England's cricketers kept their World Cup hopes alive with a stunning victory over unbeaten India at Edgbaston on Sunday.
Opener Jonny Bairstow, who has been at the centre of a row over comments about the media, set the tone with a muscular and majestic century. He was supported by returning batsman Jason Roy in an opening stand of 160, and Ben Stokes hit 79 the hosts posted a daunting 337-7.
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India were not done, and it was only after the dismissal of Hardik Pandya that the game looked safe, and England eventually won by 31 runs.
“In what was arguably their single-most important match since the 2005 Ashes, England held their nerve,” says the I Paper.
“After this performance, which bristled with intent in every department, England will believe anything is possible.”
After “abject" losses to Sri Lanka and Australia this “was the kind of performance — confident, assertive, aggressive with the bat — that will have restored their dented confidence and reminded others why they were so feared a few weeks ago”, says Mike Atherton in The Times. “Most of all it was a performance full of courage.”
Those sentiments are echoed across the back pages.
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