Former India player Aakash Chopra has shown concern over India’s repeated batting collapses. He compared India’s sudden collapse in both innings of the ongoing first Test against England to falling Jenga blocks as well. However, India lost their last six wickets for 31 runs to be bowled out for 364 in their second innings on Day 4 (Monday, June 23) in Leeds as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Two incredible centuries, and two collapses. One collapse in the first innings, and one in the second. So many collapses, are we playing Jenga? Collapses have become a part of Indian cricket. Generally, everyone’s tail wags, and our tail is so tiny. It ends as soon as it starts. So that is a problem. In the first innings, at one stage, it seemed like you would score 550-575, but it was not to be.”
“Here also, there were expectations of a lot of runs being scored, and that you would go far ahead, but it hasn’t happened again because wickets fell one after the other, which included Karun Nair and Shardul Thakur. Ravindra Jadeja was playing, but we play with three or four No. 11s – Bumrah, Siraj, Prasidh. It hurts that Shardul has become like a No. 9,” he shared again.
However, Aakash Chopra also stated that the Headingley Test is very much poised heading into Day 5 and further added that India are unlikely to win easily.
“In for a very good day of cricket. Headingley has seen an excellent Test match earlier too, the Ashes Test where Ben Stokes scored runs. I feel everyone will need to help a little to reach where we want to reach. I still feel it will be a good match. I don’t think India will win this match easily,” he said.
“England cannot win easily at all. Only one team can win easily, that is India. England will have to work very hard to win, but even a draw is a possibility. Ravindra Jadeja’s performance might decide which direction this game goes. Jaddu had taken seven wickets in Chennai once, where Karun Nair had scored a triple hundred and KL Rahul scored 199,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
