England captain Ben Stokes feels that the Edgbaston pitch used in the just-concluded second Test against India acted like subcontinental as the game progressed, facing flak on social media for igniting the blame game after his team’s embarrassing 336-run beating. England won the toss and decided to bowl first - a decision they regretted, as also echoed by team coach Brendon McCullum after the game that ended late on day five. While 1632 runs were scored on that 'flat Edgbaston pitch' across four innings, which included three centuries from as many different batters, and also a double hundred, the social media mocked Stokes for his poor assessment.&nbsp;Stokes’ England was never in the game, not even from the beginning. Despite removing KL Rahul early on day one, they lagged throughout, with Indian captain Shubman Gill punishing them across both innings. While his career-best 269 in the first innings broke multiple records, also propelling Team India to a mammoth 587, his second-inning hundred was the one that took the game away from England.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-ravi-shastri-lauds-coach-gautam-gambhir-for-bold-play-in-edgbaston-as-india-break-birmingham-jinx-to-level-test-series-1751871110033">IND vs ENG: Shastri lauds Gambhir for ‘bold play’ in Edgbaston as India break Birmingham jinx to level Test series</a> &nbsp;Even English batters enjoyed scoring runs in Birmingham, with Harry Brook and Jamie Smith stitching a 300-plus run-stand for the sixth wicket in the first innings, but failed to replicate the same in the final innings, as England got all out on 271. Stokes, however, scored just 33 runs across both innings, failing to contribute with the bat in this series thus far. &nbsp;“To be honest, it’s probably ended up being more of a subcontinent pitch as it got deeper and deeper into the game. There was certainly a little bit in it to start off with, and I think we exposed that very very well early on,” Stokes said during a chat with Test Match Special.&nbsp; &nbsp;“Then just as it sort of got deeper and deeper, it just became a real tough slug for us and obviously with the Indian attack and the conditions that they’re used to, they were sort of used to and knew sort of how to expose those conditions just sort of a little bit better than us and that can happen sometimes. But yeah, it’s nothing to be too disheartened about. We can take being out-skilled, and we’ve certainly been out-skilled this week,” the English skipper continued. &nbsp;Meanwhile, Team India’s win at Edgbaston was their maiden Test victory at this venue in nine outings thus far. With the five-match series now tied at 1-1, the action moves to Lord’s in London for the third Test starting next Thursday (Jul 10).&nbsp;&nbsp;Check some internet posts -

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Only two wickets for Indian spinners in two innings. Quite interesting to call it a sub-continental pitch. <a href="https://t.co/76yNClvZa5">https://t.co/76yNClvZa5</a>&mdash; Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketaakash/status/1941968368552366271?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/B0O27kaODp">https://t.co/B0O27kaODp</a> <a href="https://t.co/kpypX5M4FK">pic.twitter.com/kpypX5M4FK</a>&mdash; TexasCricketCommentor (@CricketKaran1) <a href="https://twitter.com/CricketKaran1/status/1942011214151684457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Aren’t the pitch curators from England ? <a href="https://t.co/ucctEmFuga">https://t.co/ucctEmFuga</a>&mdash; Prasanna (@prasannalara) <a href="https://twitter.com/prasannalara/status/1942075013877674089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">You custom ordered that pitch Ben. There isn&#39;t a single pitch in sub-continent in last decade (forget pitches in Pakistan) that behaved like the Edgbaston pitch over 5 days. It&#39;s an absolute disgrace to talk about pitch and bringing in &quot;sub-continent&quot; into the discussion. <a href="https://t.co/BuyKxtADnV">https://t.co/BuyKxtADnV</a>&mdash; cricBC (@cricBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricBC/status/1941922743211249820?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">• Prepare flat pitches on purpose • Get outplayed by the opponent • Blame the pitch, weather, AQI etc Bazball 101 <a href="https://t.co/iAegOSQE1v">https://t.co/iAegOSQE1v</a>&mdash; Zucker Doctor (@DoctorLFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/DoctorLFC/status/1942035912361214275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

While 1632 runs were scored on that 'flat Edgbaston pitch' across four innings, which included three centuries from as many different batters, and also a double hundred, the social media mocked Stokes for his poor assessment.

England captain Ben Stokes feels that the Edgbaston pitch used in the just-concluded second Test against India acted like subcontinental as the game progressed, facing flak on social media for igniting the blame game after his team’s embarrassing 336-run beating. England won the toss and decided to bowl first - a decision they regretted, as also echoed by team coach Brendon McCullum after the game that ended late on day five. While 1632 runs were scored on that 'flat Edgbaston pitch' across four innings, which included three centuries from as many different batters, and also a double hundred, the social media mocked Stokes for his poor assessment. Stokes’ England was never in the game, not even from the beginning. Despite removing KL Rahul early on day one, they lagged throughout, with Indian captain Shubman Gill punishing them across both innings. While his career-best 269 in the first innings broke multiple records, also propelling Team India to a mammoth 587, his second-inning hundred was the one that took the game away from England. Also read | IND vs ENG: Shastri lauds Gambhir for ‘bold play’ in Edgbaston as India break Birmingham jinx to level Test series Even English batters enjoyed scoring runs in Birmingham, with Harry Brook and Jamie Smith stitching a 300-plus run-stand for the sixth wicket in the first innings, but failed to replicate the same in the final innings, as England got all out on 271. Stokes, however, scored just 33 runs across both innings, failing to contribute with the bat in this series thus far. “To be honest, it’s probably ended up being more of a subcontinent pitch as it got deeper and deeper into the game. There was certainly a little bit in it to start off with, and I think we exposed that very very well early on,” Stokes said during a chat with Test Match Special. “Then just as it sort of got deeper and deeper, it just became a real tough slug for us and obviously with the Indian attack and the conditions that they’re used to, they were sort of used to and knew sort of how to expose those conditions just sort of a little bit better than us and that can happen sometimes. But yeah, it’s nothing to be too disheartened about. We can take being out-skilled, and we’ve certainly been out-skilled this week,” the English skipper continued. Meanwhile, Team India’s win at Edgbaston was their maiden Test victory at this venue in nine outings thus far. With the five-match series now tied at 1-1, the action moves to Lord’s in London for the third Test starting next Thursday (Jul 10). Check some internet posts -

While 1632 runs were scored on that 'flat Edgbaston pitch' across four innings, which included three centuries from as many different batters, and also a double hundred, the social media mocked Stokes for his poor assessment.

Ben Stokes throws Edgbaston pitch in mud after 336-run beating, calls it ‘more like sub-continent’; faces flak

A lot of drama ensued in dying moments of day 3 (Jul 4) of the second Test between India and England at Edgbaston over a DRS call taken by India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. The southpaw was given LBW just after India crossed fifty-run mark in the second innings and had a long chat with partner KL Rahul before opting to review. &nbsp;England skipper Ben Stokes, however, wasn't amused as he ran to on-field umpires to complain that the DRS was taken after stipulated time limit of 15 seconds. The umpires denied request but Jaiswal was out upon review and had to go back. Jaiswal scored 28 runs before being dismissed and had added 51 runs for the opening wicket with Rahul to take India's lead past 200.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-brook-smith-rewrite-records-with-303-run-6th-wicket-test-partnership-at-edgbaston-1751643852879">IND vs ENG: Brook, Smith rewrite records with 303-run 6th wicket Test partnership at Edgbaston</a><h2>WATCH THE WICKET BELOW:</h2>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Josh Tongue gets Jaiswal trapped in front! ☝️ 🇮🇳 5️⃣1️⃣-1️⃣ <a href="https://t.co/raWBqQXjv4">pic.twitter.com/raWBqQXjv4</a>&mdash; England Cricket (@englandcricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/englandcricket/status/1941184532398342422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>How much time is allowed to take DRS call?</h2>As per the ICC's rules, a batter has 15 seconds to challenge the on-field umpire's decision of out and take a review. Similarly, the fielding side also gets 15 seconds to challenge the on-field umpire's not out call against the batter.<h2>What happens after taking DRS call?</h2>After a batter or the fielding side takes DRS call, the on-field umpire sends the decision to get reviewed by the third umpire. The third umpire then checks the validity of the decision including if the delivery was a no-ball and conveys the decision to on-field umpire who then gives the signal on ground.<h2>How many times DRS can be taken in an innings?</h2>Each team, batting or bowling, can take DRS three times in an innings. In case the DRS call goes in favour of the team or the on-field umpire's call stays then they retain the review else the review is lost.<h2>What is umpire's call?</h2>The umpire's call is on-field umpire's decision about a potential out or not out decision. For eg, if a batter is given LBW out by the on-field umpire and decides to review it then the on-field umpire's decision (out or not) stays in case of impact of ball on the off stump or ball hitting the wickets - even if marginally.

Jaiswal was given LBW just after India crossed fifty-run mark in the second innings and had a long chat with partner KL Rahul before opting to review. Ben Stokes, however, wasn't amused as he ran to on-field umpires to complain that the DRS was taken after stipulated time limit of 15 seconds.

A lot of drama ensued in dying moments of day 3 (Jul 4) of the second Test between India and England at Edgbaston over a DRS call taken by India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. The southpaw was given LBW just after India crossed fifty-run mark in the second innings and had a long chat with partner KL Rahul before opting to review. England skipper Ben Stokes, however, wasn't amused as he ran to on-field umpires to complain that the DRS was taken after stipulated time limit of 15 seconds. The umpires denied request but Jaiswal was out upon review and had to go back. Jaiswal scored 28 runs before being dismissed and had added 51 runs for the opening wicket with Rahul to take India's lead past 200. Also Read - IND vs ENG: Brook, Smith rewrite records with 303-run 6th wicket Test partnership at Edgbaston WATCH THE WICKET BELOW:

Jaiswal was given LBW just after India crossed fifty-run mark in the second innings and had a long chat with partner KL Rahul before opting to review. Ben Stokes, however, wasn't amused as he ran to on-field umpires to complain that the DRS was taken after stipulated time limit of 15 seconds.

IND vs ENG: Drama at Edgbaston! Stokes charges at umpire after Jaiswal's late DRS call

Ben Stokes was dismissed on a first-ball duck on day 3 (Jul 4) of the second Test against India at Edgbaston in Birmingham and became only the second England skipper ever to register this not-so-happy record. Before Stokes, Tony Lewis of England was dismissed for a golden duck against Indian during 1973 Test in Mumbai. Stokes is also the 11th skipper overall to register a golden duck against India in Tests. The last skipper overall was Pat Cummins of Australia who scored a golden duck against India in Tests during Delhi Test in 2023.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-india-sink-to-new-low-as-jamie-smith-almost-eclipses-shahid-afridi-for-record-ton-at-edgbaston-1751634229200">IND vs ENG: WATCH | India sink to new low as Jamie Smith almost eclipses Shahid Afridi for record ton at Edgbaston</a><h2>List to Captain to Score Golden Ducks vs India in Tests</h2><ul><li>Gary Sobers (West Indies) in 1971</li><li>Tony Lewis (England) in 1973</li><li>Greg Chappell (Australia) in 1981</li><li>Arjuna Ranatunga (Sri Lanka) in 1994</li><li>Alastair Campbell (Zimbabwe) in 1998</li><li>Shaun Pollock (South Africa) in 2001</li><li>Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan) in 2004</li><li>Younis Khan (Pakistan) in 2006</li><li>Michael Clarke (Australia) in 2013</li><li>Pat Cummins (Australia) in 2023</li><li>Ben Stokes (England) in 2025</li></ul><h2>Smith-Brook Revive Hosts in Edgbaston</h2>&nbsp;England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith and Harry Brook have revived the hosts on day 3 of the second Test with an unbeaten 271-run partnership for the sixth wicket. England started the day from overnight score of 77/3 and were soon 84/5 before the duo, especially Smith, launched a counterattack.England added 172 runs in the first session despite two wickets as Smith completed his century off 80 balls - joint-third fastest for England in Tests. In the second session, England added 106 runs more without losing a wicket and were trailing by 232 runs in the first innings in reply of India's 587.Smith was batting 157 off 169 balls while Brook, England's white-ball skipper, was batting at 140 as England finished the second session at 355/5.&nbsp;

Stokes is also the 11th skipper overall to register a golden duck against India in Tests. The last skipper overall was Pat Cummins of Australia who scored a golden duck against India in Tests during Delhi Test in 2023.



Ben Stokes was dismissed on a first-ball duck on day 3 (Jul 4) of the second Test against India at Edgbaston in Birmingham and became only the second England skipper ever to register this not-so-happy record. Before Stokes, Tony Lewis of England was dismissed for a golden duck against Indian during 1973 Test in Mumbai. Stokes is also the 11th skipper overall to register a golden duck against India in Tests. The last skipper overall was Pat Cummins of Australia who scored a golden duck against India in Tests during Delhi Test in 2023. Also Read - IND vs ENG: WATCH | India sink to new low as Jamie Smith almost eclipses Shahid Afridi for record ton at Edgbaston List to Captain to Score Golden Ducks vs India in Tests Gary Sobers (West Indies) in 1971 Tony Lewis (England) in 1973 Greg Chappell (Australia) in 1981 Arjuna Ranatunga (Sri Lanka) in 1994 Alastair Campbell (Zimbabwe) in 1998 Shaun Pollock (South Africa) in 2001 Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan) in 2004 Younis Khan (Pakistan) in 2006 Michael Clarke (Australia) in 2013 Pat Cummins (Australia) in 2023 Ben Stokes (England) in 2025 Smith-Brook Revive Hosts in Edgbaston England wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith and Harry Brook have revived the hosts on day 3 of the second Test with an unbeaten 271-run partnership for the sixth wicket. England started the day from overnight score of 77/3 and were soon 84/5 before the duo, especially Smith, launched a counterattack. England added 172 runs in the first session despite two wickets as Smith completed his century off 80 balls - joint-third fastest for England in Tests. In the second session, England added 106 runs more without losing a wicket and were trailing by 232 runs in the first innings in reply of India's 587. Smith was batting 157 off 169 balls while Brook, England's white-ball skipper, was batting at 140 as England finished the second session at 355/5.

Before Stokes, Tony Lewis of England was dismissed for a golden duck against Indian during 1973 Test in Mumbai. Stokes is also the 11th skipper overall to register a golden duck against India in Tests.

IND vs ENG: Ben Stokes joins Inzamam and Cummins in UNWANTED list with golden duck at Edgbaston

England captain Ben Stokes is in awe of Rishabh Pant as England and India are set to meet in the second Test match in Edgbaston. Starting on Wednesday (July 2), India will look to go level with England in the five-match Test series with Pant playing crucial role. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed hundreds in both innings, but could not help avoid defeat in Headingley. However, Stokes is in awe of Pant, revealing he loves watching him bat. &nbsp;&nbsp;“Even though he’s my opposition, I absolutely love watching Rishabh play cricket,” Stokes was quoted saying before the second Test in Birmingham. One shot that caught everyone’s attention was when Pant danced down the pitch and drove Stokes for a straight four on just the second ball he faced.&nbsp;Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ind-vs-eng-2nd-test-nitish-reddy-washington-sundar-likely-to-play-in-edgbaston-as-visitors-search-for-parity-1751426527583">IND vs ENG, 2nd Test: Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar likely to play in Edgbaston as visitors search for parity</a>&nbsp;Stokes praised Pant’s fearless approach. “He’s had a bit of stick in his time, but when you let talent like that play freely, this is what happens,” he said. “He’s a very dangerous player. On another day, maybe one of those shots goes straight to a fielder. But I really enjoy watching him.”&nbsp;Pant became only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score two hundreds in a Test match against England. Despite his heroics, India collapsed twice (7 for 41 in the first innings, 6 for 31 in the second innings), which cost them the match. England chased 371 at Headingley, pulling off one of their biggest Test wins.&nbsp;India, under new captain Shubman Gill, showed intent with the bat as five centuries were smashed (four players). &nbsp;However, the team couldn’t hold their nerve in key moments. The attention now turns to the second Test which starts at 3:30 PM IST on Wednesday as the visitors search for parity.&nbsp;&nbsp;

England captain Ben Stokes is in awe of Rishabh Pant as England and India are set to meet in the second Test match in Edgbaston. Starting on Wednesday (July 2), India will look to go level with England in the five-match Test series with Pant playing crucial role.

England captain Ben Stokes is in awe of Rishabh Pant as England and India are set to meet in the second Test match in Edgbaston. Starting on Wednesday (July 2), India will look to go level with England in the five-match Test series with Pant playing crucial role. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed hundreds in both innings, but could not help avoid defeat in Headingley. However, Stokes is in awe of Pant, revealing he loves watching him bat. “Even though he’s my opposition, I absolutely love watching Rishabh play cricket,” Stokes was quoted saying before the second Test in Birmingham. One shot that caught everyone’s attention was when Pant danced down the pitch and drove Stokes for a straight four on just the second ball he faced. Also Read | IND vs ENG, 2nd Test: Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar likely to play in Edgbaston as visitors search for parity Stokes praised Pant’s fearless approach. “He’s had a bit of stick in his time, but when you let talent like that play freely, this is what happens,” he said. “He’s a very dangerous player. On another day, maybe one of those shots goes straight to a fielder. But I really enjoy watching him.” Pant became only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score two hundreds in a Test match against England. Despite his heroics, India collapsed twice (7 for 41 in the first innings, 6 for 31 in the second innings), which cost them the match. England chased 371 at Headingley, pulling off one of their biggest Test wins. India, under new captain Shubman Gill, showed intent with the bat as five centuries were smashed (four players). However, the team couldn’t hold their nerve in key moments. The attention now turns to the second Test which starts at 3:30 PM IST on Wednesday as the visitors search for parity.

England captain Ben Stokes is in awe of Rishabh Pant as England and India are set to meet in the second Test match in Edgbaston. Starting on Wednesday (July 2), India will look to go level with England in the five-match Test series with Pant playing crucial role.

IND vs ENG, 2nd Test: Ben Stokes showers praise on THIS Indian player ahead of Edgbaston clash

In a contextually good news for India, England have named an unchanged playing XI for the second Test starting on Wednesday (Jul 2) at Edgbaston, Birmingham. The decision means England's express quick Jofra Archer will have to wait a bit more for his impending return. India, while batting well in the first Test at Headingley, lost the match as England chased down a mammoth 371-run target. India would be breathing easy, at least a bit, with Jofra Archer not playing and getting confidence that they can score runs against the named England bowling line-up.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/who-is-pakistan-origin-all-rounder-played-in-three-ipls-for-pbks-and-kkr-and-now-named-pakistan-test-coach-1751298145891">Pak's new Test coach played three IPL seasons with PBKS and KKR despite being of Pakistani origin</a>England bowler Chris Woakes, meanwhile, also felt confident about the side with the fact they were able to win the Test by chasing a big target."It's always good to get over the line and get a win," Woakes said. "That does breed some confidence within the group to show that we're doing some things right. We're also a group that we know we need to improve. There's areas that we did last week that we know we can do better. So yes, we'll look at putting those things right."But certainly as a team, we're pretty happy with how we go about things and the style of cricket and the brand of cricket we want to play. We know that that's been successful over the last few years and we'll stick to that. But there's definitely still tweaks that we know we can do a bit better as a team. So we'll be looking to do that," he added.England playing XI vs India for second Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir

The decision means England's express quick Jofra Archer will have to wait a bit more for his impending return. India, while batting well in the first Test at Headingley, lost the match as England chased down a mammoth 371-run target. 

In a contextually good news for India, England have named an unchanged playing XI for the second Test starting on Wednesday (Jul 2) at Edgbaston, Birmingham. The decision means England's express quick Jofra Archer will have to wait a bit more for his impending return. India, while batting well in the first Test at Headingley, lost the match as England chased down a mammoth 371-run target. India would be breathing easy, at least a bit, with Jofra Archer not playing and getting confidence that they can score runs against the named England bowling line-up. Also Read - Pak's new Test coach played three IPL seasons with PBKS and KKR despite being of Pakistani origin England bowler Chris Woakes, meanwhile, also felt confident about the side with the fact they were able to win the Test by chasing a big target. "It's always good to get over the line and get a win," Woakes said. "That does breed some confidence within the group to show that we're doing some things right. We're also a group that we know we need to improve. There's areas that we did last week that we know we can do better. So yes, we'll look at putting those things right. "But certainly as a team, we're pretty happy with how we go about things and the style of cricket and the brand of cricket we want to play. We know that that's been successful over the last few years and we'll stick to that. But there's definitely still tweaks that we know we can do a bit better as a team. So we'll be looking to do that," he added. England playing XI vs India for second Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir

The decision means England's express quick Jofra Archer will have to wait a bit more for his impending return. India, while batting well in the first Test at Headingley, lost the match as England chased down a mammoth 371-run target.&nbsp;

IND vs ENG, 2nd Test: Good news for India as THIS England pacer not named in playing XI

India skipper Shubman Gill admitted the collapse of the lower order in both the innings did prove expensive for them during the five wicket loss to England in the first Test on Tuesday (June 24). Despite vice-captain Rishabh Pant scoring centuries in each innings of the opening Tests and other key batters in openers KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Gill himself hitting their respective tons, India failed to get to big totals in both the innings and also dropped crucial catches. This is the first time in history of Indian cricket that a team lost a Test after five individual hundreds being scored by its batters. India lost from 430/3 in the first innings to 471 with seven wickets for 41 runs and in the second, they fell to 364 all-out from 333/4, losing six wickets for 31 runs.&nbsp;"A brilliant Test match," said Gill after the loss. "We had chances in the match, a few dropped catches, and the lower order didn't contribute as it would have been." Reflecting on the second innings, where India collapsed from 333/4 to 364 all out, Gill revealed that India were initially planning a declaration. “Yesterday we were thinking to give them around 400-430 to chase and declare, but our lower order added around 20-25 runs, which is never a good sign,” he said. “Even today, I thought after their brilliant opening partnership, we did have our chances but just didn't go our way.”&nbsp;Sharing his thought on what he might have done differently as captain, Gill said, “The first session we bowled, we were quite spot on. But it's quite hard to stop the runs once the ball gets old, and you have to keep picking wickets to stay in the game. Unfortunately, some catches didn't find the fielders and didn't go our way, but I think they batted really well. After the ball got old, they took their chances, and their opening partnership took the game away from us.” Jasprit Bumrah’s performance also drew interest, especially after he went wicketless in the second innings. Gill confirmed the team would assess his workload before the second Test. “It's definitely more game by game. There's a good break after this Test match, so once we are close to the match, we'll see.”

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Lower-order collapse, missed opportunities hurt India, admits Gill on loss

India skipper Shubman Gill admitted the collapse of the lower order in both the innings did prove expensive for them during the five wicket loss to England in the first Test on Tuesday (June 24). Despite vice-captain Rishabh Pant scoring centuries in each innings of the opening Tests and other key batters in openers KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Gill himself hitting their respective tons, India failed to get to big totals in both the innings and also dropped crucial catches. This is the first time in history of Indian cricket that a team lost a Test after five individual hundreds being scored by its batters. India lost from 430/3 in the first innings to 471 with seven wickets for 41 runs and in the second, they fell to 364 all-out from 333/4, losing six wickets for 31 runs. "A brilliant Test match," said Gill after the loss. "We had chances in the match, a few dropped catches, and the lower order didn't contribute as it would have been." Reflecting on the second innings, where India collapsed from 333/4 to 364 all out, Gill revealed that India were initially planning a declaration. “Yesterday we were thinking to give them around 400-430 to chase and declare, but our lower order added around 20-25 runs, which is never a good sign,” he said. “Even today, I thought after their brilliant opening partnership, we did have our chances but just didn't go our way.” Sharing his thought on what he might have done differently as captain, Gill said, “The first session we bowled, we were quite spot on. But it's quite hard to stop the runs once the ball gets old, and you have to keep picking wickets to stay in the game. Unfortunately, some catches didn't find the fielders and didn't go our way, but I think they batted really well. After the ball got old, they took their chances, and their opening partnership took the game away from us.” Jasprit Bumrah’s performance also drew interest, especially after he went wicketless in the second innings. Gill confirmed the team would assess his workload before the second Test. “It's definitely more game by game. There's a good break after this Test match, so once we are close to the match, we'll see.”

India collapsed from 430/3 in the first innings to 471, losing seven wickets for 41 runs and in the second, they crumbled to 364 all-out from 333/4, losing six wickets for 31 runs

Every successful cricketer has a strong support system behind him. For Virat Kohli, that support comes from his wife, Anushka Sharma. Similarly, for England Test captain Ben Stokes, his greatest strength has always been his wife, Clare Ratcliffe. While Stokes is celebrated for his fearless performances on the field, Clare has consistently stood by him through every high and low, playing a crucial role in his life. Clare and Ben were together long before he became a cricket star. Known for keeping her life private, Clare has always cheered for Stokes from the stands during big matches.&nbsp;&nbsp;But her presence in his life goes beyond just match days. She stood by him during some of the toughest times, including the 2017 nightclub incident in Bristol and the legal battles that followed. Her support helped Stokes come back stronger and focus on his career.&nbsp;Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ind-vs-eng-duckett-becomes-first-england-opener-to-score-4th-innings-ton-vs-india-in-england-1750772789424">IND vs ENG: Duckett achieves RARE feat with fourth innings ton vs India at Headingley</a>&nbsp;Clare often refers to herself as a “cricket widow”, a light-hearted term many partners of professional cricketers use. She works as a primary school teacher and proudly calls herself a 'parent to two monsters', a fun way of talking about their children. She regularly shares photos with her family on social media, giving fans a small glimpse into their lives.&nbsp;Ben and Clare were in a long-term living relationship before tying the knot. Their first child, a son named Layton, was born in 2012. Sadly, in 2013, Clare lost her father, Arthur Ratcliffe. Soon after that, Ben proposed to Clare. The couple got engaged in 2013 and were married four years later on October 14, 2017.&nbsp;Their second child, a daughter named Libby, was born in 2014. Together, Layton and Libby have brought joy and love into the Stokes family, completing their beautiful family.&nbsp;While Ben Stokes makes headlines for his on-field heroics, Clare remains the silent support behind him.

Ben Stokes and Clare Ratcliffe were in a long-term living relationship before tying the knot. Their first child, a son named Layton, was born in 2012. Sadly, in 2013, Clare lost her father, Arthur Ratcliffe. Soon after that, Ben proposed to Clare.

Every successful cricketer has a strong support system behind him. For Virat Kohli, that support comes from his wife, Anushka Sharma. Similarly, for England Test captain Ben Stokes, his greatest strength has always been his wife, Clare Ratcliffe. While Stokes is celebrated for his fearless performances on the field, Clare has consistently stood by him through every high and low, playing a crucial role in his life. Clare and Ben were together long before he became a cricket star. Known for keeping her life private, Clare has always cheered for Stokes from the stands during big matches. But her presence in his life goes beyond just match days. She stood by him during some of the toughest times, including the 2017 nightclub incident in Bristol and the legal battles that followed. Her support helped Stokes come back stronger and focus on his career. Also Read | IND vs ENG: Duckett achieves RARE feat with fourth innings ton vs India at Headingley Clare often refers to herself as a “cricket widow”, a light-hearted term many partners of professional cricketers use. She works as a primary school teacher and proudly calls herself a 'parent to two monsters', a fun way of talking about their children. She regularly shares photos with her family on social media, giving fans a small glimpse into their lives. Ben and Clare were in a long-term living relationship before tying the knot. Their first child, a son named Layton, was born in 2012. Sadly, in 2013, Clare lost her father, Arthur Ratcliffe. Soon after that, Ben proposed to Clare. The couple got engaged in 2013 and were married four years later on October 14, 2017. Their second child, a daughter named Libby, was born in 2014. Together, Layton and Libby have brought joy and love into the Stokes family, completing their beautiful family. While Ben Stokes makes headlines for his on-field heroics, Clare remains the silent support behind him.

Ben Stokes and Clare Ratcliffe were in a long-term living relationship before tying the knot. Their first child, a son named Layton, was born in 2012. Sadly, in 2013, Clare lost her father, Arthur Ratcliffe. Soon after that, Ben proposed to Clare.

Meet Clare Ratcliffe: The lady luck behind Ben Stokes’ success

India was in a strong position on Day 2 (Jun 21) of the first Test at Headingley, but England made a big comeback in the morning session. The turning point came right before lunch, when Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur was dismissed by Ben Stokes, who bowled with fire and control.It was the last ball before lunch, and Shardul went for an aggressive shot. Stokes bowled a full delivery wide outside off stump. Thakur threw his hands at it, hoping for a boundary, but all he managed was a thick outside edge. The ball flew straight into the gloves of wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, who made no mistake.&nbsp;The dismissal was captured perfectly on video. It was Stokes’ fourth wicket of the morning and a major boost for England. After a long Day 1 dominated by Indian batters, England came out with clear plans and energy. Stokes led the way with his all-round effort, turning the game just when India looked to take full control.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ben Stokes on fire as he picked up his 4th wicket by dismissing Shardul Thakur 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsENG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvENG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsENGTest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsENGTest</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvsIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvsIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/nBC7ae6LJ4">pic.twitter.com/nBC7ae6LJ4</a>&mdash; Cricketism (@MidnightMusinng) <a href="https://twitter.com/MidnightMusinng/status/1936407023589204331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/karun-nair-returns-to-team-india-after-8-years-sets-new-world-record-for-most-matches-missed-karun-nair-shubman-gill-ind-vs-eng-headingley-leeds-1750503176858">Karun Nair returns to Team India after 8 years, sets new WORLD record for most matches missed</a>&nbsp;India had resumed the day at 359/3. Vice-captain Rishabh Pant brought up his seventh Test century in style by smashing a six off Shoaib Bashir. He and captain Shubman Gill stitched together a solid 200-run stand. But the joy didn’t last long. First, Gill was dismissed for 147. Soon after, Karun Nair, making a comeback after eight years, was out for a duck. Then came a big blow in Pant, who, after scoring 134, was also removed. And finally, Shardul’s wicket ended a tough session for India.&nbsp;Resuming the game after lunch, India could only add 17 runs as the visitors were bowled out for 471 in the first innings. The last seven batters could manage only 41 runs.

It was Stokes’ fourth wicket of the morning and a major boost for England. After a long Day 1 dominated by Indian batters, England came out with clear plans and energy. 

India was in a strong position on Day 2 (Jun 21) of the first Test at Headingley, but England made a big comeback in the morning session. The turning point came right before lunch, when Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur was dismissed by Ben Stokes, who bowled with fire and control. It was the last ball before lunch, and Shardul went for an aggressive shot. Stokes bowled a full delivery wide outside off stump. Thakur threw his hands at it, hoping for a boundary, but all he managed was a thick outside edge. The ball flew straight into the gloves of wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, who made no mistake. The dismissal was captured perfectly on video. It was Stokes’ fourth wicket of the morning and a major boost for England. After a long Day 1 dominated by Indian batters, England came out with clear plans and energy. Stokes led the way with his all-round effort, turning the game just when India looked to take full control.

It was Stokes’ fourth wicket of the morning and a major boost for England. After a long Day 1 dominated by Indian batters, England came out with clear plans and energy.&nbsp;

Watch: Shardul Thakur edges to wicketkeeper, Stokes takes fourth wicket before lunch

England may have invented Bazball (attacking batting style) but it was Rishabh Pant on day 1 (Jun 20) of the first Test against England at Headingley who showed how it is played. Coming in to bat shortly after Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal just after lunch, Pant smacked his second delivery of the innings over the the bowler's head for a four to clearly show his intentions and how he was going to play in the innings. The bowler was England skipper Ben Stokes, who had taken a wicket in the over already, could not stop laughing about Pant's audacity.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/jaiswal-is-first-indian-opening-batter-to-score-100-in-headingley-against-england-in-test-1750430166021">IND vs ENG: Jaiswal breaks 58-year-old record with stunning hundred at Headingley</a>The ball which dismissed Jasiwal was a ripper and took his off stumps through his defence despite the batter being on 101 - first ever ton by an Indian opener at Headingley. For any other batter, the dismissal would have put a seed of doubt in the mind and some caution but not for Pant. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter dismissed Stokes as a net bowler. Have a look at the video below:

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Pant also reached his fifty in the last session of the day - making him the most successful Indian wicketkeeper-batter in terms of runs in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) along with 3,000-run mark in Test cricket. His century partnership with skipper Shubman Gill - who become the first Indian skipper to score a ton in England vs England in his maiden Test as captain - put Indian in a commanding position as they reached 350-run mark for loss on only three wickets.India went in the Test match as an underdog with no Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara or Ravi Ashwin - a first since 2011 - but came out triumphant for sure. It was, however, a debut to forget for Sai Sudharsan who had earlier gotten his Test cap from Pujara.The southpaw was dismissed for a duck on the stroke of lunch on a nothing, going-towards-leg delivery in his first ever innings for India in whites.&nbsp;

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Coming in to bat shortly after Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal just after lunch, Pant smacked his second delivery of the innings over the the bowler's head for a four to clearly show his intentions.

England may have invented Bazball (attacking batting style) but it was Rishabh Pant on day 1 (Jun 20) of the first Test against England at Headingley who showed how it is played. Coming in to bat shortly after Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal just after lunch, Pant smacked his second delivery of the innings over the the bowler's head for a four to clearly show his intentions and how he was going to play in the innings. The bowler was England skipper Ben Stokes, who had taken a wicket in the over already, could not stop laughing about Pant's audacity. Also Read - IND vs ENG: Jaiswal breaks 58-year-old record with stunning hundred at Headingley The ball which dismissed Jasiwal was a ripper and took his off stumps through his defence despite the batter being on 101 - first ever ton by an Indian opener at Headingley. For any other batter, the dismissal would have put a seed of doubt in the mind and some caution but not for Pant. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter dismissed Stokes as a net bowler. Have a look at the video below:

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Coming in to bat shortly after Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal just after lunch, Pant smacked his second delivery of the innings over the the bowler's head for a four to clearly show his intentions.

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Pant shows England how to 'Bazball' and Stokes can't stop laughing - WATCH

England may have become the most attacking Test team in the world since taking on the Bazball philosophy but skipper Ben Stokes want the team to be 'smarter in those situations' when they are behind in the game. The comments, given to BBC Sport, was made one day out of the start of English summer before they take on India in the first of five Tests to kick off World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2025-27. England would be hoping to put the young Indian side, led by Shubman Gill, under pressure in Leeds when they face off on June 20."It's just being smarter in those situations when it's obvious that the opposition is on top of us," he said. "We just felt like, as a team, that the area of improvement… is actually soaking up that pressure, and allowing ourselves a better opportunity to then apply the pressure back onto [the opposition] in the way that we know we can.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-listen-to-everybody-but-ex-skipper-kapil-advice-to-new-test-captain-shubman-gill-1750345076760">IND vs ENG: 'Listen to everybody, but...,' ex-skipper Kapil to new Test captain Shubman Gill</a>"When we have lost, we probably look back on those moments [and think], 'Could we have been a lot better at slowing everything down, and understanding where we are in the position of the game to then allow us to play in that natural way that we like to go about things?' Having those reflective moments and honest conversations within the group is what can take teams to the next level," added Stokes.Predicted Playing XIs England (confirmed): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib BashirIndia (predicted): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

England would be hoping to put the young Indian side, led by Shubman Gill, under pressure in Leeds when they face off on June 20 in first of five Tests.

England may have become the most attacking Test team in the world since taking on the Bazball philosophy but skipper Ben Stokes want the team to be 'smarter in those situations' when they are behind in the game. The comments, given to BBC Sport, was made one day out of the start of English summer before they take on India in the first of five Tests to kick off World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2025-27. England would be hoping to put the young Indian side, led by Shubman Gill, under pressure in Leeds when they face off on June 20. "It's just being smarter in those situations when it's obvious that the opposition is on top of us," he said. "We just felt like, as a team, that the area of improvement… is actually soaking up that pressure, and allowing ourselves a better opportunity to then apply the pressure back onto [the opposition] in the way that we know we can. Also Read - IND vs ENG: 'Listen to everybody, but...,' ex-skipper Kapil to new Test captain Shubman Gill "When we have lost, we probably look back on those moments [and think], 'Could we have been a lot better at slowing everything down, and understanding where we are in the position of the game to then allow us to play in that natural way that we like to go about things?' Having those reflective moments and honest conversations within the group is what can take teams to the next level," added Stokes. Predicted Playing XIs England (confirmed): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir India (predicted): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

England would be hoping to put the young Indian side, led by Shubman Gill, under pressure in Leeds when they face off on June 20 in first of five Tests.

IND vs ENG: U-turn on Bazball? Skipper Stokes wants England to be 'smarter in those situations'

As England is gearing up to take on India at Headingley, starting on June 20 (Wednesday), here is a look at the five players who can make a big impact for England in this series.

As England is gearing up to take on India at Headingley, starting on June 20 (Wednesday), here is a look at the five players who can make a big impact for England in this series.

IND vs ENG 2025: 5 English players to watch out for in Test series

England have asked for a rather batting-friendly surface to 'hit through the line' in the first Test against India which begins on Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds. The revelation, two days out of the Test, was made by the official who oversees the grounds in Leeds. The request by England reflected in their playing XI as well which they named on Wednesday (Jun 18) and have only four specialist bowlers to go with all-rounder Ben Stokes.“They (England) just want to have a good surface so it’s true, really, so we can hit through the line of the ball. That’s really what they’re looking for,” Richard Robsinon, head of grounds at Leeds, reported cricket news outlet ESPNCricinfo.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/who-is-biggest-flop-as-india-test-captain-in-england-dhoni-lost-more-tests-than-kohli-dravid-and-ganguly-combined-1750247416802">Biggest flop as India Test skipper in England? Dhoni lost more matches than Kohli, Dravid and Ganguly combined</a>As for England's playing XI, Zak Crawley is set to open alongside Ben Duckett with Ollie Pope to follow at number 3. Joe Root will bat at two down followed by England's white-ball skipper Harry Brook at five.Skipper Stokes at number six and wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith at number seven complete England's batting line-up. Chris Woakes, who is more than handy with the bat, is at number eight with Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir to follow.England will be hopeful to getting the early advantage in five-Test series as India haven't won at the venue (Headingley) since winning under Sourav Ganguly in 2002.India, playing under new skipper Shubman Gill, have a lot to ponder on as they usher into a new area without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravi Ashwin. It also remains to be seen if Jasprit Bumrah, who'd play partial role in the series owing to workload management, makes it to the playing XI.The inexperience of the Indian batting line-up is so massive that England batter Joe Root has more Test hundreds than the entire current India squad combined.&nbsp;England playing XI vs India for 1st Test in Headigley: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

England will be hopeful to getting the early advantage in five-Test series as India haven't won at Headingley, venue for first Test (starts June 20), since winning under Sourav Ganguly in 2002.

England have asked for a rather batting-friendly surface to 'hit through the line' in the first Test against India which begins on Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds. The revelation, two days out of the Test, was made by the official who oversees the grounds in Leeds. The request by England reflected in their playing XI as well which they named on Wednesday (Jun 18) and have only four specialist bowlers to go with all-rounder Ben Stokes. “They (England) just want to have a good surface so it’s true, really, so we can hit through the line of the ball. That’s really what they’re looking for,” Richard Robsinon, head of grounds at Leeds, reported cricket news outlet ESPNCricinfo. Also Read - Biggest flop as India Test skipper in England? Dhoni lost more matches than Kohli, Dravid and Ganguly combined As for England's playing XI, Zak Crawley is set to open alongside Ben Duckett with Ollie Pope to follow at number 3. Joe Root will bat at two down followed by England's white-ball skipper Harry Brook at five. Skipper Stokes at number six and wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith at number seven complete England's batting line-up. Chris Woakes, who is more than handy with the bat, is at number eight with Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir to follow. England will be hopeful to getting the early advantage in five-Test series as India haven't won at the venue (Headingley) since winning under Sourav Ganguly in 2002. India, playing under new skipper Shubman Gill, have a lot to ponder on as they usher into a new area without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravi Ashwin. It also remains to be seen if Jasprit Bumrah, who'd play partial role in the series owing to workload management, makes it to the playing XI. The inexperience of the Indian batting line-up is so massive that England batter Joe Root has more Test hundreds than the entire current India squad combined. England playing XI vs India for 1st Test in Headigley: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

England will be hopeful to getting the early advantage in five-Test series as India haven't won at Headingley, venue for first Test (starts June 20), since winning under Sourav Ganguly in 2002.

IND vs ENG: Only four specialist bowlers in playing XI as England ask for 'hit through the line' pitch for Headingley Test

Ever since Brendon McCullum became the head coach and Ben Stokes took up Test captaincy, England's fortunes have turned around in red-ball cricket. They have not only stopped taking any prisoners but attack on all fronts to make the other teams crumble. Occasionally, their approach has backfired, but overall 'Bazball - a term coined after McCullum's nickname Baz' has been at least entertaining if not entirely successful for the Three Lions.England have played 36 Tests with Bazball philosophy and have managed to win 23 of them to go with 12 losses and just one draw - showing their intent to get results at all costs. Talking more about intent, Stokes's men have professed playing attacking cricket at all cost - is England really the most attacking team since inception of Bazball?Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/unlucky-nepal-play-three-super-overs-and-still-lose-to-netherlands-in-scotland-triseries-2025-1750152840192">Unlucky Nepal play three Super Overs and still lose to Netherlands</a>In all 36 Tests played with Bazball approach since June 2022, England have the highest scoring rate among all Test teams. They managed a run rate of 4.63 per over against the second best of 3.59 by Australia (32 Tests) and 3.57 by India (27 Tests).England also have the highest per wicket average in the same period as they managed 36.12 runs for each wicket, ahead of Australia's 34.21 runs per wicket and Sri Lanka's 33.37 runs per wicket.England also have the highest innings score in this period - 823/7 against Pakistan in October 2024 at a run rate of 5.48. The second highest is 704/3 by Sri Lanka but against Ireland.Stokes's team also have the least lowest score of 112 among all Test playing nations in this period and the only top team (among India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) to register the lowest score of above 100.Coming to the win-loss ratio, England managed 1.916 during since they adopted Bazball - second only to Australia's 2.500.Clearly, England are dangerous and attacking with Bazball but have not been able to feature in a single World Test Championship (WTC) Final in the three cycles.Stokes would be hopeful of improving their WTC Final record from 0 to 1 in the upcoming cycle which begins June 20 when they take on a new-look India in the first of five Tests at Leeds.

England have played 36 Tests with Bazball philosophy and have managed to win 23 of them to go with 12 losses and just one draw - showing their intent to get results at all costs.

Ever since Brendon McCullum became the head coach and Ben Stokes took up Test captaincy, England's fortunes have turned around in red-ball cricket. They have not only stopped taking any prisoners but attack on all fronts to make the other teams crumble. Occasionally, their approach has backfired, but overall 'Bazball - a term coined after McCullum's nickname Baz' has been at least entertaining if not entirely successful for the Three Lions. England have played 36 Tests with Bazball philosophy and have managed to win 23 of them to go with 12 losses and just one draw - showing their intent to get results at all costs. Talking more about intent, Stokes's men have professed playing attacking cricket at all cost - is England really the most attacking team since inception of Bazball? Also Read - Unlucky Nepal play three Super Overs and still lose to Netherlands In all 36 Tests played with Bazball approach since June 2022, England have the highest scoring rate among all Test teams. They managed a run rate of 4.63 per over against the second best of 3.59 by Australia (32 Tests) and 3.57 by India (27 Tests). England also have the highest per wicket average in the same period as they managed 36.12 runs for each wicket, ahead of Australia's 34.21 runs per wicket and Sri Lanka's 33.37 runs per wicket. England also have the highest innings score in this period - 823/7 against Pakistan in October 2024 at a run rate of 5.48. The second highest is 704/3 by Sri Lanka but against Ireland. Stokes's team also have the least lowest score of 112 among all Test playing nations in this period and the only top team (among India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) to register the lowest score of above 100. Coming to the win-loss ratio, England managed 1.916 during since they adopted Bazball - second only to Australia's 2.500. Clearly, England are dangerous and attacking with Bazball but have not been able to feature in a single World Test Championship (WTC) Final in the three cycles. Stokes would be hopeful of improving their WTC Final record from 0 to 1 in the upcoming cycle which begins June 20 when they take on a new-look India in the first of five Tests at Leeds.

England have played 36 Tests with Bazball philosophy and have managed to win 23 of them to go with 12 losses and just one draw - showing their intent to get results at all costs.

Most attacking Test team? How have England fared since adopting Bazball in June 2022

England has announced a 14-man squad for the first Test against India starting June 20 in Leeds. The hosts have recalled lanky all-rounder Jamie Overton as Gus Atkinson’s replacement for the series opener, alongside naming batter Jacob Bethell and seam-bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes. Pacer Brydon Carse also returns to the Test side after missing the one-off game against Zimbabwe due to a niggle.<h2>England squad for the first Test vs India – &nbsp;</h2>Ben Stokes (captain), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue and Chris Woakes&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wtc-2025-final-steve-smith-feels-at-home-in-australia-first-training-session-in-uk-as-pat-cummins-confirms-his-batting-position-south-africa-1749106512588">WTC 2025 Final: Smith feels at home in first training session in UK as Cummins confirms his batting position</a> &nbsp;While there was no mention of seamer Jofra Archer, who also missed the cut with a thumb injury, Overton’s inclusion raises a few eyebrows. The England all-rounder had played just one Test to date, at the same venue three years ago against New Zealand, hitting 97 and picking a wicket in each inning. Having played just three County matches since the start of last season, Overton comes ahead of Matthew Pott as seam-bowling cover. &nbsp;While Archer and Atkinson could return in contention from the second game onwards, England will miss the services of ace quicks in Mark Wood and Olly Stone, who are out of the India Tests. &nbsp;Meanwhile, batter Bethell returned to the Test side having missed England’s previous game against Zimbabwe at the Trent Bridge due to IPL commitments. He, however, played in the three-match ODIs against West Indies, which they won 3-0. His inclusion increases the selection headache for captain Ben Stokes, who now has to find a way to include his best players in the XI for the Leeds Test against India. &nbsp;While Woakes and Tongue are back from their respective injuries and will feature for England Lions in their second shadow tour game against India-A to prepare for the marquee series, seamer Sam Cook, who made his Test debut against Zimbabwe, also retained his place. He, however, is expected to start as cover for the seniors.&nbsp; &nbsp;The five-match series begins at Headingley before the action moves on Edgbaston, Lord’s and Old Trafford for the remaining three matches, with The Oval hosting the final game of the series.&nbsp; &nbsp;On the other hand, India, who hasn’t won a Test series in the UK since 2007, have asked some of their senior team members to play the second warm-up game in Northampton this week to prepare for the series while the remaining squad members leave for England this Friday (June 6).&nbsp;

Bethell, Woakes named in England squad for first Test against India; hosts recall all-rounder Overton

England has announced a 14-man squad for the first Test against India starting June 20 in Leeds. The hosts have recalled lanky all-rounder Jamie Overton as Gus Atkinson’s replacement for the series opener, alongside naming batter Jacob Bethell and seam-bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes. Pacer Brydon Carse also returns to the Test side after missing the one-off game against Zimbabwe due to a niggle. England squad for the first Test vs India – Ben Stokes (captain), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue and Chris Woakes Also read | WTC 2025 Final: Smith feels at home in first training session in UK as Cummins confirms his batting position While there was no mention of seamer Jofra Archer, who also missed the cut with a thumb injury, Overton’s inclusion raises a few eyebrows. The England all-rounder had played just one Test to date, at the same venue three years ago against New Zealand, hitting 97 and picking a wicket in each inning. Having played just three County matches since the start of last season, Overton comes ahead of Matthew Pott as seam-bowling cover. While Archer and Atkinson could return in contention from the second game onwards, England will miss the services of ace quicks in Mark Wood and Olly Stone, who are out of the India Tests. Meanwhile, batter Bethell returned to the Test side having missed England’s previous game against Zimbabwe at the Trent Bridge due to IPL commitments. He, however, played in the three-match ODIs against West Indies, which they won 3-0. His inclusion increases the selection headache for captain Ben Stokes, who now has to find a way to include his best players in the XI for the Leeds Test against India. While Woakes and Tongue are back from their respective injuries and will feature for England Lions in their second shadow tour game against India-A to prepare for the marquee series, seamer Sam Cook, who made his Test debut against Zimbabwe, also retained his place. He, however, is expected to start as cover for the seniors. The five-match series begins at Headingley before the action moves on Edgbaston, Lord’s and Old Trafford for the remaining three matches, with The Oval hosting the final game of the series. On the other hand, India, who hasn’t won a Test series in the UK since 2007, have asked some of their senior team members to play the second warm-up game in Northampton this week to prepare for the series while the remaining squad members leave for England this Friday (June 6).

Pacer Brydon Carse also returns to the Test side after missing the one-off game against Zimbabwe due to a niggle.

England's Test captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ben-stokes" rel="dofollow">Ben Stokes</a> believes he is in his best ever physical condition and can dominate with bat and ball on his latest comeback from injury.&nbsp;The 33-year-old is set to return in a one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Nottingham next week.
Stokes has not played since tearing his hamstring in New Zealand in December.&nbsp;But having rushed back from a similar injury in the past, he has taken a longer period of downtime to get his recovery right.
"I've worked incredibly hard on all aspects of everything, from my cricket to fitness, and know I'm going to be in a position when I am back on the field to potentially be in physically the best possible shape I have been in," Stokes told Sky Sports."I feel great. Training and playing are completely different. No matter what you do at training, you cannot replicate the intensity your body is put through in a game.
"But in terms of my role as a player -- fourth seamer, batting at six -- trying to dominate every situation I find myself in, whether I've got a bat or a ball in my hand, is what I want to get back doing out on the field on the biggest stage.
"I know I've done it before and it's something I'm very, very confident in myself I can do."
After the clash against Zimbabwe, England face India in a five-match Test series.
Former New Zealand seamer Tim Southee will join the England coaching ranks for those matches and a five-game ODI series against the West Indies as a "specialist skills coach".
Following a short-term consultancy stint, Southee will resume playing duties in The Hundred for the Birmingham Phoenix.
He effectively replaces James Anderson as fast bowling consultant, with England's record wicket-taker set to resume his playing career with Lancashire this week, almost a year on from his farewell Test at Lord's.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.
&nbsp;

Stokes will lead England in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe starting next week in Nottingham before leading them against India in the marquee series.  Sports, Cricket

England's Test captain Ben Stokes believes he is in his best ever physical condition and can dominate with bat and ball on his latest comeback from injury. The 33-year-old is set to return in a one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Nottingham next week. Stokes has not played since tearing his hamstring in New Zealand in December. But having rushed back from a similar injury in the past, he has taken a longer period of downtime to get his recovery right. "I've worked incredibly hard on all aspects of everything, from my cricket to fitness, and know I'm going to be in a position when I am back on the field to potentially be in physically the best possible shape I have been in," Stokes told Sky Sports."I feel great. Training and playing are completely different. No matter what you do at training, you cannot replicate the intensity your body is put through in a game. "But in terms of my role as a player -- fourth seamer, batting at six -- trying to dominate every situation I find myself in, whether I've got a bat or a ball in my hand, is what I want to get back doing out on the field on the biggest stage. "I know I've done it before and it's something I'm very, very confident in myself I can do." After the clash against Zimbabwe, England face India in a five-match Test series. Former New Zealand seamer Tim Southee will join the England coaching ranks for those matches and a five-game ODI series against the West Indies as a "specialist skills coach". Following a short-term consultancy stint, Southee will resume playing duties in The Hundred for the Birmingham Phoenix. He effectively replaces James Anderson as fast bowling consultant, with England's record wicket-taker set to resume his playing career with Lancashire this week, almost a year on from his farewell Test at Lord's. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Test Captain Ben Stokes determined to 'dominate' on England return

England Test captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ben-stokes" rel="dofollow">Ben Stokes</a> is not expected to play in the early rounds of the County Championship as he battles to be fit to lead England, his Durham coach Ryan Campbell said on Monday.&nbsp;
The 33-year-old is recovering from hamstring surgery after breaking down in New Zealand in December, his second hamstring tear in five months. <o:p></o:p>But the all-rounder is not yet ready for action in the four-day domestic championship, which starts on Friday.<o:p></o:p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8xaezum-sfvcaj0y-o1r4n969">
England captain Ben Stokes continuing his rehab at Chester-le-Street. More hard yards as he recovers from hamstring surgery ahead of a big summer. <a href="https://t.co/WuTLO0ciyk">pic.twitter.com/WuTLO0ciyk</a>
&mdash; Rory Dollard (@thervd) <a href="https://twitter.com/thervd/status/1906701882606616980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ecb-contemplates-retiring-mak-pataudi-trophy-ahead-of-india-england-tests-8911054" rel="dofollow">ECB contemplates retiring MAK Pataudi Trophy ahead of India-England Tests</a>
England host Zimbabwe in May, with a five-Test series against India to follow. Later in the year they head to Australia for a five-match Ashes series.<o:p></o:p>
Durham have six matches in the top tier of the County Championship before the Zimbabwe Test.<o:p></o:p>
Campbell, who is also without England quicks Brydon Carse (toe) and Mark Wood (knee), made it clear no risks would be taken.<o:p></o:p>
"When you look at Carse, Stokes and Wood, at this stage they're probably not likely to play for us. My expectation is that it'll be zero -- anything else is an added bonus," he said. "They're all coming back from serious injuries. The facts are that they need to get up and running by the time the Test matches start.<o:p></o:p>
"But what we know about Stokesy is that he's here nearly every single day working his butt off. The guy had hamstring surgery and was in the next day lifting weights, which I couldn't believe. He sets the bar, wherever he is."<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/as-if-one-was-not-enough-england-legend-andrew-flintoff-eldest-son-corey-flintoff-set-for-top-flight-cricket-rocky-8910110" rel="dofollow">As if one was not enough, England legend Andrew Flintoff&rsquo;s other son, Corey, set for top-flight cricket</a>
Campbell has pledged to protect Carse, 29, who has impressed since making his Test debut against Pakistan in October 2024, taking 27 wickets at an average of 19.85 in five matches.<o:p></o:p>
"I think Brydon Carse is probably the number one priority for England right now," he said. "With what he's shown in Test cricket, he's born for that sort of stuff. There's 11 Tests over the summer and winter, and I think he's going to be number one on England's list to make sure that he's ready to go for that.<o:p></o:p>
"Does that mean he's going to play for us? I'm not so sure.... We've known about his foot problems for a year now. It's not new, but he needs to get it right if he's going to be playing a lot of Test cricket."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Cricket, Sports: Ben Stokes is recovering from hamstring surgery after breaking down in New Zealand in December, his second hamstring tear in five months.

England Test captain Ben Stokes is not expected to play in the early rounds of the County Championship as he battles to be fit to lead England, his Durham coach Ryan Campbell said on Monday. The 33-year-old is recovering from hamstring surgery after breaking down in New Zealand in December, his second hamstring tear in five months. But the all-rounder is not yet ready for action in the four-day domestic championship, which starts on Friday. England captain Ben Stokes continuing his rehab at Chester-le-Street. More hard yards as he recovers from hamstring surgery ahead of a big summer. pic.twitter.com/WuTLO0ciyk — Rory Dollard (@thervd) March 31, 2025 Also read | ECB contemplates retiring MAK Pataudi Trophy ahead of India-England Tests England host Zimbabwe in May, with a five-Test series against India to follow. Later in the year they head to Australia for a five-match Ashes series. Durham have six matches in the top tier of the County Championship before the Zimbabwe Test. Campbell, who is also without England quicks Brydon Carse (toe) and Mark Wood (knee), made it clear no risks would be taken. "When you look at Carse, Stokes and Wood, at this stage they're probably not likely to play for us. My expectation is that it'll be zero -- anything else is an added bonus," he said. "They're all coming back from serious injuries. The facts are that they need to get up and running by the time the Test matches start. "But what we know about Stokesy is that he's here nearly every single day working his butt off. The guy had hamstring surgery and was in the next day lifting weights, which I couldn't believe. He sets the bar, wherever he is." Also read | As if one was not enough, England legend Andrew Flintoff’s other son, Corey, set for top-flight cricket Campbell has pledged to protect Carse, 29, who has impressed since making his Test debut against Pakistan in October 2024, taking 27 wickets at an average of 19.85 in five matches. "I think Brydon Carse is probably the number one priority for England right now," he said. "With what he's shown in Test cricket, he's born for that sort of stuff. There's 11 Tests over the summer and winter, and I think he's going to be number one on England's list to make sure that he's ready to go for that. "Does that mean he's going to play for us? I'm not so sure.... We've known about his foot problems for a year now. It's not new, but he needs to get it right if he's going to be playing a lot of Test cricket." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

England Test captain Ben Stokes to miss early county games in fitness battle

When the only England captain to have won an ODI World Cup throws suggestions into a bowl for the ECB to pick from, they do it. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/eoin-morgan" rel="dofollow">Eoin Morgan</a> thinks the board has two options to choose for England&rsquo;s white-ball captaincy, explaining all will depend on which direction they wish to move forward. Morgan handpicked <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/harry-brook" rel="dofollow">Harry Brook</a> and Ben Stokes as Buttler&rsquo;s replacement as the ODI and T20I captain.
"I think there are a couple of options, and the options are dependent solely on the direction they want to take,&rdquo; Morgan said in a chat with Sky Sports.
"I think it's imperative that you will always have a target in mind. With the recent form the side, particularly in white-ball cricket, has had, you can't go out and all of a sudden try and win absolutely everything. You need to paint a picture moving forward as to what you're driving all of your energy towards,&rdquo; he continued.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-one-year-after-ahmedabad-crowd-booed-hardik-pandya-mi-captain-receives-loudest-cheer-at-toss-gujarat-titans-gt-watch-8904718" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: One year after Ahmedabad crowd booed Hardik Pandya, MI captain receives loudest cheer at toss &ndash; WATCH</a>
England&rsquo;s ODI cricket rose from the ashes of the 2015 ODI World Cup debacle to winning the next WC four years later at home, and Morgan was at the centre of things. However, after several years of domination in white-ball cricket, their ODI game finds itself in hot waters, with the ECB seeking a perfect leader to pull them out of this mud.
Though local media reported that the ECB was keen on approaching veteran batter Joe Root for the role, his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/joe-root-eyes-india-tests-ashes-but-not-englands-white-ball-captaincy-jos-buttler-8900879" rel="dofollow">outright refusal led to the onus falling on two cricketers</a>. With Brook, the ECB can risk testing his leadership skills, but in a proven leader like Stokes, they can know he can get the job done.&nbsp;
Morgan, however, feels the ECB can find a way to make Stokes, doesn&rsquo;t play white-ball cricket solely to maintain his fitness and prolong his Test career, the &lsquo;flexible white-ball captain.
"I think a bit of a left-field call would be to ask Ben Stokes to consider the role, not necessarily on a full-time basis.
"You would have to create an environment where Ben would slip in and out seamlessly in preparation for big tournaments and then sit on the back burner and focus on Test match cricket until those big tournaments came up,&rdquo; Morgan suggested.
<h2>Why Brook over Stokes?</h2>
Morgan offered another suggestion as to why Brook could answer all questions, saying if the board is looking at three to four years from now, Brook is the right choice.&nbsp;
"If you highlight something that's in three years, four years, somebody like Harry Brook would do a magnificent job," Morgan said. "He had the captaincy at the end of our summer last year against a really strong Australian side and I thought he was impressive.
"We know Harry Brook as this incredibly talented player that we're seeing grow and get better year on year, which is just a joy to watch. But the leadership role didn't seem to weigh on him,&rdquo; he noted.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket, Sports: Morgan thinks ECB has two options to choose for England’s white-ball captaincy, explaining all will depend on which direction they wish to move forward.

When the only England captain to have won an ODI World Cup throws suggestions into a bowl for the ECB to pick from, they do it. Eoin Morgan thinks the board has two options to choose for England’s white-ball captaincy, explaining all will depend on which direction they wish to move forward. Morgan handpicked Harry Brook and Ben Stokes as Buttler’s replacement as the ODI and T20I captain. "I think there are a couple of options, and the options are dependent solely on the direction they want to take,” Morgan said in a chat with Sky Sports. "I think it's imperative that you will always have a target in mind. With the recent form the side, particularly in white-ball cricket, has had, you can't go out and all of a sudden try and win absolutely everything. You need to paint a picture moving forward as to what you're driving all of your energy towards,” he continued. Also read | IPL 2025: One year after Ahmedabad crowd booed Hardik Pandya, MI captain receives loudest cheer at toss – WATCH England’s ODI cricket rose from the ashes of the 2015 ODI World Cup debacle to winning the next WC four years later at home, and Morgan was at the centre of things. However, after several years of domination in white-ball cricket, their ODI game finds itself in hot waters, with the ECB seeking a perfect leader to pull them out of this mud. Though local media reported that the ECB was keen on approaching veteran batter Joe Root for the role, his outright refusal led to the onus falling on two cricketers. With Brook, the ECB can risk testing his leadership skills, but in a proven leader like Stokes, they can know he can get the job done. Morgan, however, feels the ECB can find a way to make Stokes, doesn’t play white-ball cricket solely to maintain his fitness and prolong his Test career, the ‘flexible white-ball captain. "I think a bit of a left-field call would be to ask Ben Stokes to consider the role, not necessarily on a full-time basis. "You would have to create an environment where Ben would slip in and out seamlessly in preparation for big tournaments and then sit on the back burner and focus on Test match cricket until those big tournaments came up,” Morgan suggested. Why Brook over Stokes? Morgan offered another suggestion as to why Brook could answer all questions, saying if the board is looking at three to four years from now, Brook is the right choice. "If you highlight something that's in three years, four years, somebody like Harry Brook would do a magnificent job," Morgan said. "He had the captaincy at the end of our summer last year against a really strong Australian side and I thought he was impressive. "We know Harry Brook as this incredibly talented player that we're seeing grow and get better year on year, which is just a joy to watch. But the leadership role didn't seem to weigh on him,” he noted. (With inputs from agencies)

Eoin Morgan explains how Ben Stokes could become England’s ‘flexible’ ODI captain

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Ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Australian cricket captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pat-cummins">Pat Cummins</a> humorously taunts Indian batting maestro <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a>. The clip&nbsp;showcases Cummins practicing sledging in front of a mirror, where he quips, "Hey Kohli, I've never seen you bat this slowly". This light-hearted jibe is a nod to Kohli's renowned aggressive batting style, suggesting that even a slight deceleration would be uncharacteristic of him.<span class="EOP SCXW61885456 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}">&nbsp;
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The video doesn't stop at Kohli; Cummins also playfully targets England's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ben-stokes">Ben Stokes</a> and Ollie Pope, indicating his readiness to engage in on-field banter during the upcoming tournament. This promotional content has quickly gained traction on social media, with fans sharing and commenting on the Australian skipper's playful provocations.<span class="EOP SCXW61885456 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}">&nbsp;
<span class="EOP SCXW61885456 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}">Watch the video here:
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<a href="https://t.co/SWqd8z9d6s">pic.twitter.com/SWqd8z9d6s</a>
&mdash; media (@xmediatwit) <a href="https://twitter.com/xmediatwit/status/1886651264680763545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<span class="EOP SCXW61885456 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}">Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-2025-hardik-pandya-recalls-his-most-iconic-champion-moments-8693031">Champions Trophy 2025: Hardik Pandya recalls his most iconic champion moments</a> 
<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW61885456 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="220921724" paraeid="{4f5f622a-01b1-43c0-a87d-0204a14af81a}{137}"><span class="EOP SCXW61885456 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:0,&quot;335551620&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}">Cummins unlikely to feature in CT?</h2>
Australia cricket team could be handed a major blow in their preparations for the Champions Trophy 2025 as skipper Pat Cummins could be unfit due to an ankle injury. Speaking on Wednesday (Feb 5), head coach Andrew McDonald insisted that Cummins is &ldquo;heavily unlikely to feature for Australia having missed the Sri Lanka tour as well. According to McDonald, Steve Smith and Travis Head are the leading contenders to lead the Aussies in absence of Cummins as they try to win their second CT title.
"Pat Cummins hasn't been able to resume any type of bowling so he's heavily unlikely, so that would mean that we do need a captain," McDonald told SEN. "Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two that we've been having conversations with while we've been building out that Champions Trophy team along with Pat back home. They'll be the two that we look at for that leadership post.&rdquo;<o:p></o:p>
Having skipped the Sri Lanka tour due to paternity leave and an ankle issue, Cummins could now miss the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. The Aussie skipper has been in brilliant form in recent weeks having led his nation to a Test series win over India and helping reach the World Test Championship (WTC) final. While he is yet to be officially ruled out, Cricket Australia (CA) is already looking at a captaincy alternative.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Cricket, Sports: The video doesn't stop at Kohli; Cummins also playfully targets Ben Stokes and Ollie Pope, indicating his readiness to engage in on-field banter during tournament.

Ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins humorously taunts Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli. The clip showcases Cummins practicing sledging in front of a mirror, where he quips, "Hey Kohli, I've never seen you bat this slowly". This light-hearted jibe is a nod to Kohli's renowned aggressive batting style, suggesting that even a slight deceleration would be uncharacteristic of him. The video doesn't stop at Kohli; Cummins also playfully targets England's Ben Stokes and Ollie Pope, indicating his readiness to engage in on-field banter during the upcoming tournament. This promotional content has quickly gained traction on social media, with fans sharing and commenting on the Australian skipper's playful provocations. Watch the video here: pic.twitter.com/SWqd8z9d6s — media (@xmediatwit) February 4, 2025 Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025: Hardik Pandya recalls his most iconic champion moments Cummins unlikely to feature in CT? Australia cricket team could be handed a major blow in their preparations for the Champions Trophy 2025 as skipper Pat Cummins could be unfit due to an ankle injury. Speaking on Wednesday (Feb 5), head coach Andrew McDonald insisted that Cummins is “heavily unlikely to feature for Australia having missed the Sri Lanka tour as well. According to McDonald, Steve Smith and Travis Head are the leading contenders to lead the Aussies in absence of Cummins as they try to win their second CT title. "Pat Cummins hasn't been able to resume any type of bowling so he's heavily unlikely, so that would mean that we do need a captain," McDonald told SEN. "Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two that we've been having conversations with while we've been building out that Champions Trophy team along with Pat back home. They'll be the two that we look at for that leadership post.” Having skipped the Sri Lanka tour due to paternity leave and an ankle issue, Cummins could now miss the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. The Aussie skipper has been in brilliant form in recent weeks having led his nation to a Test series win over India and helping reach the World Test Championship (WTC) final. While he is yet to be officially ruled out, Cricket Australia (CA) is already looking at a captaincy alternative. (With inputs from agencies)

Champions Trophy 2025: ‘Hey Kohli, I’ve never seen you bat this slowly’, Pat Cummins brutally roasts Virat- WATCH

England Test team captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out for three months owing to recurrence of a hamstring tear as confirmed by the England Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday (Dec 23).

Stokes, who was recently excluded from England’s white-ball series against India and the Champions Trophy 2025 squad is expected to return in May for the Test series against Zimbabwe.

The 33-year-old will also miss the upcoming SA20 season having limped off during the third Test against New Zealand in Hamilton.

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Something else to overcome…go on then!!!!!!!! 
 
I’ve got so much more left in this tank and so much more blood sweat and tears to go through for my team and this shirt. 
There’s a reason I have a Phoenix permanently inked on my body 
 
See you on the field to fuck some shit up
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) <a href="https://twitter.com/benstokes38/status/1871285781014384858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Stokes out for three months</h2>

"Something else to overcome…go on then!!!!!!!!

"I’ve got so much more left in this tank and so much more blood sweat and tears to go through for my team and this shirt. There’s a reason I have a Phoenix permanently inked on my body. See you on the field to fuck some shit up," Stokes wrote on his X handle.

In the England squad announced on Sunday (Dec 22), the veteran all-rounder was not considered for the Champions Trophy 2025 while also sitting out of the India tour prior to the big ICC tournament.

Stokes has been struggling with a hamstring injury in the last few months and felt the recurrence of it during the New Zealand tour.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-202425-head-coach-andrew-mcdonald-confirms-sam-konstas-debut-for-boxing-day-test-travis-head-uncertain-786336">BGT 2024/25: Head coach Andrew McDonald confirms Sam Konstas debut for Boxing Day Test; Travis Head uncertain</a>

While Stokes sits out of the upcoming tours in the New Year, another veteran Joe Root has returned to the ODI set-up.

Root has not played for England since the 2023 ODI World Cup, however, with England pushing for another ICC trophy in white-ball cricket, Root’s inclusion comes as a big X-factor. He was part of the England side that won the 2019 ODI World Cup and played a key role for Eoin Morgan’s side.

<h2>England squad for Champions Trophy</h2>

Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, and Mark Wood.

England Test team captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out for three months owing to recurrence of a hamstring tear as confirmed by the England Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday (Dec 23).

England Test team captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out for three months owing to recurrence of a hamstring tear as confirmed by the England Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday (Dec 23). Stokes, who was recently excluded from England’s white-ball series against India and the Champions Trophy 2025 squad is expected to return in May for the Test series against Zimbabwe. The 33-year-old will also miss the upcoming SA20 season having limped off during the third Test against New Zealand in Hamilton. Something else to overcome…go on then!!!!!!!! I’ve got so much more left in this tank and so much more blood sweat and tears to go through for my team and this shirt. There’s a reason I have a Phoenix permanently inked on my body See you on the field to fuck some shit up — Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) December 23, 2024 × Stokes out for three months "Something else to overcome…go on then!!!!!!!! "I’ve got so much more left in this tank and so much more blood sweat and tears to go through for my team and this shirt. There’s a reason I have a Phoenix permanently inked on my body. See you on the field to fuck some shit up," Stokes wrote on his X handle. In the England squad announced on Sunday (Dec 22), the veteran all-rounder was not considered for the Champions Trophy 2025 while also sitting out of the India tour prior to the big ICC tournament. Stokes has been struggling with a hamstring injury in the last few months and felt the recurrence of it during the New Zealand tour. ALSO READ | BGT 2024/25: Head coach Andrew McDonald confirms Sam Konstas debut for Boxing Day Test; Travis Head uncertain While Stokes sits out of the upcoming tours in the New Year, another veteran Joe Root has returned to the ODI set-up. Root has not played for England since the 2023 ODI World Cup, however, with England pushing for another ICC trophy in white-ball cricket, Root’s inclusion comes as a big X-factor. He was part of the England side that won the 2019 ODI World Cup and played a key role for Eoin Morgan’s side. England squad for Champions Trophy Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, and Mark Wood.

England Test captain Ben Stokes ruled out for three months owing to recurrence of hamstring tear

London, UK
England Test team captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out for three months owing to recurrence of a hamstring tear as confirmed by the England Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday (Dec 23).
Stokes, who was recently excluded from England’s white-ball series against India and the Champions Trophy 2025 squad is expected to return in May for the Test series against Zimbabwe.
The 33-year-old will also miss the upcoming SA20 season having limped off during the third Test against New Zealand in Hamilton.
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Something else to overcome…go on then!!!!!!!!
I’ve got so much more left in this tank and so much more blood sweat and tears to go through for my team and this shirt.
There’s a reason I have a Phoenix permanently inked on my body
See you on the field to fuck some shit up
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) <a href="https://twitter.com/benstokes38/status/1871285781014384858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Stokes out for three months</h2>
"Something else to overcome…go on then!!!!!!!!
"I’ve got so much more left in this tank and so much more blood sweat and tears to go through for my team and this shirt. There’s a reason I have a Phoenix permanently inked on my body. See you on the field to fuck some shit up," Stokes wrote on his X handle.
In the England squad announced on Sunday (Dec 22), the veteran all-rounder was not considered for the Champions Trophy 2025 while also sitting out of the India tour prior to the big ICC tournament.
Stokes has been struggling with a hamstring injury in the last few months and felt the recurrence of it during the New Zealand tour.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-202425-head-coach-andrew-mcdonald-confirms-sam-konstas-debut-for-boxing-day-test-travis-head-uncertain-786336">BGT 2024/25: Head coach Andrew McDonald confirms Sam Konstas debut for Boxing Day Test; Travis Head uncertain</a>
While Stokes sits out of the upcoming tours in the New Year, another veteran Joe Root has returned to the ODI set-up.
Root has not played for England since the 2023 ODI World Cup, however, with England pushing for another ICC trophy in white-ball cricket, Root’s inclusion comes as a big X-factor. He was part of the England side that won the 2019 ODI World Cup and played a key role for Eoin Morgan’s side.
<h2>England squad for Champions Trophy</h2>
Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, and Mark Wood.

Ben Stokes, who was recently excluded from England’s white-ball series against India and the Champions Trophy 2025 squad is expected to return in May for the Test series against Zimbabwe. The 33-year-old will also miss the upcoming SA20 season, having limped off during the third Test against New Zealand in Hamilton.



London, UK England Test team captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out for three months owing to recurrence of a hamstring tear as confirmed by the England Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday (Dec 23). Stokes, who was recently excluded from England’s white-ball series against India and the Champions Trophy 2025 squad is expected to return in May for the Test series against Zimbabwe. The 33-year-old will also miss the upcoming SA20 season having limped off during the third Test against New Zealand in Hamilton. Something else to overcome…go on then!!!!!!!! I’ve got so much more left in this tank and so much more blood sweat and tears to go through for my team and this shirt. There’s a reason I have a Phoenix permanently inked on my body See you on the field to fuck some shit up — Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) December 23, 2024 × Stokes out for three months "Something else to overcome…go on then!!!!!!!! "I’ve got so much more left in this tank and so much more blood sweat and tears to go through for my team and this shirt. There’s a reason I have a Phoenix permanently inked on my body. See you on the field to fuck some shit up," Stokes wrote on his X handle. In the England squad announced on Sunday (Dec 22), the veteran all-rounder was not considered for the Champions Trophy 2025 while also sitting out of the India tour prior to the big ICC tournament. Stokes has been struggling with a hamstring injury in the last few months and felt the recurrence of it during the New Zealand tour. ALSO READ | BGT 2024/25: Head coach Andrew McDonald confirms Sam Konstas debut for Boxing Day Test; Travis Head uncertain While Stokes sits out of the upcoming tours in the New Year, another veteran Joe Root has returned to the ODI set-up. Root has not played for England since the 2023 ODI World Cup, however, with England pushing for another ICC trophy in white-ball cricket, Root’s inclusion comes as a big X-factor. He was part of the England side that won the 2019 ODI World Cup and played a key role for Eoin Morgan’s side. England squad for Champions Trophy Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, and Mark Wood.

London, United Kingdom
Former England skipper Joe Root has returned to the ODI squad for the first time in over a year as the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced the 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy on Sunday (Dec 22). Root will return to the 50-over set-up for the first time since the 2023 ODI World Cup, having been largely overlooked in the white-ball format. On the other hand, Test skipper Ben Stokes was omitted from the squad as he struggles with a hamstring injury sustained during the New Zealand series.
<h2>Root returns, Stokes misses out</h2>
The 2019 World Cup winner has been an integral part of the Test side in the last few years but has been overlooked for white-ball tournaments. His last appearance came in the ODI World Cup in 2023, where England endured a tough run. However, Brendon McCullum’s side is in desperate need of a middle-order experienced campaigner, with Root fitting the bill.
 He has represented England in 171 ODI matches, scoring 6522 runs and playing a key role in the side’s success in the 2019 World Cup at home. He remains one of the best England batters of all time and, at the time of writing, has 52 international hundreds. In the Test set-up, he is approaching 13,000 runs as he chases Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record for most runs in the red-ball format.
<h2>Stokes left out of side</h2>
Another member of the 2019 World Cup-winning squad, Ben Stokes, was overlooked for the Champions Trophy as he struggles with a hamstring injury. The England Test captain came out of retirement to play the 2023 ODI World Cup with hopes of returning to the Champions Trophy squad.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-2024-25-not-a-big-shot-former-india-coach-ravi-shastri-reveals-reasons-behind-travis-heads-success-785941">BGT 2024-25: 'Not a big shot...,' Former India coach Ravi Shastri reveals reasons behind Travis Head's success</a>
The same squad will also face India in a three-match ODI and five-match T20I series in the build-up to the Champions Trophy in January before travelling to neighbouring Pakistan.
<h3>England squad for IND vs ENG T20I series</h3>
Jos Buttler (c &amp; wk), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.

Joe Root will return to the 50-over set-up for the first time since the 2023 ODI World Cup, having been largely overlooked in the white-ball format. On the other hand, Test skipper Ben Stokes was omitted from the squad as he struggles with a hamstring injury sustained during the New Zealand series.



London, United Kingdom Former England skipper Joe Root has returned to the ODI squad for the first time in over a year as the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced the 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy on Sunday (Dec 22). Root will return to the 50-over set-up for the first time since the 2023 ODI World Cup, having been largely overlooked in the white-ball format. On the other hand, Test skipper Ben Stokes was omitted from the squad as he struggles with a hamstring injury sustained during the New Zealand series. Root returns, Stokes misses out The 2019 World Cup winner has been an integral part of the Test side in the last few years but has been overlooked for white-ball tournaments. His last appearance came in the ODI World Cup in 2023, where England endured a tough run. However, Brendon McCullum’s side is in desperate need of a middle-order experienced campaigner, with Root fitting the bill. He has represented England in 171 ODI matches, scoring 6522 runs and playing a key role in the side’s success in the 2019 World Cup at home. He remains one of the best England batters of all time and, at the time of writing, has 52 international hundreds. In the Test set-up, he is approaching 13,000 runs as he chases Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record for most runs in the red-ball format. Stokes left out of side Another member of the 2019 World Cup-winning squad, Ben Stokes, was overlooked for the Champions Trophy as he struggles with a hamstring injury. The England Test captain came out of retirement to play the 2023 ODI World Cup with hopes of returning to the Champions Trophy squad. ALSO READ | BGT 2024-25: 'Not a big shot...,' Former India coach Ravi Shastri reveals reasons behind Travis Head's success The same squad will also face India in a three-match ODI and five-match T20I series in the build-up to the Champions Trophy in January before travelling to neighbouring Pakistan. England squad for IND vs ENG T20I series Jos Buttler (c & wk), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.

Champions Trophy 2025: Joe Root returns to England squad; Ben Stokes misses out due to hamstring issue

Former England skipper Joe Root has returned to the ODI squad for the first time in over a year as the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced the 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy on Sunday (Dec 22). Root will return to the 50-over set-up for the first time since the 2023 ODI World Cup, having been largely overlooked in the white-ball format. On the other hand, Test skipper Ben Stokes was omitted from the squad as he struggles with a hamstring injury sustained during the New Zealand series.

<h2>Root returns, Stokes misses out</h2>

The 2019 World Cup winner has been an integral part of the Test side in the last few years but has been overlooked for white-ball tournaments. His last appearance came in the ODI World Cup in 2023, where England endured a tough run. However, Brendon McCullum’s side is in desperate need of a middle-order experienced campaigner, with Root fitting the bill.

&nbsp;He has represented England in 171 ODI matches, scoring 6522 runs and playing a key role in the side’s success in the 2019 World Cup at home. He remains one of the best England batters of all time and, at the time of writing, has 52 international hundreds. In the Test set-up, he is approaching 13,000 runs as he chases Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record for most runs in the red-ball format.

<h2>Stokes left out of side</h2>

Another member of the 2019 World Cup-winning squad, Ben Stokes, was overlooked for the Champions Trophy as he struggles with a hamstring injury. The England Test captain came out of retirement to play the 2023 ODI World Cup with hopes of returning to the Champions Trophy squad.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-2024-25-not-a-big-shot-former-india-coach-ravi-shastri-reveals-reasons-behind-travis-heads-success-785941">BGT 2024-25: 'Not a big shot...,' Former India coach Ravi Shastri reveals reasons behind Travis Head's success</a>

The same squad will also face India in a three-match ODI and five-match T20I series in the build-up to the Champions Trophy in January before travelling to neighbouring&nbsp;Pakistan.

<h3>England squad for IND vs ENG T20I series</h3>

Jos Buttler (c &amp; wk), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.

Former England skipper Joe Root has returned to the ODI squad for the first time in over a year as the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced the 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy on Sunday (Dec 22).

Former England skipper Joe Root has returned to the ODI squad for the first time in over a year as the England Cricket Board (ECB) announced the 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy on Sunday (Dec 22). Root will return to the 50-over set-up for the first time since the 2023 ODI World Cup, having been largely overlooked in the white-ball format. On the other hand, Test skipper Ben Stokes was omitted from the squad as he struggles with a hamstring injury sustained during the New Zealand series. Root returns, Stokes misses out The 2019 World Cup winner has been an integral part of the Test side in the last few years but has been overlooked for white-ball tournaments. His last appearance came in the ODI World Cup in 2023, where England endured a tough run. However, Brendon McCullum’s side is in desperate need of a middle-order experienced campaigner, with Root fitting the bill. He has represented England in 171 ODI matches, scoring 6522 runs and playing a key role in the side’s success in the 2019 World Cup at home. He remains one of the best England batters of all time and, at the time of writing, has 52 international hundreds. In the Test set-up, he is approaching 13,000 runs as he chases Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record for most runs in the red-ball format. Stokes left out of side Another member of the 2019 World Cup-winning squad, Ben Stokes, was overlooked for the Champions Trophy as he struggles with a hamstring injury. The England Test captain came out of retirement to play the 2023 ODI World Cup with hopes of returning to the Champions Trophy squad. ALSO READ | BGT 2024-25: 'Not a big shot...,' Former India coach Ravi Shastri reveals reasons behind Travis Head's success The same squad will also face India in a three-match ODI and five-match T20I series in the build-up to the Champions Trophy in January before travelling to neighbouring Pakistan. England squad for IND vs ENG T20I series Jos Buttler (c & wk), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.

Hamilton, New Zealand
England Test captain Ben Stokes is a lion-hearted cricketer. Having weathered several storms during his decorated all-format career, Stokes has come on the top every time. The English all-rounder suffered a recurrence of a left hamstring injury during the just-concluded final Test against New Zealand in Hamilton but promises not to hold back on his workload, instead promising to come back stronger.
England lost the final Test at Seddon Park by 453 runs but claimed the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy 2-1. Stokes suffered a setback to his already struggling hamstring on the third day of the Test, getting ruled out of the remainder of the game later. 
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-gabba-test-kl-rahul-pats-akash-bumrahs-10th-wicket-stand-for-helping-india-escape-follow-on-784714">BGT, Gabba Test: KL Rahul pats Akash-Bumrah's 10th wicket stand for helping India escape follow-on</a>
"I worked really hard to get myself into position to play the role that I did this game," Stokes said. "And it's just one of those unfortunate things. But nah, I ain't holding back. Every time you walk out to the field as an athlete, you're putting yourself at risk of getting injured. Whether you feel great or you don't feel great. I worked my arse off to get to where I was in this game in particularly with my body. It's just sod's law - the first time in a while I feel like I'm young again, something happens."
"Obviously, [I was] incredibly disappointed walking off yesterday, very emotional about the whole thing,” he continued.
Stokes underwent knee surgery after the ODI World Cup last year, and eight months later, in August 2024, he tore his hamstring while playing in The Hundred, getting ruled out of the remainder of the home summer. 
Though he returned in time for the away New Zealand Tests, Stokes took time before going full throttle with the ball in hand during the first innings of this Test, bowling 23 overs on day one—the most he did on a single day across his career.
"You're always asking yourself, 'Could I have done more? Should have done this, should have done that?' But you know, when you sleep in it, and you take the emotion out of it, you realise that when you're walking out there, you're always putting yourself at risk of an injury,” he continued.
<h2>Disappointed with the loss</h2>
England played 17 Tests this year, marking their busiest cricket calendar. They won nine matches and lost eight, including the final one of the year in Hamilton, with Stokes sounding satisfied with their series win of the year.
"We came here to beat New Zealand, a team, who wherever they go in the world, are very competitive and knew they were going to be full of confidence after their historic win in India."
"To play the cricket that we did in the first two games was very, very pleasing. We came here this week with the same attitude, same mindset, that we always do in the first two games out here. We just didn't play anywhere near our capabilities,” Stokes noted. 
(With inputs from agencies)

Stokes suffered a setback to his already struggling hamstring on the third day of the Test, getting ruled out of the remainder of the game later. 



Hamilton, New Zealand England Test captain Ben Stokes is a lion-hearted cricketer. Having weathered several storms during his decorated all-format career, Stokes has come on the top every time. The English all-rounder suffered a recurrence of a left hamstring injury during the just-concluded final Test against New Zealand in Hamilton but promises not to hold back on his workload, instead promising to come back stronger. England lost the final Test at Seddon Park by 453 runs but claimed the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy 2-1. Stokes suffered a setback to his already struggling hamstring on the third day of the Test, getting ruled out of the remainder of the game later. ALSO READ: BGT, Gabba Test: KL Rahul pats Akash-Bumrah's 10th wicket stand for helping India escape follow-on "I worked really hard to get myself into position to play the role that I did this game," Stokes said. "And it's just one of those unfortunate things. But nah, I ain't holding back. Every time you walk out to the field as an athlete, you're putting yourself at risk of getting injured. Whether you feel great or you don't feel great. I worked my arse off to get to where I was in this game in particularly with my body. It's just sod's law - the first time in a while I feel like I'm young again, something happens." "Obviously, [I was] incredibly disappointed walking off yesterday, very emotional about the whole thing,” he continued. Stokes underwent knee surgery after the ODI World Cup last year, and eight months later, in August 2024, he tore his hamstring while playing in The Hundred, getting ruled out of the remainder of the home summer. Though he returned in time for the away New Zealand Tests, Stokes took time before going full throttle with the ball in hand during the first innings of this Test, bowling 23 overs on day one—the most he did on a single day across his career. "You're always asking yourself, 'Could I have done more? Should have done this, should have done that?' But you know, when you sleep in it, and you take the emotion out of it, you realise that when you're walking out there, you're always putting yourself at risk of an injury,” he continued. Disappointed with the loss England played 17 Tests this year, marking their busiest cricket calendar. They won nine matches and lost eight, including the final one of the year in Hamilton, with Stokes sounding satisfied with their series win of the year. "We came here to beat New Zealand, a team, who wherever they go in the world, are very competitive and knew they were going to be full of confidence after their historic win in India." "To play the cricket that we did in the first two games was very, very pleasing. We came here this week with the same attitude, same mindset, that we always do in the first two games out here. We just didn't play anywhere near our capabilities,” Stokes noted. (With inputs from agencies)

Lion-hearted Ben Stokes not ready to ‘hold back’ despite injury setback, promises to dig deep for country

England Test captain Ben Stokes is a lion-hearted cricketer. Having weathered several storms during his decorated all-format career, Stokes has come on the top every time. The English all-rounder suffered a recurrence of a left hamstring injury during the just-concluded final Test against New Zealand in Hamilton but promises not to hold back on his workload, instead promising to come back stronger.

England lost the final Test at Seddon Park by 453 runs but claimed the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy 2-1. Stokes suffered a setback to his already struggling hamstring on the third day of the Test, getting ruled out of the remainder of the game later.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-gabba-test-kl-rahul-pats-akash-bumrahs-10th-wicket-stand-for-helping-india-escape-follow-on-784714">BGT, Gabba Test: KL Rahul pats Akash-Bumrah's 10th wicket stand for helping India escape follow-on</a>

"I worked really hard to get myself into position to play the role that I did this game," Stokes said. "And it's just one of those unfortunate things. But nah, I ain't holding back. Every time you walk out to the field as an athlete, you're putting yourself at risk of getting injured. Whether you feel great or you don't feel great. I worked my arse off to get to where I was in this game in particularly with my body. It's just sod's law - the first time in a while I feel like I'm young again, something happens." 
 
"Obviously, [I was] incredibly disappointed walking off yesterday, very emotional about the whole thing,” he continued.

Stokes underwent knee surgery after the ODI World Cup last year, and eight months later, in August 2024, he tore his hamstring while playing in The Hundred, getting ruled out of the remainder of the home summer.&nbsp;

Though he returned in time for the away New Zealand Tests, Stokes took time before going full throttle with the ball in hand during the first innings of this Test, bowling 23 overs on day one—the most he did on a single day across his career.

"You're always asking yourself, 'Could I have done more? Should have done this, should have done that?' But you know, when you sleep in it, and you take the emotion out of it, you realise that when you're walking out there, you're always putting yourself at risk of an injury,” he continued.

<h2>Disappointed with the loss</h2>

England played 17 Tests this year, marking their busiest cricket calendar. They won nine matches and lost eight, including the final one of the year in Hamilton, with Stokes sounding satisfied with their series win of the year.

"We came here to beat New Zealand, a team, who wherever they go in the world, are very competitive and knew they were going to be full of confidence after their historic win in India."

"To play the cricket that we did in the first two games was very, very pleasing. We came here this week with the same attitude, same mindset, that we always do in the first two games out here. We just didn't play anywhere near our capabilities,” Stokes noted.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

England Test captain Ben Stokes is a lion-hearted cricketer. Having weathered several storms during his decorated all-format career, Stokes has come on the top every time.

England Test captain Ben Stokes is a lion-hearted cricketer. Having weathered several storms during his decorated all-format career, Stokes has come on the top every time. The English all-rounder suffered a recurrence of a left hamstring injury during the just-concluded final Test against New Zealand in Hamilton but promises not to hold back on his workload, instead promising to come back stronger. England lost the final Test at Seddon Park by 453 runs but claimed the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy 2-1. Stokes suffered a setback to his already struggling hamstring on the third day of the Test, getting ruled out of the remainder of the game later. ALSO READ: BGT, Gabba Test: KL Rahul pats Akash-Bumrah's 10th wicket stand for helping India escape follow-on "I worked really hard to get myself into position to play the role that I did this game," Stokes said. "And it's just one of those unfortunate things. But nah, I ain't holding back. Every time you walk out to the field as an athlete, you're putting yourself at risk of getting injured. Whether you feel great or you don't feel great. I worked my arse off to get to where I was in this game in particularly with my body. It's just sod's law - the first time in a while I feel like I'm young again, something happens." "Obviously, [I was] incredibly disappointed walking off yesterday, very emotional about the whole thing,” he continued. Stokes underwent knee surgery after the ODI World Cup last year, and eight months later, in August 2024, he tore his hamstring while playing in The Hundred, getting ruled out of the remainder of the home summer. Though he returned in time for the away New Zealand Tests, Stokes took time before going full throttle with the ball in hand during the first innings of this Test, bowling 23 overs on day one—the most he did on a single day across his career. "You're always asking yourself, 'Could I have done more? Should have done this, should have done that?' But you know, when you sleep in it, and you take the emotion out of it, you realise that when you're walking out there, you're always putting yourself at risk of an injury,” he continued. Disappointed with the loss England played 17 Tests this year, marking their busiest cricket calendar. They won nine matches and lost eight, including the final one of the year in Hamilton, with Stokes sounding satisfied with their series win of the year. "We came here to beat New Zealand, a team, who wherever they go in the world, are very competitive and knew they were going to be full of confidence after their historic win in India." "To play the cricket that we did in the first two games was very, very pleasing. We came here this week with the same attitude, same mindset, that we always do in the first two games out here. We just didn't play anywhere near our capabilities,” Stokes noted. (With inputs from agencies)

New Zealand tore through England's batting Tuesday to post a crushing 423-run third Test win and send seamer Tim Southee into retirement on a winning note.

The hosts completed a dominant performance in Hamilton by claiming seven wickets in 41.2 overs on day four as England crumbled for 234 to complete their fourth biggest Test defeat in terms of runs.

It was New Zealand's equal-highest victory by runs, representing a complete reversal from the first two Tests, which England won easily to clinch the three-match series.

Southee finished with 2-34 in his 107th and final Test, ending the career of one of New Zealand's finest players.&nbsp;

He finishes with 391 Test wickets, second only to Sir Richard Hadlee among New Zealanders.

New Zealand only needed to take nine second-innings wickets for victory as Ben Stokes did not bat.

The England captain suffered a hamstring injury on Monday and a team spokesperson said he would only bat "if required".

After resuming at 18-2, England never threatened their enormous target of 658, their hopes dwindling further when losing Jacob Bethell for 76, Joe Root for 54 and Harry Brook for just one before lunch.

They looked comfortable for the first hour before Root departed, having put on 104 for the third wicket with Bethell.

England's greatest run-scorer was trapped lbw, attempting to sweep left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner.

Having been given not out, New Zealand successfully reviewed, with ball-tracking showing the ball would have hit the middle stump.

It left 33-year-old Root 28 runs short of becoming the fifth player to score 13,000 Test runs.

Brook, who scored match-winning centuries in each of the first two Tests, was out cheaply for the second time at Seddon Park, caught behind off a sharply rising Will O'Rourke delivery.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/we-cant-babysit-says-mumbai-captain-shreyas-iyer-about-former-dc-teammate-prithvi-shaw-784456">'We can't babysit...,' says Mumbai captain Shreyas Iyer about former DC teammate Prithvi Shaw</a>

Left-hander Bethell batted fluently, striking 13 fours and a six, until he swung at a wide Southee delivery to be caught at deep point

Ollie Pope (17) was bowled attempting to reverse scoop pace bowler Matt Henry before Gus Atkinson's hard-hit 43 ended when caught in the deep off Santner.

Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse fell cheaply, also trying to hit Santner out of the ground.

All-rounder Santner justified his recall by taking 4-85 to finish with seven wickets in the match, alongside scores of 76 and 49 with the bat.

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

New Zealand tore through England's batting Tuesday to post a crushing 423-run third Test win and send seamer Tim Southee into retirement on a winning note. The hosts completed a dominant performance in Hamilton by claiming seven wickets in 41.

New Zealand tore through England's batting Tuesday to post a crushing 423-run third Test win and send seamer Tim Southee into retirement on a winning note. The hosts completed a dominant performance in Hamilton by claiming seven wickets in 41.2 overs on day four as England crumbled for 234 to complete their fourth biggest Test defeat in terms of runs. It was New Zealand's equal-highest victory by runs, representing a complete reversal from the first two Tests, which England won easily to clinch the three-match series. Southee finished with 2-34 in his 107th and final Test, ending the career of one of New Zealand's finest players. He finishes with 391 Test wickets, second only to Sir Richard Hadlee among New Zealanders. New Zealand only needed to take nine second-innings wickets for victory as Ben Stokes did not bat. The England captain suffered a hamstring injury on Monday and a team spokesperson said he would only bat "if required". After resuming at 18-2, England never threatened their enormous target of 658, their hopes dwindling further when losing Jacob Bethell for 76, Joe Root for 54 and Harry Brook for just one before lunch. They looked comfortable for the first hour before Root departed, having put on 104 for the third wicket with Bethell. England's greatest run-scorer was trapped lbw, attempting to sweep left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner. Having been given not out, New Zealand successfully reviewed, with ball-tracking showing the ball would have hit the middle stump. It left 33-year-old Root 28 runs short of becoming the fifth player to score 13,000 Test runs. Brook, who scored match-winning centuries in each of the first two Tests, was out cheaply for the second time at Seddon Park, caught behind off a sharply rising Will O'Rourke delivery. ALSO READ | 'We can't babysit...,' says Mumbai captain Shreyas Iyer about former DC teammate Prithvi Shaw Left-hander Bethell batted fluently, striking 13 fours and a six, until he swung at a wide Southee delivery to be caught at deep point Ollie Pope (17) was bowled attempting to reverse scoop pace bowler Matt Henry before Gus Atkinson's hard-hit 43 ended when caught in the deep off Santner. Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse fell cheaply, also trying to hit Santner out of the ground. All-rounder Santner justified his recall by taking 4-85 to finish with seven wickets in the match, alongside scores of 76 and 49 with the bat. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

NZ vs ENG: New Zealand register mammoth 423-run win over England as Tim Southee bids farewell

Hamilton, New Zealand
New Zealand tore through England's batting Tuesday to post a crushing 423-run third Test win and send seamer Tim Southee into retirement on a winning note.
The hosts completed a dominant performance in Hamilton by claiming seven wickets in 41.2 overs on day four as England crumbled for 234 to complete their fourth biggest Test defeat in terms of runs.
It was New Zealand's equal-highest victory by runs, representing a complete reversal from the first two Tests, which England won easily to clinch the three-match series.
Southee finished with 2-34 in his 107th and final Test, ending the career of one of New Zealand's finest players. 
He finishes with 391 Test wickets, second only to Sir Richard Hadlee among New Zealanders.
New Zealand only needed to take nine second-innings wickets for victory as Ben Stokes did not bat.
The England captain suffered a hamstring injury on Monday and a team spokesperson said he would only bat "if required".
After resuming at 18-2, England never threatened their enormous target of 658, their hopes dwindling further when losing Jacob Bethell for 76, Joe Root for 54 and Harry Brook for just one before lunch.
They looked comfortable for the first hour before Root departed, having put on 104 for the third wicket with Bethell.
England's greatest run-scorer was trapped lbw, attempting to sweep left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner.
Having been given not out, New Zealand successfully reviewed, with ball-tracking showing the ball would have hit the middle stump.
It left 33-year-old Root 28 runs short of becoming the fifth player to score 13,000 Test runs.
Brook, who scored match-winning centuries in each of the first two Tests, was out cheaply for the second time at Seddon Park, caught behind off a sharply rising Will O'Rourke delivery.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/we-cant-babysit-says-mumbai-captain-shreyas-iyer-about-former-dc-teammate-prithvi-shaw-784456">'We can't babysit...,' says Mumbai captain Shreyas Iyer about former DC teammate Prithvi Shaw</a>
Left-hander Bethell batted fluently, striking 13 fours and a six, until he swung at a wide Southee delivery to be caught at deep point
Ollie Pope (17) was bowled attempting to reverse scoop pace bowler Matt Henry before Gus Atkinson's hard-hit 43 ended when caught in the deep off Santner.
Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse fell cheaply, also trying to hit Santner out of the ground.
All-rounder Santner justified his recall by taking 4-85 to finish with seven wickets in the match, alongside scores of 76 and 49 with the bat.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Tim Southee finished with 2-34 in his 107th and final Test, ending the career of one of New Zealand's finest players. 



Hamilton, New Zealand New Zealand tore through England's batting Tuesday to post a crushing 423-run third Test win and send seamer Tim Southee into retirement on a winning note. The hosts completed a dominant performance in Hamilton by claiming seven wickets in 41.2 overs on day four as England crumbled for 234 to complete their fourth biggest Test defeat in terms of runs. It was New Zealand's equal-highest victory by runs, representing a complete reversal from the first two Tests, which England won easily to clinch the three-match series. Southee finished with 2-34 in his 107th and final Test, ending the career of one of New Zealand's finest players. He finishes with 391 Test wickets, second only to Sir Richard Hadlee among New Zealanders. New Zealand only needed to take nine second-innings wickets for victory as Ben Stokes did not bat. The England captain suffered a hamstring injury on Monday and a team spokesperson said he would only bat "if required". After resuming at 18-2, England never threatened their enormous target of 658, their hopes dwindling further when losing Jacob Bethell for 76, Joe Root for 54 and Harry Brook for just one before lunch. They looked comfortable for the first hour before Root departed, having put on 104 for the third wicket with Bethell. England's greatest run-scorer was trapped lbw, attempting to sweep left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner. Having been given not out, New Zealand successfully reviewed, with ball-tracking showing the ball would have hit the middle stump. It left 33-year-old Root 28 runs short of becoming the fifth player to score 13,000 Test runs. Brook, who scored match-winning centuries in each of the first two Tests, was out cheaply for the second time at Seddon Park, caught behind off a sharply rising Will O'Rourke delivery. ALSO READ | 'We can't babysit...,' says Mumbai captain Shreyas Iyer about former DC teammate Prithvi Shaw Left-hander Bethell batted fluently, striking 13 fours and a six, until he swung at a wide Southee delivery to be caught at deep point Ollie Pope (17) was bowled attempting to reverse scoop pace bowler Matt Henry before Gus Atkinson's hard-hit 43 ended when caught in the deep off Santner. Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse fell cheaply, also trying to hit Santner out of the ground. All-rounder Santner justified his recall by taking 4-85 to finish with seven wickets in the match, alongside scores of 76 and 49 with the bat. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

England Test captain and star all-rounder Ben Stokes said his team doesn’t think about the ‘utterly confusing’ World Test Championship (WTC) Finale. Ahead of the first day of the first Test between England and New Zealand at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch, Stokes addressed England’s failure to reach the summit clash in three editions now, saying his team’s philosophy is to take things ‘game by game and series by series.’

England is placed sixth in the current WTC standings, while the Kiwis are fourth, with their chances of qualifying for the final higher than England’s. Although England’s ‘Bazball’ approach has been talked about a lot since it failed to guide the team to the WTC final despite them playing most Tests compared to other teams.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-play-better-in-away-conditions-than-at-home-says-ponting-after-australias-perth-test-mauling-in-bgt-779931">‘India play better in away conditions than at home,’ says Ponting after Australia’s Perth Test mauling in BGT</a>

Stokes said his aim remains to lead England to victory but admitted not thinking about the coveted WTC trophy, noting it’s a bit weird to continue playing for a tournament for a longer period.&nbsp;

"In all honesty, the World Test Championship, it is a bit confusing, it’s one of those where, you know, we don’t really look at it, I don’t look at it," Stokes said ahead of the series opener. "It’s one of those where, over a long period of time, if you’re playing really good cricket, you’re getting results that you want, you’ll end up finding yourself there in the final and in the mix.”

“For me and this team, it’s about taking it game by game, series by series, and if you end up finding yourself in the position where you happen to be in that World Test Championship Final, then it’s great, but it’s a real weird one knowing that you’re playing for something over a long period of time.”

“I can’t remember if I’ve ever even given any real time to be specifically thinking about the World Test Championship, to be honest, because it’s utterly confusing; we play a lot more cricket than anyone else does; that’s just what we try and focus on, you know, if we play well, we’ll be there or thereabouts, but if we don’t, then we won’t be,” Stokes continued.&nbsp;

<h2>What happened on day one?</h2>

England won the toss and elected to bowl first in Christchurch. They removed Devon Conway early on mere two before Kiwi captain Tom Latham and returning Kane Williamson kept the scoreboard ticking. Though the middle order provided support with handy contributions, New Zealand managed 319 for eight at stumps on day one.&nbsp;

Williamson was New Zealand’s highest run-getter with 93 off 197 balls, while Shoaib Bashir picked four wickets, while seamers Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse bagged two each.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

England Test captain and star all-rounder Ben Stokes said his team doesn’t think about the ‘utterly confusing’ World Test Championship (WTC) Finale. Ahead of the first day of the first Test between England and New Zealand at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch, Stokes addressed England’s failure to reach the summit clash in three editions now, saying his team’s philosophy is to take things ‘game by game and series by series.

England Test captain and star all-rounder Ben Stokes said his team doesn’t think about the ‘utterly confusing’ World Test Championship (WTC) Finale. Ahead of the first day of the first Test between England and New Zealand at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch, Stokes addressed England’s failure to reach the summit clash in three editions now, saying his team’s philosophy is to take things ‘game by game and series by series.’ England is placed sixth in the current WTC standings, while the Kiwis are fourth, with their chances of qualifying for the final higher than England’s. Although England’s ‘Bazball’ approach has been talked about a lot since it failed to guide the team to the WTC final despite them playing most Tests compared to other teams. ALSO READ: ‘India play better in away conditions than at home,’ says Ponting after Australia’s Perth Test mauling in BGT Stokes said his aim remains to lead England to victory but admitted not thinking about the coveted WTC trophy, noting it’s a bit weird to continue playing for a tournament for a longer period. "In all honesty, the World Test Championship, it is a bit confusing, it’s one of those where, you know, we don’t really look at it, I don’t look at it," Stokes said ahead of the series opener. "It’s one of those where, over a long period of time, if you’re playing really good cricket, you’re getting results that you want, you’ll end up finding yourself there in the final and in the mix.” “For me and this team, it’s about taking it game by game, series by series, and if you end up finding yourself in the position where you happen to be in that World Test Championship Final, then it’s great, but it’s a real weird one knowing that you’re playing for something over a long period of time.” “I can’t remember if I’ve ever even given any real time to be specifically thinking about the World Test Championship, to be honest, because it’s utterly confusing; we play a lot more cricket than anyone else does; that’s just what we try and focus on, you know, if we play well, we’ll be there or thereabouts, but if we don’t, then we won’t be,” Stokes continued. What happened on day one? England won the toss and elected to bowl first in Christchurch. They removed Devon Conway early on mere two before Kiwi captain Tom Latham and returning Kane Williamson kept the scoreboard ticking. Though the middle order provided support with handy contributions, New Zealand managed 319 for eight at stumps on day one. Williamson was New Zealand’s highest run-getter with 93 off 197 balls, while Shoaib Bashir picked four wickets, while seamers Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse bagged two each. (With inputs from agencies)

England Test captain Ben Stokes calls WTC format ‘utterly confusing’, says ‘…it’s a real weird’

England Test captain and star all-rounder Ben Stokes might skip IPL 2025 to prioritise the upcoming heavy Test season, per the reports in the British media. Stokes is said to lead the bunch of English players who are undecided over their participation in the cash-rich league for two reasons mainly – first, considering the Tests workload and, secondly, for BCCI’s latest policy of banning players who decide to leave the campaign midway for international commitments.

Stokes last played in the IPL two years ago in 2022, wherein he represented Chennai Super Kings (CSK), though he featured in just a handful of matches and was benched for most of the season due to an injury. The left-handed batter missed last season to work on his fitness and manage his workload.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-nz-2024-3rd-test-day-2-india-dominate-first-session-but-lose-rishabh-pant-772676">IND vs NZ 2024, 3rd Test, Day 2: India dominate first session but lose Rishabh Pant</a>

Per a report in The Telegraph, Stokes, alongside several first-team Test players, could see themselves opting out from registering their names in the auction list, the deadline of which is Sunday (November 3).&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Stokes-led England Test team will host India for five Tests at home this summer before flying Down Under for the away Ashes, a top-tier series England is dearly preparing for a long time. For the Poms, the fitness and availability of express pace bowlers like Mark Wood and Jofra Archer are of the highest importance, and considering the tight schedule, both might join Stokes in avoiding putting their names for IPL 2025.

<h2>BCCI’s new policy adds salt to injury</h2>

Before the Indian Cricket Board and the IPL decided on launching a policy of barring players from leaving the season midway unless for health and unavoidable reasons, several overseas players over the years, English mainly, used to play for half a season or 3/4th before leaving their IPL teams for international duty.&nbsp;

Like last season, Rajasthan Royals’ star batter Jos Buttler and Kolkata Knight Riders’ Phil Salt left before the Playoffs, much to the frustration of their teams.&nbsp;

Now, with the new rule in play, none of the overseas players can do so; what they can do here is not put their name in the auction should they not commit to playing the whole season.&nbsp;

Besides, those who would not put their names in this year’s auction will be banned from IPL auctions for the next two years.

Meanwhile, Stokes was in the news recently for a robbery at his house in the UK when he was away playing in Pakistan. A gang of masked men broke into his home on October 17, when Stokes was busy playing the second Test in Multan. Besides taking away precious items like jewellery, the thieves also stole several valuable possessions from his house.&nbsp;

One person has been arrested in this matter. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

England Test captain and star all-rounder Ben Stokes might skip IPL 2025 to prioritise the upcoming heavy Test season, per the reports in the British media. Stokes is said to lead the bunch of English players who are undecided over their participation in the cash-rich league for two reasons mainly – first, considering the Tests workload and, secondly, for BCCI’s latest policy of banning players who decide to leave the campaign midway for international commitments.

England Test captain and star all-rounder Ben Stokes might skip IPL 2025 to prioritise the upcoming heavy Test season, per the reports in the British media. Stokes is said to lead the bunch of English players who are undecided over their participation in the cash-rich league for two reasons mainly – first, considering the Tests workload and, secondly, for BCCI’s latest policy of banning players who decide to leave the campaign midway for international commitments. Stokes last played in the IPL two years ago in 2022, wherein he represented Chennai Super Kings (CSK), though he featured in just a handful of matches and was benched for most of the season due to an injury. The left-handed batter missed last season to work on his fitness and manage his workload. ALSO READ: IND vs NZ 2024, 3rd Test, Day 2: India dominate first session but lose Rishabh Pant Per a report in The Telegraph, Stokes, alongside several first-team Test players, could see themselves opting out from registering their names in the auction list, the deadline of which is Sunday (November 3). Meanwhile, the Stokes-led England Test team will host India for five Tests at home this summer before flying Down Under for the away Ashes, a top-tier series England is dearly preparing for a long time. For the Poms, the fitness and availability of express pace bowlers like Mark Wood and Jofra Archer are of the highest importance, and considering the tight schedule, both might join Stokes in avoiding putting their names for IPL 2025. BCCI’s new policy adds salt to injury Before the Indian Cricket Board and the IPL decided on launching a policy of barring players from leaving the season midway unless for health and unavoidable reasons, several overseas players over the years, English mainly, used to play for half a season or 3/4th before leaving their IPL teams for international duty. Like last season, Rajasthan Royals’ star batter Jos Buttler and Kolkata Knight Riders’ Phil Salt left before the Playoffs, much to the frustration of their teams. Now, with the new rule in play, none of the overseas players can do so; what they can do here is not put their name in the auction should they not commit to playing the whole season. Besides, those who would not put their names in this year’s auction will be banned from IPL auctions for the next two years. Meanwhile, Stokes was in the news recently for a robbery at his house in the UK when he was away playing in Pakistan. A gang of masked men broke into his home on October 17, when Stokes was busy playing the second Test in Multan. Besides taking away precious items like jewellery, the thieves also stole several valuable possessions from his house. One person has been arrested in this matter. (With inputs from agencies)

Ben Stokes likely to skip IPL 2025 to prioritise Test season – Reports

A man has been arrested after England Test captain Ben Stokes' home was burgled while he was on tour in Pakistan, police said Friday.

Stokes said his wife and two children were at home in County Durham, in northeast England, during the break-in by "masked" burglars on the evening of October 17, when valuables were taken.

Durham Police said a 32-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of burglary. He has since been bailed.

Stokes was in Pakistan for a Test series when the incident occurred.

He said items stolen included a medal he received after he was recognised in the 2020 New Year Honours list, for helping England win the World Cup the year before.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-a-vs-india-a-mukesh-kumar-sai-sudharsan-and-devdutt-padikkal-script-comeback-easwaran-fails-772508">Australia-A vs India-A: Mukesh Kumar, Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal script comeback, Easwaran fails</a>

Describing the break-in on his personal X account, Stokes posted images of the items taken from his home including a Christian Dior handbag, a gold ring with England cricket insignia and bracelets.

"By far the worst thing about this crime is that it was carried out whilst my wife and two young children were in the house," the 33-year-old wrote.

"Thankfully, none of my family came to any physical harm. Understandably, however, the experience has had an impact on their emotional and mental state.

"All we can think about is how much worse this situation could have been."

England lost their Test series in Pakistan 2-1.

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

A man has been arrested after England Test captain Ben Stokes' home was burgled while he was on tour in Pakistan, police said Friday. Stokes said his wife and two children were at home in County Durham, in northeast England, during the break-in by "masked" burglars on the evening of October 17, when valuables were taken.

A man has been arrested after England Test captain Ben Stokes' home was burgled while he was on tour in Pakistan, police said Friday. Stokes said his wife and two children were at home in County Durham, in northeast England, during the break-in by "masked" burglars on the evening of October 17, when valuables were taken. Durham Police said a 32-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of burglary. He has since been bailed. Stokes was in Pakistan for a Test series when the incident occurred. He said items stolen included a medal he received after he was recognised in the 2020 New Year Honours list, for helping England win the World Cup the year before. ALSO READ | Australia-A vs India-A: Mukesh Kumar, Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal script comeback, Easwaran fails Describing the break-in on his personal X account, Stokes posted images of the items taken from his home including a Christian Dior handbag, a gold ring with England cricket insignia and bracelets. "By far the worst thing about this crime is that it was carried out whilst my wife and two young children were in the house," the 33-year-old wrote. "Thankfully, none of my family came to any physical harm. Understandably, however, the experience has had an impact on their emotional and mental state. "All we can think about is how much worse this situation could have been." England lost their Test series in Pakistan 2-1. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Man arrested after England captain Ben Stokes' home raided by masked gang

England Test captain Ben Stokes revealed a masked gang broke into his house in Castle Eden in the North East while he was away on the recently concluded Pakistan tour. Stokes took to social media revealing what happened at his home in his absence, saying the worst was all that unfolded when his wife, Claire, and two children, Layton and Libby, were present inside the house at the time of the robbery; however, none of the family members were hurt during this event.

The incident occurred on October 17 when Stokes was playing the second Test in Multan. Stokes detailed everyone about this development upon his return to the UK earlier this week, revealing the robbery 'impacted his family’s mental and emotional state’.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/rcb-shares-cryptic-puzzle-to-reveal-names-of-retained-players-ahead-of-ipl-mega-auction-772097">RCB shares cryptic puzzle to reveal names of retained players ahead of IPL mega auction</a>

Stokes also revealed the list of items stolen from his house, including jewellery, a designer bag, a medal awarded to him for his OBE, received in 2020 for his contribution to England cricket following a blockbuster 2019 summer, where his heroics led the hosts to win their maiden ODI World Cup, beating New Zealand in the most dramatic final, among others.

The England great further shared photos of all the items stolen from his house, appealing to the police or anyone else to help him recover these.&nbsp;

"By far the worst thing about this crime is that it was carried out whilst my wife and 2 young children were in the house," said Stokes in a statement accompanying the missing items.

"Thankfully, none of my family came to any physical harm. Understandably, however, the experience has had an impact on their emotional and mental state. All we can think about is how much worse this situation could have been.

"I am releasing photographs of some of the stolen items - which I hope may be easily identified - in the hope that we can find the people who are responsible for this.

"Although we have lost cherished possessions, to be clear, my sole motivation in sharing these photographs is not the recovery of material items. It is to catch the people who did this."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
APPEAL 
 
On the evening of Thursday 17th October a number of masked people burgled my home in the Castle Eden area in the North East. 
 
They escaped with jewellery, other valuables and a good deal of personal items. Many of those items have real sentimental value for me and my…
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) <a href="https://twitter.com/benstokes38/status/1851673309605171333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Stokes also urged everyone with relevant information to come forward and contact Durham Constabulary.

<h2>Stokes' gloomy return to cricket</h2>

Meanwhile, Stokes returned to competitive cricket against Pakistan following his brief spell on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury suffered while playing in The Hundred.&nbsp;

After missing out on playing the first Test in Multan that England won by an innings, Stokes returned to lead the team in the remaining two matches, where England fell prey to spin, resulting in going down 1-2 in the three-match series.&nbsp;

England will now travel to New Zealand for three Tests.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

England Test captain Ben Stokes revealed a masked gang broke into his house in Castle Eden in the North East while he was away on the recently concluded Pakistan tour.

England Test captain Ben Stokes revealed a masked gang broke into his house in Castle Eden in the North East while he was away on the recently concluded Pakistan tour. Stokes took to social media revealing what happened at his home in his absence, saying the worst was all that unfolded when his wife, Claire, and two children, Layton and Libby, were present inside the house at the time of the robbery; however, none of the family members were hurt during this event. The incident occurred on October 17 when Stokes was playing the second Test in Multan. Stokes detailed everyone about this development upon his return to the UK earlier this week, revealing the robbery 'impacted his family’s mental and emotional state’. ALSO READ: RCB shares cryptic puzzle to reveal names of retained players ahead of IPL mega auction Stokes also revealed the list of items stolen from his house, including jewellery, a designer bag, a medal awarded to him for his OBE, received in 2020 for his contribution to England cricket following a blockbuster 2019 summer, where his heroics led the hosts to win their maiden ODI World Cup, beating New Zealand in the most dramatic final, among others. The England great further shared photos of all the items stolen from his house, appealing to the police or anyone else to help him recover these. "By far the worst thing about this crime is that it was carried out whilst my wife and 2 young children were in the house," said Stokes in a statement accompanying the missing items. "Thankfully, none of my family came to any physical harm. Understandably, however, the experience has had an impact on their emotional and mental state. All we can think about is how much worse this situation could have been. "I am releasing photographs of some of the stolen items - which I hope may be easily identified - in the hope that we can find the people who are responsible for this. "Although we have lost cherished possessions, to be clear, my sole motivation in sharing these photographs is not the recovery of material items. It is to catch the people who did this." APPEAL On the evening of Thursday 17th October a number of masked people burgled my home in the Castle Eden area in the North East. They escaped with jewellery, other valuables and a good deal of personal items. Many of those items have real sentimental value for me and my… — Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) October 30, 2024 × Stokes also urged everyone with relevant information to come forward and contact Durham Constabulary. Stokes' gloomy return to cricket Meanwhile, Stokes returned to competitive cricket against Pakistan following his brief spell on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury suffered while playing in The Hundred. After missing out on playing the first Test in Multan that England won by an innings, Stokes returned to lead the team in the remaining two matches, where England fell prey to spin, resulting in going down 1-2 in the three-match series. England will now travel to New Zealand for three Tests. (With inputs from agencies)

Ben Stokes’ house robbed in his absence, family unhurt but ‘dear items’ stolen

Captain Ben Stokes admitted that Noman Ali and Sajid Khan were too good for his England team after the spin duo propelled Pakistan to a series victory on Saturday.

The hosts sealed a nine-wicket win in the third Test in Rawalpindi with Noman taking 6-42 and Sajid 4-69 in the second innings as England were bowled out for just 112.

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The irrepressible pair shared 39 wickets in the last two Tests to spur Pakistan's revival from an innings defeat in the first match. &nbsp;

"You've got to hold your hands up to say that those two in particular were obviously too good for our batting line-up in those last two games," Stokes said.

Noman and Sajid both came into the side following Pakistan's heavy defeat in the first Test in Multan, their inclusion proving pivotal in the hosts' 2-1 series triumph.

"Credit to Noman and Sajid, the way in which they bowled in the second Test match and in this game, you know it was very good and challenging," said Stokes.

Stokes said the series defeat was all the more disappointing with England having whitewashed Pakistan 3-0 away two years ago.

"Losing games for England hurts so it's disappointing," said Stokes, who missed the first Test in Multan with injury and failed to find form with the bat on his return.

The talismanic Stokes has been central to England's attacking philosophy, which saw records tumble in the victory in the first Multan Test.

But he said consistency had been an issue since.

"We need to do things for longer," said Stokes, whose team next tours New Zealand for a three-Test series in late November.

"As I said, we did good things in very small amounts of times at certain points throughout the second game and this game.

"But when you don't sustain that, you know you're always going to start falling away."

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Captain Ben Stokes admitted that Noman Ali and Sajid Khan were too good for his England team after the spin duo propelled Pakistan to a series victory on Saturday.

Captain Ben Stokes admitted that Noman Ali and Sajid Khan were too good for his England team after the spin duo propelled Pakistan to a series victory on Saturday. The hosts sealed a nine-wicket win in the third Test in Rawalpindi with Noman taking 6-42 and Sajid 4-69 in the second innings as England were bowled out for just 112. Also Read: Ronaldo fan cycles 13,000 km from China to Saudi to meet him The irrepressible pair shared 39 wickets in the last two Tests to spur Pakistan's revival from an innings defeat in the first match. "You've got to hold your hands up to say that those two in particular were obviously too good for our batting line-up in those last two games," Stokes said. Noman and Sajid both came into the side following Pakistan's heavy defeat in the first Test in Multan, their inclusion proving pivotal in the hosts' 2-1 series triumph. "Credit to Noman and Sajid, the way in which they bowled in the second Test match and in this game, you know it was very good and challenging," said Stokes. Stokes said the series defeat was all the more disappointing with England having whitewashed Pakistan 3-0 away two years ago. "Losing games for England hurts so it's disappointing," said Stokes, who missed the first Test in Multan with injury and failed to find form with the bat on his return. The talismanic Stokes has been central to England's attacking philosophy, which saw records tumble in the victory in the first Multan Test. But he said consistency had been an issue since. "We need to do things for longer," said Stokes, whose team next tours New Zealand for a three-Test series in late November. "As I said, we did good things in very small amounts of times at certain points throughout the second game and this game. "But when you don't sustain that, you know you're always going to start falling away." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

'Noman and Sajid too good for us,' admits England skipper Ben Stokes post Test series defeat vs Pakistan

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