"We have given India something to think about" - Mark Wood after England's win in Hyderabad Test
England pacer Mark Wood feels they have given India 'something to think about' after beating them in the opening Test of the five-match series in Hyderabad. However, the veteran speedster realizes the monumental task at hand and expects India to come back hard in the second Test.
Led by Ben Stokes, the visitors sparked a remarkable turnaround in Hyderabad to take a 1-0 lead in the five-Test series. They were playing catch-up after Day 2, having conceded a 190-run lead.
However, they turned it into a 230-run lead courtesy of Ollie Pope's 196. Tom Hartley followed it up with seven wickets in the fourth innings to fashion a 28-run win.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Wood talked about how most didn't rate England's chances before the series and claimed it was a big achievement to beat India on their home soil.
"They now have to come up with a different plan. We've only won one game and there are five in the series. We've proved to India it will be a battle and we're not going to give up. It's one of our greatest wins. People were a little bit sceptical before but there was always belief in the group. We knew it was going to be a huge task, which it was, but it's a monumental achievement. Now we know we can do it and we have given India something to think about," he said.
While England became the latest team to beat India in their backyard, their last two tours were forgettable. They lost 4-0 in the 2016-17 series, followed by a 3-1 result in favor of India on the 2020-21 tour.
"I don't know what pitch they will produce" - Mark Wood
Wood stressed that they cannot be expected to surrender in India anymore, regardless of the conditions, saying:
"They are a top team. Even coming here before the series, everyone expects India to roll us over. I don't know what pitch they will produce. India have got the potential to produce any wicket here. But now we've given them something to think about. It's not a foregone conclusion that we are going to turn up here and they're gonna spin us out."
Wood, who played as the only seamer in Hyderabad, could be rested for the second Test, depending on his workload. The second Test begins on February 2 in Vishakhapatnam.