ENG vs. IND: England provides the world with a method to decipher India’s spin code. On Sunday, England’s audacious style of cricket ended India’s incredible run of victories at home. The opening game of the five-Test series in Hyderabad, which Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum won 28 runs to win, was a testament to their unwavering faith in a valiant system that does not allow for failure-related fear.
India has only lost four Test matches at home since 2013, but the wounds from Sunday’s loss will last for a very long time. It was the first time India had lost a Test match at home even though they had a lead of more than 100 runs, and it was only their second loss overall when trailing by 190 runs.
Additionally, India has only ever lost at home when trailing after scoring more runs (449 against Pakistan in Bengaluru in 2005), so Sunday’s win for England is noteworthy.
The match-winning duo of England, Joe Root and Ben Stokes, were not the expected suspects on a spin-friendly pitch that has seen a lot of visiting teams collapse. Ollie Pope, a batsman with a modest Test record, and rookie left-arm spinner Tom Hartley were the ones who caused India’s defeat.
With just 20 first-class games under his belt, Hartley, a 24-year-old T20 specialist, tore through the Indian batting lineup with his aggressive straight-on-the-stumps line, finishing with figures of 7/62 in the second innings. This came after the 26-year-old Pope, who was a nervous wreck during the opening session, amassed 196 runs with a variety of audacious and unorthodox shots. In the second innings of a Test match in India, Pope’s score was the highest by an English batsman.
Hartley and Pope, two of the team’s younger players, appeared to have been heavily influenced by the outrageously entertaining brand of cricket known as Bazball (McCullum goes by “Baz” with his friends and teammates).
The essence of Bazball has been inspiring everyone in the dressing room to think that nothing is impossible. Similar to defeating India in a turner, one of the game’s most dreaded challenges. There are several levels of skill involved: the visiting team must first defeat the batsmen, then the spinners, then the virtuosos who swing in reverse, and finally the pitch. It was all done by Stokes’ men. in just two splendid days.
The England captain referred to the victory in Hyderabad as “100% our greatest triumph.” He also praised Hartley and Pope’s efforts.
“For the first time, Tom (Hartley) joined the squad. I would have given him longer spells if need be. We fully support the individuals that we have chosen. Pope’s 190 on a wicket like that is the greatest innings an English batsman has ever played in the subcontinent. Stokes stated, “I try to encourage whoever is in the squad; I don’t fear failure.”
Rohit Sharma, the captain of the home team, appeared to be searching in vain. “Difficult to identify the exact point of failure. We were in control with a lead of 190,” he remarked.
Pope, belying his teenage appearance, displayed a bravery and audacity akin to Kevin Pietersen on a pitch where no other batsman was able to reach three figures. The middle-order batsman hadn’t altered much technically since the horrors of the 2021 India tour, when he hit his highest score of 34, but there was a noticeable shift in strategy. Neither his colleagues nor he were alarmed by the turning ball. Their icy eyes covered up any jitters in their nerves. They remained steadfast in their belief that they could attack their way out of problems. The strategy did not change, not even in the face of England giving up a 190-run lead in the first innings. They never supported anything that went against their Bazball system during the game.
The strategy did not change, not even in the face of England giving up a 190-run lead in the first innings. They never supported anything that went against their Bazball system during the game. They would prefer to go down fighting if they had to go down. It was about being carefree and not calculating, after all.
At first glance, England’s tactics would appear careless. However, Stokes and his team skillfully dismantled a formidable spin team consisting of Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin, demonstrating to the world that it is possible to overcome Indian conditions by being bold, riding the wave, and hitting the spinners out of the attack.
The bowlers for England also had a significant impact. In the second half, Hartley found his rhythm and went through the top-order of India as they were in transition. He seemed to be questioning India’s faith in its youth in a way that made the audience wonder if players like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were cast aside too soon.
Due to Virat Kohli’s decision to miss the first two Test matches, the batting order appeared unstable. Shubman Gill, 24, needs domestic rehab and appears vulnerable against spin; opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, 22, is untested against elite bowling; and Shreyas Iyer has been dreadfully inconsistent. With Rishab Pant out of the picture, India relied too much on Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul.
India should be more concerned about the dismantling of their most effective tool of dominance than any of these shortcomings. India has previously lost Test matches at home, but this one was unique. They no longer seem to exude an air of invincibility when they are in Hyderabad.
