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Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Times
Immense Ben Stokes inspires nailbiting win over India
The end, when it finally came, happened almost in slow motion. In a match where fast bowling had prevailed, amid plenty of blood and thunder from both sides, Shoaib Bashir floated one up gently towards Mohammed Siraj, who defended on the back foot, and then watched, transfixed, as the ball spun back from the turf with just enough pace to knock one bail from its perch. Left hand heavily strapped, to protect the broken finger on his non-bowling hand from taking more damage, Bashir took off in celebration. He was ruled out of the remainder of the series immediately after the match, so this will be his last contribution of the series, an important one for sure, given how determined India were, with the canny Ravindra Jadeja leading the way, to take the match down to the wire. Bashir had been on the field only sporadically and could have expected to play no further part once four wickets had tumbled in the morning, to leave India eight down at lunch, and the match, to all intents and purposes, over. But India have cricketers of character and fight, and Ben Stokes was forced to call upon Bashir after tea, with the clock showing almost 5pm, to take the innings towards the second new ball, with one wicket still needed for victory. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Six years ago to the day Lord's had witnessed the most remarkable finish to any cricket match, when the World Cup final was decided on a boundary countback after a Super Over. Now the game delivered an extraordinary finish again, with two of the protagonists from that day, Stokes and Jofra Archer, taking centre stage. In the context of Test cricket, it doesn't often get as tight as a 22-run winning margin. Stokes had to dig deep into his reserves, on a day when he put the worries about his ageing body to one side and peeled off two mighty spells, one of nine overs in the morning and one of ten overs in the afternoon. He took the key wicket of KL Rahul, but kept pounding in after that, as India's resistance grew to the point where victory looked not quite so implausible as it had done in the morning. Inevitably, it was Stokes who broke that resistance by dismissing Jasprit Bumrah as well. Stokes's was an immense contribution in this match, with bat, ball and in the field, as player and leader. He made vital runs in both innings, took key wickets and, not least, effected the critical run-out of Rishabh Pant in the first innings, when India were cruising towards a first-innings lead. He looked out on his feet at the end and will enjoy the lengthy break now before the Old Trafford Test. What a cricketer and captain he is. Archer enjoyed a successful return. He dismissed the dangerous Yashasvi Jaiswal in both innings, but his biggest impact came on the final morning, when Stokes threw him the ball at the start of play and he delivered two big wickets: Pant, first of all, and then Washington Sundar. The dangerous wicketkeeper was the batsman England wanted most of all, and Archer, so good against left-handers, uprooted Pant's off stump 15 minutes into play. But let us not forget India's champion all-rounder, Jadeja, who fought a lone hand on the final day — in terms of run-making — batting for more than four hours to make an unbeaten 61, as he edged his team towards the winning line. He found great support from Bumrah, who batted for 108 minutes and 54 balls in making five runs (52 dot balls among them), and Siraj, who, until he played on to Bashir, had defended stoutly for a little over an hour. What a competitor Jadeja showed himself to be. Stokes admitted that it was the memory of the World Cup final, and the dawning of the six-year anniversary of it, that persuaded him to give Archer the ball at the start of the day from the Pavilion End. This was no straightforward decision, because Brydon Carse had brought England back into the match the evening before from that end, with the wickets of Karun Nair and Shubman Gill. Archer, himself, had bowled his worst spell of the game in that evening session, but Stokes went with his gut and how it paid off. Pant, so dangerous in these situations, charged at Archer once and unveiled a one-handed swipe for four, but two balls later, after a tentative forward push, had his off stump flattened. Archer offered some choice words as Pant walked off, then flung himself to his right to take a supremely athletic return catch off Sundar. In a match where there was plenty of spice and niggle, tempers flared as Carse and Jadeja collided mid-pitch, although the impact was entirely accidental, after Jadeja had deflected the ball towards third man, with both players ball-watching rather than minding each other's path. In this game, though, it has not taken much kindling to spark the flames and Stokes, if you please, moved in as peace-maker, standing between both players, as they exchanged pleasantries. England's morning was made complete when Stokes won a leg-before decision on review over Rahul and when Chris Woakes found the edge of Nitish Reddy's bat on the stroke of lunch. Reddy had looked secure and settled, as the ball softened and the pitch died, but England went through the Long Room pleased with themselves, the match — surely? — settled, with India 112 for eight and still 81 runs away from their target. The crowd sat rapt, despite the slow run rate. At one point, in the morning, there were 80 balls between boundaries; in the second session there came a gap of 109 balls. In the afternoon, one wicket fell in 31 overs, and only 51 runs were scored. The tension, though, was palpable. Occasionally, spectators were set free from biting their nails: England won a leg-before against Jadeja, 26, overturned on review, after which he hammered the next ball into the stand for six. India's supporters were delirious for a moment. Bumrah, who had played such an important hand with the bat here in India's famous win in 2021, defended as if his life depended on it and it was only when Stokes turned to a short-pitched ploy, that his composure deserted him. Finally, in the 62nd over, he spooned a short ball from Stokes to mid-on, where Sam Cook, on for Bashir, took a backpedalling catch. Siraj, short of pocket money, having been fined 15 per cent of his match fee overnight, looked determined to win back some of it in prize money, until playing on to Bashir. Siraj had been fined and slapped with a demerit point for an overreaction to Ben Duckett's wicket the day before. Forgive me for degrading the report of a great match with this nonsense, but wouldn't spectators rather see players caring too much, rather than too little about playing Test cricket; caring too much, rather than too little, about playing for their country? No one, of course, wants to see physical altercations on the field of play, or sustained nasty verbal abuse. There should be no place, for example, for the shoulder barge that Virat Kohli initiated in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne last Christmas, when he diverted from his path to deliberately walk into Sam Konstas. But there was none of that here, just two teams full of passionate intensity, commitment and skill. What a Test match they gave us.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
West Indies pacemen reduce Australia to 99-6 in third test, an overall lead of 181
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Cameron Green produced a defiant innings as Australia struggled to 99-6 for an overall lead of 181 in the face of hostile fast bowling from the West Indies under lights Sunday on Day 2 of the third cricket test. Green was 42 not out at stumps and with captain Pat Cummins (5) managed to arrest the slide of the Australian second innings in difficult night conditions at Sabina Park. Advertisement The pace bowlers dominated all three sessions Sunday with 15 wickets fell across both teams. Australia's all-pace attack had earlier given the visitors the upper hand when it dismissed the West Indies for 143 in the late afternoon to take an 82-run first-innings lead. When the lights were turned on, Australia faced a tough contest with the swinging pink ball and especially initimidating bowling from Alzarri Joseph (3-19) and Shamar Joseph (2-26) as it tried to build its advantage. Australia lost Sam Konstas to a five-ball duck in the second over from Shamar Joseph which set in motion the decline of its second innings. The 19-year-old Konstas has had a disappointing series, tallying 50 runs in six innings. Advertisement Usman Khawaja (14) and Steve Smith (5) both were bowled in conditions which again encouraged the pace bowlers. Alzarri Joseph took two wickets in the 21st over as Australia slumped to 69-6. Beau Webster hit a boundary from the first ball he faced, promising to match fire with fire, but was out for 13, bowled by Alzarri Joseph. Alex Carey was stuck on the helmet on the next delivery and was out to the same bowler two balls later. 'We wanted seven wickets. We got six wickets,' Shamar Joseph said. 'So I'm actually pleased with that performance. 'The West Indies have a great legacy of fast bowlers. Our young generation just want to continue it and do our best. I actually think anything (target) under 200, to 200 we definitely could chase that.' Advertisement Scott Boland took 3-34 and Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins snared two wickes apiece as the West Indies were dismissed in just over 52 overs in their first innings. The last West Indies wicket fell just before the dinner break, by which time 20 wickets had fallen in five sessions. John Campbell and Shai Campbell provided some resistance as the West Indies made painstaking progress against the Australia pacers after resuming Sunday at 16-1. The West Indies took honors on the first day, bowling out Australia for 225, then negotiating the final 40 minutes before stumps in the face of aggressive bowling in difficult conditions under the floodlights. The Australian bowlers maintained good line and length in the first session on Day 2, making scoring difficult and bringing the stumps and lbw into play. The West Indies added only 57 runs in 23 overs before the first interval for the loss of Brandon King (14) and Roston Chase (18). Advertisement The West Indies lost seven wickets for 70 runs in the second session as Australia asserted control. Campbell produced an eventful and patient 36 in 97 minutes. He was lucky not to be run out at 15 when he jabbed a ball to mid-on and set off for a quick single. Cummins' under-arm throw hit the stumps on the full and it seemed Campbell's bat might have bounced at the same time. But the umpires chose to review, ruling the Australians had not appealed. Cummins challenged the decision without success. Campbell eventually was out lbw to Boland, not offering a shot to a ball which seamed back more than he expected. Advertisement Hope also had a second chance when he was dropped by wicketkeeper Alex Carey off Boland when he was 21. The reprieve was shot-lived and he was bowled by Boland two balls later without adding to his score. Carey earlier dropped Justin Greaves off Mitchell Starc but neither error was costly. When Hope was out the rest of the West Indies wickets tumbled quickly, the last five falling for 19 runs. Australia's bowlers have dominated the series after winning the first two tests — by 159 runs in Barbados then by 133 runs in Grenada — to secure the Frank Worrell Trophy. ___ AP cricket: The Associated Press
The Australian
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
West Indies v Australia, third Test, live coverage: Hazlewood strikes early
Kept to a sub-par first innings total, Australia turns to its fast-bowling battery on day two as it looks to wrestle back control of the third Test against the West Indies. Resuming the day one down, the West Indies were reduced to 2-28 in reply to Australia's first innings total of 225 when Josh Hazlewood trapped Brandon King (14) in front. Mitchell Starc struck late on day one in his 100th Test, bowling Kevlon Anderson off the inside-edge to raise his tally of Test wickets to 396. Follow the action in our live blog below, with the first ball from 4.30am.
The Australian
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Australia v West Indies, 3rd Test: Mitchell Starc brings up 100 Tests in day-night clash
Pakistan fast bowling legend Wasim Akram hailed Australia's Mitchell Starc as a 'modern-day great' for reaching 100 Test appearances. Starc, who has often drawn comparisons with fellow left-arm quick Akram, will reach the milestone when the third Test against the West Indies begins in Jamaica. The 35-year-old becomes the 83rd player and 16th Australian to play 100 Tests, and only the second Australian fast bowler after Glenn McGrath. Meanwhile, Australia has considered leaving spinner Nathan Lyon out of the XI for the day-night Test, with a final decision on the XI to come closer to the toss.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Sport
- Arab News
Wasim Akram hails ‘modern-day great' Starc on 100-Test milestone
KARACHI: Pakistan fast bowling legend Wasim Akram on Saturday hailed Australia's Mitchell Starc as a 'modern-day great' for reaching 100 Test appearances. Starc, who draws comparisons with fellow left-arm quick Akram, will reach the milestone later Saturday when the third Test against the West Indies begins in Jamaica. 'It is a big deal in this day and age to reach 100 Tests, congratulations to Starc,' Akram told AFP. 'That shows the quality and resolve of the man.' The 35-year-old becomes the 83rd player and 16th Australian to play 100 Tests, and only the second Australian fast bowler after Glenn McGrath. 'To play 100 Tests shows how consistent Starc has been and also shows where his priorities lie — that is to play red-ball cricket,' said Akram. 'He has also played Twenty20 and league cricket but his career in Test cricket is way ahead and to me he is a modern-day great.' Starc stands on 395 Test wickets, so has the tantalising prospect of taking his landmark 400th wicket during his 100th Test. His strike rate is remarkably similar to Akram, who retired in 2002 after taking 414 wickets in 104 Tests. Both players, said Akram, had suffered injuries to 'every joint, every part of the body' during their careers. 'People often compare us but we have played in different eras,' said Akram. 'He's got the pace, he's got the swing and he's bowling very intelligently to the new batsman, especially with the new ball.'
