'Mohammed Siraj and the passion of the Indian boys was too strong and ultimately they deserve to win this Test match.'
Glenn McGrath said his prediction this time is based on how England were held to a 2-2 series draw by India in the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy five-Test series.
Ahead of England's five-match Test series against India at home, head coach Brendon McCullum hailed young all-rounder Jacob Bethell
The England and Wales Cricket Board has sacked its data analysts, Freddie Wilde and Nathan Leamon, weeks ahead of the Test series against India, as head coach Brendon McCullum wants to put more emphasis on gut feeling and intuition.
England have only drawn one from 35 Tests in the McCullum-Stokes regime, with one of their exhilarating run chases in that spell coming when they reached 378 against India in 2022 -- the only time India have lost when defending Test totals of more than 350.
Joe Root declared that it is his time to pay back Test skipper Ben Stokes, who did so much for him while serving as his deputy during his captaincy tenure that lasted from 2017 to 2022.
England captain Ben Stokes went on to call Jofra Archer an 'incredibly gifted cricketer', irrespective of the colour of the ball in his hand.
Abhishek Sharma opened up about a small but meaningful habit-pulling out a chit from his pocket after scoring a century in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The ground brought sanity to the wild, soaring numbers for the batters in the series. The wicket had grass, and it made the batters struggle.
Former wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik believes Shubman Gill is yet to realise the 'enormity' of what it means to be India's Test captain.
England still have hopes of winning this game. This prognosis is based on their fourth innings exploits over the last three years and the fact that India galloped to 321 runs in 70 overs, suggesting the wicket isn't particularly tricky. However, the big difference from Leeds in June this year, or Birmingham in 2022, is that this track still has plenty of juice.
Stokes admitted that the aggression from the Indian players added some adrenalin into his side.
Jofra Archer will play his first Test in more than four years as he replaces fellow seamer Josh Tongue for the third Test at Lord's.
England skipper Ben Stokes on Thursday said the hosts don't think the absence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin makes India any lesser side as their "ginormous" talent pool is enough to fill the void.
India and England players will push their tired bodies on the line with everything to play for in the fifth and final Test starting at The Oval on Thursday
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.
'...he's not shown any obvious signs of dismissal and he's played stylishly.'
The altercation between head coach Gautam Gambhir and Oval's chief curator Lee Fortis happened after the visitors were asked to stand "2.5 metres from the wicket."
Former captain Michael Vaughan is astonished by England's decision to bowl first on a dry Headingley wicket, a decision that backfired as India finished at 359 for 3 on day one of the first Test in Leeds.
Captain Gill will be looking to get India back to their best in red ball cricket and he has 'Let you actions lead the way.'
Selected at number three ahead of the burgeoning talent of Jacob Bethell, who averaged 52 on his first Test tour of New Zealand, Pope settled after early scares to compile his ninth Test century.
Bairstow's highest score in the series so far was 37, posted in the opener in Hyderabad
Besides the surface, the behaviour of the Dukes has also come under scanner with the softer ball hardly offering anything to the bowlers.
Across five fiercely contested Tests, more than 7,000 runs were scored, including a record-equalling 21 individual centuries. Every match stretched into a gripping fifth day. The sun shone, the stands were full, and the cricket -- emotional, enthralling, and endlessly unpredictable -- captured imaginations around the world.
Despite losing the series, McCullum maintains positive outlook.
Curran hasn't played for England since he featured in a white-ball series against the West Indies in November last year and was recently overlooked for the side's ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign
England captain Ben Stokes underwent surgery in November for his long-standing left-knee problem.
This chase marked the sixth time under the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum leadership that England had hauled in targets of 250 or more in the fourth innings.
Test coach Brendon McCullum urged England to stick with their style of play despite suffering a 69-run defeat by Afghanistan.
Gill's magnificence. Siraj and Akash's brilliance. Jadeja's class. Jaiswal and Rahul's success. Stokes' toss blunder. Root's failures.
After the end of the fifth and final Test match against India in Dharamsala, England head coach Brendon McCullum said that the visitors were more "timid" as the series went on.
England pacer Brydon Carse is expecting the transitioning Indian team to put up a strong fight in the five-match Test series despite the recent retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, thanks to their "huge depth".
'Shubman Gill is a great thinker and player, but man management will be key to his leadership success.'
England coach Brendon McCullum warned that if the pitch indeed favours the spinners, England would not be afraid to field an all-spin attack.
England star batsman Joe Root has expressed his confidence in the team's approach under coach Brendon McCullum, saying the 'Bazball' philosophy perfectly complements the players' skills. Root, returning to England's ODI setup for the series against India, sees endless possibilities for the team under McCullum's guidance. He highlighted the exciting blend of skills within the squad and believes this team has the potential to achieve great things.
England coach Brendon McCullum on Monday described his Indian counterpart Gautam Gambhir as a "strong leader of men", backing him to achieve success with the national team in near future.
'And obviously two losses and being out of the tournament and a bit of hangover of the few tournaments before I think it probably reached the end of the road foe me and my captaincy, is a shame, I'm sad about that.'
England coach Brendon McCullum, known for his aggressive 'Bazball' approach, has surprised everyone by promising a "watchful" style of cricket in the limited overs series against India. He also confirmed that captain Jos Buttler will focus solely on batting and won't be keeping wickets during the tour. The tour begins with the first of the five-match T20I series at Eden Gardens on Wednesday, followed by three one-day internationals. This ODI series serves as a dress rehearsal for both teams ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, which will be held in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19.
England head coach Brendon McCullum's appearance in online betting advertisements has landed him in a fix with ECB probing if it is in breach of the governing body's anti-corruption rules.
The ECB said no action will be taken against England head coach Brendon McCullum, who was under scrutiny for his association with a betting company.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances