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Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Why Ben Stokes was RIGHT to bowl first against India even though England took just three wickets on day one, writes NASSER HUSSAIN
If evidence was required that it wasn't an easy decision for Ben Stokes at the toss, it came from India 's new captain Shubman Gill who confirmed he was also going to bowl. Fifteen years ago, if you'd seen the blue sky and that pitch, of course you would have batted first, but recent history tells you Headingley is a bowl-first ground. The last six Test matches here have resulted in the side bowling first winning, and the statistics over this past decade show that through every day of a five-day match, the pitch pretty much gets better to bat on. Think of Stokes's extraordinary, unbeaten hundred in the 2019 Ashes, of a Shai Hope-inspired West Indies knocking off a target of 322 five down eight years ago or England scoring at 5.4 runs per over to chase down 296 against New Zealand in 2022. To be fair, the ball did a bit in the morning session too, swinging much earlier than usual. It normally takes 12-15 overs for the lacquer to come off, but here it was swinging after half an hour. England just got their lines and their lengths wrong and India's batsmen could leave comfortably. At Headingley, your length needs to be immaculate as a bowler for two reasons. One, it's the place in England you have to bowl fullest to hit the top of the stumps. Chris Woakes feels the heat as England struggle for breakthroughs on a flat Headingley pitch It's also a very quick-scoring ground because of its lightning outfield, so if you err slightly, and the margin really is minuscule, you go for runs. England's seamers were either too full or too short when they over corrected and fabulous players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill will punish you in those situations. It was also a sign of the attack not having bowled here much. Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue had not played a first-class match in Leeds between them. Neither had Shoaib Bashir, but the off-spinner performed nicely, offering good control and giving the ball some air in a bid to get it to drop. When you're playing against world-class players like the two young centurions Jaiswal and Gill, and the pace of the pitch is good, you'll get hit around a bit, but at times, I'd like to have seen more control from other members of the attack. For all the skill Jimmy Anderson provided — in swing, out swing, wobble seam — he gave you that. Stokes was the pick of England's bowlers but he was let down by the rest of his pace attack Offspinner Shoaib Bashir offered good control and did a good job on an unresponsive wicket I know this is a side that likes to attack and Stokes has asked them to find ways to get wickets, but when it is flat the seamers have to combine with Bashir. It came down to Stokes himself to do that on day one, keeping the run rate down and waiting for a mistake — as happened for the dismissal of Jaiswal. Stokes was England's best bowler. Sensibly, he limited his first spell to six overs and got the ball moving more than the rest of England's seam attack as the day progressed. By its end, India were well and truly in the ascendancy and of course the decision by Stokes eight hours earlier looked dubious — but recent history explains his reasoning.
The Sun
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
England's bowling attack brutally exposed by India as Ben Stokes is forced to bail himself out at Headingley
THIS was a seriously bad day for Ben Stokes but it would have been a truly God-awful one had it not been for a rapid new bowler the England captain has to call upon. A bloke by the name of Ben Stokes. 4 4 After Stokes won the toss and invited India to bat and bat and bat, he watched the rest of his insipid attack ground into the Headingley dirt on the opening day of this five-Test series. Luckily, after two years of knee and hamstring issues which severely hampered his ability to bowl, Stokes is operating as a genuine all-rounder again. And, in the brutal heat and humidity of subtropical Leeds, the skipper hauled his 34-year-old bones through 13 overs of hard yakka - claiming the wickets of debutant Sai Sudharsan and century-maker Yashavsi Jaiswal. The 87mph zinger which pinned back Jaiswal's off stump was the highlight of England's sweat-stained, angst-ridden day. Still, India reached stumps at 359-3 with their princely new captain Shubman Gill helping himself to a regal century which leaves England staring down the barrel at a mammoth total. Let's get one thing straight here - England have precisely no chance of winning The Ashes Down Under this winter with an attack anything like this one. The veteran Chris Woakes was innocuous, Josh Tongue's chin music was out of tune, and the callow off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was milked like a Jersey cow. The returns of Gus Atkinson and the elusive Jofra Archer cannot come soon enough. Stokes hopes to have them back for the Second Test at Edgbaston but with Archer, who has not played a Test in four-and-a-half years, we will believe it when we see it. Archer is due to make a first-class comeback for Sussex against Durham in the County Championship on Sunday. England cricket stars forced to arrive to West Indies Test match on lime bikes amid 'shambles' at The Oval As for Mark Wood, the Geordie lightning merchant was having his breakfast bap forensically searched by security guards before play, then heading to the Test Match Special commentary box. Wood is highly unlikely to play any part in this series, as he recovers from knee surgery. There was some science behind Stokes' decision to insert India. The last six Tests at Headingley have been won by the team bowling first - five of them by England, including the Stokes-inspired Ashes miracle of 2019. Yet in roasting temperatures, and with a second-rate attack, this looked for all the world like a batting day. Before the start, there were loud, bright fireworks on the pitch - startling many of the punters. Is there any point in having fireworks in broad daylight? Does everything in sport really need to be introduced with pyrotechnics? Was Stokes hoping the acrid leftover clouds would help the ball to swing? Either way, the ball didn't do much, as Indian openers Jaiswal and KL Rahul cruised to the brink of lunch. Tongue summed up England's hapless efforts by imploring Stokes to review an LBW shout against Jaiswal, when the ball had pitched outside leg stump. Then in the penultimate over before lunch, Rahul slashed at decent delivery from the useful Brydon Carse and was pouched by Joe Root at first slip. Sudharsan's maiden Test innings was a four-ball duck, as Stokes inflicted a leg-side strangle - as India reached lunch on 92-2, England with renewed optimism. Carse trapped Jaiswal plumb on 45 with a no-ball. 4 Then Gill, with such a haughty bearing that you'd expect a butler to carry his bat for him, sent Woakes to the boundary with glorious back-to-back cover drives. Bashir was finally introduced halfway through the day but Jaiswal sent his first delivery to the ropes and the twirler rarely threatened. Jaiswal hammered him back over his head to bring up the century partnership - but then started suffering from debilitating bouts of cramp in his arm. Still, the pain seemed to subside when he took Carse for consecutive boundaries, then dabbed a single and waved his arms manically to celebrate. England's afternoon was summed up when Jaiswal edged Stokes short of slip and India were handed five runs when the ball cannoned off an unused helmet. Soon after tea, Stokes earned his breakthrough, ripping through Jaiswal's defences. It was an almighty relief given that the opener's two centuries against England in India last year ended up as whopping great doubles. Stokes then conjured a fiendish slower ball which almost outfoxed Rishabh Pant - who survived to hammer a typically unorthodox half-century. Gill's hundred arrived with another majestic cover drive off Tongue and his first day as India's skipper could barely have gone any better.
The Star
12 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Cricket-Sun is out as England and India get highly-anticipated test series under way
Cricket - International Test Match Series - First Test - England v India - Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds, Britain - June 20, 2025 England's Chris Woakes reacts Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough LEEDS, England (Reuters) -England won the toss and put India in to bat as the titans of test cricket get their five-match series under way at Headingley on Thursday, with both teams at very different stages of their journey. Leeds was a vibrant scene ahead of the start of the series opener, with colourful India supporters especially keen to see how their team do without three recently-retired stalwarts of the game: Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. India have not played a test on English soil without former skipper Kohli at the helm since 2011, with Shubman Gill, at 25, becoming his country's fifth-youngest captain. Gill's counterpart, Ben Stokes, got the upper hand early on, winning the toss and putting the tourists in to bat first. History played its part in Stokes' thinking - teams bowling first have won each of the previous six tests at Headingley. This series begins a potentially era-defining period for Stokes and England coach Brendon McCullum, having enjoyed plenty of highs and lows over the past few years, with the Ashes series in Australia next up in the test format, starting in November. While England's batting lineup for the India opener has plenty of experience in it, their bowling attack is missing some big-hitters through injury. Seamers Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse amassing eight test appearances between them so far. The Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy will be awarded in all future test series between the two sides, replacing the Pataudi Trophy in England and the Anthony De Mello Trophy in India. (Reporting by Peter Hall)
Business Recorder
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Business Recorder
England bowl in 1st Test as India's Sudharsan makes debut
LEEDS: England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to field in the first Test against India at Headingley on Friday. With the match starting beneath sunny, blue skies and the pitch only showing a tinge of green, conditions appeared good for batting in the opening match of this five-Test series. But Stokes, explaining his decision to bowl first, said: 'Headingley is generally a good cricket wicket, we have had some good games here over the years so we will look to use the early conditions and get a bit out of it (the pitch).' England had already named their side, making two changes to the team that beat Zimbabwe by an innings inside three days at Trent Bridge. Experienced paceman Chris Woakes returns in place of the injured Gus Atkinson and fast bowler Brydon Carse makes his home debut. India gave a Test debut to Sai Sudharsan, listed to come in at number three with new captain Shubman Gill slotting in at number four. India are bidding for just a third Test series win in England following triumphs in 1971, 1986 and 2007, with Gill saying: 'Preparation has been amazing, I think all the boys are feeling in a good space mentally and physically.' Nayeem Hasan takes five wickets to halt Sri Lanka charge in Bangladesh Test This match, the first of five Tests in seven weeks, marks the start of a new cycle in the World Test Championship after South Africa beat Australia in last week's final at Lord's. Both teams wore black armbands in memory of the victims of an Air India plane crash in the western city of Ahmedabad that killed all but one of 242 people on board. Teams England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wkt), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir India: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (capt), Rishabh Pant (wkt), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZL), Paul Reiffel (AUS TV Umpire: Sharfuddoula (BAN) Match Referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How to watch England vs India: TV channel and live stream for first Test today
England and India being their five-test series today, with Headingley hosting the first with the newly-named Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy up for grabs. Cice-captain Ollie Pope has kept his place, meaning rising star Jacob Bethell must wait for his chance. Advertisement There are two changes to the team that beat Zimbabwe by an innings in three days at Trent Bridge, the experienced Chris Woakes returning in place of the injured Gus Atkinson to lead the attack and Brydon Carse winning his first home cap at Sam Cook's expense. India vice-captain Rishabh Pant said it felt "so good" to know India would not be facing the new-ball threat of either James Anderson or Stuart Broad for the first time since 2007, but Carse is eager to show he can assume the mantle of strike bowler. Talking of 2007, that is the last time India won a Test series on English soil, though did come close in their last visit, in 2021, but a 10-month Covid pandemic delay scuppered their chances. How to watch England vs India, first Test TV channel: The entire series will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Cricket. Coverage across both channels begins at 10am BST on Friday, June 20. Play is scheduled to begin at 11am. Advertisement Headingley, home of Yorkshire CCC, hosts the first Test. Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can watch the first Test, and the entire series, online via the Sky Go player. The channel is also available on NOW.
