Tokyo Olympics 2021

India vs England 2021 Teams & Squads

Bhuvneshwar Kumar reveals how Team India countered England’s aggressive batting approach

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Seasoned Team India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has said that the bowlers had prepared hard for the challenge of taking on a dominating England batting lineup.

India defeated England 2-1 in the three-match ODI series despite the visitors possessing a number of dangerous hitters with the bat. While Jonny Bairstow (124) and Ben Stokes (99) whacked Indian bowlers in the second ODI, Sam Curran (95 not out) nearly snatched away the third game on Sunday.

Speaking at a virtual press conference after India’s thrilling seven-run triumph, Bhuvneshwar Kumar asserted that the bowlers were very much aware of what they were going to be up against. He said in this regard:

“Mental toughness matters a lot. Before the start of the series, as a team we had discussed that England plays aggressive cricket. So it can either be a high-scoring affair or their players can get out early. So we knew the kind of challenge we were going to be up against. We were prepared to deal with the situations. We always maintained our self-belief throughout.”

After losing the toss and sent into bat, India posted a challenging 329 on the board. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant top-scored with 78, while Shikhar Dhawan (67) and Hardik Pandya (64) also made significant contributions.

In their chase, England crumbled to 200 for 7 before Curran’s brilliance raised hopes for his team. In the end, though, the efforts of Shardul Thakur (4 for 67) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3 for 42) trumped Curran’s resilience.

Very difficult to bowl against a team like England: Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Despite winning the T20I and ODI series, Bhuvneshwar Kumar admitted that bowling to the explosive England batsmen is a huge task. According to the 31-year-old, England’s batsmen are capable of scoring off both good and bad balls.

“As bowlers, we are aware that the England batsmen will give us opportunities because of the kind of cricket they play. But you have to created those chances by bowling really well. The entire England team plays attacking cricket with the bat. However, it is not as if they play rash strokes. They can score off bad balls and good ones as well. It is very difficult to bowl against a team like that. But as a bowling unit, we had preempted these situations. So we were prepared for it,” the medium-pacer explained.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar made a successful comeback to the Indian team in the T20I series against the visitors after a long injury lay-off.

He was named the Man of the Match for his brilliant performance of 2 for 15 in the deciding T20I in Ahmedabad.

Published 29 Mar 2021, 00:31 IST


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“Moeen Ali must be greatest energy drinks mixer of all time” – Michael Vaughan’s latest dig at England’s rotation policy

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Former captain Michael Vaughan took another dig at England’s controversial rotation policy after all-rounder Moeen Ali did not feature in any of the five T20Is against India.

England preferred to go in with Adil Rashid as the lone spinner right through the five-match series as Moeen Ali warmed the benches. India hammered the England pacers in the final T20I to clinch the series 3-2.

Questioning England’s tactics, Michael Vaughan wrote on Twitter:

“Moeen Ali must be the greatest energy drinks mixer of all time … Missed two Tests to not play a game in the T20 series … !!! #OnOn #INDvENG.”

Moeen Ali was part of the England team for the first two Test matches against India in Chennai but did not play the first game. Playing the second, he claimed eight wickets in the match and scored a blistering 43 off 18 in England’s second innings.

After England lost the second Test by 317 runs, Moeen Ali headed back home in sync with the team’s rotation policy. He returned to India for the T20Is, only to warm the bench.

Meanwhile, Adil Rashid, who featured in all five T20Is, claimed four wickets at a strike rate of 28.5 and an economy of 7.78.

We weren’t able to take advantage of big moments: England captain Eoin Morgan

England, who were 2-1 up after three games, faltered in the last two matches to concede the series 2-3.

In the deciding T20I on Saturday, they conceded 224 runs bowling first. Despite a spirited counter-attack, England fell short by 36 runs.

Analyzing what went wrong, England captain Eoin Morgan opined that India won the big moments while his team failed to seize the same. Speaking at the post-match conference, Morgan admitted:

“Playing against a strong Indian team in their conditions was fantastic. Another fantastic game today. India outplayed us in the big moments and deserved to win. We’ve played some good cricket through the series too. So lots of positives for us. We bat quite deep, and we tend to take advantage of that.”

The England captain continued:

“Big moments in this series came when we weren’t able to take advantage of that with our middle order. Always feel we have the talent in the changing room to give it a crack. Today wasn’t our day. One of our huge plusses has been the powerplay bowling in most games. Have to commend Adil Rashid for taking on the new role. Gives us a new option” .

India and England will next meet in a three-match ODI series starting March 23 in Pune.

Published 21 Mar 2021, 00:24 IST


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“India played a lot better than us”- Eoin Morgan after England’s defeat in 4th T20I

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Eoin Morgan acknowledged that Team India were the better side in the 4th T20I, as the hosts registered an 8-run win to keep the series alive going into the final game.

The England skipper added he was happy at the halfway stage with his side’s performance as he expected dew to make it difficult for the Indian bowlers to defend a total of 186. However, the Men in Blue emerged victorious despite the conditions being adverse for bowling

England seemed to have the upper hand going in the last four overs of the chase. But the double strike from Shardul Thakur in the 17th over changed the complexion of the game as the seamer got the better of Ben Stokes and Eoin Morgan on consecutive deliveries.

Speaking after the game at the post-match presentation ceremony, Morgan praised India and accepted his side were the second-best team on the day.

“It’s definitely been the closest game in the series so far. India played a lot better than us tonight and thoroughly deserved to win. A lot more dew throughout the whole game. The game did ebb and flow a lot. Went from position to bowling well to chasing the game and then batting well and being in complete control, and then the momentum of the game swung back into India’s favour, and in the last over, a few balls made it interesting,” Eoin Morgan said.

“Upon reflection, we were very happy at the halfway stage, knowing the due was around, the ball didn’t offer a great deal of turn, and we were in control in lot of the game,” the 34-year-old added.

Eoin Morgan also praised Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes for their quickfire 65-run partnership, which brought England back into the game. However, the skipper was frustrated that none of the middle-order batsmen managed to bat until the end.

“They (Bairstown and Stokes) did the basics really well and got themselves in after losing a couple of wickets. Starting fresh is never easy in any format of the game, especially more difficult in T20 cricket when the run rate is up at 10 and 11 but they managed to negate that. It was nice for them to get us back in the game, but ultimately it was frustrating given the experience we have in that department not to have one or two guys there at the end,” Eoin Morgan said.

“Trying to learn as much as we can before the World Cup” – Eoin Morgan

Eoin Morgan clearly has one eye on the upcoming T20 World Cup and didn’t mind that the series will be decided in the final game. The England skipper is keen to learn from this experience as he believes the upcoming encounter will be the closest experience his side will get of a World Cup game.

“Our journey, trying to learn as much as we can before the World Cup, is important. We really want to play in must-win games like this. They are the closest thing we get to play in a World Cup or Champions Trophy, and against a fantastic side like India, it should be a great game,” the England skipper concluded.

The series decider will be played on Saturday at the same venue in Ahmedabad.

Published 19 Mar 2021, 00:18 IST


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“I’ve played more than 100 T20Is now, you should know my approach” – Rohit Sharma 

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Rohit Sharma seemed perturbed by a question on his batting approach, suggesting everyone should be aware of his playing style by now.

The opening batsman spoke to the press in a virtual press conference on Wednesday, ahead of the five-match T20 series against England. Rohit Sharma was asked how he approaches his batting while playing T20 cricket, as compared to opening for India in ODIs.

“I’ve played more than 100 T20Is now. You should know my approach by now, how I approach, what I do. I don’t need to talk about my approach that I bring into the game. It’s because I have done it for many years now.”

Rohit Sharma’s trademark batting style has come under criticism in some quarters. The batsman takes his time to get going in some games, which doesn’t fit well with those who prefer hard-hitting opening batsmen who come out all guns blazing.

The 33-year-old was more descriptive in his responses, later on, explaining how he alters his batting based on the situation he finds himself in and not the format he is playing.

“But yeah, the situation changes every now and then. Based on the situation of the game I’ve to change my game. The approach will always remain the same which is to have that intent, to have that scoring mindset.”

He admitted he looks forward to match situations, with each game bringing a different challenge with it. Rohit Sharma stressed the importance of assessing a situation correctly during a game.

“The situation of the game is what I look forward to. Because that keeps changing every game that we play. It is very important for me to understand the situation and play according to that. Whether we bat first, bowl first, the situation of the game demands the approach from your batting. Keeping that in mind I take my game forward”

Rohit Sharma explains his role as T20 opener

While Rohit Sharma is set to start as India’s opener in the T20s, there are question marks about his opening partner. Both Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul are part of the squad, and Rohit Sharma was asked whether his game changes depending on who he is opening with.

“My role doesn’t change. I have to bat in a similar fashion. Make sure I give the team the start and bat for as long as possible. Get the big scores. Nothing changes for me. For me, not a lot changes (when batting with KL Rahul or Shikhar Dhawan). I just need to assess the situation, the pitch, the bowlers bowling at me and stuff like that.”

Rohit Sharma has a stellar record for India in T20Is. He averages 32.62 for the Men in Blue, striking the ball at a rate of 138.78. The batsman explained how he approaches his innings while batting first for India.

“I just need to make sure that if we are batting first, I try and give the team a good start. Then if I’m batting till the first six overs, making sure I bat for as long as possible and take the team to a decent target.”

He also shared how he adopts a different mindset while batting second in the game’s shortest format.

“When we chase, the approach remains the same, but the mindset changes because you have a score in front of you. It depends how you want to bat, how much runs are you chasing and you just have to calculate all those things and bring that into your game.”

Rohit Sharma will play a pivotal role with the bat for India in the 5-match T20I series, which begins on March 12 in Ahmedabad. Considering this series is spoken about as a dress rehearsal for the World T20 later this year, the opener’s form with the bat will be a crucial aspect for the Men in Blue.

Published 10 Mar 2021, 18:31 IST


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Ravichandran Ashwin becomes second quickest bowler to claim 400 Test wickets

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Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has become the second quickest bowler in the world to claim 400 Test wickets.

Ravichandran Ashwin reached the landmark when he dismissed Jofra Archer lbw for a duck on Day 2 of the pink-ball Test against England in Ahmedabad.

The Indian bowler, playing in his 77th Test, went past Sir Richard Hadlee and Dale Steyn, who took 80 Tests each to reach the landmark. Muttiah Muralitharan leads the list of bowlers who have been quickest to 400 Test wickets. The Sri Lankan spin legend got to the mark in 72 Tests.

Ravichandran Ashwin, who picked up three wickets in England’s first innings, pocketed four more dismissals at the time of filing this report, as the visitors crumbled to 80/9 in their second innings.

After Axar Patel ran through the top order with four wickets, Ravichandran Ashwin joined the act by dismissing Ben Stokes once again. The England all-rounder was trapped lbw for 25, with one that straightened from around the wicket.

Not long after, he cleaned up Ollie Pope for 12 as the batsman completely misread the line of the ball. Ravichandran Ashwin then claimed his 400th wicket as Jofra Archer couldn’t offer any resistance to a yorker length delivery.

Ravichandran Ashwin becomes fourth Indian bowler to claim 400 Test victims

Ravichandran Ashwin has become only the fourth Indian to claim 400 Test wickets. Kapil Dev (434), Anil Kumble (619) and Harbhajan Singh (417) were the ones to get there before him on the illustrious list.

Also, if he picks up one more five-wicket haul, Ravichandran Ashwin (29) will join James Anderson (30) on the list of bowlers with most five-fors in Test cricket.

Meanwhile, India were bowled out for 145 in reply to England’s first innings total of 112. England skipper Joe Root was the surprise hero for England with sensational figures of 5/8 in 6.2 overs.

With his five-for in Ahmedabad on Thursday, Joe Root became the first England captain to take a five-wicket haul in a Test match since Bob Willis in 1983; Willis had claimed 5/35 against New Zealand.

England had crumbled to 80/9 in their second innings as Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin carried on the spinners’ domination in the Pink-Ball Test.

Published 25 Feb 2021, 18:33 IST