Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook believes that India panicked in the face of a challenging target above 200 which helped England to carve out one of the greatest away wins in the Three Lion's history.
Cook noted that India looked 'at sea' during England's aggressive second innings and their inability to handle England's spinners condemned them to a 28-run defeat in Hyderabad.
Despite England facing a 190-run deficit, they approached the game positively, with Ollie Pope's century leading them to a match-winning lead of 230. Cook, speaking to The Telegraph, praised England's remarkable comeback, considering the challenging situation at the end of day two.
What did Alastair Cook say?
“I think it’s probably one of the greatest away wins, or wins anywhere, considering where they found themselves at the end of day two," he told The Telegraph.
"But also just in general to beat an Indian side like that in their home conditions, we know how hard it is. It was a brilliant effort.
“They didn’t know they were going to chase that fourth innings or tactically stop that England onslaught so they did look a little bit all at sea. I think it shook them. I think when you’re 200 runs ahead and they’re so used to winning games – they’ve only lost three Test matches out of 40-odd at home – suddenly [India thought], ‘Oh god, oh this won’t happen for much longer’.
“I said before the series it would be very interesting to see how India cope with the willingness to attack spin that the England batsmen will show. We knew it was going to happen and it is confrontational as a captain because there’s not much you can do. Halfway through day three they weren’t sure where to turn or what to do.”
Cook believes there would still be a place for a conventional player like himself in England's current Test side under the leadership of Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.
He is England's highest Test run-scorer with 12,472 runs at an average of 45.35, but his adhesive style, characterized by a strike rate of 47, which contrasts with the modern, more aggressive approach was termed outdated by Stokes.
The current England captain stated he wouldn't pick Cook in the Bazball era.
“In this day and age and while I’m captain and Baz is coach that is not something we’re looking for,” Stokes said. “Right here and now it’s pretty obvious the sort of players we want and how they can get noticed.”
However, Cook humorously remarked about Stokes' debut and emphasized that the selectors value the volume of runs. He highlighted that scoring significant runs at a young age, as he did when he started at 21, is a compelling factor for selectors.
“I’ll sit and watch him – just remember who gave him his debut and all that kind of stuff,” Cook replied.
“Ultimately, volume of runs makes a big impact. If you go back to when I first started as a 21-year-old, I scored quite a lot of runs to force my way in. And if a 20, 21-year-old does that there’s something about him. The selectors will definitely look at it.”
What time does India vs England, 2nd Test start?
The second Test match between India and England will begin at 9:30 AM IST.
How to watch the 2nd Test between India and England?
Sports18 Network will be broadcasting the five-match Test series between India and England on television. Meanwhile, fans can also livestream the match online for free on the JioCinema app/website.
| Match | Date and Time | TV channel | Live streaming |
| India vs England, 2nd Test | February 2-6, 9:30 AM IST | Sports18 | JioCinema app/website |
India vs England, 2nd Test: Latest betting odds, predictions
As per odds on Dafabet, India are favourites to bounce back in the 2nd Test and level the series 1-1.
| Result | Betting odds |
| India win | 1.51 |
| Draw | 13.00 |
| England win | 3.10 |
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