With Ben Stokes pulling out of the Test series to take a mental health break, England’s batting line-up has appeared a lot more fragile against India. Captain Joe Root top-scored in both innings of the first Test and saved face for the hosts, but the spotlight remains on the rest of the English batters.
The home side have also had injury concerns, with James Anderson being declared fit to play at the last moment and Stuart Broad’s calf niggle ruling him out for the remainder of the summer.
Speaking to Sky Sports before the toss, Michael Atherton reminded right-arm speedster Mark Wood has had no game time since the start of July. He played his last first-class match against New Zealand in June. The former England opener feels bowlers have to get used to taking the load before any Test and also spoke about the medical staff’s warning regarding Broad and Anderson. Atherton stated:
Atherton understands the plight of the two veteran fast bowlers and feels it’s hard to obtain rhythm in a Test match without any game time. But the 53-year old pointed out that the problem lies with the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) handling of the Test team. Atherton added:
“Joe Root is being asked to do this job with one hand tied behind his back” - Michael Atherton
Michael Atherton further claimed several players, including Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali, have walked into a Test match this summer without featuring in a first-class fixture for months. The cricketer-turned-commentator talked about Haseeb Hameed playing the second Test against India at Lord’s for Zak Crawley. Atherton explained:
However, Atherton revealed that Crawley wouldn’t have had the chance to rectify his technique if the head coach asked him to do so. That’s because first-class cricket will not start until September. The former England skipper sympathized with Root, saying the English Test skipper finds himself in a tough spot. Atherton described the structure and schedule of English domestic cricket as a ‘joke’ that needed immediate attention. He concluded:
As it stands, England chose to bowl first in the second Test against India and made three changes. While James Anderson was declared fit to play, Haseeb Hameed, Mark Wood and Moeen Ali replaced Zak Crawley, Stuart Broad and Dan Lawrence respectively.
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