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Shaun Marsh followed up his 80 from the first innings with a 92-ball 98 to help his side romp to a seven wicket win over Tasmania at the WACA

Alex Malcolm27-Oct-2018Shaun Marsh played on trying to drive•Getty Images

Shaun Marsh has gone a long way to shore up his Test spot with a scintillating 98 to help Western Australia romp to a seven wicket win over Tasmania at the WACA.The Warriors were in early trouble chasing a tricky fourth innings target of 192. Gabe Bell and Jackson Bird removed both openers Jonathan Wells and Josh Philippe respectively to leave the home side 2 for 5. But Marsh and Hilton Cartwright made light work of the chase from there.After plundering 17 boundaries in his first innings 80, Marsh following up with 19 fours in a 92-ball 98. He and Cartwright put on 170 in just 33.1 overs before Marsh was trapped lbw by Beau Webster with just 17 runs to win. But his two fluent half-centuries on a surface where the bowlers held sway for the majority of the three days saw him named Player of the Match.Cartwright’s unbeaten 84 from 126 balls was shaded by Marsh but was no less valuable as WA responded to the round one innings defeat to Victoria in fine fashion.Earlier, Cameron Green took 3 for 12 to finish with career-best match figures of 9 for 42. Tasmania were looking to set a significant fourth innings target with Jordan Silk and Jake Doran laying a strong platform courtesy of a 73-run stand. But both men chopped on to Marcus Stoinis and Jhye Richardson in consecutive overs and the innings never recovered.Matthew Wade made his fourth consecutive half-century of the season but ran out of partners for the fourth straight innings as Green, Matt Kelly and David Moody ran swiftly through the Tigers’ tail.Marsh and Cartwright then rattled to victory in the chase to win with seven wickets and a day to spare.

New Zealand women amassed 491 for 4 – the highest total in all ODI cricket – to smash records and Ireland women at YMCA Cricket Club in Dublin

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2018
New Zealand women amassed 491 for 4 – the highest total in all ODI cricket – to smash records and Ireland women at the YMCA Cricket Club in Dublin. They threatened to break the 500-run barrier when they were 471 for 4 in 49 overs. Seventeen-year-old Amelia Kerr – the fourth New Zealand batsman to cross 50 – drove the first two balls of the last over through extra cover for fours. She followed it with another four to the long-on boundary, but could manage only seven off the last three balls.In response, Ireland folded for 144 in 35.3 overs as New Zealand secured the fourth-biggest win in women’s ODIs – by 346 runs. They achieved the biggest win – by 408 runs – when they ran up 455 for 5, the previous highest total in ODIs, in Christchurch in 1997.Ireland will also be concerned about Isobel Joyce, who did not bat in the chase after bumping her head on the ground while fielding. She had bowled just one over in the first innings.It was captain Suzie Bates and No. 3 Maddy Green who set the tone for New Zealand’s mammoth score with quickfire centuries – 151 off 94 balls and 121 off 77 balls respectively. Bates and debutant Jess Watkin started with a blistering 172-run opening partnership off 18.5 overs at a run rate of 9.13. The stand ended when Rachel Delaney, a substitute fielder, pulled off a stunning one-handed catch at deep square leg to dismiss Watkin for 62 off 59 balls.Bates, who was on 89 off 59 balls then, went on to score her 10th ODI hundred, off only 71 balls. Only Australia captain Meg Lanning (11) has more ODI centuries than Bates. She reached the landmark when she tucked legspinner Gaby Lewis to the leg side for a single and got a hug from team-mate Green in the middle.In the next over, Bates was reprieved on 113 when Louise Little dropped a return catch that went high. Bates further added 38 to her tally before 17-year-old legspinner Cara Murray, also making her ODI debut, drew Bates out of her crease and had her stumped in the 30th over, and New Zealand were 288 for 2. Murray also dismissed Amy Satterthwaite, but ended up conceding 119 runs – the worst figures in all ODIs.Three other bowlers – Lewis, Little, and Lara Maritz – gave away 92 runs each while new-ball bowler Amy Kenealy went for 81 in nine overs.The loss of Bates did not slow down New Zealand. Green, whose previous best ODI score was 46, smoked her maiden international century off 62 balls, while Kerr scored an unbeaten 81 off 45 balls, including nine fours and three sixes. Kerr added 76 for the fifth wicket in 38 balls to bring her side to within 10 runs of 500.Notably, this match was played on the same pitch where New Zealand had chased down 137 in 11 overs without losing a wicket on Wednesday.Seamer Hannah Rowe made light work of Ireland’s openers before offspinner Leigh Kasperek ran through the middle and lower order with career-best figures of 4 for 17. She had dismissed captain Laura Delany (37) and Jennifer Gray (35) – the only two Ireland batsmen to pass 20. The entire Ireland side managed only 18 boundaries while Bates alone hit 26.

A heroic rearguard effort from Greaves, Roach, and Hope ensured West Indies salvaged a thrilling draw after slipping to 72 for 4

Shashank Kishore06-Dec-20251:01

Chase: Roach is a modern-day legend

An epic stonewall from Justin Greaves had him face more than half the deliveries of his 12-Test career in this one innings alone, as West Indies pocketed their first points in their sixth Test of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle in Christchurch. The 163.3 overs they eventually faced is the longest fourth-innings in Tests for West Indies in 95 years.Having played the supporting role to Shai Hope through their 196-run stand that rescued West Indies from 92 for 4 on Day 3, Greaves became the heartbeat of the innings once Hope (140) and Tevin Imlach fell in quick succession.He brought up a stunning maiden Test double ton in the penultimate over when he sliced Jacob Duffy over backward point to pocket what was to be only his second boundary in all of the final session as his colleagues stood up to give him a standing ovation.Related

• Justin Greaves: 'Test cricket a massive step up from first-class cricket in Caribbean'

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• Greaves: 'Special, special day for me; special day for the team'

He finished 202 not out, having faced 388 deliveries, turning an innings that began with the typical artistic flair and flamboyance into a steely knock full of purpose and grit. Greaves wore more blows on the body than he could count, batted more deliveries than he had in his career, and reined in his natural instincts with single-minded purpose and determination.His effort led to an astonishing turnaround from the first hour of the day, when West Indies stumbled to 277 for 6 in a mammoth chase of 531. A depleted New Zealand attack down to two weary frontline pacers in Zak Foulkes and Jacob Duffy, fancied their chances. But Greaves found an able ally in Kemar Roach, the 37-year-old veteran, who batted like his life depended on it in his comeback Test.Roach made 58 not out – his highest first-class score – while facing 233 deliveries himself. Astonishingly, he made just 5 off the last 104 deliveries he faced during a dramatic final two hours of play even as the sun baked down hard on an increasingly docile Hagley Oval surface. Yet that should not take away from the epic rearguard from Hope, Greaves, and Roach.The frustration of not being able to separate Greaves and Roach during the second and third sessions was evident, as New Zealand’s bowlers were ground into the dust. They would also have felt robbed when Roach appeared to have nicked Michael Bracewell to Tom Latham behind the stumps – though perhaps only having themselves to blame for burning all their reviews.Even so, it was the thinnest of spikes that made it all the more challenging for Alex Wharf, the on-field umpire, who only a few minutes earlier made a cracking decision by turning down what everyone believed was an obvious inside-edge onto the pad to the slips, again off Bracewell. Replays showed Wharf had made a terrific call.1:57

Latham: Can’t fault the effort when we were a couple of bowlers down

As admirably as Roach played, he also maximised his opportunities. On 30, he was put down by Foulkes at backward square leg when he attempted an expansive sweep off Bracewell. On 35, Blair Tickner, subbing for Matt Henry, missed a direct hit at the bowler’s end from a few yards away at short mid-on as Roach was misjudging a run.Then on 47 came the most obvious chance, when Roach attempted to loft Bracewell had him nearly hole out to mid-on. Except, Glenn Phillips, the other sub, saw Tickner looking to intercept the ball from mid-off and palm it away.With those three chances firmly behind him, Roach buckled down and offered a dead bat to anything that came his way against Bracewell. Foulkes and Duffy tried to ruffle him with the short ball from around the wicket, only for him to duck and weave.Going into the final session, it became increasingly evident West Indies weren’t going to be enticed by the prospect of chasing down the 132 runs they needed in 31 possible overs. This clarity allowed them to approach the session with dead defence being the sole primary aim, even as Greaves began to tire and suffer cramps that needed medical attention at different times.Not even the possibility of an impending double century enticed Greaves into attempting anything loose, even if Tom Latham gave him the open invitation to drive Bracewell against the turn through the covers. This wasn’t perhaps a risk not worth taking given how easily West Indies’ lower order collapsed in the first innings.But long before a draw became the only possibility, even as New Zealand tried to attack with six fielders around the bat in the final session, Hope and Greaves pocketed runs at every available opportunity as the hosts rushed through their first six overs with part-time spin in a bid to take the second new ball quickly.But even after they took it, there was hardly any assistance for the bowlers. Hope defended comfortably off a length with neither Foulkes nor Duffy consistently able to challenge the outside edge consistently. The occasional misfields, like – Rachin Ravindra letting one through his legs for four, or Will Young overrunning a throw while backing up – added to the sense of raggedness New Zealand had begun to feel.A breakthrough lifted them shortly after drinks when Duffy dug in a short ball down leg, which Hope gloved behind, only for Latham to throw himself to his left and pluck a stunner from his webbing to end a marathon. Then came a second when Imlach was trapped by a nip-backer.They may have thought then it was just a matter of time. It could’ve been had they not reprieved Roach, but those reprieves proved even more costly given they only had two fast bowlers and two part-timers available – all of them going full throttle to the limit – despite not getting much out of the surface.In the end, the manner in which West Indies earned the draw may prove far more valuable. Above all, it was a day that reminded everyone of the slow-burn magic only Test cricket could deliver.

ECB decline to comment on alleged incident at a pub in south-west London in May

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2025A well-known figure within English cricket is being investigated by police over allegations of spiking the drinks of two women and sexually assaulting one of them.The reported on Friday that the man, in his 40s, was questioned under caution by Scotland Yard in June after a complaint at a pub in south-west London, in the SW6 area which covers Fulham and Parsons Green. The ECB declined to comment on the allegations.”We are currently investigating allegations of spiking and sexual assault against two women that took place on Thursday, 22 May at a pub in the SW6 area,” the Metropolitan Police told ESPNcricinfo in a statement.”Two women are believed to have been spiked with one also allegedly sexually assaulted. A man in his 40s was interviewed under caution on Thursday, 5 June. Enquiries remain ongoing and no arrests have been made at this stage.”Chris Haward, the managing director of the Cricket Regulator – the independent body responsible for handling disciplinary cases within English cricket – said last month: “Removing sexual misconduct from the game is a priority.”The Regulator has twice charged individuals following instances of sexual misconduct in the last year.A coach was suspended for up to nine months in August after being dismissed by his county for “sexualised and inappropriate” pictures to junior female members of staff. Last November, another coach was suspended for up to six months for “inappropriate sexual behaviour” on a county pre-season tour.

It wasn’t just about one more run, but a lot of small bits that could have gone the other way, says the New Zealand captain

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2019 in the end, conceding it was a bitter pill to swallow, the loss to England on boundary count after 100 overs and two Super Overs had ended with nothing to separate the two teams.On the decision to bat first after winning the toss
The pitch was on the dry side, so we felt runs on the board… as it proved, it was going to be challenging. And we were able to get the runs on the board. Yes, we may have liked another ten or 20, in a World Cup final, 250-240 might be enough. The guys went really hard out there, put England under pressure on a tough surface. It was a fantastic game of cricket. Both sides showed a lot of fight, a lot of heart. Obviously to go down to the last ball, and then the last ball of the next little match [Super Over]… Yeah, credit to England, and a lot of positives in this experience for our boys as well.WATCH on Hotstar – The wickets New Zealand took (India only)On the four overthrows off Ben Stokes’ bat in the last over
It was a little bit of a shame, wasn’t it? It’s unfortunately the sort of game we play, this sort of thing happens from time to time, you just hope it doesn’t happen in moments like that. It’s pretty tough, but it probably wasn’t going to be for us.On opening with Jimmy Neesham and Martin Guptill in the Super Over
Both guys hit the ball really hard, it’s the right-hand-left-hand combination as well with the slightly shorter side boundaries. It was a decision that was made, and we were tossing up on the No. 3. No regrets. It is tough to perhaps review the match and such small margins, as we know, in any game but especially one we saw today.On the thinnest of margins on which the match was decided
It certainly wasn’t just one extra run. There were so many small parts in that match that could have gone either way as we saw throughout the whole game, but congratulations to England, they have a fantastic game plan and they deserve the victory.On the overall performance of the New Zealand team
It has been challenging, the pitches have been a bit different to what we expected, there was a lot of talk about 300-plus scores, but we haven’t seen many of those, it was a tough fight, and I want to thank our side, the New Zealand side, as well for the fight they showed this whole campaign on some tough wickets, showed a huge amount of heart to get us to this stage, a tie in the final, it just wasn’t going to be today. We have a really well-balanced attack, with so many parts to it, the guys are shattered at the moment – it was obviously very devastating – but their performance throughout the tournament was at such a high level, gave us every opportunity to go on. Pretty tough to swallow at this stage but a fantastic effort from our guys.

James Anderson says Ben Stokes is “good to go” as England ponder changes to XI

Matt Roller13-Oct-2024Pakistan are set to use the same pitch twice in a row in Multan as they look to respond to their innings defeat against England. Industrial-sized fans were set up at either end of the pitch as both teams held optional training sessions on Sunday after it was heavily watered by groundstaff in the aftermath of the first Test.Jason Gillespie and Shan Masood, Pakistan’s coach and captain, had a look at the pitch on Sunday morning, before Gillespie had a lengthy conversation with Tony Hemming, the PCB’s Australian head curator. The bowlers’ footmarks from the first Test looked dry and cracked, and were further dried by the fans and the harsh sun.Pakistan’s move is unusual, not least because it is rare for the same venue to stage consecutive Tests. But ICC’s pitch regulations only require the “best possible pitch and outfield conditions” with no stipulations that the surface must be fresh or unused, and after 11 consecutive home Tests without a win, Pakistan may feel the need to try something different.Related

• Pakistan drop Shaheen, Naseem alongside Babar for next two Tests

• James Anderson buoyed by breadth and depth of evolving fast bowling stocks

• PCB restructures selection committee by picking Aleem Dar, Aaqib, Azhar

• Pakistan, a graveyard for Test bowlers – in numbers

• Babar Azam set to be dropped for second Test against England

The decision to play the second Test on the same strip may empower England to pick Ben Stokes, with spin likely to play a bigger role. Stokes has ramped up his bowling workloads over the past week and bowled at full pace in the nets on Sunday morning, suggesting he should be fit to return and could play the role of a third seamer if required.James Anderson, who is overseeing England’s fast bowlers on this tour, told the BBC: “He looks great. He has worked really hard on his fitness and is looking as strong as I’ve ever seen him… Knowing Ben, once he gets into the game, there will be no stopping him. He’s just that sort of player. He’s good to go: we’ll just have to wait and see what he can do in the game.”England were braced for “result wickets” after taking a 1-0 lead with two Tests to play, and are anticipating a lower-scoring match when the second Test starts on Tuesday. The pitch offered nothing for bowlers in the first Test, with 1,599 runs scored for the loss of 26 wickets – an average of 61.5 runs per wicket.Ben Stokes goes full tilt at training•Getty Images

Anderson admitted he thought that Pakistan’s plans would have been blocked by ICC regulations, but said England were “not fussed” by the prospect of playing on the same strip again. “It’s their decision, their conditions, their home game,” he said. “They can do what they want. The fact that it’s the same pitch doesn’t determine the result.”He predicted that Pakistan’s plans will see spin play a greater role, which he suggested could suit England. “That’s a first for me in Test cricket,” Anderson said. “When we’re talking about Ben’s workloads and his bowling, it might play into our hands with that, with the spinners potentially playing more of a part… We don’t know what we’re going to get.”Going off the last game, we did see it go up and down – mainly down – towards the back end. The cracks started opening up. I’m no groundsman, but I don’t think you can make cracks go back together that easily, certainly in three days. You’d expect it to do something off the cracks and with it being dry and hot again, you’d expect the spinners to play more of a part.”There were some signs of variable bounce by the final day of the Test as England wrapped up their win, but Chris Woakes said it had offered “bugger all” for bowlers. Kevin Pietersen, the former England captain, described it as a “bowlers’ graveyard” on X/Twitter, and suggested that Pakistan should re-use it for the second Test.The second Test was initially scheduled for Karachi, but was moved to Multan at late notice due to ongoing renovations at the National Stadium. The PCB have pledged to give it a “major facelift” ahead of the Champions Trophy next year, and Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium was unavailable for the England series for the same reason.

A lower-back stress reaction has ruled the South Africa fast bowler out of the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-2018South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada faces up to three months on the sidelines because of a lower-back stress reaction. He will not be able to play IPL 2018, as a result, for Delhi Daredevils who had bought him for INR 4.2 crores (USD 646,000) at the player auction in January.Rabada had complained of tightness and discomfort during the fourth and final Test in Johannesburg, and bowled only eight overs in Australia’s second innings. A subsequent scan revealed the injury, according to South Africa’s team manager Mohammad Moosajee. Rabada was adjudged Play of the Series for taking 23 wickets in four Tests.”Kagiso has been diagnosed with a lower-back stress reaction which will rule him out of cricket action for up to three months,” Moosajee said. “He will need a month’s break from all physical activity before commencing with a rehabilitation programme to get him ready for the series against Sri Lanka in July.”South Africa’s next international engagement is a tour of Sri Lanka in July to play two Tests, five ODIs and a T20I.

It would mark Smith’s first cricket since the ball-tampering controversy in Cape Town which led to him being stripped of the captaincy and suspended for 12 months

Peter Della Penna24-May-2018Suspended former Australia captain Steven Smith has been named as one of ten marquee players for the proposed Global T20 Canada league set to start at the end of June in Toronto.If the competition takes place as planned, it would mark Smith’s first cricket since the ball-tampering controversy in Cape Town which led to him being stripped of the captaincy and suspended from international, state and Big Bash action for 12 months.
The other players punished after the Cape Town incident – Cameron Bancroft and David Warner – had previously confirmed their comeback plans. Bancroft was given dispensation to play in Western Australia’s Premier Cricket league while Warner is set to turn out for his Sydney club side Randwick Petersham.Along with Smith, the other marquee names announced include fellow Australian Chris Lynn, Pakistani allrounder Shahid Afridi, Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga, South African batsman David Miller and five West Indians: Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo. In addition, several marquee coaches were also announced including Phil Simmons, Tom Moody and Heath Streak.The marquee names will be taken in the first two rounds of the 16-round player draft scheduled for May 26 with a total of 80 players chosen. ESPNcricinfo sources have stated that pre-assigned draft salary slots will start at USD100,000 for the first round marquee names and bottom out at USD3,000 in the final round.Global T20 Canada tournament director and former Barbados Tridents chief executive Jason Harper announced at the league’s media launch event in Toronto on Thursday that over 1,500 players have signed up to be in the draft pool for later this month. Conflicting information provided by Global T20 Canada’s web site and press releases have mentioned one of three possible dates for the draft: May 26, 30 or 31. Sources have told ESPNcricinfo that players who signed up had to set a reserve price for the draft, similar to the CPL and they cannot be drafted in a lower priced round than their reserve price.Even though the league has announced six teams, only five franchises will take part of the draft: Toronto Nationals, who hold the first pick in the draft; Vancouver Knights, Winnipeg Hawks, Montreal Tigers and the Edmonton Royals, who were originally named the Ottawa Royals in previous information posted on the Global T20 Canada website. The sixth team will be a Caribbean All-Stars side consisting of West Indian domestic players but none of the marquee West Indies players in the draft will be part of that squad.The entire tournament will take place at Maple Leaf Cricket Club located in King City, Ontario, a small rural village 25 miles north of downtown Toronto.Maple Leaf CC has no permanent seats or television facilities, meaning a temporary structures will need to be installed over the next five weeks to create the 7000 seat stadium structure that has been advertised on the league website in time for the first match scheduled for June 28. The tournament final is set for July 15, the same day as the FIFA World Cup Final in Moscow.

Sri Lanka will miss their captain, while Dale Steyn fit again and within touching distance of Shaun Pollock’s South Africa record

Firdose Moonda11-Jul-20181:11

Will Steyn finally become South Africa’s leading Test wicket-taker?

Big picture

At first glance, perhaps this is not the most enticing of match-ups. At first glance at recent history, it definitely isn’t.The last time South Africa played Sri Lanka – in the summer of 2016-17 in South Africa – they beat the visitors 3-0 on pitches that seamed and spat and rendered Sri Lanka’s batsmen no more than mannequins. But the last time South Africa played Sri Lanka, two enthralling Tests saw them win a series on the island for only the second time, and the first time in 21 years. In Galle, South Africa used reverse-swing to beat Sri Lanka at their own fortress and in Colombo batted out a draw, to begin with success a short Hashim Amla stint as captain.Much has changed for South Africa since then, not least that the captaincy moved from Amla to the now-retired AB de Villiers to Faf du Plessis. Sri Lanka’s leadership has also changed – from Angelo Matthews to Dinesh Chandimal – and will be forced to change again, as Chandimal has accepted a suspension of at least two Tests (putting him out of the series) due to a code-of-conduct violation.More’s the pity if that misses out, not only because Sri Lanka would have loved to have him against a strong South African attack, but also because both he and du Plessis have ball-tampering history.The focus will now be on much less murky matters and the actual cricket should take centrestage. South Africa’s batsmen will be scrutinised against spin, especially after their 2015 tour to India and more especially since de Villiers’ retirement; Sri Lanka’s will be watched against pace, even though there is not expected to be much of it in these conditions. At first glance, it’s not a contest for the ages but look a little deeper, and it might be.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: WDLWD

South Africa: WWWLLDinesh Chandimal has a chat with head coach Chandika Hathurusingha•RANDY BROOKS/AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight

With 27 Tests and three daddy-hundreds (176 against Australia, 194 and 196 against Bangladesh) to his name, Kusal Mendis has emerged as one of Sri Lanka’s most accomplished young batsmen, and will want to stand up to a much-vaunted South African attack. Kusal was Sri Lanka’s top-scorer on their tour of the West Indies, three runs behind the overall leader Shane Dowrich, and his 285 runs included a century and a half-century. He will hope to carry that form into the South Africa series.All eyes will be on Dale Steyn, who is expected to make his return after more than seven months on the sidelines with a heel injury. Steyn made a successful return to fitness for Hampshire, and though he was “rusty” on return to the national camp, Ottis Gibson is clearly excited to have him as part of the artillery. As long as Steyn can stay on the park, he is all but guaranteed a place in the starting XI, which means he could finally complete his long quest to break the South African wicket-takers’ record. But, of course, that’s not all he is after. Steyn would like to play at least another full season and will want to show he still has plenty to offer.

Team news

South Africa are likely to go for a seven-batsmen, three-seamer and one spinner combination which will see Temba Bavuma slot in at No.4, replacing de Villiers, and Theunis de Bruyn at No.6. Lungi Ngidi will miss out for now.South Africa: 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Temba Bavuma, 5 Faf du Plessis (capt), 6 Theunis de Bruyn, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Dale SteynRangana Herath has recovered from a split webbing in his hand and should take his place in the XI, and Sri Lanka will need to decide which of Dilruwan Perera, Akila Dananjaya or Lakshan Sandakan will partner him. Suranga Lakmal is likely to captain in Chandimal’s absence.Sri Lanka: 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Roshen Silva, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Rangana Herath, 9 Suranga Lakmal (capt), 10 Akila Dananjaya, 11 Lahiru Kumara

Pitch and conditions

Sprinklings of rain have been around in the build-up to the match, for a few hours each day for the last week, which could mean an interrupted Test on a pitch that has not dried out as much as the groundstaff would have hoped. For the hosts, that means they will have to wait for enough sunshine to dry the surface out before it will offer the turn they want. South Africa will welcome that news, and will hope their quicks can be more effective early on. Temperatures will nudge towards 30 degrees Celsius with humidity of around 90% on each of the five days.

Stats and trivia

India lost Pant and Rahul on either side of lunch, but Jadeja and Reddy dug in despite a few mix-ups and a fiery Archer spell

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2025

KL Rahul celebrates his second century at Lord’s•Getty Images

Tea The shockwaves of one mistake – virtually the only one India made on the third morning – reverberated through the rest of play as India slipped from a commanding position. Rishabh Pant was run-out looking to get KL Rahul on strike for his century before lunch. Rahul fell for exactly 100 after lunch. Jofra Archer produced a hair-raising spell of fast bowling. England were desperate to break through but it was not to be. India now trail them by 72 runs. Both teams could’ve made their situations better.India lost both their set batters in the space of 11 balls. The two who replaced them at the crease looked like they were incompatible. Ravindra Jadeja tried to sneak a single in the middle of an lbw appeal and Nitish Kumar Reddy wasn’t alert to it. He could’ve been run out on 0, twice. He saw the ball fly past his edge. He got hit on the helmet. But he wouldn’t succumb. And neither would Jadeja.England sensed an opportunity dragging India from 248 for 3 to 254 for 5. Stokes gambled with a four-over spell from Archer with the new ball just around the corner. Lord’s lived every ball, most of them sent down at 90mph, causing the crowd to ooooh and aaah. Stokes gambled again, bringing Archer back with only half an hour between spells to maximise that new ball. But this time he was wayward. Jadeja and Reddy could leave 11 of the first 24 balls with the second new ball and bit by bit their nerves settled. In the end, they were able to put on a fifty partnership.Rahul carried India’s batting, and secured a new high for them. They’ve made eight hundreds on this tour, a record for an away series. Repeatedly, he talks about the discrepancy between effort and reward. When he does so, it is almost tempting to extrapolate that he’d learned that lesson the hardest way possible. Obsessing about his lack of success and doubling down on his prep work in desperate search for a change.At some point though, he realised he needed to let go, which is funny because one time, in South Africa, he started speaking about how letting go of the ball was where his joy was. Bit by bit, his focus turned from scoring runs to just being the best batter he can be. Well, in this series, he’s made two hundreds in three Tests. Shoaib Bashir produced a beauty to get rid of him, an offbreak that drifted away at the last second to snag the outside edge. Bashir’s participation in the game was curtailed after that with the offspinner picking up a finger injury when Jadeja hit the ball back at him.Pant looked good as well, batting through an injury to his left hand, putting aside his discomfort to produce moments only he can. Reverse scoops. Fall away scoops. Sixes to the first ball of spin. He needed help from the physio to stay out there but for the most part he was good, until the last over before lunch when he thought he was helping his team-mate by sneaking a single to cover. Ben Stokes was aware of the situation, and as he ran in from cover, he had an easier throw at the keeper’s end, but chose to go the other way and sent Pant packing. The celebrations that followed were almost angry. A sign that England hadn’t enjoyed being second best this morning, though not for a lack of effort.