beard two days ago. You know it's time when you are colouring your beard every four days," says Kohli. How Jasprit Bumrah is preparing for Lord's Test - batting, bowling and lot of jokes! He had his former coach Shastri by his side and the two lavished praise on each other for the support during their time together with the Indian cricket team. Kohli spoke at length about his bond with the former India cricketer and how it helped him become the Test cricketer he did, and achieve what he did for the country. "Honestly, if I wasn't working with him... what happened in Test cricket wouldn't have been possible. The clarity which we had together is very hard to find. It's everything for cricketers to grow in their careers. Even he hadn't backed me the way he did... those press conferences where he took the bullets from the front line. Things would have been different and I always have respect and regard for him, for being a massive part of my cricketing journey," says Kohli. Poll Should Virat Kohli consider returning to Test cricket? Yes, he should No, he should focus on ODI/T20 Depends on his fitness As a youngster in the dressing room, Kohli spent a lot of time with Yuvraj and the two shared a very good bond - both on and off the field. The 36-year-old, who is in London for a lot of time these days, still remembers the first meeting between the two, his journey during the 2011 World Cup, the battle with cancer and that return to India colours. "We shared a very good bond both on and off the field. I met him for the first time during a North Zone tournament in Bangalore. When I started playing for India, him, bhajju pa and Zaheer Khan took me under their wings. Really helped me grow as a player, made me comfortable in the dressing room. Lot of fun times off the field and made me aware of the lifestyle of getting to the top. These are the bonds I would cherish for the rest of my life. Watching him in the World Cup was very special and what we got to know after that was a shock. Being so close to him... we had no idea. Then his battle with cancer and again the champion that he is. .. coming on top and making a comeback to the team when I was leading the team. Quiz: Who's that IPL player? "I clearly remember we played a game against England in Cuttack. There was a 2017 series we played at home and top-order got out early and Yuvi pa got 150 I think and MS scored 110 or something. I still remember telling KL or someone that this is like childhood days watching on big tv... I have a lot of love and respect for him. It's a pleasure being here and I won't do it for any other person but him," says Kohli. The conversations continued, the drinks continued to be poured into glasses of different shapes and sizes and the money continued to be raised for the noble cause. Amid all the noise, Kohli quietly left the stage, met his friend Gaurav and made his way to the hotel lobby with very minimal security. The area was briefly cordoned off but the moment he was out of the building, normalcy resumed. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
United News of India
2 hours ago
- United News of India
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak hails two X-factors in batting lineup
London, July 8 (UNI) The third Test of the series at Lord's is around the corner and India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has praised the duo of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, both of whom have played vital roles in India's success so far in the series. He credited Pant's risk-and-reward style of play and emphasised the importance of having players in the team who can shift the momentum and turn the tide. 'Every team will have some aggressive players who are very good at breaking the opposition's momentum. So, someone like Jaiswal, who plays the way he plays; someone like Rishabh,' said Sitanshu. 'But that does not mean that he doesn't think. He does think, he does take decisions and when it goes wrong, it looks bad. But when it goes right, people are happy saying, 'Oh, what an entertaining innings that was.' So any team, I would think that would have a couple of players who are a little different in a batting lineup than others," Sitanshu said. Kotak dismissed the notion that Pant is merely an in-the-moment player, a label often linked to him because of his audacious shot selections. 'Rishabh actually talks a lot about what he does with bat, when he does, why he does it with me. He is someone who doesn't like talking too much during his inning because he feels that that changes his mindset, and he takes the wrong decision,' Kotak said. Rishabh is currently the third-highest run-scorer in the series with 342 runs, including two centuries. Among the Indian batters, he is only behind Shubman Gill, who has been in sensational form. Gill scored his maiden hundred in England in the first match, followed it up with a double century and then added another century in the second innings at Edgbaston, taking his tally to an impressive 585 runs, an ICC report said. 'I don't think anything has changed because he is a captain. His mindset has shifted a bit and there are definitely technical changes, which I saw in Australia, series in India, and during our initial practice match here,' Kotak emphasised. This turnaround in form has been crucial for Shubman Gill, who endured a difficult tour of Australia late last year, scoring just 93 runs in five innings. 'More change in mindset than technical, which every batter does without saying much,' Kotak said. 'He is in a mindset where he wants to give little time to the wicket. As I said before, his skill is such that he can convert any loose ball into a boundary," Kotak said. When asked about his assessment of the Lord's pitch, he predicted it would favour the bowlers and be significantly more challenging for the batters compared to the last two Tests, especially due to the visible grass covering. 'The wicket is bit greener than what we saw in the last two games. However, we can only talk after they do the last cutting before match,' said Kotak. 'And generally, at Lord's, the scores of the first and second innings are comparatively low. So, we can expect that it will be helpful for bowlers," he said. 'For batters, spending time on the wickets is the best friend you can have. The more time you spend on the wicket, the more you will adjust to it,' Kotak added. UNI BM
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Fulton stresses on playing abroad in build-up to WC, Oly
With the Indian men's hockey team losing seven successive matches during the recent European leg of the Pro League, coach Craig Fulton expectedly termed the performance "disappointing" during a virtual press meet on Tuesday. However, he is already looking to the future and can't wait to see the India 'A' team play in Europe and get accustomed to playing outside India considering the upcoming major events — the World Cup and the Olympics — will be held abroad. The team, coached by Shivendra Singh, who is also the assistant coach of the Indian men's hockey team, and led by Sanjay, began their campaign on Tuesday against Ireland and will play seven more matches during the tour. They will face Ireland again on Wednesday before playing twice against France and the Netherlands and once against England and Belgium. While they will play seven matches at Hockey Club Oranje-Rood in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, they will face off against Belgium at Sportcentrum Wilrijkse Plein in Antwerp, Belgium. "Although we're not playing at the tournament venue, it's just away from India. That's really important because it's quite easy for an Indian team to play in India. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Are you 18-79 with no funeral insurance? Talk to NZ Seniors today NZ Seniors Get Quote Undo by Taboola by Taboola There everything's on a plate for them. The support is phenomenal," Fulton said in a virtual interaction from the Netherlands. "How an Indian team performs away from home is the true mark of how the programme is set up and how successful it is. So we're trying to do a lot of games outside India for that exact reason, so that they don't have the full support in all the build-up games." The India 'A' tour is even more crucial because the coach has a unique challenge on his hands — to prepare the team for the World Cup and the Asian Games that will be held just three weeks apart next year. "It's a massive challenge, so we are trying to build depth within the positions. As we go in the next three, six, nine months, we'll have a better idea on where we need back up. But once we start to play games and once we qualify, we'll know what we really need," the coach said. "But the key is that the India 'A' team keeps playing games and these younger players get the opportunity. And I think it'll benefit hockey India in the long run immensely." Moreover, the coach also wants to have someone in the team who will be able to compliment Harmanpreet Singh, as far as penalty corners are concerned and 'A' team players Amandeep Lakra, Sanjay, Varun and Rajinder Singh will all be looking to cement that spot. "We'll be monitoring them and seeing how they approach the PCs. It's a challenge replacing Harman, but we're not replacing him now, that's for sure. But at the same time we have to find someone to compliment him and we can also have some variations," added the coach.
