Latest news with #TestMatchSpecial
NDTV
5 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Ben Stokes Has The Last Laugh After England Great's Toss Criticism: "Imagine..."
England cricket team skipper Ben Stokes had the last laugh after heavy criticism from Michael Vaughan over his decision to bowl first during the first Test match against India. Stoke chose to field after winning the toss despite experts predicting a good batting surface and Vaughan did not hold back following India's stunning start. However, Stokes' decision proved to be the correct one as the hosts chased down a target of 371 thanks to a sensational hundred by Ben Duckett. Following the win, Stokes had the perfect reply. 'It's a good job Test cricket is played over five days. Imagine thinking that way after day one, before we've even had chance to bat on a wicket,' Stokes told Test Match Special. "You never know what a wicket is going to play like half an hour before any cricket has been on it. It looked like there was a lot of top moisture on it, it felt like there was. You do first what you think will give you the best chance of winning the game." "Headingley does generally quite a lot early on. I thought it was a great chance to potentially nick three or four in the first hour. The opposition are allowed to play well,' he added. Earlier, Vaughan was not happy with England's decision to bowl first at Headingley and admitted that he was left 'staggered' by their tactic against India. "I'm a bit of an old-school traditionalist here at Leeds that, when the sun shines, it's quite an easy decision, particularly with the build-up to the Test match and it being so dry and so nice," Vaughan said on the BBC's Test Match Special. "I was staggered… when I heard he was going to bowl first. I thought, traditions have gone out the window." "I know England have won chasing here quite a number of times over the recent times, but you always have to pick your decisions on that moment: just because you've won a year ago, two years ago, or three years ago, it can't really affect what the decision is today. And they've allowed India with a youngish batting line-up and a new captain to just go and play."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Good job Test cricket is over five days
Captain Ben Stokes said "it is a good job Test cricket is played over five days" following questions over his decision at the toss in England's epic victory over India. Stokes opted to field despite ideal batting conditions on the opening day of the first Test at Headingley. Advertisement India reached 430-3 in their first innings, but England battled back and completed a superb run chase of 371 late on the fifth day. "You make a decision and you don't know what is going to happen," Stokes told Test Match Special. "We did what we needed to do in the crucial moments of this game. This win is not down to just the skill, but the attitude of this dressing room." Stokes' decision to field followed a trend in his captaincy. On the 10 occasions England have won the toss in home Tests since Stokes became captain in 2022, they have fielded first on nine occasions. Advertisement In those nine matches, they have won seven, lost one and drawn one, the latter a game they probably would have won against Australia at Old Trafford in 2023 had rained not wiped out most of the final two days. Headingley is also a ground suited to batting second. From the 81 venues that have hosted Tests since 2011, Leeds is the only one that has progressively produced more runs per wicket, innings on innings, throughout a match. And Stokes was vindicated by victory in the opener to the five-match series against India. England's pursuit, led by an astonishing 149 from Ben Duckett, was their second-highest in Tests, bettered only by the 378 chased to beat the same opponents at Edgbaston in 2022. After the opening day at Headingley, former captain Michael Vaughan said he was "staggered" by England's decision to field first, but Stokes said: "It's a good job Test cricket is played over five days." Advertisement Asked if his belief in his decision was ever shaken, Stokes said: "Imagine thinking that way after day one, before we've even had chance to bat on a wicket." India's collapse from 430-3 to 471 came on the second morning. Only one team in Test history has had more runs for the loss of three wickets in their first innings and gone on to lose. "You never know what a wicket is going to play like half an hour before any cricket has been on it," added Stokes. "It looked like there was a lot of top moisture on it, it felt like there was. You do first what you think will give you the best chance of winning the game. Advertisement "Headingley does generally quite a lot early on. I thought it was a great chance to potentially nick three or four in the first hour. The opposition are allowed to play well." The second Test at Edgbaston begins on 2 July. England could welcome back pace bowler Jofra Archer for his first Test in more than four years. The 30-year-old has overcome a string of injuries and played in the County Championship for Sussex this week, his first first-class game since 2021. "It's always great seeing Jofra out there, playing for England, playing for Sussex," said Stokes. "It's obviously been a very long time for him and watching him get that red ball back in his hand is very exciting." Advertisement
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Good job Test cricket is over five days
Captain Ben Stokes said "it is a good job Test cricket is played over five days" following questions over his decision at the toss in England's epic victory over opted to field despite ideal batting conditions on the opening day of the first Test at reached 430-3 in their first innings, but England battled back and completed a superb run chase of 371 late on the fifth day."You make a decision and you don't know what is going to happen," Stokes told Test Match Special."We did what we needed to do in the crucial moments of this game. This win is not down to just the skill, but the attitude of this dressing room."Stokes' decision to field followed a trend in his captaincy. On the 10 occasions England have won the toss in home Tests since Stokes became captain in 2022, they have fielded first on nine those nine matches, they have won seven, lost one and drawn one, the latter a game they probably would have won against Australia at Old Trafford in 2023 had rained not wiped out most of the final two is also a ground suited to batting second. From the 81 venues that have hosted Tests since 2011, Leeds is the only one that has progressively produced more runs per wicket, innings on innings, throughout a Stokes was vindicated by victory in the opener to the five-match series against India. England's pursuit, led by an astonishing 149 from Ben Duckett, was their second-highest in Tests, bettered only by the 378 chased to beat the same opponents at Edgbaston in 2022. After the opening day at Headingley, former captain Michael Vaughan said he was "staggered" by England's decision to field first, but Stokes said: "It's a good job Test cricket is played over five days."Asked if his belief in his decision was ever shaken, Stokes said: "Imagine thinking that way after day one, before we've even had chance to bat on a wicket."India's collapse from 430-3 to 471 came on the second morning. Only one team in Test history has had more runs for the loss of three wickets in their first innings and gone on to lose."You never know what a wicket is going to play like half an hour before any cricket has been on it," added Stokes."It looked like there was a lot of top moisture on it, it felt like there was. You do first what you think will give you the best chance of winning the game."Headingley does generally quite a lot early on. I thought it was a great chance to potentially nick three or four in the first hour. The opposition are allowed to play well."The second Test at Edgbaston begins on 2 could welcome back pace bowler Jofra Archer for his first Test in more than four 30-year-old has overcome a string of injuries and played in the County Championship for Sussex this week, his first first-class game since 2021."It's always great seeing Jofra out there, playing for England, playing for Sussex," said Stokes. "It's obviously been a very long time for him and watching him get that red ball back in his hand is very exciting."
Metro
6 days ago
- Sport
- Metro
Jasprit Bumrah injury update from India after England win first Test
India have provided an update on Jasprit Bumrah's fitness after England won a thrilling first Test in style. Shubman Gill's side appeared to be in the driving seat at Headingley after posting 471 and then leaving England 371 to win in the fourth innings. But India's bowlers were largely ineffective on day five and England reached the target with five wickets to spare. England's second highest run-chase was inspired by Ben Duckett's brilliant 149 and contributions from Zak Crawley, Joe Root, Jamie Smith and Ben Stokes. Bumrah, arguably the best bowler in the world, enjoyed a superb first-half to the Test, taking 5-83 in England's first innings, but then went wicket-less in the second. The 31-year-old, who has been recovering from a recent back injury, spent some of the final day off the field and was not given the new ball when England were heading to victory. This sparked concern over Bumrah's fitness and availability for the second Test, which starts next Wednesday at Edgbaston, but India insist he 'should be fine' to play. It was never the plan for Bumrah to play all five Tests but India will be reluctant to be without him as England seek to open up a commanding 2-0 lead in Birmingham next week. More Trending 'He is fine,' Gill told BBC's Test Match Special. 'We will see closer to the next Test, but he should be fine.' Speaking during the post-match presentation, Gill was asked about India's plan for Bumrah and said: 'It's more game by game. 'There's a good break after this Test match so once we're close to the match, we'll see.' More to follow…
India Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Live Score, ENG vs IND, 1st Test Day 5: ENG (465, 27/0) as Crawley, Duckett start gingerly vs Bumrah
Watching Ben Duckett survive Jasprit Bumrah feels like watching the 2023 ODI World Cup all over once again. Bumrah around the stumps, making the ball talk against the left handers. It is a sensational watch, but what use is the brilliance if India do not have any luck at all. Travis Head survived the first 10 overs against Bumrah and then hit back at India. India would hope that does not happen here in Headingley. This is how Duckett is serving right now: That ball made Duckett rethink… 😵💫#SonySportsNetwork #GroundTumharaJeetHamari #ENGvIND #NayaIndia #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia [England, India, Ben Duckett, Jasprit Bumrah] — Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) June 21, 2025 Live Score, 1st Test Day 5: England (465, 27/0) need 344 runs to win against India (471, 364). Zak Crawley (13*), Ben Duckett (14*). That's a peach from Jasprit Bumrah — simply unplayable! Almost identical to the delivery that dismissed Crawley in the first innings. Pitched on a good length around middle, it angled in before jagging away sharply off the deck like an off-break. Duckett was completely squared up, but it did just too much to catch the edge. Ben Duckett opens the scoring on Day 5 with a boundary. It was short of a length and outside off, nipping away slightly. Duckett punched it on the up, right under his eyes, timing it beautifully through the covers as the ball raced to the boundary. Jasprit Bumrah begins his run-up from the Kirkstall Lane End - the end that could offer some assistance to the seamers. India have three slips and a gully in place for Ben Duckett. The players make their way out to the middle. India gather in a quick huddle, with KL Rahul notably leading the team talk. The England batters take their positions at the crease, and the Indian fielders spread out across the ground. Indian and England cricketers wore black armbands and observed a minute of silence on Day 5 of the first Test in Leeds to pay tribute to former left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi, who passed away at the age of 77 following a cardiac arrest in London on Tuesday. Yashasvi Jaiswal is practicing slip-catching ahead of the day. Stuart Broad has said that at Headingley, the ball can sometimes come out of the shadows, making it tricky for fielders. India's fielding will be under the spotlight after they dropped several catches in the first innings. Pitch Report—Day 5 (Sunil Gavaskar): "Extremely overcast conditions here at Headingley. The fast bowlers will enjoy the weather, but there isn't much in the surface for them—most of the grass has been shaved off, and it resembles a dry, almost Indian pitch. The footmarks created by the pacers could assist the spinners. The quicks will likely prefer operating from the Kirkstall Lane End, where there are plenty of cracks just outside the off stump." Former England captain Alastair Cook had an excellent explanation for it at the end of Day 4. Speaking on BBC's Test Match Special, Cook said that there could be two factors contributing to the dropped catches at Leeds, and both issues were Leeds-specific problems. PROBLEMS AT LEEDS The slope Dark patches in the stand Cook broke down the two issues, starting with the slope at Leeds. The former opener said that while he was unsure about this one, for young cricketers who have not played in England a lot, the slope could be a big factor making it difficult to concentrate. "So we've heard from a number of interviews at the end of the play, that this is a hard-catching ground. Ollie Pope mentioned it and five catches have gone down in the slip cordon. We're standing here, you can see the marks actually where the players make, so they're standing in the right place exactly where they are. And I think it's probably two possible reasons why," Alastair Cook said. "The first I'm not so sure about is actually the slope, where the players aren't used to the slope. The square behind just there is quite a long way above where we are, so whether that makes an impact on where you're catching it," he added. Cook was more sure about the second factor, where he said that the dark patches in the newly made stands at Leeds made it difficult for the slip fielders to spot the dark red Dukes ball when it was new. "I think the main reason for this ground in particular, if you look at the stands, there's a black line, a real dark black line, and if the ball goes into that, I think players miss it a little bit, so you miss picking up just that crucial bit and you panic. When you want to catch, you want firm, hard hands, but also a nice relaxed body. So if you're missing a little bit and you think 'where's the ball gone?' you panic and you get electric hands," Cook explained after Day 4's play. "You see a couple of the chances today have gone through by hitting the hands a little bit harder and earlier than they expected. It's the same actually at the other end here—there's another line in this new beautiful stand, just to see underneath the first layer. It hits there, players are really, really struggling with it. So we've seen chances go down, they've had a big impact on the game," concluded the former cricketer. "I did not want to create a scene," said Jasprit Bumrah at the end of Day 3's play in the 1st Test match between India and England. India had dropped three catches off Bumrah's bowling, which frustrated the bowler, but as per his own admission, he did not want to create a scene as no one wanted to drop catches purposefully. India's issues with catching did not stop there as they spilled three more chances in the field, taking the tally to 6 in total. The dropped chances gave Harry Brook valuable life, which he used to score 99 runs in England's first innings, helping the hosts to wipe off India's first innings score. The issue of butterfingers was not limited to just the visitors, as England dropped four chances in the field during India's second innings. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant were dropped just before reaching their respective centuries, momentarily sinking their morale on Day 4 of the match. An absolute blockbuster finish is on the cards, with everything still to play for. If the weather holds and we get a full 90 overs, England will need a daunting 350 runs to pull off a memorable chase, while India will be eyeing 10 wickets to seal a famous victory in Leeds. There's a forecast for scattered showers throughout the day, particularly during the morning. At the moment, it's overcast, with grey clouds blanketing the ground. The groundsmen have already brought out the hover cover and placed it over the pitch. Meanwhile, players are going through their respective warm-up and practice routines. There was a brief drizzle earlier in the day. We are just an hour away from the game. The covers have come as it is quite dark before the start of play. As a cricket fan you definitely do not want to see this. Courtesy: Sky Sports The covers are going on at Headingley 🌧️ — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 24, 2025 England have a 371-run target at their hands that they need to gun down in 90 overs. A target this big has never been chased down in the history of a 5-day Test match at the ground. The biggest ever chase at Headingley is 404, which came in a 6-day Test match between Australia and England, where Don Bradman's side chased down the 404-run target in the final day of the game. The highest ever chase in a 5-day Test stands at 359, once again in a Test match between England and Australia, which came courtesy of a sensational innings from Ben Stokes in 2019. Rain is set to play a massive role, as India and England set themselves for a thriller on the final day of the 1st Test match in Headingley. England, who need 350 runs to win on Day 5 of the opening Test with 10 wickets in hand, are expected to give the target a proper shot, much like they did against Australia in 2019. Leeds Weather Report The overall predictions at Leeds look quite gloomy throughout the day. There is an 84 per cent chance of rainfall on Tuesday, 24 June, which may play spoilsport in what is expected to be a thrilling final day. It is going to be another cold and windy day at Headingley, with gusts climbing up to speeds of 55 kmph. The sun will be playing hide and seek throughout the day, potentially making life tricky for the batters. Check out the full weather report here. Leeds Rain Chances While the 84 per cent rain probability does look gloomy, it might not be as bad as it looks. There is some rainfall predicted before the start of play, which might affect the run of the game. It is expected to clear out by 11 AM, but the weather is expected to remain cloudy. Another spell of rain is expected at around 2 PM local time, which might cut short the lunch session. It has been a fascinating Test match so far. The proceedings have been dominated by the batters in what has been a largely true batting wicket. The pitch has behaved according to the overhead conditions, with batting getting tricky when it has been overcast. On Day 5, England are chasing 350 runs, as they look to script a record target in a 5-day Test match. Stay tuned and follow our live blog as we give you the most engaging experience away from the television. Hello and welcome to India Today's coverage of the 1st Test match between India and England. I am Kingshuk Kusari and I will take you through the final day of the 1st Test match at Headingley.
