Test Match Breakfast takes a look at some of the biggest issues around cricket during England’s huge second Test against India at Edgbaston.
After the first three days of the Test, Mail Sport’s RICHARD GIBSON highlights a remarkable feat achieved by both India and England, the definitive rankings of Sky Sports’ best-dressed pundits, and the unfortunate West Indies star whose big day was ruined by a typo.
Sky Sports’ Captain Shabby goes to…
The Sky Sports commentary box is full of former players with leadership experience, but the majority seem to agree there is only one Captain Shabby.
In one of the more left field Third Man analyses by Mail Sport’s own Nasser Hussain – on the sartorial merits of the Sky team – it was Michael Atherton who claimed the wooden spoon and a slating for his choice of an un-ironed, open white shirt.
Next to bottom came Ian Ward for his casual style, with Hussain placing himself one spot higher up.
Atherton’s protests at the rankings proved futile with Stuart Broad poking fun at him by questioning whether he even knew there was a dress code.
India’s Ravi Shastri came out on top, ahead of compatriot Dinesh Karthik, as the only one with the confidence to wear a white jacket.
Michael Atherton was Captain Shabby among the Sky broadcasters for his unironed shirt
India’s tardiness when calling for a review
Farcially, India were permitted to review Yashasvi Jaiswal’s leg before decision late on the third evening despite the 15-second time limit running out.
The big screen at Edgbaston shows the countdown clock in such situations and it had been on zero for a beat or two when a tardy Jaiswal finally made his sign to umpire Sharfuddoula.
Animated England captain Ben Stokes challenged the legitimacy of allowing it to stand but with his argument falling on deaf ears, it was a good job that Sharfuddoula’s original call of out was proved right.
In a farcical twist, India were allowed to review Yashasvi Jaiswal’s leg before decision despite the 15-second time limit running out
Runs flow after the fifth wicket falls
India added more runs here after the fall of their fifth wicket than they had ever done previously in Test cricket.
Shubman Gill’s team hit a further 376 after being reduced to 211 for five – an emphatic response to their tail-end collapses in Leeds last week.
But England scored an even higher percentage of their first-innings runs after Stokes was fifth out for a golden duck with 84 on the board – hundreds from Jamie Smith and Harry Brook the bulk of the 79% that came after this point. India, meanwhile, managed 64% once half their side was dismissed.
Pundit Pujara salivates over batting conditions
So flat has this Edgbaston pitch been that Cheteshwar Pujara, working as a television pundit, was salivating at the prospect of batting on it.
But it was not a case of him rolling back the years. Pujara, 37, still plays first-class cricket for Saurashtra and therefore bridled at suggestions that he has retired.
It is more than two years since a player with 19 Test hundreds and an average of 43.6 was last picked by India, yet he clearly believes he could still do a job in these conditions.
India scored more runs after the fall of their fifth wicket than they had ever done previously in Test cricket
But Harry Brook (L) and Jamie Smith (R) were even more impressive after Ben Stokes went out
Stone on the comeback trail
Olly Stone made his comeback for Nottinghamshire on Friday night in another positive sign ahead of next winter’s Ashes.
Stone, 31, was ruled out of the Test summer when he required knee surgery in the spring, but a return in Twenty20 cricket for Nottinghamshire has strengthened the likelihood that he will be able to play some first-class matches before the end of the season.
England have already been boosted by Jofra Archer joining up with the second Test squad in Birmingham, following the news that Mark Wood could be fit to return before the end of this series against India.
And their fast bowling stocks will be fully replenished if Stone, who has 17 Test wickets at 24 runs apiece, can come through some County Championship action unscathed.
Brathwaite presentation gaffe
Kraigg Brathwaite’s presentation ceremony, congratulating him on becoming the 10th West Indies cricketer to reach 100 Test caps, lost a considerable amount of its lustre when the embroidered cap handed to him in recognition of his milestone featured a misspelling of his surname.
Alongside the opposition, venue and date of the occasion – West Indies v Australia, Grenada and July 3-7 2025 – was BRTHWAITE. Doh!
Poor Kraigg Brathwaite saw his name spelled wrong in his 100-cap presentation ceremony
