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Aakash Chopra comments on India’s batting in ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test
By SMCS - Jun 23, 2025 7:20 am
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Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has opined on the Indian batters’ contrasting returns in their first innings of the first Test against England as well. He said that while three of the top six batters scored centuries, two were dismissed for ducks too. However, India were bundled out for 471 on Day 2 at Headingley in Leeds on Saturday, June 21.

Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill

In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant were looking very good at one point. Both scored centuries and eventually got out. Karun Nair didn’t open his account. Sai Sudharsan hadn’t opened his account earlier. It’s a type of anomaly, as three centuries were scored on one side and two ducks came in between.”

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“Shardul Thakur was dismissed, and Ollie Pope leapt to take Karun Nair’s catch. I won’t say we have ceded the advantage, but there was a chance to score 550-600 runs. You fell short of that by a distance. Since we have a very young Test side, get used to it. You will have collapses at times, less or more runs might be scored as the series progresses,” he again shared.

However, Aakash Chopra also praised Ben Stokes for his potent bowling performance in India’s first innings as well.

Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes

“Lion-hearted performance, the way he bowled. It’s not easy to pick up four wickets, but he has done that. Actually, for the first time after a long time. When Ben Stokes was playing the last time against India in India, he was doing limited bowling. You always asked that question that he wasn’t living up to his name,” he said.

“When these five matches end, we might remember this series as that Ben Stokes series, that he bowled very well and created some magic in batting. I have a strong feeling that this series will belong to Ben Stokes, the captain, and Ben Stokes, the all-rounder. This time, I do have a feeling that the guy will look slightly different,” Aakash Chopra concluded.