Cricket

The ban by India’s government of online betting games has ended the national cricket team’s sponsorship by Dream11.

India are looking for a new lead sponsor to replace Indian fantasy sports platform Dream11 after the government banned real-money online gaming last month, leaving the world’s richest cricket board scrambling to secure new revenue.

Dream11, which had signed a three-year contract worth about 3.6 billion rupees ($44m) running through 2026, can no longer sponsor the national team after the central government banned real-money online games as well as their promotion, including fantasy sports.

India’s upper house of parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 last month.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which commands some of the world’s most lucrative broadcast deals thanks to cricket’s popularity and India’s vast population, set a September 16 deadline for new bid submissions.

The auction is unlikely to remain unsold for long, but with the Asia Cup starting on September 9, India may take the field without a front-of-shirt sponsor in the opening week, which includes the marquee match against rivals Pakistan on September 14.

The Economic Times reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter, that the board is seeking 35 million rupees ($397.6k) per match for bilaterals, and 15 million ($170.4k) per match for India’s fixtures in International Cricket Council and Asian Cricket Council tournaments in a three-year sponsorship cycle.

Over an estimated 140 games in the 2025-28 cycle, the BCCI expects to generate about 4.52 billion rupees ($51.3m), about 940 million ($10.7m) more than under Dream11’s deal, which was 3.58 billion ($40.7m) for the period July 2023 to March 2026 – an uplift of more than 20 percent.

The Australian bowling superstar made the shock announcement ahead of the upcoming Ashes series and T20 World Cup.

Australia’s white-ball pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has retired from Twenty20 internationals to focus on extending his career in test and one-day cricket.

The 35-year-old left-armer retires with 79 wickets from 65 T20Is, second on the all-time list for Australia, behind spinner Adam Zampa.

“Test cricket is and has always been my highest priority,” he said in a Cricket Australia statement on Tuesday.

“I have loved every minute of every T20 game I have played for Australia, particularly the 2021 World Cup, not just because we won but the incredible group and the fun along the way.

“Looking ahead to an away Indian test tour, the Ashes and an ODI World Cup in 2027, I feel this is my best way forward to remain fresh, fit and at my best for those campaigns.

“It also gives the bowling group time to prepare for the T20 World Cup in the matches leading into that tournament.”

Starc was not included in Australia’s T20I squad, released on Tuesday, for the upcoming series against New Zealand.

Chair of national selectors George Bailey and Cricket Australia boss Todd Greenberg paid tribute to Starc.

“Mitch should be incredibly proud of his T20 career for Australia,” said Bailey.

“He was an integral member of the 2021 World Cup-winning side and, as across all his cricket, had a great skill for blowing games open with his wicket-taking ability.

“We will acknowledge and celebrate his T20 career at the right time, but pleasingly, he remains focused on continuing to play test and ODI cricket for a long as possible.”

Greenberg praised Starc for making “significant sacrifices” to play for his country.

“To allow the next crop of fast bowlers a clear path to the T20 World Cup early next year is another example of putting team first,” he said.

The government has pledged £1.5m for two new indoor sport domes in Luton and Lancashire – but hopes of grassroots cricket receiving an anticipated huge cash injection remain in doubt.

Last year, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised £35m to cricket in what was called a “seminal moment” that could lead to “generational change” within the sport.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) envisaged the funding package “turbocharging” an improvement in facilities in towns and cities for state school children.

Central to that plan was the construction of 16 domes across England before 2029, which would enable local cricket to be played all year round and in any weather.

A £14m proportion of the original pledge was to be divided between three charities – ACE, Chance to Shine and Lord’s Taverners – with the target of getting one million pupils from state schools playing cricket.

As reported by BBC Sport last October, those plans were left severely under threat amid government cuts as part of the Spending Review.

At the announcement of the two new domes, during an event at Leyland Cricket Club in Lancashire, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the BBC that former Conservative leader Sunak’s original package to help revive cricket in state schools was unrealistic.

She said the decision to provide cash for the two domes was a “significant step” at a time when “public finances are very very tight”.

“Unfortunately, the announcement made by the last government was a fantasy. There was not a single penny of funding actually attached to it,” explained Labour MP Nandy.

“So the announcement in itself equated to absolutely nothing at all.

“We are backing sport because we know how much it matters. It changes people’s lives. It opens up opportunities that people would never have had otherwise.”

Shadow Culture Secretary Nigel Huddleston said it was “vital” to “widen cricket participation in schools” and “provide world-class, all-year-round facilities for local communities”.

He added: “At a time when there is uncertainty over the government’s commitment to sports funding, including the future of cricket fund, my Conservative colleagues and I will continue to champion this cause.”

Test skipper Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah made the cut with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer the biggest omissions from the 15-man squad.

Defending champions India have named top order batter Shubman Gill and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in their Twenty20 squad for next month’s Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and middle order batter Shreyas Iyer, however, did not make Tuesday’s cut for the 15-member squad, led by Suryakumar Yadav.

Gill, India’s Test captain, has not played a T20 International since July last year when he was Suryakumar’s deputy on a tour of Sri Lanka.

“That’s where we started a new cycle,” said Suryakumar, who took over the T20 captaincy from Rohit Sharma after India won the 20-overs World Cup title last year.

“After that, he got busy with all the Test series, and he didn’t get an opportunity to play T20s because he was busy playing Test cricket and Champions Trophy,” Suryakumar told reporters.

“So he’s there in the squad, and we’re happy to have him.”

India also included Bumrah, whose recent workload has been a major concern for the team think tank, which played him in three of the five Tests in England in June and July.

No room for Jaiswal

With three opening options in Gill, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, India could not accommodate Jaiswal.

“With regard to Yashasvi, it’s just unfortunate again,” chief selector Ajit Agarkar said.

“There’s Abhishek Sharma – what he’s done over the last year or so, plus he can bowl a little bit. He gives us that option if required.

“One of these guys was going to miss out, Yashasvi just has to wait for his chance.”

Samson and Jitesh Sharma are the two wicketkeepers in the side, which also includes left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

India begin their Group A campaign against hosts United Arab Emirates in Dubai before meeting archrivals Pakistan at the same venue four days later.

The Asia Cup 2025 begins on September 9.

India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson

In the world of women’s cricket, Ellyse Perry has seen it all.

From an Australia debut in 2007 at the age of just 16, to juggling international football alongside cricket, to the unforgettable 3-19 with a fractured ankle to win the World Cup in 2013 – one of her eight World Cup wins – plus a Commonwealth Games triumph in 2022.

Throughout it all, the game has transformed beyond recognition, with Perry as the star at its centre.

The 34-year-old all-rounder has 337 caps for Australia across formats, having been one of the country’s first players to be awarded a central contract in 2008, and is now one of the top names on any wishlist for the world’s various franchise leagues.

Having represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru in India’s Women’s Premier League and Sydney Sixers in her native Women’s Big Bash (WBBL), Perry is now beginning her third season with Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred, having spent the early summer playing for Hampshire in the Women’s Vitality Blast and the One-Day Cup.

Though Perry’s focus is on leading Phoenix, who finished seventh in the table in 2024, she and the other Australians in the tournament – including Alana King, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland and Phoebe Litchfield – will have one eye on the upcoming challenge of defending their 50-over World Cup title in India this autumn.

The Australia side has a strong case to be regarded as one of the greatest teams in sporting history but their most recent triumph, a 16-0 thrashing of England in the Ashes, saw a spotlight on women’s cricket in the UK like never before.

“It’s really easy to get caught up in the scoreline of that series without really seeing the bigger picture,” said Perry.

“There are some amazing players in that English team, world-class players who can win a game from anywhere.

“It was a moment in time. It was great for us and for our fans, playing at home during our summer, but I sort of feel like it was probably a bit of an anomaly.

“The next time we meet, it’ll be different circumstances – maybe in a World Cup. It’s a moment that has passed and not something that we all want to get stuck on or gloat about because cricket is so fickle, things can change so quickly.”

England received widespread criticism for the defeats and their attitude, with fans becoming increasingly frustrated by repeated claims of them being “so close” to beating Australia and with accusations of cosiness and complacency within the team.

Though Perry admits she did not pay much attention to what was said in the media during the series, she welcomes the increased scrutiny as a good thing for the game.

“It shows that people care, and people expect a certain level of performance from their elite female teams and they are passionate about it.

“That’s a far cry from where the women’s game was five to 10 years ago. So while criticism and being held to account isn’t always a pleasant thing, equally it’s a very positive thing for the direction of the game and that it’s being taken really seriously.

“People expect more [now we are paid more] and all we’ve wanted is to be taken seriously and to be respected, for the way that we play the game and the level that we can take the game to, so with that comes pressure to perform.

“There will be moments where that’s hard to handle and it’s a challenge, but it’s also exactly what the game needs.”

South Africa’s leading paceman Kagiso Rabada says it is time to move on from the euphoria of beating Australia in the World Test Championship final, but insists the side have “nothing to fear” now following their belated major trophy success.

Rabada will lead South Africa’s attack as they take on Australia in three Twenty20 clashes and three one-day internationals starting in Darwin on Sunday.

“I think it was special, and I’ve done so many interviews on that since,” Rabada said of South Africa’s victory over Australia at Lord’s in June.

“I think it’s time to move on. I don’t think we’ll forget about that ever as a team, and South Africa won’t ever [forget], but time to move on now,” he told a news conference on Thursday.

The five-wicket win in the WTC final followed several frustrating near misses for South Africa in limited-overs World Cups.

“It was kind of like a relief. But the show moves on, and moving toward the T20 World Cup, I guess the approach will be a bit different.

“Now, you know, there’s no fear of anything.”

Rabada is relishing a reprisal of the rivalry between Australia and South Africa.

“It’s always some hard cricket being played, some good cricket,” he said. “Whenever we play Australia, I always feel like they get the best out of us, because they’re sort of in our faces. And I guess we like that.”

Rababa, who turned 30 in May, has not played since the WTC final in London.

“Thankfully, I’ve had quite a long break, so that’s been awesome. Maintenance work consistently has to be done because the volume of cricket is quite a bit.”

The Australia tour comes ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, and the 2027 World Cup in Southern Africa, and South Africa hope the experience will benefit the young players in their squad.

“For me, that’s extremely exciting to see them raring to go. It’s just about trying to see where we’re at as a team, moving into almost like another generation,” Rabada added.

India cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar is amongst those to heap praise on the current team after Test series in England.

A euphoric India heaped praises on Shubman Gill and his men after they pulled off an edge-of-the-seat thriller at the Oval on Monday to split an all-time classic Test series with England.

Odds were stacked against India in their first Test series under Gill, who inherited a team depleted by the retirement of batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – two men who preceded him in that role.

As if the gaping holes in their batting order were not bad enough, veteran seamer Mohammed Shami was deemed unfit for the tour, while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was available only for three of the five Tests as part of his workload management.

Gill and his men went on to record memorable victories at Edgbaston and the Oval to secure a 2-2 series draw and assure their legions of fans that the future of Indian cricket was in safe hands.

The indefatigable Mohammed Siraj led their lion-hearted bowling effort in the series finale to script a six-run victory amid high drama.

Batting great Sachin Tendulkar led tributes to the team and said the quality of cricket on offer was “absolute goosebumps”.

“Series 2–2, Performance 10/10! SUPERMEN from INDIA! What a win,” the former India captain wrote on X.

England needed 35 runs on Monday to secure a 3-1 series win with four wickets in hand, but Siraj struck three times to secure a famous victory for his team.

“In a nail-biting, riveting hour of cricket at England’s oldest test match ground, in characteristically cloudy Olde Blighty weather, India pulled off a historic heist,” the Hindustan Times newspaper wrote.

An Indian Express headline read “Miracles Do Happen” and the newspaper explained how Gill had stepped up as captain of a “gun team”.

The Hindu waxed eloquent on the “Mission accomplished”.

“After 25 days of riveting action, the best was saved for the last as Shubman Gil’s men rode Mohammed Siraj’s sensational spell to pull off a remarkable victory,” it said.

“It was a litmus test for an Indian team in transition but the young side showed heart and character as it fought back from tough situations to share the honours.”

India beat England by six runs to win fifth Test on its final day at the Oval and level the five-match series at 2-2.

Mohammed Siraj has been inspired as India have taken the last four wickets in under an hour to bowl England out for 367 and win an astonishing final Test by six runs to draw the series.

Siraj was India’s hero on Monday, dismissing Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton before bowling Gus Atkinson to complete a five-wicket haul at The Oval in London.

After Prasidh Krishna had bowled Josh Tongue for nought, Chris Woakes walked out to bat wearing a sling to protect his dislocated shoulder with 17 runs still needed.

Atkinson hit Siraj for six to give England brief hope and cleverly protected Woakes from the strike, but Siraj produced another brilliant yorker to earn India their narrowest ever Test win.

“With 60-, 70-odd runs to win with seven wickets in hand, you don’t get to see many games like this,” India captain Shubman Gill said. “Very happy to get this over the line, a little bit of luck for us.”

England, 301-3 at one stage, lost their last seven wickets for 66 runs, a collapse prompted by Harry Brook’s reckless dismissal after he had made a superb century.

India suddenly had a chink of hope, and they took full advantage, removing Jacob Bethell and Joe Root (105) before bad light and rain ended the fourth day early.

England still needed 35 runs to complete their second highest Test run chase and by far the largest for any team on this ground.

The Oval was full for the final act of a series that fluctuated wildly over seven weeks and under grey skies in an atmosphere of unremitting tension as one of the most dramatic endings to a Test match duly played out.

It was fitting that Siraj was the main man for India because he had stepped over the boundary cushion after dropping Brook on 19 on Sunday, an error that looked likely to cost his team the game.

Woakes was the not-out batsman, having not faced a ball but running bravely in obvious pain.

“I didn’t expect him to come out like that, batting with one hand. Kudos to him,” Gill said after his team did a lap of honour.

England needs 35 more runs to beat India as fifth Test thriller goes to the last day of the five-match series.

It’s going to be a Monday morning thriller to decide the cricket series between England and India after bad light and rain forced an early end to play in the fifth and final Test, with England needing another 35 runs to win.

England was 339-6 at stumps on day four on Sunday, chasing a target of 374. England leads the series 2-1.

India needs to claim another four wickets – perhaps three – for victory and tie the series.

England has potentially only three wickets left because of all-rounder Chris Woakes’s shoulder injury. Woakes was seen in his cricket whites at the Oval on Sunday, but with his left arm in a sling amid speculation he would come out at number 11 if needed and bat one-handed.

Joe Root was again England’s saviour on Sunday with 105 runs, and Harry Brook hit 111, as England aimed to pull off another awe-inspiring run chase.

Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith (2 not out) and bowler Jamie Overton (0 not out) are at the crease.

England chased down 371 in the Leeds opener, its record run chase at Headingley.

Root and Brook had hit what looked to be series-clinching Test centuries – Root’s 39th and Brook’s 10th – before India stormed back to set up an agonizing day five finish as the two batters stumbled with victory in sight.

Jacob Bethell also fell to a dreadful shot, piling the pressure on England.

England had been set to achieve its most audacious chase of the Bazball era, and the second-highest in its history, with apparent ease. But its late stumble started when Brook threw his bat and wicket away against Akash Deep, skying a catch to mid-off. The century in his 30th test made Brook the fastest man to 10 hundreds in 70 years. Brook had made India dearly pay for not getting him out on 19 before lunch, when Mohammed Siraj caught Brook but carried it over the boundary rope.

Then the jittery Bethell produced an ugly swipe to drag down his stumps, before Root was caught behind in a wicket maiden for Prasidh Krishna (3-109), with the hosts still needing another 37 runs.

Root and Brook had reversed the momentum of the match in a cruisy afternoon session after India won the morning session and was heavily favoured at lunch.

Yashasvi Jaiswal makes sparkling hundred with Mohammed Siraj striking with last ball of day as India look to tie series.

Yashasvi Jaiswal loves playing against England’s cricketers.

India’s 23-year-old opening batter struck his fourth test century against England, and his sixth overall, to put the visitors firmly in control on Day Three of the fifth and final Test at the Oval on Saturday.

Jaiswal had his fair share of luck, though, as he gave his side an excellent chance of tying the series 2-2.

He was dropped three times on his way to 118, his second hundred of the series, as he helped India pile up 396 in its second innings to set England a daunting victory target of 374.

England, which has developed a knack for chasing down sizeable fourth-innings totals since Brendon McCullum took over as head coach in 2022 to launch the so-called “Bazball” era, reached stumps on 50-1.

Mohammed Siraj clean bowled Zak Crawley for 14 with a searing yorker from the last ball of the day, leaving Ben Duckett on 34 not out at the other end.

Earlier, the left-handed Jaiswal turned his 127th ball of the innings to point and was celebrating his hundred before he ran the single he needed; leaping, running and shaping his fingers into a heart.

“I had to work really hard in my practice session,” Jaiswal said. “I was thinking, ‘one last push’. I think overall, wherever you play, it is difficult in England. It is not easy on this wicket. We are really confident. We will try our best and see what happens.”

There were also important contributions for India from Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.

Nightwatchman Akash Deep cut loose for a career-best 66 in a 107-run stand with Jaiswal for the third wicket. Jadeja continued his excellent batting form in the series with 53 and Sundar delivered a swashbuckling 53 off 46 balls at the end of the innings that included four sixes.

India captain Shubman Gill only made 11, but he finished with a tally of 754 runs, passing Graham Gooch’s 752 in 1990 for the most by any batter in an India-England series.

England did its best to help out India in the field, dropping six catches in all, the team’s most in a home test since 2006 when it spilled six against Pakistan, also at the Oval.

The home side’s depleted pace attack toiled hard all day in the absence of the experienced Chris Woakes, who sustained a bad shoulder injury on Day One.

Josh Tongue was the pick of the England attack with 5-125, while fellow fast bowler Gus Atkinson took 3-127 to follow up his five-wicket haul from the first innings.

“It will be a great day of cricket tomorrow, and a great day for us if we get the runs.” Tongue said. “The batting line-up we have is unbelievable. If we can build partnerships, who knows where we might be? Fingers crossed, I am not required, but if it comes down to me at the end, I will give it a good crack.”

England, which leads the series 2-1, chased down 371 to beat India in the first Test at Leeds.

Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj took four wickets each as India fought back in the fifth and deciding Test against England at the Oval on Friday.

India roared back into contention on an exhilarating day two of the final Test on Friday as their seamers restricted England to a 23-run lead after the hosts had threatened to run away with a match that the tourists need to win to square the series.

After mopping up India’s brittle tail in less than 30 minutes in the morning, openers Zac Crawley and Ben Duckett raced to 92-0 in 12 overs in a blistering return of Bazball.

However, continuing the back-and-forth theme of the entire series, India responded as their bowlers ran in relentlessly to peg England back to 247. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal then scored quickly in a potentially awkward last 90 minutes, ending unbeaten on 51 with India closing on 75-2, 52 runs ahead to leave the pivotal match fascinatingly poised.

Another fabulously undulating day began with India resuming at 204-6, but soon skittled for 224 as pace bowler Gus Atkinson took five wickets in his first Test since May.

It was an all-too-familiar collapse by the tourists this summer as Karun Nair fell lbw for 57 and Washington Sundar was caught for 26. Atkinson then bowled Mohammed Siraj and had Prasidh Krishna caught behind, both for ducks, to finish with 5-33.

England set about their reply in their usual, swashbuckling fashion, exemplified by Duckett’s extraordinary “reverse hook” for six off Akash Deep.

They reached 50 in seven overs – the fastest 50 opening partnership England have ever managed in a Test – but fell just short of the 100 as Duckett was caught behind reversing for 43.

They were 109-1 at lunch, and England looked poised to take command, but India, as they have all summer, refused to buckle as Crawley (64) and Ollie Pope (22) quickly departed.

Joe Root brought his usual calm to proceedings until Siraj nipped one back at him for an lbw on 29, with Jacob Bethell going the same way soon after.

Krishna finished off the session in style by having Jamie Smith brilliantly caught in the slips for eight by KL Rahul, then getting Jamie Overton lbw for nought and followed up with the wicket of Atkinson to finish with 4-62.

Harry Brook had a late flurry either side of a rain delay before becoming Siraj’s fourth victim when bowled for 53 as England, with injured Chris Woakes absent, were all out for 247.

India’s openers quickly erased that and pushed on well beyond, with Jaiswal looking particularly enterprising en route to a quickfire 51 – though he was badly dropped in the deep on 40. Rahul departed tamely for seven off Josh Tongue, and Sai Sudharsan followed, lbw to Atkinson for 11, leaving Deep not out four.

With good weather forecast for Saturday, another Oval full house will turn up in expectation of more fireworks, and what has been one of the most entertaining series for years is still in the balance.

Tri-series between UAE, Pakistan and Afghanistan hastily penned as warm-up for Asia Cup and T20 World Cup.

The United Arab Emirates will host a Twenty20 tri-series including Afghanistan and Pakistan later this month, as part of the teams’ buildup for next year’s T20 World Cup.

Sharjah will host all seven games of the tri-series, starting August 29. Teams play against each other twice before the top two qualify for the final.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have already secured direct qualification for the T20 World Cup to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. UAE could also qualify, but it has to play ICC’s Asia-East Asia and Pacific qualifiers in Oman in October.

Afghanistan, which finished seventh in the last T20 World Cup, hasn’t played a T20 since a bilateral series against Zimbabwe late last year. Pakistan is currently playing a T20 series against the West Indies in the United States.

The tri-series will be followed by the Asia Cup, also scheduled to be held in the UAE, from September 9, when Afghanistan takes on Hong Kong in the opening game.

England’s Chris Woakes was forced off the field on the first day of the fifth Test against India with a shoulder injury.

England paceman Chris Woakes is set to miss the remainder of the fifth and deciding Test against India at the Oval after suffering a shoulder injury, team management have announced.

Woakes injured himself late on Thursday’s opening day in south London in a desperate bid to prevent a boundary, landing awkwardly and then leaving the field with his left arm in a makeshift sling while in evident pain.

He was then assessed by team medical staff, and while Woakes could yet feature again in a dire emergency, an England spokesman speaking before the start of Friday’s second day ruled him out.

“England seamer Chris Woakes will continue to be monitored throughout the remainder of the Rothesay Fifth Test at The Kia Oval, following a left shoulder injury sustained on day one of the match against India,” the spokesman said.

“At this stage, the injury has ruled him out of any further participation in the Test.

“A further assessment will be conducted at the conclusion of the series.”

India, who must win the match to end a five-Test series level at 2-2, were 204-6 at Thursday’s close after being sent into bat.

Woakes is the only England pace bowler to have featured in every match of a gruelling series where five Tests have been squeezed into a schedule of seven weeks.

On generally flat pitches in the preceding four Tests, Woakes struggled to make an impact, taking 10 wickets. And on Thursday he had India opener KL Rahul chop the ball onto his stumps before suffering the injury.

Given his mediocre record away from home, Woakes already faced a tough task to gain selection for England’s upcoming Ashes tour of Australia, and, at the age of 36, this injury could threaten the Warwickshire all-rounder’s international career.

In the short term, his injury is set to leave an already depleted England pace attack a man down at the Oval, with substitutes only permitted to field, not bat or bowl.

England captain Ben Stokes, the leading wicket-taker this series, is missing the series finale with a shoulder injury, while pacemen Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse were both left out at the Oval following their previous workload in this series.

Express quick Mark Wood is a long-term absentee, while Olly Stone is only just returning to fitness following a knee injury.

India close day one of the fifth and final Test of their tour of England on 204-6 with skipper Shubman Gill was run out.

England gained the upper hand after a rain-hit first day of the final Test against India at The Oval as the tourists, needing victory to square the series, battled to 204-6, with all their big guns dismissed cheaply.

England had to work hard for their breakthroughs on Thursday and will be delighted to have got rid of KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Shubman Gill, the men who have tormented them recently, though captain Gill gifted his wicket with a suicidal run-out.

Even though there are four days remaining, India’s chances of fighting their way into a position where they could force a victory already look extremely slim.

The overcast morning conditions had looked ideal for England’s all-seam attack, even without injured captain Ben Stokes, but they lacked a cutting edge.

Recalled Gus Atkinson trapped Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw for two as stand-in captain Ollie Pope finally got on the right side of a DRS review after 14 unsuccessful appeals last year.

Rahul, with more than 500 runs to his name from the first four matches, looked relatively untroubled before playing on to Chris Woakes for 14 as India reached lunch on 72-2.

Gill, averaging more than 90 and with four centuries to his name in the series, then inexplicably set off for a non-existent single and was run out by four yards as bowler Atkinson had time to transfer the ball to his right hand before throwing down the stumps.

Gill had started the day with all sorts of records in his sights but, by adding only 21, he achieved only a couple as his tally of 743 took him beyond West Indies’ Garfield Sobers (722 in 1966) as the highest-scoring visiting captain and also moved him into the top nine for the most runs scored in a series in England – either for or against the hosts.

After a rain-delayed restart, a wayward Josh Tongue, whose first over lasted nine balls and went for 12 runs, finally found his line to nip the edge of Sai Sudharsan’s bat to dismiss him for 38.

Tongue repeated the feat soon afterwards to remove Jadeja – who scored a superb unbeaten century in his team’s rearguard action in the fourth test – for nine and India were reeling on 123-5 with their big-hitters all gone, or in the case of Rishabh Pant, absent through injury.

Dhruv Jurel, a ball after overturning an lbw decision against him, then got tucked up by Atkinson and was caught neatly at second slip by Harry Brook for 19.

Karun Nair batted calmly to finish on 52 not out, and Washington Sundar, another centurion last Sunday, was on 19 at the close as the impressive Atkinson finished the day with figures of two for 31 off 19 overs.

It was a less enjoyable day for Woakes, who suffered a serious-looking shoulder injury after falling heavily as he dived to try to prevent a boundary in the final overs.

Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook, ex-India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta and TMS statistician Andy Zaltzman answer your questions from Old Trafford.

Do you have a question for the team? Or about another sport? Send them to us by visiting the ‘Ask Me Anything’ page on the BBC Sport website.

READ MORE: Show of Mancunian grit could be making of India captain Gill

Centuries by Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar send England-India series to fifth test match decider at The Oval.

India, led by captain Shubman Gill, batted with great character to secure a hard-fought draw in the fourth test against England and keep the series alive going into the final game.

After losing two wickets before they had scored a run in their second innings, India batted for over five sessions for the loss of two more wickets to end the match on 425-4 at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday.

A courageous hundred from Gill – his fourth of the series – and dogged unbeaten centuries from Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar – gave the home crowd little to cheer on a tough day five for England.

A closely fought series remains at 2-1 to England, and the hosts must avoid defeat in the final test at The Oval in London, starting on Thursday, to win it.

“This is no less than a win for us, given we were around 300 runs off the lead. Our batsman put on a great display,” Gill told the BBC.

“As soon as England got the new ball, it was doing a little bit, but our batters did really well, and it was tremendous, with a little bit of luck going our way as some balls can get dragged on, brilliant batting and brave batting.”

England captain Ben Stokes, who took five wickets in India’s first innings but was not fit to bowl much on Saturday, brought himself into the attack on Sunday morning with India resuming on 174-2.

The hosts were firm favourites to seal victory at this point, even more so when Stokes’s reintroduction paid dividends. The 34-year-old trapped KL Rahul by lbw for 90, ending his excellent third-wicket partnership with Gill at 188.

Gill remained undeterred, however, even after getting a nasty blow on the hand. In his first series as captain, the 25-year-old became only the third skipper to score four hundreds in a single test series.

Gill Falls

After almost seven hours at the crease, a tired-looking Gill wafted at a Jofra Archer delivery to fall just before lunch for 103. Jadeja was dropped on the next ball by Joe Root, a tough chance at first slip.

England still had plenty of time to secure victory, but the home side barely created any chances, with India seeing out the draw in relative comfort.

Washington moved along conservatively after lunch, but hit successive boundaries, one a huge six, to move to his fifth test half-century. Jadeja reached his fifty and passed 1,000 test runs against England, becoming the third Indian player to do so this series.

After tea, with their chance of victory gone, England offered India the opportunity to call a halt to proceedings early, but Gill kept his team out there.

With England rotating their bowlers, Jadeja swept to his fifth test ton under no pressure, before Washington quickly completed his maiden test hundred.

India did then agree to a draw – the first non-rain affected draw for England since coach Brendon McCullum and Stokes came together in 2022.

“Another hard-fought test,” Stokes told reporters. “Another five-dayer. We set the game up really well, the way we put the Indian bowlers under pressure, focusing on batting once.

“We gave ourselves a great chance of bowling them out. We played the game how we wanted to; it didn’t just pan out the way we wanted,” Stokes added.

“Mentally, I feel fine; physically, I’ve been better. It has been a pretty big workload this series.”

Karnataka state authorities singled out RCB, its partners and the state cricket for their mismanagement of stampede.

State authorities have blamed the management of India’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricket team for last month’s deadly stampede during celebrations for their first Indian Premier League (IPL) title.

Karnataka state authorities singled out the RCB, its partners and the state cricket association for their mismanagement of the event in a report made public on Thursday.

Eleven fans were crushed to death and more than 50 wounded in a stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium after hundreds of thousands packed the streets in the southern city of Bengaluru on June 4, to cheer their hero Virat Kohli and other RCB team members.

The report said organisers had not submitted a “formal request” or provided enough detail for permission to be granted for the celebrations.

“Consequently, the permission was not granted,” it said.

The team went ahead with its victory parade despite police rejecting RCB’s request, according to the report.

The RCB did not offer any comment on the report.

Four people, including a senior executive at RCB, representatives of event organisers DNA, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association, were detained by police in the days following the stampede.

Players were parading the trophy near the stadium a day after their win over Punjab Kings in the final in Ahmedabad when the stampede occurred.

The dead were aged between 14 and 29.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it “absolutely heartrending”, and Kohli, who top-scored in the final, was “at a loss for words” after it unfolded.

India coach Gautam Gambhir said he was never a fan of roadshows, and the authorities should not have allowed the mass celebrations if they were not prepared.

Durham chairman Phil Collins said in a statement on the club website, external: “We support the 18-county model but, believe the current 10/8 division structure lacks meaningful fixtures as the season progresses.

“The current structure produces a plethora of games in both divisions that do not have any meaning; teams involved in mid table games in the last third of the season onwards do not have any jeopardy… the teams involved cannot get into a title or promotion race and are safe from relegation.

“We don’t believe this produces the intensity of cricket that our great game needs and is something that both players and fans constantly comment on to us.”

The proposal also suggests the T20 Blast should be reduced in size and comprise three groups of six teams each, with the entire competition played before The Hundred begins.

The county said the plans have been drawn up following a Professional Cricketers’ Association survey, which found that 83% of players think the current schedule “harms physical wellbeing”, 72% saying it “hinders high performance”, and over two-thirds claiming mental health is affected by the intensity.

The statement added that other counties have proposed alternative structures, including an 8/10 and a 10/8 division split.

Collins said the idea will be discussed at a members forum on 30 July.

“These proposals aim to reduce workload, enhance performance, and offer more compelling cricket. We believe they represent the best way forward,” he added.

The ECB has been approached for comment.

LA 2028 organisers have slated matches at the Olympic cricket tournament to start at 09:00 in the morning to cater for lucrative television audiences in India.

One of the major factors behind cricket’s return to the Games after a 128-year hiatus is the desire of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to tap into a lucrative South Asian media rights and sponsorship market.

The six-team T20 tournament, featuring both men’s and women’s teams, will begin on Wednesday, 12 July – two days before the opening ceremony – with all matches staged at a venue which will be constructed at the Fairgrounds in Pomona.

There will be two games played daily at Pomona – located 30 miles from the athletes’ village in Los Angeles – starting at 09:00 and 18:30 Pacific Daylight Time.

Those matches will be shown at 21:30 and 07:00 India Standard Time (17:00 and 02:30 British Summer Time).

The evening fixtures at the ground in Pomona will be played under floodlights.

Kit McConnell, who oversaw cricket’s return to the Games after a 128-year hiatus as the IOC’s sports director, told BBC Sport organisers considered “core cricket markets in the subcontinent” when planning the tournament.

“The vision the International Cricket Council (ICC) has outlined for us is aimed at providing the best players and the best teams on the Olympic stage,” McConnell said.

“There’s three years to go but now we’re very excited about where cricket is, what it will bring to the Games and equally what the Olympics can offer to cricket and its global expansion as well.”

England survived a courageous second innings fightback by India’s Ravindra Jadeja on the final day of the third Test at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.

England beat India by 22 runs on a final day of simmering tension and high drama in the third Test at Lord’s to move 2-1 up in the best-of-five series.

Shoaib Bashir bowled Mohammed Siraj for four to seal victory, India’s number 11 playing a defensive stroke before the ball trickled down the face of his bat and rolled on to the stumps as he watched on in disbelief.

As the England players celebrated wildly late on Monday, Ravindra Jadeja trudged off the field after making a valiant unbeaten 61 to take India to the brink of an extraordinary win.

The hosts had looked on course for a far more comfortable victory when they reduced India to 112-8 at lunch, but Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah battled for nearly two hours to inch their team towards a target of 193.

Jadeja was given out leg before wicket to Chris Woakes by the umpire. But the decision was overturned on review, and the left-hander heaved the next delivery over mid-wicket for six, prompting loud cheers from the Indian fans.

England finally made the breakthrough when Bumrah, on five, skied an attempted pull off Ben Stokes and was caught by substitute fielder Sam Cook.

The majority of the crowd erupted with a mixture of joy and relief, but Jadeja continued to frustrate England, reaching his 50, off 150 balls, by edging Stokes over the slips for four.

Siraj survived 30 deliveries for his four runs as Jadeja farmed the bowling and took a succession of singles off the fourth ball of the over to dominate the strike.

Siraj suffered a painful blow to his shoulder after being struck by a Jofra Archer delivery and shortly afterwards his resistance was finally broken.

A good morning for England

England had claimed four wickets in the morning to take charge of the match after India resumed on 58-4.

Rishabh Pant played an extraordinary one-handed straight drive for four off Archer to move to nine, but the fast bowler responded two balls later with an excellent delivery which uprooted his off stump.

Stokes snared KL Rahul lbw for 39, the England captain dropping to his knees and imploring the umpire to give him out.

He refused to do so, but England called for a review and the decision was overturned to huge cheers from the crowd.

Washington Sundar was next to fall for a duck, Archer leaping to his right to take a superb one-handed catch off his own bowling.

Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy frustrated England with solid defence in a partnership of 30 until Woakes found the edge of Reddy’s bat just before lunch to give the hosts a huge lift as they left the field to warm applause from a packed crowd.

The fourth Test will begin on July 23 at Old Trafford in Manchester.