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Yahoo
an hour 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.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Crunch time for Bazball: Is it now or never for England's cricketing revolution?
It is the ultimate examination of the most exciting and dynamic brand of Test cricket that has arguably been played. Five Tests against India, starting today at Headingley (Friday), and then another five in Australia this winter will decide if England truly have reinvented cricket's longest and most traditional format, or whether the high-octane, high-risk methods of captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, will fall short of providing the big series victories they need to validate their Test revolution. Advertisement These two series will define the legacy of Stokes and McCullum, and their style, known as 'Bazball', like nothing that has come before in three highly entertaining and largely successful years in tandem. England may have beaten India spectacularly at Edgbaston, Birmingham, in the heady early days of their reign in July 2022, in what was the final Test of a series postponed from the summer before because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and enjoyed a dramatic drawn home Ashes series against Australia in 2023. But if Stokes and McCullum are going to be regarded as the greatest as well as the most fun of them all, they need to add a series victory against India or Australia — preferably both — to their CVs over the next seven months. 'There's always a different buzz when you come up against India and Australia, purely because of how big the series are,' said Stokes on Thursday in the Leeds sunshine as he contemplated the challenges ahead. 'We know what these series mean, but defining my career as England captain isn't something I sit here and think about. 'If that was the way I felt and that was what I was bothered about, then it would be utterly selfish, and that isn't me. I tend not to worry about what people are going to say about me and the job I've done when it all comes to an end.' Plenty has been said about the way Stokes and McCullum have gone about their business, because England have been playing Test cricket their own pioneering way in recent years. A way that is more adventurous and attacking than any side in history, with only Steve Waugh-captained Australia two decades ago, who were known for their positivity — as well as their huge amount of success — coming anywhere near. After being thrown together by the England team's new managing director, Rob Key, Stokes and McCullum took a team that had become passive and dull under the captaincy of Joe Root, winning just one of 17 Tests, and transformed them. Advertisement In their first summer together, England won six out of seven Tests, successfully chasing down what traditionally would have been difficult targets four times, and scored runs during their first year up until June 2023 at 4.65 per over. The peak of Bazball, to date, arrived in December 2022, when England smashed 506 for four in 75 overs at a rate of 6.75 on the first day of their series against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, becoming the first side to score more than 500 runs in a day of Test cricket. They were not afraid to defy convention in other ways, too. Stokes made the earliest first innings declaration in Ashes history in the first Test of the 2023 series, calling England in after 78 overs with his best batter, Root, unbeaten on 118. The idea was to have four overs at Australia before the first day ended, but England failed to take a wicket and ended up losing that thrilling Edgbaston match by two wickets in the final overs of the fifth day — a dampener on the funkiness of Bazball. It could be argued England have been a little more conventional since an Ashes series they almost certainly would have won after being 2-0 down but for the torrential rain that sentenced the fourth Test in Manchester to what is still the only draw in the Stokes-McCullum era. And Stokes spoke of "adapting better" in the difficult moments. "Sometimes, when we've been behind the game, we've not given ourselves the best chance of getting back into it, and that's an area we've looked at," he said. But England under the pair will never take the defensive option and Stokes goes into this pivotal series as the most successful England captain to have led the team in more than 30 Tests, winning 20 of his 33 games in charge at a success rate of 60.6. The man at the top of English cricket, ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) chair Richard Thompson, is delighted with what he has been watching. "They've taken the oldest format pretty much of any sport and, to some extent, reinvented it by playing in a far more attacking way, with bat and ball and tactically," Thompson tells The Athletic. "They have made some incredibly bold calls and Ben's direct ability to make players believe they can win is extraordinary. I saw Adam Hollioake do that at Surrey, but Ben has taken it to another level. There are nuances that Baz (McCullum) brings in around that, too. "Sky Sports has seen a real uplift in a younger audience watching cricket since this started. It's so exciting. Take last year. We had a really wet, miserable summer, and we were competing with the Olympics for attention. Commercially, we weren't playing the strongest opposition in the West Indies and Sri Lanka, but it sold like crazy, and India this year sold out every Test within days. Advertisement "If you look at any pictures of Test cricket in the 1970s, invariably, there were very few people there. The 1950s and 1960s were huge, but there was a period when Test cricket was really dying. Look at it now." The praise is vindication for the decision of former England batsman and Kent captain Key to give up a burgeoning broadcasting career with Sky to take on what had proved a poisoned chalice with the national men's team. "When we started, English cricket was in a pretty low place and I'm incredibly proud of what those two (Stokes and McCullum) have achieved and the way they've gone about it,' Key tells The Athletic. "You've got established players, and a lot at the start and middle of their international journey, and Ben and Brendon are maximising their potential. "Look at the games we've won and the style they've gone about their cricket. You want players to be positive and play in a way that will be more enjoyable for them. And I don't think the team have realised that potential yet because they can get better and better. That's what I'm proudest of." The term Bazball — McCullum's nickname is Baz — was coined by the English journalist Andrew Miller in 2022 and quickly stuck, but it is still one that the players and management themselves reject. "I don't have any idea what 'Bazball' is," McCullum said in a radio interview that same year when it became clear the label was not going away. "It's not just all crash and burn." Key agrees. "I remember when I first saw that term. Brendon said, 'Where's this Bazball come from?'. I said, 'What's going to be funny about this is what they are praising us for at the moment, they will ask us to defend at some point. They're going to ask us to defend this term that we never came up with in the first place'. "To us, it's just about creating an environment players can thrive in, not Bazball. I just believe you've got more of a chance to succeed if you think positively, if you see the opportunity, if you look to score runs and then survive after that. In the simplest terms, the brain works quicker, you're more alert, and you can make better decisions if you think positively. And that's in defence and attack. "At times in English cricket, we feel the danger and the trouble. There have been times when we haven't even bought a raffle ticket — we don't even have a go. We die wondering sometimes. I wanted a team, and a captain, who would risk failure to succeed." A fascinated observer of the Bazball revolution is Sussex coach Paul Farbrace, who was assistant England coach under Peter Moores and then Trevor Bayliss, and a leading figure in kickstarting the England one-day revolution that peaked with the 2019 World Cup success. "It's very easy to talk about playing without fear and consequence and putting on a show, but doing it is the hardest thing to achieve," says Farbrace. "Getting a player to play without fear and anxiety is the greatest thing any coach can do, and I'm full of praise for Stokes and McCullum for the way they've allowed their players to go and play. "They are consistent in terms of the personality and character of the players they want in their team. They don't care what the public perception is of how and who they pick. They choose who they think are the best to play their way. "There have been times when it's been frustrating. Take the Lord's Test against Australia in 2023, when (Australia spin bowler) Nathan Lyon limped off (on day two) and it felt that was the time for England to go and grab the game, but they all got out trying to pull the short ball. It was an opportunity where they had to play the situation rather than keep on doing it their way. Advertisement "So they've polarised opinion, but, ultimately, they have provided great entertainment and they've got more people watching Test cricket." Key insists the suggestion that England are somehow evangelical in their approach may have been exaggerated. "We're getting a bit too carried away with ourselves if we think we're the people who are going to save Test cricket," he says. "We just want it to be fun, enjoyable and have a team people want to come and see. 'Sport is escapism. People want to come and see unbelievably talented players doing things they can't do themselves. Our job is to create an environment where those talented people can thrive and have a story along the way that captures the imagination." But England have had an effect on the wider game. The overall scoring rates in Test cricket have risen since 2022, while even in England's County Championship, there is a push towards positivity, with fewer points awarded for drawn games from the start of the 2023 season and maximum batting points only available to teams who score at a rate of more than four an over. "The game in general has moved forward as a result of what England are doing," says Farbrace. "People are trying to be more positive because they know that if they want to play for England, this is how they are going to have to play. If you are just going to occupy the crease for a period of time, you might not be selected. "It has been a frustration for some when they've seen players get picked who haven't really done anything in county cricket. For instance, Jacob Bethell was chosen when he hadn't scored a hundred, and there might have been players like Joe Clarke at Notts (Nottinghamshire) and others looking at that thinking, 'What do I need to do to play for England?'. "Shoaib Bashir was picked after Stokes saw him bowl six great deliveries on a social-media clip. "But a lot of people who have scored lots of runs and taken lots of wickets at county level haven't been successful with England, and what this regime is saying is, 'We will pick players who we think can play the game at the highest level the way we want it played'." The one major setback of the Bazball era was England's 4-1 series defeat in India early in 2024, which makes the following five matches against the same opponents and then the Ashes from November to January even more important. Bazball has to be seen to work against the best. "We all know — and they know — they're going to be judged on the next six months," says Farbrace. "This is the defining moment for them. Every England team ultimately gets judged on an Ashes series, and the fact we haven't won one since 2015 and not won away since 2011 makes this winter the real test of what they are doing. Advertisement "Everything hangs on the Ashes, and this India series will be a barometer of where they are and whether they're ready for it. If they can win against India and get a lot of confidence from it, then anything can happen in Australia." Key prefers to play down the significance of England's next 10 Tests. "These two series will define us for other people, but for us, not at all," he says. "This is the most exciting year of the time we've been doing this, but there's so much more than just two series for us. "Everything we've done doesn't come down to this. It doesn't mean we haven't done some good stuff before this. I don't think the next year will define my career and my life, but it will be another incredible story to tell." Click here to follow cricket on The Athletic and read more stories like this.
The National
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The National
Anderson-Tendulkar trophy or Pataudi trophy - what are England and India competing for?
The five-match series between England and India that begins in Leeds on Friday will mark the beginning of a new era. The series is the start of a new Test cycle and a fresh journey for India under the captaincy of Shubman Gill following the sudden retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the longest format. England will also be hoping to make a mark in the new Test campaign, having finished the previous in fifth position despite a mid-course correction. This will be a series without some very big names; apart from Kohli and Rohit, pace greats James Anderson and Stuart Broad have also retired. So has India spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin. There is one more big change – the name of the trophy for which the two teams will be competing. The Anderson-Tendulkar trophy The England Cricket Board have unveiled the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy – a new silverware to be given to the winners of the England v India Test series. The move was done to honour the legacy of two of the greatest cricketers the world had seen – the all-time leading Test wicket-taker among seamers – Anderson – and all-time highest Test run-scorer – Sachin Tendulkar. Anderson said it was a huge honour to have such an important piece of silverware named after him. 'It's a huge honour,' Anderson told ESPNcricinfo. 'I still can't quite believe it. Sachin is someone I looked up to when I was growing up. 'I remember watching him, an absolute legend of the game, and I played against him a lot as well. So to have this trophy is a huge honour for me, and I couldn't be more proud.' There is a bit more to it. The series was earlier called the Pataudi trophy – a name coined in 2007 for all Test series between the two nations played in England. The decision was made to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India's first Test. That name was originally given in honour of Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, who is the only cricketer to have represented both India and England in Tests. His son Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, also known as Tiger Pataudi, captained India with great distinction and represented the country from 1961 to 1975, having also played in England at lower levels. The Pataudis have a deep connection with cricket and the royal families of both countries, which made it an apt name for the series trophy. However, of late, bilateral Test series have started to be named after top players of each nation; Australia and India compete for the Border-Gavaskar trophy, New Zealand and England face off for the Crowe-Thorpe trophy, and the Aussies and Sri Lanka play for the Warne-Muralitharan trophy. Similarly, you have the Benaud-Qadir trophy (for Australia v Pakistan) and the Botham-Richards trophy (England v West Indies). The England board also decided to join the growing trend. The new trophy name was set to be unveiled during the recent World Test Championship at Lord's, but was postponed following the Air India crash in Ahmedabad that resulted in the loss of Indian and British lives. Is it the end of the Pataudi trophy? The Indian cricket board is looking to keep the Pataudi name alive. According to reports, the Indian cricket board and Tendulkar wanted Pataudi's name associated with the series in some capacity, as a memento to the winning captain or for the player of the series. There is another twist in the naming tale here. India's home series against England has a different trophy – one which only the most ardent cricket fans know of. India's home Test series against England is played for the Anthony de Mello trophy – named after one of the founding members of the Indian cricket board and an influential figure of the game in the country. So, it is one bilateral series with three different names.
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Aussies swing axe after WTC final disaster with Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis called in for West Indies series
Australian selectors have swung the axe after an embarrassing five-wicket World Test Championship final defeat at the hands of South Africa, with Marnus Labuschagne dropped ahead of the first Test against the West Indies next Thursday (AEST). Steve Smith will also not line up for the Test, after being ruled out with an injury after dislocating his finger in the loss to the Proteas last week. The Australian No.4 took no further part in the game after copping a painful blow on the right little finger while fielding in slips on day three. You can watch the incident in the player above. Meanwhile, Labuschagne's declining form in recent years has seen him dropped. He opened against South Africa and produced a shocker, managing scores of 17 and 22, extending his century drought to almost 24 months. Labuschagne - who in 2021 was ranked the best Test batsman in the world with an average of above 70 - has failed time and time again in recent years, averaging just 27.82 in the two-year Test Championship window that concluded with the final. Australian selection chief George Bailey made the call to axe the 30-year-old a week out from Wednesday's first Test declaring Labuschagne's 'output' hasn't been good enough. 'We have made the decision to give Josh and Sam the opportunity to replace Steve and Marnus,' Bailey said on Friday. 'We are excited to see them get the chance to further their fledgling Test careers. 'In his only opportunity in Test cricket to date, Josh was outstanding in Sri Lanka, showing great intent and ability to put pressure on the opposition. 'Marnus at his best can be a really important member of this team. He understands his output hasn't been at the level we, or he, expects. 'We will continue working with him on the areas of his game we feel he needs to rediscover. 'We continue to value his skill and expect him to work through the challenge positively.' Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis get chance to shine against the West Indies In their place teen sensation Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis have earned recalls. Inglis' rapid-fire century on his Test debut in Sri Lanka earlier this year reinforced his credentials as a red ball player and he will likely slot into either the No. 3 or No. 4 spot in the line-up with Konstas to open the batting with veteran Usman Khawaja. 'We have made the decision to give Josh and Sam the opportunity to replace Steve and Marnus,' Bailey exclaimed speaking about the Australian team to face the West Indies next week. 'We are excited to see them get the chance to further their fledgling Test careers. 'In his only opportunity in Test cricket to date, Josh was outstanding in Sri Lanka, showing great intent and ability to put pressure on the opposition.' Konstas was left out of the Sri Lanka series with Travis Head preferred to open in spinning conditions. He was then overlooked for the WTC final, with selectors opting for the veteran Labuschagne. But he will get his chance to impress again at the top of the order against the Windies. Bailey indicated the batting order and final XI would be confirmed closer to first ball, with Inglis' spot in the line up not yet confirmed. But there is a good chance he will move up to No.3 with Cam Green moved to No.4. The first Test at Kensington Oval gets underway at midnight Thursday AEST. Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster
The Guardian
6 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Marnus Labuschagne axed as Sam Konstas returns for Australia in first West Indies Test
Australia's selectors have made their biggest call in recent memory, dropping Marnus Labuschagne from the top order and replacing him with Sam Konstas. Chief selector George Bailey confirmed on Friday that Labuschagne would miss next week's first Test against the West Indies. Steve Smith will also miss the match as he recovers from his dislocated finger, with medical staff to assess him ahead of the second Test. Josh Inglis will come into the XI, while it is expected Konstas will open, but Australia will unveil their batting order and bowling attack closer to the start of the first Test next Wednesday. It is the decision to drop Labuschagne that will be the biggest talking point since Bailey took over as chief selector in 2021. Labuschagne was the top-ranked Test batter in the world as recently as two years ago, but has averaged just 27.82 for the past 12 months. He was moved from his regular spot at No 3 to open in the World Test Championship final loss to South Africa last week, for returns of 17 and 22. 'Marnus at his best can be a really important member of this team. He understands his output hasn't been at the level we, or he, expects,' Bailey said in a statement. 'We will continue working with him on the areas of his game we feel he needs to rediscover. 'We continue to value his skill and expect him to work through the challenge positively.' Konstas's recall comes after he was left out of the team for Sri Lanka, following the teenager's high-profile start to Test life with a half-century on debut on Boxing Day against India. Selectors opted to go with Travis Head at the top of the order in Galle, given their preference to have him open on spinning wickets. But that move was only ever temporary, leaving the opening spot free for Labuschagne at Lord's last week and now seemingly Konstas in the West Indies. Inglis also impressed with a century on debut in Galle in January, before being squeezed out of the side for the Test Championship final. 'Steve needs more time for the wound to heal so we'll give him another week's rest and assess his functionality after that,' Bailey said. 'We have made the decision to give Josh and Sam the opportunity to replace Steve and Marnus. 'We are excited to see them get the chance to further their fledgling Test careers. In his only opportunity in Test cricket to date, Josh was outstanding in Sri Lanka, showing great intent and ability to put pressure on the opposition.' Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion The decision to drop the 30-year-old Labuschagne comes after former coach Justin Langer urged officials to keep him in the side this week, with his experience valuable. Usman Khawaja is aged 38 and Smith 36, meaning a transition in the top order looms after David Warner's retirement from Test cricket last year. 'He's actually a very, very important link in this chain,' Langer said on Monday. 'You think about the history of Australian cricket. The best young players come in surrounded by absolute guns. 'Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn and Matthew Hayden. They come in and they're around gun players. If you just all of a sudden bring a couple of kids in, Cameron Green's still young to the game, and you have to bring another kid in there [to replace Labuschagne].'
