India v England, Lord’s: In absence of Bumrah, the missing guiding light

In the England-India final ODI at Lord’s, the fielder at mid-on or mid-wicket tried to keep the shine on the ball on one side before giving it back to the bowler. And this practice was repeated after almost every ball. Now, you might wonder what is so surprising about it as that routine is a part and parcel of cricket. Just peel the outside layer of that aforesaid line and you might observe very little communication between the two bowlers — the stationed fielder and the bowler who was completing his over. The larger picture to look at is how India seemed like a leaderless bowling attack in the absence of the injured Jasprit Bumrah.

Yes, Shubman Gill, the skipper, was constantly looking to manoeuvre the fields. Just that the onus was also on one of the bowlers to take leadership duties in crunch situations. For instance, when Gurnoor Brar, the rookie fast bowler, was going for plenty in his final over, Axar Patel, Prasidh Krishna or Arshdeep Singh could have come around and reminded him about the plans or patted his back. cricket-ipl.co.za

The same could be said about Prince Yadav as well. The ODI debutant was perhaps struggling to adjust to the Lord’s slope in his first spell. That was the time when he needed a bit of advice or words of encouragement.

Then there is the curious case of Prasidh. To cut some slack, for about 7-8 overs of his 10-over spell, Prasidh was India’s best pacer on show. Unfortunately, in his last over, he somewhere lost the plot. In the past, too, under pressure in the slog overs, he hasn’t always backed his strengths. Just a few weeks ago in Belfast, when the pitch was offering a hint of nip and tennis-ball bounce, he ushered in full deliveries and attempted slower ones. The dimensions of the ground, too, weren’t really suited to bowling fuller. In the Lord’s game, too, he could have backed his strengths and attempted a couple of hard-length, pacy deliveries in his 10th over.

A few years ago, Eric Simons, the CSK bowling coach, had shared his thoughts on backing your strengths to this writer. “Sometimes if that is the best ball to bowl, then bowl it again. I think bowlers must not try to have too many variations. In the end, stick to what you’re good at, and then execute and set a field to it.” In that respect, in the death overs, Prasidh is still searching for those missing pieces of the jigsaw.

With Arshdeep Singh also being largely erratic, it turned out to be a forgetful day for the Indian pace-bowling unit. In the Indian bowlers’ defence, they were confronted with a batting paradise. Moreover, England’s bowlers went for plenty as well.

Yet while looking back at their efforts, it felt as if India lacked a spearhead on the field. Here, it has to be remembered that Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj aren’t getting any younger. And when both of them are missing from the action, there is an opportunity for someone else to take up the mantle and become a guiding force to the rest of the bowlers. On a day when the Lord’s cricket ground bathed in radiant sunshine, we perhaps didn’t see enough of it.

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New Jersey [US], July 20 (ANI): Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said defender Marc Cucurella would have to keep his promise of getting the coach’s face tattooed after La Roja defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy on Sunday (local time).

The 27-year-old Cucurella had said before the title clash against Argentina that he would tattoo De la Fuente’s face on his bicep if Spain lifted the trophy, and the coach was reminded of the pledge after guiding Spain to their second World Cup title.

“I am too old for tattoos but my players are men of their word and I know they will stick to their word," the 65-year-old De la Fuente told reporters after the final, as per Reuters.

“They made a mistake, and they will stick to it. I am not that ugly," he added.

Asked where he would like to see the tattoo, the Spain boss laughed before replying, “Maybe a part of the body where it is not visible. But when you say something, you have to stick to their word."

The light-hearted exchange capped a memorable evening for De la Fuente, who added the FIFA World Cup crown to the UEFA Euro 2024 title, further cementing his place among Spain’s most successful national team coaches.

Spain needed extra time to overcome defending champions Argentina in a tense final at MetLife Stadium. Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute after latching onto Nico Williams’ knockdown and blasting the ball into the roof of the net.

The victory earned Spain a second World Cup title and extended their unbeaten international run to a European-record 38 matches.

The final was a cagey affair, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut opportunities. Spain dominated possession and came closest in normal time, but Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez repeatedly kept his side in the contest with a string of crucial saves.

The momentum shifted dramatically in stoppage time when Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a late challenge on Pau Cubarsi, leaving the holders to play extra time with 10 men.

Spain thought they had taken the lead early in extra time through Nico Williams, only for the effort to be ruled out for a foul in the build-up. Torres eventually broke Argentina’s resistance moments later, sealing a famous victory for the European champions.

Before the final, Cucurella had promised a unique tribute if Spain defeated Argentina.

“I would get a little tattoo of Spain manager Luis de la Fuente’s face on my bicep if we were to win the World Cup," he had said, according to Fox Sports.

The left-back has built a reputation for making headline-grabbing promises. Earlier in his career, the Barcelona academy graduate famously said he would rather shave his head than play for Real Madrid. However, after completing a move to the Spanish giants in June, he opted to keep his trademark long hair.

Whether he keeps his latest promise remains to be seen, but De la Fuente made it clear he expects his players to honour their word after delivering Spain’s greatest triumph in more than a decade. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

Messi’s World Cup final frustration sparked controversy after he appealed for action against Marc Cucurella’s mouth-covering exchange during Argentina’s defeat to Spain. While no punishment followed, pundits criticised the reaction as unsportsmanlike. Spain ultimately prevailed through Ferran Torres’ extra-time winner, ending Argentina’s title defence and leaving Messi’s final World Cup appearance marked by disappointment.

Spain secured their second FIFA World Cup title after defeating Argentina in the 2026 final. Substitute Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in extra time, ending Argentina's reign. Lionel Messi's future remains his personal decision, according to coach Lionel Scaloni. Spain completed an unbeaten tournament, conceding only one goal throughout their campaign. This victory marked Spain's first World Cup win since their triumph in 2010.