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NDTV
4 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
How Ganguly's Shirt Swirl Inspired Archer's Match-Winning Show vs India
Jofra Archer took inspiration from Sourav Ganguly's famous shirt swinging show at the 2002 Natwest Trophy final to produce a decisive spell for England on day five of the third Test against India on Monday, revealed skipper Ben Stokes. Archer removed the dangerous Rishabh Pant with a peach before taking a return catch to dismiss Washington Sundar as India went down by 22 runs despite trying their best to recover from those body blows. "I just said to him this morning, 'you know what today is, don't you?' "You know that highlight package of India knocking off 300-odd back in the day with Ganguly. He thought that was the World Cup final. He thought that was six years today," Stokes said after an energy sapping win. Interestingly, England scripted a famous win at Lord's on the same day they had won the 2019 ODI World Cup final in rather controversial circumstances. However, when Stokes reminded Archer about that momentous day six years ago, Archer thought of the Ganguly moment that happened 17 years ago. "I was like, World Cup that we won? He was like, 'oh that one'. He's an absolute beauty, that boy. I just had the feeling today and that Rishabh Pant wicket was massive in a low run chase," said Stokes Stokes was very mindful of England's WC win in 2019 on this day. "We knew that turning up this morning was genuinely the reason why we went with me and Jof (Archer). It felt right in my tummy that Jof was gonna do something this morning to break the game open. "Gut feel doesn't always work but those two wickets he got this morning obviously swung the game massively in our favour." The England captain has supported Archer wholeheartedly and they also share a special bond. It was evident on the field in the morning session. "So he wanted me to come to mid-on and (Brydon) Carsey to go to leg slip so he could talk to me. But I didn't trust Carsey at leg slip, to be honest," said Stokes. Stokes got the player of the match award for leading from the front. Fresh off an injury comeback, Stokes completed spells of 9.2 overs and 10 overs in his bid to maintain pressure on India. Despite his workload in the game, Stokes said he would be fine for the fourth Test beginning in Manchester on July 23. "Oh, yeah. I'll be absolutely sound for Manchester. It's a big break. Obviously, I was pretty tired after Headingley. But, yeah, after we walked off the field there, sort of a whole new level of tiredness hit. "And it's obviously different when you're ... I've been in games like that before, not as a captain, where I've been given the ball to run in and try to bowl the team to victory. "But then now, adding on the decision making around bowling changes, field placings, how I feel we're gonna get this win. Obviously, there's a physical element of bowling in the fourth innings, but then it shouldn't be underestimated how the emotional and mental tiredness does also get you as well," he said. In a big series like this, there would always be tension Stokes was expectedly asked about the heated exchanges and sledging by players of both teams over the course of the game, and he did not read too much into it. "I think in a big series like this there was always going to be a moment where the two teams were going to clash. I'm all for it as long as it does not cross the line. "If you think about it, it's 22 people out there playing for their country. The highest honour you can have in our sport. So, you can understand that sometimes emotions and tensions can get quite high. "But I don't think anyone in the Indian dressing room or anyone in the English dressing room is going to cry themselves to sleep over what was said or done out there. I don't think it overstepped the line from the India team or from our team. "It wasn't really boiling just happened but it adds to the spectacle of England vs India doesn't it?," he signed off.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Sourav Ganguly's Famous Shirt Swinging At Lord's Inspires Jofra Archer's Match-Winning Spell vs India
Jofra Archer took inspiration from Sourav Ganguly's famous shirt swinging show at the 2002 Natwest Trophy final to produce a decisive spell for England on day five of the third Test against India on Monday, revealed skipper Ben Stokes. Archer removed the dangerous Rishabh Pant with a peach before taking a return catch to dismiss Washington Sundar as India went down by 22 runs despite trying their best to recover from those body blows. "I just said to him this morning, 'you know what today is, don't you?' "You know that highlight package of India knocking off 300-odd back in the day with Ganguly. He thought that was the World Cup final. He thought that was six years today," Stokes said after an energy sapping win. Interestingly, England scripted a famous win at Lord's on the same day they had won the 2019 ODI World Cup final in rather controversial circumstances. However, when Stokes reminded Archer about that momentous day six years ago, Archer thought of the Ganguly moment that happened 17 years ago. "I was like, World Cup that we won? He was like, 'oh that one'. He's an absolute beauty, that boy. I just had the feeling today and that Rishabh Pant wicket was massive in a low run chase," said Stokes Stokes was very mindful of England's WC win in 2019 on this day. "We knew that turning up this morning was genuinely the reason why we went with me and Jof (Archer). It felt right in my tummy that Jof was gonna do something this morning to break the game open. "Gut feel doesn't always work but those two wickets he got this morning obviously swung the game massively in our favour." The England captain has supported Archer wholeheartedly and they also share a special bond. It was evident on the field in the morning session. "So he wanted me to come to mid-on and (Brydon) Carsey to go to leg slip so he could talk to me. But I didn't trust Carsey at leg slip, to be honest," said Stokes. Stokes got the player of the match award for leading from the front. Fresh off an injury comeback, Stokes completed spells of 9.2 overs and 10 overs in his bid to maintain pressure on India. Despite his workload in the game, Stokes said he would be fine for the fourth Test beginning in Manchester on July 23. "Oh, yeah. I'll be absolutely sound for Manchester. It's a big break. Obviously, I was pretty tired after Headingley. But, yeah, after we walked off the field there, sort of a whole new level of tiredness hit. "And it's obviously different when you're ... I've been in games like that before, not as a captain, where I've been given the ball to run in and try to bowl the team to victory. "But then now, adding on the decision making around bowling changes, field placings, how I feel we're gonna get this win. Obviously, there's a physical element of bowling in the fourth innings, but then it shouldn't be underestimated how the emotional and mental tiredness does also get you as well," he said. In a big series like this, there would always be tension Stokes was expectedly asked about the heated exchanges and sledging by players of both teams over the course of the game, and he did not read too much into it. "I think in a big series like this there was always going to be a moment where the two teams were going to clash. I'm all for it as long as it does not cross the line. "If you think about it, it's 22 people out there playing for their country. The highest honour you can have in our sport. So, you can understand that sometimes emotions and tensions can get quite high. "But I don't think anyone in the Indian dressing room or anyone in the English dressing room is going to cry themselves to sleep over what was said or done out there. I don't think it overstepped the line from the India team or from our team. "It wasn't really boiling just happened but it adds to the spectacle of England vs India doesn't it?," he signed off.
Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
A confident India gear up for Lord's
Mumbai: England have played 145 out of their 555 home Tests at Lord's. It's remarkable that the aura surrounding Thomas Lord's old cricket ground has endured 141 years into its existence as a Test venue. Shubman Gill, after winning his first Test as India captain at Edgbaston, spoke about the 'excitement and honour' he felt leading for the first time at Lord's. Indian players during a training session ahead of the third Test against England, at Lord's Cricket Ground. (PTI) Gill is among half of India's expected playing eleven that would not have stepped foot at the storied venue before. A walk through the Long Room where formally dressed members politely applaud the players and portraits of past greats adorn the wall can evoke a sense of occasion for Gill as he walks out to bat. Most cricketers who have played at Lord's swear by the pristine green outfield, pay homage to the hallowed turf and sloping ground, soak in the history and glorify wins. There are special places to play in each sport. Lord's is that venue for Test cricket. Gill too would have heard about the glory of Lord's from his senior teammates. But he is less likely to feel intimidated as a young Indian captain. Gill belongs to the modern age of Indian cricket, a trendsetting generation where many are stars even before playing an international. Gill was barely 18 when the spotlight fell on him with India's U19 World Cup win. A starring role in a youth World Cup win isn't a mere footnote; it often leads to a gainful IPL contract, adulation. Lifestyle interviews follow. Gill had experienced all of it before being picked for India in ODI cricket in 2019. Besides, Gill has 585 reasons in this series – comfortably the leading run-scorer. And this team has plenty to look forward to, especially when one compares India's past record at the venue. Although Kapil's Devils shocked the cricket world in 1983 at the venue, the World Cup win had little spill over effect on India's Test performances there. Except for the 1986 Test win, riding on Dilip Vengsarkar's penchant to score big at Lord's, from pre-Independence up to 2014, India won only once in 16 attempts. Even Sourav Ganguly's defiance at the Lord's balcony in 2002 after the Natwest Trophy win was only about white-ball ascendency. Ishant Sharma's screaming spell in the 2014 Test changed it all. That was one of India's two wins in their last three Lord's Tests. The 2021 win was even more epic. Jasprit Bumrah-Mohammed Shami's merry batting for the last wicket in the second innings to deflate England's confidence, captain Virat Kohli's famous '60 overs of hell' speech in the huddle, Mohammed Siraj's spiteful deliveries bowled with a scrambled seam all became part of Indian cricket folklore. One of the reasons Siraj had the wits to deliver that around-the-wicket spell to nick off left-handers Moeen Ali and Sam Curran was because of his awareness of using the distinctive slope to his advantage. Intelligence passed on by coaches who were empowered by data. Ishant learnt it from Zaheer Khan. It was much harder for the previous generations in the absence of credible data, which made wins away from home much tougher. It will be interesting to see what changes Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir make to give them the best chance to pull off another win. What's certain is that the rested Jasprit Bumrah will play. With talk of a livelier pitch being prepared to assist England's pacers, led by the returning Jofra Archer, Bumrah too will be licking his lips to have a go at the home batters. The Lord's honour board is one of the alluring preserves of the ground. Sachin Tendulkar never scored a Test hundred there, but Ajit Agarkar, did batting at No.8. Wearing his chief selector's hat, he will help decide if the No.8 position still holds the same importance. In the first Test at Leeds, India picked Shardul Thakur, who could neither score runs nor bowl useful spells. At Edgbaston, Washington Sundar proved his utility not just by playing his part in the 144-run stand with Gill for the seventh wicket, but he also took an important second innings wicket, that of Ben Stokes. India's 2021 Test win defending 271 runs was set up by four genuine quicks. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said workload management will apply for other bowlers too. 'The workload management is not only for Bumrah. Every bowler's fitness, issues are different. But I think there is enough rest in between Tests. After this match, there is a turnaround. But, Siraj is someone who bowls a lot. So, his workload management depends on how much load he has (carried) with red ball before coming into the series. The bowling coach and our S&C (strength and conditioning coach) will keep a track on that,' he told the media at Lord's.
Mint
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Mint
IND vs ENG: How June 20 connects Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly & Sai Sudharsan? Why this date is so special?
The date June 20 holds a very special place in the history of Indian cricket. It got a special addition on the same date in 2025 when Sai Sudharsan was handed his maiden India Test debut by none other than Cheteshwar Pujara at Headingly in Leeds on first on the eve of the first Test of the five-match series against England. But what's so special with this date? It was on June 20, the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli made their Test debuts. While Ganguly and Dravid were handed their first India Test caps in England in 1996 in the same Test, Kohli got off to the mark in red-ball cricket in West Indies in the year 2011. With the team undergoing changes in the 1996, Ganguly and Dravid were handed their debut Test caps at Lord's. What followed was nonetheless legendary stuff from the duo. While Ganguly scored a majestic debut Test hundred while opening the batting, Dravid missed the three-figure mark by just five runs. Later on the duo went on to become India captains. While India won the Natwest Trophy under Ganguly in 2002, Dravid led India to their third-ever Test series win against England on England soil in 2007. Ganguly was also a part of that Indian side. Kohli's debut came four years later in 2011 in the Caribbean.
