Amidst the shower of appreciations, Mohammed Siraj reveals his ‘simple plans’ on the pitch!
Michael Atherton compared Siraj to Yorkshire and England legend, the warhorse, big-grinned Darren Gough, a fiery fast bowler from his playing days. He said that Siraj can lift the whole team with his enthusiasm, which makes 35 runs not a mere formality. “Absolutely, and the type of cricketer I think that just makes other people rise as well. We had one way back in my time, Darren Gough, would make people play better just because of the way they carried on in the middle and the dressing room, actually,” Atherton told Sky. “When the going gets tough, there are some characters that just grow a bit taller. He is one, and everybody else will look at him,” Atherton said. Elaborating, he added, “He’s a bit of a leader in the field. He’s not the captain obviously, not wearing the armband. But he’s the guy they look to when it gets tough. So he makes others play better in those moments.” Siraj, who crossed the milestone of 200 wickets, also surpassed Bhubneshwar Kumar and is now behind only Jasprit Bumrah for most wickets (24) against England in England. His spell on the fourth day was a scorching one, bowling eight overs, giving away 33 runs, and getting a crucial wicket of Ollie Pope to end the first session with figures of 2 for 44 in 12 overs, though he set up the board for Prasidh to snare wickets. The hard-working bowler is the leading wicket-taker with 20 wickets at an average of 34.30 in nine innings, with best figures of 6/70. He went past Bhuvneshwar’s 19-wickets in 2014 at an average of 26.63 and best figures of 6/82. But Siraj waved away all concerns of breaking down, even as other pacers from both sides ended up knackered if not broken, and explained, “I love to play for the country. I don’t think of breaking down or anything. I try to make simple plans whenever I am in the field. I give it everything. And rest will follow,” Siraj told Sky Cricket after the fourth day. “Since childhood, why did you play…motivation is to play for India. I don’t fixate on the result. Just give 100 percent in the body. When you relax after a tough day, you ask yourself if the answer is yes, you have 100 percent, then I sleep well, concluded Siraj.
The PCB bans using Pakistan’s name in private leagues
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has put a ban on using the name of the country in teams representing it in private cricket leagues following the fiasco in the World Championships of Legends (WCL) in which Indian players refused to play against the ‘Pakistan Champions’. According to a report in Telecom Asia Sport, the PCB has decided to pull the plug on the use of the country’s name in private cricket leagues after the ongoing WCL in the UK was made out to be a clash between India and Pakistan. “The decision was taken after a detailed discussion in the Board of Directors meeting on Thursday,” sources told according to a report from Telecom Asia on Friday. “The high-level authorities felt Indian players refusing to play Pakistan in the WCL’s second edition twice is hurtful to the name of the country.” Moving forward, no private organisation will be permitted to use Pakistan’s name for private leagues. However, the current Pakistan Legends team will be allowed to play in Saturday’s final against South Africa. In the future, no permission will be given to any private organization to use the name of the country for private leagues. However, the current Pakistan Legends team will be allowed to play Saturday’s final against South Africa. The reports said that various private organisations have used the name of Pakistan to feature in minor and low-profile leagues in Zimbabwe, Kenya, and the USA. Sources close to the PCB stated, “All private organisations will face legal action in case they use Pakistan’s name. PCB has the sole right to allow its use for cricket events if it finds the authenticity of the League and the organisation as reputable.” It has also been reported that the Pakistan government and the IPC (Inter-provincial coordination committee), responsible for overseeing sports in the country, have issued an advisory to the PCB to regulate the use of the country’s name in private cricket leagues in the future. “All private organizations will face legal action in case they use Pakistan’s name. PCB has the sole right to allow its use for cricket events if it finds the authenticity of the League and the organization as reputable,” the report quoted sources close to the PCB as saying.
Chris Woakes’ shoulder injury raises questions again for mid-Test injury replacements
The never-ending tale of injuries continues to plague both England and India at the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, as the latest entrant to the long list of injured players sees English fast-bowling all-rounder Chris Woakes being escorted off the field during the first day of the fifth and final Test at the Oval in London on Thursday. Woakes, who has been integral in England’s bowling attack, landed awkwardly on his shoulder while chasing after the ball at the boundary line in the 57th over. The 36-year-old had to be taken off the field with his left shoulder wrapped in his sweater. Woakes’ teammate Gus Atkinson provided an update, which England would be dreading as he said: “It doesn’t look great. I will be surprised if he participates in the game. It’s a big shame when anyone gets injured. I’m hoping it’s not too bad, but whatever it is, he’ll get the full support from everyone,” said Atkinson after the day’s play.” Woakes’ injury has reignited the conversation around the injury replacements, as this has been a major talking point during this season after Indian wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant also had to miss out due to a toe injury he picked up during the fourth Test. Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik is in favour of an injury replacement and said,” For the second time in this series, on day one of a Test match, an injury has happened where you get the feeling that the player couldn’t participate in the Test match anymore,” Karthik said to Sky Sports.
Jasprit Bumrah concedes 100 runs in a Test innings for the first time after 48 Tests; India struggle to survive
India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah recorded the most expensive spell of his Test career during the second innings of the fourth Test match against England in Manchester. Bumrah’s tally for the innings ticked past 100 runs, making it the first instance in 48 Tests where he’s conceded more than 100. The pacer’s previous worst figures were four for 99 against Australia in Melbourne in December 2024. Bumrah made his Test debut in 2018 in South Africa and has picked 219 wickets so far with the red ball. However, Bumrah’s stumbling on the staircase of Old Trafford triggered another major injury scare after Rishav Pant, who already has been ruled out of the pitch for the next six weeks following a severe toe fracture. On the third day of the ongoing Manchester Test, a video went viral rapidly, showing Bumrah stumbling while walking up the stairs during the second session, visibly grimacing as he limped back onto the field at Old Trafford. “It’s a good sign that Bumrah is back on the field, but it’s a bad sign that he went off the field. However, it looks like he is grimacing a little bit. Doesn’t look comfortable; he is reaching down at his left ankle,” former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said while commentating. The tension grew when Mohammed Siraj also appeared to be in discomfort, struggling to complete his 22nd over before limping off for treatment. Siraj, however, returned to the field later in the session, easing some of India’s immediate worries. Meanwhile, on Saturday, England scored 669 runs against India during the fourth Test in Manchester, the highest team total at Old Trafford. India, in reply, are struggling to survive with the loss of two wickets, having scored only three runs in the fourth innings. The visitors need 306 to win the Test. Across its Test history, this was the ninth-highest total conceded by India. Sri Lanka holds the record for the highest team total against India. The side scored 952 for six against India in Colombo in 1997. For England, this was its second-best effort against India, with the best of 710 for seven coming in Birmingham in 2011. The last team to score 600 runs or more against India was New Zealand, which managed 680 runs in Wellington in 2014.
Jamil, Constantine, and Tarkovic in AIFF shortlist to be next India coach
The All India Football Federation has been recommended to pick one among Khalid Jamil, Stephen Constantine, and Stefan Tarkovic for the vacant men’s senior national team head coach job. At a virtual meeting on Wednesday, the IM Vijayan-chaired committee segregated the list of Indian and foreign applicants before identifying those who would be considered for the job. Once the federation had accepted Marquez’s resignation at its executive committee meeting on July 2, and invited applications on 4th July, 170 coaches had sent in their resumes at the Football House. Two months ago, Khalid had declined to take charge of the U-23 men’s national team as he has an existing two-year contract with Jamshedpur FC. But he was persuaded to apply after his and Constantine’s names were recommended to AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey by his advisors, renowned coaches Bimal Ghosh and Armando Colaco. The technical committee had earlier voiced their preference for a home-grown man to be in the hot seat this time, which would ease the burden on AIFF’s coffers stretched by a $400,000 payout to Marquez’s predecessor Igor Stimac. Thus Bengaluru FC assistant coach Renedy Singh’s name was also discussed as he is into active coaching, unlike Sanjoy Sen, who has been without a job after guiding Bengal to their record 33rd Santosh Trophy title last year.
No Arshdeep Singh for fourth Test, Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out of series
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that Arshdeep Singh is indeed ruled out of the 4th Test between India and England in Manchester. The southpaw suffered a cut to his hand during training last week, following which he received stitches. Meanwhile, it has also been confirmed that Nitish Kumar Reddy is ruled out of the remainder of the series. As per the BCCI’s press release, Arshdeep suffered an impact injury to his left thumb during training. The BCCI medical team is monitoring him and has ruled him out of the 4th Test. “Arshdeep Singh has been ruled out of the fourth Test against England at Manchester. He sustained an impact injury to his left thumb while bowling in the nets at a training session in Beckenham. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress,” the release stated. Furthermore, the release stated that Nitish is scheduled to fly back to India after sustaining an injury to his left knee. The all-rounder tasted success with the ball in the Lord’s Test, picking up three wickets. With the bat, he played a handy 30-run knock in the 1st innings. “All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remaining two Tests owing to a left knee injury. Nitish will fly back home, and the team wishes him a speedy recovery,” the release added. On Sunday, reports came that Nitish Kumar Reddy injured himself while training in the gym. The all-rounder was taken for scans subsequently, and results showed he had ligament damage in his knee.
Hanuman Chalisa In Dressing Room of Team India To Boost Morale
Indian team played the Hanuman Chalisa, a devotional hymn in praise of the Hindu god Hanuman, in their dressing room to lift their spirits ahead of the fourth Test match against England, which will be held in Manchester next week. Currently India is down 1-2 in the five-match series and looking to bounce back. the squad seemed determined to shake off the disappointment — not through intense drills, but by invoking good vibes through a unique blend of music in the dressing room. Listening to the Hanuman Chalisa before training seemed to be a way for the team to stay positive and focused. Along with the Chalisa, the team also played English pop songs and popular Punjabi music, creating a light and relaxed atmosphere in the dressing room. For the unversed, the Hanuman Chalisa is a famous Hindu prayer made up of 40 verses. It praises Lord Hanuman, a powerful and loyal devotee of Lord Rama. The prayer tells stories of Hanuman’s strength, bravery, and dedication. One important verse talks about Hanuman discovering his true power, which he had forgotten because of his humility. The message of the Hanuman Chalisa is that staying humble and serving others with devotion leads to greatness. Some fun moments happened too. Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah were joking around with journalists who were watching practice from below. When a reporter tried to call out to Pant, he replied, “I can’t hear anything,” because of the loud music. Bumrah jumped in and joked, saying, “Today Duggal Ji can’t hear,” It was a reference to a line from a popular Hindi movie. While the vibe was light-hearted, Team India were dealt an injury concern when left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh hurt his bowling hand. The 26-year-old was bowling alongside Prasidh Krishna when he attempted to stop a fiercely struck ball from Sai Sudharsan. The ball clipped his fingers, leaving a visible cut and forcing him off the nets. Bumrah, on the other hand, did not have a bowl and neither did Mohammed Siraj as part of workload management. It remains to be seen if either of them is rested in the next Test with the series on the line.
Specialist role for Rishabh Pant in 4th Test after Lord’s injury: ‘Keeping last part of process’
Ahead of a do-or-die fourth Test against England in Manchester, India are sweating over the availability of vice-captain Rishabh Pant, who suffered a left index finger injury while keeping in Lord’s Test. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate hinted that Pant might play as a specialist batter in Manchester after what he did with the bat despite his injury at Lord’s. Ten Doeschate said at the press conference “He will bat in Manchester before the Test. I don’t think you’re gonna keep Rishabh out of the Test no matter what. He batted with quite a lot of pain in the 3rd Test, and it’s only going to get easier on his finger. “Keeping is obviously the last part of the process to make sure that he can keep. We don’t want to go through that again where we have to replace the keeper halfway through in the innings. But he rested today. We’re just trying to give his finger as long as possible and hopefully he’s good to go in Manchester in the first training session,” said ten Doeschate in a press conference, on the sidelines of India’s practice session at Beckenham. He added In Pant’s absence, wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel took up the keeping duties at Lord’s. Ten Doeschate did say Jurel was in the mix for Manchester if Pant isn’t fully fit. “He is in the equation. But I mean, obviously, if Rishabh is fit, he plays the next Test and does both,” Pant, who made 74 and nine at Lord’s was in visible pain after being hit on left index finger and did not keep wickets for the rest of the Test. Skipper Shubman Gill had said Pant will be fit to play in Manchester. “He will bat in Manchester before the Test. With India now 1-2 behind in the five-match series, ten Doeschate said the side is aiming to improve on the pattern of losing wickets in a heap, something which has hurt them in their losses at Headingley and Lord’s. India are playing a Test match in Manchester after 11 years, which brings an element of newness for a majority of team members. “I’m not sure Manchester is the same as Manchester of 10-15 years ago. Speaking to the media on Thursday after India’s first training session for the fourth Test, Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed Bumrah’s inclusion. “We’ll make that call in Manchester. We know we’ve got him for one of the last two Tests. I think it’s pretty obvious the series is on the line now in Manchester, so there will be a leaning towards playing him,” he said. If Bumrah play this will be Bumrah’s first appearance at the Old Trafford.
King Charles pays tribute to late Arun Jaitley, receives the ‘book on partition’ from BCCI
Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams met King Charles III at St James’s Palace in London on Tuesday, where the monarch displayed remarkable knowledge about the players’ personal lives and their recent match performances. BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla, who was also present at the get-together, presented a book on the partition of India in 1947 to King Charles. Shukla expressed delight, revealing that Charles also paid tribute to the late Arun Jaitley and his family. Charles, at the same time, looked curious about Akashdeep’s sister’s illness. Regarding cricket, he also noticed that if India had a regular batsman on the pitch on the fifth day, they would have been able to win the match. In that meeting, the Indian team also met British Actor Idris Elba before their royal encounter. After the meeting, the Indian skipper Shubman Gill said, “ It was amazing to meet King Charles III, and he was very kind and generous to call us. We had some excellent conversations.” Gill added, “King Charles III told us the way our last batsman got out in the previous Test match was quite unfortunate, the ball rolling on the stamp.” Harmanpreet Kaur also shared her experience of meeting the king: “It was a very nice experience. We came to England so many times, but this was our first time that we could meet the King.” The Indian women’s team won the T-20 series 3-2. Now they are preparing for the upcoming three-match ODI series starting in Southampton.
Siraj slapped with ‘big penalty’ by ICC!
After the much-talked incident on the 4th day at the Lord’s, India pacer Mohammed Siraj has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee after a breach of the ICC Code of Conduct. Siraj was accused of ‘crossing the line’ in his celebration of the dismissal of England opener Ben Duckett, prompting the hosts’ former skipper Alastair Cook to demand a hefty penalty against the pacer. The ICC paid heed to Cook’s suggestion and announced a penalty, as well as a demerit point for the pacer on Monday. The incident happened on the fourth day when Siraj produced a fiery opening spell to claim the scalps of Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope. After dismissing Duckett, the pacer celebrated, coming closer to the batsman in his follow-through and making contact as the opener began his walk back to the Lord’s long room. Siraj was guilty of breaching Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match”. In addition to the fine, one demerit point has been added to Siraj’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the second offence in 24 months, taking his tally to two demerit points. “Mohammed Siraj has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee after a breach in the ICC Code of Conduct during India’s Test match against England at Lord’s,” said the ICC in a statement. “After the dismissal, Siraj celebrated close to the batter in his follow-through and made contact as Duckett began his walk back to the Lord’s long room,” the statement added. When a player reaches four or more demerit points within 24 months, they are converted into suspension points, and the player is banned. “That’s unacceptable, but who is to blame now? Whether Duckett walked right into him and knew exactly what he was doing. Then again, you shouldn’t shout in someone’s face like that. I wholeheartedly say that was wrong. There should be no physical contact. Yes, celebrate a wicket like you mean it. But you’ve got him out; you don’t need to look him in the eye from three inches and shout in his face. So I expect there to be repercussions, and there should be repercussions. That is my opinion. I thought that crossed the line,” Cook had said on the BBC Test Match Special on Sunday. The moment was one of several fiery moments in a Test match likely to go down to the wire on day five.
