3 things India did wrong on Day 2 of the 2nd Test vs England
India had a good day in the office on Day 2 of the second Test against England, as they established a firm grip over the contest in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, February 3.
The hosts couldn't add enough to their overnight total, with their first-innings score not touching the 400-run mark. However, an inspired bowling performance from Jasprit Bumrah skittled England for just 253, giving India a 171-run lead by Stumps.
It was far from a perfect day for India, though, with several indifferent passages of play. Their tactics often left a lot to be desired, and if not for Bumrah's genius, they could've found themselves in an awful pickle.
Here are three things India did wrong on Day 2 of the second Test against England.
#3 Mukesh Kumar was brought on repeatedly despite being terrible
Mukesh Kumar was clearly India's worst bowler on Day 2. Picked ahead of the rested Mohammed Siraj, the Bengal seamer was expected to partner Bumrah, but he ended up dishing out a terrible display.
Mukesh was all over the place, with his consistency letting him down in practically every over. He leaked 44 runs in seven overs, and one of those was a maiden to Jimmy Anderson. The 30-year-old was hit for nine fours in 42 balls.
Strangely, though, Rohit seemed intent on giving Mukesh a chance to impress. After his initial two-over spell, the fast bowler was brought back for two one-over spells that didn't yield any returns. Finally, he bowled two overs to the tail, even though it would've been a much better idea to get one of the spinners to wrap things up.
Had Rohit understood that Mukesh's style of seam bowling wouldn't suit conditions in Vizag, India could've saved themselves a few runs.
#2 Yashasvi Jaiswal played an all-time great knock, but his dismissal defied logic
Yashasvi Jaiswal did pretty much everything right for 289 balls. He defended when he had to, attacked when he had to, picked the right areas for his scoring shots, and kept the Indian innings afloat almost single-handedly.
However, the opener's dismissal defied all logic and ensured that India didn't cross the 400-run mark despite having the resources to do so. Jaiswal had been rightly restrained against Anderson but decided to break free against the fast bowler, who was close to the end of his spell after bowling for more than an hour.
Not only did he decide to do that but also played an attacking shot off the fifth ball of the over when the field was still spread, instead of farming strike. Jaiswal coud've attacked any of the spinners at the other end instead of taking on Anderson, who was clearly England's biggest threat. Moreover, it was a low-percentage attacking shot, with plenty of fielders out in the deep.
India's tail didn't wag for the second time in the series. It has already cost them one Test, and they made the same mistake again.
#1 Rohit Sharma's fields were disappointing for the most part
England were skittled for a lowly 253, but Rohit Sharma's field placements remained unimpressive for the most part. Bumrah's scarcely believable skill - and not Rohit's tactical nous - was the reason behind the below-par total.
Even though the English batters rarely attempted the sweep on a surface that had bounce, Rohit had protection on both sides of the wicket for the cross-batted shots. He also didn't have any fielders in catching positions behind square, instead opting to deploy them well in front of the stumps.
Rohit's bowling changes were conducive. He used Bumrah smartly and kept faith in Kuldeep Yadav, who was the team's best spinner. However, his fields were relatively very disappointing, especially when Zak Crawley was toying with them for the first 20 overs of the innings.