<p>England defeated New Zealand in a high-scoring thriller, by five wickets, to win the second and penultimate Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on Tuesday (June 14). With the victory, the Ben Stokes-led England side also took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, with the final Test set to be held in&nbsp;Headingley, Leeds.</p>

<p>Talking about the second Test, Stokes &amp; Co. opted to bowl first and were in for a leather hunt as Darly Mitchell's 190 and Tom Blundell's 106 propelled the Kane Williamson-less Kiwis to 553 all-out. In reply, centuries from Ollie Pope, Joe Root (176) and fifties from Alex Lees and Ben Foakes took England's score to 539. With a 14-run lead, Black Caps posted 284 riding on half-centuries from Will Young, Devon Conway and Mitchell as visitors set Stokes-led English side a competitive 299-run target in 72 overs. <strong>Here's the updated points table in the second cycle of the ICC World Test Championship after England's series win over NZ:</strong></p>

<p><img alt="WTC Points Table" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f693b4ac-3a22-464a-9366-41bfad5b2cf9" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/WTC.png" /></p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-test-rankings-india-pacer-jasprit-bumrah-rises-to-3rd-run-machine-joe-root-becomes-no-1-batter-488437"><strong>ICC Test Rankings: India pacer Jasprit Bumrah rises to 3rd, run-machine Joe Root becomes No. 1 batter</strong></a></p>

<p>Despite the win, England were docked two points from the overall tally, being reduced to 23.8 from 25 points, for slow-over rate (being two overs short of the target). The English camp, however, will be elated after a much-needed series win following a terrible run in the last few months.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Stokes-Brendon McCullum-era has begun in style and England will now hope to inflict a series whitewash over the current World Test Champions.&nbsp;</p>


England defeated New Zealand in a high-scoring thriller, by five wickets, to win the second and penultimate Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on Tuesday (June 14).

England defeated New Zealand in a high-scoring thriller, by five wickets, to win the second and penultimate Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on Tuesday (June 14). With the victory, the Ben Stokes-led England side also took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, with the final Test set to be held in Headingley, Leeds. Talking about the second Test, Stokes & Co. opted to bowl first and were in for a leather hunt as Darly Mitchell's 190 and Tom Blundell's 106 propelled the Kane Williamson-less Kiwis to 553 all-out. In reply, centuries from Ollie Pope, Joe Root (176) and fifties from Alex Lees and Ben Foakes took England's score to 539. With a 14-run lead, Black Caps posted 284 riding on half-centuries from Will Young, Devon Conway and Mitchell as visitors set Stokes-led English side a competitive 299-run target in 72 overs. Here's the updated points table in the second cycle of the ICC World Test Championship after England's series win over NZ: ALSO READ | ICC Test Rankings: India pacer Jasprit Bumrah rises to 3rd, run-machine Joe Root becomes No. 1 batter Despite the win, England were docked two points from the overall tally, being reduced to 23.8 from 25 points, for slow-over rate (being two overs short of the target). The English camp, however, will be elated after a much-needed series win following a terrible run in the last few months. The Stokes-Brendon McCullum-era has begun in style and England will now hope to inflict a series whitewash over the current World Test Champions.

Updated ICC World Test Championship points table after England beat NZ to take unassailable lead

<p>Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes destroyed New Zealand's attack as England won the second Test at Trent Bridge by five wickets on Tuesday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.</p>

<p>England were chasing a challenging total of 299 on the final day to win in Nottingham after dismissing the visitors for 284 in their second innings. But Bairstow, who came in following the dismissal of in-form Joe Root, bludgeoned 136 runs off just 92 balls, hitting the second-fastest century in England's Test history, off just 77 balls.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/will-joe-root-surpass-sachin-tendulkars-run-tally-in-tests-sunil-gavaskar-shares-his-take-488129"><strong>Will Joe Root surpass Sachin Tendulkar's run-tally in Tests? Sunil Gavaskar shares his take</strong></a></p>

<p>England captain Stokes hammered an unbeaten 75.</p>


Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes destroyed New Zealand's attack as England won the second Test at Trent Bridge by five wickets on Tuesday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes destroyed New Zealand's attack as England won the second Test at Trent Bridge by five wickets on Tuesday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. England were chasing a challenging total of 299 on the final day to win in Nottingham after dismissing the visitors for 284 in their second innings. But Bairstow, who came in following the dismissal of in-form Joe Root, bludgeoned 136 runs off just 92 balls, hitting the second-fastest century in England's Test history, off just 77 balls. ALSO READ | Will Joe Root surpass Sachin Tendulkar's run-tally in Tests? Sunil Gavaskar shares his take England captain Stokes hammered an unbeaten 75.

Jonny Bairstow slams 2nd-fastest ton by Englishman as ENG chase down 299 vs NZ, win 2nd Test & series

<p>England and New Zealand were involved in a humdinger of a clash when both sides met each other in the series opener of the three-match Test series at Lord's last week. In a riveting clash, Kane Williamson-led New Zealand set up a challenging 277-run target for the Ben Stokes-led hosts, after being dismissed for 132 in the first essay, and had reduced the home team to 69/4 before former skipper Joe Root's sublime 115 rescued England and took them to a memorable five-wicket win over the Kiwis.</p>

<p>Despite giving up the captaincy in the format, Root continued to lead the charge with the bat and his 26th Test ton also helped him reach the 10,000-run mark in Tests. He became the second Englishman, after Sir Alastair Cook, and 14th batsman overall to achieve the illustrious feat. Such has been Root's form that he has amassed&nbsp;2192 runs including 9 centuries in the last 18 months, whereas his competitors such as Virat Kohli, Williamson and Steve Smith haven't hit a single ton since early January 2021.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sachin-should-watch-out-michael-vaughan-makes-bold-claim-as-joe-root-breaches-10000-run-mark-in-tests-485960">'Sachin should watch out': Michael Vaughan makes bold claim as Joe Root breaches 10,000-run mark in Tests</a></strong></p>

<p>Thus, former Indian stumper Saba Karim lavished huge praise on Root. In a discussion on <em>India Ahead</em>, Karim stated that Root's consistency has brought him way ahead of the other three batters in the Fab Four. "He has gone far ahead. Joe Root has left the other three batters far behind in the last two years. Whether we talk about consistency, technique or temperament, in all these aspects Joe Root is above everyone at the moment."</p>

<p>"And we are not discussing one more thing, that if we see England's batting, other than Root, we are not seeing any other name coming to the forefront. It means Joe Root has single-handedly scored runs and hit centuries, he has not got any support from the other end," Karim added.</p>

<p>Root will be eager to continue in a similar stead and guide England to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series when the second and penultimate Test starts on June 10 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.</p>


England and New Zealand were involved in a humdinger of a clash when both sides met each other in the series opener of the three-match Test series at Lord's last week.

England and New Zealand were involved in a humdinger of a clash when both sides met each other in the series opener of the three-match Test series at Lord's last week. In a riveting clash, Kane Williamson-led New Zealand set up a challenging 277-run target for the Ben Stokes-led hosts, after being dismissed for 132 in the first essay, and had reduced the home team to 69/4 before former skipper Joe Root's sublime 115 rescued England and took them to a memorable five-wicket win over the Kiwis. Despite giving up the captaincy in the format, Root continued to lead the charge with the bat and his 26th Test ton also helped him reach the 10,000-run mark in Tests. He became the second Englishman, after Sir Alastair Cook, and 14th batsman overall to achieve the illustrious feat. Such has been Root's form that he has amassed 2192 runs including 9 centuries in the last 18 months, whereas his competitors such as Virat Kohli, Williamson and Steve Smith haven't hit a single ton since early January 2021. ALSO READ | 'Sachin should watch out': Michael Vaughan makes bold claim as Joe Root breaches 10,000-run mark in Tests Thus, former Indian stumper Saba Karim lavished huge praise on Root. In a discussion on India Ahead, Karim stated that Root's consistency has brought him way ahead of the other three batters in the Fab Four. "He has gone far ahead. Joe Root has left the other three batters far behind in the last two years. Whether we talk about consistency, technique or temperament, in all these aspects Joe Root is above everyone at the moment." "And we are not discussing one more thing, that if we see England's batting, other than Root, we are not seeing any other name coming to the forefront. It means Joe Root has single-handedly scored runs and hit centuries, he has not got any support from the other end," Karim added. Root will be eager to continue in a similar stead and guide England to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series when the second and penultimate Test starts on June 10 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

Joe Root has left other three batters from Fab Four far behind, reckons former India stumper

<p>Joe Root made a superb unbeaten century to guide England to an impressive five-wicket victory over New Zealand on a gloomy fourth morning of the first test at Lord’s on Sunday. Former captain Root became the 14th batsman to pass 10,000 test runs and finished on 115 not out after sharing a sixth-wicket partnership of 120 with Ben Foakes, whose 32 not out was also crucial for England to reach their victory target of 277.</p>

<p>New Zealand’s seamers, previously so potent through the test, found no swing on a cold morning and failed to test the batsmen as the pair picked off the runs with little alarm after England had resumed at 216 for five, needing 61 for victory.</p>

<p>England captain Ben Stokes celebrated victory in his first test in charge and will be targeting a series win when the second of three matches gets underway at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Friday.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/intentionally-wanted-to-hit-sachin-shoaib-akhtar-recalls-his-fiery-spell-vs-tendulkar-in-2006-karachi-test-485266">'Intentionally wanted to hit Sachin': Shoaib Akhtar recalls his fiery spell vs Tendulkar in 2006 Karachi Test</a></p>

<p>Root compiled his 26th test century, and first in the fourth innings, a reminder of the crucial role he still has to play for the side after reluctantly resigning the captaincy this year.</p>

<p>"Scoring a hundred and 10,000 runs, what a player, what a man," Stokes said at the post-match presentation, before cautioning that the side will not be getting carried away with their success having won only one of their previous 17 tests before this one.</p>

<p>"We`re happy leaving here with a win but one thing that everyone needs to take into account is that it`s a change of mindset for everyone and it`s not something that`s going to happen overnight," Stoles added.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/harbhajan-singh-recalls-infamous-sreesanth-slapgate-row-i-made-a-mistake-it-should-not-have-happened-485244">Harbhajan&nbsp;recalls infamous Sreesanth slapgate row: 'I made a mistake, It should not have happened'</a></p>

<p>New Zealand captain Kane Williamson had hoped the overcast conditions would provide movement for his seamers, but was disappointed by the lack of swing.</p>

<p>"The game ebbed and flowed, both teams came out and fought hard," he said. "We saw how difficult it was when the ball was hard. We came here today with high hopes.</p>

<p>"Definitely a lot of learnings. We`ll reflect on this and look forward to the next one."</p>


Joe Root made a superb unbeaten century to guide England to an impressive five-wicket victory over New Zealand on a gloomy fourth morning of the first test at Lord’s on Sunday.

Joe Root made a superb unbeaten century to guide England to an impressive five-wicket victory over New Zealand on a gloomy fourth morning of the first test at Lord’s on Sunday. Former captain Root became the 14th batsman to pass 10,000 test runs and finished on 115 not out after sharing a sixth-wicket partnership of 120 with Ben Foakes, whose 32 not out was also crucial for England to reach their victory target of 277. New Zealand’s seamers, previously so potent through the test, found no swing on a cold morning and failed to test the batsmen as the pair picked off the runs with little alarm after England had resumed at 216 for five, needing 61 for victory. England captain Ben Stokes celebrated victory in his first test in charge and will be targeting a series win when the second of three matches gets underway at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Friday. Also Read: 'Intentionally wanted to hit Sachin': Shoaib Akhtar recalls his fiery spell vs Tendulkar in 2006 Karachi Test Root compiled his 26th test century, and first in the fourth innings, a reminder of the crucial role he still has to play for the side after reluctantly resigning the captaincy this year. "Scoring a hundred and 10,000 runs, what a player, what a man," Stokes said at the post-match presentation, before cautioning that the side will not be getting carried away with their success having won only one of their previous 17 tests before this one. "We`re happy leaving here with a win but one thing that everyone needs to take into account is that it`s a change of mindset for everyone and it`s not something that`s going to happen overnight," Stoles added. Also Read: Harbhajan recalls infamous Sreesanth slapgate row: 'I made a mistake, It should not have happened' New Zealand captain Kane Williamson had hoped the overcast conditions would provide movement for his seamers, but was disappointed by the lack of swing. "The game ebbed and flowed, both teams came out and fought hard," he said. "We saw how difficult it was when the ball was hard. We came here today with high hopes. "Definitely a lot of learnings. We`ll reflect on this and look forward to the next one."

Joe Root slams ton to help England thrash New Zealand by 5 wickets in 1st Test at Lord's

<p>England spinner Jack Leach has been withdrawn from the first Test against New Zealand at Lord`s after he showed concussion symptoms following a heavy fall while fielding. Matt Parkinson will be the concussion substitute for the bowler."Jack Leach has symptoms of concussion following his head injury whilst fielding. As per concussion guidelines, he has been withdrawn from this Test," ECB said in a tweet."Lancashire spinner Matthew Parkinson has been confirmed as Jack Leach`s concussion replacement. He will join the camp later today and can go straight into our XI," ECB added.</p>

<p>Parkinson is a leg-spinner from Lancashire. He has taken 126 wickets from 37 first-class cricket games. Leach, playing his first home Test since Ashes 2019 suffered an injury during the sixth over of the game while chasing a drive by stylish southpaw Devon Conway to the backward point boundary. As he dived and dragged the ball back from the edge of the rope, Leach landed heavily on his head and seemed to have injured his neck in the process.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/eng-vs-nz-players-pay-unique-tribute-to-aussie-legend-shane-warne-in-lords-test-watch-484477"><strong>Eng vs NZ: Players pay unique tribute to Aussie legend Shane Warne in Lord's Test - WATCH</strong></a></p>

<p>New Zealand`s medical team attended to him for several minutes and he was able to walk back to the pavilion. After subsequent examination from the medical team of ECB, it was decided to withdraw Leech from the match. Parkinson has played nine games for England across the white-ball formats.</p>

<p>The spinner has regularly featured in touring squads over the last two years. He has taken 24 wickets at 25.95 in the county championship this season, the most of any spinner in the country. New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat first. Their innings is in progress. Both sides are playing a three-Test series, with the next Test match set to take place from June 10 and the final one from June 23 onwards. The series is a part of the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23.</p>


England spinner Jack Leach has been withdrawn from the first Test against New Zealand at Lord`s after he showed concussion symptoms following a heavy fall while fielding.

England spinner Jack Leach has been withdrawn from the first Test against New Zealand at Lord`s after he showed concussion symptoms following a heavy fall while fielding. Matt Parkinson will be the concussion substitute for the bowler."Jack Leach has symptoms of concussion following his head injury whilst fielding. As per concussion guidelines, he has been withdrawn from this Test," ECB said in a tweet."Lancashire spinner Matthew Parkinson has been confirmed as Jack Leach`s concussion replacement. He will join the camp later today and can go straight into our XI," ECB added. Parkinson is a leg-spinner from Lancashire. He has taken 126 wickets from 37 first-class cricket games. Leach, playing his first home Test since Ashes 2019 suffered an injury during the sixth over of the game while chasing a drive by stylish southpaw Devon Conway to the backward point boundary. As he dived and dragged the ball back from the edge of the rope, Leach landed heavily on his head and seemed to have injured his neck in the process. ALSO READ | Eng vs NZ: Players pay unique tribute to Aussie legend Shane Warne in Lord's Test - WATCH New Zealand`s medical team attended to him for several minutes and he was able to walk back to the pavilion. After subsequent examination from the medical team of ECB, it was decided to withdraw Leech from the match. Parkinson has played nine games for England across the white-ball formats. The spinner has regularly featured in touring squads over the last two years. He has taken 24 wickets at 25.95 in the county championship this season, the most of any spinner in the country. New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat first. Their innings is in progress. Both sides are playing a three-Test series, with the next Test match set to take place from June 10 and the final one from June 23 onwards. The series is a part of the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23.

England's Jack Leach out of remainder of first Test vs NZ due to concussion symptoms

<p>England and New Zealand locked horns with each other in the three-match Test series opener at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground, London on Thursday evening (June 02). During Day 1 of the first Test, after Kane Williamson &amp; Co. opted to bat first, the players from both the teams paid tribute to late Aussie spin wizard Shane Warne.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The game was paused for 23 seconds after the end of 23 overs, as a unique tribute to Warne (who wore jersey No. 23 for Australia). The players paused the game with the giant screen showcasing a video of the Aussie legend. The fans also joined in and paid their tribute to the late cricketer, who passed away due to a heart attack while vacating in Thailand in early March. <strong>Here's the video when proceedings halted for a bit in remembrance of Warne:</strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">After 23 overs, the England vs New Zealand cricket match paused for 23 seconds of applause in memory of the late, great Shane Warne 👏<a href="https://t.co/GQaJ75Pixb">pic.twitter.com/GQaJ75Pixb</a></p>
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1532335259823525888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/you-had-people-with-machine-guns-guarding-you-simon-taufel-recalls-officiating-in-india-pakistan-matches-484188"><strong>You had people with machine guns guarding you: Simon Taufel recalls officiating in India-Pakistan matches</strong></a></p>

<p>Talking about the first Test, nothing has clicked so far for the visitors as Ben Stokes-led England dismissed the Black Caps for a paltry 132 in 40 overs, with debutant Matty Potts and James Anderson returning with a four-wicket haul each.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trent Boult &amp; Co., thus, have a huge task ahead of themselves to stop the home team from taking a sizeable lead in the opening Test at Lord's.</p>


England and New Zealand locked horns with each other in the three-match Test series opener at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground, London on Thursday evening (June 02).

England and New Zealand locked horns with each other in the three-match Test series opener at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground, London on Thursday evening (June 02). During Day 1 of the first Test, after Kane Williamson & Co. opted to bat first, the players from both the teams paid tribute to late Aussie spin wizard Shane Warne. The game was paused for 23 seconds after the end of 23 overs, as a unique tribute to Warne (who wore jersey No. 23 for Australia). The players paused the game with the giant screen showcasing a video of the Aussie legend. The fans also joined in and paid their tribute to the late cricketer, who passed away due to a heart attack while vacating in Thailand in early March. Here's the video when proceedings halted for a bit in remembrance of Warne: After 23 overs, the England vs New Zealand cricket match paused for 23 seconds of applause in memory of the late, great Shane Warne 👏pic.twitter.com/GQaJ75Pixb — Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 2, 2022 × ALSO READ | You had people with machine guns guarding you: Simon Taufel recalls officiating in India-Pakistan matches Talking about the first Test, nothing has clicked so far for the visitors as Ben Stokes-led England dismissed the Black Caps for a paltry 132 in 40 overs, with debutant Matty Potts and James Anderson returning with a four-wicket haul each. Trent Boult & Co., thus, have a huge task ahead of themselves to stop the home team from taking a sizeable lead in the opening Test at Lord's.

Eng vs NZ: Players pay unique tribute to Aussie legend Shane Warne in Lord's Test - WATCH

<p>Durham pace bowler Matthew Potts will make his international debut in the first of three tests between England and New Zealand at Lord’s starting on Thursday in what will also be his inaugural first-class match at the world’s most famous ground.</p>

<p>Potts, who has been the outstanding bowler in the county championship this year with 35 wickets at 18.57 each, will join veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad who have been recalled after they were omitted from the team who lost 1-0 in the West Indies this year. Ben Stokes, who has taken over the England captaincy from Joe Root after a dismal winter for England in Australia and the Caribbean, completes the pace quartet.</p>

<p>However, at least six other leading pace bowlers, including Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, are unavailable through injury. Stokes told a pre-match news conference his Durham team mate Potts had been outstanding in the county games they had played together this year.</p>

<p>"This kid is ready, he`s been phenomenal," Stokes said. "He`s everything I expect this team to be going forward." He also paid tribute to the team`s new coach, former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who has been tasked with turning around a team who sit bottom of the current test championship standings after winning one of their last 17 Tests.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/eng-vs-nz-1st-test-michael-vaughan-slams-ticket-costs-as-20000-of-them-go-unsold-for-series-opener-483887"><strong>Eng vs NZ, 1st Test: Michael Vaughan slams ticket costs as 20,000 of them go unsold for series opener</strong></a></p>

<p>"He is all about making everyone feel, in his words `10 feet tall`," Stokes said. "It’s a good few days working for him." New Zealand, who won the inaugural test championship final against India last year, were due to name their side after an afternoon practice session.</p>

<p>Captain Kane Williamson, who missed his team`s home series this year against Bangladesh and South Africa because of a long-standing elbow injury, said batter Henry Nicholls who has sustained a calf injury and also tested positive for COVID-19 would be replaced by Daryl Mitchell at number five. He said left-arm opening bowler Trent Boult, who did not arrive in England until last Monday because of his commitments in the Indian Premier League would be assessed at training and the New Zealanders would&nbsp;examine the ground surface before deciding on their team.</p>

<p>Stokes added his voice to that of former England captain Michael Vaughan who has criticised the price of tickets at Lord`s with more than 16,000 still unsold for the five days. "The ticket prices is something that I think is going to have to be looked at," he said. "What is cricket without its fans? What is sport without its fans? I don`t set the ticket prices but I think it does need to be looked at."</p>

<p><strong>Team:</strong><br />
Zak Crawley, Alex Lees, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonathan Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Ben Foakes, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, James Anderson</p>


Durham pace bowler Matthew Potts will make his international debut in the first of three tests between England and New Zealand at Lord’s starting on Thursday in what will also be his inaugural first-class match at the world’s most famous ground.

Durham pace bowler Matthew Potts will make his international debut in the first of three tests between England and New Zealand at Lord’s starting on Thursday in what will also be his inaugural first-class match at the world’s most famous ground. Potts, who has been the outstanding bowler in the county championship this year with 35 wickets at 18.57 each, will join veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad who have been recalled after they were omitted from the team who lost 1-0 in the West Indies this year. Ben Stokes, who has taken over the England captaincy from Joe Root after a dismal winter for England in Australia and the Caribbean, completes the pace quartet. However, at least six other leading pace bowlers, including Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, are unavailable through injury. Stokes told a pre-match news conference his Durham team mate Potts had been outstanding in the county games they had played together this year. "This kid is ready, he`s been phenomenal," Stokes said. "He`s everything I expect this team to be going forward." He also paid tribute to the team`s new coach, former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who has been tasked with turning around a team who sit bottom of the current test championship standings after winning one of their last 17 Tests. ALSO READ | Eng vs NZ, 1st Test: Michael Vaughan slams ticket costs as 20,000 of them go unsold for series opener "He is all about making everyone feel, in his words `10 feet tall`," Stokes said. "It’s a good few days working for him." New Zealand, who won the inaugural test championship final against India last year, were due to name their side after an afternoon practice session. Captain Kane Williamson, who missed his team`s home series this year against Bangladesh and South Africa because of a long-standing elbow injury, said batter Henry Nicholls who has sustained a calf injury and also tested positive for COVID-19 would be replaced by Daryl Mitchell at number five. He said left-arm opening bowler Trent Boult, who did not arrive in England until last Monday because of his commitments in the Indian Premier League would be assessed at training and the New Zealanders would examine the ground surface before deciding on their team. Stokes added his voice to that of former England captain Michael Vaughan who has criticised the price of tickets at Lord`s with more than 16,000 still unsold for the five days. "The ticket prices is something that I think is going to have to be looked at," he said. "What is cricket without its fans? What is sport without its fans? I don`t set the ticket prices but I think it does need to be looked at." Team: Zak Crawley, Alex Lees, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonathan Bairstow, Ben Stokes (captain), Ben Foakes, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, James Anderson

Eng vs NZ, 1st Test: Matthew Potts to debut, James Anderson-Stuart Broad return as hosts announce playing XI

<p>The cricketing action will continue as England are set to host New Zealand in a two-match Test series at home, starting on June 02. It will be the beginning of a new era in England cricket as there has been a change in leadership in the Test line-up with Ben Stokes taking over from Joe Root whereas Brendon McCullum has been appointed as England's red-ball coach.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ahead of the first Test between England and New Zealand, at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground, London, a report in The Telegraph states that as many as 20,000 tickets have gone unsold&nbsp;over the first four days of the match with just two days left for the series opener's commencement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The high cost of the tickets is being considered to be the main reason for the match not being a sellout so far. Thus, former England captain Michael Vaughan has slammed the high prices of the tickets ahead of the Lord's Test between England and the current World red-ball champions. He took to his official Twitter handle and wrote, "</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Lords not being full this week is embarrassing for the game .. Try &amp; blame the Jubilee if they want but I guarantee if tickets weren’t £100 - £160 it would be jam packed !!! Why are they so expensive ??? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lords?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lords</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvNZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvNZ</a></p>
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelVaughan/status/1531515837332561920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Chris Millard, managing director of the Barmy Army fan group -- England cricket's ardent supporters -- pointed out, "It has to be price. We do not get tickets at Lord’s as a group, but speaking to a lot of people who go every year they have been put off due to price and the cost of living crisis."</p>

<p>As per the report, as of Monday evening (May 30), the Lord's advertisement said that 1800 tickets are still available for the opening day, 2500 on Day 2, 4600 on Day 3, and a whopping 9600 for the penultimate day.&nbsp;</p>


The cricketing action will continue as England are set to host New Zealand in a two-match Test series at home, starting on June 02. It will be the beginning of a new era in England cricket as there has been a change in leadership in the Test line-up with Ben Stokes taking over from Joe Root whereas Brendon McCullum has been appointed as England's red-ball coach.

The cricketing action will continue as England are set to host New Zealand in a two-match Test series at home, starting on June 02. It will be the beginning of a new era in England cricket as there has been a change in leadership in the Test line-up with Ben Stokes taking over from Joe Root whereas Brendon McCullum has been appointed as England's red-ball coach. Ahead of the first Test between England and New Zealand, at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground, London, a report in The Telegraph states that as many as 20,000 tickets have gone unsold over the first four days of the match with just two days left for the series opener's commencement. The high cost of the tickets is being considered to be the main reason for the match not being a sellout so far. Thus, former England captain Michael Vaughan has slammed the high prices of the tickets ahead of the Lord's Test between England and the current World red-ball champions. He took to his official Twitter handle and wrote, " Lords not being full this week is embarrassing for the game .. Try & blame the Jubilee if they want but I guarantee if tickets weren’t £100 - £160 it would be jam packed !!! Why are they so expensive ??? #Lords #ENGvNZ — Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) May 31, 2022 × ALSO READ | England women's 2017 ODI WC-winning duo Katherine Brunt, Nat Sciver get married in private affair Chris Millard, managing director of the Barmy Army fan group -- England cricket's ardent supporters -- pointed out, "It has to be price. We do not get tickets at Lord’s as a group, but speaking to a lot of people who go every year they have been put off due to price and the cost of living crisis." As per the report, as of Monday evening (May 30), the Lord's advertisement said that 1800 tickets are still available for the opening day, 2500 on Day 2, 4600 on Day 3, and a whopping 9600 for the penultimate day.

Eng vs NZ, 1st Test: Michael Vaughan slams ticket costs as 20,000 of them go unsold for series opener

<p>England`s cricket team are in desperate need of a lift and new coach Brendon McCullum vowed on Friday to bring some enthusiasm into the camp as he starts his role ahead of the first test against New Zealand at Lord`s next week.</p>

<p>McCullum replaced Chris Silverwood who left the role in February after England were thrashed 4-0 in the Ashes in Australia. The 40-year-old, who scored 6,453 test runs for New Zealand in his playing career, only has coaching experience in the Indian Premier League but was confident he could kickstart a turnaround for a side who have managed one win in their last 17 tests.</p>

<p>"My job will be to try to take away some of the pressures initially, bring in some enthusiasm. Naturally, when there`s some change, guys kind of get a bit of a lift anyway, so hopefully that will translate to performances early as well," McCullum told a media roundtable at Lord`s. "But first I`ve got to have a look around and see where things sort of sit currently and try and identify some areas where we might need to make some changes at times too, but I`m very much looking forward to the challenge."</p>

<p>There has already been a change in hierarchy on the field as Ben Stokes takes over as captain, succeeding Joe Root, who led the side in a record 64 tests over five years but stepped down after the March 1-0 series defeat in West Indies. McCullum captained New Zealand in 31 tests and was part of the resurgence that led to them becoming a real force in the long game, eventually culminating in their winning the World Test Championship last year under his successor Kane Williamson.</p>

<p>With Stokes being such a talisman for England, McCullum said their relationship would be key in dragging the team up the test rankings from sixth. "I think the captain-coach relationship in cricket is vital. I think there needs to be a really tight bond there," he said.</p>

<p>"You don`t have to be the best of mates, but I think you have to have a real clear sort of vision of where you want the team to go and you both align with that, and then when you have that, then you can try and just fill the gaps. "It`s my job as a coach to fill the gaps for Stokes. I want him to be the most authentic person that he can be, lead the way that he wants to be. There`ll be times where I might have to pull him back and times where I might have to push him forward."</p>

<p>One problem has been how to blend youth with experience, with veteran fast bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad recalled to the side following their absence from the West Indies series. McCullum said he would sit down and chat to both about their future plans but that they would still be valuable assets on and off the field.</p>

<p>"We should enjoy the fact we`ve got 280 test matches sitting in our bowling unit and guys who have been there and done it before. It would be great if they were at the forefront of the next kind of development on the side," he said. Asked if he could lead England to being the number one test side in the world, McCullum pleaded for patience. "Yeah, definitely. That`s what we`re all aspiring to do. I think it`s going to take a bit of time and we should hopefully get a natural uplift and results straight away and New Zealand`s a good cricket team, but if we play properly, we`ll give ourselves a good chance," he said.</p>

<p>After New Zealand, England will host South Africa in another three match series in August-September and also play a one-off test against India in July.</p>


England`s cricket team are in desperate need of a lift and new coach Brendon McCullum vowed on Friday to bring some enthusiasm into the camp as he starts his role ahead of the first test against New Zealand at Lord`s next week.

England`s cricket team are in desperate need of a lift and new coach Brendon McCullum vowed on Friday to bring some enthusiasm into the camp as he starts his role ahead of the first test against New Zealand at Lord`s next week. McCullum replaced Chris Silverwood who left the role in February after England were thrashed 4-0 in the Ashes in Australia. The 40-year-old, who scored 6,453 test runs for New Zealand in his playing career, only has coaching experience in the Indian Premier League but was confident he could kickstart a turnaround for a side who have managed one win in their last 17 tests. "My job will be to try to take away some of the pressures initially, bring in some enthusiasm. Naturally, when there`s some change, guys kind of get a bit of a lift anyway, so hopefully that will translate to performances early as well," McCullum told a media roundtable at Lord`s. "But first I`ve got to have a look around and see where things sort of sit currently and try and identify some areas where we might need to make some changes at times too, but I`m very much looking forward to the challenge." There has already been a change in hierarchy on the field as Ben Stokes takes over as captain, succeeding Joe Root, who led the side in a record 64 tests over five years but stepped down after the March 1-0 series defeat in West Indies. McCullum captained New Zealand in 31 tests and was part of the resurgence that led to them becoming a real force in the long game, eventually culminating in their winning the World Test Championship last year under his successor Kane Williamson. With Stokes being such a talisman for England, McCullum said their relationship would be key in dragging the team up the test rankings from sixth. "I think the captain-coach relationship in cricket is vital. I think there needs to be a really tight bond there," he said. "You don`t have to be the best of mates, but I think you have to have a real clear sort of vision of where you want the team to go and you both align with that, and then when you have that, then you can try and just fill the gaps. "It`s my job as a coach to fill the gaps for Stokes. I want him to be the most authentic person that he can be, lead the way that he wants to be. There`ll be times where I might have to pull him back and times where I might have to push him forward." One problem has been how to blend youth with experience, with veteran fast bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad recalled to the side following their absence from the West Indies series. McCullum said he would sit down and chat to both about their future plans but that they would still be valuable assets on and off the field. "We should enjoy the fact we`ve got 280 test matches sitting in our bowling unit and guys who have been there and done it before. It would be great if they were at the forefront of the next kind of development on the side," he said. Asked if he could lead England to being the number one test side in the world, McCullum pleaded for patience. "Yeah, definitely. That`s what we`re all aspiring to do. I think it`s going to take a bit of time and we should hopefully get a natural uplift and results straight away and New Zealand`s a good cricket team, but if we play properly, we`ll give ourselves a good chance," he said. After New Zealand, England will host South Africa in another three match series in August-September and also play a one-off test against India in July.

Newly-appointed Test coach Brendon McCullum vows to inject positive energy into England team

<p>England have announced a 13-member squad for the first two Tests of their upcoming ICC World Test Championship assignment at home against New Zealand, starting June 2.Y orkshire batter Harry Brook and Durham seamer Matthew Potts have been called up for the first time. Brook has been the standout batsman in Division one of the County Championship. The 23-year-old, who made his England T20 debut in January in the Caribbean, has scored 758 runs at an average of 151.60, including three centuries and four half-centuries for the white rose county during the summer campaign.</p>

<p>Twenty-three-year-old Potts has been in impressive form in the County Championship. He is the season`s leading bowler, with 35 wickets and four five-wicket hauls, including his most recent return of seven for 40 in Durham`s win over Glamorgan. The veteran pace duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, who had been left out of the previous squad travelling to West Indies, made a return to England`s Test side for the three-match series against the reigning World Test Championship winners.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-james-anderson-celebrates-in-style-after-rattling-ex-england-captain-joe-roots-stumps-in-county-game-479504">Watch: James Anderson celebrates in style after rattling ex-England captain Joe Root's stumps in County game</a></strong></p>

<p>Managing Director for England Men`s Cricket, Rob Key, said: "This is the start of a new era for our Test team under the stewardship of Ben (Stokes) and Brendon (McCullum). With a blend of youth and experience, we have selected an exciting squad that can compete with New Zealand in next month`s Test series."We have rewarded players in Harry Brook and Matty Potts who have had outstanding starts to the County season, and they deserve the opportunity to stake a claim at this level."</p>

<p>"It promises to be a mouthwatering series, and I can`t wait for the team to start against a very good New Zealand side. It is a fascinating prospect for everyone connected with the sport in this country," he added.</p>

<p><strong>England`s Squad: </strong>Ben Stokes (c), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root.Fixtures: 1st Test: 2-6 June, Lord`s, London; 2nd Test: 10-14 June, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, and 3rd Test: 23-27 June, Headingley, Leeds.</p>


England have announced a 13-member squad for the first two Tests of their upcoming ICC World Test Championship assignment at home against New Zealand, starting June 2.

England have announced a 13-member squad for the first two Tests of their upcoming ICC World Test Championship assignment at home against New Zealand, starting June 2.Y orkshire batter Harry Brook and Durham seamer Matthew Potts have been called up for the first time. Brook has been the standout batsman in Division one of the County Championship. The 23-year-old, who made his England T20 debut in January in the Caribbean, has scored 758 runs at an average of 151.60, including three centuries and four half-centuries for the white rose county during the summer campaign. Twenty-three-year-old Potts has been in impressive form in the County Championship. He is the season`s leading bowler, with 35 wickets and four five-wicket hauls, including his most recent return of seven for 40 in Durham`s win over Glamorgan. The veteran pace duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, who had been left out of the previous squad travelling to West Indies, made a return to England`s Test side for the three-match series against the reigning World Test Championship winners. ALSO READ | Watch: James Anderson celebrates in style after rattling ex-England captain Joe Root's stumps in County game Managing Director for England Men`s Cricket, Rob Key, said: "This is the start of a new era for our Test team under the stewardship of Ben (Stokes) and Brendon (McCullum). With a blend of youth and experience, we have selected an exciting squad that can compete with New Zealand in next month`s Test series."We have rewarded players in Harry Brook and Matty Potts who have had outstanding starts to the County season, and they deserve the opportunity to stake a claim at this level." "It promises to be a mouthwatering series, and I can`t wait for the team to start against a very good New Zealand side. It is a fascinating prospect for everyone connected with the sport in this country," he added. England`s Squad: Ben Stokes (c), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root.Fixtures: 1st Test: 2-6 June, Lord`s, London; 2nd Test: 10-14 June, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, and 3rd Test: 23-27 June, Headingley, Leeds.

Pace duo James Anderson, Stuart Broad return as England announce squad for first two Tests vs NZ

<p>On Thursday (May 12), the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum as the head coach of England's Test team. Earlier, they were reports of former South African opener Gary Kirsten getting the top job, however, McCullum pipped Kirsten to bag the post.</p>

<p>For the unversed, McCullum has coached the&nbsp;likes of Trinbago Knight Riders and&nbsp;Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, however, the England job will be his maiden full-fledged role as a national team coach. He has signed a four-year deal with the ECB and his tenure starts with England's home series versus New Zealand, i.e. the current World Test champions.</p>

<p>In his column for&nbsp;<em>The Telegraph</em>, the 2005-06 Ashes-winning England skipper Michael Vaughan reacted to McCullum's appointment. He&nbsp;wrote, "If English cricket has overlooked someone like Gary Kirsten for a second time, I do find it incredibly bizarre. I don't see how we have made that call twice. He is the perfect mentor, thinker, and cultural driver who has done it before and has the t-shirt. What England have gone for in Brendon is exciting and a big name, but it is a big risk as well."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/new-zealands-former-captain-brendon-mccullum-named-coach-of-england-test-team-478390"><strong>New Zealand's former captain Brendon McCullum named coach of England Test team</strong></a></p>

<p>"I am all for attacking play and being aggressive (a brand of cricket McCullum mostly relies upon), but I don’t think this England Test team is in a position to play that way at the moment. They have to take small steps first and get used to playing long, hard periods of Test cricket. And then in time, if you get a group of players with a lot of confidence, they can play more flamboyantly," he added.</p>

<section>
<p>It will be interesting to see how McCullum runs the England Test team, which is in a disarray after disastrous Ashes 2021-22 edition and a series defeat to hosts West Indies, in the Caribbean island. McCullum-Ben Stokes, the newly-appointed England Test captain, have a stern task ahead to revamp the national side in whites.</p>
</section>


On Thursday (May 12), the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum as the head coach of England's Test team. Earlier, they were reports of former South African opener Gary Kirsten getting the top job, however, McCullum pipped Kirsten to bag the post.

On Thursday (May 12), the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum as the head coach of England's Test team. Earlier, they were reports of former South African opener Gary Kirsten getting the top job, however, McCullum pipped Kirsten to bag the post. For the unversed, McCullum has coached the likes of Trinbago Knight Riders and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, however, the England job will be his maiden full-fledged role as a national team coach. He has signed a four-year deal with the ECB and his tenure starts with England's home series versus New Zealand, i.e. the current World Test champions. In his column for The Telegraph, the 2005-06 Ashes-winning England skipper Michael Vaughan reacted to McCullum's appointment. He wrote, "If English cricket has overlooked someone like Gary Kirsten for a second time, I do find it incredibly bizarre. I don't see how we have made that call twice. He is the perfect mentor, thinker, and cultural driver who has done it before and has the t-shirt. What England have gone for in Brendon is exciting and a big name, but it is a big risk as well." ALSO READ | New Zealand's former captain Brendon McCullum named coach of England Test team "I am all for attacking play and being aggressive (a brand of cricket McCullum mostly relies upon), but I don’t think this England Test team is in a position to play that way at the moment. They have to take small steps first and get used to playing long, hard periods of Test cricket. And then in time, if you get a group of players with a lot of confidence, they can play more flamboyantly," he added. It will be interesting to see how McCullum runs the England Test team, which is in a disarray after disastrous Ashes 2021-22 edition and a series defeat to hosts West Indies, in the Caribbean island. McCullum-Ben Stokes, the newly-appointed England Test captain, have a stern task ahead to revamp the national side in whites.

Michael Vaughan reacts as Brendon McCullum pips Gary Kirsten to be named England's Test coach

<p>Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has been appointed head coach of England`s test team, the country`s cricket board (ECB) said on Thursday. McCullum replaced Chris Silverwood who left the role in February after England were thrashed 4-0 in the Ashes in Australia, with Paul Collingwood stepping in as a caretaker coach.</p>

<p>McCullum, 40, is currently in charge of Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders but the ECB said he will be in place to start his role when New Zealand visit for a three-test series starting at Lord`s on June 2. "We are delighted to confirm Brendon as England men`s test head coach. It has been a real privilege to get to know him and understand his views and vision for the game," ECB managing director Rob Key said in a statement.</p>

<p>"He has a recent history of changing cricket culture and environments for the better, and I believe he is the person to do that for England`s red-ball cricket. "We were incredibly fortunate to have a seriously strong list of quality candidates for the post, with Brendon demonstrating he was our number one choice."<br />
Former South Africa and India head coach Gary Kirsten had been linked with the role and Collingwood was also considered.</p>

<p>McCullum played the last of his 101 tests at Christchurch in 2016 against Australia, where he hit the fastest ever century in the format (54 balls). He finished his career with 6,453 runs including 12 hundreds and 31 half-centuries.</p>

<p>He will be tasked with working alongside newly-appointed test captain Ben Stokes to get England out of a slump after the team won only one of their last 17 matches, with Key describing the pairing as a "formidable coach and captain partnership".</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/former-england-batter-graham-thorpe-admitted-to-hospital-after-falling-seriously-ill-477891"><strong>Former England batter Graham Thorpe admitted to hospital after falling 'seriously ill'</strong></a></p>

<p>"In taking this role on, I am acutely aware of the significant challenges the team faces at present, and I strongly believe in my ability to help the team emerge as a stronger force once we`ve confronted them head-on," McCullum said.</p>

<p>"Ben Stokes is the perfect character to inspire change around him, and I look forward to working closely with him to build a successful unit around us."</p>


Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has been appointed head coach of England`s test team, the country`s cricket board (ECB) said on Thursday. McCullum replaced Chris Silverwood who left the role in February after England were thrashed 4-0 in the Ashes in Australia, with Paul Collingwood stepping in as a caretaker coach.

Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has been appointed head coach of England`s test team, the country`s cricket board (ECB) said on Thursday. McCullum replaced Chris Silverwood who left the role in February after England were thrashed 4-0 in the Ashes in Australia, with Paul Collingwood stepping in as a caretaker coach. McCullum, 40, is currently in charge of Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders but the ECB said he will be in place to start his role when New Zealand visit for a three-test series starting at Lord`s on June 2. "We are delighted to confirm Brendon as England men`s test head coach. It has been a real privilege to get to know him and understand his views and vision for the game," ECB managing director Rob Key said in a statement. "He has a recent history of changing cricket culture and environments for the better, and I believe he is the person to do that for England`s red-ball cricket. "We were incredibly fortunate to have a seriously strong list of quality candidates for the post, with Brendon demonstrating he was our number one choice." Former South Africa and India head coach Gary Kirsten had been linked with the role and Collingwood was also considered. McCullum played the last of his 101 tests at Christchurch in 2016 against Australia, where he hit the fastest ever century in the format (54 balls). He finished his career with 6,453 runs including 12 hundreds and 31 half-centuries. He will be tasked with working alongside newly-appointed test captain Ben Stokes to get England out of a slump after the team won only one of their last 17 matches, with Key describing the pairing as a "formidable coach and captain partnership". ALSO READ | Former England batter Graham Thorpe admitted to hospital after falling 'seriously ill' "In taking this role on, I am acutely aware of the significant challenges the team faces at present, and I strongly believe in my ability to help the team emerge as a stronger force once we`ve confronted them head-on," McCullum said. "Ben Stokes is the perfect character to inspire change around him, and I look forward to working closely with him to build a successful unit around us."

New Zealand's former captain Brendon McCullum named coach of England Test team

<p>England pacer Mark Wood believes players let down Joe Root as captain which led to him resigning from the post of England's Test skipper earlier this year. Calls for Root's sacking had grown after England lost a Test series against West Indies away from home to continue their woeful run in the longest format.</p>

<p>Root's decision came after a string of poor results for the England team in Tests both at home and away from home. England lost against New Zealand and India at home last year followed by a crushing 4-0 defeat against Australia in the Ashes 2021-22 Down Under. The defeat against West Indies came as the final nail in the coffin.</p>

<p>While Root was blamed by many for his poor leadership qualities and failure to inspire the side to bounce back from the poor run, Wood believes players too had a role to play in his decision to resign. Wood said there was a lot that Root was doing behind the scenes which went unnoticed.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mumbai-indians-star-suryakumar-yadav-ruled-out-of-ipl-2022-due-to-injury-477663">Mumbai Indians star Suryakumar Yadav ruled out of IPL 2022 due to injury</a></p>

<p>The pacer also went on to reveal how Root would stay back to help him when Wood would bat in the nets. The England fast bowler said Root had done almost everything he could but the results were not going England's way in the longest format.</p>

<p>"I actually did really well under Joe's captaincy myself. He gave me an opportunity, even with injury, he could have quite easily have said, 'no, that’s enough'. But he's stuck with me and gave me a clear plan," Mark Wood told the <em>Mirror</em>.</p>

<p>"I felt like we let him down quite a bit. He was doing so much behind the scenes that people don't see. You know, getting coaches trying to change training. He was staying behind when I was batting the net.</p>

<p>"He would stay behind and work on batting with me after his net. He was doing so much with trying to get it right, the culture of the team, he was getting people in to do sessions and he did everything he could to try and improve the results but it just wasn't happening," he added.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/156-will-go-for-256-off-the-bat-ravi-shastri-issues-warning-to-umran-malik-as-rcb-thrash-srh-in-ipl-2022-477598">'156 will go for 256 off the bat': Ravi Shastri issues warning to Umran Malik as RCB thrash SRH&nbsp;</a></p>

<p>Root has been replaced by star all-rounder Ben Stokes as the captain of the England Test team. Stokes has been one of the regulars for England across all formats and is easily one of the best all-rounders in the world at present. Wood admitted he didn't want Root to resign but is hopeful of Stokes doing a great job as captain.</p>

<p>"I didn't want that to happen to him. I really did believe he would turn it around, but it's exciting now having Stokes — I think he will do a great job," said Wood.</p>


England pacer Mark Wood believes players let down Joe Root as captain which led to him resigning from the post of England's Test skipper earlier this year. Calls for Root's sacking had grown after England lost a Test series against West Indies away from home to continue their woeful run in the longest format.

England pacer Mark Wood believes players let down Joe Root as captain which led to him resigning from the post of England's Test skipper earlier this year. Calls for Root's sacking had grown after England lost a Test series against West Indies away from home to continue their woeful run in the longest format. Root's decision came after a string of poor results for the England team in Tests both at home and away from home. England lost against New Zealand and India at home last year followed by a crushing 4-0 defeat against Australia in the Ashes 2021-22 Down Under. The defeat against West Indies came as the final nail in the coffin. While Root was blamed by many for his poor leadership qualities and failure to inspire the side to bounce back from the poor run, Wood believes players too had a role to play in his decision to resign. Wood said there was a lot that Root was doing behind the scenes which went unnoticed. Also Read: Mumbai Indians star Suryakumar Yadav ruled out of IPL 2022 due to injury The pacer also went on to reveal how Root would stay back to help him when Wood would bat in the nets. The England fast bowler said Root had done almost everything he could but the results were not going England's way in the longest format. "I actually did really well under Joe's captaincy myself. He gave me an opportunity, even with injury, he could have quite easily have said, 'no, that’s enough'. But he's stuck with me and gave me a clear plan," Mark Wood told the Mirror. "I felt like we let him down quite a bit. He was doing so much behind the scenes that people don't see. You know, getting coaches trying to change training. He was staying behind when I was batting the net. "He would stay behind and work on batting with me after his net. He was doing so much with trying to get it right, the culture of the team, he was getting people in to do sessions and he did everything he could to try and improve the results but it just wasn't happening," he added. Also Read: '156 will go for 256 off the bat': Ravi Shastri issues warning to Umran Malik as RCB thrash SRH Root has been replaced by star all-rounder Ben Stokes as the captain of the England Test team. Stokes has been one of the regulars for England across all formats and is easily one of the best all-rounders in the world at present. Wood admitted he didn't want Root to resign but is hopeful of Stokes doing a great job as captain. "I didn't want that to happen to him. I really did believe he would turn it around, but it's exciting now having Stokes — I think he will do a great job," said Wood.

Joe Root was doing so much behind the scenes, players let him down: England pacer Mark Wood

<p>Ben Stokes livened up the County Championship a week after being appointed England`s new Test captain when he smashed 161 off 88 balls for Durham against Worcestershire on Friday in an innings that included a record 17 sixes.</p>

<p>The record for most sixes in a County Championship innings was previously shared by Andrew Symonds and Graham Napier, who both hit 16 in 1995 and 2011, respectively. Stokes, who took over from Joe Root as England captain, notched up his ton in just 64 deliveries with a massive six that sailed into the stands.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ben-stokes-goes-berserk-with-incredible-ton-on-return-to-first-class-cricket-slams-34-runs-in-an-over-watch-476888">Ben Stokes goes berserk with incredible ton on return to first-class cricket, slams 34 runs in an over - Watch</a></strong></p>

<p>The all-rounder bludgeoned 18-year-old Josh Baker for 34 runs in an over which included five sixes and a boundary -- the second time in his county career he had cleared the rope in five consecutive deliveries.<br />
He was eventually caught in the deep going for his 18th six, finding the fielder a couple of metres inside the rope. Durham posted 580-6 before they declared. Stokes will start his stint as Test captain when New Zealand tour England next month.</p>


Ben Stokes livened up the County Championship a week after being appointed England`s new Test captain when he smashed 161 off 88 balls for Durham against Worcestershire on Friday in an innings that included a record 17 sixes.

Ben Stokes livened up the County Championship a week after being appointed England`s new Test captain when he smashed 161 off 88 balls for Durham against Worcestershire on Friday in an innings that included a record 17 sixes. The record for most sixes in a County Championship innings was previously shared by Andrew Symonds and Graham Napier, who both hit 16 in 1995 and 2011, respectively. Stokes, who took over from Joe Root as England captain, notched up his ton in just 64 deliveries with a massive six that sailed into the stands. ALSO READ | Ben Stokes goes berserk with incredible ton on return to first-class cricket, slams 34 runs in an over - Watch The all-rounder bludgeoned 18-year-old Josh Baker for 34 runs in an over which included five sixes and a boundary -- the second time in his county career he had cleared the rope in five consecutive deliveries. He was eventually caught in the deep going for his 18th six, finding the fielder a couple of metres inside the rope. Durham posted 580-6 before they declared. Stokes will start his stint as Test captain when New Zealand tour England next month.

England Test captain Ben Stokes smashes County Championship record with 17 sixes in an innings

<p>England's newly-appointed Test captain Ben Stokes marked his return to first-class cricket in style on Friday (May 06). The swashbuckling all-rounder has in his elements for Durham in their County Championship match versus&nbsp;Worcestershire&nbsp;at the Country Ground in New Road as he slammed an incredible 64-ball century, including a 34-run over where he went all-out versus&nbsp;spinner Josh Baker.</p>

<p>Stokes' innings was as sublime as it could be but he upped the ante effortlessly when he faced Baker.&nbsp;In the 117th innings, Stokes went berserk as he slammed the first five&nbsp;deliveries for a six. While he slammed a four in the last ball, he narrowly missed out on achieving a&nbsp;historic feat&nbsp;of smashing six sixes in an over. Courtesy of his attacking&nbsp;knock, Stokes registered his 20th first-class century as well.</p>

<p><strong>Here's the entertaining over where Stokes turned it on versus Baker:</strong></p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ben-stokes-succeeds-joe-root-to-become-englands-full-time-test-captain-474599"><strong>Ben Stokes succeeds Joe Root to become England's full-time Test captain</strong></a></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">6️⃣ 6️⃣ 6️⃣ 6️⃣ 6️⃣ 4️⃣<br />
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What. An. Over.<br />
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34 from six balls for <a href="https://twitter.com/benstokes38?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@benstokes38</a> as he reaches a 64 ball century 👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LVCountyChamp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LVCountyChamp</a> <a href="https://t.co/yqPod8Pchm">pic.twitter.com/yqPod8Pchm</a></p>
— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) <a href="https://twitter.com/CountyChamp/status/1522543334417387521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mr-360-ab-de-villiers-turns-to-golf-to-team-up-with-australias-ex-tennis-star-ashleigh-barty-in-icon-series-476530"><strong>Mr. 360 AB de Villiers turns to golf, to team up with Australia's ex-tennis star Ashleigh Barty in Icon Series</strong></a></p>

<p>For the record, Stokes' century is also the fastest by a Durham batter.&nbsp;At lunch on Day 2, Durham are well-placed at 549/4 with the English Test skipper going strong&nbsp;unbeaten at 147 off&nbsp;just 82 deliveries. Earlier, opener Sean Dickson had set the foundation for a big total with&nbsp;an impressive century after skipper Scott Borthwick elected to bat first post the coin toss.</p>


England's newly-appointed Test captain Ben Stokes marked his return to first-class cricket in style on Friday (May 06). The swashbuckling all-rounder has in his elements for Durham in their County Championship match versus Worcestershire at the Country Ground in New Road as he slammed an incredible 64-ball century, including a 34-run over where he went all-out versus spinner Josh Baker.

England's newly-appointed Test captain Ben Stokes marked his return to first-class cricket in style on Friday (May 06). The swashbuckling all-rounder has in his elements for Durham in their County Championship match versus Worcestershire at the Country Ground in New Road as he slammed an incredible 64-ball century, including a 34-run over where he went all-out versus spinner Josh Baker. Stokes' innings was as sublime as it could be but he upped the ante effortlessly when he faced Baker. In the 117th innings, Stokes went berserk as he slammed the first five deliveries for a six. While he slammed a four in the last ball, he narrowly missed out on achieving a historic feat of smashing six sixes in an over. Courtesy of his attacking knock, Stokes registered his 20th first-class century as well. Here's the entertaining over where Stokes turned it on versus Baker: ALSO READ | Ben Stokes succeeds Joe Root to become England's full-time Test captain 6️⃣ 6️⃣ 6️⃣ 6️⃣ 6️⃣ 4️⃣ What. An. Over. 34 from six balls for @benstokes38 as he reaches a 64 ball century 👏#LVCountyChamp pic.twitter.com/yqPod8Pchm — LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) May 6, 2022 × ALSO READ | Mr. 360 AB de Villiers turns to golf, to team up with Australia's ex-tennis star Ashleigh Barty in Icon Series For the record, Stokes' century is also the fastest by a Durham batter. At lunch on Day 2, Durham are well-placed at 549/4 with the English Test skipper going strong unbeaten at 147 off just 82 deliveries. Earlier, opener Sean Dickson had set the foundation for a big total with an impressive century after skipper Scott Borthwick elected to bat first post the coin toss.

Ben Stokes goes berserk with incredible ton on return to first-class cricket, slams 34 runs in an over - Watch

<p>Newly-appointed England captain Ben Stokes has indicated that pace-bowling stalwarts James Anderson and Stuart Broad will make a quick return to the Test squad for the three-match series at home against New Zealand starting on June 2 at Lord`s. Anderson and Broad were overlooked for England`s tour against West Indies earlier this year as selectors instead opted to provide greater opportunities to the next generation of pace bowlers. England fell to a 1-0 series defeat against West Indies during the series and star batter Joe Root stood down as skipper shortly after the team returned home.</p>

<p>England have since confirmed Rob Key as the new managing director of their men`s team and appointed Stokes as Test captain, with the short-term future of their two leading wicket-takers now looking rosier ahead of a busy summer schedule. Speaking for the first time since his appointment as captain on Tuesday, Stokes said he wants to bring a winning culture back to England and that he plans to have Anderson and Broad by his side this summer. "I want to win games of cricket for England. The best way to do that is picking your best XI and in my opinion if Stuart Broad and James Anderson are fit they are available for selection."ICC quoted Stokes as saying.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ben-stokes-succeeds-joe-root-to-become-englands-full-time-test-captain-474599">Ben Stokes succeeds Joe Root to become England's full-time Test captain</a></strong></p>

<p>Stokes indicated he would have a major say in deciding who would be appointed vice-captain of the Test team but swiftly ruled out Root as an option to take up the key role as deputy."I want selfless cricketers who make decisions based on winning the game of cricket for England. At the end of the day the most important thing is winning. I want to be part of a team that has that real mentality, that doesn`t take a backwards step," Stokes added.</p>


Newly-appointed England captain Ben Stokes has indicated that pace-bowling stalwarts James Anderson and Stuart Broad will make a quick return to the Test squad for the three-match series at home against New Zealand starting on June 2 at Lord`s.

Newly-appointed England captain Ben Stokes has indicated that pace-bowling stalwarts James Anderson and Stuart Broad will make a quick return to the Test squad for the three-match series at home against New Zealand starting on June 2 at Lord`s. Anderson and Broad were overlooked for England`s tour against West Indies earlier this year as selectors instead opted to provide greater opportunities to the next generation of pace bowlers. England fell to a 1-0 series defeat against West Indies during the series and star batter Joe Root stood down as skipper shortly after the team returned home. England have since confirmed Rob Key as the new managing director of their men`s team and appointed Stokes as Test captain, with the short-term future of their two leading wicket-takers now looking rosier ahead of a busy summer schedule. Speaking for the first time since his appointment as captain on Tuesday, Stokes said he wants to bring a winning culture back to England and that he plans to have Anderson and Broad by his side this summer. "I want to win games of cricket for England. The best way to do that is picking your best XI and in my opinion if Stuart Broad and James Anderson are fit they are available for selection."ICC quoted Stokes as saying. ALSO READ | Ben Stokes succeeds Joe Root to become England's full-time Test captain Stokes indicated he would have a major say in deciding who would be appointed vice-captain of the Test team but swiftly ruled out Root as an option to take up the key role as deputy."I want selfless cricketers who make decisions based on winning the game of cricket for England. At the end of the day the most important thing is winning. I want to be part of a team that has that real mentality, that doesn`t take a backwards step," Stokes added.

England's new Test captain Ben Stokes keen for James Anderson, Stuart Broad to make swift comeback

<p>England Cricket Board (ECB) has announced all-rounder Ben Stokes as the captain of England's Test side on Thursday (April 28). There were speculations on Stokes being the successor of Root as the swashbuckling left-hander has served as Root's deputy for long and the official announcement has finally come via England Cricket's official Twitter handle.</p>

<p>England Cricket's Twitter post comprised Stokes' image and wrote 'Congratulations to our new Men's Test captain'.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations to our new Men's Test captain, <a href="https://twitter.com/benstokes38?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@benstokes38</a>! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏏</p>
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/englandcricket/status/1519617281847922688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/gary-kirsten-set-to-be-englands-test-coach-ben-stokes-to-succeed-joe-root-report-474301"><strong>Gary Kirsten set to be England's Test coach, Ben Stokes to succeed Joe Root: Report</strong></a></p>

<p>The news came after ECB's new managing director Rob Key announced the same in his first press conference since taking over his new role. As per reports, Rob was in talks with Stokes this week before the duo came to an agreement. Stokes has been a regular for England in Tests and remains one of their key performers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 30-year-old Stokes has amassed&nbsp;5,061 runs and also accounted for as many as 174 scalps in the purest format. His aggression on the field and passion for the format are expected to benefit the national side in whites.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Stokes' first assignment as England's Test captain will be in their forthcoming two-match Test series versus inaugural WTC champions New Zealand at home, starting from June 02. England will hope for Stokes to revamp the side post their recent horror shows -- in Ashes 2021/22 and West Indies tour -- and take the Test line-up forward.</p>


England Cricket Board (ECB) has announced all-rounder Ben Stokes as the captain of England's Test side on Thursday (April 28). There were speculations on Stokes being the successor of Root as the swashbuckling left-hander has served as Root's deputy for long and the official announcement has finally come via England Cricket's official Twitter handle.

England Cricket Board (ECB) has announced all-rounder Ben Stokes as the captain of England's Test side on Thursday (April 28). There were speculations on Stokes being the successor of Root as the swashbuckling left-hander has served as Root's deputy for long and the official announcement has finally come via England Cricket's official Twitter handle. England Cricket's Twitter post comprised Stokes' image and wrote 'Congratulations to our new Men's Test captain'. Congratulations to our new Men's Test captain, @benstokes38! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏏 — England Cricket (@englandcricket) April 28, 2022 × ALSO READ | Gary Kirsten set to be England's Test coach, Ben Stokes to succeed Joe Root: Report The news came after ECB's new managing director Rob Key announced the same in his first press conference since taking over his new role. As per reports, Rob was in talks with Stokes this week before the duo came to an agreement. Stokes has been a regular for England in Tests and remains one of their key performers. The 30-year-old Stokes has amassed 5,061 runs and also accounted for as many as 174 scalps in the purest format. His aggression on the field and passion for the format are expected to benefit the national side in whites. Stokes' first assignment as England's Test captain will be in their forthcoming two-match Test series versus inaugural WTC champions New Zealand at home, starting from June 02. England will hope for Stokes to revamp the side post their recent horror shows -- in Ashes 2021/22 and West Indies tour -- and take the Test line-up forward.

Ben Stokes succeeds Joe Root to become England's full-time Test captain

<p>Former England captain Michael Vaughan has backed star all-rounder Ben Stokes to take over the baton from Joe Root after his resignation as the Test skipper of the England cricket team. Root stepped down as England's Test skipper on Friday (April 15) stating that the job had taken a toll on him recently after a string of poor results for his side.</p>

<p>Calls for Root's sacking had grown after England were thrashed 4-0 by Australia in the Ashes 2021-22 Down Under followed by a series defeat against West Indies. Root led England in the longest format for five years before bringing an end to his stint on Friday.</p>

<p>England are yet to officially announce Root's replacement as the next Test captain of the side but star all-rounder Ben Stokes is one of the favourites to take over. Stokes is one of the regulars across formats for England and has been producing consistent performances with the bat and the ball.</p>

<p>Vaughan said he doesn't see anyone else barring Stokes, who can take over England's Test captaincy from Root. The former England skipper said Stokes has a good cricketing brain and has also earned the respect of the players around him which make him an ideal candidate to lead the team going forward.</p>

<p>"I don't see anyone else who could take the position and be guaranteed of their place in the side," Vaughan told the BBC.</p>

<p>"In Ben Stokes, you have clearly got someone who has got a smart cricket brain, he's going to give it everything, he is certainly going to have the respect of the players around him," he added.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/joe-root-steps-down-as-england-cricket-team-test-captain-following-west-indies-defeat-471144">Joe Root steps down as England cricket team Test captain following West Indies defeat</a></p>

<p>Not just Vaughan, but former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton have also put their weight behind Stokes to take over as the next Test captain of the side. Stokes had taken an indefinite break from cricket to focus on mental health in July last year before making his comeback in the Ashes 2021-22.</p>

<p>The star all-rounder is currently out with an injury in his left knee but is expected to make his comeback in the County Championship for Durham next. Hussain called Stokes 'naturally gifted' but wants the England Cricket Board to be sure he wants to take up the challenge before handing him the captaincy.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/michael-vaughan-ben-stokes-lead-tributes-for-joe-root-after-resignation-as-england-skipper-471262">Michael Vaughan, Ben Stokes lead tributes for Joe Root after resignation as England skipper</a></p>

<p>"You have to be in a good place mentally and physically to do the job - and Ben has had his problems away from the field," Hussain wrote in his&nbsp;column for&nbsp;<em>Daily Mail</em>.</p>

<p>"Whoever the new director of cricket is, the first thing they must do is ... sit down with Stokes, look him in the eye and find out where he is," he added.</p>


Former England captain Michael Vaughan has backed star all-rounder Ben Stokes to take over the baton from Joe Root after his resignation as the Test skipper of the England cricket team.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has backed star all-rounder Ben Stokes to take over the baton from Joe Root after his resignation as the Test skipper of the England cricket team. Root stepped down as England's Test skipper on Friday (April 15) stating that the job had taken a toll on him recently after a string of poor results for his side. Calls for Root's sacking had grown after England were thrashed 4-0 by Australia in the Ashes 2021-22 Down Under followed by a series defeat against West Indies. Root led England in the longest format for five years before bringing an end to his stint on Friday. England are yet to officially announce Root's replacement as the next Test captain of the side but star all-rounder Ben Stokes is one of the favourites to take over. Stokes is one of the regulars across formats for England and has been producing consistent performances with the bat and the ball. Vaughan said he doesn't see anyone else barring Stokes, who can take over England's Test captaincy from Root. The former England skipper said Stokes has a good cricketing brain and has also earned the respect of the players around him which make him an ideal candidate to lead the team going forward. "I don't see anyone else who could take the position and be guaranteed of their place in the side," Vaughan told the BBC. "In Ben Stokes, you have clearly got someone who has got a smart cricket brain, he's going to give it everything, he is certainly going to have the respect of the players around him," he added. Also Read: Joe Root steps down as England cricket team Test captain following West Indies defeat Not just Vaughan, but former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton have also put their weight behind Stokes to take over as the next Test captain of the side. Stokes had taken an indefinite break from cricket to focus on mental health in July last year before making his comeback in the Ashes 2021-22. The star all-rounder is currently out with an injury in his left knee but is expected to make his comeback in the County Championship for Durham next. Hussain called Stokes 'naturally gifted' but wants the England Cricket Board to be sure he wants to take up the challenge before handing him the captaincy. Also Read: Michael Vaughan, Ben Stokes lead tributes for Joe Root after resignation as England skipper "You have to be in a good place mentally and physically to do the job - and Ben has had his problems away from the field," Hussain wrote in his column for Daily Mail. "Whoever the new director of cricket is, the first thing they must do is ... sit down with Stokes, look him in the eye and find out where he is," he added.

'I don't see anyone else': Michael Vaughan picks Joe Root's replacement as England's Test captain

<p>Joe Root stepped down as the England cricket team Test captain on Friday following series defeats in the Ashes series against Australia and the recently concluded close series against West Indies.</p>

<p>Root had a number of ups and down since taking over the captaincy role back in 2017 and he led the England side in Test cricket on 64 occasions. Following the loss against West Indies, a number of former skippers turned against him and asked for him to step down from the captaincy role.</p>

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<p>Following the resignation, a number of prominent personalities paid tribute to Joe Root.</p>

<p>"He gave it everything with very little support for the Red ball team under his watch .. then he had to deal with Covid times .. he still is and will the games best role model for many many years .. now enjoy being the senior player for many more seasons@root66," wrote Michael Vaughan.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">He gave it everything with very little support for the Red ball team under his watch .. then he had to deal with Covid times .. he still is and will the games best role model for many many years .. now enjoy being the senior player for many more seasons <a href="https://twitter.com/root66?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@root66</a> 👍👍</p>
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelVaughan/status/1514877978047623168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>England teammate Ben Stokes also shared a picture with Joe Root with the caption – “Been a great ride with you my friend. Watching one of my great mates lead us all out on to the field was a privilege. You have given everything to English cricket and we all want to say thank you for your sacrifices and hard work.</p>

<p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/joe-root-steps-down-as-england-cricket-team-test-captain-following-west-indies-defeat-471144" hreflang="en">Joe Root steps down as England Test captain following West Indies defeat</a></p>

<p>Joe Root stepped down from the position with immediate effect but the name of his replacement has not been named till now. With no captaincy announcement following the resignation, speculations remain over the announcement of the new England skipper.</p>


Joe Root stepped down as the England cricket team Test captain on Friday following series defeats in the Ashes series against Australia and the recently concluded close series against West Indies.

Joe Root stepped down as the England cricket team Test captain on Friday following series defeats in the Ashes series against Australia and the recently concluded close series against West Indies. Root had a number of ups and down since taking over the captaincy role back in 2017 and he led the England side in Test cricket on 64 occasions. Following the loss against West Indies, a number of former skippers turned against him and asked for him to step down from the captaincy role. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ben Stokes (@stokesy) Following the resignation, a number of prominent personalities paid tribute to Joe Root. "He gave it everything with very little support for the Red ball team under his watch .. then he had to deal with Covid times .. he still is and will the games best role model for many many years .. now enjoy being the senior player for many more seasons@root66," wrote Michael Vaughan. He gave it everything with very little support for the Red ball team under his watch .. then he had to deal with Covid times .. he still is and will the games best role model for many many years .. now enjoy being the senior player for many more seasons @root66 👍👍 — Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) April 15, 2022 × England teammate Ben Stokes also shared a picture with Joe Root with the caption – “Been a great ride with you my friend. Watching one of my great mates lead us all out on to the field was a privilege. You have given everything to English cricket and we all want to say thank you for your sacrifices and hard work. Also read | Joe Root steps down as England Test captain following West Indies defeat Joe Root stepped down from the position with immediate effect but the name of his replacement has not been named till now. With no captaincy announcement following the resignation, speculations remain over the announcement of the new England skipper.

Michael Vaughan, Ben Stokes lead tributes for Joe Root after resignation as England skipper

<p>England captain Joe Root is facing the heat from all corners after his side's 1-0 defeat in the recently-concluded Test series against West Indies. After the first two Tests of the series ended in a draw, West Indies thrashed England by ten wickets in the final third encounter to clinch the series 1-0.</p>

<p>Kyle Mayers delivered a stellar performance with the ball as he bagged a five-wicket haul to run through the England batting line-up in their second innings and bundle them out for a paltry 120. West Indies chased down the target of 29 runs without breaking a sweat and won the Test match comprehensively to claim the series.</p>

<p>It was yet another disappointing performance from England in the longest format after their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Australia in the Ashes 2021-22 earlier this year. Following England's 1-0 loss to West Indies, there have been calls for Root's sacking as the Test captain of the side.</p>

<p>The likes of former England captain Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton among others want Root to step down from his post and make way for a fresh change in the leadership role. Here we take a look at three England stars who can replace Root as the next Test captain of the team:&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>1) Ben Stokes</strong></p>

<p>Ben Stokes is seen as the leading contender to replace Joe Root as the new Test captain of England. One of the best all-rounders in the world at present, Stokes has been remarkably consistent for the side across formats over the last few years. The star all-rounder led an inexperienced and young England side in an ODI series against Pakistan last year and inspired the side to a 2-1 win.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Stokes is one of the most experienced players in the current England Test squad with 79 matches to his name. Stokes has amassed over 5,000 runs and scalped 174 wickets in his Test career so far and can be an ideal candidate to lead the team going forward.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-never-had-that-instinctive-feel-nasser-hussain-calls-for-joe-root-to-step-down-as-england-captain-466339">He never had that instinctive feel: Nasser Hussain calls for Joe Root to step down as England's Test captain</a></p>

<p><strong>2) Jos Buttler&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Jos Buttler might not have been a regular for England in Tests recently but is part of the team's leadership group across formats. Buttler is one of the best attacking batters as far as white-ball cricket is concerned but is also equally good in red-ball cricket. He is also one of the senior-most members in the England Test squad and can be handed over the responsibility to lead the team in the longest format.</p>

<p>Buttler, who was dropped from the squad for the West Indies Test series, has played 57 Tests in his career so far. He has amassed 2907 runs at an average of over 31 in the longest format.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/updated-world-test-championship-points-table-after-west-indies-seal-test-series-1-0-vs-england-466394">&nbsp;Updated World Test Championship points table after West Indies seal Test series 1-0 vs England</a></p>

<p><strong>3) Jonny Bairstow</strong></p>

<p>England's Test side has been undergoing a transition for quite a while now with no set openers and a lack of firepower in the middle-order. Despite England's struggles in the whites, Jonny Bairstow has been one of the better performers for the team.</p>

<p>A technically&nbsp;sound batter who has been equally good across all formats, Bairstow has already played 83 Tests for his country and has amassed 4801 runs at an average of over 34, including 8 hundreds and 22 fifties. He can also be one of the contenders to take over captaincy if Root is sacked from his position in Tests.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


England captain Joe Root is facing the heat from all corners after his side's 1-0 defeat in the recently-concluded Test series against West Indies. After the first two Tests of the series ended in a draw, West Indies thrashed England by ten wickets in the final third encounter to clinch the series 1-0.

England captain Joe Root is facing the heat from all corners after his side's 1-0 defeat in the recently-concluded Test series against West Indies. After the first two Tests of the series ended in a draw, West Indies thrashed England by ten wickets in the final third encounter to clinch the series 1-0. Kyle Mayers delivered a stellar performance with the ball as he bagged a five-wicket haul to run through the England batting line-up in their second innings and bundle them out for a paltry 120. West Indies chased down the target of 29 runs without breaking a sweat and won the Test match comprehensively to claim the series. It was yet another disappointing performance from England in the longest format after their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Australia in the Ashes 2021-22 earlier this year. Following England's 1-0 loss to West Indies, there have been calls for Root's sacking as the Test captain of the side. The likes of former England captain Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton among others want Root to step down from his post and make way for a fresh change in the leadership role. Here we take a look at three England stars who can replace Root as the next Test captain of the team: 1) Ben Stokes Ben Stokes is seen as the leading contender to replace Joe Root as the new Test captain of England. One of the best all-rounders in the world at present, Stokes has been remarkably consistent for the side across formats over the last few years. The star all-rounder led an inexperienced and young England side in an ODI series against Pakistan last year and inspired the side to a 2-1 win. Stokes is one of the most experienced players in the current England Test squad with 79 matches to his name. Stokes has amassed over 5,000 runs and scalped 174 wickets in his Test career so far and can be an ideal candidate to lead the team going forward. Also Read: He never had that instinctive feel: Nasser Hussain calls for Joe Root to step down as England's Test captain 2) Jos Buttler Jos Buttler might not have been a regular for England in Tests recently but is part of the team's leadership group across formats. Buttler is one of the best attacking batters as far as white-ball cricket is concerned but is also equally good in red-ball cricket. He is also one of the senior-most members in the England Test squad and can be handed over the responsibility to lead the team in the longest format. Buttler, who was dropped from the squad for the West Indies Test series, has played 57 Tests in his career so far. He has amassed 2907 runs at an average of over 31 in the longest format. Also Read: Updated World Test Championship points table after West Indies seal Test series 1-0 vs England 3) Jonny Bairstow England's Test side has been undergoing a transition for quite a while now with no set openers and a lack of firepower in the middle-order. Despite England's struggles in the whites, Jonny Bairstow has been one of the better performers for the team. A technically sound batter who has been equally good across all formats, Bairstow has already played 83 Tests for his country and has amassed 4801 runs at an average of over 34, including 8 hundreds and 22 fifties. He can also be one of the contenders to take over captaincy if Root is sacked from his position in Tests.

3 players who can replace Joe Root as next Test captain of England

<p>West Indies and England have an underrated rivalry in the purest format of the game. Both sides met each other in the three-match Test series opener on March 8 and produced a riveting encounter, which went down the wire before both teams settled for a draw.</p>

<p>Batting first, in Antigua, England rode on Jonny Bairstow's 140 to be dismissed for 311 in the first essay. In reply, the Kraigg Brathwaite-led Windies managed a slender lead, of 64 runs, courtesy N Bonner's 123 and contributions from the lower order. Joe Root &amp; Co.'s aggressive approach stood out with the bat in their second innings as they rode on skipper and Zak Crawley's respective tons to setup a challenging 286-run target for the home side.</p>

<p>Amid much drama and action, the hosts finally managed to prevent England from dictating terms and winning the clash after being 147-4 at stumps on the final day. Thus, there is all to play for in the second and penultimate Test as both sides will aim to take an unassailable 1-0 lead.</p>

<p><strong>Here is everything you need to know about the match - date, IST, streaming details, etc.&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/updated-world-test-championship-points-table-after-indias-2-0-clean-sweep-over-sri-lanka-462550"><strong>Updated World Test Championship points table after India's 2-0 clean sweep over Sri Lanka</strong></a></p>

<p><strong>When is West Indies vs England 2nd Test&nbsp;match taking place?</strong></p>

<p>The West Indies vs England&nbsp;2nd Test match is scheduled to commence on March 16, 2022.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Where is West Indies vs England 2nd Test&nbsp;match taking place?</strong></p>

<p>West Indies vs England 2nd Test&nbsp;match will be&nbsp;held at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados.</p>

<p><strong>At what time West Indies vs England 2nd Test&nbsp;match taking place?</strong></p>

<p>West Indies vs England 2nd Test&nbsp;match will start&nbsp;at 7:30 PM&nbsp;IST (2:00 PM GMT, 10 AM Local).</p>

<p><strong>How to watch West Indies vs England 2nd Test&nbsp;match live on TV?</strong></p>

<p>Much to the dismay of the&nbsp;cricket fans in India, the West Indies vs England 2nd Test&nbsp;match&nbsp;will not be telecasted&nbsp;live on TV in the country.</p>

<p><strong>How to watch West Indies vs England 2nd Test&nbsp;match live streaming?</strong></p>

<p>West Indies vs England 2nd Test&nbsp;match&nbsp;will be streamed live on the Fancode app and website.</p>


West Indies and England have an underrated rivalry in the purest format of the game. Both sides met each other in the three-match Test series opener on March 8 and produced a riveting encounter, which went down the wire before both teams settled for a draw.

West Indies and England have an underrated rivalry in the purest format of the game. Both sides met each other in the three-match Test series opener on March 8 and produced a riveting encounter, which went down the wire before both teams settled for a draw. Batting first, in Antigua, England rode on Jonny Bairstow's 140 to be dismissed for 311 in the first essay. In reply, the Kraigg Brathwaite-led Windies managed a slender lead, of 64 runs, courtesy N Bonner's 123 and contributions from the lower order. Joe Root & Co.'s aggressive approach stood out with the bat in their second innings as they rode on skipper and Zak Crawley's respective tons to setup a challenging 286-run target for the home side. Amid much drama and action, the hosts finally managed to prevent England from dictating terms and winning the clash after being 147-4 at stumps on the final day. Thus, there is all to play for in the second and penultimate Test as both sides will aim to take an unassailable 1-0 lead. Here is everything you need to know about the match - date, IST, streaming details, etc. ALSO READ | Updated World Test Championship points table after India's 2-0 clean sweep over Sri Lanka When is West Indies vs England 2nd Test match taking place? The West Indies vs England 2nd Test match is scheduled to commence on March 16, 2022. Where is West Indies vs England 2nd Test match taking place? West Indies vs England 2nd Test match will be held at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados. At what time West Indies vs England 2nd Test match taking place? West Indies vs England 2nd Test match will start at 7:30 PM IST (2:00 PM GMT, 10 AM Local). How to watch West Indies vs England 2nd Test match live on TV? Much to the dismay of the cricket fans in India, the West Indies vs England 2nd Test match will not be telecasted live on TV in the country. How to watch West Indies vs England 2nd Test match live streaming? West Indies vs England 2nd Test match will be streamed live on the Fancode app and website.

WIvENG: When and where to watch West Indies vs England 2nd Test match - IST time and streaming details

<p>The IPL 2022 mega auction is less than a month away. During the recently-held IPL General Council Meeting, the BCCI finalised the auction date, i.e. February 12 and 13, as the showpiece event took place in Bengaluru. All eyes will be on the non-retained players, which comprises several marquee players such as KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, David Warner, Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, Ishan Kishan, Kagiso Rabada, Rashid Khan and the likes. Six of them will be picked by the two new IPL franchises -- Lucknow and Ahmedabad -- who have the luxury to choose three players each before the auction proceedings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The IPL auction has always hogged the limelight, since 2008, as franchises shed a huge chunk of money on players from various countries or of different age bracket. Over the years, many rising talents or established names have earned big during the IPL auctions. Before the IPL 2022 auction kicks off in Bengaluru, here's a look at the most expensive players in each auction:&nbsp;</p>

<p>The list includes some marquee players such as MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Ben Stokes, Pat Cummins, Dinesh Karthik, Glenn Maxwell, Chris Morris and some underrated names -- Jaydev Unadkat, Varun Chakravarthy.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ben-stokes-pat-cummins-and-other-top-england-australia-players-in-doubt-over-entering-ipl-mega-auction-445477"><strong>Ben Stokes, Pat Cummins and other top England, Australia players in doubt over entering IPL mega auction</strong></a></p>

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 500px;">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td><strong>&nbsp; Year</strong></td>
			<td><strong>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Players &amp; Teams</strong></td>
			<td><strong>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Price&nbsp;</strong></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2008</td>
			<td>MS Dhoni (CSK)</td>
			<td>INR 9.5 crore (95 million)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2009</td>
			<td>Kevin Pietersen (RCB), Andrew Flintoff (CSK)</td>
			<td>INR 9.8 crore (98 million)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2010</td>
			<td>Shane Bond (KKR), Kieron Pollard (MI)</td>
			<td>INR 4.2 crore (42 million)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2011</td>
			<td>Gautam Gambhir (KKR)</td>
			<td>INR 14.9 crore (149 million)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2012</td>
			<td>Ravindra Jadeja (CSK)</td>
			<td>INR 12.8 crore (128 million)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2013</td>
			<td>Glenn Maxwell (MI)</td>
			<td>INR 6.3 crore (63 million)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2014</td>
			<td>Yuvraj Singh (RCB)</td>
			<td>INR 12.5 crore (125 million)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2015</td>
			<td>Yuvraj Singh (DC)</td>
			<td>INR 16 crore (160 million)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2016</td>
			<td>Shane Watson (RCB)</td>
			<td>INR 9.5 crore (95 million)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2017</td>
			<td>Ben Stokes (RPS)</td>
			<td>INR 14.5 crore (145 million)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2018</td>
			<td>Ben Stokes (RR)</td>
			<td>INR 12.5 crore (125 million)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2019</td>
			<td>Jaydev Unadkat (RR), Varun Chakravarthy (KKR)</td>
			<td>INR 8.4 crore (84 million)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2020</td>
			<td>Pat Cummins (KKR)</td>
			<td>INR 15.5 crore (155 million)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2021</td>
			<td>Chris Morris (RR)</td>
			<td>INR 16.25 crore (162.5 million)</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ipl-2022-which-side-be-the-richest-revealing-purse-of-8-existing-teams-before-mega-auction-433317#punjab-kings---inr-720-million-433214">IPL 2022: Which side be the richest? Revealing purse of 8 existing teams before mega auction</a></strong></p>

<p>Talking about the IPL 2022 edition, the BCCI will once again be under the scanner for hosting the 15th edition smoothly, with the Covid-19 pandemic still not over. As of now, no final decision has been taken regarding the venues for the upcoming season. The Sourav Ganguly-led board will finalise the venues and share the full schedule after monitoring the Covid-19 situation nationwide. If hosting the cash-rich league in India becomes out of the picture, BCCI will look to take the IPL in Sri Lanka, South Africa or the UAE (as per reports).</p>


The IPL 2022 mega auction is less than a month away. During the recently-held IPL General Council Meeting, the BCCI finalised the auction date, i.e. February 12 and 13, as the showpiece event took place in Bengaluru.

The IPL 2022 mega auction is less than a month away. During the recently-held IPL General Council Meeting, the BCCI finalised the auction date, i.e. February 12 and 13, as the showpiece event took place in Bengaluru. All eyes will be on the non-retained players, which comprises several marquee players such as KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, David Warner, Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, Ishan Kishan, Kagiso Rabada, Rashid Khan and the likes. Six of them will be picked by the two new IPL franchises -- Lucknow and Ahmedabad -- who have the luxury to choose three players each before the auction proceedings. The IPL auction has always hogged the limelight, since 2008, as franchises shed a huge chunk of money on players from various countries or of different age bracket. Over the years, many rising talents or established names have earned big during the IPL auctions. Before the IPL 2022 auction kicks off in Bengaluru, here's a look at the most expensive players in each auction: The list includes some marquee players such as MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Ben Stokes, Pat Cummins, Dinesh Karthik, Glenn Maxwell, Chris Morris and some underrated names -- Jaydev Unadkat, Varun Chakravarthy. ALSO READ | Ben Stokes, Pat Cummins and other top England, Australia players in doubt over entering IPL mega auction Year Players & Teams Price 2008 MS Dhoni (CSK) INR 9.5 crore (95 million) 2009 Kevin Pietersen (RCB), Andrew Flintoff (CSK) INR 9.8 crore (98 million) 2010 Shane Bond (KKR), Kieron Pollard (MI) INR 4.2 crore (42 million) 2011 Gautam Gambhir (KKR) INR 14.9 crore (149 million) 2012 Ravindra Jadeja (CSK) INR 12.8 crore (128 million) 2013 Glenn Maxwell (MI) INR 6.3 crore (63 million) 2014 Yuvraj Singh (RCB) INR 12.5 crore (125 million) 2015 Yuvraj Singh (DC) INR 16 crore (160 million) 2016 Shane Watson (RCB) INR 9.5 crore (95 million) 2017 Ben Stokes (RPS) INR 14.5 crore (145 million) 2018 Ben Stokes (RR) INR 12.5 crore (125 million) 2019 Jaydev Unadkat (RR), Varun Chakravarthy (KKR) INR 8.4 crore (84 million) 2020 Pat Cummins (KKR) INR 15.5 crore (155 million) 2021 Chris Morris (RR) INR 16.25 crore (162.5 million) ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Which side be the richest? Revealing purse of 8 existing teams before mega auction Talking about the IPL 2022 edition, the BCCI will once again be under the scanner for hosting the 15th edition smoothly, with the Covid-19 pandemic still not over. As of now, no final decision has been taken regarding the venues for the upcoming season. The Sourav Ganguly-led board will finalise the venues and share the full schedule after monitoring the Covid-19 situation nationwide. If hosting the cash-rich league in India becomes out of the picture, BCCI will look to take the IPL in Sri Lanka, South Africa or the UAE (as per reports).

From MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Ben Stokes to Chris Morris: Most expensive players in IPL auction

<p>The countdown for the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction has begun ahead of the 2022 edition of the tournament. IPL 2022 mega auction is all set to be conducted in Bengaluru next month with a number of top players in line to go under the hammer. However, there are doubts over the participation of some of the top Australian and English players in the mega auction this time around.</p>

<p>As per a report in <em>Cricbuzz</em>, a number of top England and Australia players, including the likes of Ben Stokes, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Joe Root are weighing in their options whether to give their names in the auction pool or not due to bio-bubble fatigue. Root has already confirmed he will not be a part of the IPL mega auction.</p>

<p>As per the report, Stokes' participation is also in doubt after the all-rounder was released by Rajasthan Royals on retention day. The Australian players are worried about a packed schedule ahead in the run-up to the IPL which would mean staying in the bio-bubble environment for months.</p>

<p>Australia recently defeated England 4-0 in the Ashes 2021-22 and are set to host trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in a limited-overs series from January 30 which will be followed by a T20I series against Sri Lanka at home. Australia are scheduled to tour Pakistan in February for three Tests, as many ODIs and one T20I which will be followed by IPL 2022 in April.</p>

<p>Starc had recently hinted at taking part in the upcoming IPL mega auction but as per Cricbuzz, his participation is now in doubt.&nbsp;"I've got two days to get my paperwork in, so that might be something to do today before training. I've not put my name down just yet, but I've got a couple more days to decide on that. It's certainly on the table regardless of what the schedule has got coming up," the Australian pacer had said after the conclusion of Ashes 2021-22.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shreyas-iyer-to-replace-virat-kohli-as-rcb-captain-three-ipl-teams-eye-ex-dc-skipper-at-mega-auction-445384">Shreyas Iyer to replace Virat Kohli as RCB captain? Three IPL teams eye ex-DC skipper at mega auction</a></p>

<p>Cummins, who was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad in IPL 2021, had pulled out of the second phase of the league due to personal reasons and might consider not entering the mega auction this year. The BCCI has extended the deadline for player enrolment in mega auction till January 20.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The countdown for the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction has begun ahead of the 2022 edition of the tournament. IPL 2022 mega auction is all set to be conducted in Bengaluru next month with a number of top players in line to go under the hammer.

The countdown for the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction has begun ahead of the 2022 edition of the tournament. IPL 2022 mega auction is all set to be conducted in Bengaluru next month with a number of top players in line to go under the hammer. However, there are doubts over the participation of some of the top Australian and English players in the mega auction this time around. As per a report in Cricbuzz, a number of top England and Australia players, including the likes of Ben Stokes, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Joe Root are weighing in their options whether to give their names in the auction pool or not due to bio-bubble fatigue. Root has already confirmed he will not be a part of the IPL mega auction. As per the report, Stokes' participation is also in doubt after the all-rounder was released by Rajasthan Royals on retention day. The Australian players are worried about a packed schedule ahead in the run-up to the IPL which would mean staying in the bio-bubble environment for months. Australia recently defeated England 4-0 in the Ashes 2021-22 and are set to host trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in a limited-overs series from January 30 which will be followed by a T20I series against Sri Lanka at home. Australia are scheduled to tour Pakistan in February for three Tests, as many ODIs and one T20I which will be followed by IPL 2022 in April. Starc had recently hinted at taking part in the upcoming IPL mega auction but as per Cricbuzz, his participation is now in doubt. "I've got two days to get my paperwork in, so that might be something to do today before training. I've not put my name down just yet, but I've got a couple more days to decide on that. It's certainly on the table regardless of what the schedule has got coming up," the Australian pacer had said after the conclusion of Ashes 2021-22. Also Read: Shreyas Iyer to replace Virat Kohli as RCB captain? Three IPL teams eye ex-DC skipper at mega auction Cummins, who was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad in IPL 2021, had pulled out of the second phase of the league due to personal reasons and might consider not entering the mega auction this year. The BCCI has extended the deadline for player enrolment in mega auction till January 20.

Ben Stokes, Pat Cummins and other top England, Australia players in doubt over entering IPL mega auction

<p>England batter Jonny Bairstow said it would have been nice if the supporters who abused him were still there after the stumps at Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.</p>

<p>Three men were ejected from the stadium with no charges laid after the English pair of Ben Stokes and Bairstow were subjected to verbal barbs during the day three`s tea break of the ongoing 4th Ashes Test against Australia.</p>

<p>In the footage obtained by The Age and the Herald from a witness show the pair being ridiculed for their body shape by at least one fan as they headed up the steps to the dressing room in the Members Pavilion.</p>

<p>"Stokes, you`re fat," a fan said. "Take your jumper off, Bairstow, lose some weight Bairstow," the England batter was told.</p>

<p>Bairstow fired back with "Pal, that`s right just turn around and walk away," before three people were ejected from SCG.On day three, Bairstow brought up England`s first century of the series, though will have work to do tomorrow, batting with the tail to close the 158-run first-innings deficit. Ben Stokes scored 66 as the tourists will resume on 258/7 on day four.</p>

<p>Asked about his earlier exchange of verbals with a spectator, Bairstow after the day`s play replied: "It was a bit of bad-mouthing. It`s not needed. We`re out there trying to do our jobs, people are there enjoying the cricket. Unfortunately, sometimes people overstep the mark."</p>

<p><strong>Also Read</strong>:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/you-are-allowed-to-fail-david-warner-backs-virat-kohli-to-bounce-back-amid-criticism-over-poor-form-443096">'You are allowed to fail': David Warner backs Virat Kohli to bounce back amid criticism over poor form</a></p>

<p>"I think it is important to stand up for ourselves because if we are not standing up for ourselves, you can cop it. When people overstep the mark, they need to be told. It`d have been nicer if we were there giving it when we walked off at the end, wouldn`t it? Unfortunately, they weren`t there at the end, they missed the end of a fantastic day of Test cricket," he added.</p>

<p>Notably, this incident comes one year after when India pacer Mohammed Siraj reported racial abuse at SCG. Six spectators were then removed from the ground on that occasion.&nbsp;</p>


England batter Jonny Bairstow said it would have been nice if the supporters who abused him were still there after the stumps at Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.

England batter Jonny Bairstow said it would have been nice if the supporters who abused him were still there after the stumps at Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday. Three men were ejected from the stadium with no charges laid after the English pair of Ben Stokes and Bairstow were subjected to verbal barbs during the day three`s tea break of the ongoing 4th Ashes Test against Australia. In the footage obtained by The Age and the Herald from a witness show the pair being ridiculed for their body shape by at least one fan as they headed up the steps to the dressing room in the Members Pavilion. "Stokes, you`re fat," a fan said. "Take your jumper off, Bairstow, lose some weight Bairstow," the England batter was told. Bairstow fired back with "Pal, that`s right just turn around and walk away," before three people were ejected from SCG.On day three, Bairstow brought up England`s first century of the series, though will have work to do tomorrow, batting with the tail to close the 158-run first-innings deficit. Ben Stokes scored 66 as the tourists will resume on 258/7 on day four. Asked about his earlier exchange of verbals with a spectator, Bairstow after the day`s play replied: "It was a bit of bad-mouthing. It`s not needed. We`re out there trying to do our jobs, people are there enjoying the cricket. Unfortunately, sometimes people overstep the mark." Also Read: 'You are allowed to fail': David Warner backs Virat Kohli to bounce back amid criticism over poor form "I think it is important to stand up for ourselves because if we are not standing up for ourselves, you can cop it. When people overstep the mark, they need to be told. It`d have been nicer if we were there giving it when we walked off at the end, wouldn`t it? Unfortunately, they weren`t there at the end, they missed the end of a fantastic day of Test cricket," he added. Notably, this incident comes one year after when India pacer Mohammed Siraj reported racial abuse at SCG. Six spectators were then removed from the ground on that occasion.

Sometimes people overstep the mark: Jonny Bairstow after 3 abusive fans get evicted from SCG

<p>England all-rounder Ben Stokes had a miraculous escape on Day 3 of the ongoing fourth Ashes Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney. England were reduced to 36/4 at one stage in their first innings before Stokes and Jonny Bairstow helped the visitors fight back with a 128-run stand for the fifth wicket.</p>

<p>Stokes rode his luck during his 66-run knock as he incredibly escaped a bowled dismissal off the bowling of Cameron Green. The incident happened during the 31st over of England's first innings when Stokes was batting in the middle. It was an in-swinging delivery from Green which almost knocked off Stokes' off stump.</p>

<p>The ball nipped back in and kissed the off stump but the bails remained intact and didn't fall which saw Stokes survive. The England all-rounder&nbsp;along with Green and other Aussie players were left stunned as the bails didn't even move. Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar took to Twitter to react to Stokes' escape and raised a valid question.</p>

<p>Tendulkar asked the cricket fans if a law should be introduced called 'hitting the stumps' to be fair to the bowlers when a ball hits the stump but bails are not dislodged. "Should a law be introduced called ‘hitting the stumps' after the ball has hit them but not dislodged the bails? What do you think guys? Let's be fair to bowlers," Sachin asked on Twitter.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Should a law be introduced called ‘hitting the stumps’ after the ball has hit them but not dislodged the bails? What do you think guys? Let’s be fair to bowlers! <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaneWarne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shanewarne</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AshesTest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AshesTest</a><a href="https://t.co/gSH2atTGRe">pic.twitter.com/gSH2atTGRe</a></p>
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) <a href="https://twitter.com/sachin_rt/status/1479321696054046721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Master Blaster also tagged legendary Shane Warne in his tweet for the spinner's views on the matter. Fans were quick to react to Sachin's question and came up with mixed suggestions.</p>

<p><strong>Here's how Twitter reacted to Sachin Tendulkar's question after Ben Stokes' lucky escape:</strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Legend good suggestion but MCC law LAW already in place for these kind of incidents “wood Bail should be dislodge and LED bail blink once ( specific type 3rd umpire )“ in run outs , stumping &amp; hit wickets incidents. Note :- depends of bails type 1- LED 2- Normal wood <a href="https://t.co/YoI91pmsyg">pic.twitter.com/YoI91pmsyg</a></p>
— Rashid Latif (@iRashidLatif68) <a href="https://twitter.com/iRashidLatif68/status/1479334419618054146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Absolutely yes on contrary LBW is given out just in assumption that ball will hit the stump and here it is hitting the stump still batsman is not out</p>
— Amit Barse (@amitbarse) <a href="https://twitter.com/amitbarse/status/1479324636533850115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I agree... Also, if 3rd umpire can interfere and rule no ball from video evidence, he should also interfere if batter is out but no appeal was made. Honestly, a batter has no right to continue if he is out, irrespective of onfield appeal.</p>
— Balaji V (@aibalaji) <a href="https://twitter.com/aibalaji/status/1479350112979619841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Yes, very much so. Then perhaps we may need to stop using bails too as they too become irrelevant. Let the stumps light up the moment they are touched by any object. This will eliminate any bias or ambiguity.</p>
— वैभव पु. धोनसेकर (@VaibhavPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/VaibhavPD/status/1479322976998674433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">No boss!First place- why bails kept atop? It has to be dislodged,whatever way!</p>
— Vijayakumar.K (@Vijayakumar1959) <a href="https://twitter.com/Vijayakumar1959/status/1479333687439200259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/amid-djokovics-detention-controversy-aussie-pm-scott-morrison-turns-commentator-during-ashes-watch-442936">Amid Djokovic's detention controversy, Aussie PM Morrison turns commentator during Ashes - WATCH</a></p>

<p>Talking about the Test match, Bairstow and Stokes helped England fight back in the game after their poor start. While Stokes scored 66 off 91 balls, Bairstow slammed a 103-run knock and remained unbeaten to take the visitors to 258/7 at stumps on Day 3.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, England still have a long way to go in the game as they are trailing by 158 runs and will be hoping to reduce the lead as much as possible on Day 4. Bairstow will resume England's innings with Jack Leach, who is unbeaten on 4 runs.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


England all-rounder Ben Stokes had a miraculous escape on Day 3 of the ongoing fourth Ashes Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney. England were reduced to 36/4 at one stage in their first innings before Stokes and Jonny Bairstow helped the visitors fight back with a 128-run stand for the fifth wicket.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes had a miraculous escape on Day 3 of the ongoing fourth Ashes Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney. England were reduced to 36/4 at one stage in their first innings before Stokes and Jonny Bairstow helped the visitors fight back with a 128-run stand for the fifth wicket. Stokes rode his luck during his 66-run knock as he incredibly escaped a bowled dismissal off the bowling of Cameron Green. The incident happened during the 31st over of England's first innings when Stokes was batting in the middle. It was an in-swinging delivery from Green which almost knocked off Stokes' off stump. The ball nipped back in and kissed the off stump but the bails remained intact and didn't fall which saw Stokes survive. The England all-rounder along with Green and other Aussie players were left stunned as the bails didn't even move. Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar took to Twitter to react to Stokes' escape and raised a valid question. Tendulkar asked the cricket fans if a law should be introduced called 'hitting the stumps' to be fair to the bowlers when a ball hits the stump but bails are not dislodged. "Should a law be introduced called ‘hitting the stumps' after the ball has hit them but not dislodged the bails? What do you think guys? Let's be fair to bowlers," Sachin asked on Twitter. Should a law be introduced called ‘hitting the stumps’ after the ball has hit them but not dislodged the bails? What do you think guys? Let’s be fair to bowlers! @shanewarne#AshesTestpic.twitter.com/gSH2atTGRe — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 7, 2022 × The Master Blaster also tagged legendary Shane Warne in his tweet for the spinner's views on the matter. Fans were quick to react to Sachin's question and came up with mixed suggestions. Here's how Twitter reacted to Sachin Tendulkar's question after Ben Stokes' lucky escape: Legend good suggestion but MCC law LAW already in place for these kind of incidents “wood Bail should be dislodge and LED bail blink once ( specific type 3rd umpire )“ in run outs , stumping & hit wickets incidents. Note :- depends of bails type 1- LED 2- Normal wood pic.twitter.com/YoI91pmsyg — Rashid Latif (@iRashidLatif68) January 7, 2022 × Absolutely yes on contrary LBW is given out just in assumption that ball will hit the stump and here it is hitting the stump still batsman is not out — Amit Barse (@amitbarse) January 7, 2022 × I agree... Also, if 3rd umpire can interfere and rule no ball from video evidence, he should also interfere if batter is out but no appeal was made. Honestly, a batter has no right to continue if he is out, irrespective of onfield appeal. — Balaji V (@aibalaji) January 7, 2022 × Yes, very much so. Then perhaps we may need to stop using bails too as they too become irrelevant. Let the stumps light up the moment they are touched by any object. This will eliminate any bias or ambiguity. — वैभव पु. धोनसेकर (@VaibhavPD) January 7, 2022 × No boss!First place- why bails kept atop? It has to be dislodged,whatever way! — Vijayakumar.K (@Vijayakumar1959) January 7, 2022 × Also Read: Amid Djokovic's detention controversy, Aussie PM Morrison turns commentator during Ashes - WATCH Talking about the Test match, Bairstow and Stokes helped England fight back in the game after their poor start. While Stokes scored 66 off 91 balls, Bairstow slammed a 103-run knock and remained unbeaten to take the visitors to 258/7 at stumps on Day 3. However, England still have a long way to go in the game as they are trailing by 158 runs and will be hoping to reduce the lead as much as possible on Day 4. Bairstow will resume England's innings with Jack Leach, who is unbeaten on 4 runs.

Sachin Tendulkar asks valid question after Stokes' miraculous escape during 4th Ashes Test, Twitter responds

<p>England have started the Ashes 2021/22 edition on a disastrous note. Losing the first Test by 9 wickets, Joe Root &amp; Co. lost the second Test at the picturesque Adelaide Oval, Adelaide by a whopping 275-run margin and now have to produce flawless performances to win the Ashes after conceding a 2-0 lead to Pat Cummins-led Australia.</p>

<p>After England's heavy defeat in the day-night Adelaide Test, Captain Root had criticised and blamed the bowlers for the loss. The bowlers couldn't dismiss the Aussies in both the innings, with hosts declaring at 473-9 and 230/9 respectively. Speaking after the crushing loss, Root had said, "With ball in hand, we didn't bowl the right lengths," he said. "We needed to bowl fuller. As soon as we did in the second innings, we created chances. That's frustrating. We did it four years ago and didn't learn from it. We have to be better."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-rankings-labuschagne-dethrones-root-to-become-no-1-test-batter-babar-reclaims-top-spot-in-t20is-439022"><strong>ICC Rankings: Labuschagne dethrones Root to become No. 1 Test batter, Babar reclaims top spot in T20Is</strong></a></p>

<p>Now, pace spearhead James Anderson has shifted the blame on the batters for their poor performances, as the visitors were bundled out for 236 and 192 in the day-night contest. "We did not bat well enough on a pitch where the data said it was one of the flattest Adelaide surfaces ever produced and the pink ball did the least it has ever done in a day-night game," wrote Anderson in a column for the&nbsp;<em>Telegraph</em>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Anderson said, "From a bowlers' point of view, you want to be hitting the right lengths all the time. We did our best on the first two days to do that ... Maybe we could have gone a touch fuller at times but we still created quite a few changes that were not taken."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-is-ordinary-and-unlucky-australia-legend-calls-joe-root-poor-captain-as-england-struggle-in-ashes-438168">'He is ordinary and unlucky': Australia legend calls Joe Root poor captain as England struggle in Ashes</a></strong></p>

<p>"We have to be better at assessing it during a game. We can't just go after the game, 'we should have bowled fuller'... We have to be a bit more proactive at that too as a whole group," added&nbsp;the legendary England fast-bowler.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is important to note that both the batters and bowlers had fallen flat even in the Ashes opener, at The Gabba, Brisbane.</p>

<p>Given the difference of opinions in the English camp amid their&nbsp;miseries in the ongoing Ashes Down Under, it will be very difficult for the Root-led visitors to stage a recovery in the remainder of the series. The third Test, i.e. the Boxing Day encounter, starts on December 26 at Melbourne Cricket Ground, MCG.</p>


England have started the Ashes 2021/22 edition on a disastrous note. Losing the first Test by 9 wickets, Joe Root & Co. lost the second Test at the picturesque Adelaide Oval, Adelaide by a whopping 275-run margin and now have to produce flawless performances to win the Ashes after conceding a 2-0 lead to Pat Cummins-led Australia.

England have started the Ashes 2021/22 edition on a disastrous note. Losing the first Test by 9 wickets, Joe Root & Co. lost the second Test at the picturesque Adelaide Oval, Adelaide by a whopping 275-run margin and now have to produce flawless performances to win the Ashes after conceding a 2-0 lead to Pat Cummins-led Australia. After England's heavy defeat in the day-night Adelaide Test, Captain Root had criticised and blamed the bowlers for the loss. The bowlers couldn't dismiss the Aussies in both the innings, with hosts declaring at 473-9 and 230/9 respectively. Speaking after the crushing loss, Root had said, "With ball in hand, we didn't bowl the right lengths," he said. "We needed to bowl fuller. As soon as we did in the second innings, we created chances. That's frustrating. We did it four years ago and didn't learn from it. We have to be better." ALSO READ | ICC Rankings: Labuschagne dethrones Root to become No. 1 Test batter, Babar reclaims top spot in T20Is Now, pace spearhead James Anderson has shifted the blame on the batters for their poor performances, as the visitors were bundled out for 236 and 192 in the day-night contest. "We did not bat well enough on a pitch where the data said it was one of the flattest Adelaide surfaces ever produced and the pink ball did the least it has ever done in a day-night game," wrote Anderson in a column for the Telegraph. Anderson said, "From a bowlers' point of view, you want to be hitting the right lengths all the time. We did our best on the first two days to do that ... Maybe we could have gone a touch fuller at times but we still created quite a few changes that were not taken." ALSO READ | 'He is ordinary and unlucky': Australia legend calls Joe Root poor captain as England struggle in Ashes "We have to be better at assessing it during a game. We can't just go after the game, 'we should have bowled fuller'... We have to be a bit more proactive at that too as a whole group," added the legendary England fast-bowler. It is important to note that both the batters and bowlers had fallen flat even in the Ashes opener, at The Gabba, Brisbane. Given the difference of opinions in the English camp amid their miseries in the ongoing Ashes Down Under, it will be very difficult for the Root-led visitors to stage a recovery in the remainder of the series. The third Test, i.e. the Boxing Day encounter, starts on December 26 at Melbourne Cricket Ground, MCG.

Ashes 2021: James Anderson shifts blame on batters after Joe Root's criticism of England bowlers

<p>Australia continued to dominate the proceedings on Day 2 of the ongoing second Ashes Test against England after a great start on the&nbsp;opening day. Resuming their innings from 221/2 on Day 2, the Aussie batters continued their dominant run and took the England bowlers to the cleaners in the pink-ball encounter. While Marnus Labuschagne notched up his century, Steve Smith (93) and Alex Carey (51) helped Australia cross the 400-run mark comfortably.</p>

<p>England did manage to stage a brief fightback on Day 2 when they picked three wickets in the afternoon session of play. Labuschagne, Travis Head and Cameron Green were all dismissed in quick succession leaving Australia in a spot of bother before Smith and Carey combined to put on a 91-run stand for the sixth wicket and steady the ship for the hosts.</p>

<p>All-rounder Green was dismissed for just 2 runs after being cleaned by Ben Stokes and his dismissal was accurately predicted by former Australia captain Ricky Ponting in the commentary box. Ponting, who is commentating for 7Cricket in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22, had said the deliveries will be straighter for Green as he had&nbsp;a very open front foot.</p>

<p>Stokes did exactly that and bowled a jaffa to beat the right-hander's defence and shatter his stumps. It was a brilliant delivery from the England all-rounder and even better analysis from Ponting, who saw in advance what was coming for Green.</p>

<p>"A very distinct change of tactics now for Cam Green. They will be a lot fuller and lot straighter, they will target his stumps. He sets up with a very open front foot, that is generally a sign of someone worried about LBW and does not want their front foot too far across in the line of the stumps," Ponting said on air before Stokes cleaned up Green.</p>

<p><strong>Watch video:</strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"A very distinct change of tactics now for Cam Green - they'll get a lot fuller and a lot straighter, they'll target his stumps."<br />
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- Ricky Ponting, right as Ben Stokes runs in and ... bowls Green <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ashes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ashes</a> <a href="https://t.co/wPTV9kDE1Y">pic.twitter.com/wPTV9kDE1Y</a></p>
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/7Cricket/status/1471719179543891970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2021-2nd-test-marnus-labuschagne-achieves-rare-feat-with-another-hundred-in-day-night-contest-437620">Marnus Labuschagne achieves rare feat with another hundred in 2nd Ashes Test</a></strong></p>

<p>Despite losing Green (2) and Head (18) cheaply, Australia managed to post a strong total of 473/9 on the board before declaring their innings to invite England for their first innings. Australia would be hoping to bundle out the visitors quickly and gain a healthy lead heading into their second innings.</p>

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Australia continued to dominate the proceedings on Day 2 of the ongoing second Ashes Test against England after a great start on the opening day. Resuming their innings from 221/2 on Day 2, the Aussie batters continued their dominant run and took the England bowlers to the cleaners in the pink-ball encounter.

Australia continued to dominate the proceedings on Day 2 of the ongoing second Ashes Test against England after a great start on the opening day. Resuming their innings from 221/2 on Day 2, the Aussie batters continued their dominant run and took the England bowlers to the cleaners in the pink-ball encounter. While Marnus Labuschagne notched up his century, Steve Smith (93) and Alex Carey (51) helped Australia cross the 400-run mark comfortably. England did manage to stage a brief fightback on Day 2 when they picked three wickets in the afternoon session of play. Labuschagne, Travis Head and Cameron Green were all dismissed in quick succession leaving Australia in a spot of bother before Smith and Carey combined to put on a 91-run stand for the sixth wicket and steady the ship for the hosts. All-rounder Green was dismissed for just 2 runs after being cleaned by Ben Stokes and his dismissal was accurately predicted by former Australia captain Ricky Ponting in the commentary box. Ponting, who is commentating for 7Cricket in the ongoing Ashes 2021-22, had said the deliveries will be straighter for Green as he had a very open front foot. Stokes did exactly that and bowled a jaffa to beat the right-hander's defence and shatter his stumps. It was a brilliant delivery from the England all-rounder and even better analysis from Ponting, who saw in advance what was coming for Green. "A very distinct change of tactics now for Cam Green. They will be a lot fuller and lot straighter, they will target his stumps. He sets up with a very open front foot, that is generally a sign of someone worried about LBW and does not want their front foot too far across in the line of the stumps," Ponting said on air before Stokes cleaned up Green. Watch video: "A very distinct change of tactics now for Cam Green - they'll get a lot fuller and a lot straighter, they'll target his stumps." - Ricky Ponting, right as Ben Stokes runs in and ... bowls Green #Ashes pic.twitter.com/wPTV9kDE1Y — 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 17, 2021 × Also Read: Marnus Labuschagne achieves rare feat with another hundred in 2nd Ashes Test Despite losing Green (2) and Head (18) cheaply, Australia managed to post a strong total of 473/9 on the board before declaring their innings to invite England for their first innings. Australia would be hoping to bundle out the visitors quickly and gain a healthy lead heading into their second innings.

Ashes: Ponting accurately predicts Cameron Green's dismissal as Ben Stokes cleans him up with a jaffa - WATCH

<p>England all-rounder Ben Stokes suffered a knee injury during the first Ashes Test here at the Gabba, Brisbane on Thursday.</p>

<p>Stokes suffered the injury during the 29th over of the first Test when he was chasing a ball to the boundary.</p>

<p>He will be assessed overnight by the medical staff team, as he was clearly seen struggling the entire day.</p>

<p>"Obviously Ben has hurt himself on the field today so didn't bowl full pace at the back end of the day. Think our medical guys will assess him overnight and see how he is. Other than that the guys are okay," said England bowling coach Jon Lewis as reported by ESPNcricinfo.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-1st-test-2nd-day-travis-head-slams-quickfire-112-to-put-australia-in-control-over-england-435413">Ashes, 1st Test 2nd day: Travis Head slams quickfire 112* to put Australia in control over England</a></strong></p>

<p>Talking about the team's preparations, Lewis said that the team will 'dust'&nbsp;themselves, and will be all set to perform on Day 3 of the Ashes.</p>

<p>"Our preparation probably played a part in the last session, but it is what it is, similar for both sides. I know the guys will front up again tomorrow, there's a lot of character, I know they've been in some pretty sticky situations before and they've come through it all right. I know the guys will dust themselves down tonight," said Jon Lewis.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/thank-you-captain-bcci-thanks-virat-kohli-for-his-service-as-team-indias-odi-captain-435586">'Thank you Captain', BCCI thanks Virat Kohli for his service as Team India's ODI captain</a></strong></p>

<p>Coming to the match, Travis Head and David Warner played knocks of 112 and 94 respectively as Australia extended its lead to 196 against England on Day 2 of the ongoing first Ashes Test here at the Gabba, Brisbane on Thursday.</p>

<p>At stumps, Australia's score read 343/7 with the hosts extending their lead to 196 runs. Head (112*) and Mitchell Starc (10*) are currently unbeaten at the crease.&nbsp;</p>


England all-rounder Ben Stokes suffered a knee injury during the first Ashes Test here at the Gabba, Brisbane on Thursday. Stokes suffered the injury during the 29th over of the first Test when he was chasing a ball to the boundary.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes suffered a knee injury during the first Ashes Test here at the Gabba, Brisbane on Thursday. Stokes suffered the injury during the 29th over of the first Test when he was chasing a ball to the boundary. He will be assessed overnight by the medical staff team, as he was clearly seen struggling the entire day. "Obviously Ben has hurt himself on the field today so didn't bowl full pace at the back end of the day. Think our medical guys will assess him overnight and see how he is. Other than that the guys are okay," said England bowling coach Jon Lewis as reported by ESPNcricinfo. ALSO READ: Ashes, 1st Test 2nd day: Travis Head slams quickfire 112* to put Australia in control over England Talking about the team's preparations, Lewis said that the team will 'dust' themselves, and will be all set to perform on Day 3 of the Ashes. "Our preparation probably played a part in the last session, but it is what it is, similar for both sides. I know the guys will front up again tomorrow, there's a lot of character, I know they've been in some pretty sticky situations before and they've come through it all right. I know the guys will dust themselves down tonight," said Jon Lewis. ALSO READ: 'Thank you Captain', BCCI thanks Virat Kohli for his service as Team India's ODI captain Coming to the match, Travis Head and David Warner played knocks of 112 and 94 respectively as Australia extended its lead to 196 against England on Day 2 of the ongoing first Ashes Test here at the Gabba, Brisbane on Thursday. At stumps, Australia's score read 343/7 with the hosts extending their lead to 196 runs. Head (112*) and Mitchell Starc (10*) are currently unbeaten at the crease.

Ashes 2021: England all-rounder Ben Stokes suffers knee injury, medical staff to assess him overnight

<p>Travis Head smashed a T20-style century to put Australia firmly in control of the first Ashes test on Thursday as England were hit by an injury crisis during a miserable day two in the field at the Gabba.</p>

<p>David Warner fell six runs short of what would have been a fortuitous century but Head kept the blowtorch on with an unbeaten 112 from 95 balls that pushed Australia to 343 for seven, a commanding 196-run lead over England's paltry first innings 147.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">An <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ashes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ashes</a> hundred at the Gabba and what it means 🔥<br />
<br />
Take a bow, <a href="https://twitter.com/travishead34?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@travishead34</a> 💪<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WTC23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WTC23</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvENG</a> <a href="https://t.co/2FhhAsSRO2">pic.twitter.com/2FhhAsSRO2</a></p>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1468852955046678530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Tail ender Mitchell Starc was 10 not out at the end of a day of sapping heat and humidity in which the problems piled up for Joe Root's England.</p>

<p>Talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes was all but scratched from the attack by an apparent knee strain in the morning while paceman Ollie Robinson came off the ground after barely getting through one of his overs after tea.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-was-given-2-days-to-resign-as-odi-captain-before-bcci-announced-rohit-as-his-successor-report-435370">Virat Kohli was given 2 days to resign as ODI captain before BCCI announced Rohit as his successor: Report</a></strong></p>

<p>England bowling coach Jon Lewis would not be drawn on whether Stokes would be able to bowl for the rest of the match.</p>

<p>"Obviously Ben has hurt himself on the field today," he said of Stokes, who was playing his first competitive match since July after taking a mental health break from cricket.</p>

<p>"We'll assess him overnight and see how he pulls up in the morning."</p>

<p>The burden of the attack fell heavily on seamers Mark Wood and Chris Woakes late in the day, while spinner Jack Leach and part-timer Root were feasted on by Head.</p>

<p>Leach conceded 95 runs from his 11 overs and was lucky to pick up a wicket when Marnus Labuschagne fell for 74 slicing straight to point.</p>

<p><strong>NICE POSITION</strong></p>

<p>Head was a rock as he anchored partnerships with debutant wicketkeeper Alex Carey and his captain Pat Cummins.<br />
He showed plenty of toughness too.</p>

<p>After taking a painful blow to his left forearm from Wood before reaching 50, Head then took another hit from the quick after raising his third test century, the ball pinging off his glove and whacking him on the chin.</p>

<p>"It’s still pinching myself, sort of thing," Head told reporters.</p>

<p>"I can’t quite work out what quite transpired in the last couple of hours. Hopefully we’ve put ourselves in a nice position.</p>

<p>"We've had two great days and in Australia I guess you want to keep guys out there as long as possible."</p>

<p>Warner had earlier marched to the brink of a century after being reprieved three times in the field but was finally out for 94 straight after tea, undone by a slower ball from Robinson that induced a catch in the covers.</p>

<p>Warner and Labuschagne combined for a 156-run partnership which set the platform for Head's late slogging.</p>

<p>The day may have taken a different hue were it not for a controversial tech failure.</p>

<p>Warner was bowled by Stokes for 17 in the morning but it was found to be a no ball on review, with the all-rounder overstepping his mark.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hes-not-much-of-a-captain-chappell-slams-joe-root-after-englands-flop-show-on-day-1-of-ashes-2021-opener-435153">'He’s not much of a captain' - Chappell slams Joe Root after England's flop show on Day 1 of Ashes 2021 opener</a></strong></p>

<p>TV pictures showed Stokes had overstepped on three successive deliveries before that but he was unable to correct his run-up because none of them were called.</p>

<p>Warner was later dropped in the slips on 48 by Rory Burns, who is having a dreadful test after being bowled first ball of the series on Wednesday by Mitchell Starc.</p>

<p>Veteran opener Warner later went for a suicidal single after hitting straight to bat pad, then slipped over and dropped his bat as he tried to get back to safety.</p>

<p>Haseeb Hameed was just metres away but threw wide of the stumps.</p>


Travis Head smashed a T20-style century to put Australia firmly in control of the first Ashes test on Thursday as England were hit by an injury crisis during a miserable day two in the field at the Gabba.

Travis Head smashed a T20-style century to put Australia firmly in control of the first Ashes test on Thursday as England were hit by an injury crisis during a miserable day two in the field at the Gabba. David Warner fell six runs short of what would have been a fortuitous century but Head kept the blowtorch on with an unbeaten 112 from 95 balls that pushed Australia to 343 for seven, a commanding 196-run lead over England's paltry first innings 147. An #Ashes hundred at the Gabba and what it means 🔥 Take a bow, @travishead34 💪#WTC23 | #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/2FhhAsSRO2 — ICC (@ICC) December 9, 2021 × Tail ender Mitchell Starc was 10 not out at the end of a day of sapping heat and humidity in which the problems piled up for Joe Root's England. Talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes was all but scratched from the attack by an apparent knee strain in the morning while paceman Ollie Robinson came off the ground after barely getting through one of his overs after tea. ALSO READ: Virat Kohli was given 2 days to resign as ODI captain before BCCI announced Rohit as his successor: Report England bowling coach Jon Lewis would not be drawn on whether Stokes would be able to bowl for the rest of the match. "Obviously Ben has hurt himself on the field today," he said of Stokes, who was playing his first competitive match since July after taking a mental health break from cricket. "We'll assess him overnight and see how he pulls up in the morning." The burden of the attack fell heavily on seamers Mark Wood and Chris Woakes late in the day, while spinner Jack Leach and part-timer Root were feasted on by Head. Leach conceded 95 runs from his 11 overs and was lucky to pick up a wicket when Marnus Labuschagne fell for 74 slicing straight to point. NICE POSITION Head was a rock as he anchored partnerships with debutant wicketkeeper Alex Carey and his captain Pat Cummins. He showed plenty of toughness too. After taking a painful blow to his left forearm from Wood before reaching 50, Head then took another hit from the quick after raising his third test century, the ball pinging off his glove and whacking him on the chin. "It’s still pinching myself, sort of thing," Head told reporters. "I can’t quite work out what quite transpired in the last couple of hours. Hopefully we’ve put ourselves in a nice position. "We've had two great days and in Australia I guess you want to keep guys out there as long as possible." Warner had earlier marched to the brink of a century after being reprieved three times in the field but was finally out for 94 straight after tea, undone by a slower ball from Robinson that induced a catch in the covers. Warner and Labuschagne combined for a 156-run partnership which set the platform for Head's late slogging. The day may have taken a different hue were it not for a controversial tech failure. Warner was bowled by Stokes for 17 in the morning but it was found to be a no ball on review, with the all-rounder overstepping his mark. ALSO READ: 'He’s not much of a captain' - Chappell slams Joe Root after England's flop show on Day 1 of Ashes 2021 opener TV pictures showed Stokes had overstepped on three successive deliveries before that but he was unable to correct his run-up because none of them were called. Warner was later dropped in the slips on 48 by Rory Burns, who is having a dreadful test after being bowled first ball of the series on Wednesday by Mitchell Starc. Veteran opener Warner later went for a suicidal single after hitting straight to bat pad, then slipped over and dropped his bat as he tried to get back to safety. Haseeb Hameed was just metres away but threw wide of the stumps.

Ashes, 1st Test 2nd day: Travis Head slams quickfire 112* to put Australia in control over England

<p>After a long wait, the Ashes 2021/22 finally got off to a start on Wednesday (December 8) at The Gabba, Brisbane. The series was off to a dream start for the Pat Cummins-led hosts as Mitchell Starc got rid of England opener Rory Burns on the first ball of the series.</p>

<p>Starc cleaned up Burns' stumps on the first ball itself as the ball got some late movement and went around the batter's pads to hit the timber. Here's the dismissal which lit up the atmosphere at The Gabba, Brisbane:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">WHAT A WAY TO START THE <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ASHES?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ASHES</a>! <a href="https://t.co/XtaiJ3SKeV">pic.twitter.com/XtaiJ3SKeV</a></p>
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketcomau/status/1468372989993381889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2021-england-on-back-foot-after-being-bowled-out-for-147-in-horror-start-at-the-gabba-435067"><strong>Ashes 2021: England on back foot after being bowled out for 147 in horror start at The Gabba</strong></a></p>

<p>For the unversed, this became only the second occasion when a wicket fell on the very first delivery of an Ashes series. On December 4 in 1936, England's Stan Worthington was dismissed by Australia's Ernie McCormick on the first ball of Ashes 1936/37. After 82 years, Starc recreated the feat. It is interesting to note that on both occasions the Ashes edition has taken place Down Under (i.e., in Aussies' backyard).</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2021-pat-cummins-shines-on-captaincy-debut-breaks-plethora-of-records-with-five-fer-vs-england-435020"><strong>Ashes 2021: Pat Cummins shines on captaincy debut, breaks plethora of records with five-fer vs England</strong></a></p>

<p>Talking about Day 1, Cummins led from the front as his 5 for 38,&nbsp;on captaincy debut, rattled England for 146 after Joe Root &amp; Co. decided to bat first in a rain-marred day. The Aussies will come out to bat on the second day and hope to take a mammoth lead over the clueless visitors.</p>


After a long wait, the Ashes 2021/22 finally got off to a start on Wednesday (December 8) at The Gabba, Brisbane. The series was off to a dream start for the Pat Cummins-led hosts as Mitchell Starc got rid of England opener Rory Burns on the first ball of the series.

After a long wait, the Ashes 2021/22 finally got off to a start on Wednesday (December 8) at The Gabba, Brisbane. The series was off to a dream start for the Pat Cummins-led hosts as Mitchell Starc got rid of England opener Rory Burns on the first ball of the series. Starc cleaned up Burns' stumps on the first ball itself as the ball got some late movement and went around the batter's pads to hit the timber. Here's the dismissal which lit up the atmosphere at The Gabba, Brisbane: WHAT A WAY TO START THE #ASHES! pic.twitter.com/XtaiJ3SKeV — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 8, 2021 × ALSO READ | Ashes 2021: England on back foot after being bowled out for 147 in horror start at The Gabba For the unversed, this became only the second occasion when a wicket fell on the very first delivery of an Ashes series. On December 4 in 1936, England's Stan Worthington was dismissed by Australia's Ernie McCormick on the first ball of Ashes 1936/37. After 82 years, Starc recreated the feat. It is interesting to note that on both occasions the Ashes edition has taken place Down Under (i.e., in Aussies' backyard). ALSO READ | Ashes 2021: Pat Cummins shines on captaincy debut, breaks plethora of records with five-fer vs England Talking about Day 1, Cummins led from the front as his 5 for 38, on captaincy debut, rattled England for 146 after Joe Root & Co. decided to bat first in a rain-marred day. The Aussies will come out to bat on the second day and hope to take a mammoth lead over the clueless visitors.

Starc adds his name to elite list with first-ball dismissal of Rory Burns in Ashes 2021 opener - Watch

<p>England all-rounder Ben Stokes shared a heartfelt note on Instagram remembering his late father ahead of the start of Ashes 2021-2022 against Australia. Ashes rivals Australia and England will lock horns in the first Test of the series at The Gabba from December 08 (Wednesday).</p>

<p>Stokes, who will be making a comeback after a long break, will be in action in the series-opener. The England all-rounder had taken an indefinite break from all forms of cricket earlier this year due to focus on his mental health and well being. However, he is now&nbsp;ready to return to the 24 yards.</p>

<p>Stokes lost his father Ged Stokes last year. He passed away on December 08 after a long battle with brain cancer at the age of 65. Posting a picture with his father, Stokes said he will be remembering him as he takes the field in the first Test against the Aussies.</p>

<p>"I wasn't sure if I would ever walk out onto a field ever again a few months ago, I find it amazing that when I do walk out tomorrow I'll be remembering you exactly 1 year on since you left us....You are gonna be with me this whole week," Stokes wrote in his Instagram post.</p>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXLsuy4sEYu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Ben Stokes (@stokesy)</a></p>
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<p>Stokes missed a few important series after announcing a break from cricket. He was last seen in action during the ODI series against Pakistan at home following which he announced his decision. He missed the T20 World Cup 2021 where England bowed out from the semi-finals after losing against New Zealand.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashes-2021-22-full-schedule-squads-venues-telecast-live-streaming-as-aus-eng-resume-intense-rivalry-434803">Ashes 2021-22: Full schedule, squads, venues, telecast, live streaming as Aus-Eng resume intense rivalry</a></p>

<p>All eyes will be on the star all-rounder as he gears up to make his comeback. England have already announced their 12-man squad for the Ashes opener at The Gabba with Stokes part of it. Joe Root will be leading the visitors while veteran pacer James Anderson has been rested.</p>


England all-rounder Ben Stokes shared a heartfelt note on Instagram remembering his late father ahead of the start of Ashes 2021-2022 against Australia. Ashes rivals Australia and England will lock horns in the first Test of the series at The Gabba from December 08 (Wednesday).

England all-rounder Ben Stokes shared a heartfelt note on Instagram remembering his late father ahead of the start of Ashes 2021-2022 against Australia. Ashes rivals Australia and England will lock horns in the first Test of the series at The Gabba from December 08 (Wednesday). Stokes, who will be making a comeback after a long break, will be in action in the series-opener. The England all-rounder had taken an indefinite break from all forms of cricket earlier this year due to focus on his mental health and well being. However, he is now ready to return to the 24 yards. Stokes lost his father Ged Stokes last year. He passed away on December 08 after a long battle with brain cancer at the age of 65. Posting a picture with his father, Stokes said he will be remembering him as he takes the field in the first Test against the Aussies. "I wasn't sure if I would ever walk out onto a field ever again a few months ago, I find it amazing that when I do walk out tomorrow I'll be remembering you exactly 1 year on since you left us....You are gonna be with me this whole week," Stokes wrote in his Instagram post. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ben Stokes (@stokesy) × Stokes missed a few important series after announcing a break from cricket. He was last seen in action during the ODI series against Pakistan at home following which he announced his decision. He missed the T20 World Cup 2021 where England bowed out from the semi-finals after losing against New Zealand. Also Read: Ashes 2021-22: Full schedule, squads, venues, telecast, live streaming as Aus-Eng resume intense rivalry All eyes will be on the star all-rounder as he gears up to make his comeback. England have already announced their 12-man squad for the Ashes opener at The Gabba with Stokes part of it. Joe Root will be leading the visitors while veteran pacer James Anderson has been rested.

Ben Stokes remembers late father ahead of Ashes opener: You will be with me this whole week

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