Latest news with #MarkButcher
Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘He's taken to it like a duck to water': Mark Butcher praises Shubman Gill for captaincy role and making the No.4 slot his own
Former England opener Mark Butcher heaped praises on India captain Shubman Gill for not only coming good in his leadership role but also making the No.4 spot, once held by behemoths such as Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, his own in the ongoing series against England. Gill has already scored three hundreds in the series as well a double hundred. 'There aren't many jobs in world sport that come with as much pressure and scrutiny as being Indian cricket captain, right? Not to mention you're filling in Kohli's spot in the order, or Tendulkar's spot in the order. So the pressures were enormous. And so far, he's taken to it like a duck to water. He's just looked very, very comfortable, very serene in terms of his temperament,' Butcher said in an interview with PTI. 'And technically, he's played beautifully as well. So what a great start to the series. I mean, he might have some records in his side by the end of it. He's passed enough already. So what's he got? 600 already in the series. It has been an incredible start. And England will have to come up with an answer for him in that middle order, because they obviously feel, that you get past the top three or four…and then there are bounties to be had a bit further down the order,' he added. He also heaped praises on openers KL Rahul and Yasahsvi Jaiswal who have been in top form in the series. 'Every time I've seen KL play, so we go back to the 2021 series here in England, and he batted at the top of the order with Rohit. So technically, he just looks very, very suited to top-order batting, really. And the fact that he's now going to have a long run, hopefully, in that position, his average will go upwards of 40 very, very quickly because technically he's fabulous. He's a great player to watch,' Butcher said. 'Jaiswal just loves batting by the looks of it. I was talking to Kumar Sangakkara about him, obviously knows him from time at the IPL. And he just says he's obsessed by batting and scoring runs. And he does it in a beautifully pleasing way. For somebody who's so young and so relatively inexperienced to sort of look as comfortable at the top of the order in all these different conditions, is magnificent,' he added.
India Gazette
06-07-2025
- Climate
- India Gazette
Mark Butcher slams India's late declaration at Edgbaston
Birmingham [UK], July 6 (ANI): Former England cricketer Mark Butcher has criticised India for declaring late on Day 4 of the ongoing Test at Edgbaston, as per Wisden. India continued to bat deep after Tea on Day 4, setting England a massive target of 608 with just 18 overs left in the day. While they managed to remove Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Joe Root before stumps, questions were raised over whether India gave themselves enough time to bowl England out, especially with rain expected on the final day. Those concerns proved valid, as rain delayed the start of play by over 90 minutes on Day 5. Play resumed with a maximum of 80 overs to be bowled, if weather permits. Forecasts still suggest intermittent showers until mid-afternoon. Speaking on Sky Sports TV before the start of play, Butcher was vocal in his criticism of India's tactics, saying they missed an opportunity to declare earlier and maximise their time with the ball. 'It (the rain) really does give England ever more incentive to knuckle down and secure the draw out of this one,' said Butcher, as quoted from Wisden. 'They've been outplayed for four days but they've been offered a lifeline not only by the weather but by the frankly ridiculous length of time it took for that declaration to come yesterday,' he added. 'We didn't think it would rain this hard last night but when we were chatting we did say if England get out of it with a draw it would be like a custard pie to the face of India,' fellow commentator Ian Ward added. 'It's all very well, you have the slight fear of England and Bazball and the pitch being flat and coming out and chasing. But I couldn't think of any reason whatsoever as to why it took so long before pulling the plug yesterday,' Butcher said. Despite the delays, England still have a mountain to climb to escape with a draw. Ollie Pope was bowled by Akash Deep early on Day 5, and Harry Brook was trapped lbw just two overs later. England are struggling at 110/5, captain Ben Stokes (10*) is with Jamie Smith (17*) on the crease. (ANI)
Mint
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Mint
Mark Butcher slams Indias late declaration at Edgbaston
Birmingham [UK], July 6 (ANI): Former England cricketer Mark Butcher has criticised India for declaring late on Day 4 of the ongoing Test at Edgbaston, as per Wisden. India continued to bat deep after Tea on Day 4, setting England a massive target of 608 with just 18 overs left in the day. While they managed to remove Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Joe Root before stumps, questions were raised over whether India gave themselves enough time to bowl England out, especially with rain expected on the final day. Those concerns proved valid, as rain delayed the start of play by over 90 minutes on Day 5. Play resumed with a maximum of 80 overs to be bowled, if weather permits. Forecasts still suggest intermittent showers until mid-afternoon. Speaking on Sky Sports TV before the start of play, Butcher was vocal in his criticism of India's tactics, saying they missed an opportunity to declare earlier and maximise their time with the ball. "It (the rain) really does give England ever more incentive to knuckle down and secure the draw out of this one," said Butcher, as quoted from Wisden. "They've been outplayed for four days but they've been offered a lifeline not only by the weather but by the frankly ridiculous length of time it took for that declaration to come yesterday," he added. "We didn't think it would rain this hard last night but when we were chatting we did say if England get out of it with a draw it would be like a custard pie to the face of India," fellow commentator Ian Ward added. "It's all very well, you have the slight fear of England and Bazball and the pitch being flat and coming out and chasing. But I couldn't think of any reason whatsoever as to why it took so long before pulling the plug yesterday," Butcher said. Despite the delays, England still have a mountain to climb to escape with a draw. Ollie Pope was bowled by Akash Deep early on Day 5, and Harry Brook was trapped lbw just two overs later. England are struggling at 110/5, captain Ben Stokes (10*) is with Jamie Smith (17*) on the crease. (ANI)
BBC News
24-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Duckett would've infuriated me as a bowler - he's one of world's best'
Nothing will ever come close to the tension and drama of Ben Stokes' epic Headingley miracle in the Ashes in in terms of a pure run chase, England's pursuit of 371 to win the first Test against India on the same ground is right up there with the very best I have things happen most memorable are Stokes' win and the famous 1981 Ashes comeback victory, inspired by Ian Botham and Bob Willis' iconic special performance came from Mark Butcher, who led England to victory with a fourth-innings century against Australia in 2001, just like Ben Duckett did against India on Tuesday. Butcher batted like a god that day.I had dinner with him this week and he told me how he never played like it ever again. It was a once in a lifetime I admired about Duckett, in contrast, is he just batted like Duckett and made 149 - the second-highest score by an England opener in the fourth of the other great fourth-innings centuries are defensive in their nature because they are attempts to save the was in his attacking style but perfectly 30-year-old's gift is that he cashes in on being so short - his size messing with bowlers' lengths - and plays those cuts, pulls and sweeps. The reverse-sweep for six off Ravindra Jadeja was simply extraordinary.I would have found Duckett infuriating to bowl at. He leaves the ball so rarely outside off stump and as a bowler you think he is going to nick one behind eventually but, somehow, he does would drive me up the wall. People are starting to talk about him being one of the very best batters currently playing all formats in the world and it is hard to helps him that he plays a Test innings much the same as he plays in a T20, albeit with a few more expansive shots in the shortest format, which allows him to switch between formats more success is made even more pleasing given the difficult start he had in Test cricket.A number of people whose opinion I respect greatly told me not to give up on Duckett, after he looked out of his depth in those four Tests in India and Bangladesh in had an average of 15.71 but they told me to keep the benefited from the fresh start of swapping counties and been given the chance by Stokes and Brendon McCullum back in 2022, he is now one of the crucial players in England's XI and is one you would love to have in your is always up for the fight, does not take a backwards step and stands there with his chest puffed innings is only further proof he has become a very fine batsman. In reviewing this brilliant win we must also give a lot of credit to Zak Crawley, who more than played his part in the opening stand of 188 with Duckett that laid the platform for England to complete their chase - their second-highest in Test history.I rate their partnership so highly because of the control they showed.A lot has been spoken about the refined version of England's attacking approach. This was it in perfect India's attack is lacking apart from the exceptional Jasprit Bumrah, but rather than being reckless as they were in the horrible defeats in Rawalpindi and Hamilton in the winter, Crawley and Duckett batted with not overlook the immense pressure that comes when walking out with such a have been shouting for England to show some common sense and they did it in the modern batted at four or five runs per over but at no point did it feel like a wild assault. They knocked the ball around while always looking to put the bad balls should be their template going forward. Josh Tongue must also be given praise after he twice blew away India's tail to finish with seven wickets in the match. India should have buried England and scored 600 in the first innings from their position of Tongue twice quickly wrapped up the innings is a big plus for England, given how they have struggled to do so under Stokes, and now should make their next decision has been a lot of talk about Jofra Archer returning for the second Test but I hope that is put to bed now England are moving onto Edgbaston next week with a all of the heartache, the careful planning and the patience from both sides, there is no logic in rushing Archer back after one first-class can bowl as many overs in the nets as you like, play as many T20s as you want, but until you have spent a day in the field, bowled spell after spell and backed it up again, you will never be prepared for Test have another County Championship match starting on Archer play in that and then he will be ready for the third Test at Lord's, if England want to make the deserve so much credit for this win at Headingley, one of their best in recent memory. Do not do something silly Agnew was speaking to BBC Sport's Matthew Henry at Headingley.
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
IND vs ENG 1st Test: Why Leeds is the best haunt for fourth innings chase
Only 36 times have a total in excess of 300 been chased down in 2586 Tests (four times in excess of 400). Four of them have arrived at Leeds, where India have set England a target of 371, making it the most fertile ground in the world when chasing a score over 300. The highest score hunted down here is 404, which came as far back in 1948, when Australia overhauled the aforementioned runs with the loss of only three wickets, in only 114 overs and with centuries from Arthur Morris and Donald Bradman. It stood as a record until 2003 when West Indies surmounted Australia in Antigua in 2003. In recent vintage, England beat Australia by a one-wicket thriller in 2019, courtesy Ben Stokes's miraculous 135 not out and his epic last-wicket stand of 76 with last man Jack Leach, whose contribution was a single run off 17 balls. Less nail-chewing were the victories of West Indies in 2017 (by five wickets) and England in 2001 (six wickets, thanks to another individual act of heroism by Mark Butcher). England also hunted down 296 to beat New Zealand by seven wickets in 2022. In the previous Test here, England scored 251 for the loss of seven wickets against Australia. There are more damning signs for Indian bowlers. Since 2000, Headingley has the joint-highest average for runs scored per wicket in the fourth innings of a Test match of any ground in the UK at 33.09 (equal to The Oval). If first innings in Headingley has been an ordeal for batting, the pitch flattens out as the game progresses and by the last innings, it generally becomes benign to bat, making steep scores possible. Subsequently, teams batting first have won only thrice in 11 games since 2010. The targets set were 450, 350 and 468 in those instances where teams have defended fourth-innings targets. Before the final day, former England opener Mark Butcher observed that batting would not be a cruise on the decisive day. 'There's a track outside off with plenty of cracks, it could lead to shooters. It's a new-ball pitch, balls misbehaved till the 50th over. Effects of the heavy roller nipped that late yesterday. From the Football Stand end, there'll be Jadeja to Duckett and Stokes with a big plate of rough. There are patches outside off for right handers too but they're a touch wide,' he said on air. His colleague Stuart Broad warned about the difficulties if floodlights were put on a gloomy morning. But after the wicketless first session, with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett putting on 117 runs, the most by an opening pair in fourth innings on this ground, England emitted strong signs that they could etch another masterly chase in the Leeds folklore. Few stages have produced more drama than Headingley either.
