Jonny Bairstow has had a tour to forget until now as he has looked like a shadow of himself, not being able to score as many runs as McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes would have expected. Bairstow along with Joe Root have faced difficulties scoring runs so far and that has directly impacted England’s result in the last two Tests in Vizag and Rajkot where the visitors blew away the lead they took in the 1st Hyderabad Test.

“I’m taking him out”, Alastair Cook opines on Bairstow’s position in the 4th Test

Bairstow had scores of 37, 10, 25, 26, 0, and 4 across the six innings from the crucial number 5 position. It has intrigued Alastair Cook to claim that the right-hand batter should be excluded from the side in the next Test match starting from February 23rd onwards at the JSCA stadium, claiming that India is always a tough place to get going, especially when someone is going through a lean patch.

“I’m taking him out of the firing line to protect the player, as I think he’s had a tough tour so far and India is a tough place to keep going on the treadmill. I’m not saying he’ll never play Test cricket again, but it’s good to have someone who’s fresh of all the debris of this series so far.” – Cook told TNT Sports. 

It is not that England have an incapable batting order but it’s just that the middle order is severely out of form. Only Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Ben Stokes to some extent have showcased individual brilliance and it goes without saying that if Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root start to fire from the middle-order, the Three Lions will become an even more dangerous side for the Indian bowlers to handle.

They had a very good chance of displaying the aggressive Bazball in the Rajkot Test which had a rather batting-friendly track as compared to the previous venues where the ball spun quite a lot. With the pitch report in Ranchi claiming that Batters are expected to get assistance until day 3, it will be an important toss to win for Ben Stokes.

While Cook wants Dan Lawrence to come in, Michael Atherton wants England to keep backing Jonny Bairstow

When asked about the possible replacement for Jonny Bairstow at number 5, Alastair Cook brought forward the name of 26-year-old Dan Lawrence who is known for his exceptional wrist work. However, his senior from the national side, Michael Atherton has a different view, claiming that McCullum and Stokes should keep backing Bairstow as he has been a central part of their Bazball project.

“Bairstow has been so central to this project that I don’t see them leaving him out now, at a critical juncture.” – Atherton said via Sky Sports Cricket. 

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Ravichandran Ashwin became the ninth bowler in international cricket to pick up 500 wickets in Test cricket. The 37-year-old became the second bowler, after the legendary Anil Kumble, to reach this milestone. He has taken 501 wickets in 98 Tests at an average of 23.94.

The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer achieved the milestone by dismissing England opener Zak Crawley in the first innings of the third Test in Rajkot. However, he returned to Chennai due to a family medical emergency. He rejoined the team on the fourth day’s play.

What A Tremendous Cricketer – Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar believes Ravichandran Ashwin deserved the captaincy for India a few years ago, praising his exceptional cricketing intellect and innovative approach. Gavaskar wished for Ashwin to continue his success in bowling.

“Congratulations to Ravichandran Ashwin on capturing his 500th Test wicket. What a tremendous cricketer he has been! One of the finest thinkers in the game and always willing to try something new and different, be it a run-up, delivery action, or, of course, deliveries to bamboozle the batter,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.

“He should have been honored with the India captaincy a couple of years back when there were two India teams playing around the same time. Well done, Ashwin, and I wish you many more wickets, newer deliveries, and different actions in the future,” he added.

Virat Kohli stepped down from the captaincy of the Test team following India’s 2-1 loss to South Africa in January 2022. Rohit Sharma, who was leading in the limited-overs formats, was appointed as the Test captain by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The Very Simple Answer Is No – Ravichandran Ashwin

In a post-match press conference following his 500th Test wicket, Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed the idea of targeting Anil Kumble’s record. Ashwin expressed satisfaction with his current approach, which has proven effective over the past few years.

“The very simple answer is ‘no’… 120 wickets away. Every day is what I want to live for, and, I’m 37 years old. I don’t know what’s in store next. What’s in store for the next two months?” Ashwin said.

“You play this series and then what lies ahead, you really don’t know. I don’t want to really jump the gun. I’ve kept it this way for the last 4-5 years and it’s been very simple and it’s worked for me. Why change anything that’s working for you?” Ashwin added.

On February 20, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul would not participate in the fourth Test against England. Jasprit Bumrah has been rested, while KL Rahul has not fully recovered from his injury.

The fourth Test of the five-match series is scheduled to be played at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi starting on Friday, February 23.

Also read: “Longest 48 hours…” – Ravichandran Ashwin’s wife Prithi posts heartfelt message as spinner achieves 500 wickets milestone

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The penultimate match of the five-Test series is scheduled to be played in Ranchi from February 23. India are set to make at least one change to their bowling lineup after resting Jasprit Bumrah for the forthcoming game. The India pace spearhead played in all three Tests so far before being rested as a part of the workload management.

And according to a report in The Indian Express, 27-year-old Akash Deep is in line to replace him in the playing eleven. While Mukesh Kumar has rejoined the squad for the game, the news outlet has reported that Akash Deep is likely to get the nod ahead of him.

Akash Deep to get the nod:

Mukesh Kumar played the second Test in Vishakhapatnam when Mohammed Siraj was rested. He did not manage to make an impact in that game, managing just a solitary wicket before being released from the squad just ahead of the third Test after Siraj returned. He joined the Bengal squad for their Ranji game against Bihar and picked up an impressive ten wickets.

While Mukesh was expected to replace Bumrah in the playing eleven, the team management has decided otherwise. The report claimed that the team management and the selectors were impressed with the way Akash Deep bowled in the matches between India A and England Lions.

In two unofficial Tests, the right-arm pacer picked up 11 wickets with the help of two four-wicket hauls. In first-class cricket, he has played 30 games so far and has picked up an impressive 104 wickets at an average of 23.58.

Meanwhile, India will be aiming to wrap up the series by winning the fourth Test in Ranchi. The hosts are leading the series 2-1 after their thumping 434-run win in the third Test. India lost the opening Test by 28 runs before bouncing back in style.

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It is normal for every cricketer in the country to get shell-shocked by meeting someone of the stature of MSD himself and Dhruv Jurel is no exception. He remembers pinching himself after Dhoni came in front of him and going spellbound for a while before asking for a picture and getting valuable pieces of advice from Thala.

“I stood up and started thinking is this MS Dhoni”, Jurel on his maiden interaction with the 2011 WC-winning captain

In a recent video uploaded by the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the BCCI, Jurel explained that he was just sitting and watching him over before realizing that it was Dhoni himself.

“I was just watching him and I stood up and started thinking is this MS Dhoni standing in front of me. My first interaction with him was in IPL 2021 which was my first season. At that time, I was pinching myself to see whether it is a dream or not.” – Jurel said via BCCI. 

Dhruv Jurel would then disclose his ultimate dream to be fulfilled in the 4th Test which will take place in the hometown of MS Dhoni at Ranchi, Jharkhand. The 23-year-old claimed that his dream in the match will not be scoring a century or stumping a could of players but to meet Dhoni after the match.

“My dream is to meet Mahi bhai especially after the match after an international game. Whenever I have talked to him, I have always learnt something new from him so I hope that I get a chance to meet him during the fourth Test at Ranchi.” – Jurel added. 

“Just go out, watch the ball, and play”, Dhruv Jurel reveals chat with MSD

Then Dhruv Jurel would reveal the chat he had with the former India captain after a league stage match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2021. He recalls going straight towards MS Dhoni and stumbling upon thinking as to what should be asked.

Jurel then stated that he just asked for a picture before Dhoni told him to just watch the ball and play according to the merit of the ball.

“So I met him back in 2021 when it was my first IPL season. Then I went straight to him and I was like “Sir-Bhaiya, Sir-Bhaiya”, I couldn’t figure out what to say. And then I asked him ‘can I have one photo with you’. Then he gave me only one advice to just go out, watch the ball and play.” – Jurel concluded. 

Meanwhile, Dhruv Jurel on his debut Test match, missed out on what could have been a memorable half-century by just 4 runs but overall he had a decent outing. The youngster was good with the gloves too as he led to the run-out of England’s dangerous opening batter Ben Duckett who had scored a full century in the 2nd innings at Rajkot. Jurel is expected to retain his position in the team in place of KS Bharat.

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He revealed during the press conference after the 3rd Test that he is setting his sights on bowling in the next Test match, claiming that he feels a lot better and that his knee injury has also recovered faster than he thought.

Ben Stokes had not been bowling ever since he went through knee surgery which was operated by Dr. Andy Williams who has also performed operations for England players like Andrew Flintoff and Chris Woakes among others. Stokes underwent the surgery on November 2023, right after the Cricket World Cup in India concluded.

He had come out of retirement from the ODI format only to participate in the World Cup which England had entered as reigning champions before eventually finishing in the 7th position.

His doctor had asked him to not bowl any time soon as it can put further pressure on his knees but now it seems as if he is nearing making a return with the ball to help the side regain form in the ongoing series.

Do-or-Die situation awaits England in Ranchi

Ben Stokes’ England currently have their backs against the wall as they find themselves behind by 2-1 in the 5-match Test series in India. The visitors have looked like a shadow of themselves and the team that won the 1st Test in Hyderabad by 28 runs.

They were able to win that Test match on the back of an individual performance from Ollie Pope, something that England have lacked in the last two Tests.

It is also time for senior batters like Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow to fire from the middle order as their lack of runs has heavily affected England’s results.

Their underwhelming performance also has a lot to do with the individual brilliance shown by Indian batters, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, and Ravindra Jadeja.

Couple that batting unit with the bowling department which has seen Jasprit Bumrah lead from the front while Mohammed Siraj, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, and Jadeja have played the supporting roles pretty well.

It will all be down to the 4th Test at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association stadium from February 23 onwards when England will look to start staging a comeback.

Watch Ben Stokes putting extra effort in the nets

Ben Stokes bowling on one of the side pitches in Ranchi. Session lasted 20 minutes! pic.twitter.com/jjvuwTfbGY

— Pratyush Sinha (@prat1204) February 21, 2024

After confirming during the press conference in Rajkot about being able to bowl at 100% intensity during nets, Ben Stokes made a cryptic claim about bowling in the 4th Test. He sounded quite unsure about that during the statement he made but the latest video which came out about 9 AM, could be an indication that Ben Stokes will bowl in Ranchi.

“I had my first bowl (in the nets) at 100 percent. As a ­person, I like to jump the gun a ­little bit too much. I have to get my whole body to get used to bowling. So I am not saying no, but I am not ­saying yes, either.” – Stokes told reporters in Rajkot. 

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He was sidelined after suffering a quadricep strain in the first Test in Hyderabad. Apart from him, Ravindra Jadeja was also sidelined after suffering a hamstring injury in the series-opener. Both the players were included in the squad for the last three Tests although the BCCI announced that their participation will depend on their fitness.

Jadeja recovered in time for the third Test but KL Rahul did not. After the third Test in Rajkot, India captain Rohit Sharma delivered a promising update on the batter, saying that ‘he should be okay’ for the fourth Test in Ranchi. Almost a week before Rohit’s update, the BCCI had stated that the Karnataka star ‘has reached 90 percent of match fitness’.

Unsurprisingly, he was expected to be fit for the upcoming fourth Test, scheduled to start from February 23. However, the BCCI, on Tuesday (February 20), announced that the batsman is out of the Test and his participation in the fifth Test is not confirmed as well.

“KL Rahul is ruled out of the 4th Test. His participation in the final Test match in Dharamsala is subject to fitness,” the BCCI stated.

Why is KL Rahul not playing?

According to a report in CricketNext, injury is not the sole reason behind KL Rahul’s absence. The report stated that the star batsman did recover fully before the third Test in Rajkot but was not ‘confident enough to return to the field’ for that crucial game.

There was a gap of more than a week between the second and third Test and KL Rahul had enough time to recover. Although he was progressing well and was close to returning to action, he eventually decided against it.  Talking about the series, India thrashed England by a record 434 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

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India secured their biggest-ever Test victory in terms of runs (434) in the recent match. Yashasvi Jaiswal showcased dominance against the English bowlers, scoring an unbeaten 214 runs during India’s second innings. He hit three consecutive sixes off James Anderson.

Sarfaraz Khan patiently awaited his chance with the national team, excelling in domestic cricket. The right-handed batter made his international debut during the Rajkot Test. He made the most of the opportunity by smashing two half-centuries in his first match.

Yashasvi Jaiswal Is Capable Of Playing All Formats – Sourav Ganguly

In a conversation with Mid Day, Sourav Ganguly stated that Yashasvi Jaiswal is capable of playing well across all cricket formats. Ganguly acknowledged Sarfaraz Khan’s promising start but stated that he has to deliver in overseas conditions.

“Jaiswal is not only a good player, he’s capable of playing all in formats of the game. Sarfaraz has started well. He now has to score in foreign countries. Sarfaraz is a good example for budding cricketers, who must keep in mind that if they score consistently, they will get their chances,” Ganguly told Mid-Day.

Team India faced a challenge when Ravichandran Ashwin withdrew from the Test on Day 2 due to his mother’s illness. However, the 37-year-old spinner returned to the field during the post-Tea session on Day 4. He picked up one wicket in England’s second innings.

India Are So Confident – Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly highlighted Indian team management’s decision to allow Ravichandran Ashwin to leave mid-Test, indicating their confidence in the team’s capabilities.

“India are so confident that they allowed R Ashwin to go back home in the middle of a Test. India look much more motivated in this series,” Ganguly added.

It’s Difficult For England To Be Successful – Sourav Ganguly

The former Indian skipper expressed skepticism about England’s success in Indian conditions. Ganguly highlighted India’s strength despite the absence of key players like Virat Kohli and KL Rahul.

“Bazball is good, but it’s difficult for England to be successful in Indian conditions. I will be surprised if India lose the series. Please remember that India are playing without Virat [Kohli], KL [Rahul]. It’s a young team with many new faces, and yet, England are struggling,” Ganguly further stated.

The England team started the series with a 28-run victory during the series opener in Hyderabad. However, the Ben Stokes-led team failed to maintain winning momentum and suffered losses in the next two matches, conceding a 2-1 lead to the opposition team.

England’s last Test series win in India was under Sir Alastair Cook’s captaincy in 2012 with a 2-1 victory. Ben Stokes requires a significant turnaround to secure wins in Ranchi and Dharamshala. The hosts have remained unbeaten in home Test series over the last decade.

Also read: Sourav Ganguly passes defining verdict on Rohit Sharma taking over as India’s captain for T20 World Cup 2024

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Jaiswal will look to break the records of most runs in a single bilateral series as well as most runs against their English counterparts in a red-ball series.

No other batter than Yashasvi Jaiswal has been in better form as he has already smacked 2 back-to-back double centuries across the last two Test matches in Vishakhapatnam and Rajkot.

He is turning out to be the most prolific batter from both the teams which have some experienced names, mostly in England’s camp like Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, and Ben Stokes among others.

As for India, the most experienced batter in the team is of course Rohit Sharma, and after him in the batting front is Ravindra Jadeja and Shubman Gill.

After the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer from the last 3 Tests and KL Rahul’s absence due to injury in the 3rd, the batting order got a bit more in-experienced but regardless, the home team has done very well without them, gaining a 2-1 lead already.

Jaiswal eyeing to break Gavaskar’s 700+ run tally in a single series

Former Indian batting legend and 1983 World Cup winner, Sunil Gavaskar before he won the 1983 Cricket World Cup under Kapil Dev’s captaincy at Lord’s, had become the first Indian batter to amass over 700 runs in a single bilateral series against the West Indies twice in 1970/71 and 1978/79 series. No Indian batter after him be it Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid among others have been able to break it to this day.

At the moment, given his form as well as rhythm, Yashasvi Jaiswal looks like the one to break it after these many decades. Gavaskar had scored 774 and 732 in 1970/71 and 1978/79 respectively and Jaiswal will need to add another 229 runs to his tally of 545 runs that he has scored across the 3 Tests.

The UP-born batter has scores of 80, 15, 209, 17, 10, and 224 across 6 innings. Whenever Jaiswal has scored over 100 runs in an innings, the hosts haven’t lost and the Indian team management will be expecting him to do something similar in the 4th Test as well.

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been nothing short of a sensation already in his short Test career which began in July 2023 at West Indies where he had amassed 171 in only his debut international red-ball outing.

After Gavaskar, Yashasvi Jaiswal eyeing to hunt down Virat Kohli’s 2016/17 tally

On his way to Sunil Gavaskar’s record, Yashasvi Jaiswal will first have to make sure he crosses Virat Kohli’s run tally of 655 runs he scored against England in the 2016/17 Test series, which is also the most by an Indian against them in a red-ball series.

That’s not it, Jaiswal will become the highest Indian run-scorer in a 21st Century Test series, which is also held by Kohli with 692 runs.

Lastly, Yashasvi will have the chance to become the joint-fastest Indian batsman to amass 1000 Test runs, which is currently held by Vinod Kambli who did so in 14 innings. Jaiswal is at 861 runs from 13 innings and to overtake Kambli, the left-hand batter will need to score a 150 at least. Can he achieve these records in Ranchi? Time will tell.

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Jaiswal has taken the cricketing world by storm with his exceptional batting performance in his short international career. He has emerged as one of the best youngsters in world cricket and has been scoring runs consistently for the India National Cricket Team.

Jaiswal has been highly impactful for India in Tests and T20Is and his inclusion in the ODI squad isn’t very far away. The young batter has made himself a permanent member of the team in both the Test and T20I teams and is likely to represent the side in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies the and USA.

He is currently taking part in the five-match Test series against England National Cricket Team at home. In the first Test, Yashasvi Jaiswal hit 80 & 15, but unfortunately, India faced a defeat in the match.

Yashasvi Jaiswal bettered his performance after the first game and smashed a sensational double century in the second Test and followed it up with yet another double century in the third Test. However, he turned out to be unlucky in both games as he wasn’t able to win the Player of the Match award. So far, Yashasvi Jaiswal has amassed 545 runs in 6 innings at an astonishing average of 109.00.

In a video shared on his official YouTube channel, Danish Kaneria said that Yashasvi Bhupendra Kumar Jaiswal is a combination of Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag. He said:

“Yashasvi Jaiswal is a combination of Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag. He is like a left-handed version of Virender Sehwag. James Anderson is one of the finest fast bowlers and has taken close to 700 wickets. He has been there for ages. He made a plan to trap Jaiswal, but that kid understood the game and destroyed the trap.”

Sarfaraz Khan had been knocking on the selectors’ doors for a long time – Danish Kaneria

Kaneria also spoke about the middle-order batsman Sarfaraz Khan, who made his debut in the Rajkot Test. Danish Kaneria said that Sarfaraz stamped his authority with his brilliant performance in the match. Notably, Sarfaraz Khan smashed a half-century in both innings and became just 4th Indian in history to achieve that feat.

“Sarfaraz Khan had been knocking on the selectors’ doors for a long time now, and when he finally got a chance, he stamped his authority. He showed the kind of cricket he plays. It was one of the best innings; he was brilliant.”

India National Cricket Team are currently leading by 2-1 in the five-match Test series against England National Cricket Team and the fourth Test match will be played from February 23 at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi.

India have made a significant change to the squad for the fourth Test as Jasprit Bumrah has been released to manage his workload while star batsman KL Rahul has been ruled out of the match in a major setback for India. Rahul is also doubtful for the fifth Test.

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Bumrah has been the best performer for India National Cricket Team in the ongoing series in the bowling department. With his bowling masterclass, he has taken the pitch out of the equation and bagged 17 wickets in 3 matches. The right-arm quick has picked up his wickets at an average of 13.64.

He is currently the leading wicket-taker in the series and he also won the Player of the Match award in the second Test as he dismantled the England National Cricket Team batting unit in both innings of the match.

The reason given behind the release of Bumrah from the squad has been termed as workload management by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“Jasprit Bumrah has been released from the squad for the 4th IDFC First Bank Test against England in Ranchi. The decision was taken keeping in mind the duration of the series and the amount of cricket he has played in recent times,” the BCCI stated.

Along with Jasprit Bumrah, India to miss KL Rahul in the 4th Test

India will also be missing the services of the 31-year-old batsman KL Rahul in the fourth Test as he has been ruled out of the match. Also, the board has mentioned that the participation of Rahul in the fifth Test is subject to fitness.

Rahul had earlier missed the second Test due to a quadricep injury and the BCCI had informed that the batsman had reached 90 percent of match fitness. He was further ruled out of the third Test due to a sore knee. To replace Rahul in the squad, Devdutt Padikkal was handed his maiden Test call-up.

In other news, the right-arm pacer Mukesh Kumar has rejoined the team after being released for the third Test in Rajkot.

“KL Rahul is ruled out of the 4th Test. His participation in the final Test match in Dharamsala is subject to fitness. Mukesh Kumar, who was released from the squad for the third Test in Rajkot, has joined the squad in Ranchi,” the BCCI added.

The absence of KL Rahul is a big blow for India as he looked in terrific touch with the bat in the first Test in Hyderabad. He scored 86 & 22 runs in the match. In Rahul’s absence, Rajat Patidar might be retained despite his failures or there is a possibility of Devdutt Padikkal making his India Test debut.

India are currently leading by 2-1 and the high-octane fourth Test match will be played from February 23 at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi.

India’s updated squad for the 4th Test: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.

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Expectations were sky-high from Bairstow ahead of the India Test series and the batter has failed to live up to it. He has not been doing the wicket-keeping duties in the series and has been playing as a pure batsman. In Bairstow’s place, Ben Foakes has been given the responsibility to be the gloveman of the side and he has done a spectacular job so far, at least as a keeper.

Meanwhile, Jonny Bairstow has registered the scores of 0 & 4, 25 & 26 37 & 10 in his previous three outings against India in Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, and Hyderabad. Overall, he is averaging 17.00 from six innings.

There have been calls to drop the batsman from the playing XI after his failures and the England head coach Brendon McCullum has finally reacted to the criticism faced by Bairstow. McCullum has stated that even though he has not seen the track for the fourth Test, he is expecting Jonny Bairstow to retain his place in the playing XI.

“You know I can’t answer that, I haven’t even seen the wicket,” McCullum said when asked about Bairstow’s position, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “But I’d anticipate Jonny would be playing, yes.”

The five-match Test series between India and England currently stands at 2-1 with the hosts in the lead. The Rohit Sharma & Co. faced a loss in the first Test but bounced back strong by defeating the Ben Stokes-led side by 106 and 434 runs in the next two Tests.

The crucial fourth Test match will be played from February 23 at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi.

The Three Lions would be hoping for a good comeback in the game as a defeat in the 4th Test would mean that Ben Stokes would be losing his first-ever series as skipper and it would also be the first Test series defeat of England in the Bazball era.

He’s not scored the volume of runs he would have wanted – Brendon McCullum on Jonny Bairstow

Brendon McCullum further admitted that the wicketkeeper-batsman has failed to score the runs he would have wanted and highlighted that he got dismissed mildly a few times in the series.

“Yeah look, he’s not scored the volume of runs he would have wanted and a couple of times he’s got out kind of mildly for someone who’s got the power game Jonny’s got,” he said.

However, the England red-ball head coach asserted that Bairstow’s form is not a huge concern for him because the 34-year-old has been a great performer for England over the years. He also spoke about blocking the outside noise after the hammering against India and backing his players to the fullest.

“I don’t have concerns over him. I’m not blind but he’s done so well for us and he’s had such an impactful career. We know that a top-quality Jonny Bairstow is as good as anyone in any conditions. So from our point of view, we’ve got to keep on giving him confidence and block out a lot of the external noise as well and keep him really present and focused on what he’s trying to achieve, and I’m sure Jonny will come good.”

England don’t have many options on the bench to replace Jonny Bairstow as Dan Lawrence is the only spare batter in the squad. Earlier, England had named Harry Brook in the team, but he pulled out of the series due to a family matter and is unlikely to return for the matches in India.

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The Ben Stokes-led England are currently on the tour to India for a five-match Test series and their performance has gone downhill after a terrific win in the first Test. One of the main reasons behind the poor run of England has been the batting failure of Jonny Bairstow, who was expected to take on the Indian bowling attack with his Bazball approach.

In his fourth tour of India, Jonny Bairstow is averaging 17.00 from six innings and has registered scores of 0 & 4, 25 & 26 37 & 10 in his previous three outings in Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, and Hyderabad.

Notably, the expectations are very high from Bairstow because he is playing as a pure batter and the burden of wicket-keeping has been taken away from him. England have opted to hand the keeping duties to Ben Foakes, who is regarded as one of best glovemen in the world currently.

Although the glovework of Ben Foakes has undoubtedly been top-notch as he has grabbed some stunning catches and saved crucial runs for his side, his batting has been underwhelming. The England star has registered the following scores in 6 innings against India – 13, 16, 6, 36, 4 and 34.

I’m taking Jonny Bairstow out of the firing line, to protect the player – Alastair Cook

Speaking to TNT Sports, England batting great Alastair Cook stated that Jonny Bairstow has struggled on this India tour, and leaving him out of the playing XI would be in the best interest of Team England as well as Jonny Bairstow. To replace Bairstow in the line-up, Cook suggested the name of Dan Lawrence, who is the only spare batter in the squad at the moment.

“He’s had a tough tour so far. And India is a very hard place to continue going on that treadmill. I’m taking Jonny out of the firing line, to protect the player.”

Talking about the ongoing 5-match Test series between India National Cricket Team and England National Cricket Team, Rohit Sharma & Co. are leading by 2-1 and one more win would seal them yet another series win on the home soil.

India faced a disappointing loss in the first Test by 28 runs as the Bazballers stunned the hosts. However, since then India have bettered their performance and have absolutely hammered the visiting team. In the second Test, India earned a 106-run win and in the third Test, they won by 434 runs.

The high-octane fourth Test match will be played from February 23 at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi. India National Cricket Team are expected to be without Jasprit Bumrah in the game as he is likely to be given rest after carrying the bowling unit on his back in the first three matches.

Notably, Jasprit Bumrah has been the top performer for India in the bowling department and despite the pitches not favoring pacers, he has managed to bag 17 wickets at an average of 13.64. He is also the leading wicket-taker in the series.

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Virat Kohli penned down a message, saying that he along with Anushka Sharma welcomed their second child on 15th February. The India batter sought blessings from the fans and also requested everyone to respect their privacy during this time.

He stated: “With abundant happiness and our hearts full of love, we are pleased to inform everyone that on 15th February, we welcomed our baby boy Akaay & Vamika’s little brother into this world!

“We seek your blessings and good wishes in this beautiful time in our lives. We request you to kindly respect our privacy at this time. Love & Gratitude. Virat & Anushka.”

 

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Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma giving birth to a second child indicate as to why the batter opted out of the Test series against England. The batter made himself unavailable for the first two games and it was expected that he would return for the third game. 

However, it wasn’t the case as Virat Kohli then also didn’t feature in the last three games. It can be assumed that the batter wanted to stay with his family and that’s why he didn’t play in the ongoing five-match Test series against England, which is currently at 2-1 with India in the lead. 

Virat Kohli earlier also opted out of playing when he and Anushka Sharma gave birth to their first child. It was during the Test series against Australia in 2021 when he returned home after playing just one match in Adelaide. 

Virat Kohli’s absence in the ongoing Test series against England has been quite visible. The Indian batting lineup in the middle order has looked fragile in the series. Had he been there things would’ve been different for Team India in the series. 

Virat Kohli to make comeback in the IPL 

Virat Kohli is now expected to make a comeback to cricket during the Indian Premier League (IPL).  The league reportedly will begin from 22nd March and will end on May 26. The tournament will played just ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 and therefore it will serve as a great preparation for the batter. 

Virat Kohli will be playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the league. The upcoming tournament will be crucial for the team in the context of the T20 World Cup. He recently made a comeback in the Indian team after more than one year. He played in the series against Afghanistan. 

Although the batter didn’t set the stage on fire in the series but it indicated that he is very much in the plans of the team for the T20 World Cup 2024. The right-hander has always been at his best when any major tournament begins and he would be hoping to make a big impact for the team.

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Recently, Jay Shah issued a message to the centrally-contracted India players to participate in domestic cricket to make themselves available for the selection for Team India. He also fired a strict warning to the players, stating that the non-participation in domestic cricket would lead to “severe implications”.

This move by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) came after seeing the trend of the players giving priority to the Indian Premier League (IPL) over domestic cricket. The likes of Ishan Kishan, Deepak Chahar, and Krunal Pandya have reportedly not been taking part in domestic cricket and have already started the preparation for the cash-rich league.

Talking about Shreyas Iyer, he was recently seen in action during the first two Tests of the home series against the England National Cricket Team. He failed to score significant runs in the matches, registering 35 and 13 in Hyderabad, and 27 and 29 in Visakhapatnam.

Following his poor performance in the first two matches, he was left out of the team for the remainder of the series.

There were conflicting reports on Iyer’s exclusion from the team with one side reporting that his non-selection was due to his poor form while the other side claimed that he was left out of the team because of his back issues. In Iyer’s absence, Sarfaraz Khan was able to make it to India’s playing XI in the Rajkot Test and he played spectacular knocks, registering half-centuries in both innings.

He has told Mumbai’s team management that he is unfit – Mumbai Cricket Association source on Shreyas Iyer

As per a Mumbai Cricket Association source, Shreyas Iyer is again facing back issues and he is unfit. Due to his back problems, Shreyas Iyer is also set to miss Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy quarter-final match against Baroda at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s BKC ground from February 23.

He was not picked by the selectors in the squad for the upcoming match and is likely to remain on the sidelines for a while.

“He has told Mumbai’s team management that he is unfit,” said a source in the Mumbai Cricket Association, as quoted by TOI. 

“He had told the Indian team management and the selectors that he got a backache after batting for 30-40 minutes. He needs some to recover from it,” a source in the BCCI told TOI.

Squad: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Prithvi Shaw, Bhupen Lalwani, Amogh Bhatkal, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Prasad Pawar (WK), Hardik Tamore (WK), Shardul Thakur, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Aditya Dhumal, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Awasthi, Dhawal Kulkarni, Roystan Dias.

Talking about the ongoing five-match Test series between the India National Cricket Team and the England National Cricket Team, Rohit Sharma & Co. are leading by 2-1 after winning the previous two matches. Next, the teams will be heading to Ranchi for the fourth Test which will be played from February 23 at the JSCA International Stadium Complex.

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Joe Root’s form with the bat has been one of the biggest concerns for the England team in the ongoing Test series against India. He has failed drastically with the bat and is one of the reasons why the visitors are 2-1 down in the series after the three games in series.

Coming into the series, a lot was expected of Joe Root because he has arguably been the best Test batter England has ever produced. The right-hander in the ongoing series is averaging 12.83 in the three matches so far. But it’s fair to say that he has himself to blame for his low scores.

Joe Root has got out while playing attacking cricket. He came under the radar after his dismissal in the third Test. The right-hander attempted a reverse scoop to Jasprit Bumrah and was caught in the slips. The pacer has removed him 9 times in his career.

This saw Joe Root getting a lot of flak with the way they got. There were even suggestions that he should play in his old way and not try Bazball. But the batter has got backing from the team management and they are hopeful that he will come good.

Mark Butcher feels that England’s use as a frontline spinner is not yielding the results in his batting. As quoted by Wisden, the former England cricketer stated:

“I think that having him having to do so much work as a frontline spin bowler is not likely to yield the sort of results that you’d expect from him with the bat.”

Joe Root has contributed more with the ball rather than bat in the ongoing series. With Jack Leach getting ruled out of the series, the batter has been utilized by skipper Ben Stokes as the main bowler in the team. He has done a decent job as well and he has picked crucial wickets for the team as well.

Joe Root is, a part-time spin bowler to hold the fort for you – Mark Butcher points out why England are down in the series

Mark Butcher further pointed out why India were favorites to win before the game even started. He highlighted their inexperienced spin attack with Joe Root being the part-time spin bowler. He added:

“Given the tosses coming down when you’re bowling first and third rather than second fourth, you need a bit more than guys who are just either making their way in the game or guys who are, as Joe Root is, part-time spin bowlers to hold the fort for you. It’s such a fundamental reason why India was a favourites before it started.”

Joe Root would be hoping to turn things around in the next game. The match will take place in Rachi from 23rd February.

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The Indian team arrived in Ranchi on Tuesday (20th February) and as per the reports in News 18, it is learned that Jasprit Bumrah didn’t land with the team and only Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj were the two pacers with the team that took flight from Rajkot.

Jasprit Bumrah has been the main reason why India has been at the top in the series. The fast bowler is likely to be rested because of his workload management. The fast bowler has bowled over 80 overs in just three games that have happened so far in the series.

There were a few reports which stated that Jasprit Bumrah was in contention to be rested for the Rajkot Test. But with the series being at a crucial juncture,  team management wasn’t in favor of resting him as there was a 10-day break between the second and third game.

Jasprit Bumrah is the leading wicket-taker for India in the Test series. He has been handling the Indian bowling lineup in the series. Despite the wickers being spin-friendly, the fast bowler has been magnificent and has taken over 15 wickets in the series.

With Jasprit Bumrah likely to be rested, it is expected that Mukesh Kumar will be rejoining the squad ahead of the Test. He was released from the squad ahead of the third Test and turned up for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy contest. The fast bowler picked 6 wickets and showed great form.

There might also be a possibility that team management might give Akash Deep a debut. The fast bowler was named in the squad for the last three games. He was included in the team after his impressive performances in the domestic circuit for his team.

No Jasprit Bumrah as Rohit Sharma and Co. arrived at the Birsa Munda Airport

As the Indian team arrived in at the Birsa Munda Airport, they received huge cheers from the crowd.  There were loud cheers for Rohit Sharma, coach Rahul Dravid, and Shubman Gill as they made their way to the team bus waiting right in front of the exit gate. Ravichandran Ashwin also was greeted

Apart from that, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, and Ravindra Jadeja also got a rousing reception on their arrival. The series between India and England is in favor of the hosts. The Rohit Sharma-led side suffered a loss in the first game and then made a strong comeback.

India won the last two games by a big margin and would be keen to seal the series in the next game itself. Without the services of Jasprit Bumrah, it will be tough for the team to tackle England batters. But it will be an opportunity for someone else to grab the spot.

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Although Ben Duckett himself played out a 151-ball 153 run knock in the 2nd innings of the Test but he was not able to do the same or get closer to doing so in the 4th innings when England were in desperation for a blistering start. And that was because they needed 557 to win but in turn, the batters faltered against the wrath of the Indian bowling line-up.

What did Duckett say about Jaiswal?

After Jaiswal’s double ton on day 4 and England’s loss on the same day, Ben Duckett issued a statement that Yashasvi Jaiswal is definitely a star in the making and that the visitors should be given some credit for his performance as they apparently inspired the Indians to play with such flair, unlike other teams in the world.

“He looks like a superstar in the making. When you see players from the opposition playing like that, it almost feels like we should take some credit that they’re playing differently than how other people play Test cricket. We saw it a bit in the summer and it’s quite exciting to see other players and other teams are also playing that aggressive style of cricket.” – Duckett told reporters. 

His statement would eventually trigger fans on social media and a number of former cricketers as well. Among them was former England captain Michael Vaughan who stated that there have been players in the past who have played like this and also asked a number of England players to keep their thoughts in control.

“Heard of Matthew Hayden, Michael Slater, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist?”- Clarke asks Ben Duckett

While speaking to ESPN Australia’s show named “Around the Wicket”, Michael Clarke threw jabs at Ben Duckett about his Jaiswal comments and asked if he missed watching Australia in the last 20 years. He also asked if the Englishman knows players like Matthew Hayden, Michael Slater, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, and Adam Gilchrist among others, all of whom played in a similar brand of Test cricket which the English media coined as Bazball.

Clarke further bashed Duckett that he shouldn’t consider himself an aggressive batter just because he plays a few ramp shots and reverse sweeps among other unconventional shots and asked him to be a little realistic.

“He must have missed Australia for 20 years. As a youngster, he must not know what Test cricket Australia played. Has he heard of Matthew Hayden, Michael Slater, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist? These guys used to smack it as good as everyone. Because you play a reverse sweep or a switch hit or a ramp shot, that doesn’t mean you are batting aggressively either” Clarke said via ESPN Australia. 

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Ben Stokes made his intentions clear during a press conference that followed right after England’s 434-run loss in the 3rd Test against India in Rajkot’s Niranjan Shah stadium. He went at the rule makers in the context of Zak Crawley who departed in evident frustration after his DRS against the on-field umpire’s decision stood despite the ball from Jasprit Bumrah just clipping the leg-stump.

“Have technology that’s either good enough or don’t use it at all” – Finch opines on Umpire’s call

While appearing in a recent ESPN Australia show called “Around the Wicket”, Aaron Finch was critical about the system, claiming that it’s important to have a technology that’s 100% correct or else there is no point in having it. He claimed that having two decisions on a single appeal is ridiculous and since he has retired, he can openly back Ben Stokes on scrapping Umpire’s call.

“I think it should be scrapped. You need to have technology that’s either good enough or don’t use it at all. Having two decisions that can be out or not out and both are right is just ridiculous. I have been a beneficiary of a few umpire’s calls. Now that I have retired, I can say it should be scrapped,” Finch said via Around the Wicket show. 

Finch’s former teammate and fellow panelist Callum Ferguson had a totally opposite opinion as he took a dig towards England that they have gone mad just because that decision was not in their favor. “Nah I don’t think it should be scrapped. They’re just being bitter about it because one decision didn’t go their way,” Ferguson opined. 

Crawley’s umpire’s call instance isn’t the only one that has happened in the series but the fact that his presence was crucial for England in their unsuccessful chase of 557 runs, Ben Stokes became particularly furious about it in the press conference.

Regardless of it, England currently find their backs against the wall and are in danger of losing the series if they don’t come out on top of India in the 4th Test at Ranchi which starts in 3 days.

Michael Clarke asks Ben Stokes to keep his players’ blabbering mouth in check

Another former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke who led the Aussies towards their 5th Cricket World Cup title in 2015, cryptically asked Ben Stokes to keep his players’ waffling comments in check on the light of Ben Duckett’s remarks on Bazball inspiring Yashasvi Jaiswal to smack consecutive double centuries in the series.

Clarke lashed out at Duckett by stating that the latter should not proclaim himself as aggressive just because he plays a few unconventional shots and reminded him that there have been players like Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist among others have had an aggressive approach even before Bazball existed.

“Matthew Hayden, Michael Slater, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist. Mate, these guys used to smack them as good as anyone. So because you’re playing a switch-hit, a reverse sweep or a ramp shot, that doesn’t mean you’re batting aggressively,” Clarke said. 

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Zak Crawley was given out LBW in the second innings of the third Test by umpire Kumara Dharamsena and he had to go back to the pavilion as the DRS showed the umpire’s call in the ball-tracking. He was also given out in a controversial decision during the second Test which was played in Vizag. India won the third Test by a record 434 runs and took a lead of 2-1 in the ongoing five-match series against England with two Test matches remaining in the series that will decide the results.

Aakash Chopra was not happy with Ben Stokes calling to remove the umpire’s call in the DRS as according to the reputed commentator, it is not a howler. Aakash Chopra wasn’t convinced about Stokes’ argument that the umpire’s call should be done away with. In a video shared on his YouTube channel, he elaborated on the rule saying that DRS is not 100% correct and so the decision goes to umpire’s call as it is not completely certain.

“Ben Stokes has said that he dislikes DRS. He asked the umpire’s call to be removed. DRS is not foolproof. So you go towards the umpire’s call as you are not 100% certain. You say that is what was the umpire’s job, so you remain out if the umpire gave it out and not out if he gave it not out. That was the truth. It is not a howler. What you are trying to remove is already removed by default,” the former India opener added.

Ben Stokes is not happy with DRS going India’s way in the series

Ben Stokes is not happy with the decisions going in favor of India multiple times. Zak Crawley has been the victim of some controversial decisions in consecutive Tests. He was given out by the DRS in the second Test but from a naked eye, it looked like the ball will miss the leg stumps easily. In the third Test, he was given LBW by Kumar Dharamsena and the DRS said the umpire’s call which again led to his dismissal where if seen from the naked eye it was looking like the ball would bounce over the stumps.

India and England are facing each other in a five-match Test series where India is leading the series 2-1 and the fourth Test will be played at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium in Ranchi starting on February 23, Friday. The hosts will look forward to sealing the series in the fourth Test itself to mark their 17th consecutive Test series win at home with the last defeat coming against England in 2012. England needs to win the fourth Test to still hold a chance of winning the series.

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Graeme Smith would also send a clear warning to England that India will now become very hard to catch up to especially after the fashion in which they claimed victory in the 3rd Test at Rajkot by 434 runs. The Three Lions were bowled out for just 122 in their response to the 557 run target posted by the hosts on the back of Yashasvi Jaiswal‘s double ton and Sarfaraz Khan’s half-century in the 3rd innings.

Providing security to players has been the best thing in McCullum’s tenure, feels the former Proteas captain

The former Proteas captain stated that the best part about Brendon McCullum’s tenure as head coach has been the amount of security they have provided to players with their respective style of play. Smith claims that there was a big pool of talent before as well but the McCullum-led management has certainly worked towards removing the element of fear within the English players.

“There’s always been a lot of talent, but they seem to have taken away the fear, provided a lot of security for people and look at the game in a positive way. England are sticking true to the way they want to play in India by applying pressure on the opposition and making them think,” Graeme Smith told Wisden. 

Some of the English players like Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope among others have excelled under the Bazball philosophy but an old school player like Joe Root has had to pay the price. The former England captain who has accumulated over 11,000 Test runs in his own style, has struggled to score runs in this series. Across the 3 Tests, Joe Root has scores of 29, 2, 5, 16, 18 and 7.

Jonny Bairstow is another name that has struggled in this series as he has scored only 102 runs across the Hyderabad, Vizag and Rajkot Test including a duck in the 2nd innings of 3rd Test. The Three Lions can still have a chance in this series if Bairstow and Root both get their form back and it has become a “must” for them in the 4th Test at Ranchi.

“If India get their noses ahead then they’ll be very difficult to chase down” – Graeme Smith opines on India’s home lethality

Graeme Smith who has captained the South African team towards 2 Test series draws (2008 & 2010) and a loss in 2004 over here, claimed that India tend to become more lethal once they get ahead in a particular series like they are already. The 43-year-old warned the Bazballers that the closing matches of a Test series in India gets very difficult due to the heat and in such cases, its important to stay mentally fresh and positive.

“It’s a very long tour an toiling against India like you have to with long days in the field combined with the heat can wear you down towards the back end. Staying mentally fresh and positive in your gameplan is important. England need to hang tough for as long as possible because if India get their noses ahead then they’ll be very difficult to chase down,” Graeme Smith concluded. 

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Joe Root has scored over 11000 runs in Test cricket with his natural ability of taking his time and anchoring the innings by playing risk-free cricket. However, his performance has been below average since the introduction of Bazball in the England Test cricket. Joe Root was dismissed in the first innings of the third Test while trying to play a reverse lap shot against Jasprit Bumrah which was caught at the slips by Yashasvi Jaiswal and led to an English collapse.

Ian Chappel opined that premeditated shots like reverse laps, scoop shots, and ramp shots are not good for Test cricket, especially for someone like Joe Root who scores a lot of runs playing technically sound cricket. “Root had a bloody fine record playing normally, and he was a quick scorer playing normally. I don’t see why he’s trying to change things drastically, and I’ve never believed you should play premeditated shots,” Chappell said to World Wide Sports.

“You can’t always do it – it’s got to be according to the conditions and also who’s bowling. Some bowlers you can score off a lot quicker than others, but when a really good bowler is bowling a good spell, you’ve got to be prepared to try and battle it out and think to yourself ‘Well, when he goes off, it’ll get a bit easier. You’re always trying to score runs – that’s got to be your prime aim. But, you’ve also got to realize some conditions, against some bowlers you can score quicker than others,” he added talking about Joe Root’s shot against Bumrah.

Joe Root has a terrific record against India

Joe Root has scored the most runs against India amongst all the English players but the Bazball philosophy is not working in his favor. He has amassed 2603 runs against India in 51 innings across 28 matches at an average of 56.59 including 10 half-centuries and nine centuries. However, his runs tally in the ongoing series is nowhere near his previous stats. When England last toured India in 2021, Joe Root was the highest run-getter and also scored a double century in the first Test.

India and England will now face each other at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium in Ranchi for the fourth Test of the five-match series. The match will commence on February 23, Friday and India will look forward to sealing the series with another win and continuing their unbeaten run at home with 17 consecutive series wins in India. England on the other hand is in a do-or-die situation as they cannot afford to lose in the Ranchi Test.

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Ganguly claimed that the Ben Stokes-led English team can’t script a comeback in the series and return home with a 3-2 turnaround win the 5-match Test series.

Sourav Ganguly made these comments while speaking to Mid Day recently and there he shed light upon the ongoing India Vs England series, the sensational performances from newbies Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan as well as the captain of India for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup later this June at the USA and West Indies.

He also made it very clear that Bazball is without a doubt very good but getting a result in their favor over here is just impossible.

“Bazball is good but its difficult for England to be successful in Indian conditions.” – Ganguly told Mid Day. 

Ganguly shows no faith at all in an England comeback

The 51-year-old who has over 11,000 ODI runs for India, showed no faith at all when he was asked if England can stage a comeback after losing back-to-back Tests in Vishakhapatnam and Rajkot and being down by 2-1.

Ganguly claimed that there is no way the Three Lions can recover in the series at this juncture especially as India gained a lot of momentum with the 434-run win at Rajkot in the 3rd Test.

While England’s comeback victory by 28-runs in the Hyderabad Test was truly commendable, their performance in the last two Tests have been ordinary. They are lacking consistency in their batting line-up as Zak Crawley has remained hot and cold, and so has Ollie Pope. Ben Duckett looks like the only one to display the aggressive style of play consistently in the top order.

Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow are looking like a shadow of themselves, completely out of form and in dire need to get runs under their belt in the 4th Test if the visitors want to take away the series by 3-2. They are not even being backed by their own former cricketers with Sourav Ganguly claiming that he will be surprised if England wins. “I will be surprised if India loses the series.” – Ganguly added. 

“Young team with new faces, yet England are struggling”, Sourav Ganguly ridicules Stokes and Co. 

Sourav Ganguly who had debut scores of 131 and 136 in his first two Test innings at Lord’s and Nottingham, ridiculed the English team for not even being able to challenge this new look Indian team which has been plagued with injuries and personal leaves.

The Kolkata born former cricketer reminded England that India are without either of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul and they are a team with new faces yet they are struggling. So just guess what would happen if India have a full-strength squad!

“Please remember that India are playing without Virat Kohli, KL Rahul. It’s a young team with many new faces and yet England are struggling.” – Sourav Ganguly concluded. 

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Ben Stokes expressed his disappointment with the LBW decision to dismiss Zak Crawley as the ball-tracking visuals were showing the ball missing the stumps in the ninth over. Zak Crawley was also involved in another controversial DRS decision leading to his wicket in the second Test.

Nasser Hussain stated that technology can make errors and claimed that as the reason for the existence of the umpire’s call. He said that the umpire’s call was there to not save the officials but because there is a margin of error in the technology.

Hussain supported Ben Stokes in his Crawley’s dismissal showing the ball was missing the stumps and he said that in case of missing the stumps, the umpire’s call cannot stand as the upheld decision.

“Technology can be fallible but I’ve always been very strong on the fact I like the DRS and I also like the umpire’s call. Look at the shemozzle with VAR in football. It’s just not like that in cricket.”

“Stokes and others like Virat Kohli may want to get rid of it but the umpire’s call is not there to protect the officials it’s there because of the margin of error in the technology,” Nasser Hussain said in his Daily Mail column.

“Bear in mind, also, there have been a couple of changes in the system and the ball can now clip the top of the bails. The lbws for Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley in the third Test did look high but they have increased the height by 1.3 centimetres. One thing I will agree on with Ben. He said the visual of Crawley’s dismissal showed the ball missing the stumps. If that’s the case you can’t have that,” he added.

Ben Stokes was also unhappy about Zak Crawley’s dismissal in the second Test

Zak Crawley was initially given not out during the second innings of the second Test but Rohit Sharma and co decided to take the DRS which showed in the ball tracking that the ball will hit the leg stump.

However, when seen through a naked eye and replay it does not seem like it would hit the leg stump. Zak Crawley and Ben Stokes were unhappy with the DRS showing hitting the stumps when it should at least have been an umpire’s call.

India is leading the series currently by 2-1 as they have won two consecutive Test matches after losing the series opener in Hyderabad. They won the second Test in Vizag by 106 runs and the third Test in Rajkot by a record 434 runs.

The hosts are aiming to seal the series in the fourth Test which will be played at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium in Ranchi and the Ben Stokes-led England on the other hand is in a do-or-die situation.

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Ben Stokes & Co. started their tour of India on a stunning note by beating the hosts in the first Test. They performed well in the second Test as well but ended up losing the game by 106 runs. However, India completely dismantled them in the third Test and inflicted a humiliating 434-run defeat on them.

Chasing 557, the tourists were bowled out for just 122 runs. The defeat is England’s heaviest in terms of runs since 1934 while it is India’s biggest victory in red-ball format. Many believe that the heavy defeat is a wake-up call for England. Several former England captains have already started targeting the Bazball, saying that the team cannot rely on just one approach in Test cricket.

Krishnamachari Srikkanth on England’s chances:

While the current England side have been proving the critics wrong in recent times, Krishnamachari Srikkanth believes they won’t be able to stage a comeback in the ongoing series. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former India captain said that Bazball is overhyped before joking that the visitors could take the next flight back home to avoid further humiliation.

“If possible, they can catch the next flight home. But, they have to play the remaining two Tests. I think this Bazball and all that are theories that they propagated. Where has it worked? Did it work in the Ashes?

“Frankly speaking, no strategy can work if they continue playing like this. There was so much hype about this Bazball theory. To back up all that talk, I think they needed the skill to bat in these conditions. You need the talent to bowl,” said Krishnamachari Srikkanth.

Speaking further, Krishnamachari Srikkanth opined that the Bazball approach is unlikely to work for long in Tests. He stated that the players need to adapt in Tests and not rely on a one-dimensional approach to do well.

“I don’t think it (Bazball) will work in the long run. Just going there and trying to hit every ball… I think Brendon McCullum can bat like that, Ben Stokes can bat like that. Not everybody can do that successfully. Sometimes, you need to adapt. You can’t just keep on saying… I feel it’s overhyped. That’s my feeling. I may be wrong,” said Srikkanth.

The much-awaited fourth Test of the series is scheduled to be played on February 23 in Ranchi. While high-flying India will be aiming to wrap up the series, England would be desperate to bounce back.

The post “Catch the next flight home..”- Krishnamachari Srikkanth tells England after humiliating defeat in Rajkot appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Sarfaraz Khan made his debut in the game and hit the ground running in international cricket. He scored fifties in both the innings and did it at a very good pace. In the first innings, he scored 62 runs off just 66 balls with the help of 9 fours and a six before his promising knock came to an end due to an unfortunate run-out following miscommunication with Ravindra Jadeja.

In the second innings of the game, Sarfaraz Khan scored an unbeaten 68. His knock came off just 72 balls and was studded with six fours and three sixes. The right-hander has received praise from all quarters for his confident display on his debut in international cricket.

Karthik, Vaughan praise Mohammad Sarfaraz:

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Dinesh Karthik said that he was impressed with the way Sarfaraz Khan batted on his debut and did not get bogged down by the occasion. Vaughan, on the other hand, said that Sarfaraz’s knock and his partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal allowed Rohit Sharma to declare the innings a little bit sooner.

“We should speak a little bit about Sarfaraz Khan. Quiet little knock (of) 68, stitched a really good partnership. But what was great was the intent with which he batted. Very different to what he usually does. Generally, he walks in, there is a much tighter field. He has to find the gaps, he likes to go over the top.

But today, it was an easy innings in the context of there being very little pressure. But for him to keep hitting those big shots and not get bogged down was good to see,” said Karthik.

On the other hand, Vaughan said: “Yeah, absolutely. The way he came out and played with Jaiswal, it allowed Rohit to declare a little bit sooner with more runs on the board as well.”

Watch:

'#SarfarazKhan a perfect No. 6 in Tests for #India'@MichaelVaughan & @DineshKarthik heap praise on the batter, on #CricbuzzChatter #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/Zz7OaTHns7

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) February 20, 2024

The post “Sarfaraz Khan is the perfect number…”- Michael Vaughan fixes Sarfaraz’s batting position in the Indian Test team appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The fact that Sarfaraz Khan is going through a period of roses and daffodils in his initial international cricketing career, has a lot to do with his constant grind for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy. His compiling runs after runs, season in and season out has been widely appreciated by every former cricketer in the country and also by skipper Rohit Sharma.

Sarfaraz Khan’s constant Ranji Trophy grind, saluted by Sourav Ganguly

Even after scoring a lot of runs in the domestic circuit, Sarfaraz had to wait for a long time to be considered for India’s selection and if the day of that sort arrived, it was solely because of his sheer hard work and outstanding patience level. His father Naushad Khan too has played a major role in his journey and in his run-scoring spree in the domestic red-ball circuit which saw him score 4042 runs at 70.91. 

Sarfaraz Khan’s journey from the Maidans of Mumbai to the senior dressing room is something to be admired, feels Sourav Ganguly who claimed that the upcoming lot of cricketers should take learnings from him and also from his 22-year-old teammate Yashasvi Jaiswal.

“Jaiswal is not only a good player, he’s capable of playing all in formats of the game. Sarfaraz has started well. He now has to score in foreign countries. Sarfaraz is a good example for budding cricketers, who must keep in mind that if they score consistently, they will get their chances.” – Ganguly told Mid Day outlet. 

Sarfaraz’s debut Test innings in Rajkot came on day 1 when Rohit Sharma departed from the crease after amassing 132 runs and standing for a 204-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja to take India from 33/3 to 237/4. The stage was perfectly set for the 26-year-old to come in and express himself like he has been doing for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy since 2014.

And so he did by batting at a strike rate of 93, scoring a tremendous debut fifty, helped India cross the 300 mark but left the crease as a result of an unfortunate run-out which was entirely Jadeja’s mistake. After that 62 off 66, Sarfaraz Khan, played out a 68-run knock in the 3rd innings, accumulating a 72-run partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal which helped India post a 500+ target.

“Many new faces and yet England are struggling”, Ganguly takes a brutal dig at Ben Stokes’ side

Even though England’s skipper Ben Stokes believes that his side can overturn the 2-1 deficit to a 3-2 series win, Sourav Ganguly who retired after scoring 11,000 ODI runs, feels England have no chance of recovering and that he will be shocked if India lose now.

“Bazball is good, but it’s difficult for England to be successful in Indian conditions. I will be surprised if India loses the series. Please remember that India are playing without Virat [Kohli], KL [Rahul]. It’s a young team with many new faces, and yet, England are struggling.” – Ganguly concluded. 

The post Sourav Ganguly points out the next challenge awaiting Sarfaraz Khan appeared first on CricketAddictor.

India won the Test match by 434 runs and is now leading the series 2-1. The fourth Test is scheduled to commence on February 23, Friday at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium in Ranchi.

Michale Atherton was discussing Ravindra Jadeja‘s involvement in runouts throughout his Test career as the all-rounder was responsible for Sarfaraz Khan’s dismissal in the first innings.

He put over some stats and compared them to Nasser Hussain’s stats in terms of runouts and called him selfish. According to Atherton, Ravindra Jadeja could survive his runouts because he is fast but Hussain is just selfish. However, Nasser Hussain came up with an epic comeback in reply to Atherton’s comments.

Hussain and Atherton dissect Ravindra Jadeja’s run-out mysteries

“Looking at the statistics, Jadeja has been involved in nine runouts in his Test match career for India. He himself has survived those runouts eight times and has only been run out once. That’s got some similarity to your stats Nats (Nasser Hussain).

You have been involved in eight runouts with England in Test cricket and your mate at the other end had to depart seven times and you only once. I reckon Jadeja gets away with it because he’s fast, you got away with it because you’re selfish.” said Atherton.

“I am pleased to be compared with Ravindra Jadeja thank you very much. That one run out where I was run out was in Antigua where Thorpe completely barbecued me and the only good thing to come out of that run out was that you resigned at the end of that Test match because we lost so something good came out of that,” Nasser Hussain replied.

Watch- Former England skipper Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton roast each other

Love their banter pic.twitter.com/uAqHAWTcbq

— Prashanth S (@ps_it_is) February 19, 2024

The topic arose when Michael Atherton talked about Ravindra Jadeja’s mistake in the first innings leading to Sarfaraz Khan’s run out. Atherton compared Ravindra Jadeja’s and Nasser Hussain’s runout stats in Test cricket and it was quite similar as both were only run out once in their Test career with most of the time the batter at the other end suffering. However, Atherton said that Ravindra Jadeja was able to escape because he was fast and Nasser Hussain was just selfish.

Nasser Hussain has led the England team from 1999 to 2003 and was a successful captain in both Tests and ODIs. He was the captain of England in the 2003 ODI World Cup where they abandoned the match against Zimbabwe citing security concerns. He currently serves as a commentator and has been a great expert on the game.

Nasser Hussain played his last international game in 2004 which was a Test match against New Zealand. He smashed a century in his last innings and remained unbeaten on 103 hitting the winning runs and after him, Michael Vaughan was appointed as England’s captain.

The post “Jadeja is fast, you’re selfish…” Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton gets involved in a hilarious banter appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Michael Vaughan made these comments in Cricbuzz’s X (formerly Twitter) show called the “Chatter” where RCB wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik appears as the host. The fan had sent through several statements made by some of England’s current players like the veteran James Anderson, opening batter Ben Duckett as well as head coach Brendon McCullum.

Vaughan amused by England team statements

A fan named Yash Sanap highlighted all of their comments in short sentences and asked the question down below, “Are England players living in a hyped Bazball bubble?”. It had Anderson’s remarks of “Will try to chase 399 in 60 overs”, then Ben Duckett’s “Bazball deserves credit for Jaiswal’s ton” and the man who invented Bazball alongside Ben Stokes, McCullum’s, “If India get 600 ahead, we’re going to try and chase it down.”

After Dinesh Karthik made the introduction and recited it for Michael Vaughan, the Englishman first chuckled before rubbishing those comments and admitting that England players have a habit of blabbering just anything. Vaughan did not shy away from mentioning that sometimes the players say things that they don’t even believe in or are unable to execute when the time comes.

Michael Vaughan’s chuckle was just a coping mechanism of his to hide the embarrassment coming on his face and he must have been dying from inside when making these comments.

“I think sometimes their interviews are amusing because they do say things that ultimately that they think they believe in but they can’t believe some of the things that they are saying. Jimmy Anderson saying we’ll chase down whatever (total) in 60 overs, Baz comes and says we’ll chase down 600. It’s just not just possible, the history of the game tells you.” – Vaughan said via Cricbuzz.

Players like Sehwag, Gilchrist, and Gayle have all played Bazball

The 49-year-old then lashed out on Duckett for giving the credit of Jaiswal’s consecutive double tons to England’s Bazball style of play, reminding there have been players before them like Virender Sehwag, Adam Gilchrist, and Chris Gayle, who have all played aggressively in Test cricket and smacked towering sixes.

He also reminded McCullum that England haven’t won a trophy in their last 2 big Test series in New Zealand and the Ashes at home, asking them to focus on winning silverware because it’s all about winning and refraining from making such comments.

England won’t be able to win or draw the series claims Michael Vaughan

Michael Vaughan went on to state that even though the Bazball game has been exciting to watch but it hasn’t been as successful as you’d expect because they haven’t won enough trophies to show for its success. He also discarded Ben Stokes’ confidence to overturn a 2-1 deficit to a 3-2 series win after losing the Rajkot Test.

 “They are already 2-1 down in India, very difficult to win the last 2 Tests over there. They are possibly not lifting the trophy this series. So that’s 3 big series that they have not lifted a trophy. They’ll they are gonna win the last 2 Test match and they’ve got to believe but I don’t believe, prove me wrong.” – Michael Vaughan concluded. 

The post Ben Stokes and co to return empty-handed to England claims Michael Vaughan after Rajkot drubbing appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Before the series, Ben Stokes stated that he was looking to continue his bowling in the last two Tests. England coach Brendon McCullum has made things clear about Stokes’ return to bowling

Ben Stokes refrained from bowling the initial three Tests of the series as he was recuperating from a knee operation that he had last year. He last bowled in the Ashes and since then has not handled the ball much in any format.

Brendon McCullum has said that the tough sub-continent conditions might make Ben Stokes reconsider his decision and if he still decides to bowl it will be shorter spells. Ben Stokes has taken 197 Test wickets in his career at an average of 32.08 which includes four five-wicket hauls.

Brendon McCullum said that Ben Stokes is very clever and he will bowl only if he thinks he is legitimately able to bowl and the problem will arise when he starts bowling longer spells.

Ben Stokes bowling longer spells can affect his knee which can lead to injury concerns and England can’t afford to have their captain injured for a long duration as they are already struggling on the WTC table.

“Well, it’s good that he’s actually getting into a state where he thinks he might bowl. But Ben is clever; he’s really clever as well. He won’t bowl unless he thinks he’s legitimately able to bowl. The problem would be if he starts getting into a spell and then he can’t get out of the spell. So we’ll see what unfolds,” McCullum said.

Ben Stokes’ bowling will provide a better depth to the England team

England only has one all-rounder in the XI right now excluding Ben Stokes and that is Joe Root who may have been silent with the bat in this series but has made substantial contributions with the ball.

Ben Stokes is also the only pace-bowling all-rounder for England in the Test squad at the moment and he is not able to bowl. Ben Stokes has a terrific record as a fast bowler in Test cricket and is very near to the 200 Test wickets milestone, requiring only three wickets as he stands on 197 currently.

India is currently leading the five-match Test series by 2-1 and is aiming to seal the series in the fourth Test in Ranchi. England needs to win both Tests from here to win the Test series and it will be a difficult task for the visitors as it has been over a decade that India has lost a Test series at home.

They are aiming to win their 17th consecutive Test series at home by defeating England in the ongoing Test series. The hosts last lost a Test series at home in 2012 when England defeated India by 2-1 under Sir Alastair Cook.

The post “Ben Stokes won’t bowl..”- Brendon McCullum makes shocking revelation about England skipper appeared first on CricketAddictor.

India won the toss and elected to bat first, a decision which was not very pleasing for the first hour as India lost three wickets under an hour of the first session.

Skipper Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja joined hands and added 204 runs for the fourth wicket as Rohit Sharma smashed his 11th Test century scoring 131.

Ravindra Jadeja also slammed a ton scoring 112 in the first innings. Jadeja also won the Player of the Match for scoring a ton and taking a fifer in the innings.

England was shattered in the second innings as they conceded 430 runs with Yashasvi Jaiswal thrashing them everywhere to get his second double-century of the series and his Test career.

The 22-year-old youngster smashed 214 off 236 deliveries in the second innings which included 14 fours and 12 sixes. England were bundled for 122 in the second innings as Ravindra Jadeja took a fifer and got the man of the match.

Sir Geoffrey Boycott was not happy with England’s performance in the third Test in Rajkot. In his column for The Telegraph, he wrote, “England’s players can talk all they want about being entertainers, but winning is better. So much guff comes out of their dressing room about attacking bowlers, imposing themselves on whatever the situation is and that they will chase any target.” 

England opener Ben Duckett faces criticism from Geoffrey Boycott

“Ben Duckett was full of himself after his wonderful innings of 153 saying ‘The more runs we have to chase the better’. After their second innings collapse and massive defeat, his comments should embarrass him. If you are going to boast, be outrageously cocky, even arrogant, then you have to back it up with deeds, not words,” Boycott added.

Ben Duckett was the only good performer for England as he smashed 153 in the first innings but in the second innings, England collapsed massively leading to a 434-run defeat.

India is now leading the five-match series by 2-1 and they will be hoping to win the fourth Test to seal the series and win their 17th consecutive Test series at home. The fourth Test will be played at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium in Ranchi.

For Team India it was a memorable Test match in Rajkot as the youngsters and debutants stepped up and delivered when needed.

Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel made their Test debut and immediately made an impact in their first Test match. Sarfaraz Khan smashed half-centuries in both innings and Dhruv Jurel missed his half-century by just four runs in the first innings.

The post “Ben Duckett should be embarrassed of himself..- Former England legend slams the English batsman appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Stokes stated that the final call should be made on the ball’s trajectory and not the umpire’s initial decision. He said that if the ball is set to hit the stumps then an lbw dismissal should count.

As per the current rules, the original decision made by the on-field umpire is given precedence. If a batsman is given out lbw and he reviews the decision, he will have to walk back if the delivery is set to hit the stumps.

However, if he is given not out and the bowling team reviews the decision, the original decision is upheld if the ball is shown to be only clipping the stumps.

“You just want a level playing field. The umpires have an incredibly hard job as it is, especially in India when the ball is spinning. My personal opinion is if the ball is hitting the stumps, it is hitting the stumps. They should take away ‘umpire’s call’ if I’m being perfectly honest. I don’t want to get too much into it because it sounds like we are moaning and saying that is why we lost the Test match,” Stokes said after the Rajkot Test.

Ian Bishop on the umpire’s call:

While many have backed Ben Stokes’ call and have urged the ICC to scrap the umpire’s call rule, Ian Bishop has come up with a different opinion. Reacting to a recent post on X where the user stated that the ball tracking is a prediction and thus could lead to a small error, Ian Bishop said that the ICC has been explaining the rules to the players and the commentators for as long as he wrote:

“Paul, I percent agree with you. @MazherArshad has been reposting this done by @nassercricket for god knows how long now,, . The ICC have made an effort to get this view out to players and commentators. I’ve explained it for years.” Ian Bishop’s tweet read.

Paul, I percent agree with you. @MazherArshad has been reposting this done by @nassercricket for god knows how long now,, pic.twitter.com/VJ9eOteO9e. The ICC have made an effort to get this view out to players and commentators. I’ve explained it for years. https://t.co/xPxeQRBOk4

— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) February 19, 2024

In 2021, former England captain Nasser Hussain also explained the rule after former India captain Virat Kohli raised the same issue. He shared his views on the same recently too, telling Sky Sports:

“DRS is not there to back up the umpire but because of the margin for error in technology. Umpire’s call is needed as ball hasn’t hit the stumps, it is just a projection.

“The only thing that has changed is the tinkering of the law. Some of these lbws do look high but a few years ago umpire’s call was changed to include the top of the stumps as well,” added Hussain.

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Former England captain Nasser Hussain has heaped praise on the young Indian opener. While speaking to Sky Sports, Hussain stated that the English batsmen shall learn from Yashasvi Jaiswal. Nasser added that Jaiswal has had a lot to learn from his hard times and his upbringing. He said that under the current regime, there is no room for criticism but there is still to learn for England under the current management.

Nasser Hussain heaps praise on Yashasvi Jaiswal

Nasser Hussain said, “He has learnt from us, okay I am gonna touch on that. He has not learnt from you, he has learnt from as I say, his upbringing and all the hard yards he has had to put in growing up. He has learnt from the IPL, if anything lacks, I would look at him, learn from him.”

“Whatever they are saying in public and in that dressing room, and I hope they are going back to their room and a little bit of self-introspection, I think yeah I can look at that lad and learn from him and I can improve. Otherwise, it does become a cult doesn’t it, at times ‘bazball’ under this regime has been that you cannot criticise under or within.”

“This is the way we play, I go back to the Ashes series, and I reckon they have changed because of their skipper, the way he batted at Lord’s and I think there is still a lot to learn under this regime.”

Yashasvi Jaiswal has turned out to be a blessing for Rohit Sharma and Co. ever since he made his debut in international cricket. Jaiswal smashed a hundred on his Test debut against West Indies and has played a lot of inspiring knocks since then for India. Jaiswal wasn’t able to score runs during the last Test series against South Africa, however, the left-handed opener has come back strong and already smashed 2 double-hundreds in the ongoing series.

Yashasvi Jaiswal takes on the bowlers from the first ball and smashes the opposition to all parts of the ground. Jaiswal also allows his partners the freedom to play in their style and spend time on the crease. Jaiswal would be aiming to continue his dream form in the ongoing series and help India win the series.

India currently leads the five-match series by 2-1 and also made huge gains in the World Test Championship 2023-25 points table. The caravan of the series will move to Ranchi where the fourth Test match will be played next Friday. England have given tough competition to India in the series so far and would aim to do the same in the upcoming Test.

The post “Yashasvi Jaiswal hasn’t learnt from you..”- Nasser Hussain tears apart Ben Duckett appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former Australian batsman Matthew Hayden believes that India will win the five-match series against England after the record-breaking win in the Rajkot Test. While speaking to Star Sports, Hayden stated that it is India all the way out in the ongoing series and added that after seeing the result in Rajkot he understood why the Rohit Sharma-led side took a lot of energy out of the touring team.

Matthew Hayden predicts India vs England Test series scoreline

Matthew Hayden said, “I think it’s India all the way (the result of the series). I was looking at the result this morning and thought that India, as a touring side, is a challenge for this reason. It’s a battle of energy and conservation of that resource which is very limited.”

England were in a strong position to win the second IND vs ENG Test match at the end of Day 2. The Three Lions were 207/2 at the end of Day 2 in just 35 overs and showcased a brilliant example of attacking cricket. Ben Duckett had smashed a brilliant century and put the Indian team under pressure.

However, it was the Indian bowlers, who wrapped up the three lions within 120 runs on Day 3 and then put up a smashing batting display after leading by 132 runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal hammered the English bowlers to all the parts of the ground and smashed his second consecutive double hundred of the series.

While India set up a target of 557 runs for England to chase down in the second innings, the three lions fell off brutally against the Indian bowlers. Ravindra Jadeja led the script of India’s fabulous bowling display and picked up a five-wicket haul. The English batsmen lost 8 wickets for just 95 runs and went through a disastrous batting collapse.

India also made huge gains in the ongoing World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle after winning the third Test against England. The Indian team is currently placed in the 2nd spot of the WTC standings after New Zealand and would be aiming to play another final of the biggest Test event.

The fourth Test match gets underway at Ranchi’s JSCA Stadium next Friday. In addition to maintaining their 2-1 lead in the five-match series. The team captained by Rohit Sharma will aim to win both the series and the fourth Test in Ranchi.

England have showcased brilliant competition to India in the series so far. Also, they have played the Indian spinners pretty well, which is way better than they expected ahead of the series.

The pitch has also been an aspect of the ongoing IND vs ENG Test series. The surfaces have been friendly for the spinners, pacers, and batsmen, which has been essential in the current result of the series.

The post Matthew Hayden predicts India vs England Test series scoreline appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Brendon McCullum stated that his team had no regrets about losing the third Test match and would aim to move forward from the defeat and once again try to put India under pressure in the series. McCullum also added that probably they shall talk about the series decider on how entertaining will it be.

Brendon McCullum has no regret about losing 3rd IND vs ENG Test

Brendon McCullum said, “We’ll turn the page and go quids in again trying to put India under pressure. Hopefully, in seven or eight days, we’ll be talking about how exciting it is to be heading into a decider.”

England showcased a horrible batting collapse in the second innings of the third IND vs ENG Test match. The three lions lost their last eight wickets in the space of 95 runs and faced a horrible batting collapse. The form of Joe Root also remains a problem for the Ben Stokes-led side. Root was expected to be one of the highest run scorers for England in the ongoing series, however, his form and bad shot selection has become a matter of concern for the side.

Joe Root is mainly known to be an orthodox batsman who tends to play proper cricketing shots, however, as he tries to adapt to England’s ‘bazball’ approach, the Yorkshire batsman ends up playing unorthodox shots, which he is not used to playing and gets out.

While speaking up on Joe Root’s shot selections, Brendon McCullum stated that seeing Joe Root’s new avatar, cricket experts come and go by saying the right-handed batter is not able to do well under the new regime. He also insisted that what we want, is a normal Joe Root or an even better Joe Root, he added that if this happens, how many games will England win?

Brendon McCullum said, “People see a shot like that and go, ‘Joe Root is struggling to deal with this new regime’. His impact on the game is still very, very significant. Imagine if this becomes the norm for Joe as well, with the talent he possesses and the history he’s got. Then what’s the ceiling? Do we want just a normal Joe Root, or do we want an even better Joe Root? How many games are we going to win if that happens.”

The fourth Test match of the series begins at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi next Friday. India have strengthened their place in the World Test Championship 2023-25 standings whereas, they also lead the five-match series by 2-1. The Rohit Sharma-led side will want to win the fourth Test in Ranchi and also win the series.

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While Yashasvi Jaiswal scored an outstanding double century, his second in this series and career, Sarfaraz Khan too had a dreamy start to his Test career after receiving his maiden Test cap from the hands of the legend himself Anil Kumble on the first morning. The duo even batted together in 3rd innings, ensuring England got a target of over 500.

Before becoming teammates on the national side, both Sarfaraz and Jaiswal were teammates for Mumbai in the domestic circuit. They have played together on various occasions in Ranji Trophy and their chemistry in the middle was on display yesterday as both were complimenting each other.

In fact, they even got into a little argument after Yashasvi Jaiswal refused to take a double that could have taken Sarfaraz Khan to 49 but thankfully it was just a heated-up moment only in the game which didn’t really have any effect on their games. 

After Sarfaraz completed his half-century, Jaiswal followed up with a double century with the former celebrating pre-maturely and raising his bat in the air even before Jaiswal completed the single for his 200. They stitched together a partnership of 72 runs for the 6th wicket and it intrigued former Indian cricketer Madan Lal to say that the next generation is ready.

“This young generation is quite good, they have a lot of experience playing first class cricket, IPL cricket, they are not scared of hitting the ball. If you look at their batting style, they are much more positive. The way they play the shots, shows that they have a lot of confidence and that can only come when you play a lot of cricket. That’s the reason they are champions. The next generation is getting ready for India,” Madan Lal said via IANS. 

He also stated that if Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan are to continue doing this, they will have to ensure they remain consistent throughout to experience a long career. “Yashasvi has the class following his consistent performance and Sarfaraz needs to keep performing in the same manner as his journey has just begun.”

“These new kids have just started”, Madan Lal opines on Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan’s omission over Kohli and Rahul

Madan Lal was then asked how will the Indian team management go about in terms of managing the squad by having the likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer. To that, he responded that established players will always get the preference but highlighted that Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan’s presence for the team is good.

“I think, it’s a good sign, like you talk about KL, Virat and Shreyas, they have done a lot better. And these new kids have just started. So, preference will be given to the established players. They have won a lot of games for the country, inside or outside. It’s a good thing we have a good pool of talent, and those who are on the border line, will have to fight for their place” Madan Lal concluded. 

The post “They’re not scared…” – Madan Lal applauds Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan for sensational show in Rajkot appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Jaiswal’s knock yesterday that laid the foundation for India’s one-sided victory in the 3rd Rajkot Test intrigued his Rajasthan Royals teammate Jos Buttler to say he feels sorry for his national Test side, claiming “its a shame”.

In the third Test, Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed an unbeaten 214 that helped India propel to the historic victory, while simultaneously equaling the record for the most sixes in a Test innings. It was also India’s biggest-ever victory in a Test match since 2021 as the hosts doubled their lead in the 5-match series with a 434-run win.

His adaptability across formats has been evident since his debut in senior cricket. Notably, his emergence on the grand stage was heralded during the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) when he partnered with England’s limited-overs captain, Jos Buttler, at the top of the order for Rajasthan Royals.

The dominance of Yashasvi Jaiswal was unmistakable as he amassed 625 runs in 14 IPL matches at a staggering strike rate of 163.61, outshining even Buttler. Last year his aggression was such that he became the fastest half-centurion in IPL in just 13 balls, overtaking his senior KL Rahul who did so in 14 deliveries.

But his knocks in the ongoing Test series exemplify his ability to time his assaults to perfection. Despite a brief setback due to a back injury after reaching his first century, Jaiswal returned on Day 4 to further torment the English bowlers.

Partnering with Shubman Gill, he stitched a crucial 159-run partnership before resuming his onslaught, adding another 110 runs in quick succession. Jaiswal’s innings was punctuated by a remarkable display of power-hitting, including 12 towering sixes, which equaled a record previously held by the legendary Wasim Akram.

His monumental contribution wasn’t limited to the third Test alone. In the preceding match, Jaiswal’s 209-run masterpiece showcased his dominance, with Gill’s 34 being the next-highest score for India. Currently, he stands as the leading run-scorer in the series by a significant margin, amassing 545 runs in just six innings at an astonishing average of 109 and a brisk strike rate of 81.10.

“Getting everything he deserves”, Buttler wrote on Instagram, praising Yashasvi Jaiswal

Right after seeing Yashasvi Jaiswal smack those monstrous sixes and reach his 2nd double century of the series, Jos Buttler took to Instagram and wrote that even if he is happy for him, it’s quite hard for him to see him do all that against England. Buttler also made sure to give Jaiswal his flowers by saying that he deserves it as he has been extremely hard working.

“Shame he’s doing it against England but v hard not be so happy for @yashasvijaiswal28. Getting everything he deserves from his talent, hunger and work ethic. WHAT A STAR!” – Buttler wrote on his Instagram story. 

Jos Buttler about Yashasvi Jaiswal. (Rajasthan Royals). pic.twitter.com/QkK9snuumR

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 18, 2024

Meanwhile, the 4th Test between India and England starts from February 23rd onwards.

The post “Shame he’s doing it” – Jos Buttler on Yashasvi Jaiswal toying with England in ongoing Test series appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Former England cricketer Owais Shah believes that England would like Jasprit Bumrah to miss the fourth Test match set to be played later next week in Ranchi. Shah stated that the Three Lions would like a turning wicket because they have played well against the spinners in the series so far. He added that the visitors have faced problems in facing Jasprit Bumrah and believes that they will be happy if he is rested.

Owais Shah believes England won’t like to play Jasprit Bumrah in the fourth Test

Owais Shah said to Colors Cineplex, “I feel England will like a turning wicket because the way they have batted against spin in this series, they haven’t faced any difficulties. They have faced problems mostly against Jasprit Bumrah. I heard Bumrah is probably being rested for the next match. England will be happy if Jasprit Bumrah is rested.”

There are speculations that Jasprit Bumrah shall miss the fourth Test match as he may be rested for the sake of workload management. Bumrah has had an injury-prone career and remained out of international cricket for almost a year. Bumrah faced a back injury and went under his rehabilitation period at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.

Jasprit Bumrah has been in brilliant form since he returned to international cricket. Bumrah has made a tremendous comeback to the cricket field and has returned with more pace and accuracy. Bumrah has been brilliant with his yorkers and slower ones, which are his key strengths. He also picked up 21 wickets during the ODI World Cup 2023 and remained in the fourth spot on the list of leading wicket-takers.

Jasprit Bumrah has been in brilliant form in the ongoing Test series against England. Bumrah has picked up wickets with the new and the old ball. The ace Indian pacer has been able to showcase his brilliant ability of reverse swing and has struck on necessary occasions for the Indian team. Bumrah will once again aim to repeat his form against England in the fourth Test match and hand over the team another win.

India were able to achieve a record victory in the third Test match played at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. The hosts handed over a 434-run defeat to England and recorded their highest-ever win in Test cricket. India gained a 2-1 lead in the five-match series and now would be aiming to win the series in Ranchi by winning the fourth Test match.

India are currently placed in the second spot of the World Test Championship 2023-25 standings and would be aiming to move to the first spot and qualify for another final of the WTC.

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Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels for Yashasvi Jaiswal for not being able to get the Player of the Match even after scoring double-centuries in both the second and the third Test. He smashed 209 runs in the first innings at Vizag and then he wreaked havoc in Rajkot after a terrific double-century in the second innings. He was pipped for the Player of The Match by Jasprit Bumrah in the second Test who took nine wickets in the match and Ravindra Jadeja in the third Test who scored a century in the first innings and took a fifer in the second innings.

Sanjay Manjrekar, while speaking on ESPNcricinfo talked about Yashasvi Jaiswal’s special talent and good technique against the new ball and his transition to a T20 batter immediately after being set. He said that it was really tragic that he could not get a Player of the Match award because someone else had a much bigger impact than him on the match results.

“Yashasvi Jaiswal is a special talent that he can play defensively for 50 balls with good technique against the new ball and then unleashes and gets into T20 immediately. And the 12 sixes were very modern in that they were going into the stands. And it’s not only one range, he hit some mind-boggling shots. It’s really tragic that despite getting two double centuries, he doesn’t end up Player of the Match. Because Somebody else has more match-winning contributions,” said Manjrekar.

Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored three centuries in his Test career with all of them being above 150

Yashasvi Jaiswal made his debut in July 2023 against West Indies at Dominica and scored a century on his debut. He then had a terrible outing against South Africa where he failed in the two-match Test series but in the ongoing five-match Test series, he has had an impact in every match. In the first Test, he scored 80 in the first innings and then in the second, he scored 209 in Vizag. The third Test was perhaps the best as he scored 214* in the second innings to give a mammoth target of 557 to England.

India is currently leading the five-match Test series by 2-1 and India has a chance to seal the series in the fourth Test which will be played at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium in Ranchi. The hosts have not lost a Test series at home since 2012 and they are aiming to continue their unbeaten run at home by defeating England in the ongoing series. However, England can still win the series if they win the remaining two Test matches but it will be a difficult task for the visitors.

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Yesterday’s knock at the Niranjan Shah stadium in Rajkot where India claimed a 434-run victory over the English contingent, was perhaps the best we have seen from Yashasvi Jaiswal in his career until now. His double hundred yesterday was the 2nd time he did so in this series and it was also his 3rd 150+ score in Test cricket since making his debut in July 2023 during a 2-match series in the Caribbean.

Jaiswal had announced himself on the world stage with an emphatic 171 on his debut inning before 57 in the 2nd Test. The only time he could not score runs was in South Africa last month where he had scores of 17, 5, 0, and 28 across the two Tests in Centurion and Cape Town. To some extent, it was forgiven because the conditions were just too tough to bat and it was also his first instance of playing in those conditions that too against a formidable side like that.

But in the ongoing 5-match Test series against England, which is also his home debut red-ball series, Yashasvi Jaiswal has gone to a different level. He showed glimpses of that in Hyderabad, scoring a total of 95 across innings at Hyderabad where India lost by 28 runs.

However, in the 2nd Test, the 22-year-old smacked a wonderful 209 at Vishakhapatnam and then yesterday he scored another in Rajkot. On both occasions, India but Jaiswal won hearts and England’s 41-year-old seamer James Anderson is among those who are already in love with his style after getting smacked 3 sixes in a row yesterday.

“Fantastic young player. Haven’t seen much of him in Test match cricket. England fans didn’t see much of him before the series but now they have seen enough to know that he’s a special young talent. Very hungry for runs. He smacks the ball a long way, a powerfully built lad. He’s a modern T20 player who’s adapting to Test cricket and has the technique.” – Anderson said via Sky Sports. 

“When he gets in, he has all the shots”, Atherton on Yashasvi Jaiswal giving Jimmy Anderson a headache

Michael Atherton claimed that he has rarely seen James Anderson being treated like that after Yashasvi Jaiswal smashes back-to-back 3 sixes off Anderson’s over. To put it on record, Jaiswal is just the 2nd player since George Bailey in 2013 Ashes to hit 3 biggies off the Englishman’s over.

“When he gets in, he has all the shot. Jimmy Anderson is rarely treated with such disdain like he was this afternoon when he got taken for those three consecutive sixes. So he’s a very dangerous player and England need to work out a way to get him early if they can”. – Atherton told Sky Sports cricket. 

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Rohit Sharma got to know from some Mumbai players that Sarfaraz Khan can do the job in the middle order as the 26-year-old batter has a good amount of experience and has played a lot of domestic cricket. Sarfaraz Khan was unfortunately run out in the first innings after scoring 62 off 66 deliveries. He then went on to add 178 runs with Yashasvi Jaiswal in the second innings for the fifth wicket as he remained unbeaten on 68 off 72 deliveries. India won the third Test and took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series

Rohit Sharma shared his thoughts on Sarfaraz Khan’s impressive Test debut against England in the third Test and he admitted candidly that he has not seen him bat much but has heard about him from some Mumbai players. Sarfaraz Khan amassed 3912 runs in 65 innings at an average of 69.85 in first-class cricket before being included in the Test match. He slammed 14 centuries and 11 half-centuries which included a tripe hundred. He came into limelight after scoring 928 in nine innings at an average of 154 in the 2020 Ranji Trophy season

“I haven’t seen Sarfaraz bat that much. But all the people I’ve heard from, the players who are from Mumbai, (that) he’s made runs in a lot of difficult situations for Mumbai. He’s hungry for runs and for the last 4-5 years, he’s continuously made runs in domestic cricket, so (that means) he’s doing something good,” the Indian captain said.

Rohit Sharma did not discuss any plans with Sarfaraz Khan

On whether any specific instructions were given to the debutant, Rohit Sharma said, “We didn’t discuss any plans with him. Because I know that if you let him be, he’ll do his job, which I’ve heard from the players from Mumbai.” Sarfaraz went out to bat at No.6 in the first innings and he smashed nine boundaries and a six against English bowlers in the first innings.

In the second innings, Sarfaraz was a bit more aggressive as he slammed six fours and three sixes for his 68 off 72 deliveries. He was brilliant with the bat on his debut and has given some confidence to the team management and the captain that he is here to stay. India and England will now face each other in the fourth Test at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium in Ranchi.

India is currently leading the five-match Test series by 2-1 and they will be hoping to clinch the series by winning the fourth Test in Ranchi. However, England needs to win the match if they have to win the remaining two matches if they have to win the Test series against India and repeat 2012.

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India inflicted one of the heaviest defeats in the history of Test cricket on England, thrashing them by 434 runs to take the lead in the five-match series. It is India’s biggest win in terms of runs in red-ball cricket. Riding on Yashasvi Jaiswal‘s stunning double-century in the second innings, the hosts set England an improbable target of 557 runs. In reply, the tourists were bowled out for just 122.

Following the heavy defeat, several former cricketers believe that Ben Stokes & Co. cannot rely on a one-dimensional approach in Test cricket and need to play as per the situation. There have been calls from several quarters for the English team to stop being aggressive in all situations. Former England captain Michael Vaughan went as far as saying that England are disrespecting Test cricket by not playing for a draw.

Former captains slams England’s approach:

Michael Vaughan is not the only former English captain to criticize the team’s approach. Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton have also come down hard on Stokes & Co. for their one-dimensional approach in red-ball cricket. Writing in his column for the Daily Mail, Hussain stated:

“If England don’t consider tweaks, Bazball just becomes a cult that can’t be questioned. I am not asking them to alter their mantra, just to review the last couple of matches and ask themselves: ‘how can we improve?’”

On the other hand, Michael Atherton shared his views on opener Ben Duckett’s “the more the better” comments after the third day regarding a realistic target for his side.

“One can admire the positivity and playfulness of Ben Duckett and this England team — such were his comments on the third evening — while also questioning their occasional self-delusion,” Atherton wrote in the Times.

“Careful husbandry of resources is not the Bazball way. They have been profligate in the extreme in this match, wasting a golden opportunity to build on Duckett’s brilliant second-day hundred and to achieve parity or more on first innings.

They were forced to take some bitter medicine as a consequence on a stifling and totally demoralising fourth day in Rajkot,” he added.

England will be aiming to bounce back in the fourth Test. The penultimate match of the five-match series is scheduled to get underway on February 23 in Ranchi.

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Team India had their back against the wall as several key players were unavailable for the crucial game. While Virat Kohli was unavailable due to personal reasons, KL Rahul was not playing due to an injury. Shreyas Iyer was also not available for the game as the team management was forced to hand debuts to two players – Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel.

However, both the players impressed on their debut to help the team register a thumping 434-run win. Sarfaraz scored half-centuries in both the innings of the Test. On the other hand, Jurel played a fine knock of 46 runs in the first innings to help India post a 400-plus total.

Rohit Sharma praises youngsters:

Jurel also impressed with his wicketkeeping and came up with a brilliant effort to run out in-form Ben Duckett in the second innings.  Another youngster, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made his debut Test last year, also starred with the bat, scoring a stunning double century in the second innings of the Test. He smashed an unbeaten 214 runs off just 236 balls with the help of 14 fours and a record 12 sixes.

With the youngsters performing well and playing a key role in the win, Rohit Sharma, on Monday (February 19), praised them. The India captain took to Instagram to post a story in which he posted the photos of Sarfaraz, Jaiswal, and Jurel and wrote: “Ye Aajkal ke bacche” followed by clapping hands emojis.

Talking about the game, India set England a target of 557 runs before bowling them out for just 122. For England, only Mark Wood (33) managed to touch the 20-run mark with the bat. The 434-run win is India’s biggest win in terms of runs in Test.

Thanks to the win, India are now leading the series 2-1. With momentum on their side, the hosts would be aiming to wrap up the series by winning the fourth Test, scheduled to be played in Ranchi from February 23.

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The Rohit Sharma-led team clinched a 434-run victory over England in the third Test at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, securing a commanding 2-1 lead in the ongoing five-match series. India also achieved their biggest victory margin by runs in Test cricket.

Block Off The Areas England Have Been Scoring  – Stephen Harmison

India bundled out England for 122 while defending 556 runs. Ravindra Jadeja picked up a fifer in the second innings, including key batters Ollie Pope and Joe Root. Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin each picked up one.

A Smart Bit Of Captaincy – Stephen Harmison

Steve Harmison noted the increased pressure on the batter and the subsequent reliance on the sweep shot, which proved ineffective during this innings. He commended Rohit Sharma‘s captaincy and impressive bowling tactics for putting pressure on the England team.

“I think because of that the pressure put on the batter, then the turn to the sweep, and unfortunately for the sweep in this innings, just didn’t work. I thought that was a smart bit of captaincy and also fantastic bowling to put pressure on the England batting unit,” Harmison  stated.

Rohit Sharma Rescued India In First With Brilliant Century

India set a formidable total of 445 runs in their first innings, spearheaded by centuries from captain Rohit Sharma (131 off 196) and Ravindra Jadeja (112 off 225). Mark Wood showcased his bowling prowess by securing a four-wicket haul against the Indian batting lineup.

England were in a commanding position in the first innings, with a score of 224/2. However, their fortunes swiftly turned as they lost their final eight wickets for a mere 95 runs. The visiting team conceded a significant lead of 126 runs to the Rohit Sharma-led team.

The hosts made a strong declaration at 430/4 on the fourth day. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 214 runs from 236 deliveries, featuring 12 sixes and 14 boundaries. Shubman Gill narrowly missed out on a century, scoring 91 runs from 151 balls.

Sarfaraz Khan scored an unbeaten 68 from 72 deliveries, with the help of three sixes and six boundaries. England’s bowling unit faced difficulties in making significant breakthroughs, with Joe Root, Rehan Ahmed, and Tom Hartley each securing just one wicket apiece.

Also read: India under Rohit Sharma make historic first-ever declaration against England in ‘Bazball era’ during 3rd Test

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Ravindra Jadeja scored 112 off 125 deliveries in the first innings smashing nine fours and two sixes. He was sent above the likes of Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel to bat as he has a terrific record at this ground. Rajkot is Ravindra Jadeja’s home ground and he smashed his first century in Test cricket back in 2018 at this same ground against West Indies. He is currently the No.1 Test all-rounder as per the ICC rankings.

Ravindra Jadeja was recently in the news after his father made some serious allegations about Jadeja and his wife. It has been a tough time for Jadeja and his wife and Ravindra Jadeja has still stepped up the field and performed extremely well in the third Test match in front of his home crowd. He dedicated his Man of the Match award to his wife and thanked her for being always there for him and always giving him confidence.

He said, “This is a special Man of the Match at my home ground and I would like to dedicate this Man of the Match to my wife because she has been working hard behind me mentally and also she always gives me confidence.” It was a special Player of the Match award for Jadeja as he smashed a century and also took a fifer on his home ground.

Watch- Ravindra Jadeja dedicating his POTM award to his wife

 

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Ravindra Jadeja missed the second Test in Vizag due to a hamstring injury but he returned in the third Test and showed his all-round prowess in both innings with the bat and the ball. He has been brilliant in red-ball cricket and is the No.1 all-rounder in the ICC rankings. Jadeja once said that it was his dream to take a fifer and score a century in the same Test match and it has been achieved on his home ground.

India and England are facing each other in a five-match Test series where India is currently leading the series 2-1. The fourth Test match between India and England will be played at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium in Ranchi commencing on February 23, Friday.

India is yet to lose a Test series at home since 2012 when they were last defeated in a Test series in India by England which was led by Sir Alastair Cook at that time. India has won 16 consecutive home Test series and is looking to win this one against England to make it 17.

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The opening batsman starred with the bat as India thrashed England by a record margin of 434 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored his second double century in as many Tests to lead India’s charge with the bat in the second innings.

He became just the third Indian batsman to score double-centuries in consecutive Tests. The other two Indians to achieve this feat are Vinod Kambli and Virat Kohli. After scoring 104 runs on day three of the Test, he had to retire hurt due to discomfort in his back.

He returned to the crease on day four and just blew England away. The southpaw was on a six-hitting spree in his innings as he smashed a record 12 sixes including 3 in a row against James Anderson. He now jointly holds the record for hitting most sixes in a Test innings.

Alastair Cook on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s six-hitting spree:

With Yashasvi Jaiswal hitting a dozen sixes during his stunning knock, Alastair Cook praised him in a hilarious manner, telling TNT Sports: “Yashasvi Jaiswal hit more sixes in an innings than I did in my entire career.”

Cook was indeed right with his comment. One of England’s greatest-ever Test batsmen, Cook hit 11 sixes in his illustrious career, one less than what Yashasvi Jaiswal hit in just one innings. He retired after scoring a staggering 12,472 runs in the longest format of the game.

Meanwhile, Team India hit a record 28 sixes in the third Test which is now the most by any team in a Test. The previous record was also held by them for hitting 27 sixes against South Africa in 2019. Thanks to the win in the third Test, India have taken the lead in the series for the first time. They lost the first Test before winning the second and third Tests. The fourth game is scheduled to be played from February 23 in Ranchi.

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Ravichandran Ashwin was just 10 wickets shy of that elite list before the start of the 5-match Test between India and England with the 1st Test taking place from 25th January onwards at the Rajiv Gandhi stadium in Hyderabad. Over there, Ashwin collected 3 wickets each across innings before India lost by 28 runs in the most dramatic of fashions.

Ashwin needed another 4 in the 2nd Test but he actually remained wicketless throughout the course of England’s 1st innings with the bat even after bowling 12 overs. But thankfully he didn’t remain wicketless throughout the match as he made sure to collect at least 3 wickets during England’s unsuccessful chase of 399 in Vishakhapatnam where India equaled the series with a 106-run victory.

He needed just 1 now heading into the Rajkot Test and the stage was perfectly set for him at the Niranjan Shah stadium. After Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, and Sarfaraz Khan had lit up the 1st innings with their bat by setting up a total of 445, it was up to Ravichandran Ashwin to continue India’s firm dominance in the game.

And so he did by fooling Zak Crawley and inviting him to play the sweep shot before the flighted delivery took a top edge and landed to the short fine leg fielder Rajat Patidar. Everyone watching at the stadium rose to their feet even the ever-entertaining Barmy Army.

But what followed later that day after day 2 concluded was something none of us saw coming. A late-night confirmation from the BCCI informed that Ravichandran Ashwin is leaving the 3rd Test due to a medical emergency in his family and was initially unlikely to return for that match.

However, by the grace of god, Ashwin returned in time for day 4 during India’s defense of 557 and also scalped his 501st Test scalp before India claimed its biggest Test win by 44 runs.

“Longest 48 hours of our lives”, Ravichandran Ashwin’s wife explains the journey from 500th to 501st wicket

After India’s historic win, Ravichandran Ashwin’s wife Prithi wrote a long paragraph, describing how things panned out in their family when he had to return mid-way through the 3rd Test. She explained that Ashwin’s journey from 500th to 501st Test wicket was the longest 48 hours they had ever experienced, before expressing her pride for her husband.

“500. We chased the 500 to Hyderabad, it didn’t happen. To Vizag, it didn’t happen. So I just bought a ton of sweets and gave it to everyone at home at 499. 500 came and went quietly. Till it didn’t. A lot happened between 500 and 501. Longest 48 hours of our lives. But this is about the 500. And the 499 before that. What a phenomenal achievement. What a phenomenal guy. I am insanely proud of you,” Prithi Ashwin wrote on Instagram.

 

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Jasprit Bumrah grabbed a match figure of 2/72 as he took a wicket in both innings. However, he was not being attacked and English batters were playing him cautiously, especially in the second innings. He is currently the highest wicket-taker in the series with 17 wickets at an average of 13.65 which includes a best of 6/45 in the second Test in Vizag. Jasprit Bumrah was out of Test cricket for almost more than a year and he has been back to the format with a bang.

Since Bumrah’s return to Test cricket, he has taken two four-fers and two six-fers and has been magnificent in his bowling. Jasprit Bumrah has been a great bowler and has the best average among Test players with more than 150 wickets and who have played cricket after World War 1. India is lucky to have someone like Jasprit Bumrah in the squad. He is currently the No.1 bowler in Test cricket as per the ICC rankings.

During the last innings of the third Test, Jasprit Bumrah was heard taking a jibe at the English batters as he was heard saying “Ab toh maar hi nahi rahe hai (They are not attacking at all).”  Jasprit Bumrah has been always heard having some fun with the players and he has been troubling Joe Root in the ongoing series. It was Joe Root at the crease when he sledged the English batters using those words.

Watch- Jasprit Bumrah takes a jibe at the English batters during the third Test

missed it live but this has ended me, how does he sound polite even when sledging https://t.co/5nHkVdoPhv pic.twitter.com/2DC9ND0HJA

— Rahul (@exceedingxpuns) February 19, 2024

Jasprit Bumrah is having a great series and India would like to have him completely fit for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024. He missed the last edition of the T20 World Cup due to an injury and now is expected to have full participation in the tournament. Meanwhile, India is facing England in a five-match Test series at home and is currently leading the series 2-1. The fourth Test of the series will commence on February 23, Friday at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium in Ranchi.

India has not lost a Test series at home since 2012 and is looking to continue their unbeaten run by defeating England in the ongoing five-match Test series. The two teams will move to Dharamsala after the fourth Test where the conditions will be favourable for fast bowlers and England can take some advantage of the cold conditions there in the fifth Test.

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In the video that was uploaded on the official website of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earlier today, the Indian players can be seen filled up with joy and express their feelings on how the victory in Rajkot tasted like. Of course, it was sweet but it had its bitterness as well.

The Indians started off the Test match on not such a high note as they were reduced to 3 wickets for just 33 runs on the first morning. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Rajat Patidar all faltered against Mark Wood and Tom Hartley and it was starting to look as if things were going to take an unexpected turn in favor of the English contingent.

However, it was Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja who led from the front, taking India from 33 to 237 before the Indian skipper walked off for 131 and the latter departed after 112-run innings at his home ground, ensuring the hosts posted something over 400 before England got bowled out for 319.

Then in the 3rd innings, it was a masterclass from the bats of Yashasvi Jaiswal who scored his second double hundred, Shubman Gill whose 91-run effort also counted while Sarfaraz Khan provided the finishing touches with his 68 at a strike rate of 94.

So there were evidently many turning points in the game and this is what the Indian players and coaching staff had to say.

“Played in India, won a Test match, defeated England. So I’m feeling very good and the turning point was obviously Yashasvi Jaiswal’s double hundred and its exceptional the way he has batted throughout the series, so I think that was the turning point.” – Dhruv Jurel told BCCI.tv

“I thought the partnership between Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja in the 1st innings. After 33/3 we were in a tricky situation but the way those two responded, senio pros of the team, I think that was great to see.” – Vikram Rathour said. 

“If I had to pick a certain session then definitely on day 3, how we cameback with the ball, that session that 1 hour was the turning point for us.” – said Shubman Gill. 

“Very hard to just name a few moments”, Rohit Sharma on India’s 434-run victory

Then finally it was the turn of India captain Rohit Sharma, who in his own style stated that it was hard to choose a particular moment of the match, claiming that it was a collective effort.

“Like I said, very hard to just name very few moments where went through the line but I think it was an overall effort, the last 4 days we played were superb.” – Rohit concluded.

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In the third Test at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, India clinched a massive 434-run victory, marking their largest-ever win margin in Test cricket. Despite the absence of key players such as KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, the Indian team took a 2-1 lead in the ongoing home series.

Watch – KL Rahul Visits Sree Siddaganga Mutt In Tumkur

Ahead of the fourth Test, KL Rahul visited the Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur with his parents, participating in darshan and religious rituals to seek blessings for his upcoming endeavours.

KL RAHUL VISITS SREE SIDDAGANGA MUTT IN TUMKUR AHEAD OF 4th TEST.

For more stories and videos, visit the Sports Tak websitehttps://t.co/H5XWuscXHH@klrahul #KLRahul #SREESIDDAGANGAMUTT #INDvsENGTest #RanchiTest #SportsTak pic.twitter.com/gtBay9K6WU

— Sports Tak (@sports_tak) February 19, 2024

Watch: Enthusiastic Fans Surround KL Rahul

While Rahul headed to his car, enthusiastic fans mobbed him to capture photos of the cricket star. A fan recorded the scene and shared the footage on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).

Eeroju Tumkur lo @klrahul annani chala daggarundi chusa pic.twitter.com/tbDgbtUIsu

— (@Akhilrc18_) February 18, 2024

Devdutt Padikkal Replaced KL Rahul In Squad For Third Test

In a statement released by the BCCI on February 12, it was announced that Devdutt Padikkal would replace Rahul for the third Test. The board mentioned that Rahul has been progressing to regain full fitness at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

“Mr. Rahul has reached 90 per cent of match fitness and is progressing well under the supervision of the BCCI Medical Team. He will continue his recovery process at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to be completely match-fit for the fourth and fifth Test.

“The Men’s Selection Committee named Devdutt Padikkal as KL Rahul’s replacement for the third Test, starting February 15, 2024,” the release added.

KL Rahul Likely To Replace Rajat Patidar In Playing XI

Rahul complained of pain in his right quadriceps during the first Test in Hyderabad. In his absence, young batters Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan made their Test debuts. Sarfaraz impressed immediately by scoring fifties in both innings of his third Test match in Rajkot.

Meanwhile, Patidar has yet to make a significant impact in his four innings. Rahul might replace Patidar if he regains full fitness for the next match, scheduled to be played at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi, starting on Friday, February 23.

KL Rahul scored 86 in the first innings of the opening Test in Hyderabad and 22 in the second innings. However, the home team suffered a disappointing 28-run defeat in the series opener, despite taking a substantial 190-run lead in the first innings of the match.

The team might rest pacer Jasprit Bumrah at Ranchi to preserve his freshness for the final Test of the series. Akash Deep is a potential replacement. Alternatively, India may include an extra spinner like Axar Patel, considering the spin-friendly nature of the Ranchi track.

Also read: KL Rahul set to return for 4th Test, Rajat Patidar likely to make way: Report

The post Watch: KL Rahul mobbed by enthusiastic fans as he visits Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur ahead of the 4th Test appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed a double hundred in Vizag when he scored 209 in the first innings of the second Test and now in the third Test, he has again shown his excellence in batting as he smashed another double ton in the third Test. He has got three centuries in his Test career and all of them are scores above 150 which is a phenomenal feat. However, very few people know about one of the hidden talents that Yashasvi Jaiswal possesses.

Apart from being an extraordinary batter, Yashasvi Jaiswal can also roll his arm as a leg-spinner and according to legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble, he has a natural bowling action that he can develop as an added arsenal to his batting prowess. Yashasvi Jaiswal has taken seven wickets in 13 innings in List A cricket and has also bowled a few times in First-Class cricket. India currently lacks a part-time bowler and Yashasvi Jaiswal is ready to step up and take the role.

“Well done on your batting. But one thing that I have seen which I want you to continue as well is that you have a natural leg spin. Yes, and action. So don’t give up on that. Because you never know when that will come in handy. know you’ve had a back spasm, but when you’re working so much on it. Go tell the skipper to give a few overs,” Anil Kumble told Jaiswal on Jio Cinema.

Rohit Sharma has told Yashasvi Jaiswal to be ready for bowling

“I’m always going and bowling, bowling and bowling. He (Rohit) told me to be ready, and I said yes I am ready,” Jaiswal responded. Yashasvi Jaiswal can be seen bowling in the next Test match if the captain finds an opportunity to use him as a part-time leg-spinner. Jaiswal is great at batting and if he can roll his arm for a few overs it will be an added benefit for the player and as well as the team.

India and England are facing each other in a five-match Test series and India is leading the series 2-1 currently. The hosts lost the first Test by 28 runs in Hyderabad but then made a sensational comeback in the second and third Test respectively. They won the second Test by 106 runs in Vizag and then went on to win the third Test by 434 runs in Rajkot.

The hosts have not lost a Test series at home since the defeat against England in 2012 and they are expecting to continue their unbeaten run by defeating England in this series. The fourth Test will commence on February 23, Friday at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium in Ranchi.

The post ‘Tell Rohit Sharma to give a few overs’ – Anil Kumble urges Yashasvi Jaiswal to continue bowling his leg-spin appeared first on CricketAddictor.