The Indian cricket team, which was looking very comfortable initially, took days to make one error after another and eventually gave up the game to Ben Stokes-led England.
In an unexpected turn of events, England’s cricket team rallied to defeat India in the first Test match in Hyderabad. The Indian cricket team, which appeared to be in control in the first two days, made one error after another and eventually conceded the game to England, led by Ben Stokes. Skipper Rohit Sharma struggled to pinpoint the exact cause of failure, claiming that the team was perhaps ‘not brave enough’.
“It’s difficult to identify where it went wrong. With a 190-point advantage, we assumed we were well in control of the game. “It was exceptional batting (by Ollie Pope), one of the best I’ve seen by an overseas batter in Indian conditions,” Rohit Sharma remarked in the post-match presentation.
India appeared to have lost its most important strategic advantage, as England hitters controlled the game from the third day onwards, using the ‘bazball’ formula. Debutant left-arm spinner Tom Hartley became England’s key in the second innings, decimating India’s hitters at home.
Ollie Pope’s fantastic 196-run innings were enough to get close to India’s big advantage, and despite an amazing effort by Indian bowlers, the hitters failed once more.
“I thought 230 was attainable; there wasn’t much on the pitch. We did not bat well enough to reach the score. I went to see where we bowled; we bowled in the correct spots. “When you finish the day, you analyze what went well and what didn’t,” the Indian captain explained.
“The bowlers did an excellent job, but you have to give credit to Pope. “That was a serious knock,” Rohit continued.
India suffered one of its worst home defeats.
The loss to England was not a typical low-phase defeat for Team India, since the cricket team has excelled at home since 2013. India’s defeat against England was their fourth loss at home in Test cricket since 2013, and their second defeat after taking a more than comfortable 190-run lead.
According to Mint, “We did not bat well enough to reach that score. I wanted them (Siraj and Bumrah) to extend the game to the fifth day. With 20-30 runs, anything is possible. The lower level battled exceptionally effectively there, demonstrating to the high order the need to fight it out. You must demonstrate character and courage, which I believe we lacked. We wanted to take some chances, but we didn’t take any with the bat. However, such events are possible. “It’s the first game of the series, so I hope the guys can learn from it,” Rohit stated.
