Legendary Indian spinner and former coach, Anil Kumble, was not happy with how Team India played in the second innings of the first Test match against England at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Former Indian skipper called Rohit Sharma and his team’s performance 'pretty ordinary' and suggested that the hosts could have been more proactive and positive in the second innings.
India lost the opening Test in Hyderabad by 28 runs, as they were dismissed for 202 while chasing a target of 231. Debutant spinner Tom Hartley did exceptionally well, taking 7 wickets for 62 runs and securing the remarkable win for England in the final over of the day in Hyderabad.
Anil Kumble told Jio Cinema: “England were brilliant over the last two days. India was pretty ordinary. In the field, you could see that heads were dropping down while fielding.”
He added, “India could certainly have been more positive in their batting approach in the second innings. Once Rohit Sharma got out and Ravindra Jadeja was run out, the course of the match changed.”
Ollie Pope played a sensational knock of 196 runs to resurrect England as they posted 420 in their second innings before Hartley’s heroics with the ball in the Hyderabad Test against India.
Praising the duo, Kumble said: “Credit to England (for) the way they batted (and) the way they came and bowled. I mean Tom Hartley, (a) debutant, (his) first ball (was) hit for a six and then the first five overs he was going at about seven runs an over.”
He signed off by saying, “To come back and bat really well, take two wickets in the first innings and seven in the second and win the match for England was absolutely fantastic. England have done exceptionally well.”
The Test between the two sides will be played in Vizag from February 2nd onwards.
(With PTI Inputs)
