Strauss lambasts limping England

London, Aug. 18: Former England skipper Andrew Strauss feels the manner in which Joe Root’s team capitulated against a fired-up India in the second Test could hurt the “bruised and battered” hosts in the remainder of the five-match series.

“They were favourites but let things slip before lunch (on final day) and then had another top-order collapse,” Strauss told Sky Sports.

“Those early wickets put huge pressure on the middle order and India just had enough overs to bowl them out. It was feisty,” Strauss added.

He said India “thoroughly deserve” to go one up in the five-match series.

“Every series with India, and particularly (Virat) Kohli, is feisty and as the match was on the line you expected nothing else. It has been five brilliant days of Test cricket.

“India were exceptional and there were times when England looked like they were going to get out of jail but, in the end, you have to say that India deserved it, they did enough to win. England are going to be absolutely battered and bruised as a result of that,” Strauss said.

Strauss has also called for a change in England’s toporder after another disappointing show by the batsmen.

“At some stage if you keep being two or three down for nothing, it’s going to come back to haunt you,” he said.

“Yes, they were two good balls to get rid of Burns and Sibley but, of course, then Joe Root is under pressure, (Haseeb) Hameed is under pressure and then Jonny Bairstow and the middle order as well. You just can’t keep doing that time after time,” Strauss further added. —