 "Ponting questions India's bowling tactics, Vaughan says visitors need 'Virat mentality' to survive: 'They’ve been off'")
Former Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting ripped into Shubman Gill’s plans as England openers put up a 166-run stand in no time against India on Day 2 of the fourth Test at Manchester on Thursday. Meanwhile, former England captain Michael Vaughan has said India will need the “Virat mentality” to make a comeback in the Test match.
After scoring a respectable 358 in the first innings, India were let down by their bowlers as England ended Day 2 on 225/2 from just 46 overs and trail India by only 133 runs. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett gave England a blistering start as India’s strategy to make debutant Anshul Kamboj bowl from the start backfired.
Ponting slams ’tactically wrong’ India
Ponting did not mince his words as he criticised India’s field placements and bowling sections after a chastening day for the pacers. “They got scored off on both sides of the wicket, didn’t they?” Ponting said on Sky Sports. “I think they were tactically off as well. I don’t think Kamboj should have taken the new ball. I didn’t like that from the start.”
Also read | Zak Crawley hits back at Shubman Gill's allegations, says he enjoyed the on-field spat
Ponting pointed out how Gill got the basics wrong while bowling Jasprit Bumrah from the wrong end. “They were tactically wrong there,” Ponting added. “Even watching now, Bumrah is bowling from the wrong end. Most of the wickets have fallen from the Statham End, and he’s done most of his work from the Anderson End. They were off execution-wise and tactically they’ve been off as well.”
Vaughan says India need ‘Virat mentality’ to survive
Vaughan in a separate conversation with Dinesh Karthik on Cricbuzz stated that the ongoing India-England Test series, in which the visitors are 2-1 down, will be decided on Day 3 in Manchester and India will need to have an aggressive “Virat mentality” to bring themselves back in ascendancy otherwise the series as good as done for them despite the last Test still to come.
Also read | Shastri tears into Indian bowling unit for 'rubbish' display
“The series will be decided on Day Three. If England have a great day, I think they’re winning this Test match and that’s the series done and dusted,” he said. “India and Shubman have to arrive on Day Three with that Virat mentality. We have to win the day. If they win tomorrow, the game is alive. If they lose, the series is gone.”
Karthik agreed with Vaughan as he said: “Those are big words and I think it’s a very fair observation as well. Because walking into day three, as they call it, the moving day, you would almost think the series hangs in the balance on that day. If India wants to stay alive, they need to have a good day with the ball.”
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