Internet Desk : England slumped to a crushing 246-run defeat in the second Test after their middle order failed to build on the platform laid by Alastair Cook and Haseeb Hameed. Resuming on 87 for two – though with the memory of Cook’s last-ball dismissal the previous evening still fresh in their minds – England were bowled out for 158 only 20 minutes after lunch on the final afternoon.If there was some consolation to be derived from the fact that England’s second innings lasted 97.2 overs, then the reality is that they were chasing the game from the moment Adil Rashid dropped Virat Kohli at fine leg on the first afternoon.
India’s Ex-Captain Sourav Ganguly lauded Virat Kohli and his team for the great victory. At the same time the stylish left-hander warned India not to be complacent during the rest of the series as this England side has all the potential to come back. Speaking to ESPN-CRICINFO Sourav said, “No doubt it has been an emphatic win by India. The moment India took a lead of 200 runs in the second innings there was never any doubt as to who will win.” He added,” Surviving the Vizag wicket on day 4 and 5 is next to impossible. Virat won an important toss as it always becomes a big factor in the sub-continnent which was proved once again by the result of the match. This was a hard fought win for India and will surely boost the morale of the team and make the team stronger.
Sourav gave special credit to Virat Kohli’s captaincy for the win. According to him, “Kohli is 100% pure cricketer, his expressions are pure whatever he has in his mind reflects on the field and it transcends in to his batting, captaincy and fielding. I enjoy every bit of Virat Kohli on the field”.
In spite of praises the former India Captain warned India not to be too complacent with the win as there are three more Test matches left in the series and Alastair Cook and his team has given enough evidence of what they are capable of. According to Sourav,”If the opponents would have been New Zealand or an Australian team in the present form, I would say India will win the series comfortably. But this England team has the grit and strength to fight back and put a good show in the rest of the series”.
Sourav also said,”One shouldn’t forget that England under the leadership of Andrew Strauss in 2006 won the Wankhede Test and leveled the series. In 2012 under Cook’s captaincy England came back strongly after going 0-1 down in Ahmedabad to win the series 2-1. This time too they can make a come back as the next two Tests are in Mohali and Wankhede where the pitch will not turn as much as it did in Vishakapatnam and it will help the seamers England have Broad and Anderson who can make the difference in the coming Tests”.
Sourav praised debutant Jayant Yadav too. According to him, “It is a good debut. Jayant has shown great mental strength and has batted well during tough times in both the innings. He has also performed well as the third spinner and played his part responsibly. Picking him was a perfect choice as England had quiet a few left-handers. But playing him as second spinner alongside Ashwin in all the pitches may not be possible. But he has the maturity to play in International cricket”.