It was a long wait but the end was rewarding. Cricket got just the advertisement it needed in its much-anticipated return as England and W...
It was a long wait but the end was rewarding. Cricket got just the advertisement it needed in its much-anticipated return as England and West Indies played out a thrilling Test in Southampton. The match ended in the final session of the fifth day, and it was Jason Holder’s men who notched up a victory worth remembering.
There’s a lot riding on this series. It took a great amount of courage from the Windies camp and the promise of a bio-secure bubble to green light this tour. With the T20 World Cup and Indian Premier League among the big tournaments waiting in the wings, a safe completion of the three matches will be a huge win for the sport.
All eyes heading into the first Test were on what the new normal looks like. The most glaring change, of course, was the absence of spectators. And the empty stands did take some time getting used to.
Another big adjustment is the ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball. To the players’ credit, there wasn’t any instance of this rule being broken. The ball was rubbed on the back every now and then in search of some extra moisture, which isn’t really a common sight, but that...
