It was a shocker; batters were complacent: Maninder Singh blasts Team India for inept show at Headingley
Former left-arm spinner Maninder Singh has hit out at Team India after the visitors were rolled over for a paltry 78 on Day 1 of the Headingley Test. He believes complacency seemed to have set into the Team India camp following their famous win at Lord’s.
Going into the Headingley Test high on confidence, it did not take long for Team India to be brought down to earth. They folded up in just 40.4 overs after Virat Kohli had won the toss and batted first. England then responded with 120 for no loss in 42 overs.
In an interaction on ESPN Cricinfo, Maninder Singh expressed surprise at Team India’s disastrous batting effort, observing:
“It was a shocker to me, to be very honest. Some team that won the second Test match and, if it wasn’t for the rain, they would have won the first Test as well. Then, coming into the third Test , you win the toss, bat first and get all out for 78. It goes to show that you have gone complacent somewhere down the line. The concentration levels that were so high in the first two Tests, they have just gone down the drain. That’s exactly what has happened to the Indian team.”
Singh hailed England for their incredible fightback after they suffered a 151-run loss at Lord’s. Speaking about England’s performance, he said:
“All credit to the English side. They have come back brilliantly, and this is what is expected at the international level. When you are playing in your home conditions, people do expect you to come back. But I think, there was a little hand from the Indian team as well in England’s comeback.”
Team India’s bowlers did not bowl well: Maninder Singh
After the batters' inept show, India’s bowlers also failed to make an impact, as England’openers Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed featured in an unbroken century stand. Agreeing that the pitch had dried out completely, Maninder Singh still felt that the bowlers could have definitely done better. He said in this regard:
“When there are only 78 runs on the board, it is not very easy for the bowlers to apply themselves. Their concentration level is not that high. If I was the bowler of a side that has got out for 78, I would have lost hope. How do you get an international side out for 100 or 120 on a pitch like this, which has totally dried out now? There was a bit of moisture, but with the sunshine, it all dried out.”
“Somewhere down the line, the bowlers also did not bowl well. This was the captain’s duty to tell his bowlers that we have made a mess, you can make amends. But the only way to do it is by bowling good line and lengths. I couldn’t see any of the Indian bowlers doing that. They were bowling up and down. I think the morale is pretty low at the moment,” Singh concluded.
Both England openers Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed reached their half-centuries as the hosts ended the day with a lead of 42 runs and all ten wickets in hand.