Injury to Shadab Khan hurts hosts as Ravi Bopara’s 88 not out goes in vain

ECB Reporters Network26-May-2023Tom Kohler-Cadmore led the way with 72 as Somerset made it two wins from two in the Vitality Blast, chasing down a target of 184 to beat Sussex Sharks by five wickets with three balls to spare at the 1st Central County Ground.The game had been held up for nearly ten minutes in the seventh over of the Somerset reply when Nathan McAndrew and debutant Shadab Khan collided on the Hove outfield going for a high catch offered by Kohler-Cadmore.Both players spent several minutes on the ground receiving treatment from Sussex’s medical staff before being helped to their feet. McAndrew was able to bowl his four overs after passing a concussion protocol but Khan, the Pakistan legspinner who was making his Sussex debut, had to leave the field.Sussex coach Paul Farbrace said, “Shadab is okay, although he’s got a bit of a sore neck. The doctor felt it was best to take him out of the game. We tried to replace him with Henry Crocombe but the match referee said it had to be like-for-like which is why Harrison Ward came on. It could have been a lot worse but that can happen when you’ve got two committed players going for the same ball in a swirling wind. The good thing is they are both okay.”It left Sussex skipper Ravi Bopara, who had earlier scored an unbeaten 88, without one of his key bowlers and with Fynn Hudson-Prentice’s 2.3 overs costing 51 runs Bopara was left with little room for manoeuvre, especially when Kohler-Cadmore started to move through the gears.Kohler-Cadmore, who joined Somerset from Yorkshire during the winter, relished a flat pitch and fast outfield as he shared a match-winning stand of 104 off 63 balls with skipper Tom Abell. Kohler-Cadmore hit five sixes and five fours from 42 deliveries and when he was caught off Tymal Mills trying to guide the ball over third, the target was down to 22 from four overs.Abell was run out off the final ball of the penultimate over for 42 with both he and Lewis Gregory stranded at the same end, but Gregory hit the second ball of the final over for four to seal the deal for Somerset.Until he lost one of his key bowlers, Bopara must have thought his innings would have been the difference. The 38-year-old had warmed up for the Blast by scoring 144 from 49 balls in a second team match against Middlesex on Tuesday, and although there was never any danger of a repeat against an experienced Somerset attack he played superbly nonetheless.In his 440th game in the format, Bopara came in after Sussex had lost Tom Clark and Tom Alsop in Craig Overton’s first two overs and he barely played a false shot until the last over when Abell dropped a difficult diving catch at midwicket.Bopara hit seven sixes and three fours with principal support coming from Ali Orr who scored 33 including three successive boundaries off Matt Henry before he was superbly caught one-handed in his follow through by Gregory.Michael Burgess helped Bopara add 57 in 42 balls for the fifth wicket but the total swelled when Henry was taken for 16 off the last four deliveries of the innings as Bopara swung him over midwicket for six off a no-ball and guided the free hit to the backward point boundary.Despite losing Will Smeed in the second over, Somerset had 50 on the board after four thanks to Tom Banton’s assault on Hudson-Prentice whose over went for 29, including successive sixes.Banton was well caught by the diving Orr trying to help a bumper from Mills over long leg but after the delay, with a second Hudson-Prentice over costing 16 as Kohler-Cadmore hit him for successive sixes, Somerset always had the chase under control.

Ricky Ponting wants India to play as many X-factor players as possible if they want to have an edge over Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Like Ishan Kishan, who, Ponting feels, is a stronger bet than KS Bharat to play as the wicketkeeper-batter in the absence of Rishabh Pant, and Suryakumar Yadav.Speaking on the latest episode of the ICC Review podcast, Ponting said his India XI at the WTC final would also include both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, with Jadeja playing primarily as a batter at No. 6, with Suryakumar above Jadeja in the middle order.”If I was them [India], knowing the importance of this game – and you have to win this Test match – I’d be going with Ishan Kishan in this game,” Ponting said. “He provides that little bit of X-factor that you need when you might be pushing for a win in a Test match. Obviously, if Rishabh Pant is fit, he is playing, and he provides that X-factor for India. But with him not being there, and this is no blot on Bharat whatsoever, but I think Kishan just provides that little bit more X-factor, who’d do a good job with the gloves but can provide that really high-scoring run rate that is required in a one-off Test match to push for a win.Related

• Jaiswal replaces Gaikwad as stand-by player for WTC final

• Ponting: Australia have a 'slight advantage' at The Oval

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• Hazlewood included in Australia's WTC final squad

“I’d be going with as many X-factor players as I could and put some real pressure back on Australia.”Neither Kishan nor Suryakumar are Test regulars. Kishan is yet to make his Test debut, though he was in the squad for the home Test series against Australia earlier this year, while Suryakumar played his only Test in that same series, making eight runs the only time India batted in Nagpur, where they won by an innings and 132 runs on their way to a 2-1 series win.Both players, however, have decent first-class records.While Suryakumar has scored 5557 runs in 80 first class games at an average of 44.45, Kishan has 2985 in 48 matches, averaging 38.76. They have both, however, made their names mainly as explosive short-format batters.While Ponting did not elaborate on why he wanted Suryakumar to bat at No.5, he did say he was happy to see Ajinkya Rahane back in the Test fold.Rahane, India’s No. 5 until he was dropped in early 2022, had a good domestic season (2022-23) where he finished as Mumbai’s highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy with 634 runs in seven matches at 57.63. Rahane also surprised many watchers with his aggressive stroke play as a top-order impact batter for Chennai Super Kings in the latest IPL.”Jinks (Rahane) has had an incredible IPL as well. It’s funny, isn’t it, how IPL runs can now get you picked back into a Test match squad,” Ponting said. “Jinks has been on the outer for the last couple of years in Test cricket, but everyone saw how confident he looked and how well he played in the IPL and that was enough to get him back in.”I think they will pick Jadeja and Ashwin because Jadeja can hold that No. 6 batting spot”•BCCI

“He has been there and done it before in Test cricket. It was probably a bigger hurdle for him to climb to get back into playing really good T20 cricket than it is for him to go back and play good Test cricket. His make-up is much more suited to the Test game than it is to T20 cricket. He has rediscovered some confidence and if he does get picked, I won’t be surprised to see him get runs in that Test match.”He has always been a really high-quality player and we saw him even with his leadership qualities here in Australia, in that last series to turn things around.”The 15-man India squad has three frontline spinners – all of them spin-bowling allrounders – in Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar Patel. While Axar has showed consistency across formats in recent months, Ponting expects India to opt for Ashwin and Jadeja purely because of the nature of the pitch at The Oval, where the Test will be played from June 7 to 11.”I think they will pick Jadeja and Ashwin because Jadeja can hold that No. 6 batting spot,” Ponting said. “His batting has improved that much that they can pick him as a batter now that might just bowl a few overs if required. There is no doubt that Ashwin is a more skilled and better Test bowler than what Jadeja is, but if Jadeja can hold down that batting spot and then as the game goes on, getting into the fourth and fifth day, if it does start to turn, then you have got that really high-class second spin bowling option if required.”Historically, the Oval pitch has been a very good batting wicket. It’s generally offered something for the fast bowlers on day one, not a lot. But I have also played some games there where it has turned a lot. If it starts a little bit dry, it can turn a lot.”

Alex Davies, Rob Yates fire chase of 147 before Ben Raine gives Durham a glimmer

ECB Reporters Network20-Jun-2023

Jacob Bethell held his nerve under pressure in the final over to guide Birmingham Bears to a two-wicket victory over Durham in a thriller at Seat Unique Riverside, keeping the visitors on top of the Vitality Blast North Group.The Bears were miserly with the ball after winning the toss. Hasan Ali was excellent at the top of the order and collected figures of 2-15 from his four overs, while Danny Briggs also claimed two strikes. Ollie Robinson and Ashton Turner notched fifties, but Durham’s total of 146 for 5 looked short of par at the interval.Alex Davies and Rob Yates led an explosive start to the Bears’ chase, sharing an opening stand of 80 to put the visitors ahead of the rate. But, Nathan Sowter continued his impressive campaign with two wickets to halt the Birmingham charge. Ben Raine then set nerves jangling with two in two in the 17th over and he performed heroics again with the same feat in the 19th.The game turned again when Bethell held his composure from the final over to smash a six and a four in back-to-back balls to steer Birmingham over the one with three balls to spare, edging them closer to a quarter-final berth.After Graham Clark scored three early boundaries, Durham’s momentum was halted by losing both openers within three balls. Chris Woakes made the breakthrough on his return as Alex Lees was undone by a slower delivery before Clark was bowled by Hasan.Hasan produced a brilliant spell with the new ball, bowling three overs for the cost of just seven runs, limiting the hosts to 29 from the powerplay.The Bears continued to restrict the Durham batting ranks as the run rate hovered at just below six an over. The pressure to score allowed Briggs to strike in successive deliveries. Michael Jones was caught on the fence by Jake Lintott, who produced a clever catch on the rope to prevent a maximum, while Brydon Carse fell first ball.At 60 for 4, the hosts could ill afford to lose further wickets. Robinson and Turner duly responded with an excellent partnership worth 86 to allow Durham to post a competitive total. Turner found his timing against the Birmingham spinners and raced to his half-century from only 29 balls with seven fours and slog-sweep six against Lintott.Robinson was more sedate compared to his team-mate, but still brought up his fourth fifty of the season with a massive strike over the rope against Woakes. He tried to add another off the final ball from Hasan, only to be caught on the relay by Lintott and Ed Barnard.Birmingham had no difficulty adjusting to the pitch in the powerplay and made the chase seem straightforward. Davies and Yates found the boundary with ease without taking risks, racing to fifty after 4.2 overs. The Bears were a staggering 37 runs ahead of the home side at the end of the powerplay, ending the opening six overs 66 without loss.Davies and Yates both fell for 40 as Liam Trevaskis and Wayne Parnell prevented the visitors from racing away with the chase. On his 400th T20 appearance, Glenn Maxwell’s attempt to reverse-sweep Sowter to the rope ended his knock for 14 and the legspinner sent Dan Mousley on his way to put the pressure on.Raine set up a tense finale by matching Briggs’ exploits removing Chris Benjamin and Ed Barnard in successive deliveries. The right-armer then performed similar heroics to dismiss Woakes and Hasan with two in two in the 19th. But, Bethell dispatched Trevaskis for a six and four to guide his team to victory in the final over.

Fringe Test quick Scott Boland will undergo scans on his knee after pulling up sore while bowling for Victoria in the Sheffield ShieldThe 34-year-old left the field after being unable to complete his 17th over on day one of Victoria’s clash with South Australia at the Junction Oval.”He’s got pain in his anterior knee/knee tendon,” a Cricket Victoria spokesperson said. “Precautionary MRI but we’re confident that he’ll bowl in the second innings.”Spinner Todd Murphy, who played six Tests in 2023, stepped up to bowl the final ball of the over after Boland had sent down five deliveries before going off.Boland has not played for Australia since the third Test of last year’s Ashes, but has remained around the squad during the summer.An injury would put Boland in doubt for Australia’s tour of New Zealand, with the first of two Tests starting in Wellington on February 29.Mitch Perry produced a brilliant piece of fielding run out Liam Scott•Getty Images

The 2021 Boxing Day Test hero claimed figures of 1 for 33 against the Redbacks, dismissing opener Jake Carder, who hung around for 131 balls to make 17 – he did not reach double figures until hitting his first boundary from the 120th ball he faced.Victoria were blazing towards securing a vital Shield win after completely dominating day one. They more than made the most of captain Peter Handscomb’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss.Traditionally one of the best batting wickets in the country, the Junction Oval offered plenty for the bowlers as the Redbacks were skittled for 173.SA’s top-order endured a torrid start, crawling to 9 for 3 after 19 overs. The run-rate increased slightly after lunch as Ben Manenti, Harry Nielsen and captain Jake Lehmann helped the visitors post a total that looked well beyond them early in the day.Mitchell Perry was the pick of Victoria’s bowlers with 3 for 43, while Xavier Crone finished with 3 for 46. Perry also produced a brilliant piece of work in the field to run out Liam Scott.In reply, Victoria raced to 71 for 0 stumps with Nic Maddinson and Marcus Harris at the crease.

Afghanistan have nine wickets left as they seek to wipe out the 42 runs remaining in their deficit

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Feb-2024Afghanistan came surging back into the Test on day three, first polishing off the Sri Lanka tail quickly, before Ibrahim Zadran put up big stands with Noor Ali Zadran and Rahmat Shah, as he completed a valiant maiden Test century.Ibrahim and Shah remained unbeaten at the close, which means Afghanistan have nine wickets left as they seek to wipe out the 42 runs remaining in their deficit, and establish a lead that will test Sri Lanka. The surface had not yet begun to take ripping turn, and remained excellent for batting. But Afghanistan do have two spinners in their attack – albeit very inexperienced – who may be able to exploit what assistance there is.Sri Lanka will rue their missed chances. Ibrahim had been on 39 when he came down the pitch to smash a Prabath Jayasuriya delivery straight back to the bowler, who let it burst through his fingers and on to the boundary for four. The easier of the chances came to Nishan Madushka at short mid on when Ibrahim was on 63. This was again struck hard, but at a catchable height near his head. He got his hands up, but couldn’t quite wrap his fingers around the ball.Related

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Sri Lanka’s bowlers were largely disciplined, even if they could not coax life out of a pitch that had become good for batting. Asitha Fernando was the best of them, delivering some excellent bursts of short-pitched bowling, as well as some outstanding fuller deliveries, one of which yielded the only Afghanistan wicket to fall – that of Noor, for 47.But the day belonged to Ibrahim. He had his outside edge occasionally beaten with the new ball and was scoreless for 14 deliveries, but once he got moving, he kept a steady tempo. His first runs were via a glance to the fine leg boundary, but early in his innings he was mostly strong in the arc between cover and mid off. Between the boundaries, which came principally off full and slightly wide deliveries, there was a substantial diet of singles all around the wicket. Ibrahim took 84 balls to get into his 30s. During his 106-run partnership with Noor, the primary goal seemed to be to bat time.The half-century came off the last over before tea, and in the evening Ibrahim consolidated. He was hitting boundaries through long on and midwicket now. Sri Lanka attempted all sorts of catching men to try and lure a mistake, but aside from that dropped chance on 63, Ibrahim found ways to progress without taking risks. He was mostly only trying to hit fours off the bad deliveries – usually ones that were overpitched. He got to his hundred – the fourth ever for Afghanistan – off the last over of the day.Asitha Fernando removed Noor Ali Zadran•AFP/Getty Images

Noor’s innings, in contrast to Ibrahim’s was troubled, but he nevertheless stuck it out for 136 deliveries and fell only three runs short of what would have been a maiden fifty on debut. He was particularly uncomfortable against Asitha’s burst of bouncers soon after lunch, but he survived it narrowly, and it would only be in the third session that Asitha would get him out, pinging him in front of leg stump with a fast, full delivery. Noor made the majority of his runs behind the wicket – a reflection, partly, of how short Sri Lanka bowled to him.Rahmat, who got to 46 off 98 before stumps, and was part of a 93-run unbeaten partnership with Ibrahim, made all but 11 of his runs on the offside. He was strong down the ground, especially, finding thre of his five boundaries there.Sri Lanka’s attack was upset by a blow to Chamika Gunasekara, who in the morning was hit on the head, seemed to suffer the effects a few overs after he was hit, and was taken off the field and to further tests in hospital. Kasun Rajitha, who replaced him as concussion substitute, was the most expensive of Sri Lanka’s bowlers on Sunday, going at 4.30 across his 10 overs.The others were more disciplined, even if only Asitha seriously threatened to take wickets through much of the day. Jayasuriya will be especially disappointed he has nothing in the wickets column after delivering 32 overs, though nine of those were maidens.Early in the day, Afghanistan had claimed three wickets for 39 to close out Sri Lanka’s first innings at 439. The most important wicket of the morning was the first – that of Sri Lanka’s last recognised batter Sadeera Smarawickrama, who edged Naveed Zadran to gully.The two next wickets were not long in falling. Naveed hit the top of Jayasuriya’s off stump before, next over, Nijat Masood bowled Asitha Fernando first ball, with Asitha having come in after Gunasekara retired hurt.Naveed’s take for the innings was 4 for 83. Masood and Qais Ahmed claimed two wickets apiece.

It was another famous Gujarat Titans victory, in front of a home crowd of over eighty thousand

Alagappan Muthu24-Mar-2024

Keep your eyes on Shubman Gill. The captain. With Mumbai Indians on 107 for 2 after 12 overs, chasing 169, he barracked his team to get back in the game. And boy, did they ever.A batting line-up that is the envy of the T20 world came undone even with conditions pretty much in their favour, with two set batters at the crease and dew all over the park. And Titans, who had less than 8% chance of victory, went on to achieve a famous one. Or maybe it isn’t. Because they keep doing this. They keep defying the odds.Here they had their former captain – the one who built them into IPL winners – give them a huge scare. Hardik Pandya went 6 and 4 to start the last over when 19 were required. He looked in the mood. His old coach Ashish Nehra, who spent a vast majority of the chase patrolling the boundary, issuing instructions – seemingly spoon-feeding Spencer Johnson what he had to do in a 19th over that produced two of the five wickets that fell in the last 13 balls – turned away. He couldn’t watch.But he should have. Because Umesh Yadav, who doesn’t really bowl at the death, took full advantage of the two-bouncers-an-over rule and sent one up at Hardik’s right ear, which, even with his power, only went as far as the fielder at long-on. Eighty thousand and eighty one people roared in unison. They sensed it. They sensed that yet another incredible win was theirs.Pace off, game onThis game turned between overs 13 and 17 in the chase. Because only one of them yielded more than a-run-a-ball.R Sai Kishore, who doesn’t always make the Titans XI but has never come across like he’s been on the outside looking in, produced a very mature performance. He took out Rohit Sharma with some style, slowing his pace right down, pulling his length right back, and having an excellent player of spin so badly reaching for the ball that he fell over in his crease as he played the sweep.Sai Kishore picked up the all-important wicket of Rohit Sharma•BCCI

Rashid Khan took over from there on and created a moment that signalled the shifting of the balance. Mumbai’s best power-hitter, Tim David, was hidden from the strike because he has been averaging 7.6 against legspin since IPL 2022. This was the 17th over and the required rate was still in the eight-and-a-bit range. The batting side had six wickets in hand. They really shouldn’t have been under pressure with an equation like that.But they were and the wickets as a result of that pressure went to Mohit Sharma, who is a wonderful case study because his biggest strength goes against his job description. The fast bowler who is far more dangerous when he bowls his slower ball. That came in very handy on a two-paced pitch. He dismissed David with an offcutter-boucner that rose up to the batter’s helmet and took away all his power.A Titans comeback, which only ever looked fanciful till then, became reality.The story of the first inningsThe Titans innings was a bit staccato. Five of their 20 overs produced five or fewer runs. Four others produced 60 – including 30 back-to-back from the 10th and 11th – and 19 from the 18th over where Luke Wood lost his plans. The field was set for the slower ball, his slower ball went for six, he went for pace, and it was too easy for Rahul Tewatia with third in the circle. A two-paced pitch – which kept low too at times – was creating this kind of game.Gill made a fast start (31 off 22) and Sai Sudharsan (45 off 39) kept away the doubt that fills a batter’s mind when very few of the shots they play go for boundaries. He hit only four and his strike rate was 115 but in between innings he mentioned that the ball was holding up in the pitch and keeping low as well, and that they weren’t too displeased with the total they had got to.Bumrah magic in vainJasprit Bumrah bowled only one of the first six overs and perhaps that’s why they yielded 47 runs. He struck with a glorious yorker thudding into the base of Wriddhiman Saha’s middle stump. This was vintage from perhaps the best cricketer on the planet right now. The most inimitable one anyway.Jasprit Bumrah’s double-wicket 17th over put the brakes on Gujarat Titans’ scoring•BCCI

Bumrah’s dismissal of David Miller contained even more of his genius. He has that awkward action. He has unbelievable pace (for a guy who basically walks for about half his run-up). He has the best yorker in the business. The batter has all this in mind when he takes strike. And is completely unprepared for the slower ball.Miller was done. He was cooked. His body moving one way – because his feet were stuck on the crease, worried about the high-pace ball, maybe the yorker – and his bat moving the other – responding to the utter lack of pace, wandering so far in front of his body – his balance lost to the night. And so too his wicket.Bumrah finished with figures of 4-0-14-3. All of them were one over spells. He was given no opportunity to build rhythm because he can be peak right from the get-go. It was unthinkable at that point that he’d also be needed out there with bat, but you always run the risk of that when you play Titans.

Kylian Mbappe has rubbished reports he refused to carry the Olympic flame in Paris because he wanted to be the final torchbearer.

Mbappe allegedly refused to carry Olympic torchReal Madrid star rubbishes storyFrance star was "on the other side of the globe"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

French publication Le Canard Enchaine claimed that Mbappe refused to be the masked torchbearer for the Paris Olympics opening ceremony last year when asked by three-time Olympic canoeist champion Tony Estanguet. The report adds that the 26-year-old declined the offer as he wanted to be the last person to hold the Olympic torch, a role that went to ex-200m sprinter Marie-José Pérec and three-time Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner. In response, the Real Madrid star sardonically dismissed the story on social media.

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In response to the tweet, he wrote on X: "LOL. You forgot to mention that I also wanted to be the leader of the French basketball team, I think… I was just chilling on vacation on the other side of the globe. No reason to be the last torchbearer since I have no history with the Olympics."

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Mbappe has been on the receiving end of a lot of bad press over the past year or so, particularly during the end of his Paris Saint-Germain spell, his start at Madrid, and with the French national team. But the best way to kill a story like this is to tackle it head on and Mbappe has done just that, here.

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After helping Madrid reach the semi-finals of the newly rebooted Club World Cup this summer, Mbappe is currently enjoying his holidays before returning to the Spanish giants for their abridged pre-season campaign.

Marcus Rashford is set to join Barcelona on a season-long loan with a purchase option but the Catalans will have to pay to send him back.

• Rashford set to join Barcelona
• Will move on loan with a purchase option
• Man Utd include Jadon Sancho-style penalty clause

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rashford is set to complete a move to La Liga champions Barcelona shortly after agreeing to join Hansi Flick's side on a season-long loan. The deal will also include an option to make the transfer permanent in June 2026 for a fee of €35 million (£30m). However, if Barcelona do not take up the option to sign Rashford permanently they will have to pay the Red Devils a penalty fee of around €5m (£4.3m), as reported by Fabrizio Romano (via Diario Sport).

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Manchester United used a similar clause last season with Jadon Sancho. The winger moved to Chelsea on a loan but the Blues then opted to pay the Red Devils £5m to send Sancho back after deciding against recruiting him on a permanent basis. Sancho remains a Manchester United player for the time being, although he has been linked with a move to Juventus this summer.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Rashford will be just the second player to swap Manchester United for Barcelona, following in the footsteps of Gerard Pique he left Old Trafford to return to Camp Nou back in 2008.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

  Rashford's transfer is expected to be announced shortly and he will then join the club for a pre-season tour of Asia. The forward will be hoping to debut for Barcelona in their first pre-season friendly against Vissel Kobe on July 27.

Bashir’s two-in-two after lunch opened up the game, but in the end, England’s second-innings collapse meant that they didn’t have enough to play with

Valkerie Baynes26-Feb-20241:00

Manjrekar: India won the little battles inside the big battle

India, led by the sixth-wicket pair of Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel, stood up to England’s threat to win the fourth Test inside four days and claim the series 3-1 with one to play.After Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal set off India’s chase beautifully, they suffered a substantial wobble, losing five wickets for 36 runs in 20.5 overs to be 120 for 5, needing 72 more runs for victory. But an unbroken partnership between Gill and Jurel, the latter playing just his second Test, saw them home.Related

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Stats: India extend their series winning record at home

England’s young spinners, Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley, bowled with great maturity to make India work in the second hour of the morning session after a bright start when they resumed on 40 without loss, needing 152 more. Bashir put the frighteners on India by adding three wickets to his first-innings five-for.But ultimately, England had left India with too little to do after Jurel lifted India to within touching distance in the first innings with his 90 and England were bowled out for 145 in their second – thanks to R Ashwin’s five-for and Kuldeep Yadav’s four – setting India a victory target of 192 with two days and a bit to go. They needed just over half a day.Smile when you’re winning – Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel walk back victorious•AFP/Getty ImagesBazball is more than a “vibe”, it’s an ethos with a proven Test-series record of four triumphs, three drawn and no defeats – until now. But it was the vibe that kept England believing almost to the very end.It was possibly why India were so wary, having lost three wickets in 8.5 overs.After James Anderson’s age-defying mid-air catch at short third to remove Jaiswal, who has been so impressive this series, India put on just 34 runs in the 19.3 overs until lunch. It was possibly why India got the jitters after the break, with Ravindra Jadeja spooning a full toss straight to midwicket to give Bashir his first of two wickets in two balls. It was possibly why, when Ben Foakes could be heard shouting “we’re a bang-bang away, lads” with India needing just 27 more, nailed-on England fans could be forgiven for thinking “just maybe”.But India have a proven record of their own, having not lost a Test series at home in more than 11 years.On Monday morning, they were chewing through their target, adding 42 runs in the first eight overs of the day. Rohit slammed Anderson for six over mid-on to take his side past fifty, leaving them with 140 more to get. He and Jaiswal pulled out the sweeps and reverse sweeps against Bashir and Hartley as they kept the boundary count up.James Anderson – never too far away when England need a breakthrough, sometimes playing Superman while at it•BCCIBut Joe Root interrupted their stand on 84 runs, extracting some turn out of the rough with a full delivery, messing with Jaiswal’s attempt to clear extra cover as his outside edge flew to short third and Anderson flung his 41-year-old self forward for a full-stretch grab.Hartley drew Rohit out of his crease with a ball outside off which kissed the edge ever so lightly before sailing into Foakes’ gloves. Even without the edge, Rohit would have been out for 55 as Foakes whipped off the bails with him still out of his ground and the dismissal was originally thought to be a stumping before UltraEdge revealed a faint spike.Bashir removed Rajat Patidar for a six-ball duck next over when his length ball turned from off stump into the inside edge and popped to Ollie Pope at backward short leg via the knee roll. It extended a poor series for Patidar, who has only twice reached double-figures and once passed 30 in six innings.India went to lunch needing 74 with seven wickets in hand. Then Bashir swung the momentum England’s way with wickets off consecutive balls in the second over after the interval. He had Jadeja caught by Jonny Bairstow off a full toss, then got one to turn from outside off, beating Sarfaraz Khan’s defensive prod to take a thin edge onto the pad and into Pope’s hands at backward short leg.Jurel survived the hat-trick ball and when he drove a full, wide Bashir delivery through the covers it was India’s first boundary off the bat in 31 overs, and took their task under 50 runs.Rohit Sharma’s half-century at the top meant that India had the foundation they needed•Getty ImagesFrom there, he and Gill got to work, steadily accumulating the runs they needed. Jurel initially took the lead role in their union, reaching 32 off 70 balls before Gill, with 39 from 119, cut loose. With 20 runs needed, Gill launched Bashir over long-off, and then, two balls later, raised his fifty by clearing the fence at deep midwicket.Jurel got in on the act, pulling Hartley through mid-on for four, and it was he who struck the winning runs, working a Hartley delivery off his legs as he and Gill ran two.Jurel’s first innings was key to India’s victory, too. Only he and Jaiswal, with 73, passed 40 for India as they set out in pursuit of England’s 353, which was led by Joe Root’s return to form via an unbeaten century. Jurel came in with his side 161 for 5 and saw Sarfaraz and Ashwin fall before staging a 76-run stand with Kuldeep and putting on another 40 with No. 10 Akash Deep, who was making his Test debut. By the time Jurel was last man out, India had put up 307 runs and closed the deficit to just 46.Bashir and Hartley shared eight wickets between them during India’s first innings and England were backing themselves to build enough of a buffer when they came back out to bat. But Zak Crawley’s half-century was the only contribution of note as England’s batters racked up three ducks and Bairstow was the only other one to bat beyond 20. It left India with a target that proved to be as achievable as it looked, with plenty of intrigue thrown in.

Cameron Steel, Tom Lawes both take three wickets to take control in Canterbury

ECB Reporters Network20-Apr-2024

Dom Sibley hit an unbeaten 87 as Surrey dominated Kent on day two of their Vitality County Championship derby at Canterbury, reaching 185 for one at stumps in reply to Kent’s 244 all out.Cameron Steel and Tom Lawes both took three wickets apiece as Surrey limited Kent to 244 and although night-watcher George Garrett outshone his batting partners with a career-best 48, any hopes that might look competitive vanished as Sibley and Rory Burns put on 147 for the opening wicket.Garrett eventually got Burns for 69, but Sibley and Dan Lawrence batted through to stumps, at which point Surrey were just 59 behind.It was so cold at the Spitfire Ground that even the Nackington Road Grumblers abandoned their usual seats and took refuge in the more sheltered Cowdrey Stand. Garrett’s unexpected resistance aside, there was plenty for them to grumble about.Kent were 111 for three overnight and Kemar Roach had Jack Leaning plumb lbw to the third delivery of the morning, removing him for 30.Garrett pulled Lawes for successive fours as he overtook his previous highest first-class score of 24, but the remaining specialist batters all squandered promising starts.Joe Denly was bowled for 32 when he chased a wide one from Steel and played on and Harry Finch hit two impressive boundaries as he steered Kent to 192 for five at lunch but he was caught for nine in the slips by Sibley off Jordan Clark soon after the resumption.Garrett fell two short of his half-century when he edged Steel behind and Steel then had Matt Parkinson stumped by Ben Foakes for a duck. Kent’s last recognised batter went when Foakes then sprang to his right to catch Joey Evison off Lawes for 30.Jas Singh also made his highest first-class score, but when he was lbw to Lawes for 15 Kent were still six short of a batting point.Surrey’s response rapidly began to look ominous. Kent created few chances and when Sibley nicked Arafat Bhuiyan he was put down by Finch.Burns flicked Matt Parkinson for a single to reach 50 and compared to last season, when he took 578 minutes to make 140 at this venue, Sibley was batting like Virat Kohli, reaching his half-century from 86 balls with a single off Arafat.Burns fell to Garrett when Zak Crawley took a smart slip catch, but it was an isolated moment of hope for the home fans during a protracted evening session.