Latest news with #JoshTongue
Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Josh Tongue cannot survive as a Test bowler purely by mopping up the tail
'The Mop' is Josh Tongue's nickname: recognition of his capacity to clean up the tail. Ben Stokes likes to joke about Tongue's penchant for 'rabbit pie', as he showed by celebrating at Headingley with an impression of the bowler scoffing. Tongue's dismantling of the tail in Leeds was instrumental in England's victory. While England's bottom four contributed 73 runs in their first innings, India's mustered nine runs across both innings combined. Five of those wickets fell to Tongue in devastating spells: 4-7 in the first innings and three wickets in four balls in the second. Tongue's method was simple: bowling fast, spearing the ball in either short or at yorker length, and attacking the stumps. Too often, England have lacked such prowess. In the 2023-25 World Test Championship, the average number of runs that England conceded for the last four wickets was the sixth worst out of nine teams. Yet however welcome Tongue's qualities against the tail, Test cricket requires that bowlers can do far more. Twenty20 allows for specialist death bowlers; the demands of Test cricket do not create scope for such a role. Quick bowlers must be effective in all climes - or, at least, maintain control when they are not incisive. As the clock ticked towards noon on the opening morning at Edgbaston, Stokes handed Tongue the ball. In their contrasting ways - Chris Woakes bowling fuller with more swing, Brydon Carse bowling shorter and with extra pace - England's quicks both bowled immaculate opening spells. After 11 overs, India had stumbled to 21-1; both batsmen at the crease had needed an umpire's call to survive lbw appeals against Woakes. Tongue needed only three balls to alter the feel of the morning - just not as he had hoped. After his first delivery was tucked away for one by Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tongue then greeted Karun Nair with a pair of half-volleys. Both deliveries met the same fate: Nair caressed the ball through the covers for four. It set the template for Tongue's opening spell. Where Woakes and Carse had been relentlessly probing, Tongue was by turns too short and too full - and often too wide to boot. Tongue leaked eight boundaries in his first spell, culminating in three consecutive fours by Jaiswal: an imperious hook through square leg, then back-to-back cut shots, jumping up on his toes like a meerkat peeking over a wall. By the time that Tongue's six-over spell was over, he nursed figures of 0-42; India had raced to 91-1. While England bowled admirably on a flat pitch for much of the day, Tongue emphatically ranked bottom of the captain's list of preferred bowlers. Indeed, with England seeking wickets with the short ball when the ball had gone soft, Stokes opted to use himself. Tongue only bowled ten of India's first 73 overs. When Tongue returned, he was given an orthodox field, with two slips. While there was a tantalising hint of reverse swing, Tongue only bowled a perfunctory three overs until Joe Root was whisked on before the second new ball. In the opening day, Tongue conceded 0-66 from 13 overs. These figures extend Tongue's travails against India's top order this summer. Bowling to the top six across the first two Tests, Tongue has now taken 1-188 from 43.3 overs: a record that explains Stokes's reluctance to bowl him on the first day in Birmingham. In his first Test appearances, Tongue showed no such struggles against the top order. Indeed, in his second Test, at Lord's against Australia in 2023, all of Tongue's wickets were top-order players, including dismissing David Warner and Steve Smith twice apiece. At his best, Tongue's cocktail of pace approaching 90mph, an awkward angle from wide of the crease and seam movement can trouble the world's very best. Warner GONE! 🤩 S̶t̶u̶a̶r̶t̶ ̶B̶r̶o̶a̶d̶ Josh Tongue gets his man! #EnglandCricket | #Ashes — England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 28, 2023 But after returning from an injury-ruined 18 months this summer, Tongue has only threatened India's best batsmen for occasional balls, not whole overs or extended spells. And, however brilliant Tongue was against the tail in Leeds, his record there against the lower-order is not sustainable for any bowler. If he is to enjoy the extended Test run that his talents suggest, then, Tongue will have to be much more than a mop. The sight of Jofra Archer carrying the drinks at Edgbaston showed the alternative that England will soon be able to summon instead.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
India's Jaiswal on the attack against England in second Test
India's Yashasvi Jaiswal cuts Josh Tongue for four to complete a fifty in the second Test against England at Edgbaston (Darren Staples) Yashasvi Jaiswal once again took a toll of England's bowlers before the hosts hit back on the opening day of the second Test at Edgbaston on Wednesday. India were 98-2 at lunch, having been held to 37-1 off 13 overs in the first hour after losing the toss. Advertisement The 23-year-old Jaiswal, fresh from a hundred in India'a five-wicket loss in the first Test of a five-match series at Headingley last week, was 62 not out after another sparkling innings. But shortly before lunch, Karun Nair (31) was undone by a lifting delivery from the admirable Brydon Carse that lobbed gently to Harry Brook at second slip. Nair's exit ended an entertaining partnership of 80 in 90 balls with Jaiswal. Carse had miserly lunch figures of 1-14 in six overs, whereas fellow fast bowler Josh Tongue's six wicketless overs cost an expensive 42 runs. England captain Ben Stokes, as he had done at Headingley, opted to field after winning the toss. Advertisement And although India started in Birmingham, they would still be conscious of the batting collapses that cost them dear at Headingley -- the tourists losing 7-41, after they had been 430-3 in the first innings, and 6-31, from 333-4, in the second. KL Rahul, fresh from a second-innings hundred at Headingley, rarely looked comfortable Wednesday while taking 26 balls to score two runs in an innings that ended when he played on to Chris Woakes, on his Warwickshire home ground. Carse kept things tight at the other end but there was a release of pressure when he was replaced by Josh Tongue, with Nair cover-driving the fast bowler for two consecutive boundaries. And even with the field scattered before lunch, left-hander Jaiswal went to his fifty with another pair of consecutive boundaries off Tongue, a hook followed by a rasping cut. Advertisement It took Jaiswal a mere 59 balls to reach the landmark, with 40 of his runs coming in fours. The most eye-catching change to the India team saw Jasprit Bumrah rested after it was announced before the series he would only feature in three of the five Tests in order to protect his fitness following a back injury. The third Test at Lord's starts just four days after the scheduled end of the game in Birmingham. Akash Deep was given the unenviable task of replacing Bumrah, the world's number one-ranked Test bowler. jdg/iwd
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Rabbit pie: Why England's Tongue is so good against tailenders
Seeing Ben Stokes celebrating with Josh Tongue, gesturing that his fast bowler was gobbling up rabbit pie, was an amusing aside during England's win over India in the first up the tail is a bit of an art and not always me, this is from someone who had to bowl at and field while the West Indies' Tino Best compiled a Test-match 95 at Edgbaston in week's Test at Headingley, as amazing as it was, was won by England and lost by India in two India's catching was poor, as was their discipline of keeping their foot behind the line. The errors gave England reprieves worth 200 runs in the the India lower order offered no resistance at last four wickets put on 18 runs in the first innings and 29 in the second with Tongue picking up three of these in each innings. Tongue's performance was eye tailenders you want to be aggressive, intimidating and ruthless.'Kill the tail' we used to say in team meetings and remind each other at the back of our marks in order to make sure the opposition tail didn't your short ball is imperative to unsettle the tailender but as soon as you realise the short ball has done its job of making sure the batter isn't interested in getting forward, you want to be back to a good awkward angle is immediately off-putting to a tailender. You think everything is going to hit you in the the second innings he bowled a triple wicket-maiden to take the seventh, eighth and ninth wickets of the innings. It was the perfect example of how to intimidate and then dismiss the tail.A full away swinger was nicked to first slip by number eight Shardul Thakur. That was followed a heavy, awkward ball to Mohammad Siraj that left Siraj walking off wringing his hand in pain after gloving it behind to Jamie Bumrah's middle stump was flattened two balls later with him backing away and having a big swing at one - a shot that was almost certainly as a result of what Bumrah sat and watched while Siraj was is horrible as a tailender sat there watching someone be aggressive to the are the days of the bowlers union where you would not bang one in to your opposite number in the knowledge he would not bowl one to you. Helmets, padding and the ability to practice better has made everyone fair game and you're acutely aware that you'll receive a bouncer when you walk out there, especially as you'll be tasked to do the same when you have the ball in your palms get sweaty, you need a nervous trip to the toilet every five minutes and you can't take your eyes off who the opposition captain is gesturing at to bowl next.I made the mistake of bouncing Jofra Archer in a County Championship match in 2018, hitting him on the soon as it was my turn to bat, I knew who'd have the ball in his index finger on my right hand is still swollen from where the first ball I faced from him squeezed in against my bat handle in front of my face. He got me out next ball for psychological lift a wagging tail gives to a dressing room is also lightens the mood, it gives players the confidence that the momentum in the game is in their favour and you can physically see the frustration in the opposition as they toy with how to extract the last few top order batters' minds are distracted from facing the opening overs of the following innings and if the tail really wags it can descend into were the sixth worst at removing the tail in the previous cycle of the World Test Championship. The opposition averaged 21.76 per wicket after the fall of the sixth wicket against England in that that to the best in the world at removing the tail, New Zealand, where the opposition averaged 15.48, and it feels like a significant swing in the your mind back to the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston in 2023 that Australia won by two a chase of 282, Scott Boland as nightwatchman scored 20 from 40 balls, Pat Cummins 44 not out from 73 and Nathan Lyon a 28-ball unbeaten was made of the Stokes declaration on day one, but fundamentally, the inability to blow the tail away in the second innings was where the game was the tail is going to be imperative to England's success not only in this series, but in this winter's Ashes too. Tongue has shown he has the skills. The likes of Carse, Archer or Gus Atkinson could do it up rabbit pie could be more important than anyone thinks.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
England must not rush back Jofra Archer for the second India Test - the fast bowler's return is exciting, but hold him for Lord's, writes NASSER HUSSAIN
The return of Jofra Archer to an England Test squad for the first time in over four years is exciting news – both for him and the team – after all the injury problems he's had. And for that reason I wouldn't risk him in next week's second Test at Edgbaston, but hang on to him for the third game at Lord's. I can understand the temptation to bring him straight back in to the starting XI, and clearly England wouldn't have selected him if they weren't sure of his fitness after he came through 18 economical overs for Sussex against Durham at Chester-le-Street. But there are a couple of points to consider. First, what's the rush? Archer has only just played his first red-ball game since 2021, and Sussex have a Championship match starting against Warwickshire on Sunday at Hove. The Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace has said that he wouldn't pick him until the third Test. Second, who do you drop to make way for him? We all know Chris Woakes gets better as a series progresses, and there were already signs in the second innings at Headingley that he had improved from the first day. Also, Edgbaston is his home ground. Josh Tongue cleaned up India 's tail brilliantly, and that's something England have had a problem with in recent years. And I thought the spell Brydon Carse bowled at the start of India's second innings was exceptional. None of those three looks very droppable to me. I get that England want to have a good look at Jofra before they fly to Australia in the winter, but they could do that just as well by having him around the squad at Edgbaston and building up his loads in net sessions and during intervals. Mark Wood, the other quick bowler England are desperate to recall, made a good point the other day, when he said that the likes of him and Archer can't expect to waltz straight back into the side. They have to prove they're ready. In this instance, we have to take the ECB medics – and Jofra himself – at their word. You can see why England might want a bit more cutting-edge against India's top order, after they scored five individual hundreds between them at Headingley. It's not just the pace Archer brings – it's the skills as well. There may also be concerns about playing Woakes in three back-to-back Tests when he himself is coming back from injury, but his record at Lord's is so good you'd be keen to play him there. But Archer hasn't played a Test since the tour of India in early 2021, and however good you look in a county game or in the nets, there's nothing quite like international cricket to put your body through the wringer. Can he come back for a third spell and still be touching 90mph? Can he withstand a day and a half in the field? He's a once-in-a-generation talent. And that's why I'd give him just a few more days to get ready for the rigours of Test cricket – before unleashing him on India at Lord's.
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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
Will England risk bringing Jofra Archer back for the 2nd Test vs India?
England's fiery pacer Jofra Archer is back in the Test squad for the first time in four years and could feature in the second Test against India at Edgbaston, starting July 2. The 30-year-old speedster last played in the longest format in 2021 and is returning after a lengthy injury layoff. Archer had been sidelined from international cricket due to a recurring thumb injury, which also kept him out of the recent white-ball series against the West Indies. However, he recently made a comeback in a four-day County Championship game for Sussex against Durham, where he scored 31 runs and picked up 1/32 from 18 overs, a performance that hinted at his growing match fitness. Vaughan feels England should go with the same eleven Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan spoke about whether the pacer should be put straight into the playing eleven for the 2nd Test at Edgbaston or not and he didn't look to supportive of the fact. "I don't see any reason to rush Archer back in action considering the fact that he hasn't played a Test game in 4 years. He has only been part of one game with Durham with another 4-day game coming in a few days. We'll have to see if he gets through that one unharmed. However, according to me England should go with the same eleven with the likes of Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse who were brilliant for the side in the 1st Test." he said. Former Indian cricketer spoke about the potential comeback for Archer in the next Test and warned England that they should be very careful not to rush him and let him recover fully for the demands of red ball cricket. "With England winning the Test match, England can afford to rest him and make sure he's really fit. Especially with a big Ashes series coming in later this year." he said. "Tongue is also going to improve after this Test, so I think England won't be trying to tinker too much with their eleven for the 2nd Test." Ravi added. His selection comes as a major boost for England's pace attack, which already features the likes of Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, and skipper Ben Stokes. With England leading the five-match Test series 1-0 after their successful 371-run chase at Headingley, the inclusion of Archer is expected to add firepower to the hosts' bowling unit. Archer, who also played in the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year, made an immediate impact in Test cricket after his debut, and has since taken 42 wickets from 13 matches. His return could prove crucial for England as they look to maintain momentum against a determined Indian side. England squad for 2nd Test: Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, and Chris Woakes.
