Cricket

India's triumph over England in the ongoing Test series has cast a shadow over the much-hyped "Bazball" era, spearheaded by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. As the teams prepare for the final Test in Dharamsala, England faces the daunting task of salvaging a 2-3 series result.Former England captain Nasser Hussain has expressed concern over the team's performance, despite the entertainment value provided by their aggressive approach. He emphasizes that results remain paramount, and England's current position near the bottom of the World Test Championship table is a cause for worry.Hussain believes that England's win-loss ratio is the most crucial metric, and they must strive to improve it in Dharamsala. He acknowledges that the team has shown competitiveness throughout the series, but their inability to capitalize on opportunities has cost them dearly.The gulf between India and England, according to Hussain, is significant. A 4-1 defeat would only widen this gap and reinforce the perception of England's struggles in India. He urges the team to field their strongest XI in Dharamsala, regardless of future considerations, and to approach the match with the same intensity as if it were a series decider.Hussain's comments highlight the importance of results in cricket, even amidst the excitement generated by England's attacking style. As the series concludes, England will be determined to prove that they can compete with the world's best and that the "Bazball" era is not merely a flash in the pan.

England skipper Ben Stokes opted to bat first in the fifth and final Test against India at Dharamsala's Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium on Thursday, March 7, 2024. Despite India's 3-1 series victory, England is determined to salvage some pride and earn valuable ICC World Test Championship points.This match marks a significant milestone for both Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin and England batter Jonny Bairstow, who are playing their 100th Test. England has made one change to their playing eleven, bringing in Mark Wood, while India has replaced Akash Deep with Jasprit Bumrah.During the toss, Stokes expressed his team's desire to bat first, citing the pitch's appearance. He also praised Bairstow's achievement, calling him "one of our best-ever all-format players."Indian skipper Rohit Sharma echoed Stokes' sentiments, stating that India would have also chosen to bat first. He acknowledged Ashwin's remarkable career and expressed his support for the all-rounder.England's playing eleven consists of Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes (w), Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, Mark Wood, and James Anderson.India's playing eleven includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah.With the series already decided, both teams will be eager to end on a high note and secure the remaining 12 ICC World Test Championship points. The match promises to be an exciting contest between two talented sides.

Ahead of the fifth and final Test of the five-match series against England in Dharamsala, India captain Rohit Sharma expressed uncertainty about the meaning of "Bazball." The term, coined by English cricket commentator Simon Hughes, refers to England's aggressive batting approach under new coach Brendon McCullum."I honestly don't know what [Bazball] means, whether it is to go and strike, whether it is to go and defend and wait for the loose ball," Rohit said in the pre-match press conference.Rohit questioned the significance of the term, stating that he had not witnessed any excessive swinging from England's batters. "I have not seen any wild swinging from anyone, so I don't know exactly what this term means," he added.Despite his uncertainty about the term, Rohit acknowledged England's improved performance since McCullum's appointment. "But, yeah, clearly they have played better cricket from what they played the last time they were here," he said. "And you got to give credit to two of their batters who got big hundreds there and played well."Rohit also responded to England opener Ben Duckett's comment that Yashasvi Jaiswal's aggressive batting was influenced by Bazball. "There was a guy called Rishabh Pant in our team, probably Ben Duckett hasn't seen him play," Rohit said.England have faced three consecutive losses in the series, unable to capitalize on their early 1-0 advantage. The visitors had their chances, notably in Rajkot and Ranchi, but India came back strong on both occasions to win.The fifth and final Test match will begin on March 7 at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala and conclude on March 11, 2024. India and England still have World Test Championship points to gain in Dharamsala, even though the series is decided. India is on top of the World Test Championship standings while England is eighth on the points table.

Ravichandran Ashwin, the Indian off-spinner, is set to become the 12th Indian cricketer to play 100 Tests when he takes the field against England in the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala on Thursday. The match is inconsequential to the final outcome of the series, as India has already taken an unbeatable 3-1 lead. However, it has become significant due to Ashwin's impending milestone.Ashwin's captain, Rohit Sharma, has heaped praise on the off-spinner ahead of his 100th Test, calling him a "rare" talent who has been critical to the team's success. "His performances over the last five-seven years, every series he has contributed. It is rare to have players like him," Rohit said.Ashwin has taken 507 Test wickets, making him only the second Indian bowler after Anil Kumble (619) to go past the 500-wicket mark. He has also scored over 2,500 runs in Tests, including five centuries.Ashwin's journey to 100 Tests has been a long and winding one. He made his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies and has since become one of the most successful bowlers in the world. He is known for his ability to bowl with accuracy and control, and he has a wide range of deliveries that he can use to deceive batsmen.Ashwin has also been a key member of the Indian team that has won the World Cup, the Champions Trophy, and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in recent years. He is a respected figure in the dressing room and is known for his intelligence and his ability to read the game.As Ashwin prepares to play his 100th Test, he will be hoping to add to his already impressive tally of wickets. He will also be hoping to help India win the series against England and cement his place as one of the greatest bowlers of all time.

India's upcoming Test match against England in Dharamsala faces potential disruptions due to inclement weather, according to a report by The Telegraph. The match, scheduled to begin on March 7, could experience chilly temperatures, rainfall, and even sleet. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 1 Degree Celsius, while the minimum could drop below -4 Degree Celsius.Despite the weather concerns, India remains in a strong position in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. The team recently replaced New Zealand at the top of the rankings after defeating England in the fourth Test in Ranchi. India now has a points percentage of 64.58, ahead of New Zealand's 60.00.Australia, currently in third place, has closed the gap on New Zealand after gaining 12 points in the Wellington Test. The Aussies now have 78 points from 11 matches and a points percentage of 59.09. They have the opportunity to move up to second place if they win the second and final Test against New Zealand in Christchurch from March 8.India, meanwhile, will face England in the final match of the five-Test series in Dharamsala. If England wins this match, Australia could climb to the top spot in the WTC standings.

India's Test captain, Rohit Sharma, has emerged as a more astute leader during the fiercely contested series against England. The demanding nature of the tour forced him to reflect on his shortcomings and make necessary adjustments.Despite England's victory in the opening Test, India rallied to secure an insurmountable 3-1 lead heading into the final encounter in Dharamsala. Rohit, who took over as Test captain from Virat Kohli in 2022, has maintained an unbeaten record in five series, excluding India's defeat in the World Test Championship final last year.Under Ben Stokes' leadership, England adopted an aggressive "Bazball" style of play, winning the opening match by a margin of 28 runs and challenging India. However, India managed to counter despite the absence of key players, including Kohli, who opted to skip the series following the birth of his second child.The series witnessed the emergence of young talent, exemplified by 22-year-old opener Yashasvi Jaiswal's remarkable double centuries in the second and third matches. In the bowling department, Indian players excelled, with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and veteran spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja each accumulating 17 wickets in the series."Since I became captain, I haven't played with a full team. It's no excuse... work with what you have, keep a good atmosphere and play with freedom," Rohit told reporters."Basically it has been a series of comebacks. So throughout the series you must have seen that we have absorbed pressure and put it back on the opposition.""It was a great series for me to learn as a captain and there are a lot of different challenges that came across our way," added Rohit."As a captain, I got to learn a lot about how to utilise the players and obviously, when the pressure is put back on you, how to respond to certain situations of the game and things like that. I think it was a great series to be part of.""I am glad that I was captaining this series, it made me understand where I have lacked as a captain and what are the things I need to do differently."Stokes agreed that India had outclassed England during moments in the series when the game was in the balance."India have been better than us in those moments on more than one occasion. It's skill versus skill and in the moments that have mattered, since the first game, India have been better," he said.But when asked about being outsmarted by Rohit in the series, a visibly flustered Stokes said, "I will let you decide".The final Test will be a landmark 100th for Ashwin, and Rohit was all praise for his veteran "match-winner", who left the third match midway to be with his ailing mother and returned a day later."The biggest thing is that he is a big team player and we saw that in the Rajkot Test when it was a difficult situation for him but he called and said 'I want to come back and do something for the team'," said Rohit."When you have players like this then your head is held high."

India's captain, Rohit Sharma, has strongly refuted comments made by England batter Ben Duckett, who suggested that England's "Bazball" approach had influenced Yashasvi Jaiswal's aggressive batting style. Rohit's response, delivered at a press conference on the eve of the fifth Test in Dharamsala, was a clear reminder of the impact of Rishabh Pant's fearless batting."There was a guy called Rishabh Pant in our team, probably Ben Duckett hasn't seen him play," Rohit stated.Jaiswal has emerged as India's leading run-scorer in the series, amassing 655 runs in four matches at an impressive average of 94.57 and a strike rate of 78.63. Duckett's comments, made after witnessing Jaiswal's boundary-filled innings in the Rajkot Test, implied that England's aggressive style had inspired the young Indian batter."When you see players from the opposition playing like that, it almost feels like we should take some credit that they're playing differently than how other people play Test cricket," Duckett had said.Rohit's response was not the only criticism of Duckett's remarks. Former England captain Nasser Hussain also condemned the player's comments."He's not learned from you. He's learned from his upbringing, all the hard yards he had to put in growing up. If anything, lads, look at him and learn from him. I hope there's a little bit of self-introspection going on. Otherwise, it becomes a cult - and, at times, Bazball and this regime has been described as such, where you cannot criticise within or externally," Hussain said on Sky Sports.Rohit's firm stance and Hussain's criticism highlight the importance of acknowledging the individual talent and hard work of players, rather than attributing their success solely to external influences.

Ravichandran Ashwin, India's veteran spinner, was forced to leave the Rajkot Test against England after the second day's play due to a family emergency. Ashwin, who had reached the 500-wicket milestone earlier that day, addressed the press conference after the final session and immediately departed for home.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) initially stated that it was a "family emergency" that prompted Ashwin's departure, but it was later revealed that the situation involved his mother's health. Ashwin himself has not yet spoken about the matter, but his wife Prithi explained the situation in a column she penned ahead of the cricketer's 100th Test.In her column for the Indian Express, Prithi revealed that Ashwin's mother suddenly collapsed, prompting the family to rush her to the hospital. However, instead of calling Ashwin, Prithi contacted Cheteshwar Pujara to arrange for the spinner's return."During Rajkot, the kids had just got back from school when five minutes later, he got to 500. And soon, all of us were on the phone answering all the congratulatory messages," Prithi wrote. "It was then that I heard a sudden scream from aunty as she collapsed, and in no time we were at the hospital. At that point, we had decided not to tell Ashwin because there wasn't good flight connectivity between Chennai and Rajkot."Prithi then called Pujara, whose family helped arrange Ashwin's return flight. After the scans, the doctor suggested that Ashwin's presence would be beneficial, so Prithi informed him of the situation."Over the phone, he sounded so broken and hung up. It took another 20-25 minutes to process what I told him and for him to call back. And thanks to Rohit (Sharma), Rahul bhai (Dravid) and the others in the team and the BCCI - who followed up all the way till he reached here - he got here late at night," she added.Ashwin arrived home and found his mother in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Fortunately, she recovered, allowing Ashwin to return to Rajkot and rejoin his teammates on Day 4 of the Test."It was a very emotional moment for him to see his mom in the ICU. And after she stabilized, we asked him to rejoin the team. Given his personality, he would never leave a game like that. And he would have an extreme amount of guilt if he didn't win the game for his team. Through those couple of days, I realized his yearning for time with his parents is a lot more now and it is coming with age and maturity," Prithi said.

Tom Hartley, England's rising star spinner, is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to learn from Nathan Lyon, Australia's legendary off-spinner, during their time together at Lancashire in the 2024 season. Hartley, who has impressed with his performances in India, believes Lyon's guidance will be invaluable in his development.Despite Lyon's arrival, Hartley remains confident in his abilities. He acknowledges the need to improve his seam presentation, particularly in English conditions, and sees Lyon as the ideal mentor to help him achieve this. Hartley also recognizes the importance of developing his batting skills to become a more versatile all-rounder.Hartley's batting prowess has been evident in India, where he has scored 159 runs, including a crucial 34 in the second innings of the first Test. He believes that improving his batting will make him a more valuable asset to both Lancashire and England.Hartley's six-hitting exploits have also caught the attention of England's management. He has struck more sixes than any other England player in the series, a feat that has earned him praise from head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.Hartley is determined to continue his impressive form in the remaining two Tests against India. He hopes to add to his tally of 20 wickets and potentially surpass R Ashwin's record of five sixes conceded in a single series.