Image Source: Reuters
[Saba Sports News] England, having clinched the opening Test in Hyderabad, looked poised to disrupt India’s unbeaten home streak since 2013. But under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, India overcame numerous challenges to claim the series 4-1.
Emerging talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Dhruv Jurel, and Sarfaraz Khan showcased exceptional skills, complemented by seasoned players Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, leading India to a historic series win over Ben Stokes’ England.
Post-match, Stokes graciously admitted England’s defeat, conceding they were bested by a superior squad. He viewed the experience as crucial learning for his young team, anticipating the application of these insights in England’s forthcoming summer matches. He reflected on the series, noting the critical moments that England couldn’t capitalize on and recognized the areas needing improvement for future encounters.
“We have been outplayed by the better team of the series. We got so much cricketing coming up, so looking forward to it. When you look at the series as a whole, in those small moments we haven’t been able to keep it going. We all know as individuals as to where it all went wrong. When India get on top with the ball a lot men come around the bat and you got to find ways to keep those guys out of play and you need to be positive enough to take those risks and sometimes it could lead to downfall,” Stokes shared.
Stokes praised India for their strategic play, especially in pressuring batsmen with fielders close to the bat, urging his team to be more proactive and risk-taking in such situations, despite the potential pitfalls.
His commendations extended to James Anderson, who etched a record as the first fast bowler to reach 700 Test wickets during the Dharamsala match, celebrating Anderson’s unmatched fitness and enduring passion for the game, which he described as ‘quite phenomenal’.
“700 wickets for a seamer is quite phenomenal, from the day he first started being a cricketer to where he is now, the desire and commitment is still there and he if the fittest cricketer I have ever seen,” he added.