While T20 reigns supreme for many modern cricket fans, and the recent ODI World Cup proved that the 50-over game is alive and well, England and India’s 4-day battle of will and wits last week proved that Test cricket is still the ultimate form of the sport.
The opening contest of a 5-match series, the 1st Test in Hyderabad had it all. Following a strong start from India in front of a passionate home crowd, England looked all but defeated by the end of Day 2, until Ollie Pope's second-innings 196 clawed them back into the game and set up a nail-biting finale.
Enter Tom Hartley. On debut, the Lancashire spinner (who had, just days earlier, been hit for 6 on his very first ball in Test cricket) confounded the India batters on their home turf, taking the final wicket – his seventh of the day – as the sun set on Day 4.
India’s narrow 28-run defeat was only the team’s fourth loss in a home Test match since 2014, but the Men in Blue will no doubt be proud to have played their part in what was a tense and tight encounter. After the match, Ben Stokes called the win his “greatest triumph” as England captain - a tenure defined by the team’s aggressive style of play and sheer refusal to give in.
Luckily for cricket fans, there’s plenty more to come. England’s tour of India continues this week when the 2nd Test begins on Friday in Visakhapatnam, with tickets available now. This will be followed by the 3rd Test in Rajkot, 4th Test in Ranchi, and the 5th and final Test in picturesque Dharamshala. Tickets for Tests 3–5 will be available soon.
When England’s Test side returns from India, Ben Stokes and his team will look ahead to 2 huge 3-match series taking place at home this summer. First up, England will face the West Indies between the 10–30 July Fresh from beating Australia last week, the Windies are on the rise and England will have to contend with talented stars like captain Kraigg Brathwaite and young fast bowler Shamar Joseph.
Finally, to round off the summer, England will welcome Sri Lanka between 21 August – 10 September. These games, taking place in Manchester and London, will offer cricket fans one last chance to catch the likes of Joe Root and James Anderson in Test action on home soil in 2024. The matches will also provide Ben Stokes’ team with another opportunity to work their way up the World Test Championship (WTC) points table and earn a place in the WTC Final for the very first time.
For more information on the England Cricket Team, or to purchase tickets, click here.