Former England skipper Michael Atherton feels the Ben Stokes-led team are now series favorites against India. England won the opening Test match by 28 runs at Hyderabad to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.
The visitors had their backs against the wall as they conceded a huge lead of 190 runs in the first innings but Ollie Pope played a knock for the ages as he smashed a fine innings of 196 runs. The tourists took a lead of 230 runs and then skittled out India for 202 to register a memorable win.
Tom Hartley, the debutant, bagged a total of nine wickets in the match, including seven in the second innings to play a key role in the historic win.
“England have moved from heavy second favourites to a situation where it would be a disappointment now if they did not win the series,” Atherton wrote in his column for the Times.
On the other hand, India is without the services of Mohammad Shami and Virat Kohli. Furthermore, the hosts suffered a double injury blow as KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja were ruled out of the second Test. Atherton reckons England has a golden opportunity to build on their lead in the absence of key Indian players.
“Such an outcome, so unexpected and so unbelievable given where both teams were on first innings, must have a huge psychological impact, especially given the quick turnaround and the injuries to two of India’s key players, Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul. England have an excellent chance of building on their lead,” Atherton wrote.
The former England opener feels India deeply missed the services of Virat Kohli, who is known to give his absolute best in all aspects of the game.
“How significant Kohli’s absence was became apparent during the first Test, given how badly they missed his appetite for big runs, his safe catching at slip, his ability to withstand pressure and his passionate attitude in the field,” Atherton said.
“Rohit Sharma is a captain in a very different mould from his predecessor [Kohli] — at once more laid-back, albeit not quite so passive as MS Dhoni. As England began to get ahead in Hyderabad, Kohli’s electric presence in the field, as much as anything, was missed. It would not have been hard to imagine the way he would have tried to whip up the crowd and the way his energy would have been transmitted to others,” Atherton concluded.
India is batting first after winning the toss at Vizag.
