‘About time the problem is acknowledged’: Twitterati react to India’s heavy defeat in third Test
78 all-out in the first innings and 63/8 after being 215/2 in the second – two collapses in as many innings of Headingley Test led to India’s downfall in the third of the five-match series as England won the match by an innings and 76 runs on Saturday.
After choosing to bat first, Team India had a period of 45 minutes of madness as they went from 56/4 at lunch to 78 all out. The English bowlers kept pitching it on the fourth-fifth stump line and the Indian batsmen kept nicking it. The skies were gray, the ball was moving a bit but getting shot out for under 80 didn’t look good on the scorecard.
The team batting changed, the pitch didn’t as England batsmen piled on 432 runs in the first innings batting India completely out of the game. Now, India were just out to avoid surrender and the glimpses of it were shown on the third day by Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara, who just displayed intent and guts to play and be determined to stay in the middle.
Both batsmen wore the England bowlers down and dictated the terms, especially in the afternoon session. They lost Rohit in the final session but the skipper Virat Kohli too was solid to avoid any more huiccups for the day as Pujara was in his 90s while Kohli was in his 40s.
While the sky remained gray throughout on the third day, it was blue and sunny on the fourth but another 45 minutes or an hour of madness was waiting for Team India as from 237/3, they were folded for 278 in just 54 minutes as Ollie Robinson and co triggered another capitulation from the visitors.
England levelled the five-match series 1-1 with two games still to be played in Oval and Manchester.
Fans, experts and senior journalists reckoned after the game that the team has to acknowledge that there is a problem and it is time for introspection as the batting collapses are happening too frequently for the team’s good. While many suggested that a personnel change is required, some people said that the mistakes are being repeated again and far too often.
Here are some of the reactions:
Day 1: 78/10 Day 4: 63/8
— Abhishek Mukherjee (@SachinAzharCT) (@ovshake42) August 28, 2021
Are we allowed to call that an abject surrender? The capitulation was similar to the 2014 collapses. Similar collapses followed then after the Lord’s Test win in 2014 and the series was lost 1-3 then #cricket #EngvInd
— Chandresh Narayanan (@chand2579) August 28, 2021
Was 78 an aberration? Or was it 215-2? Think deep. Think hard #INDvsEND #Headingley
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) August 28, 2021
Lost 8/63 in second innings Lost 10/78 in first innings.
If this is not the time for change in personnel then when?#ENGvIND
— Kartik Jayaraman (@elitecynic) August 28, 2021
Perhaps India’s most disappointing defeat in the last 4-5 years. Calls for deep introspection, change in tactics and some personnel methinks
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) August 28, 2021
Poor from India — they were 237/3 at one point. And now, 257/8. Another collapse from the middle order. About time Kohli acknowledges that they have a problem.
— Ashish Magotra (@clutchplay) August 28, 2021
The plus side is that India get an extra day to think about playing Ashwin.
— Sorabh Pant (@hankypanty) August 28, 2021
England have been on the money this morning, but the Indian dismissals have followed a familiar pattern.
— Sambit Bal (@sambitbal) August 28, 2021
That’s two collapses in a match! #ENGvsIND
— Arani Basu (@AraniBasuTOI) August 28, 2021
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