Page 11 - England Cricket Team

IND-ENG 3rd Test Preview: India's inexperienced middle-order, a concern

India will need to be ruthless and tactful in equal measure while dealing with an unpredictable England when the third chapter of a riveting Test series begins here on Thursday. After England shocked India in the series opener at Hyderabad, the hosts came back strong in Vizag to get on level footing, leaving the five-match series perfectly poised. The brilliance of Yashasvi Jaiswal (321 runs) and Jasprit Bumrah (15) allowed India to make a comeback in the series but concerns remain over a misfiring middle-order, which will now be relying on the young talent to deliver the goods. Skipper Rohit Sharma's form with the bat before the eight-day break only added to the growing concern surrounding the Indian batting, which will be without K L Rahul in this game and Virat Kohli for the entirety of the series. Over the last one year or so, Rohit's aggressive approach with the bat has not yielded him big scores and the current situation demands the Indian skipper to perhaps contemplate ...

IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Stokes opens up on his 100th Test landmark in Rajkot

England captain Ben Stokes tried hard to be self-effacing on the eve of his 100th Test appearance, saying "milestones are what they are" but he is looking forward to the "theatre" that would come with playing the marquee game against a star-studded India. Stokes will become the 16th England player to appear in 100 Tests when he will lead the side out in the third Test against India here on Thursday. In the pre-match press conference, the dashing big-hitter tried his best to downplay the hype around his achievement. "Milestones are what they are. I've always enjoyed playing against India because of the contest, the theatre it brings," he said in a brief reply when asked about his thoughts on the match. The series is currently locked 1-1 after England won the opener in Hyderabad before India bounced back to claim the second in Visakhapatnam. Stokes said his mind is focused on decoding the conditions and having a solid strategy in place for the crucial game. "You look down and there'

IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Rajkot pitch report, stats, win and loss records

Only two Tests have been played in Rajkot so far and India has won one and drawn another. They had to settle for a draw against England in 2016

IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Jadeja feels England are not difficult to beat

India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja on Wednesday said England are not a difficult side to beat and the hosts only need to get used to their ultra attacking style of play to secure the five-match Test series. England shocked India in the series opener in Hyderabad before the hosts came back strong in Visakhapatnam to get on level footing. The third Test begins here on Thursday. "I won't term England as (one of the most difficult) teams. It hasn't been easy for other teams to come to India and win. They have an aggressive style of play. We need to get used to that and plan accordingly for them," said Jadeja on the eve of the game. "If it wasn't for small mistakes in the second innings of first Test, we wouldn't have lost," said the player who missed the second Test due to a hamstring injury. On the injuries he has had to deal with of late, Jadeja said he can't hide himself on the field. It is frustrating but the cricket has increased these days and that is at the back of the mind alwa

India vs England 3rd Test Playing 11: India makes four changes in its XI

The India vs England 3rd Test live telecast will be available on Sports 18 HD/SD. Jio Cinemas will provide the live streaming of the India vs England Test match in India for free.

IND-ENG 3rd Test: Kuldeep doesn't rule out rank turners going forward

India spinner Kuldeep Yadav on Tuesday said that rank turners might come into play in the ongoing Test battle against England but admitted that sporting tracks, like the ones seen in the first two games, are "good for cricket". The two sides have assembled here for the third Test starting at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) Stadium from Thursday, with the series poised at 1-1. "Overall, everything is important. The fast bowlers also come into play, like you saw in the last match. So (good wickets) are good for cricket. It is not (the case) that you will not get to see rank turners going forward. Hopefully, in the future you will see (turning tracks)," Kuldeep said while addressing a media conference ahead of India's training session on Tuesday. A depleted India were pushed by an aggressive England, who beat them comfortably in the first Test, but the hosts bounced back in the second. Both the matches were played on pitches that were not predominantly spin-friendly and had ..

Hopefully Rehan's visa issue will be sorted in a day or so: Ollie Pope

The lack of multiple entry India visa had delayed Rehan Ahmed's exit from the airport after England arrived here for the third Test, but the spinner's teammate Ollie Pope hoped that the issue will be resolved ahead of the match, beginning on Thursday. England had flown to Abu Dhabi on an extended 10-day break after the second Test at Visakhapatnam but on the team's return on Monday, Ahmed was stopped from leaving the Hirasar airport here because he had only a single-entry visa. The local immigration authorities managed to give the 19-year-old an interim two-day visa to facilitate his entry, and Pope was optimistic that the entire episode would come to an end sooner than later. "Hopefully it (Ahmed's visa issue) will be sorted in a day or so," said Pope while addressing a press conference here on Tuesday. Ahmed took two wickets in the first Test which England won by 28 runs, while in the second Test at Visakhapatnam he grabbed six wickets but India won by 106 runs to level the ...

Ben Stokes has changed cricket in a lot of respects, says Ollie Pope

England captain Ben Stokes has changed the game of cricket in a "lot of respects", says batter Ollie Pope, as the maverick all-rounder gears up for his 100th Test appearance in a couple of days' time. Stokes, who has carved a niche for himself by playing some of the most outstanding knocks in the history of the sport in high pressure situations, has also produced a fine example of himself as a leader by inventing a new approach to Test cricket known as 'Bazball'. Having also played a vital role in England's white-ball revival, Stokes is on the cusp of joining the list of players in Test cricket history who have played more than 100 games. "He has probably changed the game in a lot of respects, he has just got a way of bringing out the very best of him when the team needs it. Even in the Ashes at Lord's, which I remember thinking about 'how does he obviously take it to a new level when all the pressure is on him'," Pope told the media here at the SCA Stadium after England's training

England stand great chance in Ashes 2025 against 'Dad's Army': Vaughan

Former captain Michael Vaughan feels Australia looked jaded in the recent home Test series against the West Indies and said England stand a great chance in next year's Ashes if a "Dad's Army" is fielded by their arch-rivals. Vaughan said most of the players in the current Australian Test side are ageing and the need of the hour is to infuse fresh talent in order to continue dominating world cricket. Australia drew the recent two-Test series against the West Indies, who have a poor record Down Under. Playing in only his second Test, Shamar Joseph single-handedly guided West Indies to a narrow eight-run win at Brisbane, returning with stunning figures of 7/68 in the second innings. "There was not much optimism in Australia that it would be a great Test summer because the two touring teams, Pakistan and West Indies, had poor recent records Down Under. But it was actually very competitive, as proved by the Windies pulling off that stunning win at the Gabba," Vaughan wrote in a column f

Explained: Rehan Ahmed visa row in Rajkot; What is single-entry visa?

Indian immigration officials held Rehan on arrival at Rajkot airport, given he had a single-entry visa. Among the 31 members, only Rehan did not have the right visa.

India have real battle on their hands, says Chappell ahead of Rajkot Test

Former Australia skipper Ian Chappell feels England under Ben Stokes will give India tough competition in the remainder of the Test series but backed the hosts to win it. The marquee five-match series is locked at 1-1 after India and England pulled off thrilling victories in Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad respectively. "As the home side India should eventually win a tough series, but it has a real battle on their hands," Chappell wrote in his column for 'ESPNCricinfo'. "England under the aggressive leadership of Stokes are a far cry from the poorly captained Joe Root team that capitulated against spin on their last tour of the country," he added. In their previous tour of India in 2021, England, playing under Joe Root, had surrendered the Test series after winning the opener. While star batter Virat Kohli will not be part of the series, the India team will be bolstered by the return of the KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, who have been included in the squad for the remaining three ...

In Virat's absence, great chance for England to win series: Stuart Broad

Former pacer Stuart Broad says the ongoing India-England Test series is the most evenly-matched contest that he has seen between the two sides but the visitors have a strong chance of emerging triumphant as the "fire, passion and competitiveness" of Virat Kohli is missing from the home team's arsenal. Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of the just-concluded SA20, where he was a commentator, Broad said the absence of Kohli due to personal reasons is a downer but the matches so far have been engrossing. The five-match series is locked 1-1 and the two teams will now square off in the third game in Rajkot, beginning February 15. "(The) first two matches were very competitive and it is one of the most exciting India-England Test series that I have seen. It is the most level series," he said. "India won the last Test but England's playing style ('Bazball') is quite effective in India. With Virat not in the team, it is a great opportunity for the England team," he added. Broad feels Kohli'

ICC Under 19 World Cup winners list, winning captains, most successful team

India is the most successful team in the ICC Under 19 World Cup history. It has won the coveted trophy record five times

England spinner Leach ruled out of remaining three Tests against India

England left-arm spinner Jack Leach was on Sunday ruled out of the remaining three Tests against India with a left knee injury, announced the England and Wales Cricket Board. However, no replacement will be called up for Leach, an indication that England will continue with the spin trio of Tom Hartley, Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Basheer for the rest of the tour. Joe Root is the visitors' fourth spin option behind the three regular spinners. Leach had sustained the injury during England's first Test victory in Hyderabad and missed the second Test in Visakhapatnam as a result. "He will fly home from Abu Dhabi in the next 24 hours, where the England team has been staying ahead of the third Test in Rajkot, which starts on Thursday (February 15). "Leach will work closely with the England and Somerset medical teams in respect of his rehabilitation," stated the ECB in a media release. The 32-year-old Leach has taken 126 wickets in 36 Tests, besides being a handy lower-order batter.

IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Vaughan expresses concern over England's Bazball play

Former skipper Michael Vaughan is worried England will become a side that doesn't win much despite putting in the hard yards, adding that the team's batting unit needs to strike a balance between playing aggressive and traditional cricket to succeed in India. Since adopting the 'Bazball' approach, England have enjoyed a good run but the same no-holds-barred approach has also cost them several matches and series, including the Ashes last year. "England have become a difficult team to criticise too much because they are so good to watch. Every game they play has us all absolutely gripped, and they have improved massively under Ben Stokes," Vaughan wrote in his coulmn for 'The Telegraph'. "However, I do worry that they might become a team who do all this great work only to not actually win very much. They didn't win the Ashes when they should have done and now they have let India back into a series when they still have a load of big names, including Virat Kohli, to come back." England

ICC U19 World Cup 2024: India vs Australia final on February 11 in Benoni

After winning their semifinal fixtures, India and Australia booked their spots in the Under 19 World Cup 2024 final. The IND U19 vs AUS U19 final will begin at 1:30 PM IST on February 11

'Kohli's absence, blow for India, blow for series, blow for world cricket'

A player of the stature of Virat Kohli missing the upcoming Tests against England is a blow not just for the Indian team but also for the series and world cricket in general, feels former skipper Nasser Hussain. Hussain though supported the Indian maestro for prioritising his private life. Kohli, who withdrew from the first two Tests against England due to personal reasons, is likely to miss the upcoming matches in Rajkot and Ranchi, and remains a doubtful starter for the Dharamsala game too. The five-match Test series is currently tied at 1-1. "Yeah, well, nothing's confirmed at the moment. There's speculation, whether it's the next two Test matches, they're going to announce their side in the next few hours. Whether it's the next three Test matches, so nothing's confirmed, but it will be a blow. "It'll be a blow for India. It'll be a blow for the series. It'll be a blow for world cricket. It's going to be a special series. It already has been. The first two games have been ...

IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Rehan Ahmed attributes spinners' success to leadership

Exceeding expectations, England's inexperienced spinners have outperformed their seasoned Indian counterparts in the first two Tests, and young Rehan Ahmed attributed it to team environment and Ben Stokes' leadership. The five-match series is level at 1-1 at the moment but, amazingly enough, spin is one area in which the tourists have emerged winners. It is quite remarkable that the trio of Ahmed, Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir have taken more wickets (33) than the formidable group made up of titans such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav (23). "That just shows how great the team environment is," Ahmed, 19, was quoted as saying in BBC. "Tommy and Bash, you've seen them come in and not be nervous and that's credit to the team. "The environment and the leadership we have, it does make you kind of forget the players you are playing against - we just focus on what we need to do." Even in terms of economy rate, the England spin attack is ahead of the

IND-ENG 3rd Test: Will Kohli play? Update on Siraj-Rahul's inclusion in XI

The India vs England 2024 Tests have gone interesting. With 10-day break between the 2nd & 3rd Test, check here what could be India squad & Playing 11 for the 3rd test in Rajkot, starting February 15

IND vs ENG: Vaughan slams England for Abu Dhabi trip before 3rd Test

Michael Atherton revealed that the England team will enjoy the break in Abu Dhabi and have some golf swings. The India vs England Test series is level at 1-1 after first two tests.