Credit: X
On Sunday, January 28, England secured a comeback victory by 28 runs in the first Test of the five-match series against India in away conditions. In the post-match chat, the English captain Ben Stokes hailed it as their “greatest victory” in the Bazball era that began nearly two years ago under him and the head coach Brendon McCullum.
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At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, England conceded a massive first-innings lead of 190 runs to India, staring down at a certain defeat. But, they staged a comeback in the Test match, setting up a competitive target of 231 runs for the host through Ollie Pope’s incredible 196 before defending the total successfully, thanks to the seven-wicket haul for the debutant Tom Hartley on Day 4.
While speaking in the post-match, Ben Stokes was overjoyed with England’s Test win against India and said, as per Indian Express, “Since I’ve taken the captaincy on, where we are and who we’re playing against, it’s 100% our greatest victory. It was my first time coming out here and being captain in these conditions. I’m a great observer, I’ve watched how India operate in the field, how Rohit set the field when they bowled.”
Under the Stokes and McCullum regime in Tests, England has won 14 matches, losing four, and drawing one thus far.
Ben Stokes appreciated Tom Hartley for picking up a seven-wicket haul in the second innings against India to bowl England to a victory after a tough first innings. He was also quoted as saying, “Tom came into the squad for the first time, he’s heard a lot had a lot of confidence. I was willing to give him a long spell regardless of what happened. Whether that was the reason he got seven wickets and won us the game, who knows?”
About Ollie Pope’s 196 in England’s second innings, he remarked, “Seen some special innings from Joe Root, but the whole innings on a difficult wicket, for me that’s the greatest innings by an Englishman on the subcontinent.”
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