England chased 364 in the fourth innings to defeat India in the opening match of the series.
England youngster Harry Brook has sent a massive warning to the India squad ahead of the second Test of the five-match series. Even after facing plenty of criticism for the call to bat first in Leeds, the English players successfully chased the 364-run target in the fourth innings. This earned them a five-wicket victory over India and an early 1-0 lead in the home red-ball series.
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Sofia Stars beat BSCU All Stars by 48 runs
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82/10
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116/6
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86/10
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The batter stated that the lower-order collapse of India relieved the English squad to chase down the total easily. He emphasised the 188-run opening partnership between Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley in the second innings of England.
The newly appointed T20I skipper of England also acknowledged the excellent tons from KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant that powered India’s total to 334/5. He revealed that they were preparing for a mammoth 500-plus run-chase during the 195-run partnership between Rahul and Pant.
“Getting six Indian wickets for 40 runs in the third innings probably calmed us down a little bit more. Because there was a time when we were staring at a 500-run chase,” said Brook in a Times of India interview.
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However, the chase at the Headingley Stadium has made England more confident for the upcoming fixtures. Brook believes that the English team which plays by the fast-paced “Bazball method,” will give a tough fight to India, even if they pose a huge 450-plus target in front of them.
“Everybody knows that we’re going to try and chase whatever total they set us. 450 is a big total. But one thing is for sure, we’ll give it a good crack,” he added.
A sublime century from Ollie Pope (106), Brook’s 99 and crucial contributions from the entire batting lineup helped England to close in on India’s 471-run total in the first innings. Moreover, the fall of the last five wickets under just 20 runs handed them a huge advantage to chase down the total in almost four sessions.
An important 65-run knock from Crawley and Duckett’s 149 laid the foundation for England’s win. Eventually, contributions from Joe Root, captain Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith helped them to edge past India in the opening fixture.
However, England have announced to go with the same squad against India in the second Test. They would want to increase the lead before heading into the Lord’s Stadium. The next match will commence on July 2, at the Edgbaston Stadium, Birmingham.
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