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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Why successful fourth innings chases are becoming more common in Test cricket?
Fourth innings pursuits have etched some of the most iconic images in Test cricket. Brian Lara leaping skywards after the Bridgetown heist in 1999, Ben Stokes shivering Headingley with his roar in 2019, or Kusal Perera kissing the Kingsmead grass in 2017, shedding sweat and tears. There is both novelty and mystique, rendered by the infrequency of successful fourth-innings chases. But the game's blinding evolution is breaking the barriers, instilling the oldest format with a youthful energy, and steep targets no longer daunt batsmen as they once used to. Against the odds In the history of the game, 957 times have a side set a target of 250 plus. Only 79 times have the score been overhauled, as many 569 ended in lost causes and 308 in draws. The numbers reveal the historical distress of surpassing a target when the surface, more often than not, is the worst to bat. The strips become an embroidered patchwork of cracks and roughs, the top soil loosening/flaking/crumbling to reveal its dark, deceitful soul. Depending on the locale, the pitch would turn, spit, stop or bounce indifferently, making survival itself an ordeal. Forget overhauls. Golden age of chasing Of the 79 instances teams who have achieved 250-plus targets, 15 were wrought this decade, which is roughly one-fifth of all fourth-innings heists. It's an immense number when you consider that the decade is only five years old and Test cricket has formally existed for 148 years. Of those, five were totals above 300 (only 37 times has it ever been achieved). Till 2020, the winning percentage was 28.3. The last five years, it has shot to 46.8, the latest being England's dismantling of India at Headingley, harmonising the trail of 371 with ridiculous ease, almost demystifying the mystique of fourth-innings acts. Of those 15, England accounts for nearly half (six), which reflects their bravado approach in Tests. Bazball influence The influence of Brendon McCullum's methodical merry ballers is indisputable. The frequency is bewildering, but the nervelessness is more staggering. It's not just that they have scaled the summit, but how comfortably they have trekked to the peak. In Headingley against India, they hardly let imaginary fears stalk them, despite a few sliding door moments like the Shardul Thakur twin wickets, or later the Ben Stokes dismissal. It's as though they had rubbed off the last misbehaving ball from the memory. At times in the past, the approach has backlashed, especially on the subcontinent, but more often than not Stokes and Co have pulled off victories emphatically. All England captains before him eclipsed totals beyond 250 just a dozen times; Stokes's count is already six (out of 12 times), in only 34 games. Such radical approaches, where the scoreboard pressure doesn't break them, could have a contagious effect on the cricketing world at large. Like the pinch-hitting boom after Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup triumph. Or teams reluctant to follow-on teams after VVS Laxman's Eden Gardens masterpiece. But even before the Bazballers started hauling down mega totals, India blasted 329 to win at the Gabba in 2021; West Indies strung 395, the fifth-highest successful run chase of all time, in Chattogram the same year; Pakistan clinched 342 against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2022, just when Bazball was catching fire. T20 impact The shortest format has resisted age-old conventions, shackled the self-imposed handcuffs, and broadened the horizons of imagination. 'A score of 350 in the good old days was too tall a chase in the fourth innings of a Test match. But, with zero fear in the modern cricketer, born out of a T20 mindset, that landscape has changed,' England great Kevin Pietersen said on the morning of the fifth day in Headingley. It's not just the mindset to attack but to blend the T20 bravado to a Test match environment. Batsmen are still sticking largely to standard cricketing shots, their high-yield percentage strokes, but they don't dead-bat a half volley just because the ball is swinging or the team is in trouble. Test cricket as such has become faster, runs scorer at a quicker rate than ever before (even though runs per wicket has not changed much). The last decade, the average run rate per innings was 3.1 an over; this decade it has sprung to 3.3. In the last three years England have scored at a frenetic rate of 4.88, 4.39 and 5.03. Australia has maintained 3.6. Correspondingly, the incidence of draws have reduced too. Just 15 percent of matches this decade have ended in a deadlock, which is a perceivable offshoot of the World Test Championship and the significance of points. Hostage of conditions It is no coincidence just two of the 250-plus hunts this decade were achieved in Asia, at Chattogram and Galle, whereas six of them were completed in England. Fourth-innings are the toughest in Asia, where batting on turners is akin to trench warfare. Stokes and Co fumbled twice, chasing 399 and 557. In the entire history, only four times have teams managed the grim task in India (thrice the hosts won); eight in Sri Lanka, where the turn is slow, twice in Pakistan and thrice in Bangladesh. But conditions in England have changed dramatically over the years, and often batting in fourth innings tends to be the least perilous of times to bat in the country. Former England captain Mike Atherton attributed it to 'covered pitches and hard loam soils that break up less readily' in a piece in Times. There have been reports that McCullum and Stokes want the pitches to remain as placid as it could be, as it aids their brand of batting. Some of the decks in Australia and South Africa have lost their spice too, despite the crumpled face. The last barrier, thus, for the heady chasers of this decade thus remains Asia, especially India.
News18
a day ago
- Sport
- News18
India Vs England: Four Indians To Score Test Hundreds At Edgbaston, Birmingham
Last Updated: India to face England in the second Test at Edgbaston after losing the first match. India are all set to play England in the second Test of the five-match series at Edgbaston in Birmingham and would look to go all out after losing the first match of the series in Headingley by five wickets to go 0-1 down. Although India lost the Headingley Test, a highlight of the game was five centuries from India at the venue, a first for the country in the longest format. India, who have played eight Tests at Edgbaston from 1967 to 2022, have never won at this venue. They drew once back in 1986, but otherwise, the numbers are dismal. Let's take a look at the Indian players who have flourished at Edgbaston with hundreds, although never in a winning cause: Sachin Tendulkar: 122, India tour of England 1996 Opting to bat first, India posted 214, with Dominic Cork picking four wickets. England responded with 313, riding on Nasser Hussain's hundred. Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad picked four wickets apiece. In the second innings, India posted 219, riding on Tendulkar 's 122, with Chris Lewis picking five wickets. England had to chase just 121, which they sailed past with skipper Mike Atherton scoring 53. Virat Kohli: 149, India tour of England, 2018 Opting to bat first, England posted 287, with Ravichandran Ashwin picking four wickets. India responded with 274, riding on Kohli's 149. Sam Curran picked up four wickets. In the second innings, England posted just 180, with Ishant Sharma picking five wickets. India had to chase just 194, but Ben Stokes' four-wicket haul restricted them to 162, despite Kohli's 51-run knock. To this day, the ace Indian batter remains the highest run-scorer in Tests at Edgbaston, with 231 runs in two matches at a stunning average of 57.75. Rishabh Pant 146 & Ravindra Jadeja 104: India tour of England, 2022 Put in to bat first, India posted a whopping 416, riding on Rishabh Pant's 146 and Ravindra Jadeja's 104, despite James Anderson's five wickets. In response, England were bowled out for 284, despite Jonny Bairstow's century, as Mohammed Siraj picked four wickets. India were bowled out for 245 in the second innings, with Stokes picking four wickets. England had to chase 378 to win and riding on Joe Root and Bairstow's hundreds, they went past the target. First Published:
News18
a day ago
- Sport
- News18
'Plays Entire IPL...': Jasprit Bumrah Faces Heavy Criticism Over Skipping Second Test At Edgbaston
Jasprit Bumrah, who was the sole star performer with the ball in the first Test against England, is set to take rest in the Edgbaston Test. India's frontline pacer Jasprit Bumrah's exclusion from the second Test against England at Edgbaston has sent shockwaves through the cricket community. Bumrah, who picked a fifer in the first innings of the Headingley Test, remained wicketless in the second as the hosts led by Ben Stokes chased down a target of 371 set by India rather comfortably. Despite a brilliant spell by Mohammed Siraj and a late hope produced by Ravindra Jadeja couldn't salvage the first Test that went in favour of England. Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur scalped two wickets each; however, the duo's economy rate allowed the Stokes's squad to score at a decent pace, which helped them reach the finish line with almost 15 overs to spare on the last day of the first Test. Bumrah rested during the tail end of the match as fans and critics wondered if the 31-year-old star pacer should have been in the thick of the actions. Watching their side go down 0-1 to England despite having five centurions and Bumrah in the squad wasn't a pleasant sight. And now, the news of the star pacer's exclusion from the Edgbaston Test, which kicks off on July 2, has dampened the fans' spirit. Social Media Reactions Bumrah loyalists empathised with the fast bowler during England's first innings in the tour-opening Test where they worried about his long bowling spells, wondering if India were overusing and over-reliant on the pacer when the rest of the bowling unit wasn't matching his accuracy and disciplined bowling. If Gen Z want to understand how excessively dependent we were on Sachin in the 90s, just think Bumrah now but in batting.— Abijit Ganguly (@AbijitG) June 24, 2025 In a stark contrast, the Test fans have now hit out at Bumrah for not playing all the five matches in the Test tour to England. 'Just last month when Bumrah was extensively playing matches in IPL no one in BCCI thought to give him rest, but now when time to do national duty, he needs to be rested after just one test match, (sic)" wrote @mainbhiengineer on 'X'. A fan bluntly added that Bumrah's exclusion would mean India possibly going down 0-2 in the five-match Test series. 'I think Jasprit Bumrah should try to play the 2nd Test. First reason, there is more than a week gap and second reason, there is high chances to be 0-2 down if he is unavailable. (sic)" 'I love Bumrah and what he's done in a short career is phenomenal. But I can't digest the fact that he choose to play IPL, knowing that it means he'd not play all of the test matches in England. You may be the world's best but choosing the franchise over the country is not done, (sic)" a user, who goes by the handle @awkaaisha on X, remarked. The above post was, however, contested by another user. 'Do you realise how ridiculous this comparison is? Jasprit Bumrah bowled 45 overs in the first Test and 47 overs in the entire IPL 2025 season." Why Is Bumrah Out? Workload management. Bumrah delivered 24.4 and 19 overs respectively at the Headingley in Leeds. He will reportedly be replaced by the left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh. Singh, who has never played red-ball format before, earned his maiden India call in the ongoing series. Ravichandran Ashwin's Take Already 0-1 in the series, Ravichandran Ashwin felt that Bumrah should play the second Test and then he could take a break. 'First of all, after playing such a good Test, I'm not going to make three changes in the team. Considering we are 1-0 down, I would ask Jasprit Bumrah to play the second Test, try and get even in the series and then he can take a break. There's a considerable break between the 3rd and 4th Test, he can take rest then. I will just bring Kuldeep (Yadav) in and make no other changes," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 27, 2025, 09:49 IST News viral 'Plays Entire IPL...': Jasprit Bumrah Faces Heavy Criticism Over Skipping Second Test At Edgbaston
Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
16-foot reticulated python found as fifth dumped snake in shocking UK discovery
Source: RSG Reptiles (Facebook) In a disturbing twist to an ongoing wildlife investigation, a fifth reticulated python has been found abandoned in North Lincolnshire. Measuring an astonishing 16 feet (5 metres), the non-native snake was discovered lying on a roadside in Twigmoor Woods, near Scunthorpe, on Saturday evening. According to the BBC reports, the sighting was made by local resident Harry Eynon, who was driving home when he spotted the enormous reptile. The case has raised serious concerns about exotic pet dumping in the UK, especially following the discovery of four other pythons in the same area earlier this month. Authorities continue to investigate the incident. 'We were shocked to say the least,' Eynon said, 'but also a little scared because it's not something you see every day in this country.' Reticulated python found in Lincolnshire Woodland after 10 days in the cold As reported, the python, later named "Dave" by his rescuers, was retrieved by RSG Reptiles, a reptile rescue centre located near Alford, Lincolnshire. According to Rob Stokes, the founder of the organisation, the animal was in poor health—malnourished, underweight, and suffering from a respiratory infection, likely caused by exposure to damp, cold weather conditions not suitable for tropical reptiles. Source: RSG Reptiles (Facebook) "It's been out in the British weather for more than 10 days," said Stokes. 'It's quite poor and will require veterinary care.' Reticulated pythons are non-venomous constrictors native to Southeast Asia, and while they are not naturally aggressive toward humans, they are still capable of inflicting harm, particularly on native British wildlife. 'These snakes are pets, and they're unlikely to attack people,' said Stokes. 'But they do pose a real danger to local animals. Apart from being illegal, it's just cruel to dump them like this.' Due to the similarities in species, health condition, and location, authorities and rescuers strongly believe that all five snakes were abandoned by the same person or group. Stokes stated: 'These snakes didn't end up in the same woodland by coincidence. Someone dumped them—either because they didn't want them anymore or couldn't take care of them.' Source: RSG Reptiles (Facebook) Four previous snakes discovered in the same area This latest find follows the earlier discovery of four other reticulated pythons in nearby areas, particularly Twigmoor and Cleatham, on June 15. These repeated discoveries have prompted Humberside Police's rural task force to open an investigation into potential breaches of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which prohibits the release of non-native species into the wild. The fact that all five snakes were found in the same general vicinity within days of each other strongly suggests they were abandoned deliberately. Abandoned pythons raise alarm over exotic pet crisis in the UK The incident has highlighted the growing problem of irresponsible exotic pet ownership. Stokes urges pet owners struggling to care for large reptiles or other exotic animals to seek professional help rather than resort to abandonment. 'If you're unable to manage your pet, there are rescue centres like ours that can help. Don't just leave these animals to suffer and possibly die in the wild.'m Currently, all five rescued pythons are being housed at RSG Reptiles. The centre has since launched an online fundraising appeal to cover veterinary expenses and to build proper enclosures for the growing number of snakes under their care. Photos released by RSG Reptiles show the snakes being handled by Rob Stokes, his partner, and son highlighting the size and striking appearance of the rescued animals, including some with gold and white colouration. In a statement, Humberside Police confirmed that the fifth snake was 'taken away safely' and acknowledged that another python may have been found dead in the same area. Investigations are ongoing. 'Inquiries are continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the reports and identify those involved,' the police said. 'We appeal to anyone who has information to contact us.' Also Read | Black mamba vs Gaboon viper: Which is Africa's deadliest snake on the basis of venom, size, habitat and more
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Rishabh Pant's fearless and entertaining style makes him a unique and exceptional player
It's the morning of the fourth day, India's lead decent without being intimidating. Off the seventh ball of the day, Shubman Gill trudges off disconsolately to the pavilion, chopping a lifting, incoming ball from Brydon Carse on to his stumps. India hadn't just lost their captain, but also one of three centurions from the first innings. At 92 for three, they were ahead by 98, and not too many wickets away from a collapse — as subsequent events would prove. Out walked a chunky, unprepossessing figure, triggering a frisson in the well-populated stands. In the first innings, he had uncorked a brilliant hundred of two parts — the first fifty came off 91 deliveries, his slowest to date. Between 50 and 100, he needed just 55 balls, keeping his tryst with his eighth Test ton with a six. It wasn't unexpected; like Virender Sehwag, he likes to herald a milestone with a flourish when almost everyone else will get there with a nurdled single, a scrambled brace. Then again, Rishabh Pant isn't 'everyone else'. Thank goodness for that. Back to day four, a regular Monday until Pant made sure it wasn't. Early blood to England, India under pressure. Really? Clearly, Pant hadn't been paying attention. There's something about very early in his innings and a charge down the track to the fastest bowler in the opposition that is quintessentially Pant. In the first dig, he came haring the pitch to hammer his second ball, from England captain Ben Stokes, back past the bowler's head for a searing, statement boundary. For a second, Stokes — himself of the free spirit — was startled. Needless evasive action was followed by an unchecked bout of laughter. Stokes couldn't believe what he had just been subjected to. What's this guy made of? Back again to day four. Carse, his tail up after cleaning up Gill, came bounding in, fresh as a daisy, determined to drive home the advantage. Ball two to Pant, who again embraced the charge-and-bash routine. Perhaps he needs to do that to get the circulation doing, perhaps he must do it because he is desperate to get off the dreaded duck, perhaps he just likes it. Whatever. He matched Carse for speed, waiting nearly till the ball left the bowler's hand before leaving his crease. Unlike in the first innings, there was neither shape nor control. As he threw his hands at the ball, it skewed off the outside edge and over the slips, down to vacant third man for four. Hello? ALSO READ | Spectacular success or promise less fulfilled... the first impression of India's GenNext Headingley woke up, if at all it had gone into a slumber after an early strike by a home bowler. The buzz was unmistakable. The revolving door was here, no one knew what was coming next. What came next was a manic passage of play, with Pant doing the most outrageous of things even by Pant standards. 'Harakiri' came to mind. K.L. Rahul, his Zen-like partner, was flummoxed. England were hopeful, optimistic, convinced that a wicket was but a ball away. In the dressing-room, Karun Nair, the next man in and playing his first Test in more than eight years, must have felt his heart thudding against his chest, knowing that he was on a pair, perhaps believing that the next ball would usher his presence into the middle. Pant heaved. He slogged. He charged. He went hard at the bowling. He walked across his stumps, attempting the most extravagant and ill-advised hoick to fine-leg, his stumps exposed, the stroke more suited to the final over of a T20 game than during an intense, potentially decisive passage of play. Pure theatre Then, in pure theatre that broadcasters salivate over and those watching on television can't get enough of, Pant admonished himself. He spoke to himself, calmly, as if transported from his body, advising himself to play straight. He questioned himself about the need for extravagance. He tried to get himself to understand the gravity of the situation. The stump microphone isn't everyone's favourite but in this case, it threw up gold. Absolute gold. It provided a window to the extraordinary mind of an exceptional cricketer. Self-admonishment and self-advice worked, Pant became a more selective version of himself without sacrificing flair or entertainment or the wow factor. It made for magnificent viewing – on television, sure, but 100x magnified at the venue. A second century of the match was almost inevitable once Pant spoke to Pant, once Pant heeded Pant. It was fascinating; every time Rahul was in his ears, Pant respectfully responded with 'haanji', then did what he wanted to do. It's not that he didn't respect his senior partner's inputs, it's just that he took them on board, fused them with his unique way of thinking and came up with solutions to questions England didn't even think they had posed. It takes guts and courage and bravery and self-belief and a certain bullheadedness to embrace the Pant way of thinking. It comes with the attendant risk of failure, of looking silly — 'stupid, stupid, stupid', anyone? — of being taken to the cleaners by even those who revel in his success when he pulls off a reverse ramp in a Test match against James Anderson, or who clubs a Mitchell Starc screamer over mid-wicket as if having a friendly net against a wannabe left-arm spinner. But Pant is not about bravado alone; he does have eight Test hundreds, the most by an Indian wicketkeeper, and averages in the mid-40s. There is great method to his inimitable madness, so to question his methodology, however exasperating it might appear at times, is a little out of place. You just have to focus on the reactions when you utter the name/word 'Pant' to see what he triggers in teammate and opponent alike. Rahul seemed almost in awe while speaking of the man with whom he shared a 195-run partnership. 'You just stand there and admire and sometimes scratch your head about the shot selection and the outrageous cricket that he plays,' Rahul, a stately Rolls Royce to the rollicking McLaren that Pant is, said the other day, trying his best to conceal the broad grin that reflected the joy in his heart. ALSO READ | 50 years later: how the World Cup launched cricket into mainstream consciousness 'He's a unique, unique player and you just let him be. I've had a few partnerships with him, (including during) his first hundred in Oval (2018). 'We've batted together for a long period of time and he enjoys his cricket and that's how he likes to express himself,' Rahul went on. 'I just let him be and try and keep him as calm as I can. He obviously has a method to his batting which none of us in this room understand, but it seems to work for him.' Pant, 27, is now the deputy to Gill, 25. A combined age of 52 makes this amongst the youngest leadership playing groups India have put out in recent memory but the good news is that these two men have played a lot of cricket together at various levels, are great friends off the field and share a terrific relationship which augurs well for the future. Pant has emphatically played his hand — he will respect the responsibility that comes with the vice-captaincy, but he won't try to be anything other than what he is, because then he won't be the Pant he can be. More than numbers Given cricket's propensity to judge individuals by numbers, Pant is on to a great thing already, less than halfway through his international career. He has more Test hundreds in England than any other Indian apart from Rahul Dravid. Notice something there — India's best technician and India's most mercurial middle-order bat bunched together in an elite, exclusive club of two? Just goes to show that there are numerous ways to skin a cat. He is one of only two stumpers, after Andy Flower, to smack a hundred in both innings of the same Test. He is, simply, Rishabh Pant. In the middle of all this, around the excitement and the hype and the encomiums, it's easy to forget that he is only 27. That he is still a very, very young man, not just in life but in cricketing life too. He has been through so much already, including the career-threatening, life-threatening single-car accident of December 2022. That he has managed to retain his joie de vivre, that he has still stayed equanimous and generous and grateful for a second chance, is clear for everyone to see. Pant knows that not everyone is as blessed as he is; therefore, he believes, he must make the most of benevolence of the higher power, make every second count, stand out as an inspiration for others. ALSO READ | Moneyball: IPL 2025 edition Occasionally, the petulant child in him surfaces, like in the first innings at Headingley when Paul Reiffel legitimately turned down his entreaty to change the ball and Pant reacted by churlishly backhanding the ball along the ground to the mid-wicket fielder, his annoyance all too obvious. It was the boiling over of a frustration merited, but which shouldn't have manifested in the way it did. For his indiscretion, he was slapped with a demerit point and given an official reprimand by Richie Richardson, the ICC match referee. Given that he is his best judge and his worst critic, Pant will tell himself, 'Rishabh, woh theek nahi tha, waisa nahi karna tha'. And then immediately put all that behind him and get on with the job. After all, that's what makes him what he is. At the conclusion of a match in which more than 1,650 runs were scored at more than four an over, Stokes spoke of the high rate of scoring without any batter trying anything fancy. 'Barring Rishabh,' he chuckled. That's what Gautam Gambhir must be saying in the dressing-room too when plans are being formulated. 'These apply to everyone,' could well be the head coach's message, 'barring Rishabh.' Or, at least, that's what he should be saying.
