The Indian cricket team has an advantage in the second test of the five-match series against England. England finished Day 3 at 67/1 and still need 332 runs to win with 9 wickets in hand. India scored 255 runs in their second innings and set a target of 399 runs for the visitors to chase in the second innings and also lead the series 2-0. However, the Indian bowlers will want to put pressure on England and win the second Test match to level the series.
However, despite having a good lead in the match, the former England batter Kevin Pietersen has warned India ahead of Day 4 of the second Test. Pietersen wrote in a tweet on ‘X’ and believes that the English team will try to chase the target on Day 4. He also praised England’s bowling performance on Day 3 and stated that the team and captaincy were very good.
Kevin Pietersen warns India ahead of day 4 of second Test match
He wrote, “How good were England today? I needed 10 wickets and I got 10 wickets. Captaincy and team vvv good! The Indian team that goes to sleep tonight will, in the back of their mind, know that the wicket is still good and England will only try to win this game tomorrow. It’s going to be fun!”
How good was England today?
I needed 10 wickets and I got 10 wickets. Captaincy and team vvv good!The Indian team that goes to sleep tonight will, in the back of their mind, know that the wicket is still good and England will only try to win this game tomorrow.
It will be…
-Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) February 4, 2024
Day 3 of the second IND vs ENG Test match also belonged to Indian batsman Shubman Gill, who slammed the third century of his Test career. This was a century under pressure from Gill as he had just scored 160 runs in the last 10 Test matches. Gill was criticized for his poor form and there was also speculation that he would be excluded from the team for the last three Tests.
However, Shubman Gill’s knock of 104 runs off 147 balls has shut up all the critics and once again cemented his place in the team. On the other hand, Axar Patel also came close to reaching the half-century but exited after scoring 47 runs. India’s middle and lower order failed to add many runs and India finished with a very low score at the end of their second innings. India were 211/4 at Tea on Day 3, the hosts lost all six wickets in the final session and could only score 44 runs.
While the Indian team is currently favorite to win the match, the hosts will not relegate England’s batting line-up. The pitch is very suitable for batting as the cracks have opened properly. The spinners are also not getting as much help as they expected from the surface.
However, the onus will be on Jasprit Bumrah who finished with 6 wickets in the first innings. Once again, he will bring the reverse move into play and hope to attack once again for India. India would like to win the match and also make up for the defeat they suffered in the WTC qualifier after losing the first Test match.