For the second straight day, England’s bowlers struggled on the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium pitch in Hyderabad as India forged to a 175-run lead with three wickets still in hand at the end of Day 2.
India are 7/421 in their first innings, in response to England’s 246. It’s dire straits for the Poms, who will need a miracle to even escape the first Test with a draw. Winning looks to be an impossibility.
The four-pronged spin attack of Jack Leach, Rehan Ahmad, debutant Tom Hartley and Joe Root failed to inspire a whole heap, with part-timer Root, in the side for his batting, the pick of the bunch with figure of 2/77 from 24.
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The inexperienced pair of Ahmad and Hartley, with only 35 first class games between them, flashed good moments but they were few and far between while Leach, who in fairness is battling with injury, was economical but rarely threatening.
The Telegraph’s Nick Hoult noted in a column he penned at the conclusion of Day 2 that England captain Ben Stokes “was left without a bowler who could control for a long period and establish a dominance”.
“It is the bowlers who look undercooked and, at the moment, overpromoted,” Hoult wrote.
“Rehan Ahmed and Tom Hartley shopped nearly 250 runs between them and Joe Root summing the ghost of Stuart Broad with his bail switching mind games showed England’s desperation for an answer.
Jack Leach is bowling in a match for the first time since the Lord’s Test against Ireland in the cool English early summer, Rehan Ahmed is in his 14th first-class game, Tom Hartley his 21st.
The senior spinner Leach worked nothing longer than a four-over spell and at one stage when the innings was still in the balance, 19-year-old Rehan had bowled more than him. England blamed a bang on the knee in the field but maybe more cricket would have given Leach’s body a stronger resilience to such bumps.
“England’s spinners tired as the day wore on as you expect after so little bowling, and served up more freebies… England bowled poorly and India were not made to work hard enough for their advantage.”
BBC cricket writer Stephen Shemilt was perhaps even more scathing of England’s lacklustre attack.
“At such an early stage in the series, the most obvious difference between the teams is the quality of spinners
“Even India’s fourth choice, Kuldeep Yadav, would be England’s number one.
“In the case of Ahmed and Tom Hartley, one Test cap between them, asking them to match the output of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin and Axar Patel is like putting a learner driver in a Formula 1 car for a race with Max Verstappen.”
Former England skipper Nassar Hussain expressed his “surprise” over why a favourite son wasn’t selected.
Hussain noted wily veteran James Anderson would have given this England bowling attack some sort of “control”.
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“I said before the game, I would have played Anderson. I was a bit surprised at the balance of their side because with Root in India it is four spinners and one seamer (Mark Wood),” Hussain said.
“Anderson gives you control. It doesn’t even have to be him, it can be Ollie Robinson or just another seamer.
“Anderson’s skills in the subcontinent has been exceptional in the last few years. Anderson is quite a good player when he is in the side. He is England’s greatest ever bowler.”
There’s plenty of time for England to turn this around – it’s a five match series.
‘Bazball’ could come to the fore in the second innings, which would save face and give something for England to take away from this match heading into the second Test.
However, tactics and plans re: bowling have to change, otherwise this will be a cakewalk for the home side.