- When the visiting English cricket team got the better of Team India in the first of the five-match Test series in Hyderabad, cricket pundits including the ex-cricketers turned commentators/experts believed the Bazball would work even in Indian conditions. There were enough indications that the English side’s attacking gameplay would be as effective in Indian conditions as it is back home or in other overseas locations. Of course, pure cricket connoisseurs would agree that the attacking game plan may not yield positive results every time the English team takes the field. Yes, watching attacking play from some of the most renowned cricketers makes for a remarkable experience. However, what matters in the end is a positive outcome for the side competing to win.
PC: India Today
- We know how Team India is a formidable outfit in the familiar home conditions, especially with the pitches taking turns from day one, the spinners come into the play sooner than later. Indian spinners are not only blessed with a great repertoire to exploit the conducive conditions but are also masters in taming the visiting batsmen in no time. Very few visiting teams have succeeded in overcoming the Indian spinners. Incidentally, the last visiting team to have won the series here was none other than the English team under the captaincy of Alastair Cook. The first Test was comprehensively won by England on the back of some spectacular batting and bowling by Ollie Pope and Tom Hartley, respectively. Especially, the batting won the Test for the visiting team.
- Thankfully, Team India has bounced back quite spectacularly in the second Test by steamrolling the opposition through an improved display of skills. The young and dashing opener Yashaswi Jaiswal is proving to be quite a find with a tremendous attitude to boot. The way he went about playing his shots right from the beginning set the tone for the Indian first innings which at one time was threatening to fold up without putting up a substantial score on the board. His maiden double-hundred proved to be a decisive innings. Mind you, none of the other batsmen could cross not even forty runs despite several of them getting the start. Jaiswal is emerging as a great talent in all formats of the game auguring well for the future of Indian cricket.
PC: The Hindu
- Unsurprisingly, the unique and masterful Jasprit Bumrah turned out to be the hero of the Indian Test win through his magnificent pace bowling exploits even on a placid pitch. Bumrah turned the tables with a spectacular six-fer in the first innings forcing the England team to concede a huge lead. Most importantly, he followed it up with a further three wickets in the second innings to claim a match haul of eight wickets. No wonder, Bumrah was declared as the man of the match. Yes, Ravichandran Ashwin is tantalizingly standing at 499 wickets, and he will cross the coveted milestone in the next Test. From here on, the remaining three Tests will become more engrossing. Whoever wins the series, the ultimate winner will be the Test cricket. Long live Test cricket!
