Latest news with #RothesayTest
The Independent
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Chris Woakes strikes early for England but India reach lunch on 98 for two
Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse struck for England on the first morning of the second Rothesay Test as India reached 98 for two at Edgbaston. Buoyed by his side's triumphant fourth-innings chase at Headingley, Ben Stokes won the toss and doubled down on his preference for bowling first. Yashasvi Jaiswal cashed in with a day-one century in Leeds and stood in England's way once more, making a lively 62 not out from 69 balls, but the hosts chipped away two of his partners. Woakes bowled KL Rahul via an inside edge to cap an outstanding new-ball spell and Carse had Karun Nair caught at second slip just before the lunch break to prevent India running away with the session. India had earlier confirmed their decision to rest star bowler Japsrit Bumrah, keeping him fresh for next week's Lord's Test. After a slow start in the series opener, Woakes was back on song at his home ground as he did his best to get the new ball talking. He produced an immaculate seven-over spell, including four maidens, and deserved more than the single wicket of Rahul. The breakthrough came almost 40 minutes into Woakes' examination, the opener chopping the ball back into his stumps as he looked to give himself room. Regularly nipping the ball off the seam, Woakes came close to seeing off Jaiswal on 12 and Nair offering no shot on five. Twice England went up for big lbw shouts, twice they failed to win the decision and twice Stokes signalled for DRS. To the bowler's visible frustration, ball-tracking suggested he would have hit the bails on both occasions but fell within the margin of umpire's call. At the other end, Carse touched 92mph but was unable to match Woakes' menace. India took the change of bowling as an invitation to cut loose after a watchful start, with Josh Tongue on the receiving end. His six-over burst shipped 42 runs and eight boundaries, Jaiswal and Nair both pouncing on drives as the Nottinghamshire man overpitched repeatedly. Having paid the price for going too full, Tongue reverted to the short ball, only for Jaiswal to hook and cut him for the three fours in a row as he rushed to his half-century. Carse replaced him just before the interval and struck almost immediately, forcing Nair back with a touch of extra bounce as an edge sprayed to second slip.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Uncertainty around the inclusion of Jasprit Bumrah only benefits England, writes LAWRENCE BOOTH as mystery surrounds world's best bowler ahead of second test at Edgbaston
The uncertainty surrounding the inclusion of Jasprit Bumrah, the world's best bowler, in Wednesday's second Rothesay Test at Edgbaston has benefited only one team – and it's not India. It felt like a strategical blunder when chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar announced at the pre-departure press conference in Mumbai that Bumrah would play in only three of this summer's five Tests. And it feels even worse now that India are 1–0 down, having lost an apparently unlosable game at Headingley and already used up one-third of his quota. England are occasionally criticised for announcing their side 48 hours before each game, as they did again in Birmingham today when they confirmed an unchanged XI, and no immediate return for Jofra Archer. Critics believe it provides opponents with unnecessary pre-match information, but England like to give their players peace of mind. Since they believe the news will leak out anyway, they are happy to make it public. But for India to go so early on Bumrah has created a psychological micro-climate of its own – with England bouyed the fact that he will play in only two of the remaining four Tests, and India desperately trying to work out what they want from the non-Bumrah games to come. His importance to their chances was clear enough before the first Test, and became doubly so during it. While he collected five for 83 in the first innings to his team-mates' five for 356, his failure to take a wicket in the second left the Indians, predictably, with nowhere to go: England knocked off 371 with ease. Bumrah himself wants to play as many games as possible, but India feel their hands have been tied by the back trouble that flared up towards the end of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia in January. In that series, he was captain for the first Test, while Rohit Sharma was on paternity leave, and for the fifth, when Rohit dropped himself, before quitting Test cricket in May But because India feared another five-match series in England could cause longer-term physical damage to their prize asset, they felt the need to explain why he wouldn't be taking over from Rohit on a permanent basis. Had Bumrah not been in the captaincy mix, India could have managed his summer schedule on the quiet. Instead, they have giftwrapped England a ready-made morale boost. And since Bumrah is as keen as any touring cricketer to play at Lord's, venue for the third Test, it is hard to see how he plays here at Edgbaston. It all meant India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate sounded defensive as he suggested that a draw this week in Birmingham wouldn't be the worst outcome. 'We feel we can go 1–1 or keep the score at 1–0 without Jasprit,' he said. 'That's putting the eggs in the back end of the series. We're going to need him at some stage as well. You've got to decide when you're going to play your strongest suit. But the bowlers are very well aware that they need to chip in with wickets.' England have opted not to select Jofra Archer as they have selected an unchanged side To add to the sense that India's primary concern is to avoid going two down, ten Doeschate also referenced a mixed weather forecast, with rain possible on the first, fourth and fifth days. And he suggested that, while the inclusion of a second spinner was likely, the need for batting depth would favour the off-spinning all-rounder Washington Sundar ahead of left-arm wrist-spinner – and tailender – Kuldeep Yadav. Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar Reddy, who scored a century against Australia at the MCG, could further strengthen the batting if he replaces Shardul Thakur. Such is Bumrah's value that his likely absence here has sent the Indian brains trust into a spin. England's challenge, by contrast, will be not to get too excited about the prospect of sidestepping Bumrah. 'I think the worry for us would be to focus too much on Jasprit, even though he is a world-class player,' said Chris Woakes, diplomatically. 'They've got guys that can come in and cause us issues.'
The Independent
24-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett lift England on final day of first Test
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett put on an unbroken 117 to boost England's hopes of reeling in 371 and drawing first blood in the Rothesay Test series at Headingley. Josh Tongue vowed England would go all out for victory on the fifth day, which India's KL Rahul predicted would be a 'blockbuster', but it was initially a slow burner on a murky morning in Leeds. However, England will be the happier of the two teams after a wicketless first session in which India struggled to create much, Duckett leading the way with 64 not out and Crawley unbeaten on 42. They eschewed risk to add 96 to their total on Tuesday morning, largely off change bowlers Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur after a more watchful approach against Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. All eyes were on Bumrah in overcast and blustery conditions. In England's first innings he was irresistible with the new ball and while Duckett carved him away early on, Bumrah followed up with a jaffa that angled away and whistled tantalisingly close to the left-hander's edge. Crawley and Duckett were able to negotiate Bumrah's four-over burst without many more alarms. When Krishna came on, Duckett slashed over the slips but was then more authoritative on the drive and cut. Crawley took a more cautious approach but after punching Krishna through the covers a couple of times, he mistimed a pull shot which landed safely at deep midwicket. Duckett went past his half-century before India, agitating for a ball change for much of the session, got their wish a quarter of an hour before the interval. However, the switch went without reward despite the returning Bumrah dropping a tough return catch to reprieve Crawley on 42 on the stroke of lunch.
Powys County Times
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant build huge lead for India at Headingley
England were made to toil as centuries from KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant put India in charge of the first Rothesay Test at Headingley. Brydon Carse persuaded India captain Shubman Gill to drag on from the seventh ball of the fourth day but it was slim pickings from then on, with Rahul put down on 58 by Harry Brook at gully. India's opener was the first to a hundred and while Pant flirted with danger, he reached three figures before tea as the tourists ended the session on 298 for four and an already imposing lead of 304. Carse and Chris Woakes were probing early on and Pant, after some early theatrics, and Rahul had to curb their natural impulses in helpful bowling conditions on Monday morning but as the day wore on, a 195-run stand took the game away from England. Pant's ton was his second century of the match and while he took one risk too many against an expensive Shoaib Bashir and departed for 118, Rahul was still there on 120 not out. Rahul and Pant came together after Carse made the breakthrough in the first full over of the morning, tailing the ball in and cramping first-innings centurion Gill for room, with his attempt to cut taking the inside edge on to his stumps. Gill's departure for eight opened the door for England in overcast, blustery conditions – with India three down and a lead under 100 – and Pant almost allowed them to blow it down after advancing to his second ball and edging Woakes over the slips. Pant also survived an lbw review after missing a wild whip, swinging himself off his feet, before he audaciously slog-swept Carse on one knee, with the ball landing safely at fine-leg. Remarkably it was Rahul who offered a clear cut chance as an attempt to dab Josh Tongue down to third caught the edge but a crouching Brook, stationed close in at gully, could not hang on to an overhead chance. England's decision to dispense with the cordon after lunch proved costly as Pant edged Tongue to where a first slip would have been and when that gap was plugged, he then squirted the same bowler to where a second slip would have been. It was a good battle between the pair, with Pant crashing Tongue through the covers after his second let-off before twice swatting Bashir for six over long-on. Pant then thrashed England's off-spinner uppishly through the covers on 75 but a diving Ben Stokes could only palm away a difficult chance. Rahul moved to an unfussy ninth Test hundred – and sixth outside Asia, only Sunil Gavaskar among India openers has more – while Pant took 26 balls to get from 90 to 100, doing so by scampering through for a quick single. He removed his helmet and gloves but decided against repeating the somersault which greeted his first-innings ton, before Bashir had some relief when Pant holed out before tea.
BBC News
22-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Stokes strikes after Brook 99 in tight first Test
First Rothesay Test, Headingley (day three of five)India 471 (Gill 147, Pant 134, Jaiswal 101; Stokes 4-66, Tongue 4-86) & 90-2England 465 (Pope 106, Brook 99, Duckett; Bumrah 5-83)India lead by 96 runsScorecard England captain Ben Stokes checked India's progress after Harry Brook's breathtaking 99 on a helter-skelter third day of the first Test at tourists were painstakingly building their lead when Stokes had Sai Sudharsan clip to mid-wicket, leaving India 90-2 and with an advantage of 96 runs at the were only six ahead on first innings when they finally bowled England out for who was caught off a no-ball late on day two, was dropped twice. He played some outrageous strokes and looked set for a century on his home ground until he top-edged a hook to long were still 73 behind when Brook became the seventh man out, only for the hosts to be taken to virtual parity by a rapid stand of 55 between Chris Woakes and Brydon was eventually bowled by the irrepressible Jasprit Bumrah, who did the same to Shoaib Bashir to end with had the momentum, even more so when Carse had Yashasvi Jaiswal caught behind. Headingley was rocking, which made the stand of 66 between debutant Sudharsan and KL Rahul all the more drizzle threatening and the light closing in, Stokes removed Sudharsan for 30. When the umpires decided play could not continue, Rahul had 47, alongside captain Shubman Gill on six. It is beautifully poised. Best and worst of Bazball in Headingley nipper This has been three days of wonderful, see-saw Test cricket, living up to the pre-match billing of two high-quality and evenly-matched England gifted away the chance to bat first, India have been just as generous in return. The visitors should have got many more than their first-innings 471, then dropped four catches, including three off Bumrah, the man culpable for Brook's no-ball as well as they have battled back, England can also reflect on their own wasted opportunities and moments of recklessness.A blustery Sunday saw the best and worst of Bazball. Jamie Smith fell into a bouncer trap two balls after hooking a six in the over before the second new-ball was due, while Brook was also bounced contrast, the attacking intent of Woakes and Carse scrambled Indian minds and kept England in the final session, with the lights on and clouds threatening, swung this way and that. England will have to chase on a pitch starting to look dry and uneven, so India might be slight favourites.
