Headingley Test evenly poised after England's fightback
India finished day three on 90-2 to lead England by 96 runs at stumps in the opening Test at Headingley on Sunday after England were dismissed for 465 in the first innings on the back of Ollie Pope's century and Harry Brook's knock of 99.
Having scored 471 in the first innings, India's total was virtually wiped out when they walked in to bat again with a slender six-run lead and a little over two days left to play to leave the Test evenly poised.
England struck early when Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a century in the first innings, was forced to play a superb Brydon Carse delivery that caught the edge to give wicketkeeper Jamie Smith an easy catch.
Sai Sudharsan walked in with the threat of rain looming large and the 23-year-old, dismissed for a duck in the first innings, played patiently in gloomy conditions that were ideal for seam bowling as he built a partnership with opener KL Rahul.
But just as in the first innings, England skipper Ben Stokes removed Sudharsan (30) again when the Indian batter clipped an inswinging delivery to short midwicket where Zak Crawley took a sharp catch.
However, play was stopped when the rain came down with Rahul unbeaten on 47 and skipper Shubman Gill (six not out) at the crease.
On a blustery day, which began with a moment of appreciation for former England speedster David "Syd" Lawrence who died aged 61, India started well with Pope perishing for 106 after adding only six runs to his overnight score.
But England capitalised on the tourists' generosity in the field before Brook fell agonisingly short of a fairytale century on his home ground.
The Yorkshire-born batter made India pay for dropped catches, with Jaiswal dropping him at fourth slip when he was on 82 for his third lifeline. It was Jaiswal's third dropped catch and India's fifth in the innings.
Brook looked set for a big score before his moment of heartbreak came when he attempted to reach three figures with a flourish, lofting Prasidh Krishna over fine leg only to find Shardul Thakur stationed at the boundary rope.
A dejected Brook threw his head back and put his hand up to his face before he trudged back to the pavilion as the Headingley crowd overcame their disappointment to give him a standing ovation.
But in stark contrast to India's lower order, England's tail wagged. While India's last five wickets fell for 18 runs, England's lower order added 112 runs.
With India getting desperate, Gill brought Jasprit Bumrah back into the attack and he completed a five-wicket haul by cleaning up the tail, dismissing Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue with deliveries that crashed into the stumps.
Bumrah could have easily had more but India's pace spearhead saw four catches dropped off his bowling on a poor day in the field for Gill's side.
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Khaleej Times
10 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Headingley Test evenly poised after England's fightback
India finished day three on 90-2 to lead England by 96 runs at stumps in the opening Test at Headingley on Sunday after England were dismissed for 465 in the first innings on the back of Ollie Pope's century and Harry Brook's knock of 99. Having scored 471 in the first innings, India's total was virtually wiped out when they walked in to bat again with a slender six-run lead and a little over two days left to play to leave the Test evenly poised. England struck early when Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a century in the first innings, was forced to play a superb Brydon Carse delivery that caught the edge to give wicketkeeper Jamie Smith an easy catch. Sai Sudharsan walked in with the threat of rain looming large and the 23-year-old, dismissed for a duck in the first innings, played patiently in gloomy conditions that were ideal for seam bowling as he built a partnership with opener KL Rahul. But just as in the first innings, England skipper Ben Stokes removed Sudharsan (30) again when the Indian batter clipped an inswinging delivery to short midwicket where Zak Crawley took a sharp catch. However, play was stopped when the rain came down with Rahul unbeaten on 47 and skipper Shubman Gill (six not out) at the crease. On a blustery day, which began with a moment of appreciation for former England speedster David "Syd" Lawrence who died aged 61, India started well with Pope perishing for 106 after adding only six runs to his overnight score. But England capitalised on the tourists' generosity in the field before Brook fell agonisingly short of a fairytale century on his home ground. The Yorkshire-born batter made India pay for dropped catches, with Jaiswal dropping him at fourth slip when he was on 82 for his third lifeline. It was Jaiswal's third dropped catch and India's fifth in the innings. Brook looked set for a big score before his moment of heartbreak came when he attempted to reach three figures with a flourish, lofting Prasidh Krishna over fine leg only to find Shardul Thakur stationed at the boundary rope. A dejected Brook threw his head back and put his hand up to his face before he trudged back to the pavilion as the Headingley crowd overcame their disappointment to give him a standing ovation. But in stark contrast to India's lower order, England's tail wagged. While India's last five wickets fell for 18 runs, England's lower order added 112 runs. With India getting desperate, Gill brought Jasprit Bumrah back into the attack and he completed a five-wicket haul by cleaning up the tail, dismissing Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue with deliveries that crashed into the stumps. Bumrah could have easily had more but India's pace spearhead saw four catches dropped off his bowling on a poor day in the field for Gill's side.
The National
10 hours ago
- The National
England v India: Brilliant Bumrah makes mark in first Test as Brook falls one run short of century
India will head into Day 4 of the first Test against England with a narrow advantage after an entertaining battle at Headingley on Sunday. Despite losing overnight centurion Ollie Pope early on in proceedings and then seeing Harry Brook fall one agonising run shy of three figures, Ben Stokes' side were eventually bowled out for 465, just six runs behind the tourists. Leading the bowling charge for India was the magnificent Jasprit Bumrah who finished with figures of 5-83 at an economy rate of 3.36 – it what was the fast-bowler's 14th five-wicket haul in his 46th Test. England's Brydon Carse then dismissed first-innings centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal with a beauty for just four as the home side claimed an early breakthrough. But KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan then steadied the ship guiding India to 812-1 before captain Stokes – who took 4-66 in the first innings – struck again. Sudharsan was the one to go when he carelessly clipped the all-rounder straight into the hands of Zak Crawley at midwicket for 30, at least avoiding the gnominy of 'a pair' on Test debut, after his first-innings duck. Rain stopped play with India 90-2, with Rahul unbeaten on 47 alongside Shubman Gill fresh from a century in his first innings as captain, not out on six. "The game is in the balance," admitted Bumrah. "We have to bat well. The wicket is a little bit paced so it will be an interesting game to come." Earlier, when Brook was dismissed on 99, England were still 73 behind at 398-7. But new-ball bowler Chris Woakes, recalled to lead the attack in place of the injured Gus Atkinson, almost batted England to level terms with a handy 38, which included consecutive sixes off paceman Prasidh Krishna. Bumrah then wrapped up the innings by bowling Josh Tongue to finish with his latest Test five-fer. Brook's aggression, in an innings in which he had three reprieves, eventually proved his downfall. One run shy of what would have been a first Test century at Headingley – and ninth in 26 matches – he mishooked a Krishna bouncer to Shardul Thakur at fine leg. The Yorkshireman threw his head back in agony following the end of a typically dashing 112-ball innings featuring 11 fours and two sixes. He had been caught off a Bumrah no-ball while still on nought in Saturday's last over and on Sunday he was dropped on 46 and 82 – with both those chances ones India should have taken. England resumed on 209-3, 262 runs behind, with Ollie Pope exactly 100 not out after coming in with the hosts in trouble at 4-1. Pope, having added just six runs off as many balls, edged behind as he tried to cut a wide ball from Krishna. Brook treated Bumrah, widely regarded as the world's leading bowler, with disdain with a charging drive through the covers for four. But Mohammed Siraj had Stokes caught behind for 20 with a fine delivery that cut away as the all-rounder, without a Test century for two years, threw his bat in the air in frustration. Brook should have been out on 46 when he pushed forward to left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja only for Rishabh Pant to drop the thin nick. One over before the new ball became available, Jamie Smith pulled a Krishna bouncer for six, even though there were fielders back on the boundary. Two balls later he tried to repeat the stroke but holed out for 40 to deep square-leg where Jadeja, realising he was going over the rope, relayed the catch to Sudharsan. Brook was missed again on 82 when fourth slip Jaiswal dropped a two-handed catch off a deliberate steer off Bumrah. At that stage, England were still more than a hundred runs behind and when Brook went into the 90s with a superb lofted drive for six off Siraj it looked as if he would make India pay dearly for shoddy fielding. But Bumrah mopped up the tail to leave the first of this five-Test series on a knife edge. "I know what this pitch is like," said Pope. "It's a quick outfield with nice consistent bounce, it can swing a bit too, so playing nice and square play with the swing too.
Khaleej Times
13 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
'Trailblazer' and former England fast bowler David Lawrence dies at 61
Former England fast bowler David Lawrence has died at the age of 61 after a year-long battle with motor neurone disease (MND), his family said on Sunday. Lawrence, the first British-born Black cricketer to represent England, was diagnosed last year with MND, a degenerative condition that causes muscle wastage and affects the brain and nerves. "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dave Lawrence MBE (King's Birthday Honours) following his brave battle with Motor Neurone Disease," Lawrence's family said. "Syd was an inspirational figure on and off the cricket field... A proud Gloucestershire man, Syd took on every challenge with everything he could and his final contest with MND was no different. "His willingness to encourage and think of others right up to the end was typical of the man he was. As President of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, Syd took on the role with incredible pride and passion and loved every minute of it." Lawrence, who earned five Test caps for England, made 280 appearances for Gloucestershire and took 625 wickets for the county. His Test debut came at Lord's against Sri Lanka in 1988, with his career highlight being a five-wicket haul against the West Indies at the Oval in 1991. In 2022, Lawrence became Gloucestershire County Cricket Club's first Black president and he was named one of the inaugural Honorary Life Vice-Presidents of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) earlier this year. ECB chairman Richard Thompson described Lawrence as "a true trailblazer of English cricket and a man of immense courage, character, and compassion". "His impact on the game extended far beyond the boundary ropes," Thompson added in a statement. "As a fast bowler, he thrilled crowds with his pace and passion. As a leader and advocate, he broke barriers and inspired change, becoming a powerful voice for inclusion and representation in our sport."
