Tag: England

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.”

READ: Pakistan spinner opposes idea of four-day Test matches

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

READ: Gautam Gambhir faces growing pressure ahead of second England Test

India head coach Gautam Gambhir is under growing pressure ahead of the second Test against England after the loss at Headingley made it seven defeats in 11 red-ball matches since he took over last year.

The 43-year-old former opening batter is facing flak from some quarters for his selections, man management and how he carries himself in press conferences.

India are ushering in a new era following the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, with Gambhir widely reported to have played a part in the exit of at least one of the two veteran stars.

Led by new captain Shubman Gill, the visitors were beaten by five wickets in the opening Test of the five-match England series, adding to a growing sense of alarm.

The second Test at Edgbaston starts on Wednesday, and patience is wearing thin back home.

“Gautam Gambhir is under significant pressure. The situation is becoming increasingly tense,” former India batsman Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“He has managed two wins against Bangladesh and one against Australia, but we’ve lost three matches to New Zealand, three to Australia and now one to England.

“He has been losing and losing.”

Gambhir, who as a player had a key role in India’s ODI World Cup triumph in 2011, succeeded Rahul Dravid in July last year.

Dravid signed off a largely successful three-year tenure by winning the T20 World Cup.

Gambhir was chosen as his successor almost exactly a year ago, but he and his side suffered a significant bloody nose when they went down 3-0 to New Zealand.

It was India’s first Test series defeat at home in 12 years.

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Along with chief selector Ajit Agarkar, Gautam Gambhir was criticised for leaving middle-order batsman Sarfaraz Khan out of the squad for England.

Karun Nair was picked ahead of Sarfaraz, who had scores of 68 not out and 56 against a visiting England last year, and made 150 versus New Zealand in Bengaluru.

Gambhir’s detractors say he is hot-headed and accuse him of acting too much on instinct.

Speaking ahead of the series, Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik said that “tactically, Gauti (Gambhir) is a very good coach.

“Man management is the area that I am sure he would be looking at,” he told Sky Sports’ cricket podcast.

“But one thing about him is that he is looking out for his players, which is massive.

“What I feel at times is that the way he is aggressive as a captain, you can’t be as a coach.”

Following the defeat at Headingley, Gambhir looked ruffled and snapped in reply to a question about Rishabh Pant’s centuries in each innings.

The visiting batters scored five centuries in the match but still lost.

Former batter Sanjay Manjrekar has said that Gautam Gambhir should be kept away from the media, after the coach bit back at Ricky Ponting ahead of the tour to Australia last year.

India went on to lose the series 3-1.

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South Africa’s batting maestro AB de Villiers has warned England ahead of the second Test, stating that Jasprit Bumrah could feature in the India playing XI as a surprise.

The second Test between India and Englnad will commence on 2 July at Edgbaston, a venue where India has not won a single match in the previous eight outings.

While speaking on his YouTube channel, De Villiers heaped high praise on Jasprit Bumrah, stressing his workload management. He suggested that India should outline a plan similar to the one used for managing former Proteas pacer Dale Steyn in the past.

“He is probably the top bowler in the world in all formats right now. So, it’s very difficult to decide a way to rest him, but in my opinion, Test cricket is the ultimate form of the game,” he said.

“And this Test series probably would’ve been the one, in my opinion, to get him ready for all five Test matches. That’s what we used to do with Dale (Steyn). Rest him in lesser important T20 and ODI series and get him ready for the big Test series against Australia, England, and India away from home,” AB de Villiers added.

He also lamented on Jasprit Bumrah not playing all test matches but warned England that India might use the right-arm pacer as a surprise weapon for the remainder of the series.

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“It’s unfortunate that with an inexperienced bowling attack that he’s not gonna play all the Test matches, so at least that’s how it seems to have been communicated in the media.”

“Maybe it’s all part of the surprise, saying, ‘We are thinking of resting Bumrah,’ but then he ends up playing all five Test matches as a surprise. I think being 1-0 down, that’s hopefully the surprise for Team India, ” Ab de Villiers stated while highlighting Bumrah’s workload management.

For context, before 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.

READ: Gautam Gambhir clears the air on Bumrah’s participation in remaining England Tests

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has urged India to make a key change to their playing XI in the second Test against England, starting from 2 July at Edgbaston.

Speaking on his YouTube channel ahead of the second Test, Clarke advocated for the inclusion of left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav into the India playing XI.

“Bowling-wise, I do not want to be hard on any individual, but I think they’ve got to play Kuldeep Yadav. I think it is an absolute no-brainer. I think he’s a wicket-taker and would have offered a lot more than what he saw the attack did in this Test match,” he said.

Michael Clarke emphasised the importance of wicket-taking ability, noting that Indian bowlers should find more ways of taking wickets.

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Bumrah’s a star, he’s leading that attack. But the other three fast bowlers, yes at stages bowled well, but they need to find more ways of taking wickets, more options, and their execution has probably got to be better,” he said

The 44-year-old shed light on Ravindra Jadeja’s form while mentioning his second innings performance against England in the opening Test.

“Jadeja didn’t have the impact that I thought he might have. Particularly in the second innings I thought there was lot of rough to the left-hander.

I thought he bowled a little bit straight. He could have been a bit wider into the rough, and even to the right-hander, utilise over the wicket into the rough looking for that LBW in front of the stumps,” Michael Clarke concluded.

For the unversed, England defeated India by five wickets at Leeds, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.

Ben Duckett starred for the home team with a 149-run knock, while India became the first team to suffer defeat despite five players scoring hundreds.

READ: Jofra Archer named in England squad for second Test against India

Fast bowler Jofra Archer has been named in the England squad for the upcoming second Test of the five-match series against India, scheduled to be played at Edgbaston from 2 July.

This decision comes after England’s five-wicket victory against India in the first Test at Headingley earlier this week.

Archer, who has been out of the Test team since the 2021 tour of India, recently made his return to red-ball cricket, playing for Sussex against Durham in the last round of the County Championship.

After the 2021 tour of India, he faced an elbow issue and later suffered a stress fracture in his back, resulting in him playing only seven limited-overs internationals between March 2021 and May 2024.

“It felt all right today,” Archer said after his return to red-ball cricket. “I’ve been playing for a year, and bowling for two years, including the build-up, so everything is fine.”

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“Now it’s a different challenge, because I know my body can hold up to it. The mental part of the game [will be tough].

“Over the next couple of days, I’m going to have to battle a bit with it, but it’s all good. It’s a new challenge, and I’ll keep trucking along.”

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 squad for the second Test against India

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

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