Former England captain Nasser Hussain feels there is no shame in England losing to this Indian team. India took an unassailable lead of 3-1 in the five-match series after winning the fourth Test match at Ranchi by five wickets on Monday.
India were without the services of some of their key players like KL Rahul, Mohammad Shami, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant but the likes of Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Akash Deep have grabbed their chances with both hands. Moreover, Jasprit Bumrah was rested for the fourth Test to manage his workload.
“India deserve credit for the way they’ve played throughout the series, they have been without some star names…Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah in this one, Mohammed Shami, KL Rahul for most of the series and Rishabh Pant,” Hussain wrote on Sky Sports.
“There’s a long list of people that India are missing and yet they’ve managed to put in performances. You have to give credit to India, not only for the skill they have, but the mental toughness to have another home series win.
“Their record at home is absolutely phenomenal, so there’s no shame in England losing to this Indian side.”
Meanwhile, India found themselves reeling at 120-5 in the run-chase of 192 on Monday after the hosts lost five wickets for 36 runs. However, Dhruv Jurel and Shubman Gill were able to get the home team over the line as they added 72 runs for the sixth wicket.
“Shubman Gill showed his class and his calmness, while Dhruv Jurel has just been a revelation in the two games he has played — both as a keeper and also with the bat.”
Hussain also noted that India was able to turn the tables even when Ravichandran Ashwin missed the third day of the third Test match due to a family emergency.
“Ravi Ashwin wasn’t there for a day in the last game, but they stood up and turned that game around too. He was there throughout this Test match, stood up and took five wickets in that second innings, bowling quite brilliantly.”
The fifth and final Test match will be played at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala from March 7.
