England made a stunning comeback in the second Test at Trent Bridge against the West Indies. For the first time in Test cricket history, England scored over 400 runs in both innings of a match.

West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl first. England scored 416 in their first innings, led by a century from Ollie Pope and other solid contributions. The West Indies then fought back, scoring 457 in their first innings to take a lead.

In response, England scored over 400 runs again in their second innings, reducing the deficit. Centuries from Harry Brook (109) and Joe Root (122) gave England a lead of over 350 runs.

Joe Root’s record-breaking performance at Trent Bridge

Joe Root hit his 32nd Test century, including his sixth against the West Indies and his fifth at Trent Bridge. He reached this milestone in just 260 innings, with only Alastair Cook ahead of him among English players.

Historically, teams have scored over 400 runs in a Test innings 12 times. England has been on the receiving end five times. Australia has done it six times, India three times, and South Africa, Pakistan, and England once each.

Australia achieved this six times between 1924 and 2008. South Africa did it against England in Durban in 1939. India scored over 400 against Pakistan in 2005, Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad in 2009, and England in 2024. Pakistan did it against India in Faisalabad in 2006. Recently, England achieved this against the West Indies in the second Test.

Historic achievement for England in Test cricket

England has set a target of 385 runs for the West Indies at Trent Bridge. After being bowled out for 425, England made a remarkable comeback after initially being overtaken by the West Indies’ first innings score. The West Indies need 385 runs to win with one and a half days left.

England sets a challenging target for West Indies

It’s a tough challenge for the West Indies batters. Despite their first Test win, England is still at the bottom of the WTC points table, while the West Indies are sixth. England’s win could move them above South Africa in the standings.

Jayden Seals took 4-97, while Alzarri Joseph claimed 2-103. Shamar Joseph, Jason Holder, and Kevin Sinclair each took a wicket.

Star West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph caused a big scene at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on Day 3 of the second Test against England. During the 107th over, Joseph took on England’s young fast bowler Gus Atkinson and hit two powerful shots that were crucial for his team.

Joseph first pulled a delivery from Atkinson over deep mid wicket for a six, then smashed another ball over deep backward square leg for another huge six. The second shot was so well timed that it sailed into the stands and hit the roof of one of the boxes, causing tiles to fall on the crowd below. Fortunately, no fans were injured.

Watch Shamar Joseph’s incredible six

Joseph scored a quick 33 off 27 balls, including five fours and two sixes. He partnered with Joshua Da Silva for the tenth wicket adding 71 runs off 78 balls. Their stand frustrated England as they easily scored against a tired bowling attack.

Their partnership ended just before lunch when Joseph hit a delivery from Mark Wood straight to Gus Atkinson at mid on. Da Silva was left not out on 82, missing a well deserved century as he walked back to the pavilion.

England claims early breakthroughs on day 3

West Indies started their innings at 351/5 with Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva. England struck early when Chris Woakes caught Holder’s edge and Jamie Smith took the catch. Kevin Sinclair followed but was out after scoring 4, caught by Harry Brook.

Woakes continued his good work by dismissing Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales with back-to-back deliveries. West Indies was all out for 457, taking a narrow lead of 41 runs.

The West Indies cricket team has faced a significant setback as veteran all-rounder Jason Holder has been ruled out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 due to an injury. This unexpected development has led to the inclusion of left-arm fast bowler Obed McCoy as his replacement.

Jason Holder’s Injury

Jason Holder, the experienced stalwart of the West Indies team, sustained an injury during the County Championship 2024. The injury was severe enough to require a substantial recovery period, effectively ruling him out of participating in the T20 World Cup. Holder’s absence is a considerable loss for the West Indies, given his experience and influence on the field.

See Also: Watch: “Jeetne Ke Baad Cake Khayenge”, Rohit Sharma’s heart-touching chat with Pant ahead of T20 World Cup departure

Obed McCoy: The Replacement

Obed McCoy, who steps in to replace Holder, is a promising left-arm fast bowler. McCoy’s cricketing journey has been impressive, marked by his ability to deliver under pressure. Recently, he was the leading wicket-taker during the West Indies A’s tour to Nepal, where he grabbed eight wickets in five matches. His selection is a testament to his growing prowess and potential to shine internationally.

Desmond Haynes’ Statement

Desmond Haynes, the Lead Selector for West Indies, expressed his thoughts on Holder’s injury and McCoy’s selection. “Jason is an experienced player in our set-up. His absence will undoubtedly be felt both on and off the field. We look forward to having a fully fit Jason with us again soon,” Haynes said. He also expressed confidence in McCoy’s abilities, highlighting his remarkable skill and promise.

Reserve Players

In preparation for further contingencies, West Indies has named five reserve players: Kyle Mayers, Matthew Forde, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh, and Andre Fletcher. Each player brings unique skills and has proven their capabilities in various game formats. Their readiness to step in if needed adds depth to the squad.

Coach Daren Sammy’s Views

Daren Sammy, the head coach and two-time T20 World Cup winner, expressed his confidence in the team and the reserves. “We are fortunate to have such depth and quality in our ranks. Our reserve players are all A-class talents who have proven their abilities in various game formats, but certainly T20. Each of them is fully capable of slotting into the team seamlessly should the situation arise,” Sammy stated.

West Indies Updated Squad: Rovman Powell (c), Alzarri Joseph (vc), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Obed McCoy, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd. Reserves: Kyle Mayers, Matthew Forde, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh, and Andre Fletcher

After wreaking havoc on retention day, the Mumbai Indians have recently emerged as the most talked-about franchise. They have got their beloved all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, from the Gujarat Titans to complete one of the most significant trades in league history. Later, the five-time champions sent Cameron Green to the Royal Challengers Bangalore in yet another unexpected move.

MI still has a few seats vacant in their blue arsenal, so it will be interesting to see who they will sign during the IPL 2024 auction. They only have 17.75 crores to play with in the auction. Here are the top four likely purchases by the five-time IPL winners in the coming mini-auction. 

• Wanindu Hasaranga

Royal Challengers Bangalore unexpectedly released Wanindu Hasaranga, which might be a blessing in disguise for Mumbai Indians. The Mumbai Indians should try to sign him since he is a spinner and a decent pinch-hitter in the lower order.

The Mumbai Indians could use someone like Hasaranga, a foreign spinner who would be an excellent addition to the club. However, considering the fact that multiple teams will be fighting for him, he may be expensive.

• Jason Holder

With a robust need for an all-rounder that can support the top Indian all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, the MI management can give their hands on acquiring the Caribbean all-rounder, Jason Holder, with an ability to hit big shots at the very crucial moments and scalping some vital wickets for the team.

His addition to the team would strengthen the lower middle-order batting lineup, and he is a potential candidate to substitute the role and impact what Kieron Pollard has created for the five-time champions. 

• Kartik Tyagi 

The Mumbai Indians are one of the franchises keeping an eye on Kartik Tyagi. Kartik may serve as a backup for either Jasprit Bumrah or Akash Madhwal on the team.

He’s an excellent pick since he can hit the deck quickly. MI benefited from being a domestic speedster as well, as they had released a considerable number of pacers before the auction. 

West Indies are sliding badly in white-ball cricket and are probably at their lowest point at the moment. Based on recent form they may not seem like a match for India, but their Test record has been pretty decent in fact. In their last five series, West Indies have only lost one and to make sure the West Indies rise again, they will look at who can turn the tables on the Indian Team from the following.

Kemar Roach

Kemar Roach, at 35 years, continues to get better. He knows how to control the new-ball well, and while he has dropped down on pace the control he provides is incredible. His numbers at home, on the dry and dead West Indies tracks are even better making him a pretty effective leader of the attack.

Jason Holder

Jason Holder is one of the superstars in the line-up, although he often flies under the radar. He will be coming in a little devastated given his performances in the Qualifiers, particularly in the super over against Netherlands where he gave 30 runs. With the Test side though, Jason Holder provides control with the old ball, something most pacers do not like to bowl with. Despite not having much pace, his height to allows him to get awkward bounce making him all the more effective with the older ball.

Alzarri Joseph

Alzarri Joseph has been the enforcer and trump card of this attack. He was their go to bowler on a tough tour of Australia and his pace can be discomforting for batters. With the ability to touch the 150kph mark with ease, Alzarri Joseph has the raw pace to rattle batters and a mean bouncer which has helped him pick more than half of his wickets in the last four years.

Jermaine Blackwood

Jermaine Blackwood isn’t a very known name yet in Test Cricket but he has silently been doing a fine job for West Indies. Known for his quick rate of scoring, Blackwood loves to keep the scoreboard ticking and can shift the momentum with ease in quick time.

Kraigg Brathwaite

Kraigg Brathwaite, like Dean Elgar and Dimuth Karunaratne, falls under the category of underrated and silent openers. He is one of the most stubborn openers going around and spends a really valuable amount of time out in the middle making life easier for the batters around him. Looking at his batting though leads to a contrast with the batter getting beaten and into the most awkward positions. His style though proves to be very effective which is why he is one of the best openers going around in Test Cricket today.

A total of close to 25 or more cricketers are found to have pursued the T20 association being drifted by Cricket South Africa (CSA) and planned to start off in January next year.

Around 10 cricketers from the Caribbean islands, 10 from Sri Lanka and close to twelve names from England have come ready. Meanwhile, TOI has discovered that Cricket Australia (CA) is inside the procedure of giving Huge Bash contracts to their leading white-ball cricketers including David Warner, Steven Smith, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Cameron Green among others.

This suggests, top Australian cricketers won’t be out there to play in these new T20 leagues until a couple of them resolve to resign from the format altogether post the T20 World Cup this year and turn ‘free-agents’.

Cricketers from New Zealand as well, barring a few who are learnt to be contemplating a move, will avoid the spic and span T20 league. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is in the process of drafting fresh contracts for their cricketers to remain devoted to local First-Class cricket back home.

Here are some of the big names who have signed up for the league in South Africa as of now while some others are yet to.

Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Tymal Mills from England; Jason Holder, Alzari Joseph, Obed McCoy, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Harry Tector are among the few names currently ready.

That is alongside all the top South African T20 cricketers who are now ready for their own special ‘domestic’ league. The list is still a work in progress as of now.

Mumbai Indians have Kieron Pollard on board although it’s muddled whether the Trinidadian will make himself available for the league in South Africa or the UAE. The Kolkata Knight Riders have signed Sunil Narine and Andre Russell while GMR – the half owner of Delhi Capitals who has contributed to the UAE association has joined Shimron Hetmeyer and Rovman Powell.

The strategy for those signings stays to be in progress and can continue till the end of the World Cup.

ALSO READ: Rahul Dravid all praises for India’s win vs WI

The cricket fraternity is waiting for the World Cup to end because it expects quite a few cricketers will walk around the dusk of their T20 career post the match and will probably be allowed to make their choices.

Meanwhile, the franchise owners in South Africa are furthermore bustling signing support staff. The Lucknow SuperGiants have signed up with Lance Klusener as coach while Chennai Super Kings have hired Eric Simmons to work with Stephen Fleming.

Jason Holder is the latest millionaire in the IPL and the all-rounder definitely deserves it despite going off radar on many occasions. Jason Holder’s international career started as a bowler back in 2013. His height at 6ft 7 inches allowed him to extract steep bounce despite not being the fastest. Early in his career, Holder showed immense potential and was given captaincy within a short time.

He took captaincy, had a tenure across formats for six odd years, went on to become one of the best all-rounders in the World all at the age of 30. Despite all his contributions as an all-rounder though, Jason Holder is still behind in the discussions as the likes of Ben Stokes steal the talk regarding all-rounders. His captaincy tenure wasn’t so great as Jason Holder had a team which was in financial turmoil. The ODI side didn’t have its best players, the Test team wasn’t supported due to financial issues, and Jason Holder couldn’t put up a competitive side.

See Also: Ab De Villiers, A career as one of the Best in the IPL – Cricket Winner

2019 though saw Holder find a competitive side as they beat England. He also led the West Indies to Test wins in England twice, and the side was competitive in the 2019 World Cup despite only winning one game.

Now, Jason Holder has been removed as captain, but his value of a player is coming out nicely. Starting off as a bowler who could bounce batters with his height, Jason Holder has started to display a versatile set of skills. He can handle the new-ball, bowls some testing and economical spells, and is now also taking wickets in the death overs.

In the previous T20 series against England, Holder took a hat-trick at the death, showing that he can take wickets and hold off an end as well. In the IPL as well, Jason Holder is famous for his ability to take wickets in the middle overs. He generally comes on after the opening bowlers, and may seem like a bowler who can be taken for runs, and that is what traps batters.

His bowling though is a known entity. A surprise has been through his batting growth. Initially, Jason Holder wasn’t looked at for his batting much, but now he is a key batter in the side. Batting at six, Jason Holder is flexible enough to play the situation. He can anchor the innings if needed, playing some patient knocks, including a double-century against England. When quick runs are needed, Jason Holder has the ability to clear the fence as well as anyone, and the recent CPL saw him put up some explosive shows.

As a batter, Holder’s calmness and situational awareness makes him as threatening as some of the best in the World. His bowling is also flexible as Holder can control the runs and take wickets as per the situation. His fielding is another asset. With Jason Holder’s height, the tall cricketer has saved and taken a number of boundary catches which can’t be imagined by the shorter fielders. His height makes it tougher for the batters as Holder seems to just pluck out catches in the deep.

Finally, Jason Holder has the experience of leading a nation, and his experience is very valuable. He is a calm head and natural leader, who can always be helpful if the captain needs advice. As a player, he is a captains go to man, and with multiple uses, his high price tag is not a surprise in the IPL. During the CPL as well, Jason Holder showed why he can be useful as he single-handedly tried to save his team from embarrassment. He has also had some wonderful contributions for SRH recently, and is doing a good job for the West Indies.

With such immense talent, experience and situational awareness, Jason Holder is easily a talent for any team. With World Cups and the IPL ahead, it won’t be surprising if his name hits the headlines despite Holder often going under the radar.

Preview

West Indies Vs England: England begin their fightback in Test Cricket after a disastrous year. They lost in India, and are currently trailing against India at home, and were nowhere near competitive in the Ashes. England were way to short on talent, and their stubborn mindset showed through the season. With consistent losses, England are looking to make changes, but some of the changes continue to look funny.

England have dropped their best ever fast bowlers in James Anderson and Stuart Broad. The pair were good in Australia and the closest to competing in a tough tour, but find themselves dropped as England ring in changes. The dropping of Dawid Malan was also interesting as Malan along with Root was the only batter to counter the Australians.

There are a lot of interesting changes, but the intent seems good and England look like they are finally taking Test Cricket seriously. They are back in the Caribbean, a region which could be considered as the starting point of their Test downfall. England toured the Caribbean in 2019, and lost the West Indies Vs England Test series badly, getting all-out for 77 at a point. The West Indies were brilliant and seem to have a special liking for England.

Recent numbers against the English team have been good with the West Indies winning Tests in England on their last two visits, and winning the previous series. They have a very good record in West Indies Vs England Tests at home, and the fast-bowling attack looks scary, which is a strong sign for the West Indies.

Match Details

Match: West Indies Vs England

Date: 8^th March 2022

Time: 7:30 PM IST

Venue: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua

Weather Report

The weather for the West Indies Vs England Test is clear with slight cloud cover. There is minimal chance of rain throughout the West Indies Vs England Test.

Pitch Report

Off late, surfaces in the Caribbean have been dry and dead. High pace will be needed to extract bounce on the surface, and the pacers will have an advantage.

West Indies Vs England, Playing XI

England Playing XI

Zak Crawley, Alex Lees, Joe Root (c), Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes (wk), Chris Woakes, Jake Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Mark Wood

West Indies Playing XI

Kraigg Brathwaite (c), John Campbell, Shamarh Brooks, Kyle Mayers, Jermain Blackwood, Jason Holder, Joshua De Silva (wk), Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, Veerasammy Permaul, Jayden Seales.

Team News

England has announced their twelve ahead of the match and will make a decision on the final eleven ahead of the toss.

Key Players

Chris Woakes

With James Anderson and Stuart Broad dropped and Jofra Archer injured, Chris Woakes will have a lot of responsibility on him. He had a dismal Ashes tour, but will now be taking the new-ball and leading the attack.

Jason Holder

Jason Holder is in a rich run of form and did an exceptional job when England last visited. His height will make him extract bounce with ease at North Sound, and his lower-order batting can also irritate opponents.

West Indies Vs England, Match Tips

England are coming in with a fresh side but are still not too promising in Test Cricket. West Indies have a good record at home against England and should have the upper hand in this West Indies Vs England Test.

Match Prediction: West Indies will win the match.

The IPL 2022 Auction is an even that can often spring up some surprises, and allow certain players to go higher than expected. With a lot of talent and lot to offer from a certain players, the Auction sees cricketers go at rates much greater than their base price, despite not much predictions being made. The surprising picks are not necessarily the highest paid, but they do end up having a lot more demand than expected in the IPL Auction.

IPL 2022 Auction Players to watch , here is the list

Odean Smith

Odean Smith is a fast-bowling all-rounder from Jamaica, and is very similar to Andre Russel. He can touch speeds of 90 miles per hour with ease, and is a very explosive six-hitter at the back end of the innings. His performance in the Caribbean Premier League was pretty good last season, and Smith is also starting to find his feet in international cricket.

He isn’t too experienced and his ability in India hasn’t been tested yet, and these factors could be on the franchises mind. Apart from his experience and ability in India though, Odean Smith could be a promising buy, and with his explosive ability he could go for a decent price when compared to his base price.

Shah Rukh Khan

Shah Rukh Khan made a name for himself in the TNPL, with his explosive hitting, and continued to do wonders in the domestic tournaments. He is now famous for his finishing abilities, and was a key player for Tamil Nadu in the Syed Ali Mushtaq Trophy and the Vijay Hazare trophy. In the previous IPL auction, Shah Rukh Khan had some strong demand as he went for over 6cr. He had a decent season, scoring fifty against Chennai, but couldn’t find a regular spot in the team. He has had a better year after the IPL, and has also made the national squad, which could help increase the demand for him in the IPL Auction.

Liam Livingstone

Liam Livingstone had a dream tournament while playing the hundred, and is in some strong form for England in the shortest format. His batting in the middle has been aggressive and consistent, but it has been his bowling which is making noise. With the ability to bowl both off and leg spin, Livingstone is a silent and economical customer in the middle overs. He has been running through his overs nicely, and choking teams. His bowling wasn’t used to much by the Rajasthan Royals, but this time it will have a huge role in the tournament, and that could be a factor that helps his price go up high.

KS Bharat

With all the franchises hitting the reset button, wicket-keepers will have a lot of demand. KS Bharat has been in the middle of a good run, and that helps him gather attention. He has played for India A consistently, and is a part of the Test side, subbing in nicely against New Zealand.

He was also pretty consistent for RCB last season, scoring runs at three and setting the innings up nicely for Glenn Maxwell and Ab De Villiers. Among all the consistency, Bharat rose to fame after a famous incident with Avesh Khan saw him hit a six to beat Delhi in a thrilling encounter. Recent events will definitely help the Andhra boy be among the top wicket-keepers to look out for in the IPL Auction.

Washington Sundar

As always, all-rounders generally tend to have a lot of takers in the IPL Auction. Washington Sundar is one who is very capable to attract interest as well. He is young, he can bat anywhere in the batting line-up, and bowls off-spin. He is very good with the new ball, giving silent overs up front, and can also open the batting as he did the job in the TNPL before. He is in good batting form, and has nearly breached the century on multiple occasions. With multiple utilities and age on his side, Sundar could have a lot of takers, and it will be interesting to see how teams use Sundar’s potential as he often goes unused in the IPL.

Jason Holder

Jason Holder is another quiet customer who can bring in a lot of value. He came in as a replacement for Mitchell Marsh in IPL 2020, and did a really good job with the ball as Sunrisers turned a poor tournament around and qualified. He took a lot of wickets in the middle-order while also providing stability in the middle order. As a bowler, Holder doesn’t have too much pace, which makes him go unnoticed. His height though allows him to extract awkward bounce, and he has the knack of getting lots of wickets in the middle overs.

Coming to his batting, Holder isn’t as explosive as an Andre Russell, but he can hit the big ones nicely. He is a calm cricketer who takes the game deep, and calculates his innings well. He knows how to hang around, and plays the situation nicely before going for the big ones. Despite his talents, Jason Holder often tends to go unnoticed, but his numbers are good enough to keep franchises interested, and he could easily surprise a lot of people in the IPL Auction.

Deepak Chahar

Since 2018, Deepak Chahar has been among the top bowlers in the powerplay. He has the ability to extract any amount of swong in the surface, and is priceless upfront, picking up key wickets early on. Along with his new-ball skills, Deepak Chahar is an improving death bowler, and has grown vastly in the last few years. He is also a handy lower order batter, and due to his all-round skills, Chahar can easily attract some strong bids in the auction. With the Chennai Super Kings likely to target him, Chahar will not go cheap, and may well break records as the most expensive fast bowler in the IPL Auction.