Cricket:Eoin Morgan will lead England's Twenty20 team in the upcoming series against India after regular captain Stuart Broad was ruled out through injury. Broad had a scan on his left heel two days ago and the injury will see him miss the two in the shortest international format next week. Broad is due to return to India next month, for the final two matches of a one-day international series.
Morgan had previously captained England against his native Ireland in a one-day international last year, becoming only the third Irish man to lead England.
In today’s final test match between the two countries, Kevin Pietersenhelped England recover from the loss of two early wickets to eke out 199 for five on a pitch of turgid low bounce. Alastair Cook’s tourists, needing a draw in Nagpur to close out an historic series victory, lost both openers — their captain and Nick Compton — to India’s lone pace bowler Ishant Sharma inside the first hour.
But Pietersen (73) and Jonathan Trott then shared a hard-working stand of 86 in 39 overs after England had chosen to bat first. Pietersen had to play a very different game in his 108-ball 50 today to the century with which he transformed proceedings in England’s famous second-test victory in Mumbai last month.
Extreme conditions at the VCA Stadium dictated that patience and watchfulness were a necessity, even for a batsman of his world-class talent. The same will surely pertain all match, and may well mean England have fared acceptably at least — especially after a second 50 partnership, unbroken between Matt Prior and debutant Joe Root — on a surface precluding fluent strokeplay.