Tag: England

Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has shared his thoughts after India’s narrow defeat against England in the third Test of the five-match series.

India were just 22 runs away from a memorable victory against England at the home of cricket in the third Test with Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja battling the England bowlers on day five.

However, injured off-spinner Shoaib Bashir shattered Indian dreams of securing a victory as his ball rolled back onto the stumps despite Mohammed Siraj middling the ball.

Now, Mohammed Siraj has shared insights into the dismissal on the eve of the fourth Test with the series on the line for India.

“I had taken the final wicket in 2021 as well. I am a very emotional person; it could have been 2-1. Jaddu bhai fought very hard. But then I said to myself that the series is not over, and I will work on my batting,” he said in the pre-match press conference.

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“We kept working hard on our batting since Australia. The 22-run loss was heartbreaking,” Siraj added.

The heartbroken pacer revealed that he was feeling confident and did not think of getting out.

“To middle the ball and still get bowled, the way we were batting together, I was feeling confident and thought I will not get out today. But it was unlucky and it was heartbreaking because the result could have been entirely different,” he explained.

With the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy on the line for India, the visitors are eager to get a much-needed victory at Old Trafford in Manchester.

Mohammed Siraj mentioned the heated exchanges with England players, noting that they were for diverting the players.

“There are no plans regarding this. When you are bowling, you are in another zone; your focus is on taking wickets, so you don’t know what you say. You want to divert the batter — like when I asked Root, ‘Where is the Bazball?” Mohammed Siraj concluded.

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Team India have been dealt a double blow ahead of the fourth Test against England, as all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remainder of the series, while left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh is unavailable for the upcoming match.

The The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that 22-year-old Reddy, who suffered a knee injury, will return home for further medical evaluation and treatment

The young all-rounder featured in the playing XI for the second and third Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s.

Meanwhile, Arshdeep sustained a thumb injury while bowling in the nets during a training session in Beckenham. His condition is being monitored by the BCCI medical team.

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The BCCI has drafted pacer Anshul Kamboj, who recently impressed on the India A tour of England, into the senior squad in Manchester as cover.

India are trailing 2-1 in the five-match series after a 22-run defeat at Lord’s last week.

Chasing 193, the visitors were bowled out for 170 despite a gritty half-century from Ravindra Jadeja.

The fourth Test between India and England is set to kick off on July 23 at Old Trafford, Manchester.

India’s updated squad for the fourth Test: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant (Vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj.

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SINGAPORE: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday announced that England will host the upcoming editions of the World Test Championship (WTC) final until 2031. 

The WTC decision was taken during the ICC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Singapore where several key resolutions were taken.

The decision to hand over the hosting rights to England was made in light of the successful hosting of previous editions of the WTC finals. England has previously hosted the inaugural 2021 edition, as well as the 2023 and 2025 editions.

For the unversed, South Africa is the current holder of the ICC WTC title, having defeated the defending champions Australia in the final held at the iconic Lord’s in the previous month.

WTC final venues and winners so far:

1) New Zealand, 2021 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton

2) Australia, 2023 at The Oval, London

3) South Africa, 2025 at Lord’s, London

The ICC has also made a decision regarding Afghanistan’s women’s cricket. To support displaced women cricketers of Afghan descent, the ICC is providing valuable engagement opportunities at various events.

This includes the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, the T20 World Cup in England next year, and access to high-performance programs and domestic playing opportunities.

The initiative is being advanced through a collaborative effort led by the ICC under the supervision of Deputy Chair Mr Imran Khwaja, in collaboration with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and Cricket Australia (CA).

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Apart from that, the ICC also announced the global winners of the 2024 ICC Development Awards during its annual AGM meeting.

The initiative, launched in 2002, celebrates the innovation and growth of the sport worldwide. Bhutan, Indonesia, Namibia, Nepal, Scotland, Tanzania, the USA, and Vanuatu are the eight Members receiving top honours.

At the annual meeting, the ICC also welcomed two new Members, with the Timor Leste Cricket Federation and the Zambia Cricket Union being included as Associate Members, bringing the ICC’s total membership to 110.

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Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has provided a major update on the inclusion of ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the India playing XI for the fourth Test against England, set to commence on 23 July at Old Trafford.

Before the start of the five-match Test series against England, the Indian team management outlined a workload management plan for Jasprit Bumrah, allowing him to feature in only three of the five Test matches.

The precautionary major of including Bumrah in the India Playing XI was taken in light of his back surgery after the Border-Gavaskar series.

Due to ace pacer’s fitness concerns, the Indian team management decided to play him in the opening and third Test against England. The right-arm pacer has been phenomenal for India, taking 12 scalps in four innings in the series so far.

Now, Ten Doeschate has hinted at Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion in the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford with the series on the line.

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“No, we’ll make that call [on Jasprit Bumrah] in Manchester still,” he said after the squad’s one-off training session in Beckenham.

“We know we have got him for one of the last two Tests. It’s pretty obvious that the series on the line now in Manchester so there will be a leaning towards playing him,” he added.

Ryan Ten Doeschate emphasized the selection call and India’s winning chance in the fourth Test.

“But again, we have got to look at all the factors: how many days of cricket are we going to get up there, what do we feel is our best chance of winning that game, and then how that fits in together with The Oval. And looking at the last two games holistically as part of the series,” the Assistant coach concluded.

Adding to India’s bowling woes ahead of the fourth Test, the visitors suffered an injury scare in the shape of Arshdeep Singh.

The left-arm pacer, who is yet to play in the Test series, sustained a cut on one of his fingers on the bowling hand while intercepting the ball in his follow-through during training.

For the unversed, England are 2-1 in the newly renamed Anderson-Tendulkar trophy after winning a thriller at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

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Batting maestro Joe Root has hailed England captain Ben Stokes for putting his body on the line against India in the third Test, eventually resulting in a thrilling 22-run victory at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

The three-lions captain Stokes stood tall with his all-round performance, which helped his team in securing a 2-1 lead over the visitors at the home of cricket.

Ben Stokes’ remarkable resilience and leadership were on full display during the fifth day of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy third Test.

The all-rounder bowled the most number of overs, 44 in the match, including a tireless spell of 9.2 overs on the final day’s morning and another 10 overs late in the day to help England seal a memorable win.

Overall, Ben Stokes took five wickets along with 77 runs with the willow and a match-turning run-out of Rishabh Pant in India’s first essay.

Now, Joe Root, who captained England before Stokes, lauded him and revealed some interesting insights behind his work ethic.

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“He doesn’t always listen to me. He didn’t listen to me when I was captain, Root revealed.

“But, no, he knows what he’s doing and he’s got a good handle on where he’s at physically. It was an incredible effort,” he said while praising Stokes.

Joe Root called the skipper the man of the moment and a change-maker who makes things happen.

“He’s just desperate to be the man and make things happen. Incredible effort to be able to do that,” Root added.

The top-order batter stated that he was nervous due to Stokes’ bowling effort and called it an excellent sign for the England team.

“I was just panicking that he wasn’t going to make it through the game after a couple of bad injuries, but he clearly trusts his body now. It’s a great sign for us moving forward. I mean it really is isn’t it, because that’s back to his best,” he concluded.

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The England men’s cricket team have been penalised for a slow over-rate during the third Test against India at Lord’s, with the ICC confirming a deduction of two World Test Championship (WTC) points and a 10 percent fine on match fees.

England held on to their nerves on the final day and registered a 22-run victory over India after setting a target of 193 runs. Earlier, both teams posted identical scores in their first innings.

However, after the victory, the home side was found to be two overs short after time allowances were considered.

According to WTC regulations, teams are penalised one point for every over they fall behind the required rate, as outlined in Article 16.11.2 of the championship’s playing conditions.

With the two-point penalty, England’s tally dropped from 24 to 22, causing their points percentage to fall from 66.67% to 61.11%.

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The slip has also pushed England from second to third in the WTC table followed by India at fourth. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka climbed into the second spot.

In addition to the points cut, England were fined 10 percent of their match fees under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which outlines financial penalties for slow over-rates, five percent per over short.

Captain Ben Stokes accepted the sanction without contest, avoiding a formal hearing.

The penalties were imposed by match referee Richie Richardson, following charges levelled by on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, third umpire Ahsan Raza, and fourth umpire Graham Lloyd.

It’s worth noting that England are leading the five-match series 2-1.

The fourth Test between India and England will commence at Old Trafford on 23 July. The series will conclude with the fifth Test at The Oval, scheduled from 31 July to 4 August.

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LONDON: In a major blow to England, off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has been ruled out of the remainder of the India series.

Shoaib Bashir, who took India’s last wicket in a memorable win for England at Lord’s, took a blow to his left little finger during the 78th over of the visitors’ first innings.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that the 22-year-old will not feature in the forthcoming two Test matches.

“England spinner Shoaib Bashir has sustained a fracture to his left finger and has been ruled out of the remainder of the Rothesay Test series against India,” the board said.

 

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“He is scheduled to undergo surgery later this week,” it added. England will name their squad for the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford in the next couple of days.”

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Following the injury,  the 21-year-old off-spinner spent much of the match off the field with a fracture to his little left finger — on his non-bowling hand.

With a thrilling victory against India, England led the five-match series 2-1; however, Shoaib Bashir’s absence will necessitate the call-up of a new specialist for the fourth Test at Old Trafford, set to commence on 23 July.

The likes of experienced Liam Dawson and Jack Leach are vying to fill the gap left by Bashir’s absence.

Moreover, Bashir’s place in the team has been called into question recently, with his 10 wickets in three Tests against India this series coming at an expensive average of over 54.

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LONDON: England captain Ben Stokes shared his thoughts after his side’s narrow victory over India in the third Test of a five-match series here at Lord’s Cricket Ground on Monday.

England secured a narrow 22-run victory over India to go 2-1 up in the series as visitors failed to chase a 193-run target despite valiant contributions from the lower order.

Ben Stokes, who was also named as the Player of the Match for his all-round contributions, hailed off-spinner Shoaib Bashir. The right-arm spinner took the last wicket with a broken finger to seal a memorable win for the home team.

“I’ve taken myself to some pretty dark places, but if bowling your country to a Test match win doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what does. Bashir, it was written in the stars to take that last wicket. An absolute warrior,” he remarked.

The English captain expected something special from Jofra Archer, who made his return to the red ball side after four years.

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“Yeah, part of the reason I went with Jof [Jofra Archer] this morning, six years ago now to the day. He played a major role, and I had a feeling he’d do something special and crack the game open.

“A bit of discussion, Brydon had an amazing spell, but I had a gut feeling that Jof’s going to do something in his first game back. Every time he’s announced on the tannoy, the ground erupts, and when the speeds go up on the screen, the feeling changes,” he added.

Stokes, who underwent hamstring surgery in 2024 during New Zealand’s tour, revealed what it took to put his body on the line during the Test match.

“With what was on the line… I was cooked yesterday, but the game was on the line, nothing was stopping me. I’m an allrounder, I get four opportunities to influence the game, and if one thing doesn’t click… I’d like to score more runs, but you don’t have a chance to worry about anything,” he concluded.

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LONDON: Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes starred with three-wicket hauls as England defeated India by 22 runs in a thrilling Lord’s Test here on Monday.

Chasing a challenging 193-run target on the final day, India fell short against spirited England despite valiant contributions from the lower order.

Mohammad Siraj (4) was the last man to fall in a disappointing manner as Shoaib Bashir managed to sneak through one through the gate while Ravindra Jadeja remained unbeaten with a valiant 61 off 181 deliveries.

For England, Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes starred with three wickets each to rattle India batting lineup. The right-arm pacer struck twice on day five morning, as England closed in on a dramatic win over India.

India resumed on 58-4 after lively medium-pacer Stokes had bowled nightwatchman Akash Deep with what became the last ball of Sunday’s play.

But from 71-4, the match swung England way as India lost three wickets for 11 runs in collapsing to 82-7.

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Pant, two balls after charging down the pitch to drive Archer for four in typically aggressive fashion, was bowled for nine by the express quick with a superb full-length delivery that clipped the top of off stump.

India were looking to Rahul to anchor their chase following the opener’s first-innings hundred. But Rahul had added just six runs to his overnight 33 when he was lbw on review to Stokes after getting too far across his stumps.

Jofra took the key wicket of Rishabh Pant, who was castled with a beautiful delivery. Soon after Archer, playing his first Test in four years, sent Washington Sundar back as India slumped to 82-7.

The eight-wicket pair scored steadily before there was another flashpoint in an already heated match when Jadeja collided with bowler Brydon Carse while running between the wickets.

Reddy then cover-drove Stokes in stylish fashion for India’s first four in 13 overs before he fell to Woakes.

Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy (17) took some time and checked England’s progress. But Reddy was caught behind off veteran paceman Chris Woakes on the stroke of lunch as India were reduced to 112-8.

England captain Ben Stokes, whose career has been blighted by knee trouble, bowled himself for a lengthy spell of 15.2 overs and took the key wicket of India opener KL Rahul.

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Pakistan’s emerging wicketkeeper-batter Haseebullah Khan has strongly denied reports suggesting he is planning to switch allegiance and pursue his cricketing career in England.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the 22-year-old clarified that he is currently in England solely for his county cricket commitments and sponsorship obligations, and remains fully committed to representing Pakistan on the international stage.

“I would like to inform you all that I have arrived in England in connection with my domestic county contract and sponsorship obligations,” Haseebullah stated in his Instagram story.

“I remain fully committed to representing my country, Pakistan, with utmost dedication and passion.”

The clarification came after rumours began circulating on social media, claiming that Haseebullah had met with ECB agents to explore future prospects in English cricket.

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A Facebook post making these claims went viral, prompting the young cricketer to publicly set the record straight.

He also urged the public and media to avoid fuelling speculation.

“I kindly request everyone to refrain from spreading false rumours. Thanks for your continued support. Pakistan Zindabad,” he concluded.

Haseebullah has so far featured in three T20Is for Pakistan, scoring 36 runs at an average of 12. He was part of the Quetta Gladiators squad in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10, earlier this year, but played just one match, scoring seven runs.

In his overall T20 career, the left-handed batter has played 35 matches, scoring 599 runs at an average of 19.96 and a strike rate of 118.37, including three half-centuries.

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