By Trisha Ghosal

Harmanpreet Kaur’s century at Chester-le-Street was spectacular, a captain’s innings at a time her team needed her most. It sealed the series for India and gave fans a moment to remember. But what followed, the Player of the Series announcement, felt like deja vu. Not because Harmanpreet doesn’t deserve acclaim, but because a young player, quietly producing gold across the series, was denied her moment in the sun. That player was Kranti Goud.

On her debut tour, she wasn’t just impressive. She was decisive. And she was ignored.

Kranti’s Spells Were Not Just Statistics — They Were Statements

Nine wickets in three matches. That’s what the scorebook says. But here’s what it doesn’t tell you.

It doesn’t tell you how Kranti’s inswingers wrecked England’s top order before they even had a chance to settle. It doesn’t capture the panic in the batters’ footwork as she angled the ball in at pace. It doesn’t tell you that she got Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones early, Nat Sciver-Brunt in her prime, Charlie Dean while counterattacking, and Davidson-Richards just as the match turned.

In the decider, England were at a strong position at 264/5. Enter Kranti. In a matter of overs, she’d flipped the match on its head. From “England favourites” to “India win”, her 6/52 was no cameo, it was the whole plot twist.

Subhayan Chakraborty

As the India-England fourth Test comes closer, tension between the two sides are at an all-time high. It follows the controversy during the third Test at Lord’s. India captain Shubman Gill felt England were guilty of breaching the “spirit of cricket” through time-wasting tactics that sparked heated exchanges and set the stage for a fiery end to the five-match series.

The flashpoint came late on Day 3 when England’s openers had to bat out the final seven minutes. India, having matched England’s first-innings total of 387, expected to bowl two overs. However, England’s Zak Crawley ensured only one over was bowled, withdrawing from his stance twice and calling the physio after minimal contact with a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah. This limited India to just six deliveries, frustrating them and leading to a heated exchange.

The incident culminated in an angry outburst from Gill, who was caught on a stump microphone swearing at Crawley, prompting an on-air apology from host broadcaster Sky Sports. England ultimately secured a thrilling 22-run victory, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.

Speaking on the eve of the fourth Test, Gill clarified India’s stance. “The English batsmen on that day had seven minutes of play left, they were 90 seconds late to come to the crease. Not 10, not 20, 90 seconds late. If we were in this position, we too would have liked to play fewer overs, but there’s a manner to do it. If you get hit on your body, the physios are allowed to come on, and that is fair. But to come 90 seconds late to the crease is not something that comes in the spirit of the game.”

Gill, in his first series as India’s Test captain, acknowledged his own lapse in composure but attributed it to the heat of the moment. “We had no intention of doing that whatsoever, but you’re playing a game, you’re playing to win, and there are a lot of emotions,” he said. “When you see there are things happening that should not happen, sometimes emotions come out of nowhere.”

England, meanwhile, seem to be feeding off the tension. Harry Brook suggested the flare-up has freed up the hosts “to not be the nice guys.” This shift in attitude was evident when paceman Jofra Archer gave an aggressive send-off to Rishabh Pant after dismissing him on the final day of the third Test.

England captain Ben Stokes, speaking before Gill on Tuesday, denied any deliberate intent to provoke India but made it clear his team would not back out of confrontations. “It’s not something we’re going to go out and purposefully look to start (an argument) because that will take our focus off what we need to do,” Stokes said. “But by no means are we going to take a backward step and let any opposition try and be confrontational towards us and not try to give a bit back.”

As the teams prepare for the fourth Test, the series is poised on a knife’s edge, with competitive fire and heated verbals threatening to overshadow the cricket. With England holding a 2-1 lead, India will be eager to level the series. The stage is set for a blockbuster at Old Trafford, where the “spirit of the game” will likely remain a topic of heated debate.

Debasis Sen in Manchester

On Monday, Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, invited renowned mental-skills coach Gilbert Enoka to bolster his team’s mindset ahead of the crucial fourth Test against India at Old Trafford. Enoka is best known for his long-standing role with New Zealand’s all-conquering All Blacks rugby team, whom he helped clinch back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles in 2011 and 2015. His influence has extended beyond rugby, having also worked with Premier League giants Chelsea and the New Zealand cricket team. Enoka’s latest assignment sees him working with the England cricket team at the start of this summer, with the aim of fortifying their mental resilience ahead of high-pressure encounters. He will be with the England squad for three days before flying back to New Zealand.

Famous for his “no d—heads” policy, Enoka promotes a culture of accountability, humility, and unity – principles he believes are key to elite performance. He joined the England camp prior to the one-off test against Zimbabwe in May and has since been working closely with McCullum’s side, helping shape their mental preparation. On Monday, he was seen addressing the players in the team huddle at Old Trafford before the start of training session, and he is set to remain with the team through to the end of the week.

With England facing consecutive high-stakes series – first India, followed by the Ashes in Australia – McCullum is determined to instil a winning mindset and bring mental sharpness to his side.

Enoka brings decades of experience to the table. He has spent over 20 years as a mental-skills coach, most notably with the All Blacks. Under his guidance, the All Blacks not only won two World Cups but also earned 18 Bledisloe Cups, three Grand Slams, eight Tri Nations titles, six Rugby Championships, and a Laureus World Team of the Year award.

His influence, however, extends well beyond the rugby pitch. Enoka has also worked with top business leaders and elite sports teams across various disciplines, focusing on enhancing performance through psychological readiness. He believes that players who are mentally strong and emotionally aware are more likely to perform under pressure and achieve consistent success.

As England seek to seal the Test series against India, Enoka’s presence is expected to play a pivotal role in preparing the players for the mental battles ahead. By embedding a winning culture and mindset, he could prove to be a decisive influence in England’s quest for cricketing excellence. With the hosts taking a crucial 2-1 lead in the five-match series following the 22 runs win at the Lord’s, McCullum has turned to his compatriot to give the team a mental edge.

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has voiced his support for Karun Nair, urging the team management to give him an extended run in the playing XI—similar to what Shubman Gill and KL Rahul were afforded in the past.

Karun, who returned to the Indian Test side after eight years, has been under pressure in the ongoing Test series against England. In three matches so far, his scores read 0, 20, 31, 26, 40, and 14—totalling just 131 runs at an average below 22.

Despite the numbers, Harbhajan believes the middle-order batter deserves more time to settle in.

“Yes, Karun has not scored runs, but if you gave him a chance, then persist with him for a while. All players deserve a fair chance. Karun deserves it now, and the likes of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul deserved it in the past,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

Karun earned a recall after a prolific 2024–25 domestic season. Representing Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy, he scored 863 runs in nine matches at an average close to 54, including a century in the final. His white-ball form was even more dominant—he smashed 779 runs in eight innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy at a staggering average of 389.50, including five hundreds.

Harbhajan also felt that Sai Sudharsan wasn’t given a proper run. “So, the criteria should be the same for everyone. If others got five or six chances, then what crime has Karun committed? I feel that giving just one opportunity to Sai Sudharsan was not justified, but now that you have persisted with Karun till now, then play him here as well,” he added.