BCCI likely to increase pay of Test players: Sources

New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to increase the per match fees for Test matches and they will also reward the players who play all the Test series in the year, as per the sources in the board.

This decision has been taken after players like Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan decided not to play for their states in the Ranji Trophy despite not being part of the India squad. Both players have opted out of domestic cricket in order to prepare themselves for the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Presently, the BCCI gives Rs 15 lakh per Test match to players. The governing body offers Rs 6 lakh for each One-Day International (ODI), and Rs 3 lakh for T20 International (T20I).

Recapping the fourth Test at Ranchi, England chose to bat first after winning the toss and closed their first innings at 353, riding majorly on a fine comeback century by premier batter and former skipper Joe Root (122* in 274 balls, 10 fours), a half-century from Ollie Robinson (58 in 96 balls, with nine fours and a six) and Ben Foakes (47 in 126 balls, with four boundaries and a six).

Ravindra Jadeja (4/67) and Akash Deep (3/83) were the pick of the bowlers for India.

India were bundled out for 307 in their first innings in reply to England's 353. Despite Yashasvi Jaiswal (73 in 117 balls, with eight fours and a six) firing once again, India were reduced to 219/7 before Jurel (90 in 149 balls, with six fours and four sixes) joined forces with Kuldeep (28 in 131 balls) to stitch a 76-run stand for the eighth wicket and drag India past the 300-run mark.
Spinner Shoaib Bashir troubled Indian batters, picking up his maiden five-wicket haul (5/119). Tom Hartley (3/68) and James Anderson (2/48) also registered impressive figures.

The lion-hearted rearguard effort by Jurel, in the company of the lower order, not only lifted India from the dumps but also helped reduce England's first-inning lead to 46 runs.

In their second inning, England were shot out for just 145 runs, with Zak Crawley (60 in 91 balls, with seven fours) and Jonny Bairstow (30 in 42 balls, with three fours) offering some resistance. Spinners took all 10 wickets for India, with Ravichandran Ashwin (5/51) and Kuldeep Yadav (4/22) leading the bowling charts for the hosts.

Chasing 192 for an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series, the hosts were off to a fine start, with skipper Rohit Sharma (55 in 81 balls, with five fours and a six) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (37 in 44 balls, with five fours) putting on an 84-run opening stand.

However, that was before Bashir brought the visitors back into the game, picking up 3/79 and reducing India to 120/5. Thereafter, Shubman Gill (52* in 124 balls, with two sixes) and Dhruv Jurel (39* in 77 balls, with two fours) guided India to a series win by five wickets.

India now lead the series 3-1.