Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra expressed criticism towards the Indian spinners following the Men in Blue’s defeat in the IND vs ENG 1st Test at Hyderabad. On Day 4 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, England emerged victorious, dismantling the Indian batting order and winning by 28 runs.
The standout performance came from England’s Ollie Pope, who nearly achieved a double century in the second innings. The English spinners, particularly debutant Tom Hartley, played a pivotal role by claiming 7 wickets, causing the Indian batters to falter and lose their momentum. India managed to score only 202 runs, getting all out in 69.2 overs.
In the aftermath of the disappointing performance, Aakash Chopra called out the Indian spinners for their below-par display. Despite India’s reputation for having skilled spinners, Chopra questioned their effectiveness in the match, highlighting the contrasting success of the England spinners.
“India has good spinners but were they even performing? England spinners took 18 wickets while Indian took 14 with only 2 on Day 4. Despite that Jasprit Bumrah was fantastic but where were others?”
The English batters effectively countered the threat posed by the Indian spin trio – Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel – employing a strategy of sweeps and reverse sweeps to neutralize the spin factor.
Ollie Pope, showcased a remarkable display with a 196-run innings in the second innings, relying extensively on sweeps, reverse sweeps, and even reverse scoops to navigate the challenging spin conditions.
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