Test debutant and Jos Buttler make a stand amid England’s desperate inability to find impetus against brilliant PakistanWhen the game was as good as lost, England at last started to play as if they could win. They were 110 for six, still 69 runs behind, when Dom Bess joined Jos Buttler in the middle. The two of them batted right through the late afternoon, in the sunny lees of a hot summer day. Buttler is a man of peerless talent but the way Bess, a 20-year-old playing his first Test, made it all look so easy showed up just how poor England had been until he came to the crease. They put on 125 and the hours their partnership lasted...
It might seem odd that English sport’s great invisible superstar is back in the Test team on the back of his Indian Premier League status but his selection is bold and sensibleEvery year in the US five people die and 10 million dollars of damage is caused as a result of deep-frying a turkey. This appears to be a festive tradition among bearded flag-draped men with hunting knives and baggy shorts, men for whom freedom’s just another word for caramelising your own arteries and shouting a lot on YouTube.But freedom comes at a cost. Each deep-fried turkey takes seven gallons of superheated fat. A special chain is required to lower it into its hell-cauldron. Moisture is the key issue: a...
The Lancashire wicketkeeper also plays for Mumbai Indians and used his knowledge of the Wankhede Stadium to play a knock that suggests he can still play a part in red-ball cricketLocal knowledge can go a long way in a bustling city such as Mumbai. Black and yellow taxis, for example, cost far less than the blue and silver ones, with the sole difference between the two being air-conditioning when simply winding down the window works fine.Heading to the cricket? The ticket office is at Gate Two but booking online is the way to go. Rucksacks should be left at the hotel, water bottles will similarly be confiscated, while sun cream and cameras are touch‑and‑go items depending on the mood of...
England’s No7 makes light of lack of red-ball cricket to make an encouraging return to the Test arenaWhen discussing Jos Buttler’s lack of red-ball cricket in the lead-up to his Test return, England’s stock phrase was that it was not ideal. When it came to pass, on the first day in Mohali, the situation that greeted the No7’s arrival at the crease was much the same.A morning of self-inflicted wounds by the touring batsmen in the watery-grey sunshine of northern India in autumn meant England were 92 for four at lunch and, having thus blown a key victory at the toss, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes found themselves rebuilding the innings. Related: Ben Stokes reprimanded by ICC after altercation but...
Paul Farbrace says Jos Buttler could not have had a tougher first series as captain but everyone rose to the challenge, despite the mental barriers they had to crossWhen England travelled to Bangladesh two weeks ago, there were many reasons why they could have lost the ODI leg – and in the course of the series they created a few more. Absent players, ever-improving opposition, alien conditions, crowds wishing them the worst, the suffocating – if superb, and inescapable – security detail and some overemotional aggro all popped up at one stage or another. England’s greenhorns passed their test, however. Related: Jos Buttler says England’s ODI series win in Bangladesh is ‘hugely satisfying’ Related: Eoin Morgan will resume England limited-overs...