Pressure is now back on India, says Wood

MARK Wood feels England’s audacious victory in the first Test has changed the dynamics of the Test series, insisting “we’ve given them something to think about” ahead of this week’s clash in Visakhapatnam.

England completed a famous 28-run win in Hyderabad, bouncing back from 190 behind after the first innings to complete a success already being talked about as one of their best ever away results.

Debutant spinner Tom Hartley outperformed the decorated home attack with his sevenwicket haul on day four and Ollie Pope’s 196 exemplified the tourists’ ability to control the game with sweeps and reverse sweeps, raising questions about how India will respond.

When England last travelled here in 2021, India responded to losing the series opener by preparing extreme turning pitches and walked away 3-1 winners, but it is not at all clear that such an approach would suit them this time around. And pace bowler Wood is excited to place the ball firmly back in their court.

“I don’t know what they will produce next, they have the potential to do any wicket they want. But now we’ve given them something to think about,” he said.

“It’s one of our greatest wins, that tells you how big it was, and now we know we can do it. They now have to come up with a different plan.

“We’ve only won one game and there are five in the series, so it’s another big task to win the next game, but we’ve proved to India it will be a battle and we’re not going to give up.

“We’re trying to put the pressure back on India. Their spinners were going at over four an over – that would have never happened in the last series.

“People call it ‘Bazball’, but it’s putting that pressure on when the time comes and that’s how we’re trying to win games.”