Tag: England

LONDON: Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj held on to his nerves and claimed a five-wicket haul to steer India to a thrilling six-run victory over England in the fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy here at The Oval on Monday.

Defending 374, India bundled England for 367, with Siraj taking 5-104, to level the five-match series 2-2. This was also India’s narrowest winning margin in a Test match.

After resuming on 339-6, England lost four wickets for 28 runs on the final morning of a thrilling series in overcast conditions.

Mohammed Siraj drew first blood, removing England wicketkeeper batter Jamie Smith, who was caught without adding to his score, as the home side were reduced to 347-7

Siraj struck again in his next over, removing Jamie Overton, who fell next, lbw for nine runs.

The interesting moment of the final day came when England’s last man, Chris Woakes, came into bat with his left arm strapped up owing to an injured shoulder.

The Three Lions still needed 17 more runs to secure victory when Chris Woakes came out to bat.

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Gus Atkinson, who starred with the ball for the home side, hit a six off Siraj before England got the target down to single figures.

The 25-day thrilling Test cricket series came to a wire with England requiring seven runs to win. However, Siraj bowled a beautiful delivery to Atkinson (17) and cleaned him up as the Oval crowd erupted in loud cheers.

India were without Jasprit Bumrah at the Oval after deciding to stand by a decision to only play the world’s top-ranked Test bowler in three games of this five-match series — a figure the fast bowler reached during last week’s drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford.

Siraj, who was the only pacer to feature throughout, ended the series as the highest wicket-taker with 23 wickets at 32.43.

For England, Harry Brook top-scored with 111 of just 98 balls, striking two maximums and 14 fours.

For India, Mohammed Siraj took five wickets, whereas Prasidh Krishna scalped four wickets.

The India-England series ended in a draw with both teams finishing at 2-2 after this emphatic victory.

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LONDON: England ace batter Joe Root etched his name into the record books on Sunday during the final Test against India at The Oval, surpassing Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara.

The right-handed batter who scored his 38th Test century arrived at the crease when England were 82-2 on day five morning.

The Three Lions lost their well-set opener Ben Duckett, who made 54 off 83 balls with the help of six fours.

With England needing a daunting 292 to win in a record chase, Joe Root began cautiously and kept scoring runs to help his team get out of trouble.

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In doing so, he scored his 39th Test century, surpassing Kumar Sangakkara’s tally of 38 tons in the longest form of the game.

Most Test Centuries

1. Sachin Tendulkar – 51 in 200 matches

2. Jacques Kallis – 45 in 166 matches

3. Ricky Ponting – 41 in 167 matches

4. Joe Root – 39* in 159 matches

5. Kumar Sangakkar 38 in 134 matches

Additionally, he became the first-ever player to score over 6,000 runs in the World Test Championship (WTC).

Currently, the ace batter is leading the runs chart in WTC at an outstanding average of 52, followed by Australia’s Steve Smith with 4,278 runs in 55 games in the Championship cycle.

The third on the list is also Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne, who has accumulated 4,225 runs in 53 Tests.

Most runs in World Test Championship:

1. Joe Root 6076* runs in 69* matches

2.  Steve Smith 4278 runs in 55 matches

3. Marnus Labuschagne 4225 runs in 53 matches

4. Ben Stokes 3616 runs in 57 matches

5. Travis Head  3300 runs in 52 matches

At the time of filing this story, England were cruising at 325, with 49 more runs needed to win the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy.

Joe Root was on 101* from 135 balls, whereas Jacob Bethell remained unbeaten on one from 22 balls.

READ: WATCH: Mohammed Siraj’s dropped catch helps Harry Brook reach century

LONDON: India pacer Mohammed Siraj dropped a sitter of England ace batter Harry Brook on the fourth day of the fifth Test here at The Oval on Sunday.

Siraj dropped an easy catch off Prasidh Krishna’s bowling on the boundary when Brook was batting on 19.

Harry Brook, who pulled a well-directed short ball from Prasidh, went to fine leg, where Siraj was outstanding; however, the pacer could not manage to catch the ball, which romped over the line for six runs.

The Indian team fielders were left amused after seeing Mohammed Siraj drop an easy catch on the boundary line.

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The reprieve not only gave a life to Harry Brook but also gifted him six runs, and he went on to take Krishna for 16 runs from the over.

Following the dropped chance, the pair of Brook added 180 runs on the fourth wicket to keep the Indian bowlers at bay.

At the time of filing this story, England were 285-3 with only 89 required to win. Harry Brook remained unbeaten on 100*, whereas Joe Root was standing on 78* at the crease.

Brook scored his 10th and second Test hundred against India in only his 30th match.

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Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has heaped praise on pacer Mohammed Siraj for his standout performance in the ongoing fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval.

Siraj was instrumental in India bundling out England for 247 in their first innings on Day 2, finishing with figures of 4 for 86.

Following the second day’s play, Chopra highlighted Siraj’s ability to lead the attack in the absence of senior partner Jasprit Bumrah.

“Siraj might go for a few runs, but he sticks to his plan of bowling longer spells, and that’s the key to his success in taking wickets,” Chopra said in a YouTube video.

The former opener highlighted an interesting statistic: Mohammed Siraj averages 35.00 when playing alongside Bumrah, but that number significantly drops to 25.59 when he leads the attack without Bumrah.

“He raises his game when Bumrah isn’t there. The start wasn’t good; they were getting hit. When we were playing, it seemed like a green top and batting looked very difficult, but when they came, it seemed like it had become a road.

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“They were hitting at seven to eight runs per over. That was dangerous,” Chopra explained.

“He raises his game when Bumrah isn’t there. The start wasn’t great; they were getting hit,” Chopra remarked.

“It looked like a green top when we were batting, but when England came in, it looked like a road. They were scoring at seven to eight runs per over; that was dangerous.”

While acknowledging that Mohammed Siraj isn’t flawless, Chopra stressed that effort has never been in question.

“He might not always bowl perfectly, sometimes straying down the leg side or conceding runs at a higher economy rate,” he added.

“These things can happen to anyone. But have you ever seen him bowl at 70 percent? Has there ever been a time when Siraj didn’t give his absolute best?”

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Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj took four wickets each as India fought back in the fifth and deciding Test against England at the Oval on Friday.

England were 129-1 in reply to India’s 224 all out as they threatened to build a substantial first-innings lead.

But they were eventually dismissed for 247, just 23 runs ahead.

The recalled Krishna had figures of 4-62 in 16 overs and fellow paceman Siraj 4-86 in 16.2 in a match India must win to end one of the most enthralling series in England since the 2005 Ashes, level at 2-2.

India were 75-2 in their second innings, a lead of 52 runs, when bad light ended play on the second day, with England a bowler down in the absence of the injured Chris Woakes.

Yashasvi Jaiswal was 51 not out after being dropped twice.

The left-handed opener was reprieved on 20 when Harry Brook floored a tough catch at second slip following a loose drive off Gus Atkinson.

And he was missed again on 40 when Liam Dawson failed to sight a catch in the deep and was hit in the face.

Jaiswal cashed in with a 44-ball fifty completed when he guided Jamie Overton over the slips for six.

India opener KL Rahul was caught by first slip Joe Root off Josh Tongue before Sai Sudharsan, dropped on seven, was lbw to Atkinson for 11.

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Earlier, Crawley and Ben Duckett shared a blistering first-wicket stand of 92 in just 13 overs after Atkinson marked his return to Test cricket with a five-wicket haul.

Both openers fell either side of lunch; however, before stand-in England captain Ollie Pope, leading the side in place of the injured Ben Stokes, was lbw to Siraj for 22.

Crawley and Duckett dominated India’s attack, with left-hander Duckett telling Akash Deep, “you can’t get me out”.

Deep, however, had Duckett caught behind for 43 off an attempted scoop, then put his arm around the unimpressed batter’s shoulder and appeared to say a few words as he walked off.

This incident followed India captain Shubman Gill’s accusation that England had ignored the “spirit of cricket” by time-wasting during the third Test at Lord’s.

England were then angered by India’s decision to bat on in the fourth Test at Old Trafford rather than agree a draw as soon as possible.

After Duckett’s exit, Crawley holed out off a miscued pull against Krishna for 64, with 56 of those runs coming in boundaries.

The usually mild-mannered Root, second in the all-time list of Test match run scorers, found himself exchanging words with Krishna before the umpires intervened, and was lbw to Siraj for 29.

Jamie Smith’s edged drive off Krishna was well caught by Rahul at second slip, and four balls later, Overton was lbw for a duck.

Brook struck an extraordinary ‘falling’ sweep for six off Siraj during a 57-ball fifty.

But Siraj bowled him for 53, with Brook the last man out as Woakes was unable to bat.

England paceman Woakes was effectively ruled out of the rest of the match before play on Friday after suffering a shoulder injury when diving in an attempt to prevent a boundary on Thursday.

But Atkinson responded with a superb return of 5-33 in 21.4 in an innings where he also ran out the in-form Gill.

The 27-year-old’s fourth five-wicket haul in just 13 Tests was all the more creditable as this was Atkinson’s first senior match since being sidelined with hamstring trouble following a one-off Test against Zimbabwe in May.

India, who resumed on 204-6, lost their last four wickets for just 20 more runs in 5.4 overs on Friday.

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LONDON: India and England players paid a heartwarming tribute to the late English player Graham Thorpe on day two of the fifth Test at the Oval on Friday.

Thorpe, who represented England in 100 Tests and 82 ODIs, took his own life on August 4, 2024, after a recurring struggle with anxiety and depression.

Graham Thorpe amassed over 6,700 Test runs for England and almost 22,000 across all first-class cricket.

Consequently, day two of the final India Test is celebrated as ‘Day for Thorpey’.

 

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In a heartfelt tribute to the late Graham Thorpe, headbands were sold to raise money for mental health charity Mind. The tribute was presented at a venue which he called home while playing for Surrey from 1988 to 2005.

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The England players wore headbands in his memory, as he famously wore one during his career.

India is batting in its second essay and is leading by 32 runs with Sai Sudharsan and Yashaswi Jaiswal on the crease.

Earlier, India bundled out England for 247-9 runs with Harry Brook top scoring with 53 off 64 balls. Chris Woakes was unable to bat due to a shoulder injury sustained on the opening day, which ruled him out of the rest of the match.

For India, Mohammad Siraj and Prasidh Krishna took four wickets each on a pitch favourable for seam bowlers.

England lost their way in pursuit of India’s first innings total of 224 runs despite having a solid opening partnership of 92 runs.

Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett added 92 runs for the first wicket in just 12.5 overs. With this stand, the opening pair surpassed Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss to record the most runs as a pair against India.

However, Akash Deep ended the brisk opening stand with Ben Duckett, who fell after making 42 off 38 balls with the aid of two maximums and five fours.

Following the wicket, India sensed an opening and struck at regular intervals to put breaks on England’s charge, eventually the home side finishing 29 runs ahead of India’s total.

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LONDON: England’s opening pair Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley created history on Friday after setting a new opening record here at the Oval in the fifth Test of the series against India.

The opening pair provided England a belligerent start after bundling out the visitors for a modest 224-run total.

Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett added 92 runs for the first wicket in just 12.5 overs. With this stand, the opening pair surpassed Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss to record the most runs as a pair against India.

Cook and Strauss have opened for England for six years from 2006 to 2012, amassing an overall of 4711 runs in 117 innings. England’s most successful opening pair notched up 12 century stands and 18 half-centuries in that period at an impressive average of 40.96

Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett have so far amassed 984 runs as an opening pair in 18 innings, whereas Cook and Strauss had scored 932 runs in 20 innings against India.

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Additionally, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett levelled with the former West Indies opening pair of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes for most half-century stands against India in Test cricket.

The duo have stitched together eight 50-plus opening stands against India.

Meanwhile, Akash Deep ended the brisk opening stand with Ben Duckett, who fell after making 42 off 38 balls with the aid of two maximums and five fours.

In a short time, Zak Crawley was also removed, making 64 off 57 balls, reducing the home side to 129-2 in pursuit of India’s first innings total.

It is pertinent to note that India is trailing 2-1 in the series and needs a win to level the series, whereas a draw will hand the England Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

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LONDON: England key pacer Chris Woakes has been ruled out of the fifth Test against India after suffering a shoulder dislocation during the opening day of the match at the Oval.

The 36-year-old injured himself in an attempt to stop a boundary on Thursday, resulting in an awkward landing. After his attempt, he looked in utter discomfort and left the field.

Chris Woakes’ injury was assessed overnight and before the start of play on day two. After his assessment, England confirmed that he will not feature in the remainder of the Test match.

The injury has further put the England team in deep trouble after they decided to put a fresh bowling attack in a bid to win the series.

The inexperienced attack comprising Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, and Jamie Overton was led by Chris Woakes in the final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy.

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However, Gus Atkinson stood up with a five-wicket haul, helping England bundle out India for a modest 224-run total.

Karun Nair top-scored for India with 57 off 109 balls, ending a 3149-day wait for his half-century in the format after scoring a mammoth triple century against the same team.

For England, Gus Atkinson starred with the ball, bowling a fiery spell, taking five wickets for just 33 runs in 21.4 overs.

At the time of filing this story, England were 109-1 in only 16 overs at Lunch, with Zak Crawley (52) and captain Ollie Pope (12) unbeaten on the crease.

Earlier, England’s openers forged a belligerent opening stand, scoring 92 runs in only 12.5 overs. Ben Duckett remained the core aggressor, who made 43 from 38 balls with the aid of two sixes and five fours.

For India, Akash Deep picked up one wicket in seven overs and gave away 46 runs.

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Ben Stokes is preparing himself for an “emotional” tribute to Graham Thorpe when the late former England batter is honoured during this week’s fifth and deciding Test against India at the Oval.

Thorpe took his own life on August 4, 2024, having battled depression and anxiety for several years, with police confirming he had died following an incident on a railway line near his home.

The left-handed batsman, who spent his entire professional career in south London with Oval-based Surrey, scored 6,744 Test runs at an average of 44.66 in 100 matches from 1993 to 2005.

He later held various coaching positions, including a role as England’s batting chief, where he worked with current players such as Test captain Stokes and Joe Root.

A Day for Thorpey will be held on Friday, August 1, in support of mental health charity Mind on what would have been his 56th birthday.

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“Thorpey’s been a very influential character as a player and a coach in English cricket,” Stokes told reporters at the Oval on Wednesday.

“A few of us in that dressing room spent a lot of time with him coming through the ranks and, as we got into the main (England) team, Thorpey spent a lot of years around us.”

The all-rounder, who will miss the Oval finale because of a shoulder injury, added: “It’s going to be a special day for all English fans, a special day for his family to see how much he meant to English cricket and how much he means to the current England dressing room.”

Coroner Jonathan Stevens recorded an official verdict of suicide at an inquest last week but said there had been “shortcomings in the care” provided to the retired cricketer in his final months.

The fifth Test at the Oval starts on Thursday, with England 2-1 up in the series.

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India captain Shubman Gill has thrown his support behind head coach Gautam Gambhir following a heated exchange with the Oval pitch head groundsman ahead of the fourth Test against England.

A day earlier, India’s head coach Gambhir was involved in a verbal spat with the pitch curator Lee Fortis. The curator raised concerns about the heavy footmarks and the training equipment on the main pitch.

In doing so, he suggested that the Indian team should view the pitch from 2.5 meters away from the strip. As a result, Gautam Gambhir was seen pointing his finger at Fortis.

“You don’t tell us what we need to do. You don’t tell us what we need to do, okay. You don’t need to tell us. You don’t tell any of my squad what we need to do.

You have no right to tell us. You’re just a groundsman; you stay in your capacity. You are just a groundsman, nothing beyond. You are just a groundsman,” Gautam Gambhir had said to Lee Fortis.

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Now, Shubman Gill has commented on the incident, who was not present at the venue during the incident

“What happened yesterday, I thought was just absolutely unnecessary,” Gill said in the pre-match press conference.

He backed Gautam Gambhir, noting that the coach has every right to look at the pitch.

“It’s not the first time that we were having a look at the wicket, we have been there for almost two months.

A coach has every right to be able to go close quarters and have a look at the wicket and I didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. I actually don’t know why the curator would not allow us to go have a look at the wicket,” he added.

Shubman Gill said they had never received any instructions during a pitch inspection under certain circumstances.

“As long as I remember, we had never got any instructions. As long as you are wearing rubber spikes or [are] barefoot you can see the wicket from near,” he said.

“We have played four matches already in this series, and nobody stopped us from watching the pitch. All of us have played so much cricket, we have gone to the pitches so many times, including the coaches and captain, I don’t know what the fuss was about,” Shubman Gill concluded.

For the unversed, India is trailing 2-1 in the five-match series against England, despite producing a memorable performance in the fourth Test in Manchester, which secured a draw.

The visitors will be eyeing a win in the final Test at the Oval, which is set to begin tomorrow, to level the series.

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