The Chelsea FC star exemplified her role in the Lionesses with a gutsy performance in the quarter-final victory against Sweden.
Bronze’s normal-time goal kickstarted the comeback in Zürich, going on to thump her spot kick home in the penalty shootout at a crucial moment in the evening. Her refusal to fold rubbed off on the rest of the Lionesses, who have gone on to reach a second straight EUROs final in Basel.
“It’s hard to stay at the top in international football,” Bronze explained, “but this team just keeps fighting until the end. I feel like we don’t have anything to prove because we’ve been there, we’ve done it many, many times, and it’s just a fact that the game’s getting better and international football’s not as easy as it used to be.
“Everybody’s fighting and everybody wants to win, and everybody feels like they can win. We’re just showing that we’ve got fighters in this team and that’s what you need in a tournament.”
England take on Spain in the EURO 2025 final on Sunday at St. Jakob-Park, the biggest football stadium in Switzerland and home of Swiss men’s league champions FC Basel.
[We were hoping to speak to Joe Root…] I was hoping you would too! He’s fine, he’s just cramping up a bit, complaining. He owes me one!
[On Root and Ben Stokes suffering camping] They’re both good as gold. They’re just… northerners.
[On Root’s achievement] His hunger and his drive are just remarkable. Every batter in the changing-room has picked something up from Joe – not necessarily technique but the way he goes about his cricket and his training. His hunger is awesome. He’s an annoyingly good bloke as well!
He knows the record he’s breaking but he’ll be more happy if we can get this game done and dusted. He’s incredibly humble.
[On the Old Trafford pitch] It’s pretty clear there’s some turn out there, and a few balls are shooting low. It’s not really what we expect on a day three pitch in England. Hopefully, with the position we’re in, it can start happening a bit quicker. We’re well aware that it’ll be tough work when we bat again so hopefully we can make some early inroads when it’s our turn with the ball.
[On England’s tempo] When I was batting with Joe we made a real effort to take singles and push the field as hard as we could. It ebbs and flows – we tried to dig in for the first hour.
[On his innings] I didn’t feel in my best rhythm in the last two games so I looked at some footage and tried to be really clear about where I wanted to score against each bowler and on this kind of surface. It was pleasing to get a start. I felt in good rhythm but I’d have liked to get a few more. I was pretty annoyed with the way I got out – it was a ball I should have tried to hit hard through cover. It was a pretty soft dismissal. I’ll learn from it.
Stumps
England will surely bat on in the morning, aiming to push their lead as close to 250 as possible. Ben Stokes, who will resume on 77 not out, also has the chance to make his first Test hundred since the 2023 Ashes.
135th over: England 544-7 (Stokes 77, Dawson 21) Stokes pulls Siraj in the air for a single. The fielder at square leg didn’t pick it up, much to Siraj’s frustration, though it would have taken some catching regardless.
Siraj knows it’s the final over of a long day and finds the energy to ram a few more short balls into the pitch. They sit up nicely and the majority are pulled for singles.
Five from the over to complete a superb day for England – they lead by 186 runs – and a mischievous little guy from Sheffield.
134th over: England 539-7 (Stokes 74, Dawson 19) Jadeja threatens both edges of Stokes’ bat – first going past him on the outside, then drawing a thick inside edge that lands safely. His figures aren’t the best – 2 for 117 from 33 overs, with no maidens – but he has found enough turn and bounce to encourage Liam Dawson.
133rd over: England 538-7 (Stokes 73, Dawson 19) Stokes push-drives Bumrah classily through extra cover and hobbles through for three. It would have been four but for a fine stop from Jaiswal.
Just over five minutes until the close.
132nd over: England 534-7 (Stokes 70, Dawson 18) Jadeja returns, primarily to bowl at the injured Stokes. India’s plan is thwarted when Stokes hobbles a single. Dawson takes the rest of the over and keeps strike with another run off the last ball.
131st over: England 532-7 (Stokes 69, Dawson 17) Bumrah has never conceded 100 runs or more in a Test innings, an outrageous effort given this is match number 48 and innings number 91. But Bumrah has also conceded 91 runs so that statistic may not last much longer.
“Bit concerned about Stokes here,” says Phil Harrison. “He’s had an hour of ice baths and massages and isotonic drinks and what have you and he’s still really struggling. That doesn’t feel like just cramp to me. After this series, he needs wrapping in cotton wool until November.”
130th over: England 531-7 (Stokes 68, Dawson 17) Stokes winces after pulling his first ball from Siraj round the corner. Does cramp last that long? I assume it can when you take your body to as many dark places as Stokes has in the last few Tests, and indeed the last 20-odd years.
“Since we’re talking about Tendulkar again, I can’t surely be the only one who is utterly baffled as to how he never scored a triple-ton in Test cricket,” says Nicholas Walmsley. “I was only reminded of this when earlier in the summer during the run-drenched first and second Tests I found he was only *checks notes* 60th on the list of most runs scored in a single Test match. You know who else hasn’t scored a triple-ton in Test cricket (yet)? Joe Root.”
I never really thought of it as baffling, simply because so many of the other greats didn’t manage it either: Ponting, Kallis, Richards, Waugh, Dravid, Boycott, Smith, Smith, Gavaskar, Chappell, Chappell, Chappell. One thing I like about Sachin not scoring 300, or even 250, is that it provides another contrast with Brian Lara. There’s more than one way to claim Goat status (or have it claimed on your behalf by thousands of digital pugilists).
WICKET! England 528-7 (Woakes b Siraj 4)
Mohammed Siraj finally gets his first wicket. Woakes pushed defensively at a nipbacker that kept a bit low, hit the bottom of the bat and deflected back onto the stumps.
Woakes has quietly had a poor series with the bat: 38, 5, 7, 0, 10 and 4. As he leaves the field, Ben Stokes returns to the middle.
Chris Woakes is out for just the four runs. Photograph: Darren Staples/AFP/Getty Images
129th over: England 528-6 (Dawson 16, Woakes 4) Woakes inside-edges Bumrah just past the stumps for a single, which takes him to 4 not out from 16 balls. His scoring rate reflects a peculiar end to the day. England are well ahead but India are the team pushing to make something happen. Bumrah bowls a sizzling yorker to Dawson and appeals unsuccessfully for LBW. KL Rahul, standing in briefly for Shubman Gill, doesn’t risk India’s last review.
If it was pad first it looked out but the commentators think Dawson got his bat down first.
128th over: England 523-6 (Dawson 14, Woakes 2) Siraj dusts himself down in preparation for one final spell. A sharp nipbacker is defended awkwardly by Woakes, prompting Siraj to put his hands to his head. Given how well he has bowled, Siraj’s bowling figures (24-4-105-0) are a minor scandal.
“I think one of the reasons I’m such an avid fan of the England cricket team is that, having grown up watching them being routinely thrashed, with one or two notable exceptions, by West Indies and Australia it kind of felt that they were plucky underdogs, the team that couldn’t catch a break, that were at times laughable but at others lovable, always there and giving it a go, but just no match for the world’s best, frustrating and admirable in equal measure,” says Simon McMahon, gulping for breath after an unexpectedly long first sentence. “Always the hope that next time it would be different. The Scotland of the cricket world, really. Is it any wonder I became a fan and have remained one ever since? But that was then and this is now. A thrilling, winning and likeable team. I like it, but it still takes a bit of getting used to. And I feel I’ll be waiting a while longer for a similar transformation in Scotland’s footballing fortunes.”
127th over: England 523-6 (Dawson 14, Woakes 2) Dawson pulls a no-ball from Bumrah for four. He’s an offensively good Test No8, a man with almost 11,000 runs in first-class cricket. This must be England’s strongest lower order since Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad regularly flogged tiring attacks n 2010-11.
In other news, the OBO is only a small part of our sports coverage this weekend.
126th over: England 518-6 (Dawson 10, Woakes 2) “Joe Root would already have broken Tendulkar’s record if he’d never been made England captain,” says Joshua Keeling. “Discuss.”
Please, don’t make me get mathematical on your ass. Root averages 46 as captain and 55 when he’s among the ranks. Even if he averaged 55 throughout his career, he’d be around 1600 runs behind Sachin Tendulkar. I’d also argue his peak as a batter was against India in 2021, when the stress of captaincy was stratospheric.
125th over: England 516-6 (Dawson 9, Woakes 1) Chris Woakes comes to the crease. India would love to force Ben Stokes’ hand tonight by taking three more wickets.
WICKET! England 515-6 (Smith c sub b Bumrah 9)
Jasprit Bumrah strikes with the first ball of a new spell. Smith was caught on the crease and edged to the sub keeper Jurel, who dived forward to take a fine low catch. The third umpire checked just in case the ball had bounced, but it was the cleanest of takes. Jurel is a class act.
Jasprit Bumrah celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Jamie Smith. Photograph: Darren Staples/AFP/Getty Images
124th over: England 515-5 (Smith 9, Dawson 9)
123rd over: England 513-5 (Smith 9, Dawson 7) Jamie Smith is taking time to get his eye in, another sign that England plan to bat into tomorrow. It’s also quite rare for Smith to start again spin at both ends, although he shows his class by walking down to time Washington through the covers. That’s a fine way to get your first boundary. “As good a shot as we’ve seen today,” says Dinesh Karthik on Sky.
122nd over: England 508-5 (Smith 5, Dawson 6) Jadeja has got a second wind. He’s such a competitor that he has probably worked out exactly how India can win this game:
India 357
England 550
India 353
England 127
India win by 32 runs
121st over: England 504-5 (Smith 2, Dawson 5) Confident batting from Dawson, who skips down the pitch to drive Washington over mid-off for four. England lead by 146.
120th over: England 500-5 (Smith 2, Dawson 1) Jadeja pleads with Ahsan Raza to give Dawson LBW first ball. It would have been plumb but for an inside edge onto the pad. India are hunting wickets all of a sudden, with a slip, gully and short leg.
Dawson takes a quick single to get off the mark and bring up England’s 500. In other news, England have confirmed that Stokes left the field with nothing more serious than cramp.
The Root stumping was another masterful bit of glovework from Dhruv Jurel. He’ll be in the starting XI at the Oval next week; that’s his chance to make a case with the bat as well as the gloves. There’s no reason Rishabh Pant couldn’t play as a specialist No5; it might even take him to another level with the bat.
WICKET! England 499-5 (Root st sub b Jadeja 150)
Joe Root gets his 59th and final ovation of the day after falling to a terrific delivery from Ravindra Jadeja. It spat past the edge, Root overbalanced and the sub keeper Dhruv Jurel had the bails off in a flash. Lovely glovework and a superb delivery from Jadeja – one that will encourage the new batter, Liam Dawson.
Joe Root is brilliantly stumped by Dhruv Jurel for a magnificent 150. Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images
Read Taha Hashim on Joe Root
119th over: England 499-4 (Root 150, Smith 2) A single off Washington takes Root to his 16th score of 150 or more in Test cricket. Sixteen! That’s twice as many as Graham Gooch, and he’s the daddy of the daddy hundred!
Most 150+ scores in Tests
20 Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
19 Brian Lara (WI), Kumar Sangakkara (SL)
18 Don Bradman (Aus)
16 Mahela Jayawardene (SL), Joe Root (Eng)
15 Ricky Ponting (Aus)
118th over: England 498-4 (Root 149, Smith 2) “Hullo Rob,” writes Tamsyn Lawrence. “So what sort of lead should have England thinking of declaration? I feel like 250 should be sufficient to win by an innings or near enough, maybe midway through tomorrow’s second sesh. Seem reasonable? Or do we just call it once all the recognised batsmen are out? I’m looking nervously at the rain forecast for the next two days…”
I’d imagine the plan is to make for around an hour in the morning, to demoralise India while also increasing their lead to between 250 and 300. But this England team do things differently so they could declare tonight, or bat on and score 1,000 and then lose the fifth Test and draw the series 2-2 and what the hell Ben.
117th over: England 495-4 (Root 147, Smith 1) Stokes can return later, or more likely tomorrow morning if England are still batting. The Sky commentators think he has reluctantly accepted that the cramp will restrict his strokeplay as well as his running. If so that’s a sign that Stokes is becoming less stubborn in his old age; a couple of years ago he might have batted on regardless.
Stokes retires hurt on 66
116th over: England 491-4 (Root 144, Smith 0) Out of nothing, a ball from Jadeja bursts grotesquely, hits Stokes high on the bat handle and loops to safety on the leg side.
Stokes is still struggling and has decided to retire hurt. I think it’s cramp; he doesn’t look as despondent as you’d expect if it was a recurrence of a hamstring injury. We’ll find out soon enough.
Ben Stokes retires hurt. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
Drinks
I can’t imagine England will consider a declaration tonight. They lead by 131 and will want to extend that to at least 250, possibly more.
115th over: England 489-4 (Root 143, Stokes 65) Siraj, who limped off the field a while ago, returns for a spell of short stuff. Stokes belabours a pull through midwicket for four, then gets cramp after cutting towards deep point. He starts to walk a single and is given the hurry-up by Washington Sundar’s quick throw.
114th over: England 482-4 (Root 141, Stokes 60) A short ball from Washington is pulled lustily for four by Stokes, moving him into the sixties. He hasn’t made a Test century since he scared the bejesus out of Australia at Lord’s in 2023.
113th over: England 477-4 (Root 140, Stokes 56) A ridiculous shot from Stokes. He shapes to reverse sweep Jadeja, slips and has to reach to wallop it towards extra cover. Stokes ends up lying on his front, head tilted slightly so that he can watch the ball go all the way to the boundary.
“While I’m essentially uninterested in engaging with GOAT discussions that aren’t about Sir Garfield and taking your point about Root’s longevity, he has still some way to go to match Jack Hobbs in that regard, despite a very chequered illness and injury record,” says Geoff Wignall. “Eight Test centuries in his 40s and the last of them when 46, after a debut at 26 and an overall Test average in the mid-50s is on the far side of noteworthy.”
I meant volume of Tests! From everything I’ve read, though, he’d be the next on the list of batters in my all-time England XI.
112th over: England 471-4 (Root 140, Stokes 50) Stokes is struggling against the spinners. He almost offers a return catch to Washington after pad-batting a defensive stroke back down the ground. But he survives and clips a single to reach his first half-century of the Test summer. He is scoring some useful runs despite being a million miles from his peak as a Test batter either side of Covid.
Ben Stokes brings up his fifty. Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images
111th over: England 466-4 (Root 137, Stokes 48) Spin from both ends now, with Jadeja replacing the ailing Bumrah. Stokes is beaten by a big-spinning delivery that beats the inside edge and hits the pad. He was outside the line, negating India’s LBW appeal, but Liam Dawson must have moist lips after seeing that.
110th over: England 462-4 (Root 135, Stokes 47) Washington Sundar beats Stokes with a beautiful delivery that curves and dips before spitting past the edge. That lured Stokes so far forward that I’m surprised he didn’t injure an armpit as reached for a defensive stroke,
109th over: England 459-4 (Root 133, Stokes 46) Bumrah continues to Root, who drops a single on the off side. No sign yet of England pushing for a declaration or to put time back in the game. The forecast for the next two days is imperfect but reasonably good – it’s not like the 2023 Ashes Test, when non-stop rain was on every weather forecast in the appsphere.
A bit of housekeeping: on Root’s greatness and comparisons with Sutcliffe, Hutton and the rest, I should have referred to the volume of Test cricket he has played rather than his longevity. I’d love to blame my own longevity, and the consequent impact on my brain, but it was just a lack of concentration.
108th over: England 458-4 (Root 132, Stokes 46) Washington Sundar, weirdly underbowled in this innings, replaces Thakur. Stokes tries a reverse sweep, doesn’t beat the infield and gives himself a jolt of cramp in the process. He’s okay.
107th over: England 458-4 (Root 132, Stokes 46) Stokes cover drives Bumrah majestically for four, the kind of shot you can’t always play off Bumrah. Maybe it has stirred something in him becuse the next ball nips ball sharply to hit Stokes on the body.
“On the averages question, what do you think is the minimum number of innings for a ‘real’ average?” asks Ben Mimmack. “Kamindu Mendis is #2 on the official test list at the moment with 62.66 off just 24 innings – surely too few to be recognised as a great. But Graeme Pollock is widely recognised as one of the finest bats ever with an average over 60, but only 41 innings.
“For the same reason, my single-digit batting average in club cricket is invalid because I recorded fewer than 100 scores.”
The usual threshold is 20 innings. That made the success of Adam Voges problematic for the hardcore nerds but after eight years of therapy I’m at peace with thatnow but I still think it’s a reasonable threshold. As long as you provide or aware of the context, I don’t think it matters. It’s those malefactors who use stats irresponsibly that make life difficult.
106th over: England 450-4 (Root 130, Stokes 41) Stokes again tries to marmalise Thakur and again doesn’t make proper contact. Root shows there’s more than one way to skin a bowler by timing a gorgeous boundary down the ground on the walk.
An under-edge from Root bounces short of Jurel; then he works a single to bring up the 450. England lead by 92.
“I share your numb feeling towards Root’s greatness,” writes Dave Tull. “Growing up watching England v India, I would yearn for England to have a player like Dravid or Tendulkar, who simply never felt like they were going to get out. The idea that we have one in Root still feels so foreign. Is this what actually being good at cricket feels like?!”
105th over: England 442-4 (Root 125, Stokes 39) Bumrah was also injured in the last Test in Australia, a series that could easily have ended 2-2 rather than 3-1 had he been available. He probably shouldn’t be bowling here but it’s India’s last, last, last chance so he’s putting himself through the pain. But the first two overs of this spell have been like watching a tribute act rather than the real thing.
“I always loved watching Ricky Ponting, even – especially – when he was the pantomime villain for so many English fans,” writes Boris Starling. “A fabulous batsman (his 156 at Old Trafford in 2005 is still one of the best innings I’ve ever seen), an unbelievably brilliant fielder, and as uncompromising a leader as they come. I’m so glad that in retirement and behind the mike he’s let people see that he’s also clearly an excellent bloke too.”
I’ve never forgiven him for burning Duncan Fletcher’s toast in 2005.
104th over: England 441-4 (Root 124, Stokes 39) Thakur pleads for LBW when Root walks down and across. It’s similar to the Siraj appeal earlier in the day – but India were wrong to go upstairs on that occasion and they can’t risk their last review here. It was missing leg.
“I sometimes think we don’t quite understand the golden age of English Test cricket that we’re living through,” writes Phil Harrison. “Until recently, two nailed-on starters (Root and Anderson) in any all-time England XI and two others who would be very much in the conversation (Stokes and Broad), all in the same team. And I suspect that in a decade we might be talking about Harry Brook and Jamie Smith in similar terms too. Salad days. This winter’s Ashes feel like they could be the culmination of something very special.”
I suspect the lack of an Ashes win, home or away and please let’s not start on the moral victories, is the main reason for that. We still see cricket through, erm, urn-tinted spectacles.
Phil Tufnell and Devon Malcolm have a combined career total of 382 test match runs. Beat that, Root. Photograph: Graham Chadwick/Getty Images
103rd over: England 438-4 (Root 123, Stokes 38) Bumrah starts after tea, although he’s clearly struggling with what looks like an ankle problem. His pace has dropped to between 77-82 mph and there are no alarms for Root or Stokes in that over.
“Regarding your Root comparison with the Don, the greatest certainly had ‘longevity’ (despite playing significantly fewer Tests, as was the custom of the time),” writes Thomas Walker. “Donald played Test cricket for 20 years, from 1928 to 1948, debuting at 20 years old. He’s basically the benchmark for longevity. So no, I will not countenance any comparison of Root with Bradman. Signed, an Australian.”
What comparison was this? All cricket fans recognise that Don Bradman is the greatest, not least because of all those Test hundreds he scored during World War Two.
This is Joe Root’s 12th Test century against India. Only Don Bradman (19 v England) and Sunil Gavaskar (13 v West Indies) have scored more against a single opponent.
Winnie the Pooh on a lark
“Putting the stature of Joe Root in context might seem daunting because of the titanic nature of his achievement but, like many dreaded tasks, it’s actually a doddle,” writes Robert Wilson. “ England fans’ view of him is skewed by fear of failure and disappointment (and the hard-to-dislike instinctive despondency of English cricket followers). All you need to do is model what opposition fans think when they see him schlepping out with bat in hand.
“What they’re almost certainly thinking is ‘Oh eff it, here’s this freckled elf come out to get his usual party-pooping 120. What’s the bleedin’ point?’ There is something absolutely relentless about him which you just can’t get if you’re a fan. I remember Steve Waugh doing that to every Brit I knew way back when. At least he had the face for it. The horror of Root is that he crushes it out of you while looking like Winnie the Pooh on a lark. That’s bound to make it worse.”
“Is Root really the GOAT amongst English batters?” says Adrian Goldman. “Surely the immortal Don is still the greatest of the greatest, though he has far fewer runs and centuries than Sachin. On that basis, what about Sutcliffe, Barrington, Hammond, Hobbs and Hutton, all of whom have significantly higher Test averages – above 55/innings?”
I have a greater appreciation of longevity than I did when I was younger, which is why I would put Root at the top. Bradman is different because his average is entirely preposterous. But either argument is valid and I wouldn’t start abusing anyone on a digital platform for putting Wally Hammond, Jack Hobbs or whoever at No1.
“Joe Root,” begins Simon McMahon. “If he could field and bowl a bit, maybe do some impressions, he’d be an all time great.”
In the County Championship, Rehan Ahmed has become the first Englishman since Sir Ian Botham to score a century and take 13 wickets in a first-class match. Beefy did it against India in the Golden Jubilee Test of 1979-80, aided by industrial quantities of brandy.
Regular OBO readers will know I don’t like plugging my own work, oh no, but I’m slightly proud of this piece on Joe Root from 2013. Not the writing so much as the recognition of unique qualities that endure to this day. You know what they say: game recognise game a stopped clock is right twice a day.
Tea: England lead by 75
102nd over: England 433-4 (Root 121, Stokes 36) Root cuts the last ball of the season, bowled by Thakur, for a single and walks off to his 48th ovation of the day. His great mate Ben Stokes stands back to let Root leave the field first.
With all these milestones it’s easy to forget that England are in the most wonderful position. The second new ball felt like India’s last chance of getting back in the game; now their best hope is rain, lots of rain.
“I am somewhere north of 50 years old,” writes John Culley. “My heroes in the 1980s were Graham Gooch and David Gower, both exceptional and very different talents. Root has as many centuries as they had combined. He really is an underappreciated little master.”
There are only two Little Masters. Four if you count Sunil Gavaskar and Fergie Gupte.
Joe Root becomes the second highest runscorer in Tests!
101st over: England 432-4 (Root 120, Stokes 36) Bumrah walks in to replace Siraj, only for the umpires to tell him he can’t bowl until after tea because of the time he spent off the field. That means the return of Anshul Kamboj – and Root dabs a single, the 13,379th run of his Test career, to move above Ricky Ponting and into second on the all-time list.
The Old Trafford crowd give him another ovation, the fourth or fifth of the day. Imagine the noise if he overtakes Sachin Tendulkar. That’s for another day, and indeed year: Sachin is around 2,500 runs ahead of the rest.
In the commentary box Ricky Ponting, who loves cricket far more than he loves himself or his own records, hails Root’s achievement with an enthusiasm you can’t fake.
An all-time great. Photograph: Alex Davidson/Getty Images
100th over: England 428-4 (Root 119, Stokes 32) Ricky Ponting enters the commentary box just in time to see Joe Root join him on 13,378 Test runs. Only Sachin Tendulkar has scored more. I don’t know about you but I’m almost numb to Joe Root’s greatness.
Stokes tries to club Thakur into a different postcode, doesn’t make proper contact and breaks his bat in the process.
“OBO handover” is the subject of John Starbuck’s email. “Do OBO scribes have a competition regarding who’s on duty for significant targets achieved?”
It’s done by the clock. That’s been the case ever since a sickening incident when Andy Bull and Lawrence Booth both thought they should call Steven Finn’s first Test fifty.
99th over: England 424-4 (Root 116, Stokes 32) Siraj goes for the glory ball, strains too hard and is flicked effortlessly through midwicket for four by Joe Root.
Now Siraj is limping. This is becoming a nightmare for India. Bumrah is on the field but can’t bowl until after tea, and that might be a struggle given how frequently he’s grimacing.
At the end of the over, Siraj moves slowly off the field to receive treatment. Mike Atherton’s arm-wrestle analogy feels custom-made for a day like today.
Mohammed Siraj looks in some discomfort. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
98th over: England 415-4 (Root 108, Stokes 31) Bumrah is back on the field – but he looks really uncomfortable and is grimacing every team his foot hits the floor. Shardul Thakur comes on for Kamboj, whose latest spell lasted just two overs, and is milked for four.
It almost beggars belief that Thakur is in the team ahead of Prasidh Krishna, never mind Kuldeep Yadav. India’s selection in this series has been a mess. From afar, Gautam Gambhir always seemed a Rhadamanthine character but he and the selectors have changed their mind on a number of players in this series.
97th over: England 411-4 (Root 106, Stokes 29) The luckless Siraj zips consecutive deliveries past Stokes’s outside edge. I have no idea how he is still wicketless innings.
Siraj tries to engage Stokes in some hard-faced discourse. No luck there either.
96th over: England 409-4 (Root 105, Stokes 28)
All right lad, you okay, you’re playing well there.
Those were Joe Root’s first words to Kevin Pietersen when he walked out to bat on his Test debut at Nagpur in 2012. It was obvious during that innings, a serene five-hour 73, that England had found a player. We had no idea they’d found the player, the greatest English batter of all time.
That hundred, Root’s 38th in Tests, takes him to joint-fourth on that all-time list.
51 Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
45 Jacques Kallis (SA)
41 Ricky Ponting (Aus)
38 Joe Root (Eng), Kumar Sangakkara (SL)
36 Rahul Dravid (Ind), Steve Smith (Aus)
JOE ROOT’S 38TH TEST CENTURY!
Boos ring round Old Trafford as Joe Root clips Kamboj fine for four to reach – just dwell on this for a second – his 38th Test century. He celebrates modestly, then takes his helmet off to acknowledge an ovation full of unconditional love. For a Yorkshireman, in Manchester.
Rooooooooooooooooot! Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images
95th over: England 402-4 (Root 99, Stokes 27) Siraj, bless him, is charging in as if the future of humanity depends on him taking a wicket THIS INSTANT. He’s bowling very straight, looking for LBW or bowled, but Stokes and Root are up to it in that over. They take a single apiece, which means Root will start the next over on 99 not out.
94th over: England 400-4 (Root 98, Stokes 26) Bumrah has left the field after only one over with the ball. That’s a huge problem for India because this, right here, is probably their last chance of saving the series. Kamboj replaces him, prompting Stokes to alter his approach ever so slightly.
Okay, a lot. He charges down the pitch and wallops a length ball back past Kamboj for four. Stokes has reached 20 in eight of his last 10 innings, yet his highest score in that time is 49 not out. If he gets through the new ball he’ll have every chance of changing that statistic.
“I see India took the new ball after 90 overs, not 80,” notes Michael Rowbottom. “Does that mean they can get another new ball after just 70 overs, or do they have to have it for the full 80 overs?”
They have to wait another 80. Should that happen in this innings, they will be in a galaxy of pain.
Pep Guardiola has already given a damning verdict on Arsenal’s new signing Viktor Gyokeres and it speaks volumes about what fans should expect.
Gyokeres is due to arrive in London on Friday to complete a £63.8m move from Sporting CP, ending Arsenal’s long wait for a proper striker.
After signing for Sporting from Coventry for €20m (£17.5m) in 2023, the Swede went on to score an astonishing 97 goals in 102 games.
While it has been clear earlier that he would leave this summer, it has developed into a saga.
Although he has a €100m (£85m) release clause written into his contract, he believed he had a gentleman’s agreement to leave for €60m (£51 million), plus €10m (£8m) in add-ons.
But Sporting CP President Frederico Varandas denied the existence of such an agreement.
In response, Gyokeres did not report for pre-season training and told executives he would not play for the club again and he is now set to get his move to the Gunners.
Viktor Gyokeres. Image: Eurasia Sport Images / Contributor via Getty
What did Pep Guardiola say?
Guardiola has first hand evidence of what Gyokeres is capable of doing ahead against English teams.
Back in November, Gyokeres scored a hat-trick as Sporting CP defeated Manchester City 4-1 in the Champions League league phase.
Guardiola said: ““We have Erling Haaland, the best striker in the world.
“Gyokeres is a very important player for them but he has been with [Ruben] Amorim for a long time, you can see the patterns, the joy.”
Guardiola’s words serve as a warning to Arsenal fans that their new striker may need to be given time to adapt.
Given Arteta is an astute technician, it may not be a quick switch.
Viktor Gyokeres. Image: Eurasia Sport Images / Contributor via Getty
What will Viktor Gyokeres offer Arsenal?
Most importantly he should bring goals and lots of them.
Although the Portuguese league is an easier division than the Premier League, Gyokeres has an incredible ability to score goals.
He is a powerful athlete, combining pace and power, but it remains to be seen how that translates to the more physical Premier League.
Importantly he brings a different type of option to Arsenal’s front line and Kai Havertz, who has been Arteta’s first choice striker.
While the German is more comfortable dropping into midfield and linking play, Gyokeres is at his best on transition.
He is also more of a poacher than Havertz, who is not renowned for his finishing ability.
But if Arsenal want to see Gyokeres at his devastating best, then it is going to require some tactical tweaks from Arteta.
If the coach gets it right, then they have one of Europe’s best strikers.
González has been on fire with four goals in five appearances, while Putellas trails on three goals but with four assists, more than any player at the tournament. If players are tied, the golden boot is awarded to the player with more assists.
UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 final – a key date for the Ballon D’Or battle?
Teams will battle it out for national pride and glory, though in the individual realm, whoever is crowned European champions will certainly have an impact on the eventual victor of the Ballon D’Or Féminin.
Spain’s Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí have both won the award for the best women’s player in the world twice, while Lucy Bronze and Beth Mead of England are former runners-up in the final results.
The 2025 Ballon D’Or awards ceremony will take place in Paris on 22 September. Major trophies may be as crucial as individual performances in deciding the winner, leaving a lot resting on the outcome of the EURO 2025 final this Sunday.
The Pakistan women’s team competed in the SAFF Women’s Championship 2024 in Nepal
Ask one of the 255 million people in Pakistan to name their favourite sport, and most will say cricket.
Not many will say football, and even fewer will say women’s football.
But that’s all about to change, according to new Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) president Syed Mohsin Gilani.
“We want to promote mass participation of girls in football,” he says.
With the PFF previously suspended by governing body Fifa, the country’s national women’s team had been quiet on the world stage, playing only three games in the past two years.
Now those hoping to drive the game forward in Pakistan have been looking further afield to find talented players to boost its profile, such as defender Layla Banaras.
The former Birmingham City player tells BBC Newsbeat that Pakistan’s football setup “isn’t the best at the moment”.
“But hopefully that’s going to change,” she says.
Getty Images
Layla, 19, was at Birmingham City since the age of 8 and made her First Team debut against Huddersfield Town in 2023
Layla made history when, aged 16, she became the first-ever South Asian woman to play for Birmingham City, something that she hopes can inspire others.
“You don’t really see many players in the WSL [Women’s Super League] from a South Asian heritage,” she says.
“I feel like I want to be the person that people can see and show others that you can play football.”
Layla is currently a free agent after leaving the Blues at the end of last season, and recently made her debut for the Pakistan women’s national team.
She played in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers, where the side finished as runners-up.
“Pakistan contacted me a couple years ago but I felt like it wasn’t the right time and I felt like this was the right time,” she says.
“It was an amazing experience and I’d do it all over again.”
She is half-Pakistani, so when it came to choosing between England or Pakistan she says “it wasn’t even a thought, I’m proud of where I’m from”.
“It wasn’t really a debate,” she says.
Getty Images
Mariam left West Brom and is currently a free agent
Joining the squad alongside her is 21-year-old Mariam Mahmood, a former West Bromwich player.
“When they called me up, I was really happy,” she says.
“To know they know about me from the other side of the world is crazy.”
Mariam didn’t have the same experience as Layla from her extended family when she decided to pursue football.
“They were just like: ‘Pakistani girls don’t play football, they don’t do sport and that it’s not a career path’.
“But, you can’t let culture hold you back, you have to follow your heart,” she says.
FIFA
PFF president Syed Mohsin Gilani met Fifa president Gianni Infantino after several suspensions for Pakistan
Layla and Mariam join four other diaspora players in the national side, and PFF present Syed Mohsin Gilani is happy to have them.
“Anybody who’s eligible for Pakistan should play for Pakistan, it’s doesn’t matter where you live or where you’re from,” he tells Newsbeat.
The battle now will be to focus on developing players at home.
“We want to have more women’s football clubs and we are setting a functioning women’s football department in the federation,” says president Gilani.
“We want to take it all over the country.”
The federation also plans to launch new competitions aimed at women and girls, he says.
Layla says the PFF will need to do a lot of work to raise awareness and get young girls into football.
“It needs to be in schools, it needs to be in the local communities and there needs to be access to it,” she says.
She also wants to see more girls from a South Asian Muslim background coming through “into the academies, into the systems and into Pakistan’s football team”.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays – or listen back here.
One of the key parts of the strategy for Paris 2024 was environmental strategy, as part of its commitment to Olympic Agenda 2020.
Compared to the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games, Paris 2024’s carbon footprint was halved, taking into account all carbon emissions, direct and indirect, including spectator travel.
The Games’ target was 1.75 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, and the final reported figure was 1.59 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. The average for both 2012 and 2016 was 3.5 million.
This was achieved in large part by relying on existing or temporary infrastructure, with only the Olympic Aquatics Centre as well as the Olympic Village and Media Village being built specifically for Paris 2024. The Olympic Village has since been transformed into a fully accessible neighbourhood in Seine-Saint-Denis where 6,000 residents can live and will be opened at the end of August 2025.
Paris 2024 had an environmentally friendly circular model, which saw the use of temporary infrastructure, furniture, uniforms, equipment, et cetera.
Some 90 per cent of the items used for the Games, including sports equipment, uniforms, and other symbolic objects, were returned to partners and suppliers to be reused. The other 10 per cent were donated to sports clubs and associations or resold at auctions.
In addition, 100 per cent of the energy used was from renewable sources.
Read more about Paris 2024’s sustainability report here.
Former Barcelona central midfielder and boss Xavi Hernandez recently applied for the India National Team manager role – and the reason why the 45-year-old Spaniard was rejected by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has now been revealed.
Ever since leaving his boyhood club in the summer of 2024, there have been murmurs of the midfielder-turned-boss returning to management. Manchester United, pre-Ruben Amorim, were among those interested in taking on his services in the dugout.
Though, at the time of writing, Xavi – widely regarded as one of the best passers in the history of football – is still out of work. Reports have claimed that he has been busy submitting applications but, that said, India have rejected him… but why is that?
2:55
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Why Xavi’s Application to India National Team Was Rejected
The ex-midfielder – alongside Harry Kewell – was among a long list of candidates
AIFF’s technical committee, per The Times of India, were surprised – in fact, they were in utter disbelief – over the long list of candidates for the India coaching job. Stephen Constatine, Harry Kewell and Steve Kean were all reportedly keen.
But the Barcelona legend, who racked up in excess of 700 appearances for the Spanish heavyweights, was marked in green – but why did he not get the call-up by AIFF? And no, it’s not because he left the contact number column blank.
The idea of Xavi taking charge of the Indian men’s national team may sound far-fetched – but following the departure of Manolo Marquez earlier in July, his name popped up in conversations. “It’s correct that Xavi’s name was there,” AIFF team director Subrata Paul confirmed in the report. “The application was emailed to the AIFF.”
However, according to The Times of India’s sources, their technical committee did not consider the ex-engine room operator for the final shortlist because he would be too much of a financial burden to the national team, a member of the technical committee revealed.
“Even if Xavi was genuinely interested in Indian football and could be convinced to take up the job, we would need a lot of money.”
Interestingly, in a recent interview with The Athletic, Xavi admitted that he “sometimes (follows) the Indian League because many Spanish coaches are there”. Sergio Lobera, Antonio Lopez, Josep Gombau and Juan Ferrando are just a few of those.
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Xavi, before taking charge of Barcelona, managed Qatari outfit Al-Sadd between July 2019 and November 2021 after retiring from his playing career just before the turn of the decade. The transition from player to manager was seamless.
But his most notable managerial spell, of course, was in his homeland for La Blaugrana. In the 2022/23 campaign, he led the footballing giants to a domestic double: they finished ten points ahead of Real Madrid in La Liga and beat their fierce rivals 3-1 in the final of the Supercopa de Espana.
At the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, Korean artists Ha Hyun-woo of Guckkasten, Ahn Ji-young of Bolbbalgan4, Jeon In-kwon of Deulgukhwa and soloist Lee Eun-mi each sang verses of the song; while global artists Angélique Kidjo, Alejandro Sanz, John Legend, Keith Urban and the Suginami Children’s Choir collaborated on a version for the Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony.
Speaking just days before his death in 1980, Lennon himself made a reference to the song’s link to the values of Olympism, noting: “We’re not the first to say ‘Imagine No Countries’ or ‘Give Peace a Chance’, but we’re carrying that torch, like the Olympic torch, passing it hand to hand, to each other, to each country, to each generation. And that’s our job.”
Speaking ahead of the song’s release, Patrick Stalder, Chief Ceremony Officer at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said: “Juliette Armanet and Sofiane Pamart’s powerful rendition on the River Seine for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was a breathtaking continuation of this tradition – poetic, emotional and visually iconic. As we prepare for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, we look forward to seeing how this timeless anthem will once again unite audiences and celebrate the shared values of peace, hope and solidarity at the heart of the Olympic Games.”
Following an independent, rigorous and successful audit, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has officially achieved BSI’s (British Standards Institution) Net Zero Pathway certification since Season 9 (2022/23), confirming it has robust, science-based emissions reduction targets in place.
READ MORE: How Formula E is leading the sustainability charge
This is supported by a verified carbon footprint and a management system aligned with the ISO Net Zero Guidelines (IWA 42:2022), the globally recognised framework for credible net zero strategies.
Raising the Bar for Climate Credibility in Sport
Unlike many ‘net zero’ claims that rely heavily on offsets alone, the BSI Net Zero Pathway goes beyond generic carbon pledges by verifying that an organisation’s carbon footprint data, reduction plans and methodologies meet the highest international benchmarks.
The standard also keeps the Championship ahead of tightening regulatory requirements like the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), ensuring sponsors, teams, partners and fans can trust the credibility of its climate and sustainability claims.
The latest in BSI’s suite of standards prioritises real, measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions across operations and value chains. Certification is only awarded to organisations such as Formula E that demonstrate transparent, standards-based decarbonisation plans, annual audits, and verified progress toward short-, mid- and long-term targets.
BSI is one of the world’s most respected independent standards organisations, helping shape, develop and assess best practice and gold-standard frameworks to ensure that claims like working towards ‘net zero’ emissions are credible, consistent and trusted worldwide.
The BSI Pathway aligns with ISO 14064-1 (for greenhouse gas quantification and reporting) and the ISO Net Zero Guidelines (IWA 42), the first global guidelines defining what credible net zero means in practice.
Together, these frameworks help organisations avoid the risks of greenwashing, meet growing investor, regulatory and consumer expectations, and demonstrate that climate commitments are backed by clear evidence, third-party scrutiny and meaningful reduction actions.
A New Finish Line: Pathway to Net Zero
The sport’s evolved commitment to credible net zero reflects these new and enhanced global standards, with a much heavier focus on a science-based carbon reduction process and pathway towards continually removing emissions, rather than a status or claim of ‘net zero’ that relies heavily on carbon offsets.
Delivering Verified Climate Action
By joining the BSI Net Zero Pathway, Formula E has committed to: Cutting Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% and Scope 3 emissions by 27.5% by 2030 (vs Season 5, 2018–19 baseline)
Prioritizing emissions reductions across operations, from maximising renewable electricity, smarter freight logistics and use of sustainable fuels, to waste reduction and sustainable food and fan experiences at every race
Achieving credible net zero emissions ideally by 2040 and no later than 2050, in line with the UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action Framework
Julia Pallé, VP Sustainability at Formula E, said: “Since day one, Formula E has pushed the boundaries of what sport can stands for showing that elite motor racing and sustainability can thrive together. Recently, however, the goalposts have changed. Organisations have been making pledges, but without meaningful progress. Standards needed to reflect this, so that genuine carbon reduction is prioritised over lofty claims that are not backed up by credible, audited action. “Becoming the first sport certified on the BSI Net Zero Pathway demonstrates that our climate action isn’t just a promise – it’s a robust, science-backed and data-led strategy, verified by the world’s leading standards body.
“Our mission is simple: to continually reduce our impact on the environment, while supporting our ecosystem and the communities in which we race. This new standard enables us to race with pride and purpose, knowing that our scrutiny is of the highest level, is class-leading, transparent and can be trusted by all.”
Matt Page, Senior Vice President, Assurance Services, EMEA, BSI, said: “We are at a critical point in our global journey toward net zero, and we all have a part to play. As the first motorsport to achieve Net Zero Pathway certification, Formula E is setting a new benchmark for the industry.
“This isn’t just recognition of technical achievement; it’s a powerful signal that when sustainability is underpinned by trusted standards and independent assurance, it becomes more than a goal. It becomes a system for lasting, credible change.
“Formula E has the opportunity to be not only inspirational on the track but also sustainable in the way it is delivered. Formula E deserves praise for setting an example, inspiring fans, driving real change, and creating a rich legacy that can encourage action across the wider sporting arena.”
SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2025 Marvel Fantastic Four London E-Prix Rounds 15 & 16
Free Practice 1: 16:00 local (15:00 UTC), Friday 25 July Free Practice 2: 10:00, (09:00 UTC) Saturday 26 July Qualifying: 12:20 (11:20 UTC), Saturday 26 July Round 13: 17:00 (16:00 UTC), Saturday 26 July
Free Practice 3: 10:00, (09:00 UTC) Sunday 27 July Qualifying: 12:20 (11:20 UTC), Sunday 27 July Round 14: 17:00 (16:00 UTC), Sunday 27 July
Find out more
CALENDAR: Sync the dates and don’t miss a lap of Season 11
WATCH: Find out where to watch every Formula E race via stream or on TV in your country
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SCHEDULE: Here’s every race of the 2024/25 Formula E season
HIGHLIGHTS: Catch up with every race from all 10 seasons of Formula E IN FULL
PREDICTOR: Get involved, predict race results and win exclusive prizes
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FOLLOW: Download the Formula E App on iOS or Android
Ikee Rikako: “My focus is on overcoming who I am today”
Ikee will be 28 when LA rolls around. After beating leukemia and defying all odds to miraculously qualify for Tokyo 2020, she had high hopes for herself for Paris 2024 with a proper run-up to the Games.
Things did not turn out the way Ikee had expected. In the only individual race of the meet, the 100m butterfly, her signature race, she didn’t make it past the semi-finals with the 12th fastest time overall.
Despite the results, Ikee was proud she had qualified for a third successive Olympics because at one point, she was facing the darkest chapter of her life.
Yet at the same time, Ikee was humbled by a hard dose of reality, the reality that she may no longer be the swimmer she once was prior to her illness, the version that swept to six titles at the 2018 Asian Games and was named MVP.
“I’m not trying to beat myself from the past anymore,” she said. “The reality is, it’s all but impossible for me to do – so my focus is on overcoming who I am today.”
“So I can’t sit here and say I’m that confident but I do always want to be a better version of who I am. I’d be super happy if I can record a new PB (at LA).
“I was incredibly nervous in Paris. You know how some people say they feel like throwing up because they’re so nervous? That’s how I felt. It was suffocating, overwhelming.
“I didn’t know what it was but pressure was all over me.”
After Paris, Ikee tried taking it easy. But Ikee being Ikee, she soon found out taking it easy was not her thing. Ever the competitor, the fire in her belly catches too quickly.
Then there was the inclusion of the 50m events for LA28. Ikee had always described herself as a sprinter and as fate would have it, her fourth and final Games just might be her best shot yet at an elusive Olympic medal.
“I was taking it easy after the Olympics, thinking 2025 would be slow. But once I was back in the pool, I started to feel like I wanted to go all in again. I guess I just don’t know how to take it easy.
“With the 50m races now in for Los Angeles, all the top swimmers will be eyeing it. I think the field will be deep and super competitive.
“Both the 50m and 100m have always been important to me, but there have been few Japanese who have been competitive in the 50m. I’ve spent the last year or so working on my mind and body so that I can keep up with the best in the world at the distance.”
