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Tag: Brendon McCullum

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IND vs ENG: Will Ben Stokes return to bowling in boost for England in Ranchi Test against India?

England captain Ben Stokes has been a reluctant bowler over the last two years, owing to injury concerns. Post the 2023 ODI World Cup, Stokes went for a knee surgery for a longstanding injury which could eventually ease him back to bowling. However, the 32-year-old has not bowled since the Ashes in mid-2023, playing the World Cup and subsequent matches as a specialist batter. Following the 434-run hammering in the third Test in Rajkot against India, Stokes expressed a possible return to his bowling duties – a key element of his all-round skills in Test cricket. READ:McCullum backs Root, Bairstow to come good in next two Tests Stokes is three scalps short of joining an elite list with Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis as the only men to achieve the Test double of 6000 runs and 200 wickets....
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Ben Stokes hints at bowling return as England eye series recovery in India | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: England captain Ben Stokes has suggested a potential return to bowling duties for the remaining Tests in India, indicating positive progress in his recovery from a knee operation. The 32-year-old revealed that he bowled at "100 percent" during warm-up sessions, raising hopes of bolstering England's lineup for the crucial matches ahead.Stokes, who hasn't bowled in the first three Tests of the series due to his ongoing rehabilitation, acknowledged the impact of his absence on England's performance, with India currently leading the five-match contest 2-1. The consecutive defeats have also seen England slide to eighth in the World Test Championship standings, intensifying the need for a series recovery to keep their hopes alive for a final berth at Lord's next year.While cautious...
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India vs England: Brendon McCullum backs Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root to come good in Ranchi Test

Brendon McCullum has made it clear that the team management is going to keep the faith in Jonny Bairstow, who has been struggling in the ongoing series and backed Joe Root to come good in the fourth Test match in Ranchi. Jonny Bairstow has managed only 102 runs in six innings in the series so far. “I haven’t even seen the wicket in Ranchi but I’d anticipate Jonny would be playing,” McCullum told reporters. “He’s not scored the volume of runs he would have wanted and a couple of times he’s got out kind of mildly for someone who’s got the power game Jonny’s got. I don’t have concerns over him.” “We know that a top-quality Jonny Bairstow is as good as anyone in any conditions. So from our point of view, we’ve got to keep on giving him confidence and block out a lot of the external noise; k...
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How England’s ‘Bazball’ has come unstuck on Indian turning tracks | Cricket News – Times of India

RAJKOT: Will England’s ‘Bazball’ dream in India turn into a fiasco? Do they need to review, or even curtail it for now? Going by how Ben Stokes & Co capitulated to an embarrassing 434-run defeat in the third Test in four days here to go down 2-1 in the series, questions are bound to arise. Launched in June 2022 at Lord’s under England’s new team leadership of captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, the home when England successfully chased down 277 in the fourth innings against New Zealand, their ultra aggressive, go-getting brand of Test cricket has seen England storm their way to 14 Test wins since then. However, the aggressive style of batsmanship, regardless of the situation or wicket, came under fire last week after England’s best batsman Joe Root reverse-scooped Jasprit...
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Rajkot Test: India seem to have the blueprint to crack England’s Bazball code – it’s 22-yard long

The battle between England’s Bazball and India’s Jamball, as R Ashwin titled a video on his YouTube channel, reached a pivotal point at the end of the third Test. With India leading 2-1 after the record-breaking 434-run win, coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma seemed to have arrived with a blueprint to crack the Bazball code and its 22 yards in length. As Rajkot proved, a paata, a track that does its thing on the final two days, is the perfect antidote for England’s aggressive Bazball style of play. Those in the know say that the Indian team have done away with the turners not due to some ethical concerns, but a deeply-thought-out punt on how it will play out against this England team. Though Rohit Sharma would deny any involvement with the pitches at the end of the third Test: ...
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‘If we allow the outside noise to…’: McCullum defiant on ‘Bazball’ despite heavy criticism | – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The hyper-attacking "Bazball" strategy employed by England is facing intense scrutiny following a decisive Test defeat in India. However, neither captain Ben Stokes nor coach Brendon McCullum seem inclined to alter their gung-ho approach as the upcoming fourth Test in Ranchi approaches."Our batting line-up is full of international-class players, we give them the freedom to play what's in front of them," said the skipper, whose team started the series with a memorable victory in the first Test in Hyderabad before losing the second in Visakhapatnam."It's disappointing, but we'll leave it behind us and move on to the next one."McCullum, a former New Zealand Test captain, told the BBC he understands the criticism but said the team will block out "outside noise"."The dressing room...
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‘Self-delusion’: Former England captains tear into ‘Bazball or bust’ approach | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Succumbing to their second worst-ever Test defeat against India in Rajkot on Sunday, England players drew flak from former captains with the 'Bazball' approach being labelled as the cause of their humiliation. Since The Oval defeat against Australia by 562 runs in 1934, England, for the first time, faced such an embarrassing defeat and the former greats of the game were quick to tear into the side's approach in the chase of 577. Nosediving in the improbable chase, England were bundled out for a lowly 122 as India took a 2-1 lead in the series."This England team are hell bent on doing things their way, and 'saving Test cricket'. They are giving Test cricket a shot in the arm because they are so exciting," Michael Vaughan wrote in Britain's Daily Telegraph."But ultimately they ...
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Ben Stokes questions DRS and umpires call again after Zak Crawley’s dismissal | Cricket News – Times of India

RAJKOT: For the second Test in a row, England captain Ben Stokes has questioned the DRS for giving Zak Crawley out lbw to Jasprit Bumrah for 11. The England opener reviewed umpire Kumar Dharamsena's decision, but the verdict still went against Crawley due to the umpire's call being with India. Post match Stokes and England coach Brendon McCullum were seen having a chat with match referee Jeff Crowe.When quizzed about it, Stokes revealed, "We just wanted some clarity around Zak's DRS when the images came back. The ball is quite clearly missing the stump on the replay. So, when it gets given (as) the umpire's call and the ball's not actually hitting the stumps, we were a bit bemused. So we just wanted some clarity from the Hawkeye guys. It came back saying the numbers, or whatever it is t...
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Ben Duckett explains his slog-sweeps against Ashwin, believes ‘superstar’ Jaiswal’s aggressive knock owes a bit to England’s Bazball approach

In the last couple of decades, we have seen a few overseas batsmen play their signature slog-sweeps to great effect in India. Hansie Cronje, Steve Waugh, Kevin Pietersen and we can now add Ben Duckett, whose thunderous slog-sweeps on the second day in Rajkot made even the bowler R Ashwin think of applauding. It will be captured in potential cricket documentaries about the series and definitely ‘gif’fed by the England and Wales Cricket Board’s X handle in the years to come. It was some sight. Duckett had to extend himself far more than Waugh or Cronje. Not just because he isn’t as tall, but his ambitions were higher. He wanted to hit Ashwin – irrespective of where he was bowling, often turning across him outside off – to the wide midwicket region as “it was a shorter boundary and breeze ...
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Advantage England or disadvantage India?: Skipper Ben Stokes weighs in on Virat Kohli’s absence | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: England captain Ben Stokes, on the eve of his 100th Test appearance, adopted a self-effacing attitude, playing down the significance of milestones while expressing excitement for the upcoming marquee game against India.Stokes will be the 16th England player to reach the milestone when he leads the side in the third Test against India in Rajkot on Thursday.Stokes also addressed the analysis suggesting that the absence of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul from the series could be advantageous for England. Kohli was ruled out for the entire series due to personal reasons, while Rahul is recovering from a quadriceps tear injury sustained in the first Test at Hyderabad.Stokes did not seem particularly pleased with the idea that the absence of these key players might give England an advanta...
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India vs England: ‘We are not allowed to say Bazball’, reveals Ollie Pope ahead of skipper Ben Stokes’s 100th Test | Cricket News – Times of India

RAJKOT: As England began practising at the soon-to-be-rechristened Niranjan Shah Stadium here on Tuesday, they would have been happy to see their captain Ben Stokes running in to bowl at full tilt. It’s unlikely, though, that the allrounder, who had announced before the start of this series that he won’t bowl after undergoing a knee surgery in November, will indeed turn his arm over when the third Test begins here from Thursday.This match marks a major milestone in the career of a man who, beyond being a great player, will be remembered for the way he radically transformed the way a team plays its cricket.The Rajkot Test will be the 32-year-old’s 100th Test.Incidentally, this is the only venue in India where Stokes has scored a Test century (128), back in the 2016-17 series. The left-ha...
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Ben Stokes set for 100th Test with series against India level at 1-1 | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: As both teams deal with the absence of important players, Ben Stokes will earn his 100th Test cap when he captains England against India in the third Test, which gets underway in Rajkot on Thursday.After England's 28-run victory in Hyderabad, and India's 106-run triumph in the second Test at Visakhapatnam, the five-match series is tied at one.BCCI unveils new squad for remaining 3 tests against England, Virat Kohli to miss outIn addition to England's senior spinner Jack Leach being out of the final three matches due to a knee injury sustained in the first Test, India's batsmen Virat Kohli and KL Rahul will be missing.After England defeated India in the first Test match of the series in Hyderabad, only their fourth Test defeat at home since 2013, Stokes, 32, was praised for hi...
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Rehan Ahmed credits Ben Stokes’ leadership for England spinners’ success | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Young Rehan Ahmed credited Ben Stokes' leadership and the team atmosphere for England's unexpectedly good performance against their more experienced Indian spinners in the first two Test matches.Surprisingly, spin is one area in which the tourists have prevailed across the five-match series, which is currently tied at one.It is quite remarkable that the trio of Ahmed, Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir have taken more wickets (33) than the formidable group made up of titans such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav (23)."That just shows how great the team environment is," Ahmed, 19, was quoted as saying in BBC."Tommy and Bash, you've seen them come in and not be nervous and that's credit to the team."The environment and the leadership we have, it d...
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Brendon McCullum on Virat Kohli: ‘England look forward to the challenge of having one of the greatest players back’

England head coach Brendon McCullum has conceded that his team are looking forward to the challenge that the return of Virat Kohli brings to his side in the ongoing five-match Test series in India, furthermore lavishing praise to the former Indian captain. “Virat is one of the greatest players of the game has seen. No doubt it improves this squad. As we have said throughout, the depth in Indian cricket, the talent in India is immense. So we respect every opposition player that we come up against,” McCullum told TalkSport. “If Virat is coming back… we hope everything is well with his family. We will look forward to that challenge too. He is a great competitor. I know him very well and I enjoyed playing against him, I enjoyed our team playing against him. And if you have success against t...
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Ian Botham credits England’s Bazball style for reviving Test cricket | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Renowned England fast-bowling all-rounder Ian Botham has attributed the resurgence of crowds in Test cricket to the side's Bazball style of play, spearheaded by head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.Since the inception of the McCullum-Stokes regime, England have embraced a fearless and aggressively attacking approach to the game, aptly termed as 'Bazball'. This bold strategy has seen the team secure victories in 15 out of 24 Tests, revitalizing interest in Test cricket among fans.Despite facing setbacks, such as their recent loss in the second Test against India in Visakhapatnam, where they succumbed by 106 runs, England's unwavering commitment to Bazball ensured they fought valiantly till the end.Speaking on SEN Radio, Botham highlighted the significance of ente...
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‘We drop the shoulder and go hard’: Brendon McCullum fires warning ahead of Rajkot Test | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: After the conclusion of the second Test in Visakhapatnam, the England cricket team returned to their pre-series base in Abu Dhabi. They are set to come back to India on February 12, reaching Rajkot on the same day in preparation for the third Test, which is scheduled to commence on February 15.England head coach Brendon McCullum said it will be a different "camp" to the one ahead of the tour."There will not be a whole lot of training. The boys have worked incredibly hard in Abu Dhabi keeping in mind they all came here with a lot of cricket under their belts as well."We have had plenty of training days, two varying Test matches, and this is an opportunity to step away from the heat of the battle."I was talking to Rahul Dravid and he mentioned all his boys are shooting home as ...
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‘Don’t know’: Brendon McCullum on countering Jasprit Bumrah | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: England Test head coach Brendon McCullum expressed optimism that the batsmen will strategise on how to counter the threat posed by star Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah. McCullum also praised Bumrah for his "unique release points" and swing.Following India's levelling of the five-match series at 1-1 with a 106-run victory in the second Test against England, McCullum acknowledged Bumrah's significant impact. The pacer, alongside batters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, played a pivotal role in tormenting England, securing a total of nine wickets, including a remarkable six-wicket haul in the match.Talking about tackling Bumrah, McCullum said as per ESPNCricinfo, "Dunno" (Don't Know). McCullum mentioned that the team does not rely on theories and expressed confidence in the player...
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Joe Root struggling with ‘Bazball’, feels Alastair Cook | England News | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Former England captain Alastair Cook believes that senior batter Joe Root is losing his "balance" and natural game in the current Test series against India because to his desperation to fit into captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum's "Bazball" plans.Cook, the last international captain to guide a team to win in a Test series in India back in 2012, believes that Root never appeared in control during his brief second innings of 16 off 10 balls in the second Test against India, when he tried to attack every delivery.England's defeat was by 106 runs, as 'Bazball' was unable to lead the visitors to a formidable 399 target."He is England's best batsman there's ever been in all formats - but he does struggle sometimes with the tempo of this Bazball era," Cook, who is Englan...
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If they get 600, we were going to go for it: James Anderson reveals chat with Brendon McCullum

English pacer James Anderson made it clear that England will go all hell for leather when they come out to bat against India in a chase of 399 on Monday, the 4th day of the Test. “The chat last night from the coach (Brendon McCullum) was that if they get 600, we were going to go for it. It makes it very clear to everyone that we will try to do it tomorrow. I know there are 180 overs left in the game, but we will try to do it in 60 or 70. That’s the way we play, and we saw that tonight with Rehan (Ahmed) going out and playing his shots,” Anderson said. “He wanted to get out there and chase those runs down, even tonight. We have set our stall out, tomorrow will be no different, we will play the same way we have (played) the last two years. Whether we win or lose, it’s not relevant because...
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IND vs ENG: Why England is handing out debut to Pakistan-origin rookie off-spinner Bashir

Last Sunday, despite landing in Hyderabad at around 8.30 am after a visa delay, Shoaib Bashir turned up at the Uppal stadium midway through the morning session of the first Test. It was a Test where he could have made his debut, but he didn’t show any disappointment. Ben Stokes told him that he could go back to the hotel and beat the jet-lag. But the 20-year-old would seat himself right next to the boundary hoardings and soak in the atmosphere. In the next four days, Bashir, who is a player of Pakistan-origin, had just one full training session and on Friday would make his debut. In the net sessions, despite all the adventure that England’s batsmen show, it is still hard to miss Bashir, who stands at 6ft 4 inches. He is slim and agile and with a smooth run-up, and a tall trajectory, it ...