"You don't win many matches when you collapse like that" - Sir Alastair Cook on England's batting on Day 3 of IND vs ENG 3rd Test
Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook has pointed out that teams don't win many matches by collapsing the way the tourists did on Day 3 of the third Test against India in Rajkot. The 161-Test veteran lauded India, stating that they were 'very, very good' on the third morning to gain a sizeable lead.
England started the day at 207-2, trailing by 238 runs more, with Ben Duckett at 133. While Duckett added only 20 more runs to his tally, none of the English batters made a substantial score, losing their last eight wickets for only 95 runs. In the process, they conceded a 126-run lead.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Cook lamented England's poor show with the bat and highlighted the need to be good for long periods to win a Test match. He said:
"My shout [from yesterday] of 'they could score 800 tomorrow is not looking too good - I'm only 481 off. Is it an opportunity lost? England have been poor with the bat - they've lost eight wickets for 116 today and you don't win many matches when you collapse like that in the first innings.
"To win Test matches you have to be good for such long periods of time. India were poor yesterday but they've been very, very good today."
The tourists had played magnificently on Day 2 as Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett built an 89-run opening stand. Duckett, who smashed a century off only 88 deliveries, added a further 83 with Ollie Pope, who perished for 39.
"It was the wrong time to play it" - Alastair Cook on Joe Root's reverse scoop
With Joe Root continuing his poor run and succumbing to the reverse scoop off Jasprit Bumrah's bowling, the 39-year-old believes the former captain should've held himself back at that stage. On this, Cook added:
"You have to question if it was tactically right to play that shot. You've got Bumrah, who is India's best bowler, and Root has struggled against playing him. When he played it in the Ashes on the first ball on day three at Edgbaston, we didn't mind because it was about getting runs.
"But in this series, when all the wickets have been in the first 30 minutes of play, it was the wrong time to play it."
With Yashasvi Jaiswal nearing his century and India's lead crossing 250 at the time of writing, these are ominous signs for England.