Browsing: England

With the 2026 World Cup final less than 11 months away, the starting pistol really has been sounded on Thomas…

India win an epic fifth Test against England by just six runs despite a sling-wearing Chris Woakes almost aiding Gus…

England captain Ben Stokes will not feature in the fifth Test against India at The Oval with the home side making as many as four changes.

England captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the fifth Test match with India due to injury.

Stokes earned the Player of the Match award in the fourth Test last week after taking five wickets and hitting a century during the first innings.

However, the 34-year-old visibly struggled fitness-wise as the match progressed, cramping up with the bat and having a shoulder issue while bowling.

Despite putting himself through the pain barrier and insisting several days ago that he remained likely to play at The Oval, it has been revealed that he is absent from the starting XI for the upcoming pivotal contest.

As a result, Ollie Pope will replace him as captain, and there have been a total of four alterations made to the team.

England make four changes for India fifth Test

Stokes is joined on the sidelines by Liam Dawson, Brydon Carse and Jorfa Archer, the latter not being risked having played two successive matches on his comeback to the five-day arena.

Carse has also been involved in all four Tests, the decision being taken to show preference to fresh bodies over sticking with a tiring attack.

As a result, England will line up with three new fast bowlers at the bottom of their lineup, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue stepping up in the aforementioned trios places.

Twenty-one-year-old Jacob Bethall comes into the team at number six for just his fourth Test match, expectations high after he averaged 52 over three Test matches in New Zealand at the back end of 2024.

He also offers a left-arm spin option as England rarely line up without an out-and-out spin bowler.

England go into the final match holding a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

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India avoid any alarm on the final day of the fourth Test with England to secure a deserved draw at Old Trafford, keeping the best-of-five series alive in the process.

India have battled their way to a draw with England in the fourth Test at Old Trafford.

KL Rahul and Shubman Gill valiantly laid the foundations during the final two sessions on day two to provide the tourists with what had initially felt like an unlikely chance to keep the best-of-five series alive.

However, despite both top-order batsman losing their wickets before lunch, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja replicated their effort of remaining unbeaten throughout the afternoon session to effectively ensure that the game would end in a draw.

There were farcical scenes at the end as Ben Stokes attempted to bring the game to an early conclusion with no result possible, but India chose to stay out to enable Washington and Jadeja to complete deserved centuries.

Several of England’s players showed frustration and petulance from India’s stance, yet the batting duo deserved their moment after nullifying the bowling attack for nearly two sessions.

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It’s a maiden Test match hundred for Washington Sundar ?

And that’s it, the players shake hands and the match is drawn, we head to The Oval with England 2-1 up in the series ? pic.twitter.com/kCkEhXKAsb

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 27, 2025

Stokes surprises with ball

Stokes had been a doubt to bowl during the final day, his ailing body feeling the effects of a five-for and a century earlier in the contest, but he trapped Rahul (90) in front of his stumps with the score of 188-3.

Gill lasted a further 79 minutes at the crease, a pivotal period in the context of the game, as he made his fourth century of the series, the India captain eventually departing just before lunch for 103 off 278 deliveries.

The very next ball, Jofra Archer almost set up a hat-trick opportunity, Joe Root dropping a difficult chance to send Jadeja straight back to the pavilion.

That ultimately proved to be costly as Washington (101*) and Jadeja (107*) put on (203) for the fifth wicket to give India the momentum ahead of the fifth and deciding Test, which starts on Thursday.

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England defy some dogged resistance from India to prevail with a 22-run victory at Lord’s, the final wicket taken by Shoaib Bashir coming in bizarre fashion.

England have recorded a 22-run victory over India in an epic third Test at Lord’s, ending the match with the bizarre wicket of Mohammed Siraj.

Heading into what felt like a series-defining final day, India required 135 runs for the win while England needed six wickets, leaving the match on a tightrope.

India reached tea having only added 105 runs during the opening two sessions, valiantly keeping themselves in the match having been eight down at lunch.

However, despite Ravindra Jadeja making 61 from 181 deliveries over almost four-and-a-half hours, Shoaib Bashir bowled Siraj to seal the win for England, the ball spinning back, clipping Siraj’s foot and rolling into his leg stump, just one of the bails being removed.

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ENGLAND HAVE WON THE THIRD TEST BY JUST 22 RUNS! ?

The ball rolls onto Mohammed Siraj’s stumps off the bowling of Shoaib Bashir! pic.twitter.com/ZazyVif3zW

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 14, 2025

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How did final day play out?

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India got off to a positive start, adding 13 runs to their total, before Jofra Archer bowled Rishabh Pant for nine to leave the tourists up against it.

Opener KL Rahul followed for 39, Ben Stokes successfully reviewing an LBW decision to remove the dangerman, and Washington Sundar soon followed for a duck after being caught and bowled by Archer.

When Chris Woakes removed Nitish Kumar Reddy for 13 in the over before lunch to leave India on 112-8 and still trailing their target by 81 runs, the writing was on the wall.

Instead, Jasprit Bumrah superbly supported Jadeja, lasting 54 balls and 104 minutes before holing out for five off the bowling of workhorse Stokes, who ran himself into the ground with over after over.

Siraj would also last over an hour, his four runs coming from 30 deliveries, but Bashir found the good fortune with the ball that his teammates had been lacking since lunch by bowling the tail-ender, sparking pandemonium within the England side after one of the most feisty Test matches in recent memory.

England now hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series ahead of the fourth encounter, which starts at Old Trafford on July 23.

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India level the best-of-five Test series with England with a thumping win at Edgbaston.

India have recorded a thumping 336-run victory over England to win the second Test match at Edgbaston.

Unlike in the first game at Headingley where they dominated for large periods, India got over the line on this occasion to level the best-of-five series.

With England starting the final day on 72-3 when chasing 608, it was always going to be a case of the home side trying to battle their way to a draw.

However, Akash Deep, as he has been with the ball throughout the match, was superb during the opening overs of the day, removing Ollie Pope (24) and Harry Brook (23).

Eager to make up for his first-ball duck in the first innings, Ben Stokes was defiant for 19 overs, but the England skipper was removed for 33.

Fresh from recording the highest-ever Test score by an England wicket-keeper earlier in the game, Jamie Smith went about a counter-attack with confidence.

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“5 wickets for Akash Deep, what a bowler he’s been in this test match!” ?

Jamie Smith is caught out for 88 at Edgbaston pic.twitter.com/DKl1lDREoB

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 6, 2025

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India seal deserved victory

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His 88 from 99 deliveries at least provided the crowd with some entertainment, yet it was merely delaying what felt like the inevitable.

Once he departed with the score of 226-8, Brydon Carse (28) Josh Tongue (2) and Shoaib Bashir (12*) hung tough for over 14 overs to try to frustrate the tourists.

Nevertheless, Deep concluded the game by taking his 10th wicket of the contest, making it 6-99 for the second innings, as he removed Carse.

There is only a three-day break before the third Test, that commencing at Lord’s on Thursday.

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Sports Mole previews the second match of the Test series between England and India at Edgbaston, including predictions and team news.

Following an impressive victory at Headingley, England will be hoping to take a 2-0 lead in their ongoing series against India when they head to Edgbaston this week for the second Test.

There is a chance of rain before the 11:00 start on July 2, but improving conditions are expected to allow mostly uninterrupted play in Birmingham over the coming week.

Match preview

India would have been bitterly disappointed and perhaps somewhat bewildered by how they lost their opening match of the series at Headingley, having dominated proceedings for the majority of the five-day contest.Â

No team had ever lost a Test match after scoring five individual centuries, until Shubman Gill’s side did in Leeds, where tons from the captain, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and a pair from the irrepressible Rishabh Pant proved futile.

A major contributing factor to the defeat was India dropping five catches during England’s first innings – the most the team has grassed in five years – including key misses that allowed Ollie Pope (from 60 to 106), Ben Duckett (15 to 62) and Harry Brook (58 to 99) to go on to post significant scores.

Another factor behind Indiaâ€s defeat was a batting collapse, as they lost seven wickets for 41 after Gill fell to Shoaib Bashir in the first inning, and that pattern was repeated in the second innings, when the side crumbled from 334/4 to 364 all out after Brydon Carse bowled KL Rahul.

Given the result in the first match, India now also face a conundrum around Jasprit Bumrahâ€s workload management, as the worldâ€s top-ranked fast bowler, who claimed five wickets in the first innings at Leeds, intends to play only three of the five Tests, which could leave the attack signifincantly less threatening in his absence in Birmingham.Â

Meanwhile, starting day five of the first Test at 21/0, England steadily got to 117/0 by lunch, maintaining a measured scoring rate of four runs per over while successfully negotiating their main threats, Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

Englandâ€s Bazball made its first true impression right here at Edgbaston in 2022 when the Three Lions chased down a record 378 against India, and now they return to the same venue to face the same opponents in the second Test of this year’s series.

While Jonny Bairstow was the embodiment of Bazball during its early days at the top of the order, that mantle now seems to belong to Duckett, whose brilliant 149 anchored Englandâ€s largely comfortable chase of 371 – their second-highest in Test history – against India at Headingley last week.

Indiaâ€s rising star, Jaiswal, is the only opener above Duckett in the latest ICC Test batting rankings, and there is certainly a solid case to be made that the English left-hander is currently among the best all-format batters in the game.

Englandâ€s record at Edgbaston will also add to their confidence of going 2-0 up in the series, as they have won 30 of the 56 Test matches played at the venue, while only losing 11 and playing out 15 draws.Â

Team News

Jofra Archer was recalled to the England squad for the second Test against India, but the Three Lions†speedster left the camp over the weekend to attend to a family emergency and has been ruled out for the Edgbaston clash.Â

Ben Stokes has opted to go with an unchanged lineup for this match, with the pace trio of Chris Woakes, â Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue retained, while Bashir will serve as the primary spin option.Â

As mentioned earlier, the main uncertainty heading into this match for India revolves around Bumrahâ€s availability and whether they possess the bowling strength to take 20 wickets in his absence.

In the event that the worldâ€s top fast bowler is unable to feature at Edgbaston, Arshdeep Singh is the most likely to be entrusted with the new ball alongside Siraj following another impressive performance at the Indian Premier League this year.Â

Pant will be hoping to accomplish a significant feat in this match, as his back-to-back centuries at Headingley saw him move to joint-third for the most tons by an Indian batter against England, now level on five with Virat Kohli, one behind former India skipper Mohammed Azharuddin and two off the legendary duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid on seven apiece.Â

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England squad: 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

India squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav

Series so far

Test 1 of 3: England won by five wickets

India – 471 & 364

England – 465 & 373/5

We say: England to win

While India’s top order batted extremely well in the first Test, they struggled to contain England with the ball in hand in the second innings, which allowed the home team to romp to victory fairly comfortably in the end.Â

Given that Bumrah is likely to be left out of this match as part of his workload management, India may struggle to make inroads against their opponentâ€s top order, and we feel that the Three Lions will take full advantage en route to a 2-0 series lead.Â

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England take a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five series with India with a near-miraculous run chase to record a five-wicket victory over India at Headingley.

England have pulled off one of the all-time great Test match victories in earning a five-wicket win over India at Headingley.

Tasked with chasing down 371, Ben Stokes‘s side made relatively light work of their target for one of the highest run chases in history.

Not only did it represent the second highest chase in England’s Test history, it was the first time that a team with five individual hundreds had ever suffered a defeat in a Test match.

Most importantly, a 1-0 lead has been established in the best-of-five series, India left with much to ponder after they were once on 430-3 in their first innings.

Starting on 21-0, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett set the tone with a majestic opening partnership of 188, India only making the breakthrough shortly after a rain delay.

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ENGLAND CHASE DOWN 371 AT HEADINGLEY! ???????? pic.twitter.com/LAXlMGL1y0

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 24, 2025

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Root brings England home

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While Crawley went for 65, Duckett continued along his merry way, reaching 149 from 170 deliveries that featured 21 fours and one six.

Harry Brook being dismissed for a first-ball duck set the cat amongst the pigeons, Shardul Thakur’s double salvo leaving England on 253-4 and still requiring 118 runs.

Stokes and Joe Root would steady the ship, the skipper making 33 from 51 balls before his exit from the scene of his greatest moment six years ago.

Root, as you would expect, stood firm and along with Jamie Smith, whose composure exceeded his minimal experience at this level, got England home with wickets and time to spare.

On his home ground, Root made 53 from 84 and Smith 44 from 55, two sixes coming off what proved to be the final over as England made 373-5 at a run-rate of 4.54, adding yet another chapter into the Baz-ball folklore.

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Sports Mole previews the first 2025 T20 match between England and the West Indies, scheduled to be played at the Riverside Ground on Friday.

With the ODI series wrapped up, England and the West Indies will now face off in the first of the three T20 internationals at the Riverside Ground on Friday evening.

The visitors will be looking to turn their fortunes around in this series after the hosts produced a commanding performance in the 50-over format, securing a 3-0 whitewash.

Match preview

© Imago

England completed their 3-0 ODI series whitewash over the West Indies in midweek with a seven-wicket victory chasing a target of 246 after a rain delay caused the match to be reduced the match to 40 overs.

Jamie Smith led the charge with an explosive 64 from just 28 deliveries, while an unbroken 46-run stand between captain Harry Brook (26*) and former skipper Jos Buttler (41*) got the Three Lions over the line with 10 overs and two balls to spare.

The hosts reached 100 runs in just eight overs, marking the joint-fourth fastest that any men’s side has reached three figures, while Ben Duckett and Player of the Series Joe Root also made important contributions of 58 and 44 runs, respectively.

While England’s dominance in the final ODI was certainly impressive, a cause for greater satisfaction was their resilience in the second match, when they pulled off a three-wicket victory despite a far-from-perfect performance.

England will head into the T20 series with all the momentum, but they have not fared well against the Windies in the shortest format, winning just three of their last seven matches against the Men in Maroon on home soil.

© Imago

Meanwhile, the 3-0 defeat which followed a 1-1 tie against Ireland last month has left the West Indies uncomfortably placed alongside Bangladesh in the race for automatic World Cup qualification.

However, despite the margin of defeat on Wednesday, there were a few positives that the West Indies would have taken from the match, most notably, the performance of Sherfane Rutherford, who scored 70 off just 71 deliveries in what was his first match of the series.

Young Keacy Carty is another who has shown glimpses of brilliance during this tour, having notched up a century in the second ODI, while Gudakesh Motie has been the spearhead of the middle-order with his aggressive batting.

The visitors are widely expected to be much more competitive in the T20 leg of this series, which is the first for newly appointed T20 captain Shai Hope, as they will be bolstered by the return of several key players who missed the ODI series.

Team News

© Imago

Liam Dawson is set to play his first T20I for the Three Lions in almost three years this week, while Phil Salt is expected to make the starting lineup after helping the Royal Challengers Bangalore win their maiden Indian Premier League title earlier in the week.

Adil Rashid, who is the most successful bowler against West Indies in T20I history with 36 wickets at an economy of 6.05, will be looking to carry his solid ODI form into this series, while Buttler was in excellent nick at the IPL, where he scored 538 runs at a strike rate of 163.03.

The West Indies will be bolstered by the return of Jason Holder, who last played for the national team in a T20 in February 2024, and was one of the standout bowlers for Islamabad United at the 2025 Pakistan Super League.

Additionally, Andre Russell returns to the squad after injuring himself in the opening match of last year’s series against England in Barbados, though he did play every match in the IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders this season.

England squad: Harry Brook, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Luke Wood.

West Indies squad: Shai Hope, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd.

© PA Photos

We say: England to win

We are expecting a much more closely contested T20 series over the coming week, but given the momentum the hosts gained from their ODI triumph, we feel they will get off to a winning start in this match.

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Sports Mole previews the second 2025 One Day International match between England and the West Indies, scheduled to be played at the Sophia Gardens Cricket Ground on Sunday.

The three-match ODI series between England and the West Indies heads to the Sophia Gardens Cricket Ground in Cardiff for game two on Sunday morning.

There is a very slight chance of rain in Wales for this weekend’s match, though overcast conditions are expected, which could favour pace bowling early on.

Match preview

© Imago

Harry Brook enjoyed a triumphant debut as England’s full-time white-ball captain, as he led his team to a dominant 238-run victory over the West Indies in the opening one-day international at Edgbaston on Thursday.

The Three Lions posted a massive target of 400/8 after being put in to bat by the Windies, and that total marked the sixth time they have surpassed the 400-run mark in a one-day international.

Additionally, it was their highest ODI score in three years and their best against a Test-playing nation since clinching the World Cup in 2019, while it also brought an end to their seven-match ODI losing streak.

Perhaps the most notable stat, though, was that it was England’s highest total in any ODI without a century being scored by their batsmen, but Jacob Bethell (82), Ben Duckett (60), Brook (58) and Joe Root (57) all posted half-centuries.

With the ball, Saqib Mahmood stood out for the hosts, claiming three key top-order wickets to finish with figures of 3 for 32, and his efforts helped England dismiss the West Indies for just 162 in the 27th over, sealing their second-largest victory in ODI history by runs – surpassed only by their 242-run thrashing of Australia in Nottingham in 2018.

© Imago

Meanwhile, after a questionable performance in the series against Ireland, which included a shocking 124-run defeat in their first game, the West Indies’ performance in Edgbaston did nothing to improve the outlook around their chances of qualifying for the World Cup next year.

It was a punishing day with the ball for the West Indies, as England’s batters dominated from the start, and while Jayden Seales managed to take four wickets, he also proved costly, leaking 84 runs in his nine overs.

Chasing the mammoth target, the Windies’ top-order were unable to handle Mahmood and crumbled to 79/5 in the 15th over, with Brandon King, Justin Greaves and youngster Jewel Andrew dismissed for a combined 22 runs.

Only three West Indian batsmen surpassed 20 runs on Thursday, with Seales, batting last, ending as the visitors’ top scorer on 29, which made him just the seventh No.11 to top-score in an ODI innings.

Team News

© Imago

Veteran leg-spinner Adil Rashid marked his 150th ODI appearance with a two-wicket haul at Edgbaston and sealed the victory for England by bowling tailender Alzarri Joseph to wrap up the match.

While most of the headlines were hogged by England’s top-order, Will Jacks deserves a mention, as he continued his impressive form from the Indian Premier League and produced a solid 39 off just 24 deliveries batting at number seven.

Aside from Seales, Keacy Carty and skipper Shai Hope were the only other West Indian batsmen to post scores over 20 runs, and if the visitors are to have a chance of levelling the series, they will need much more from those two on Sunday.

Alzarri Joseph and Justin Greaves finished with respectable figures of 2/69 and 2/68 in 10 overs, respectively, while Matthew Forde will need to find major improvement with the new ball, having gone for 88 runs in eight overs and ending wicketless.

England squad: Harry Brook (c), Luke Wood, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie Smith

West Indies squad: Shai Hope (c), Jewel Andrew, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Amir Jangoo, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd

Series so far

ODI 1 of 3: England won by 238 runs
England – 400/8 (50)
West Indies – 162 (26.2)

© PA Photos

We say: England to win

Given the margin of defeat and just how poorly they played at Edgbaston, it is difficult to make much of a case for the West Indies to level the series this weekend. Therefore, we feel England will secure the series win by going 2-0 up in this one.

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