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Despite facing a 171-run deficit at the close of Day 2 in the second Test in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, England opener Zak Crawley has maintained steadfast optimism.
Jasprit Bumrah’s six-wicket masterclass shakes England
India established a commanding first-innings score of 396, courtesy of Yashasvi Jaiswal‘s outstanding 209 that set the tone. England, guided by Crawley’s notable 76 from 78 deliveries, had initially placed themselves in a favourable position. Regrettably, his dismissal instigated a collapse, as Jasprit Bumrah wreaked havoc, securing a six-wicket haul. England saw themselves dismissed for 253, trailing by 143 runs. India managed to add another 28 runs without losing any wickets before the close of play.
Zak Crawley stays resolute
In the face of the challenging circumstances, Crawley maintained confidence in England’s strategy, affirming that they’ve adhered to their consistent approach. According to him, nothing in their approach has changed. This steadfastness is what makes him believe they remained competitive in the game. The team under Ben Stokes have disregarded the scoreboard and continued to play the game as they have for the past couple of years. This approach has demonstrated its effectiveness previously, and Crawley hopes it proves sufficient in the end.
“We’re going to continue playing the same way, nothing changes for us, and that’s why I feel like we’re still in the game. We take the scoreboard out of it and try to play the game like we always have over the last couple of years. It has proven it works before and hopefully, that’s good enough at the end,” Crawley said to talkSPORT after the end of second day’s play.
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Crawley offers insights into why England is still very much in the Vizag Test
Crawley further recognized the outstanding performances of Jaiswal and Bumrah. While acknowledging the prowess of the opposition, he highlighted the superior conditions of the Vizag pitch compared to Hyderabad. Emphasizing England’s ongoing competitiveness, the opener has sustained a positive outlook, indicating the potential for them to pursue a significant score on the fourth or fifth day.
“They [India] played really well. [Yashasvi] Jaiswal played an unbelievable innings and Bumrah was very, very good. He bowled some unplayable balls to a few of our lads. But the pitch is a lot better than Hyderabad, so I feel like we’re still in the game massively. We can chase a big score on the fourth or fifth day,” the 26-year-old concluded.
