After facing a defeat in the first Test of the ongoing five-match series against England, former England captain Nasser Hussain has sounded a warning to Team India. The visitors stunned the favored hosts, securing a significant comeback victory in Hyderabad on Sunday (January 28).
Under the leadership of Ben Stokes since 2022, England has excelled in Test matches. Despite doubts about their performance in India, they quickly silenced skeptics by defeating the home side by 28 runs and taking the lead in the series.
Nasser Hussain Gave A Big Warning To Rohit Sharma
India secured a substantial first-innings lead of 190 runs but couldn’t capitalize on it to win the game. England, batting first, was dismissed for 246, and India responded with a significant total of 436. In the second innings, England posted 420 runs, setting India a target of 431. Ollie Pope shone with the bat, scoring 196. In response, India was bowled out for 202, with debutant Tom Hartley taking 7 wickets.
In his column for Sky Sports, Nasser Hussain praised England and issued a warning to Team India, emphasizing that the Ben Stokes-led side is not a team to be taken lightly. Hussain commended the current team’s resilient attitude, highlighting their never-say-die approach. Nasser Hussain wrote:
“What I like about them is their stubbornness. If you doubt them, they’ll double down on it and go even more stubborn. The present regime know what they want. They’re going to stick with that and even when they’re behind, they will back the cricketers to turn it around. They have shown they are a side not to be messed with,”
Losing a Home Test
Virat Kohli 2 in 8 years
Rohit Sharma 2 in last 12 months pic.twitter.com/ZEYdl34q38— Pari (@BluntIndianGal) January 28, 2024
Explaining his viewpoint, Nasser Hussain emphasized that the recent defeat should act as a wake-up call for Rohit Sharma and the Indian team. He reiterated the effectiveness of Bazball in any conditions, citing England’s victory as evidence. Hussain remained optimistic about Team India’s potential to rebound in the upcoming matches.
He added: “India will probably rue their first innings. They got 436 but actually they could have got a lot more if not for some sloppy dismissals. They will come back. They are a very fine side and history tells you it will be tough for England here. But it is a wake-up call for India as England have shown Bazball can work in these conditions,”
Team India will be eager to make a comeback and secure a victory in the second Test to level the series. The second match is set to take place at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Vizag starting from February 2.
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