Latest news with #BazballingEngland
Hindustan Times
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Well played Shubman Gill, but did you declare too late out of the fear of Bazball? India captain's tactics ‘boring'
'Boring, Boring Indians.' Loud chants rang out from the packed Hollies Stand, its occupants clearly in high spirits after generously having courted Bacchus. You could see where they were coming from. India's captain Shubman Gill, right, along with teammates appeal to the umpire during day four of the second Test match against England at Edgbaston(AP) India's lead had already touched 591 when Shubman Gill's wonderful second century of the match came to an end. The sight of Nitish Kumar Reddy walking out at that stage, with potentially 22 overs of batting left in the evening, didn't improve their mood, already blue after another day of batting domination by the visitors. They wanted their guys to go out and do their thing, they didn't want India to add to a total that, in 148 years of Test cricket, had never been even remotely threatened. Which brought the question – how much is too much? India eventually asked England to hunt down 608 to rip history to shreds, to go where no team had even dreamt of going before. Six-oh-eight? Wow. Was that because they were fearful of the 'B' brand of cricket England have embraced in the last three years? Was that because they were apprehensive of the muscle and the might and the intrepidness of the England batting, which made 350 on the last day in Leeds appear a gentle stroll in the park? Was that because they believed the surface was still excellent for batting and that it was better to be safe than sorry? Or was that because they had enough faith in the quality of their bowling, even in Jasprit Bumrah's absence, to pick up 10 English wickets in 108 overs? No one definitive answer to any of these questions, really. India won't acknowledge in public, but if they did wonder whether 591 may not be enough, one can't really blame them. That's what Bazballing England have done to Test cricket. The Edgbaston strip has pretty much been a new-ball surface, as the events of the last four days have amply illustrated. India wanted two bites with the new cherry – for an hour and a little on the fourth evening, and for a while on the final morning, potentially under overcast skies because the forecast is for a bit of rain around the 11.00 am start time even though the chances of precipitation post 1.30 pm currently stand at zero percent on respected weather platforms. They might point to the success of their strategy after having the visitors on the hop, three down by close of Saturday's play. And reinforce their philosophy by noting that despite losing three wickets, the hosts raced to 72 in the 16 overs of play possible. To say that Ben Stokes' England have put the fear of the chase in all oppositions will be no exaggeration. The very fact that people are even discussing – seriously discussing – the chances of England rattling up 536 runs on the final day, at six an over, must be seen as a victory for their steamrolling methods that have allowed them to secure wins in all three Tests previously in which they have conceded more than 500 in the first innings in the Stokes-Brendon McCullum management era. A case can be made out for India giving themselves more overs to have a go at England, considering that both their proven wicket-taking options – Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav – are warming the benches and maybe India were a little too conservative in their declaration, at 427 for six. But how much, if at all, they were, will become clear when the final day's proceedings unfurl on Sunday and England are confronted with the sternest examination of their character and mindset under Stokes' leadership. Day 5 now looms as a clash of ideologies There was nothing conservative about India's batting approach on Saturday, however. Gill, who it seems can't put a foot wrong when he straps his pads on and takes guard, was again the lord and master of all he surveyed. There was no sign of physical fatigue or mental lethargy despite eight and a half hours with the bat in the first innings while making 269, followed by six hours in the field when England replied to India's 587 with 407. There was no dimming of his appetite, no dialling down of his intensity, no tardiness when it came to running between the wickets. Gill's tally of runs this series sits at a monumental 585 after just four innings. He has occupied the crease for 1,116 minutes – just shy of 19 hours – and yet even towards the end of his run-a-ball 161, he ran his as well as his partner's ones and twos with all the enthusiasm of a fresher. He hasn't put a foot wrong in this Test so far; only time will tell if the declaration delayed is his only, but decisive, error.
India Today
06-07-2025
- Climate
- India Today
Were India worried about Bazball? Morne Morkel reflects on visitors' late declaration
Morne Morkel has defended India's decision to go for a late declaration on Day 4 of the Edgbaston Test against England on Saturday, July 5, and said that they weren't worried about England and Bazball. India scored 427 runs in their second innings with Shubman Gill leading the way with 161 runs and useful contributions from Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh India were piling on the runs and setting up a target of 608 for England to chase, many of the fans and pundits felt it was a bit of an overkill in the end, as no team has chased more than 418 in the history of Tests. India did get 16 overs at England and reduced them to 72 for three during this time as the hosts still have a big mountain to climb. ENG vs IND 2nd Test Day 4 Updates But the rain in Birmingham may not be the best friend of the visitors as showers are predicted on Day at the press conference after the day's play on Saturday, Morkel said that the team did have a talk about declaration but felt that it was still a good wicket to bat on. The India bowling coach said that the team wanted to get into a good spot as the weather was something beyond their control."That's a good question. We did speak about it a lot of the day. But I think we see that it's still a good wicket. Even our boys were batting quite comfortably towards the back end at 4 or 5 runs an over. With you having the extra day, I mean, weather, you can't really control that. It was getting us into a comfortable position with the bat, and then, obviously, tonight, have 20-plus overs at them and hopefully gloomy grey skies, and get the two or three wickets, and we got that, which is a bonus for us," said Morkel."So yeah, tomorrow morning that first hour is gonna be crucial. We saw this morning that, you know, if you get the ball in the right area, there was a little bit of assistance and yeah, we just need to be on the money with that tomorrow."Were India worried about Bazball?Morkel was asked if India were worried about the Bazballing England and their intention to chase down any target put in front of them. Morkel refuted the notion and said that if a team scores more than 500-plus runs on the final day, then they deserve to win the No, not really. I think if a team scores 500+ on the final day, then they deserve to win. So, I think it was just a little bit more time. Ideally give an hour, a little bit more than an hour at them tonight, with Day 5 around the corner," said are chasing their first-ever win at Edgbaston on Sunday.- Ends
New Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
New captain, bigger challenge for India
With Gill, that is not necessarily the case. Just two matches ago, the Punjab batter was dropped in Melbourne after a poor run throughout the series. Even in Sydney, he, sort of, had soft dismissals at crucial moments which opened the door for a collapse. His overseas record is mediocre to say the least. That being said, there is no question that he will be leading India in multiple formats down the line. The question here is whether he is ready to take up the job, which will put him at the front and centre of Indian cricket. There will be expectation to stamp his authority as a match-winner with the bat too. Only time, and Gill, can tell. If he gets the job, Gill, in his very first assignment, will be up against Bazballing England in their own backyard. It will be a challenge, to not just score runs, but also make sure India have the XI and tactics to take 20 wickets every game. That will be the other key talking points in the meeting on Saturday. Is Mohammed Shami fully fit to deliver prolonged spells? Will Karun Nair and B Sai Sudharsan walk into the playing XI — they are likely to make it to the squad especially after Rohit Sharma and Kohli's retirement. What will the pace attack, which is likely to feature Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna for starters, look like? Who will bat at the coveted No 4 position — one that has provided stability for Indian cricket over three decades from the time Sachin Tendulkar walked out in the spot against Australia in 1992? For now, some of the questions at least will be answered when Agarkar addresses the media on Saturday afternoon. No matter what decisions they take, who they appoint, the next couple of years could be have its share of ups and downs for Indian cricket, especially in the longest format. For the team would be in transition and the new captain, and the next-gen stars, will face a challenge, not just in winning matches but also taking the legacy of Indian cricket forward. Which is why, the decisions made tomorrow will define how the next decade goes for Indian cricket.
