Former England cricketer and renowned commentator Michael Atherton feel that the kind of cricket India has played in the last 2 matches against England they would have easily gone up to win 2-0 in a five-match series.
For those who are not a cricket fan, just to let you know that India was cruising in the first test match as they needed 157 runs on the last with nine wickets in hand but due to rain, the match couldn’t be completed.
India went on to win Lord’s test by 151 runs with a tremendous turnaround by Men In Blue on the last day.
“Although home sensibilities will focus, inevitably, on England’s final day performance on Monday, which was by far unintelligent and then limp, it was India who left an indelible impression,” Atherton wrote in his column for the Telegraph.
“The ferocity of their play, their will to win, and their skill to carry them through difficult moments, should have removed any doubts about how the Nottingham Test would have finished but for rain. To all intent and purposes, India should be 2-0 up,” he added.
“Over two matches, England have competed for long periods, and this without some serious cricketers – Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, and Chris Woakes absent for two Tests and Stuart Broad for one. They have the benefit of two of their greatest cricketers, in James Anderson and Joe Root, and in Test cricket, great players can make up a lot of ground for limitations elsewhere. All is not lost,” he said.
“In the short term, given the injuries and lack of domestic first-class cricket to provide alternatives, there is not a great deal to be done. They will (and should) make an alteration at the top of the order if only to reiterate the principle that performance matters,” he signed off.
India will be playing the next match against England on 25th August 2021 at Leeds and if Men in Blue manages to win this series it will be a tremendous achievement for this wonderful side who has instilled a fearless brand of Test cricket in the last few years.
