Superhuman effort needed for England to make a comeback against India: Sunil Gavaskar
Former India opener Sunil Gavaskar reckons England will need something miraculous to make a comeback in the Test series against India. Gavaskar feels that India have dealt a psychological blow to the hosts with their come-from-behind win at Lord’s.
Despite dominating for most part of the second Test, England went down to India by 151 runs at Lord’s, with their batters unable to survive 60 overs on the last day.
Earlier, India’s tailenders Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami added an unbroken 89 for the ninth wicket to take the fight out of England.
Writing in his column for The Telegraph India, Gavaskar gave Team India the upper hand for the remainder of the series.
"India have dealt a psychological blow to England and it will take a superhuman effort from the home team to come back in the series. Yes, cricket is a game of uncertainties and thing can turn around quite dramatically but for that to happen it will take a miracle."
The Indian legend pointed out that England’s batting is heavily reliant on their skipper Joe Root and once he is dismissed, everything falls apart.
"At the start of the fifth day’s play, the general thinking was that England would win the game. But, on a last day pitch even 180 would have been tough as seen by the team being dismissed for 120 and losing by a big margin. Their batting depends so much on Root that if he doesn’t hold the innings together, then the innings comes apart at the seams."
Root has registered scores of 64, 109, 180 not out and 33 in the first two Tests against India so far.
England missing an impact player like Ben Stokes: Sunil Gavaskar
Writing in the same column, Gavaskar stated that England are missing an impact player like Ben Stokes, who could have made a big difference with both bat and ball.
"If I were Joe Root, I would be on the hooter to Ben Stokes and implore him to come back and play for he is the kind of impact player who can turn it around for England.
"Sadly someone who was born to play the game is unable to do so and that’s not just England’s misfortune but that of the cricketing world too, for players like Stokes are once-in-a-generation cricketers."
Stokes pulled out of the Test series against India to focus on his mental well-being.
The third Test of the India-England series will begin at Headingley from August 25.