England must be braver but India will not let up with a world final in sight Ali Martin
over 4 years in The guardian
With a world championship final place in sight for the hosts, the last Test of England’s tour poses as intense a challenge as ever
After two months in the subcontinent, England’s Test cricketers are within touching distance of the departure lounge. Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood will stay on for a Twenty20 series that has seemingly taken priority with the selectors but, otherwise, the red-ball players will soon be home.
Such thoughts inevitably creep in during regular tours, let alone ones undertaken in the biosecure bubbles of the pandemic era. But they will need putting to one side with the fourth Test that starts on Thursday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, scene of last week’s two-day affair with the slippery pink ball, very much a live one. Continue reading...