Author: Trisha Ghosal

Trisha Ghosal in Manchester In a five-match series as closely contested as this, it’s often the smallest margins that tilt the scales. And one of the biggest gaps between India and England hasn’t been in the top order but right at the bottom. India’s tail, wickets 8 to 11, has contributed just 181 runs in six innings across the series so far. That’s an average of 30.17 per innings, with eight ducks. In contrast, England’s last four have added 278 runs in five innings, averaging 55.60, with only four ducks. The difference in output from the tail isn’t just numerical,…

Trisha Ghosal in Manchester Crawley finds calm in chaos. Finally playing “on instinct” Zak Crawley may have missed out on a hundred, but he didn’t miss the bigger win: control. “I wasn’t premeditating, I was just reacting. I’ve always felt I can hit good balls for four and I let that come out today,” he said after his 84 that set the tone for England’s dominance. He revealed he started working on feeling relaxed a couple of days ago: “Just small things like walking slower, removing tension. I felt sharp today unlike Edgbaston, where I was absolutely knackered.” Does the…

Trisha Ghosal in Manchester Why isn’t Shardul bowling more? As England’s openers raced to 166, India’s most experienced seam-bowling all-rounder watched much of it from the outfield. Shardul Thakur bowled just five overs all day and this after being underused in the first Test as well. Asked about it, he said: “The captain takes the calls. Usually, the player doesn’t have much say. There’s still time left — three more days in the game. I hope I get more overs.” Rhythm, he admitted, has been difficult to find. “You never know when you’ll bowl. But I’ll try to use whatever…

By Trisha Ghosal in Manchester India began the second session at 321 for 6 with a fair chance of pushing past 400. But that ambition was quickly shut down by Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer, whose relentless pace and precision flipped the script. The England captain set the tone with two wickets in a single over — removing Washington Sundar and Anshul Kamboj — before sealing his first five-wicket haul in eight years. Stokes once again used the short ball to devastating effect. The dismissal of Washington was almost a carbon copy of Sai Sudharsan’s from the evening before. Banged…

By Trisha Ghosal in Manchester We’ve all seen Rishabh Pant the entertainer. The daredevil. The audacious shot-maker who danced down to James Anderson and reverse-swept him like it was street cricket. We’ve called him fearless, gutsy, mad, and yes — at times, even reckless. That’s just the price Pant pays for batting like only he can. But the man we saw today at Old Trafford… was something else entirely. This wasn’t about flair. This wasn’t about sixes. This was about soul. He walked out in pain — real, visible pain. A fractured toe that should’ve ruled him out for six…

Trisha Ghosal in Manchester The murmurs started almost instantly. Why did he need to play that shot? Was it necessary? Couldn’t Pant have just settled in? It was a full ball from Chris Woakes, angling in. Rishabh Pant tried to reverse sweep it — his body weight falling across, his usual flair on display. But this time, it went horribly wrong. The ball slammed into his foot. He was in visible agony, unable to stand. Moments later, he was being driven off the field, India suddenly in damage-control mode. But to question why he played that shot is to question…

Trisha Ghosal in Manchester It was a day where fortunes swung sharply at Old Trafford. India, after bossing the morning session on a lively surface, saw England claw back with key wickets after lunch. Among the bright spots was Sai Sudharsan, who made his maiden Test fifty, showing composure despite an early reprieve. But just when India looked to consolidate, Rishabh Pant suffered a serious foot injury and had to be helped off. With the second new ball due first thing tomorrow and Pant’s return uncertain, the pressure is squarely on India’s lower order. Post-play, Sudharsan addressed the media with…

Trisha Ghosal in Manchester It was England’s day, eventually. After being kept wicketless through the morning by India’s top order, they stormed back in the afternoon with Ben Stokes leading the charge. But amid the usual suspects, it was Liam Dawson who made a quiet, impactful return to Test cricket. Having last played a red-ball Test in December 2016, Dawson’s comeback was one of the day’s undercurrents. At stumps, he opened up on nerves, old scars, and new clarity. “Thought Test cricket was gone”: On returning after eight years “To be honest, at my age, I thought Test cricket was…

Rishabh Pant has been taken to hospital for scans after suffering a painful blow to his right foot on Day 1 of the Manchester Test, confirmed Sai Sudharsan at the end-of-day press conference. “Oh, he was in a lot of pain and he’s now at the hospital taking scans,” Sudharsan said. “We’ll know about the update probably soon. If he’s not coming back in this match it’s obviously a blow, but the other batters are also ready to do their part.” Also Read: Rishabh Pant wheeled off the field – Blow to foot leaves it bloodied and swollen Pant was…

Trisha Ghosal in Manchester India’s batting effort veered off course in the second session at Old Trafford, squandering the early advantage built by their openers. What began as their most assured start of the tour quickly unravelled after KL Rahul’s dismissal, leaving England with the upper hand by tea on Day 1. Resuming from a strong 78 without loss post-lunch, Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal briefly carried their opening stand to 92, the highest of India’s tour so far, before Rahul’s lapse in judgment changed the rhythm. Facing Chris Woakes, he threw his hands at a short-of-length delivery that nipped away…