Rory Burns

Time Hasn’t Come To Call 4 Test Veteran Shardul Thakur An All-Rounder: Irfan Pathan

Published on September 8, 2021September 8, 2021

Irfan Pathan, former India all-rounder has urged fans and critics not to burden Shardul Thakur with the pressure of expectations. Irfan Pathan, who himself was dubbed by many as the next ‘Kapil Dev’, advised Indian cricket to handle Shardul Thakur in a smart manner.

Shardul Thakur has made an impressive start to his international career. In the Oval Test, he scored two vital fifties and also got the wickets of Joe Root and Rory Burns on the final day. In an interaction, Irfan Pathan explained that it is important to allow Shardul Thakur to settle into a defined role in the team.

Irfan Pathan: Let Shardul Thakur Settle In His No. 8 Position And He Shouldn’t Be Put Under High Expectations

Shardul Thakur made two aggressive half-centuries (57 of 36 and 60 of 72), repairing a collapse in the first innings and stamping India’s advantage in the second. He also picked up 3 critical wickets in the game, including that of Joe Root. Shardul Thakur has featured in only 4 Tests so far since debuting in 2018 against the West Indies where he got injured and couldn’t bowl more than 10 balls.

“We’ve to be smart enough to manage him nicely. By that, I mean that we don’t put added pressure on him by promoting him from No 8 to No 7. Right now, he’s shown signs of being a good, handy lower-order batsman. He’s a very, very good No. 8 batsman at the highest level.”

“In modern-day cricket, it’s not just about No. 7…You need a guy who bats well, a match-winner at No. 8 as well. With a guy like Shardul at that slot, you may not need a top-quality allrounder at No 7. Let him settle in this position, and get better, and then put extra pressure on him. Don’t put high expectations on him, when he may not be yet ready to bat at No. 7. You’ve to be cautious about it. As of now, let things remain as they are and give him more matches at no.8. Let him grow as a cricketer.”

The Australia tour in 2020/21 gave him another opportunity with several cricketers injured and he did well in both batting and bowling departments. He has so far amassed 190 runs averaging a decent 38 and picked up 14 scalps averaging an impressive 22.71 in Tests.

Irfan Pathan Urges To Be Patient With Shardul Thakur Who Shouldn’t Be Called An All-rounder Immediately After Only 4 Tests

Irfan Pathan described Shardul Thakur as a very good cricketer, who contributes regularly to his team. But he cautioned that it’s too early to come to a conclusion regarding Shardul Thakur being the all-rounder that India needs. Shardul Thakur is a bowling all-rounder, who bats right-handed and bowls right-arm medium-fast. He plays first-class cricket for Mumbai and has been a member of Chennai Super Kings since 2018.

“There’s a lot to like about him — his bowling action, work ethics. He tries to give it all whenever he plays. He has contributed outstandingly in England so far… However, don’t jump the gun in calling him an all-rounder or not calling him one. Let’s be patient with him. Just give him some time and space. Let him be a contributor for some time, and we can call him (an all-rounder) when the time comes. Don’t hurry. He’s shown potential. He can add things to his game, but with proper timing and planning.”

Shardul Thakur has so far featured in four Tests, 15 ODIs, and 22 T20Is for India. Irfan Pathan, who played 29 Tests and 120 ODIs for India as an all-rounder, is impressed with Shardul Thakur’s fitness. He also pointed out that the 29-year-old is a proven domestic cricketer and not just a product of the IPL.

“He’s a fit cricketer, who’s done well for Mumbai in first-class cricket. Whenever he’s played for India, he’s tried to contribute as much as he can. That’s the kind of a cricketer you want in your team. He might go for some runs, he can blow hot and cold in bowling, which can happen since he’s an aggressive pace bowler who tries to take wickets. He has that mindset. I like him. He’s got heaps of experience in first-class cricket before playing for India. It’s not that he’s just an IPL product.”

Having made his first-class debut in 2012, Shardul Thakur has featured in 66 matches. He has 221 wickets to his name apart from 1444 runs.

Rohit Sharma celebrates his century during the fourth Test against England. (Twitter/BCCI)

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Rohit Sharma Thought Shardul Thakur Too Deserved To Be Man of the Match In The 4th Test

Published on September 7, 2021

Rohit Sharma was named Man of the Match in the 4th Test for his brilliant century but said that Shardul Thakur deserved it too for his all-around performance. Opening batsman Rohit Sharma feels that Shardul Thakur should also have been named Man of the Match alongside him for the performances the all-rounder gave during the Oval Test against England.

Rohit Sharma Is Happy As India Went 2-1 Up

The Virat Kohli-led side marched to an emphatic 157-run win over England to take a 2-1 lead in the ongoing five-match series. This was also India’s first win in Oval in 50 years.

Indian bowlers delivered big time on the last day of the fourth Test at the Kennington Oval on Monday as the genius of mercurial Jasprit Bumrah and all-around performance by Shardul Thakur in the match helped visitors in defeating England by 157 runs to gain a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

“Very happy. Especially, when you are visiting any of these countries and you know that you are 2-1 up, you will take that any day,” Rohit Sharma, who scored an invaluable 127 in India’s second innings, told bcci.tv.

Jasprit Bumrah (Photo by PETER PARKS / AFP)

“It shows the effort that we have put so far in the series and this is not the end, we know there is one more match to go at Manchester,” he said.

“Hopefully, all of us, not just the batting and bowling unit, the entire group can put their foot down and just work towards the goal that we want to achieve as a team, I think we can pull this off. We have done some amazing things on this tour, I still believe we can finish on a high but of course, we need to do things in the manner we have done so far,” he added.

Rohit Sharma was the highest scorer of the match, amassing an outstanding 127 in the second innings. Shardul Thakur, on the other hand, made two aggressive half-centuries (57 of 36 and 60 of 72), repairing a collapse in the first innings and stamping India’s advantage in the second. He also picked up 3 critical wickets in the game, including that of Joe Root on Monday.

Rohit Sharma Thought Shardul Thakur Too Deserved To Be MOM For His Match Winning Effort

In the fourth Test, Shardul Thakur scored fifties in both innings and he also went on to take three crucial wickets, including that of Joe Root in the second innings which led to England’s collapse and Team India’s win.

“I thought Shardul’s was a match-winning effort. To be honest, he deserved the Man of the Match as well for the performance he put. A crucial breakthrough for the team when England were 100 without loss, getting that crucial breakthrough was very important and then getting the wicket of Joe Root as well, he came in and got the wicket,” Rohit Sharma said.

“How can we forget his batting, to come in and score 50 off just 31 balls in the first innings says a lot, he loves his batting and he has worked hard on it, I have seen him over the years. He wants to prove a point that he can bat and can give us momentum-changing innings as well. Yes, I got the Man of the Match, but I really feel he should have been part of that as well,” he added.

With the conditions good enough for batting, England openers got the hosts off to a decent start, with both scoring fifties, however, Shardul Thakur came into the attack and got rid of Rory Burns in his first over of day 5.

Shardul Thakur, who was part of the Indian quartet in scoring more than 50 runs in the second innings, also dazzled with the ball as he sent back Joe Root to the pavilion later. The hosts were still in the game until just after lunch on Day 5 when Jasprit Bumrah produced a glorious spell to give India a real shot at victory. India and England will now face off in the fifth and final Test, beginning September 10 at Manchester.

World Test Championship, India — Virat Kohli[photo: Twitter]

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Virat Kohli Becomes The Asian Captain With Most Test Wins In SENA Countries

Published on September 7, 2021

Virat Kohli, the Indian skipper has become the Asian captain with the most number of wins (6) in SENA countries with the win in the Oval Test against England on Monday.

SENA comprises South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia. Over the course of his captaincy career, Virat Kohli has recorded three Test wins in the UK, two in Australia, and one in South Africa. Virat Kohli is already the most successful Indian Test captain, having surpassed MS Dhoni in 2019.

Virat Kohli, Image Source : AP IMAGE — Virat Kohli, Image Source: AP IMAGE

Virat Kohli Proud Of The Team’s Character Shown In Both The Tests India Won

The Virat Kohli-led side stormed to an emphatic 157-run win over England to take a 2-1 lead in the ongoing five-match series. Indian bowlers delivered big time on the last day of the fourth Test at the Kennington Oval on Monday as the genius of mercurial Jasprit Bumrah, and all-around performance by Shardul Thakur in the match helped visitors in defeating England by 157 runs to gain a 2-1 in the five-match series.

This is also India’s first win in Oval in 50 years. Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram had won 4 Tests each in SENA countries while Virat Kohli has won 6 out of 22 Tests as 13 Tests were lost and 3 were drawn under his captaincy.

“Well, I think the best thing about both the games has been the character the team has shown. We are not looking to survive in this game, we are here to win. Really proud of the character the team has shown. It’s quite relative to what you call a flat. The conditions were hot and we knew were in with an opportunity when Jadeja was bowling in the rough. The bowlers were good with the reverse swing today. We believed we could get all 10 wickets, we had the belief,” Kohli told Sky Sports during the post-match presentation.

Shardul Thakur made two aggressive half-centuries (57 of 36 and 60 of 72), repairing a collapse in the first innings and stamping India’s advantage in the second. He also picked up 3 critical wickets in the game, including that of Joe Root on Monday.

Shardul Thakur was the top scorer for India in the first innings with 57 off only 36 balls. He then picked up the wicket of England’s top scorer in their first innings-Ollie Pope(81). Shardul Thakur then scored 60 of 72 balls in the 2nd innings and picked up crucial breakthroughs of opener Rory Burns (50) and England skipper Joe Root (36).

Virat Kohli: Rohit Sharma’s Innings Was Fantastic

Rohit Sharma was the highest scorer of the match, amassing an outstanding 127 in the second innings. In-form Rohit Sharma might miss the final Test in Manchester. Rohit Sharma, in fact, is currently the second-highest run-scorer of the series with 368 in eight innings.

“As soon as the ball started reversing, Bumrah said give me the ball. He bowled that spell and swung the game in our favour with those two huge wickets. I think you pointed his performance. Rohit’s innings was fantastic. What Shardul has done in this game stands out. His two fifties deflated the opposition. I think he batted well in both innings. We never go towards analysis, statistics, and numbers,” he added.

With the conditions good enough for batting, England openers got the hosts off to a decent start, with both scoring fifties, however, Shardul Thakur came into the attack and got rid of Rory Burns in his first over of day 5. Shardul Thakur who was part of the Indian quartet in scoring more than 50 runs in the second innings, also dazzled with the ball as he sent back Joe Root to the pavilion later.

England was still in the game until just after lunch on Day 5 when Jasprit Bumrah produced a glorious spell to give India a real shot at victory. India and England will now lock horns in the fifth and final Test, beginning September 10 at Manchester.

India 191 (Thakur 57, Kohli 50, Woakes 4-55) and 466 (Rohit 127, Pujara 61, Thakur 60, Pant 50, Woakes 3-83) beat England 290 (Pope 81, Woakes 50, Umesh 3-76) and 210 (Hameed 63, Burns 50, Umesh 3-60) by 157 runs

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Michael Vaughan Puzzled By Moeen Ali’s Appointment As Vice Captain In The 4th Test

Published on September 7, 2021

Michael Vaughan had plenty of complaints about the national team’s performance against India in the Oval Test, but Moeen Ali becoming vice-captain was also one of Michael Vaughan’s main concerns. He did not ignore it amid the hosts’ underwhelming batting display in both innings.

The former England captain Michael Vaughan questioned Moeen Ali’s appointment as he has not even been a regular member of the side for the past two years. The 46-year old Michael Vaughan believes it was unfair to Rory Burns and instead puts extra pressure on Moeen Ali, who is still regaining his form.

Michael Vaughan Questions Reason Behind Appointing Moeen Ali As Vice-Captain Ahead Of Rory Burns On His Home Ground

Moeen Ali, a veteran of 64 Tests since debuting in 2014 has been in and out of the England team in the last 2 years. He didn’t play a Test in 2020 and played only 5 in 2019 where he managed only 90 runs averaging a pathetic 10 besides taking 18 scalps averaging 28.89. In 2021, he picked 14 scalps averaging 37.5 but disappointed again with the bat managing only 132 runs in 4 Tests averaging 18.86.

“I always question some of their thinking. Why did they appoint Moeen as vice-captain? He has barely been in the side for two years. It would have been a nice little boost for Burns, who is a regular in the side, to be made vice-captain this week on his home ground. It was a decision that puzzled me and perhaps put more pressure on Moeen who is still making his way back in the game,” Michael Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

Jos Buttler’s absence from the fourth Test made Rory Burns a contender to become Joe Root’s deputy. However, at the last minute, the management thrust Moeen Ali into the position. Unfortunately, Moeen Ali’s performances weren’t responsible or significant enough.

Moeen Ali Didn’t Perform As Expected

The home side needed Moeen Ali to step up more than ever in the fourth Test at the Oval. He made 35 runs in the first innings before playing an awful shot, leading to his downfall. England lost their upper hand after his dismissal and a shot at a substantial first-innings lead.

The veteran all-rounder did not score in the second innings and delivered an underwhelming performance with the ball. Though the 33-year old wasn’t required to bowl in the first, he had figures of 26-0-118-2. England eventually crashed to a 157-run loss on the final day despite the openers giving them a bright start while chasing 368.

India crushed England by 157 runs in the fourth Test to register their first win at The Oval after 50 years. With the victory, India also took a 2-1 lead in the 5-match Test series. Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, and Umesh Yadav all contributed with the ball, as England lost a cluster of wickets on the final afternoon to decisively swing the match.

India 191 (Thakur 57, Kohli 50, Woakes 4-55) and 466 (Rohit 127, Pujara 61, Thakur 60, Pant 50, Woakes 3-83) beat England 290 (Pope 81, Woakes 50, Umesh 3-76) and 210 (Hameed 63, Burns 50, Umesh 3-60) by 157 runs

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Michael Vaughan Staggered By Decision To Pick Rohit Sharma Not Shardul Thakur As MoM In The 4th Test

Published on September 7, 2021September 7, 2021

Michael Vaughan was ‘staggered’ by the Pataudi Trophy commentary panel’s decision to pick Rohit Sharma, and not Shardul Thakur, as Man of the Match for the 4th Test at the oval. The former England captain Michael Vaughan said the latter, who impacted the match four times with his all-around skills, deserved the award even more.

Rohit Sharma was the highest scorer of the match, amassing an outstanding 127 in the second innings. Shardul Thakur, on the other hand, made two aggressive half-centuries (57 of 36 and 60 of 72), repairing a collapse in the first innings and stamping India’s advantage in the second. He also picked up four critical wickets in the game, including that of Joe Root on Monday.

Michael Vaughan: Shardul Thakur Should Have Been Awarded Man Of The Match

Rohit Sharma was named Man of the Match in the 4th Test for his brilliant century but he said that Shardul Thakur deserved it too for his all-around performance. Shardul Thakur was the top scorer for India in the first innings with 57 off only 36 balls. He then picked up the wicket of England’s top scorer in their first innings-Ollie Pope(81).

Shardul Thakur then scored 60 of 72 balls in the 2nd innings and picked up crucial breakthroughs of opener Rory Burns (50) and England skipper Joe Root (36).

“Ahh, he should have got Man of the Match. No question. Rohit played great but Shardul Thakur impacted the game four times – twice with the bat and twice with the ball,” said Michael Vaughan.

“Key wickets, that massive wicket of Ollie Pope (in the first innings), and then (in the second innings) Rory Burns first and then the captain. Two fifties – [India were] 117-7, he changed the course of the game in the first innings,” said Michael Vaughan.

“Under pressure in the second innings, he went in and got another fifty. I am staggered he wasn’t Man of the Match,” Michael Vaughan said in an interaction with Cricbuzz after the match.

India was tasked with defending over 290 runs on a batting-friendly Day 5. The hosts started patiently but both Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav couldn’t get any wickets.

Here, Shardul Thakur got the breakthrough on his first ball, dismissing Rory Burns for 50. He then came back in the innings to get Joe Root who played on to his stumps just when he was looking set for a big score. Consequently, India won the match by 157 runs, with Umesh Yadav cleaning the tail.

Shardul Thakur’s 2 Fifties Deflated The Opposition: Virat Kohli

Indian captain Virat Kohli was also all praise for Shardul Thakur in the post-match presentation. He said the all-rounder’s contributions were the difference between the two teams and will be “remembered for a long time.”

Shardul Thakur has featured in only 4 Tests so far since debuting in 2018 against the West Indies where he got injured and couldn’t bowl more than 10 balls. But the Australia tour in 2020/21 gave him another opportunity with several cricketers injured and he did well in both batting and bowling. He has so far amassed 190 runs averaging a decent 38 and picked up 14 scalps averaging an impressive 22.71.

“What Shardul has done in this game will be remembered for a long time. His fifty was the difference between a 150-160 run lead and a 100-run lead. His two fifties deflated the opposition. His counterattack in the second innings made a lot of difference. We thought they would restrict us to a reasonable total when I got out, but he changed it,” said Kohli.

India and England will now clash in the fifth and final Test at Old Trafford in Manchester on September 10.

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Vikram Rathour: Team Management Yet To Arrive At The Point Where Ajinkya Rahane’s Form Should Become A Concern

Published on September 6, 2021September 6, 2021

Vikram Rathour has said the stage has not come yet where the team management starts worrying about the form of the team’s vice-captain. Ajinkya Rahane has been struggling to score runs in the ongoing Test series against England. Though he got a fighting fifty at Lord’s in the second Test, after that knock, the India vice-captain is drawing flak for his lack of runs.

So far, Ajinkya Rahane has batted in seven innings and has managed to score 109 runs at an average of 15.57. On Sunday, he was dismissed for an eight-ball duck in the second innings of the Oval Test. Earlier in the first innings, he scored just 14 off 47 deliveries.

Ajinkya Rahane. (Photo Source: Getty Images)

Vikram Rathour: Team Management Hasn’t Arrived At The Point Where Ajinkya Rahane’d Form Should Become A Concern

While the dip in Ajinkya Rahane’s form has become one of the talking points of this series, India batting coach Vikram Rathour has said the stage has not come yet where the team management starts worrying about the form of the team’s vice-captain. During the post-match virtual presser, Vikram Rathour was asked if Ajinkya Rahane’s form is a concern.

In reply, he said, “Not at this point.”

“As I said earlier also when you are playing cricket for a long time, you will have phases where you will not get runs. That is the time when we need to support the player as a team. As we saw with Pujara also, he has played a couple of important innings for us. We are hoping Ajinkya will get back into form and still play a major role in the Indian team’s batting. I do not think we have arrived at that point where Rahane’s form should become a concern,” Vikram Rathour further said.

Vikram Rathour- Batting coach - PTI — Vikram Rathour- Batting coach – PTI

“When you are playing such an important series like this one, playing in the conditions which are tough for batting and we are playing against such a disciplined bowling attack, which has been bowling so well, so as a batting unit, the technique is the last thing you should be thinking about. I do not think we are looking at technique right now, there is time to look for it, I do not think mid-series or mid-game is the time for that,” Vikram Rathour added.

Earlier on Sunday, Shardul Thakur (60 of 72) struck his second fifty of the match and shared a hundred-run stand with Rishabh Pant (50 of 106) to put India in a strong position. The visitors posted a mammoth total of 446 in the second innings, setting a 368-run target for England.

Rory Burns And Haseeb Hameed Ensure England Don’t Lose Any Wicket On The Penultimate Day Of The Penultimate Test

In reply, Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns provided the hosts a solid start. At stumps, England’s score read 77/0, still needing 291 runs for the win with all ten wickets in hand. For the hosts, Rory Burns (31*) and Haseeb Hameed (43*) are at the crease.

Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed | Photo: England Cricket / ICC

England is up against a herculean task– chasing down 368 against India at the Oval to go 2-1 up in the series. A century from Rohit Sharma and fifties from Cheteshwar Pujara, Shardul Thakur, and Rishabh Pant in India’s second innings saw India post a strong total of 466, which means that England needs to pull off a record highest run chase at the venue.

With niggles to Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma, as captain Virat Kohli had pointed out at the toss, India included Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav in the XI which paid rich dividends as both of them had an impact. While Shardul Thakur scored the fifties in both innings, Umesh Yadav picked up 3 scalps in England’s 1st innings.

Suryakumar Yadav or Hanuma Vihari are waiting in the wings and may get a chance in the last Test. Although he is yet to play Tests, Suryakumar Yadav has a compelling record in first-class cricket, scoring 5326 runs in 77 first-class games at 44.01, with 14 tons.

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Michael Atherton Weighs In On England’s Chances Of Chasing Down 368

Published on September 6, 2021

Michael Atherton weighed in on England’s chances of going 2-1 up and whether the pitch will turn up to assist Indian bowlers on the final day.

England is up against a herculean task– chasing down 368 against India at the Oval to go 2-1 up in the series. A century from Rohit Sharma and fifties from Cheteshwar Pujara, Shardul Thakur, and Rishabh Pant in India’s second innings saw India post a strong total of 466, which means that England needs to pull off a record highest run chase at the venue.

Michael Atherton: India’s Attack Is Without Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, And Ravichandran Ashwin On A Flat Batting Track Which May Give England Advantage

Out of those 368, openers Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed have knocked off 77 runs, and with another 291 left to achieve in three sessions, Day 5 shapes up to be a fascinating contest between the two teams on Monday. India posted their highest total of the series, but England delivered a strong opening partnership themselves in response.

Former England captain Michael Atherton weighed in on England’s chances of going 2-1 up and whether the pitch will turn up to assist Indian bowlers on the final day.

Indian players Ishant Sharma, left, Ravichandran Ashwin, center, and Mohammed Shami

“It’s pretty flat, there’s not much happening, and then you look at the shape of India’s attack. No Shami, no Ishant, no Ashwin, they seemed very reliant in that first innings on Bumrah especially. How much will Jadeja have an influence? He may have an impact, (but) it’s a good pitch,” Michael Atherton said while commentating on Sky Sports.

The veteran also said that in the absence of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, and Ravichandran Ashwin, Team India has been a bit too reliant on Jasprit Bumrah in the bowling department.

Former England captain Michael Atherton reckoned that the pitch at the Kennington Oval for the fourth Test against India hasn’t deteriorated much. Going on the fifth day, the Brits need 291 runs to win with all their 10 wickets in hand. Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns have already taken the Three Lions off to a decent start with an unbeaten 77-run partnership for the opening wicket.

Michael Holding Would Have Preferred Ravichandran Ashwin As The Pitch Isn’t Playing Too Many Tricks

Former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding agrees with Michael Atherton’s views, stating that pace doesn’t promise to cause England as much trouble as spinners, which is why India might miss the services of Ravichandran Ashwin on a Day 5 pitch.

“I don’t really see this pitch playing too many tricks. I didn’t see the England seamers create too many problems… and the India seamers I don’t expect to do much better. And Jadeja, I don’t know. I would have preferred Ashwin if you’re talking about just the bowling,” Holding said on Sky Sports.

India is missing the services of senior bowler Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami with their ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin once again was ignored ahead of Ravindra Jadeja. Umesh Yadav, who came in place of Ishant Sharma, led India’s bowling charts with 3/67 and Ravindra Jadeja too chipped in with two wickets.

Michael Holding feels that he would have preferred Ravichandran Ashwin and noted how the England bowlers performed on the Oval pitch. The series is tied at 1-1 as India won by 151 runs at Lord’s only for England to hit back with an innings and 76 runs triumph at Headingley.

With niggles to Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma, as captain Virat Kohli had pointed out at the toss, India included Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav in the XI which paid rich dividends as both of them had an impact.

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Vikram Rathour: Boys Were Bit Distracted But Handled It Well After Ravi Shastri Tests Positive For COVID-19

Published on September 6, 2021September 6, 2021

Vikram Rathour, India batting coach on Sunday said the team was naturally a bit distracted going into day four of the fourth Test after head coach Ravi Shastri tested positive for COVID-19.

The BCCI medical team had isolated Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun, fielding coach R Sridhar, and physiotherapist Nitin Patel as a precautionary measure after the head coach’s lateral flow test returned positive on Saturday evening.

Vikram Rathour: Missed Ravi Shastri, Bharat Arun, And R Sridhar Massively Which Was A Bit Of Distraction But Credit Goes To The Team For Handling It Well

Ravi Shastri, fielding coach R Sridhar, bowling coach Bharat Arun and physio Nitin Patel have been isolated from the rest of the Indian team after the head coach’s Covid-19 lateral flow test returned positive.

“Of course, we are missing them massively. Ravi Bhai (Ravi Shastri), B Arun, and R Shridar, they have been an extremely important part of this setup and they have done extremely well (in) the last five-six years and played a major role in the team doing well,” Vikram Rathour said after the end of day’s play.

India was in a commanding position after scoring 466 in the second essay, courtesy of a memorable hundred by Rohit Sharma and equally important knocks by Cheteshwar Pujara, Shardul Thakur, and Rishabh Pant.

“But this is what it is. That’s the fact that they are not here. So, it was in the morning, I think, a bit of a distraction, we had a word, we spoke, (and) decided that we need to focus on what is in hand, which is cricket,” said Vikram Rathour.

“So, we are here for this series, it is an extremely important series that we are playing and today when we came in the morning, it was an extremely important day for us, to focus on cricket. So, I think the boys did extremely well, to not get distracted. There was a potential that we can (be) distracted from the situation that happened last night, but a lot of credit goes to the boys, the way they handled themselves and the way we played as a team,” added Vikram Rathour.

England finished Day 4 at 77-0 by battling out the entirety of the final session. The fixture is well poised at the moment with the hosts needing 291 more runs to win the match while India needs to claim all the 10 wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Openers Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed gave England a solid start as they ended at 77/0 at Stump’s on Day 4 of the fourth Test at The Oval.

Vikram Rathour is a former Indian cricketer & present India’s batting coach, who played in 6 Tests and 7 ODIs from 1996 to 1997. He was a right-handed opening batsman. Vikram Rathour was a prolific run-scorer at the first-class level, scoring 11473 runs at an average of 49.66 in 146 matches.

Vikram Rathour: Ravi Shastri Had A Litle Bit Of Discomfort On Saturday

The batting coach also revealed that Ravi Shastri felt a bit of discomfort on Saturday after which the test was conducted. Shardul Thakur and Rishabh Pant scored incredible individual fifties as they propelled India to 466 runs in the second innings. India started the day poorly as they lost the wickets of Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ajinkya Rahane in the morning session.

“I would not know the exact time, but it was last night around 8 in the night. He was having a little bit of discomfort yesterday, so the medical team decided to go for a lateral-pro test and it came positive and that is when we heard that he is positive and I think, the close contacts were identified and isolated, so we will wait for the medical team in when they can join back, he added.

Ravi Shastri Image Source : AP — Ravi Shastri Image Source: AP

Shardul Thakur (60 off 72) struck his second fifty of the match and shared a hundred-run stand with Rishabh Pant (50 off 106) to put India in a strong position. India’s innings lasted 148.2 overs.

England 290 and 77 for 0 (Hameed 43*, Burns 31*) need 291 more runs to beat India 191 and 466 (Rohit 127, Pujara 61, Thakur 60, Pant 50, Woakes 3-83)

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Sourav Ganguly Impressed With Well Fought India-England 5 Match Test Series

Published on September 6, 2021

Sourav Ganguly, the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is left impressed with the spectacle being provided by both India and England in the ongoing five-match series in the UK.

The BCCI chief, Sourav Ganguly reckons that both countries have displayed great skill on the field and there is no substitute for a well-fought series. The ongoing series stands level at 1-1, and heading into the final day of the fourth Test at the Oval, hosts England need 291 more runs for the win with all ten wickets in hand.

Sourav Ganguly: Nothing Can Beat A Well Fought Test Series

Former India captain and current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly was left impressed with the way India and England are battling in the ongoing 5-match Test series. Sourav Ganguly reckoned that both teams have displayed great skill on the field and there is no substitute for a well-fought series.

“Cricket at its best…Nothing can beat a well-fought test series. The one in Australia and now this one. The most skilfull form of cricket ..@BCCI @ICC,” tweeted Sourav Ganguly.

Brisbane Test: India beat Australia by 3 wickets at Gabba to win series 2-1, retain Border-Gavaskar Trophy Image Source : AP IMAGE — Brisbane Test: India beat Australia by 3 wickets at Gabba to win series 2-1, retain Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Image Source: AP IMAGE

Cricket at its best..Nothing can beat a well fought test series..The one in Australia and now this one ..The most skilfull form of cricket ..@BCCI
@ICC

— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) September 5, 2021

Earlier this year, India had defeated Australia 2-1 in the Border Gavaskar Trophy against all odds. Many players got injured, skipper Virat Kohli headed home but under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane and guidance of head coach Ravi Shastri, Team India pulled off a heist especially after losing the first Test, where they were bundled out for 36 in the second innings.

Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, and Shardul Thakur Score More Than 50 Runs Each To Set England A Stiff Target Of 368

Coming back to the ongoing Test series, England has been set a target of 368 in the fourth Test of the five-match series and the hosts have all ten wickets in hand heading into the final day of an absorbing Test match. Earlier, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, and Shardul Thakur all registered scores of more than 50 as India set a target of 368 for England on Day 4 of the ongoing fourth Test here at the Kennington Oval on Sunday.

Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah also played cameos of 25 and 24 as India posted a score of 466 in the second innings, extending the lead to 367. For England, fit-again Chris Woakes returned with three wickets. At stumps on Day 4, England’s score read 77/0– still needing 291 runs for the win with all ten wickets in hand. For the hosts, Rory Burns (31*) and Haseeb Hameed (43*) are at the crease.

Shardul Thakur (60 off 72) struck his second fifty of the match and shared a hundred-run stand with Rishabh Pant (50 off 106) to put India in a strong position. Resuming the day at 270 for three, India lost three wickets in the morning session including skipper Virat Kohli (44 off 96). Chris Woakes removed Ravindra Jadeja (17) and Ajinkya Rahane (0) whose struggles continued. On Saturday, Rohit Sharma hit his first hundred in overseas conditions to bring India back in the match after England took a 99-run first-innings lead.

Cricket/News

Michael Vaughan Notes Ravindra Jadeja Bowling Into The Rough Could Be England’s Biggest Threat

Published on September 6, 2021September 6, 2021

Michael Vaughan, former England captain notes Ravindra Jadeja bowling into the rough outside the off-stump could be the biggest threat England face on the final day of the fourth Test at The Oval. England has fielded six left-handers in their batting unit, and the rough has developed outside the off-stump for Ravindra Jadeja to operate.

In the 1st innings, the spinner accounted for the wickets of Moeen Ali and Ollie Robinson. He has now taken 225 wickets averaging 25.1 in Tests. He has taken 5 wickets 9 times. His best performance in Tests is 7 wickets for 48 runs. At the same time, Ravindra Jadeja has also scored 2145 runs at an average of 34.05 with a century in Tests.

Michael Vaughan: Rory Burns Showed Great Technique And Character

Ravindra Jadeja bowled 13 overs in the final session of Day 4 but failed to clinch a wicket despite making use of the rough. Michael Vaughan lauded the technique displayed by England openers Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns and outlined the threat posed by Ravindra Jadeja.

While speaking to Cricbuzz, he said: “Rory Burns against Jadeja, with the ball spinning out from the rough, he showed great technique, and great character. That looks like the major threat from an England perspective, Jadeja firing it into the rough.”

The surface at The Oval displayed some traits for a spin, with Moeen Ali and Joe Root being among the wickets in the second innings. India only has Ravindra Jadeja as the lone spin bowling option at the moment among their ranks.

Michael Vaughan: India May Need To Think Outside The Box

Michael Vaughan was asked about his approach on Day 5 from Team India’s point of view. The former captain believes Virat Kohli needs to keep it simple and orthodox for the first half an hour of the day’s play by starting with Jadeja right away. If that approach does not bring any kind of success, Michael Vaughan feels that India may need to think outside the box.

Michael Vaughan added: “I think Virat needs to keep it simple for the first half an hour. I’d go with Jadeja, without any question you start with your spinner. Try to fire it into the rough outside Burns’ off stump. If it doesn’t work for them, they have to realise that it is like a subcontinent style pitch and think outside the box. I’m looking for someone like Bumrah to bowl the slower balls. Those kind of deliveries will be very important.”

England finished Day 4 at 77-0 by battling out the entirety of the final session. The fixture is well poised at the moment with the hosts needing 291 more runs to win the match while India needs to claim all the 10 wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Openers Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed gave England a solid start as they ended at 77/0 at Stump’s on Day 4 of the fourth Test at The Oval.

At Stump’s, England still needed 291 more runs to win the Test match. Earlier, Shardul Thakur and Rishabh Pant scored incredible individual fifties as they propelled India to 466 runs in the second innings. India started the day poorly as they lost the wickets of Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ajinkya Rahane in the morning session.

Shardul Thakur (60 off 72) struck his second fifty of the match and shared a hundred-run stand with Rishabh Pant (50 off 106) to put India in a strong position. India’s innings lasted 148.2 overs. Resuming the day at 270 for three, India lost three wickets in the morning session including skipper Virat Kohli (44 off 96).

England 290 and 77 for 0 (Hameed 43*, Burns 31*) need 291 more runs to beat India 191 and 466 (Rohit 127, Pujara 61, Thakur 60, Pant 50, Woakes 3-83)

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