Ben Stokes and Co. could not continue their winning momentum against India and lost the second Test match by 106 runs. England could not chase 399 runs in their second innings and were out for 292 runs. Starter Zak Crawley remained the Three Lions’ leading run scorer and played 73 innings. Team India was able to level the five-match Test series and now the caravan will move to Rajkot for the third match.
In the post-match press conference, England captain Ben Stokes said there is a small ‘virus’ in the team’s dressing room. Stokes revealed that a couple of players were unwell when they woke up on Monday morning. Stokes stated that it is not an excuse and that the game is about buts and maybes. But Stokes was proud of the way the players played and had no qualms about giving their best.
Ben Foakes, Ollie Pope and Tom Hartley are believed to have not been 100 per cent fit on Day 4 of the IND vs ENG second test match.
Ben Stokes reveals about the ‘virus’ in the England dressing room
He said: “A couple woke up this morning not feeling well, and when they all had the same symptoms, you know something is happening. There is a bit of a virus going around, it is not an excuse for the result or anything, because it is a game full of buts and maybes. Something that is not ideal. Obviously you want everyone to be 100% and feel good. But I’m proud that the guys who were feeling bad didn’t shy away from anything they had to do and gave their best.”
Coming back to the match, it would not have been an easy challenge for England to chase 399. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, England’s opening pair, put on 50 runs for the first wicket to give them a good start. Duckett was out for 23 runs, but Crawley played 73 innings and added another half-century.
But after his dismissal, none of the other English batsmen persisted in the crease long enough to be bowled by the Indian bowlers. Ultimately, the Indian team proved too strong for the English tail, even though Tom Hartley and Ben Foakes put up a strong fight and scored over 50 runs for the eighth wicket.
Despite their defeat, England showed brilliant fight and intent and were never out of the game throughout the four match days. It is also very good to see that the test matches in India are going to day 4 and 5, while the results are also coming out of the match.
Also, England would like to make a comeback in the third Test match starting February 15 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. The Indian team, on the other hand, will also be full of confidence, however, there are certain aspects that the Indian team needs to identify before the third test match.