Seven minutes before the scheduled Tea interval on Day 3 at Headingley, with England’s tail trying to wag its team into the lead, Shardul Thakur handed over his hat and jumper to the umpire and began a couple of mock run-ups before starting what was to be his seventh over of the innings. His captain Shubman Gill, who was adjusting his fielders, then had a second thought. From deep at fine leg, Jasprit Bumrah was summoned once more, as he had been at every time of need over the last two days, but especially at the end of a session. While a surprised Thakur trudged away from the scene, Bumrah stepped up at the top of his mark after one quick stretch and a limber-up. It didn’t take him long to knock over Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue to complete his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. It was another performance worthy of his top billing, but it also concealed a more pressing truth: this was a largely solo effort, forced into being because the rest of the attack couldn’t come close to his high water mark on a track that offered little even on the third day. India had made 471. England responded with 465 despite Bumrah’s brilliance. And a match that had offered India several windows to shut the door on England was now reduced to a second-innings shootout. The visitors seemed on the cusp of righting the wrongs of Day 2 when Ben Stokes fell, leaving England at 276 for 5, still 195 in arrears. But the lower-order difference, an old nemesis on away tours, surfaced again. Where India lost their last five wickets for 24, England’s last five added 189 in 35.5 overs. Among those final five wickets was Thakur himself, dismissed for 1 in the last over before lunch on Day 2. He went for a wild, premeditated swipe and nicked behind, a shot that drew a glare from head coach Gautam Gambhir, quickly picked up by the cameras. But India’s collapse of 7 for 41 was not on one batter. It was collective. What Thakur’s dismissal symbolised, however, was the fragility India have long tried to patch over. Since 2018, India’s Nos. 8 to 11 average just 11.96 in SENA countries, only Sri Lanka and Bangladesh fare worse. With the addition of Harshit Rana, India have seven frontline quicks on this tour to pick from. Thakur may not be the fourth-best bowler among them, but he is the only one who can currently be trusted to bat at No.8, and that alone keeps him in the mix. The fear of fielding four No.11s has often dictated India’s hand. Thakur, who has shown at the Gabba and The Oval that he can bat a bit, offers a sliver of resistance as the batting ability falls off a cliff behind Ravindra Jadeja at No.7. It’s a compromise India have grown used to. On these tours, they are also boxed in by conditions that historically nullify spin. There was a time, not long ago, when they had to agonise over choosing between Ashwin or Jadeja. Now Kuldeep Yadav is the one warming the bench, not because he lacks quality, but because a second spinner is a luxury on these surfaces without the knowledge of the toss outcome. In that context, Thakur’s selection is understandable. In his first pre-match press conference, Gill had spoken boldly about being unafraid to pick four seamers if that was the best route to taking 20 wickets. And he followed through by picking Thakur over a batting allrounder in Nitish Reddy. But what unfolded at Headingley in India’s first bowling innings will leave Gill and Gambhir with some thinking to do. Thakur was used for just six overs out of the 100.4 that India sent down. In a five-man attack, one bowler is likely to be under-bowled, but India’s split of 25, 27, 20, 23 and 6 overs respectively stacks up unfavourably compared to England’s more even spread of 24, 22, 20, 20 and 27. The trouble for Gill is that Thakur operates in a narrow band where he is most effective. He is a bowler who can strike, if he can swing the ball. Introduced into the attack in the 40th over, on an unresponsive surface, he became the kind of medium-pace bowler this England lineup actively targets for a release. Thakur ended up conceding 38 runs at an economy of over six. Here’s where it gets complex for India. With Thakur used sparingly and Prasidh Krishna not providing a defensive edge, the burden fell, as it so often does, on Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Together, they bowled 52 overs. That’s more than half the load between just two bowlers in a five-man attack. In a five-match series, the skewed distribution of overs can become a massive factor. There’s a lot of talk about Bumrah potentially playing only three Tests. But India will need to monitor Siraj just as closely, because he will be asked to lead the attack in Bumrah’s absence. He sent down 27 overs across long, unrewarding spells here, and at the end of his penultimate spell, simply finished on his haunches. Beyond the issue of workload, overworked bowlers are more prone to mistakes. It is perhaps what cost a fatigued Bumrah those three no-balls last night. It could also be a small factor in why India couldn’t close out England’s innings faster. If there is any solace, Gill will be grateful that he had Jadeja to send down 23 tight overs for just 68 runs, offering control and breathing room when it was most needed. And so we arrive at India’s expanding conundrum. They’ve picked right, but by not using right, they risk compounding old travel troubles with fresh complications. A brittle tail. A lopsided attack. A top-heavy burden on those who can do both the lifting and the magic. In this case, the magic came from Bumrah, as it so often does, but that’s not the…

MINY didn’t get off to the greatest of starts with Monank struggling in the powerplay. Only 25 runs came in the first overs of a tall chase and to make matters worse, Sikandar Raza came into the attack and struck immediately to get rid of Quinton de Kock. Monank, batting on 4 off 12 at that point, finally broke free with a four and a six to round off the powerplay and those boundaries certainly flicked a switch. The wicketkeeper-batter then kept dealing in boundaries in the middle overs to make up for his slow start as Bracewell played second fiddle. Monank hit two sixes and a four off Harmeet Singh who endured a torrid outing. Boundaries galored as Monank now toyed with the Orcas bowling attack, scooping Mayers for a six and then following it up with three fours in an over bowled by Raza. While he went into the 90s with another scoop that went over the ropes, a lot of work was still left to be done due to Bracewell’s scratchy innings at the other end. Orcas suddenly found an opening when Monank’s blistering innings came to an end when he was on 93. With 55 needed off 24, Nicholas Pooran was castled by Raza to further dent MINY. Kieron Pollard then calmed the nerves with a couple of boundaries to bring the equation down to 40 off 18 before Bracewell finally took charge with consecutive sixes. Harmeet’s blemishes on the field of successive deliveries aided the batting side further as Bracewell and Pollard took full toll to make a mockery of the chase in the end. Earlier in the evening, Orcas got off to a poor start as well with Bracewell making an impact with the ball in the powerplay, including a wicket-maiden. David Warner’s early departure saw them reeling at 9/1 after 3 overs and Naveen-ul-Haq struck in the final over of the powerplay to dent them further. At that point, a six each was hit in the next five overs to give the run rate a much-needed boost. A massive second half was still needed though in order to make up for that poor start. Mayers gave them just that as he absolutely laid into the MINY bowling attack. If the first six overs saw them score only 31 runs, the final six saw them score three times more as Mayers ruined Naveen’s figures with four sixes in an over. Even after his six-fest came to an end, Orcas’ push towards 200 was aided by Klaasen and Hetmyer who combined to score 48 off just 20 for that powerful finish. Yet, that powerplay came back to haunt them in the end. Brief scores: Seattle Orcas 200/5 in 20 overs (Kyle Mayers 88, Shayan Jahangir 43) lost to MI New York 203/3 in 19 overs (Monank Patel 93, Michael Bracewell 50*; Sikandar Raza 2/37) by 7 wickets

It is Monday afternoon, four days out from the start of a marquee five-Test series, but Headingley feels like it’s enjoying a siesta. Far from the guttural energy of recent Tests played here, the stadium dozes in the soft Yorkshire light, which also happens to bring out the surprising lack of natural flow to this iconic venue. There’s no grand design tying it all together. Just fragments from different eras, sitting shoulder to shoulder like distant cousins at a family reunion. From the Western Terrace to the family stand, it’s all a bit improvised. Take the distinctive Carnegie Pavilion, that one sudden burst of ambition on this patchwork quilt. It juts out in glass and green triangles, like a science faculty building that wandered over from one of Leeds’ nearby universities and decided to stay. A couple of workers are up on a scaffolding, giving it a once-over, perhaps preparing for the television close-ups. “You here for the cricket? England-India, eh?” a guard outside St. Michael’s lane asks. It’s not dismissive, just matter-of-fact. They say Yorkshiremen know their cricket, after all. They don’t need noise to tell them a contest is coming. But there is no noise. Not until you walk a mile away towards Brudenell Road and to the popular new joint ‘Indian feast’ that attracts a lot of the city’s South Asian students. “265 pounds for two tickets. When there’s no Virat Kohli. This is still Headingley, not Lord’s…” The former India captain’s absence remains as loud as his presence, from when he chased fire in foreign conditions, carried grudges and took on crowds. His sudden retirement echoes in the ticket discussions, in the softened promo videos, in billboards that no longer carry his glare. It all makes for a weird vibe in the build-up to a marquee five-match series between two of cricket’s ‘Big Three’. This is, after all, the centrepiece of this English summer, the one Test series that isn’t the Ashes but still matters, still sells. Especially for England cricket, who had a somewhat underwhelming season last year, hosting Sri Lanka and West Indies, after hosting Australia in a thrilling series the year before. But London is still awash in green. South Africa’s crowning moment from three evenings ago continues to echo through the city’s sporting pubs. The mood is celebratory, but it’s not for this series. Even the English, who had no stake in that final, have indulged in schadenfreude, revelling in Australia’s defeat. There’s a quiet thrill in asking if Marnus Labuschagne will still open this December – this season’s gaze held in that single question. Because the away Ashes later this year marks the final exam for Bazball. The entire McCullum-Stokes project, now three years old, has been building toward that moment in Australia. Every selection, everytime the England captain bowls or doesn’t, every fourth-innings charge, it’s all been part of a longer arc aimed at beating Australia in their own backyard. So much so that this India series, as grand and storied as it is, feels almost incidental. A crucial chapter, yes, but not the climax. Interestingly, India, too, are looking ahead, but in a different way. What happens in this series matters, of course. A Test win in England is still a prize, a series win here after 18 years would be a statement. But for India, what happens beyond may matter even more. This is a team stepping into a new era, trying to forge its identity for the next WTC cycle after missing out on the final for the first time. The batting unit, once built around enduring pillars, is now a sketch in pencil. They have elevated a young captain in Shubman Gill, have a generation of cricketers auditioning not just for places, but for roles. Who bats at four? Who anchors? Who bowls at first and second change after a Bumrah spell is done? These aren’t just questions for this week in Leeds, they’re questions for the next few years. They’ve been in England for a while now, longer than most realise. A chunk of the squad featured in the ‘A’ series that preceded this tour. Then came an intrasquad game in Beckenham, shut out from the buzz and bluster that usually accompany an Indian Test team abroad. But the quiet is unlikely to last long. After a day’s break, they’ll be on the road to Leeds on Tuesday, stepping into the spotlight. As the first ball draws near, and finally flies from the bowler’s hand, Headingley’s patchwork corners and muted spaces may find their rhythm again. By the time Friday comes along, the stillness should have yielded to the familiar stir of a big Test series underway.

Test cricket, with its rich and varied history, has often seen individuals spark disruptions that transform not just their teams but the entire cricketing discourse. Don Bradman’s almost flawless technique, for instance, drove an obsessed Douglas Jardine to resort to ‘Bodyline.’ Four and a half decades later, bruised by the formidable duo of Lillee and Thommo, Clive Lloyd countered by unleashing an unrelenting, four-pronged pace attack. And then, another four and a half decades after Lloyd’s pace battery, the stage was set for yet another significant disruption. Despite the backing of the world’s second most resourced cricket board, the England team had plummeted by the end of the 2021/22 winter, winning just one of their last 17 Tests. However, a new era under skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum fundamentally transformed the team’s outlook and fortunes. The world took notice, and the ‘Bazball’ revolution was born, built on an uninhibited, aggressive approach from their batting lineup. Between 2018 and 2021, England’s top seven batters averaged 32.25 in 25 home Tests-the second-lowest average for a home team (among those with 10+ Tests). This underscored the challenging batting conditions at home, with seaming pitches and the Dukes ball consistently keeping bowlers in the game. During this period, England won 12 of their 25 home Tests, a win percentage of 48%, which was sixth-best among the top nine teams, well behind fifth-placed South Africa’s 57.89%. Since the start of 2022, England’s home win percentage has dramatically improved to 75%, making it the second-best among major teams, behind South Africa’s 91.67%. In terms of batting conditions, England’s top seven now average 43.86 in home Tests, only marginally behind leaders Sri Lanka, while their strike rate of 73.90 is comfortably ahead of second-placed India’s 61.98. Batting average in home Tests (top 7) Host Country Avg (2018-21) Avg (Since 2022) New Zealand 55.28 38.91 Pakistan 45.00 37.87 India 50.52 37.45 Australia 44.01 40.25 Sri Lanka 35.51 44.39 South Africa 32.98 35.74 Bangladesh 32.89 31.42 England 32.25 43.86 West Indies 25.68 29.22 Note: The 2018-21 has UAE Tests adjusted as home games for Pakistan. Conquering the Good-Length Delivery The bedrock of England’s home batting success lies in their enhanced ability to handle good-length balls from seamers better than their opponents. While England’s batters have shown overall improvement across all lengths since 2018-21, their performance against good-length balls, in particular, has seen a marked improvement. This is crucial given good-length deliveries are the “high traffic area” for seam bowlers, accounting for over 40% of balls bowled. Since 2022, England’s batters have averaged 30.73 against good-length balls in home Tests. In contrast, corresponding numbers for home teams in other seam-friendly countries outside the subcontinent read: New Zealand 24.82, Australia 24.39, South Africa 18.59, and West Indies 14.83. To provide even more perspective, visiting batters in England during this period have averaged a mere 13.39 off good-length deliveries. . ©Cricbuzz . ©Cricbuzz Two external factors have also contributed to England’s batters overcoming the good-length ball threat: flatter wickets and a more benign Dukes ball. Between 2018 and 2021, the average movement across ten-over blocks in Tests in England consistently remained over 1.5 degrees, which is on the higher side. Since 2022, this average movement has significantly decreased across each ten-over block, underlining a general trend. However, the third and most important factor enabling their high-risk, high-reward batting approach is their increased efficiency in attacking good-length balls. While England’s batters have attacked more across the entire length spectrum, the rise in aggression specifically in the good-length zone has been the backbone of Bazball’s success. From attacking one in every 12 good-length balls in the 2018-21 period, England’s batters are now attacking one in every four in home Tests since 2022. England’s attack % across lengths . ©Cricbuzz This aggressive approach has also served them well in their away tours to New Zealand. In five Tests across two series there, England batters averaged 45.33 and scored at a strike rate of 56.94 off good-length balls. The home team, by contrast, struggled, averaging just 14.89-less than a third of England’s average-and striking at exactly half the rate (28.21). Joe Root has remained England’s champion batter in home games even in the Bazball era, averaging an exceptional 75.33 against good-length balls from seamers. Surprisingly, the second name on that list is Zak Crawley. The tall right-handed opener averages 67.33 and scores at almost 65 runs per 100 balls off good-length deliveries, getting out only once every 104 deliveries. Despite his occasional low scores, this could well be one of the reasons England’s think-tank backs him so consistently. Crawley’s opening partner, Ben Duckett, is another who has performed well against good-length deliveries, averaging 43.57 with a strike rate of 67. Newcomer Jamie Smith has also impressed, scoring 106 runs off 195 balls while getting out only once to good-length deliveries from seamers. England batters clearly possess some tactical nous behind their seemingly cavalier approach. In the first 30 overs with the new ball, when lateral movement is at its highest, they attack 22.5% of good-length balls and average 29.60-not far from their overall average against good-length deliveries. In the next 50 overs, they increase their attack rate to 30.2% of good-length balls, and their average rises significantly to 40.24 against the older ball. This strategic shift is something important for India to consider ahead of their impending five-Test series. India’s Challenge Against Bazball India experienced a taste of Bazball in their one-off Test in Birmingham in 2022, where they failed to defend 378 in the fourth innings. This failure was largely due to their change bowlers, who couldn’t maintain control on wickets offering little assistance. Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur combined for 26 wicketless overs, conceding 163 runs at well over a run a ball. Since the start of 2022 in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia), India’s change seamers have averaged 38 and conceded just under four runs an over, compared to 23.93 by their opening seamers. India holds a…

The night before Cameron Green went in for back surgery last October, he received an unexpected message from a rather high-profile contact. The sender was Jasprit Bumrah, who was checking in on his former Mumbai Indians teammate. The fact that the Indian pace spearhead was reaching out while being involved in a Test against New Zealand in India only made his gesture even more special for the young Australian all-rounder. Bumrah had of course undergone the same procedure 18 months earlier and recovered from it in remarkable fashion, with his bowling performances since then even more incredible than before. For Green, this was the ultimate reassurance that he was indeed “doing the right thing” by going under the knife. “That is really special. And makes you feel a lot better about it. I didn’t play with him in Mumbai but that was the connection through there. Spent a bit of time with him there. To get someone like him to reach out and then to watch him during the summer, to see how good he is obviously post-surgery, filled me with a lot of confidence,” says the 26-year-old, still semi-blushing while talking about the Indian supremo. The towering all-rounder will regain his spot in the playing XI at No 3 in all likelihood with Marnus Labuschagne set to be pushed up a position to face the new-ball at the top of the order. While Green is not expected to bowl any time soon-he has been seen taking baby steps towards full recovery on that front-the Western Australian is relishing the opportunity of resuming his Test career which was cut short just when a new chapter had begun last year. Even if it means in the garb of a pure batter for now. For someone still so young, Green speaks with a level of maturity well beyond his years when it comes to dealing with injuries. Starting with using the term “silver linings” more often than you’d expect to hear from a professional athlete when they’re talking about the challenge of recovering from injuries. “The silver lining to having four back injuries is I’ve got four chances only to be a batter. I felt like my game’s always been good around those periods. So, that’s never to take away, I’m always going to be keep bowling. But you’re so much more relaxed. Half a game to worry about, which is obviously nice. When you’re bowling and batting, there’s so much more you have to do bowling wise to keep yourself fit and ready to play. It does take away from batting. So, certainly, just batting is nice,” he says with a smile. And you can see how much Green is enjoying solely having to focus on his batting during his multiple stints in the nets here in London. It comes through in the freedom and the confidence that’s bursting through every facet about his batting. The glorious run he’s had with Gloucestershire in County Cricket in the lead-up to the WTC final is testament to that too. Ask him about how good he’s looking and Green doesn’t quite underplay it but tries to keep it in context. “(It’s) certainly the best I’ve felt batting in England. Obviously, we don’t get much time to come here and practice. So, to get the chance to come over and play some County cricket is like massively valuable. So, it’s the most prepared I’ve been. We’ll say that for now,” he says with a chuckle. Green is not a complete stranger to these conditions after all, having played in the last Ashes here in 2023 and the WTC final at The Oval against India. But he feels like the few weeks he spent with Gloucestershire allowed him to understand the unique nuances of batting in England a lot better. “It’s learning what the different conditions can bring. How old the ball can be to what it actually can do. Speaking to a few County guys who’ve been here for years, different ways to go about it. Certain cliches like defending straight and scoring square. It’s normally the complete opposite to Australia, where you’re looking to just hit straight down the ground. Just spending time out there has been awesome. Facing different speeds than what we face, different skillsets that first-class cricketers have been as compared to Australia.” Looking back at his recovery, Green talks about being amazed at how quickly his body was able to bounce back as compared to some others who’d undergone the same surgery a few years earlier. His statemate and great mate, Jason Behrendorff, who Green had consulted first, in particular. Green, who’s excited to regain his position at gully and pair up with fellow giant Beau Webster in the cordon, recalls being fully mobile at the “two-week mark” and to such an extent that the coaches had to ask him to slow down. “I think the procedure has changed definitely since Jason Behrendorff had his. I’ve got three scars, as they were able to miss the muscle a bit more, a little bit invasive as compared to Jason who only has one scar. Must have gone through the one hole. I don’t think he could move for 7-8 weeks. He was going a bit like “Stuff you”,” he says laughing. Green’s inherent pragmatism also comes through loudly as he recounts the six-month period where he was away from the action, where he also ended up missing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the two-Test tour to Sri Lanka. While he does admit to having some tough moments when watching his teammates bring glory to the country on TV, he also raves about having made the most of the time off. “I’ve always tried to find a silver lining to an injury. I think we play a lot of cricket and hardly get any time at home. So my silver lining was probably a bit of time at home. To refresh and reconnect with some friends that I don’t get the time…

Jamie Overton is set for a Test comeback after nearly three years of making his sole appearance for the country in red-ball cricket against New Zealand at Headingley in June 2022. The 31-year-old, however, sustained a broken little finger on his right hand during the first ODI against the West Indies on May 29 and is being assessed daily by the England medical team. Also making a comeback in the 14-member squad is seamer Brydon Carse, and the Warwickshire pair of Jacob Bethell and Chris Woakes, having last featured during the Test tour of New Zealand in December. Carse and Woakes had missed out on England’s recent win over Zimbabwe due to minor niggles. Meanwhile, Gus Atkinson was unavailable for selection due to a hamstring injury sustained during the Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge last month. The rest of the squad for the series opener in Headingley, Leeds, starting on June 20, is on expected lines. England squad for 1st India Test: Ben Stokes (C), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes