Media wrap: England victorious in Manchester

• Cricket365
• August 10, 2014

With England winning the fourth Test against India in Manchester, the press were full of praise for a side they were lambasting a few weeks ago. Here are some snippets from around the web.

With England winning the fourth Test against India in Manchester, the press were full of praise for a side they were lambasting a few weeks ago. Here are some snippets from around the web.

<i>Cricinfo</i>'s <b>Mark Nicholas</b> marveled at the young players in side, and skipper Alastair Cook's faith in them: "The players that lost to India at Lord's were mainly starting out on their journey. Each had a gift but learning how to use it for the greater good of the England team was taking time. The pack was chasing the captain but he resolved to see it through. The fruits of his determination and belief are clear for all to see."

<b>Jonathan Agnew</b> of the <i>BBC</i>, however, was full of praise for veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad: "At their brilliant best, Anderson and Broad set a standard that England's other bowlers must aspire to. There is a gulf in class between England's opening pair and the rest of the attack, and it showed.

"While every ball from Anderson or Broad presented a trial for the batsman, Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan did not carry anywhere near the same level of threat. Woakes took 0-43 off 10 overs, and Jordan 1-27 off nine. That is not a criticism. Neither Woakes nor Jordan have anywhere near the experience of England's frontline duo and both have the raw ingredients to become top international bowlers."

Former England skipper <b>Michael Vaughan</b> was critical of a capitulating India in the <i>Telegraph</i>: "Since the early part of the Southampton Test they have lost their fight and there is nothing worse than a seeing a team lose their competitive edge. I never mind seeing teams beaten by superior opponents but I hate seeing sides just giving up. India are battling many problems now. Look at Virat Kohli. His technique is all over the place. James Anderson has bowled 30 balls at him, he has scored seven runs and lost his wicket four times. That is remarkable. It is not easy being touted as the next Sachin Tendulkar. Clearly for him to become a world-renowned player he has to score more runs overseas, but I have been amazed at how fragile he looks going to the crease."

The <i>Independent</i>'s <b>Dileep Premachandran</b> looked to the spirit of the game, and was pleased to see better relations: "When it became apparent that the short ball from Varun Aaron had seriously hurt Stuart Broad, Virat Kohli was the first to come and check on him. MS Dhoni, the Indian captain, signalled quickly to the dressing room, asking for attention. Given the incident at Trent Bridge that cast such a shadow over the first three Tests, it was quite the sight for sore, cynical eyes."

<b>Stephen Brenkley</b> in <i>The Guardian</i> hoped the pitch for the fifth Test would allow for an exciting finale: "After what has gone, England will be hoping that the groundstaff at The Oval can produce a pitch that can provide similar characteristics to the last two Tests, rather than one on which they can just batten down the hatches and hang on to their lead. The impetus is too much with them, and India too far gone, not to want to hammer home the advantage."

<b>Lawrence Booth</b> in the <i>Daily Mail</i> was just glad there would be a fifth Test: "Five-match series allow one team to take the lead and the other to reclaim it, even after a bore draw like Trent Bridge. It mocks the very idea of momentum. And it shines a torch into corners of a player's psyche he did not even know existed. If this had been a three-Test series, we'd never have found out whether Virat Kohli has the nous to overcome England's plan of action against him (basically: give him nothing on his pads). Or whether Sam Robson can train his brain to stop reaching for balls outside off stump. Or whether MS Dhoni is capable of lifting his side once more."

Former England skipper <b>Alec Stewart</b> wrote in the <i>Daily Mirror</i> about Cook's renewed spirits: Credit England for the way they've reacted after losing at Lord's in the second Test. Leaving the home of cricket captain Cook was under immense pressure, while experienced wicket-keeper Matt Prior was unavailable for the rest of the summer due to injury. At that point, team confidence was at a low. Since then everything has gone their way. Cook's runs at the Ageas Bowl gave everyone a huge lift and everything he has touched since has turned to gold, while Prior's replacement Jos Buttler has made a sensational start to his Test career."