Reflecting on their preparations for the 2019 Ashes against Australia, England found themselves on the verge of a significant upset in a Test match against Ireland. Despite a meager first-innings total of 85, England managed to secure a victory thanks to an Irish collapse and the heroics of Jack Leach, who contributed with both bat and ball. Fast forward to the present, and certain parallels can be drawn.

In 2019, Olly Stone made his pace-bowling debut for England, while Jason Roy’s opening spot was in question. Now, it is Josh Tongue making his debut, and Zak Crawley finding himself under scrutiny. James Anderson’s absence was a common factor in both instances due to injury concerns. However, England hopes the similarities end there, particularly because Stone has had limited Test appearances since then, Roy was dropped from the team, and Anderson’s contributions were hampered in subsequent series against Australia.

The 2019 Ashes series ended in a drawn result of 2-2, largely owing to Ben Stokes’ remarkable innings at Headingley. Without his heroic performance, England could have potentially faced a more unfavorable outcome. Nonetheless, the result allowed England to end Australia’s streak of four consecutive series wins on English soil.

Looking ahead to 2023, England has undergone a transformation, largely due to the revitalization of the Test team led by captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum. Unlike previous England squads, they approached the match against Ireland with confidence and a determination to avoid any embarrassing defeat. Ireland displayed some resilience, particularly on the third afternoon, but England’s dominant 10-wicket victory showcased a significant gap in class.

England’s declaration at 524-4 after tea on the second day, despite the match being shortened to four days, exemplified their dominance. Captain Stokes revealed that he would have considered batting for another three sessions had it been a five-day match, hinting that England could have potentially surpassed 1,000 runs. It is important to note that although Ireland has played more Tests than England this year, the threat posed by their bowlers does not compare to facing the likes of Pat Cummins and his Australian counterparts.

Nonetheless, England’s current form indicates that they are in an optimal position to challenge for the Ashes urn. With 11 wins from 13 Tests, they possess a clarity of thought, confidence, and composure. Success has allowed players like Ollie Pope and Ollie Robinson to gain belief, despite their previous Ashes experience ending in a 4-0 defeat. Ashes debutants Ben Duckett and Harry Brook have shown excellent form in Test cricket, while veterans Anderson and Stuart Broad are rejuvenated and eager for another crack at Australia.

In contrast to the 2019 approach, England now prioritizes Test cricket over white-ball cricket, having not played a limited-overs match since March and with the next one scheduled for September. Questions regarding the lack of meaningful red-ball batting practice for certain players were dismissed by Captain Stokes as outdated, indicating that facing Ireland may not have significantly influenced their readiness to face the Australians in two weeks’ time.

However, there are lingering concerns, particularly regarding Stokes’ knee injury, which holds significant importance, much like David Beckham’s metatarsal injury in football. Stokes managed to captain the team to victory against Ireland without actively participating in batting, bowling, or keeping wicket, displaying his adaptability and leadership qualities.

Stokes remains confident that he will be able to bowl in the upcoming Edgbaston Test, but for the first time in generations, Australia’s fully fit Cameron Green provides them with an all-round option that England might lack. In the post-Andrew Flintoff era,

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has named England’s Ben Stokes as the captain of the 2022 Test XI of the Year.

The ICC has announced this XI based on last year’s performance. Stokes has changed the entire team after taking over the captaincy of England in mid-2022. Under him, the Three Lions have won 9 out of 10 matches. Stokes also led from the front with the bat and ball. Last year, the English captain scored 870 runs in two centuries in 26 innings with the bat. And he took 26 wickets with the ball.

There are a maximum of four cricketers in the XI from Australia. Three cricketers have got a chance from England. Apart from this, one each has come from India, West Indies, Pakistan, and South Africa. None of the Bangladeshi cricketers got a chance in the ICC Test XI of the Year.

ICC Test XI of the Year
Ben Stokes (captain), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Babar Azam, Jonny Bairstow, Rishabh Pant( wicket-keeper), Kraigg Brathwaite, Pat Cummins, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Lyon, James Anderson.

New Zealand squad:
Tim Southee (capt.), Michael Bracewell, Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young

Mushfiqur had missed Bangladesh’s previous Test series in West Indies to perform Hajj, while Yasir and Taskin were injured. Zakir, 24, made it to the 17-member side after scoring 173 for Bangladesh A in the first four-day game against India A in Cox’s Bazar last week. His innings helped Bangladesh A draw the game despite being nine down and on the verge of an innings defeat. Zakir, a top-order batter who keeps wickets, was also the highest run-getter in the 2022-23 National Cricket League.

Tamim Iqbal, who missed the ODI series with a groin injury, Mosaddek Hossain, and Mustafizur Rahman are the high-profile names missing from the Test squad, which will be led by Shakib Al Hasan. While the series is a crucial one for India from the point of view of their qualification for the World Test Championship, Bangladesh will hope to cause an upset, after beating Rohit Sharma’s team in the ODI series.

Bangladesh has never beaten India in a Test match, having lost nine and drawn two out of 11 games.

Bangladesh Test squad: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque, Yasir Ali, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan (C), Litton Das, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Zakir Hasan, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Anamul Haque

England returned the shame of an innings defeat to South Africa. Even in just three days! It is as if the interest was actually paid by the English. England won the second Test of the series in Manchester by an innings and 85 runs. 1-1 tie in the three-match series. Captain Ben Stokes is the hero of England’s victory in an all-round performance.

England announced the innings by picking up 415 for 9 wickets with centuries from Captain Ben Stokes and Ben Folks. In reply, South Africa was bowled out for 151 runs in the first innings. That is, the hosts got a huge lead of 264 runs in the first innings. The Proteas, who ended the second day on 23 runs without a wicket in the second innings, lost three wickets for 54 runs at the start of the third day yesterday and were in danger of losing the innings.

Keegan Pietersen and Rassie van der Dusen continued their fight to save the match in the fourth wicket partnership. But they could not go far. The Proteas were all out for 179 runs for the second time. Peterson scored 42 and Dusen scored 41 runs. No one could fight except them. For England, Robinson took 4 for 43 runs and Anderson took 3 wickets for 30 runs. Centurion Stokes got 2 wickets.

Visiting South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first at Manchester’s Old Trafford on Tuesday. Batting first, South Africa was bowled out for 151 in 53.2 overs, losing wickets at regular intervals in the face of the pace of James Anderson, Steward Broad, and Ben Stokes. Pacer Kagiso Rabada scored the maximum of 36 runs for the team.

Anderson and Steward Broad took 3 wickets each for England. Ben Stokes took 2 wickets. In response, England lost two wickets for the team’s 32 runs in 10.1 overs.

Tamim Iqbal (4), Mahmudul Hasan Joy (13), Nazmul Hossain Shant (42), Anamul Haque (4), Liton Das (19), Shakib Al Hasan (16) have departed.

After coming out to bat in the second innings from 174 runs behind on Sunday, everyone did not see the patience that everyone expected from Tamim. Instead, Kemar Roach’s inswinger-outswinger went back to play a shot without judging it and was caught behind the wicket.

Earlier, West Indies were bowled out for 408 on the back of Kyle Myers’ impeccable 146. Excellent bowling by pacer Khaled Ahmed. He took 5 wickets. Khaled bowled out the Caribbeans by forcing Zaiden Seales to be caught by Nurul Hasan Sohan as the last batter. The Caribbeans have taken the lead with 174 runs.

Pacer Khaled Ahmed finally managed to show Kyle Myers, who was a thorn in Bangladesh’s path, to the dressing room. It rained after taking two wickets at the start of the day. Khaled picked up the wicket of Myers after the start of play after rain. At the same time, the dream of the Caribbean to take a big lead in front of Bangladesh was reduced due to tiger bowlers.

Kemar Roach remained unbeaten on 18. Anderson Phillip was dismissed for 9 runs. Zaiden Seals did 5. The Bangladeshi bowlers started the third day well in the St Lucia Test. In the morning, they picked up 2 wickets, adding 23 runs to the Caribbean’s board.

After West Indies were 376 for 7, it suddenly rained. The game was stopped due to rain. Myers was forming one pair after another before he got out. The centurion put on a 116-run stand with Jermaine Blackwood for the fifth wicket after West Indies lost four wickets for 132 runs.

After breaking the pair, In the last session of the second day, Joshua de Silva again resisted Myers. The pair came close to a century for the sixth wicket as well.

However, Mehdi Hasan Miraz broke the 96-run partnership on the morning of the third day. Joshua, who scored 29 off 115 balls, was finally trapped lbw by the Tiger offspinner.

The Caribbean wicketkeeper wanted to sweep Miraz’s spin ball. But he missed it completely. When the umpire raised his finger, Joshua did not stand for a second to take the review.

Two overs later, another wicket for Bangladesh. This time, Algerie Joseph (6) was caught by Liton Das at midwicket while pulling a short delivery from Khaled Ahmed.

Earlier, West Indies started the third day’s play at 340 for 5. At the end of the first day, the lead was 106 runs.

Shakib-Nurul made 123 off 231 balls in the second innings of the Antigua Test on Saturday night, which is the best pairing of the two teams in the current Test.

And thanks to that pair, Bangladesh surpassed the lead of 162 runs. The Tigers can give a small target of 84 runs to the Windies.
The hosts would easily cross the target of so few runs, that was the idea of everyone. But fast bowler Khaled Ahmed showed surprise with the ball.The Caribbeans lost 3 wickets for 9 runs after chasing the target of 84 runs in his fiery bowling. Khaled dismissed opener Craig Brathwaite for one, Raymond Reifer for two and Enrumah Bonar for one.

Bangladesh saw the hope of something incredible with Khaled’s great bowling. But another opener, John Campbell, spent the rest of the day with Blackwood. Campbell remained unbeaten on 28 and Blackwood on 17.

As a result, Khaled’s surprise seemed to increase. According to many cricket fans, if the Shakib-Nurul pairing had been a little bigger and the runs from the tailenders, the Tigers could have actually missed the target of 150.

The West Indies, who lost 3 batsmen in the top order for 9 runs, had to gain speed to cross that target. Bangladesh Shibir could have tasted victory in a fierce battle.

At the end of the third day, West Indies will need only 35 runs to reach the port of victory. He has seven more wickets in hand to meet the target.

The right-handed batter, who made his debut in 2013, has played only four Tests. He scored 73 runs. Anamul was already in the ODI and T20i squads against the Caribbeans. He wasn’t on the Test team. This time he also got a chance when the rabbi was knocked out. However, he will not be able to stay in the Test starting in Antigua on Thursday. If all goes well, Vijay is scheduled to catch a flight to Antigua on June 17. If you are lucky, you can play in the second Test.

Anamul Haque was in incredible form in the last edition of the Dhaka Premier League (DPL). He scored 1,138 runs in 15 matches. 9 fifties, 3 centuries, highest innings of 184 runs.

It is to be noted that Rabbi suffered a back injury on the first day of the preparatory match against the West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI. After the scan, it was found that there was a crack under his spine. As a result, he was dropped from the series.