INDIA’S ‘VERY SPECIAL WIN’
Ex-captains criticise England’s ‘struggles’ as visitors take Oval honours
ENGLAND’S defeat in the Oval Test against India not only exposed deficiencies in their game but also proved they are not battle-hardened or ruthless enough, former captains Michael Vaughan and Nasser Hussain said.
Joe Root’s men held the upper hand in the fourth Test after winning the toss and bowling out India for 191, then grabbing a 99-run first-innings lead.
But chasing 368 for victory on a flat track, England went from cruising at 100 for no loss to unravelling in the final day’s post-lunch session, succumbing to a 157-run defeat.
“For years we beat Australia and India in our conditions, but now we are struggling,” former captain Vaughan wrote in the Daily Telegraph. “England have to work on how to become more battlehardened when the pressure is on.”
The hosts let India off the hook in the first innings when the tourists were 1277, but went on to post 191. The touring side made amends in the second innings by racking up a series-high 466.
“They [England] lack pace and variation to make things happen in flat conditions. This Test team are dependent on the pitch helping them,” Vaughan said of the home team’s bowling attack.
He was critical of the batsmen, saying England’s 290 in the first innings was sub-par for batting-friendly conditions.
“England do not make enough runs when it is flat and played poor strokes through lapses in concentration,” he said.
England were sloppy in the field too, spilling six catches in the match, which irked Hussain.
“Their catching has been shaky for a while now, and they can’t keep having to create 26 chances in each Test because the blokes in the slips are dropping too many,” he wrote in the Daily Mail.
“What they’ll have learned from this game is that a lack of ruthlessness earlier in the game can come back to haunt you.
“The mistakes seem small at the time, but they all add up. It’s up to England to eradicate them.”
Meanwhile, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly has said that his country’s win over England proves they are “far ahead” of the rest in the Testplaying world.
The current Indian board president said it had been a “great show” to see Jasprit Bumrah lead the Indian attack to bowl out England for just 210 on the final day.
“The skill is the difference but the biggest difference
is the absorbing power of pressure. Indian cricket is far ahead than the rest,” the former national captain wrote on Twitter.
India, who are second in the world Test rankings, made a remarkable turnaround after being dismissed for 191, and after England claimed a first-innings lead of 99.
Rohit Sharma scored 127 as the tourists made 466 in the second innings.
“What a comeback! The boys just kept bouncing back after every setback,” Indian batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar said on Twitter.
“What a way to stamp authority on the last day when England were 77-0.”
The Times of India newspaper headlined their report “The Oval Renaissance” while former batsman VVS Laxman said it had been a “special” win.