"Ben Stokes was uncharacteristically casual in his running" - Michael Atherton on England skipper's run-out in 2nd Test vs India
Former England cricketer Michael Atherton believes that Ben Stokes wasn't aware of how tight the single which led to his run-out on Day 4 actually was. The England skipper was found short of his ground towards the end of the second Test against India in Visakhapatnam on Monday.
With 179 more runs to win and just four wickets in hand, the visitors needed Stokes to pull off yet another miraculous one-man effort. However, it all ended in an anti-climax as the southpaw was run out by a sensational direct hit from Shreyas Iyer.
In his report for The Times after the conclusion of the second Test, Michael Atherton explained why Ben Stokes could have shown a bit more urgency in his running. Here's what he said:
"Stokes was uncharacteristically casual in his running having been called for a single to mid-wicket by Ben Foakes, and in a game replete with acts of individual brilliance in the field, Shreyas Iyer swooped and threw down the stumps with Stokes just short of his ground."
Ben Foakes and Tom Hartley scored 36 runs each to keep England in the game. However, Stokes' run-out for just 11 arguably proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the visitors as they were bundled out for 292 while chasing 399.
Michael Atherton on Zak Crawley
Michael Atherton was particularly impressed with the way England opener Zak Crawley batted in both innings of the Visakhapatnam Test. With scores of 76 & 73, Crawley tasted considerable success against the Indian bowling and looked the most comfortable among the visiting batters.
Shedding light on how far Crawley has come as a batter, Atherton stated:
"The reaction to Crawley’s dismissal from India’s fielders was ecstatic, and revealed not just relief for a key wicket at a vital time, but also Crawley’s new-found stature. With 149 runs across both innings, Crawley batted beautifully and is, arguably, England’s most improved player over the past 12 months."
Atherton also praised Crawley for the way in which he handled Jasprit Bumrah's spells and the calculated approach he took in both knocks. However, with the series now level at 1-1, England will want the other batters to take responsibility and score big to make a comeback.