Tag: England

Fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson could be recalled for next week’s third Test against India at Lord’s after England captain Ben Stokes admitted his attack had failed to “blast them open” at Edgbaston.

India levelled the five-match series at 1-1 with a crushing 336-run win in the second Test on Sunday’s fifth day.

And within hours of the thumping loss, England added Surrey quick Atkinson to their squad for the Lord’s Test.

Atkinson is fit again after suffering hamstring trouble against Zimbabwe in May and could join forces for the first time with Archer, who trained with England in Birmingham ahead of what promises to be the express quick’s first Test following four years of injury-induced exile.

Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue could be the two bowlers to make way after plenty of overs against an India side who’ve scored nearly 1,900 runs, including five individual hundreds, in the opening two games of this series.

Stokes, as he’d done during England’s five-wicket win in the first Test at Headingley, sent India in to bat at Edgbaston.

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But having seen India reduced to 211-5, the England captain became increasingly helpless in the field as the tourists piled up 567, with opposing captain Shubman Gill making an outstanding 269.

“At 200-5, we were happy, but we just weren’t able to blast them open,” said Stokes after England were dismissed for 271 on the final day. “They ended up getting a big first innings total after us having a good start.”

“It’s no secret that we have spent some time in the field and bowled some overs in the first two games, so we’ll have to see how everyone pulls up over the next two days. With it being a quick turnaround, there probably will be a decision we have to make.”

England bowlers, meanwhile, now have the tough task of stemming new India captain Shubman Gill’s extraordinary run spree.

Not content with his first-innings effort, Gill made 161 second time around at Edgbaston as he became the first batsman in 148 years of Test history to score a double century and a 150 in the same match.

The 25-year-old Gill, who marked his first Test as skipper with a century at Headingley, has now scored 585 runs in the series at a colossal average of 146.5.

England squad for Lord’s Test against India

Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.

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BIRMINGHAM: England registered an embarrassing slice of Test history during the second Test against India at Edgbaston, becoming only the sixth team ever to have six batters dismissed for ducks in a single innings.

Despite the collapse, the hosts still managed a respectable 407 in 89.3 overs, thanks to a sensational counterattack from Jamie Smith (184* off 207) and Harry Brook (158 off 234).

The six batters who failed to score included Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, captain Ben Stokes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, and Shoaib Bashir, marking England’s entry into a rare and infamous club that already includes Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand, and India.

Remarkably, England’s 407 is the highest-ever total posted by any team suffering six ducks in a single Test innings. Pakistan had previously held the record for most ducks in an innings, scoring just 128 against the West Indies in 1980.

Teams with six ducks in a Test innings:

• Pakistan – 128 vs West Indies (1980)
• South Africa – 105 vs India (1996)
• Bangladesh – 87 vs West Indies (2002)
• India – 152 vs England (2014)
• New Zealand – 90 vs Pakistan (2018)
• England – 407 vs India (2025)*

Smith’s innings made headlines beyond the team total as he smashed the fourth-fastest century ever recorded against India in Tests.

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His 80-ball ton broke Kamran Akmal’s 19-year-old record (81 balls vs India in 2006) and is now the fastest Test hundred against India by an English batter.

Fastest Test centuries vs India (by balls):

• David Warner – 69 balls (2012)
• AB de Villiers – 75 balls (2010)
• Shahid Afridi – 78 balls (2006)
• Jamie Smith – 80 balls (2025)*
• Kamran Akmal – 81 balls (2006)

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Jamie Smith made the highest Test score by an England wicketkeeper of 184 not out, and Harry Brook passed 150 yet again, but India still ended Friday’s third day of the second Test at Edgbaston with a lead of over 200 runs.

England were in dire straits at 84-5, more than 500 runs behind, when Smith joined forces with Brook in just the second over of the day’s play.

They came together after Mohammed Siraj had taken two wickets in two balls, including removing Ben Stokes for the first golden duck of the England captain’s Test career.

But England’s sixth-wicket duo went on to add 303 runs before Brook fell for 158, with the hosts just one run shy of the follow-on.

And by the time England were dismissed for 407, Smith had long since surpassed Surrey mentor Alec Stewart’s previous highest Test score by an England wicketkeeper of 173 against New Zealand at Auckland in 1997.

The second new ball, as the first one had done, however, proved England’s undoing, with Siraj (6-70) and the recalled Akash Deep (4-88), in for the rested Jasprit Bumrah, sharing all 10 wickets in an England innings featuring six ducks.

India, looking to level the series after last week’s five-wicket loss in the first Test at Headingley, led by 180 runs on first innings following a total of 587 built on captain Shubman Gill’s superb 269.

And they had extended that advantage to 244 runs at the close, with India 64-1 in their second innings.

Yashasvi Jaiswal looked in superb touch while making 28 including six fours before the left-handed opener was lbw to a full-length ball from England first-change Josh Tongue.

A visibly angry Stoke was adamant India had taken too long to request a review but, fortunately for England, replays upheld the original decision in their favour.

England resumed on 77-3, with Joe Root and Brook — the world’s two top-ranked Test batter — 18 not out and 30 not out respectively.

But it was not long before Root glanced fast bowler Siraj to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

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And the very next ball, Stokes was undone by a superb rising delivery from Siraj that he edged behind, with England now 84-5.

It was the first golden duck of all-rounder Stokes’ 113-Test career.

But the 24-year-old Smith ‘survived’ the hat-trick by straight-driving Siraj for four.

It was the start of a blistering 80-ball hundred that included 14 fours and three sixes as Smith joined a select group of batters to have made 100 runs before lunch in a session of Test cricket.

India had rested Bumrah, the world’s number one ranked Test bowler, in order to protect the fast bowler’s fitness in a series where he is expected to feature in just three out of five matches.

But in his absence, Smith smashed 22 runs in a single over from paceman Prasidh Krishna, including a six and four fours.

Jamie Smith, showing no obvious ill effects from the strain of keeping wicket for 151 overs in India’s first innings, cover-drove recalled spinner Washington Sundar’s first two balls for four.

Consecutive fours off experienced left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja in the last over before lunch, a straight drive followed by a sweep, saw Smith complete an astounding century.

Brook, 91 not out at the interval went to a hundred after giving his wicket away on 99 in the first Test.

And when he later cut Jadeja for a single it was the fifth time in his nine Test hundreds that Brook had exceeded 150.

But Deep eventually broke through with the new ball by bowling Brook with a fine delivery that darted back off the seam.

Deep also removed Chris Woakes — who has a Test century to his credit – for five on the Warwickshire all-rounder’s home ground.

He had previously reduced England to 13-2 on Thursday by dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope for ducks in consecutive deliveries.

Smith smashed Deep for six over long-on to raise England’s 400 but Siraj cleaned up the tail as Brydon Carse, Tongue and Shoaib Bashir failed to manage a run between them.

READ: Jamie Smith rewrites record books with sublime knock against India

BIRMINGHAM: England wicket-keeper batter Jamie Smith etched his name into the record books with an unbeaten knock against India here at Edgbaston on Friday.

England was bowled out for 407 in reply to India’s massive first-innings total of 587 as Mohammad Siraj rattled the hosts with a fiery five-wicket haul. The Three Lions still trailed by 180 runs.

Jamie Smith, who scored his second Test hundred, recorded the highest individual score for an England wicket-keeper. The 24-year-old remained unbeaten on 184*, surpassing Alec Stewart’s highest score of 173.

Highest Score By An England Wicket-Keeper

Jamie Smith 184* vs India, Birmingham 2025

Alec Stewart 173 vs New Zealand, Auckland 1997

JM Bairstow 167* vs Sri Lanka, Lord’s 2016

Jamie Smith came in at number seven with the England team in a precarious 84-5 at the start of the day’s play. He, alongside Harry Brook, partnered for a magnificent 303-run stand to lift the home side out of trouble.

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Smith batted aggressively and notched up his second Test century off just 80 balls, while Brook also brought up his ninth Test century.

Additionally, Smith also broke the record for the fastest century by an England batter against India. He is now ranked fourth overall on the all-time list.

Former Australian batter David Warner holds the record for the fastest ton against India, which he scored in Perth back in 2012.

Fastest Test Centuries Against India (by balls faced):

David Warner (Australia) – 69 balls, Perth (Jan 2012)
AB de Villiers (South Africa) – 75 balls, Centurion (Dec 2010)
Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) – 78 balls, Lahore (Jan 2006)
Jamie Smith (England) – 80 balls, Birmingham (July 2025)*
Kamran Akmal (Pakistan) – 81 balls, Lahore (Jan 2006)
Adam Gilchrist (Australia) – 84 balls, Mumbai (Feb-Mar 2001)
Clive Lloyd (West Indies) – 85 balls, Bengaluru (Nov 1974)
Ben Duckett (England) – 88 balls, Rajkot (Feb 2024)

However, Brook fell for a well-made 158, but Smith remained unbeaten till the end as his sublime knock featured four sixes and 21 boundaries.

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BIRMINGHAM: India skipper Shubman Gill rewrote the history books with his double century against England in the ongoing second Test here at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Shubman Gill broke Mohammad Azharuddin’s 35-year record of the highest individual score on English soil as India’s captain.

The right-handed batter surpassed the record against England after scoring 180 runs in the 115th over of the innings. Shubman Gill tapped the right arm pacer Josh Tongue’s ball on point for a single to surpass the former skipper.

Previously, Mohammad Azharuddin held the record with a score of 179 runs against England at Manchester in 1990.

With a double century against England, he joined an elite list featuring Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid, becoming only the third Indian to score 200 runs in an innings.

Highest Score As India Captain in England

Shubman Gill, 200* Birmingham 2025

Mohammad Azharuddin, 179 Manchester 1990

Virat Kohli, 149, Birmingham 2018

Gill, at just 25 years old, made history by becoming the first Indian captain to score over 300 runs in an overseas Test match. Moreover, he is only the third Indian skipper to achieve a score of `50 or more in Test cricket before turning 26.

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Previously, MAK Pataudi achieved the feat twice along with legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

At the time of writing this story, India were cruising at 472-6 on day two of the Test with Gill batting on  200* off 311 deliveries.

Earlier, India started the day’s proceedings from 310-5 with Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja adding 203 for the sixth wicket partnership.  The left-hander batter was removed for 89 off 137 deliveries, laced with 10 boundaries and a six.

After opting to bowl first, England toiled hard on day one with sublime knocks from Yashasvi Jaiswal (87) and Shubman Gill.

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Shubman Gill led from the front once more with a second hundred in as many matches as India’s captain to keep England at bay at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

Gill’s 114 not out was the cornerstone of India’s 310-5 at stumps on the first day of the second Test, with Yashasvi Jaiswal contributing a typically entertaining 87.

India lost two wickets in quick succession to be 211-5 but all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (41 not out) helped Shubman Gill avoid a further collapse in an unbroken stand of 99.

Shubman Gill, however, knows better than anyone that individual milestones are no guarantee of team success.

In the first Test at Headingley, India posted five individual hundreds, including Gill’s 147, and still lost — the first time this had happened in more than 60,000 games of first-class cricket.

Batting collapses cost India dear before England, making light of a seemingly stiff target of 371, won by five wickets to go 1-0 up in a five-match series.

England captain Ben Stokes, as he did in Leeds, again opted to field after winning the toss, with England having achieved their all-time record fourth innings victory chase of 378 at Edgbaston, against India three years ago.

KL Rahul, fresh from a hundred at Headingley, rarely looked comfortable Wednesday, labouring for a 26-ball two that ended when he played on to Chris Woakes.

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Both Woakes (2-59 in 21 overs) and new-ball partner Brydon Carse (1-49 in 16) kept things tight. But the pressure England had exerted in a first hour where India were held to 37-1 off 13 overs was released by Josh Tongue, whose 13 wicketless overs cost 66 runs.

Jaiswal went to his fifty with consecutive boundaries off fast bowler Tongue, a hook followed by a rasping cut. It took him a mere 59 balls to reach the landmark, with 40 of his runs coming in fours.

Left-hander Jaiswal, 62 not out at lunch, look destined for another hundred after his 101 at Headingley until caught behind flat-footedly edging a cut off a loose Stokes delivery, with India then 161-3.

New batter Rishabh Pant, who in Leeds became only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score two hundreds in a match, was relatively restrained in taking 23 balls to score his first boundary — a six off Shoaib Bashir.

The off-spinner, however, had his revenge when Pant (25) holed out to long-on.

India’s 208-4 became 211-5 when the recalled Nitesh Kumar Reddy was bowled playing no shot to a Woakes delivery that nipped back off the seam.

But the 25-year-old Gill pulled the lively Stokes in front of square and drove Carse for commanding fours.

Gill though required several minutes of on-field treatment when on 86 for what appeared to be cramp – a delay that led to boos from a capacity crowd at a sun-drenched Edgbaston.

But the jeers turned to cheers when, in the over before England took the new ball, Gill swept part-time off-spinner Joe Root to complete a watchful 199-ball hundred, including 11 boundaries.

India made three changes, notably resting Jasprit Bumrah after it was announced before the series the outstanding fast bowler would only feature in three of the five Tests in order to protect his fitness following a back injury.

The third Test at Lord’s starts just four days after the scheduled end of the game in Birmingham. Akash Deep was given the unenviable task of replacing Bumrah, the world’s number one-ranked Test bowler.

Both teams and the umpires wore black armbands on Wednesday in memory of former England batter Wayne Larkins, who died aged 71 on Saturday.

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Andrew Flintoff said he has no desire to succeed Brendon McCullum as England head coach despite cutting his teeth with the second-string England Lions.

The former England captain has returned to cricket, coaching the Lions as well as the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, after a car crash while filming for the BBC Top Gear television programme that left him with severe facial and rib injuries.

His impact on the Lions has resulted in the charismatic former all-rounder being linked with the top England coaching post, especially if McCullum opts against extending his contract with the national side that covers all three formats and runs up to and including the 2027 World Cup.

Andrew Flintoff has rejected the suggestion, instead highlighting his admiration for Brendon McCullum by comparing his influence to that of Gareth Southgate with the England football team from 2016-24.

Asked about the prospect of taking over from McCullum, 2005 Ashes hero Flintoff told the Stick to Cricket podcast: “It’s not something I’m looking at, Baz McCullum is incredible –- the best England coach.

“He’s unbelievable and the culture he’s created is incredible. It’s similar to what Gareth Southgate did with the football lads; they are not just good players but great lads as well.

“I’m enjoying working under Keysy (England managing director of men’s cricket Rob Key). It’s no secret he’s one of my best mates and he’s helped me so much in other things. With Baz, we’ve got a great relationship and the utmost respect.”

Flintoff initially joined then England white-ball boss Matthew Mott’s backroom team on an ad-hoc basis in September 2023, and was a member of staff at last year’s T20 World Cup, where a semi-final exit led to Australian coach Mott’s sacking.

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Flintoff last year took the Superchargers close to the knockout stages in his first season, after they had finished bottom of the standings the year before.

He also oversaw a tour of Australia last winter with the Lions, who have recently drawn two unofficial Tests against India A.

“Honestly, at the moment, I feel as though I’m in the perfect place working with the Lions. I don’t see this as a stepping stone to anything else, I’m invested in this and get a chance to work with these lads,” added the 47-year-old.

“I’m not looking at the franchise world or anything else, although I do the Northern Superchargers which came around last year and I enjoy working with (Superchargers captain) Harry Brook on that.

“I think ‘I’ve got a job to do here’ and it’s not like ‘what’s next?’.”

Both Andrew Flintoff and fellow former England all-rounder Moeen Ali have been working with the current side ahead of the second Test against India at Edgbaston starting Wednesday.

“It’s been a constant thing for us to get some of the greats who have represented England into the environment, helping out,” England captain Ben Stokes told a pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

“Those conversations we have around the nets, just natural conversations that you do have with these people when they come in, are so invaluable to players.”

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BIRMINGHAM: India captain Shubman Gill has shared his thoughts on playing two spinners in the second Test against England, starting tomorrow here at Edgbaston.

The home side, England, started the series on a winning note, defeating India in the opening match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, despite the visitors amassing a significant score of 471 in their first innings.

The second Test is set to take place at Edgbaston, a venue where India have not won a single game in their previous eight attempts.

Following the conclusion of the second Test, the two teams will travel to London for the third match of the series, which is scheduled at the iconic Lord’s from 10 to 14 July.

After that, the fourth Test 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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Speaking in a pre-match press conference, Gill stated about the possibility of playing an extra spinner.

“Usually we don’t see two spinners in England, but given the conditions in Leeds, we thought having an extra spinner would have been good. I think on these conditions having a second spinner will be helpful,” he said to reporters.

“If the conditions are same, having a second spinner would be good” said Gill in while attending media on 2nd Test eve, he added.

The newly appointed captain, Shubman Gill, also spoke about the much-anticipated call of playing ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah amid debate surrounding his workload management plan.

“We will take the Jasprit Bumrah call this evening. Jasprit Bumrah is available. We are trying to find the right combination which can pick 20 wickets and score runs as well. Will take final call after looking at the wicket for final time today,” Shubman Gill concluded.

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Assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate has shared a key update regarding the inclusion of ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the India playing XI for the second Test against England, which starts on Wednesday at Edgbaston.

Prior to 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 Test matches.

The precautionary major was taken in light of Bumrah’s back surgery after the Border-Gavaskar series.

Addressing the media ahead of the second Test, Ryan Ten Doeschate confirmed that the right-arm pacer is ready to play in the second match; however, the decision will be taken at the last minute.

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“With Jasprit Bumrah, he is ready to play,” ten Doeschate said. “Like I said, it is how we manage him. If we feel there is value in playing him in this Test, we will make this call very last minute,” he added.

The 45-year-old emphasized pitch, explaining that Jasprit Bumrah is fit to feature in the India Playing XI, but it’s just about solving a puzzle.

“We are talking about how the pitch is gonna play,” ten Doeschate explained. “We have seen him train yesterday and today. It is not that he is not fit to play. We are just trying to fit those puzzle pieces to get the most out of him.”

For the unversed, England leads the series 1-0 after defeating India in the series opener at Leeds by five wickets. Ben Duckett starred with the bat for the Three Lions with a magnificent 149 while chasing 371 in the fourth innings.

Meanwhile, India suffered defeat despite demonstrating an excellent batting display in the first innings, scoring 471 runs with notable contributions from the top order.

READ: England unveil Playing XI for second Test against India

England has announced an unchanged playing XI for the second Test against India, which is set to commence on Wednesday at Edgbaston.

The three lions have named a similar playing XI to that from the first Test, in which they secured a five-wicket victory to take 1-0  lead in the five-match Test series.

England defeated India in the opening match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy despite the visitors piling up a significant score of 471 in the first innings. The second Test is set to take place at Edgbaston, where India have not won a single game in their previous eight attempts.

Among the notable exclusions from the Playing XI was Jofra Archer, who was added to the squad for the first time since the 2021 tour of India due to a string of injuries.

According to the report, Jofra Archer, who missed the team’s training session, was not included in England’s playing XI because of a family emergency. Meanwhile, he will rejoin the team in Birmingham on Tuesday.

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The Barbados-born pacer has been carefully brought back to the England side. The 30-year-old first represented England in white-ball cricket, followed by a four-day encounter in the County Championship for Sussex last week.

It’s worth mentioning that after the second Test, the two teams will travel to London for the third match of the series, which is scheduled at the iconic Lord’s from 10 to 14 July.

Following that, the fourth Test 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.

England Playing XI for the second Test

Ben Stokes (c), Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook (vc), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir

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