India’s fourth Test against England in Manchester took a tough turn on Day 2 as England’s openers raced off to a flying start.
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra wasn’t pleased with how India approached the day with the ball, especially during the first session.
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The match resumed on July 24 at Old Trafford, with India having put up 358 on the board earlier in the day. But the bowlers couldn’t capitalise as England reached 225/2 by stumps, still trailing by 133 runs.
Did India’s opening bowlers fail to create pressure early on?
The day belonged to Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, who stitched together a brilliant 166-run stand in just 32 overs.
They scored freely, running at over five an over. Chopra, in his YouTube video, pointed out that India’s bowling seemed “passive,” allowing both openers to dictate terms without much resistance.
Chopra specifically mentioned that while Ravindra Jadeja managed to break the stand later and debutant Anshul Kamboj picked a late wicket, the overall impact was weak.
"England are 225/2. The opening partnership was destructive. They ran at more than five runs per over. They exposed a few of our gaps. Jaddu did break the partnership by bowling a little restrictively, it was a good catch as well, and Kamboj got a wicket towards the end, but we looked weak," Chopra said
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The field placements, pace variations, and bowling changes didn't work in India’s favour. According to Chopra, even the weather seemed to play along with England as the sun came out just in time for their innings, giving the surface more ease for batting.
"Suddenly, the sun also started shining. I am in Birmingham, and it has been overcast here throughout the day, but the sun has come out in Manchester, and it came out when they started batting, which means sunlight is also listening to the hosts," he added.
Is India under-utilising its bowling resources in this series?
One point that Chopra didn’t miss was the underuse of Washington Sundar. Despite having picked up four wickets in the second innings at Lord’s, the off-spinner wasn’t given even a single over in the first 46 overs on Day 2.
"In the end, you need bowlers to take 20 wickets. One can say they have six bowlers, but the sixth bowler hasn't come at all. You haven't given Washington Sundar a single over in 46 overs. This is the same Washington Sundar who picked up four wickets at Lord's,"
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India would need a moment of brilliance on Day 3 to swing the match back in their favour. Otherwise, England could run away with not just the game, but the series too.