The World Test Championship Final between India and New Zealand saw the Kiwis get the better of the Virat Kohli-led side in June and it all boiled down to India not being able to restrain Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor from leading New Zealand to victory, that too on the sixth day of the finals.
Picking themselves up after the heavy loss to New Zealand, the Indian Test side have spent the remainder of their days in England, gearing up for the England series and the practice has paid off. Jaspirt Bumrah and Mohammed Shami were on song as India bowled out England for 183 on Day 1 of the first Test in Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Former India batsman VVS Laxman was all praise for the Indian unit and believed that Team India was able to ‘rectify the mistakes’ which were made in the WTC final. Laxman felt that it was through training, hard work and understanding the English conditions better which helped the Indian side perform the way they did on Day 1.
“It was a fantastic effort from India, right from the first over Bumrah bowled. The mistakes that were made in the World Test Championships final, I think they have rectified it and the only way to do so was by going to the nets, training, working on the areas of concern,” Laxman told ESPNcricinfo.
Jasprit Bumrah struck as early as the fifth delivery of the first over to remove Rory Burns and since then, England were on the backfoot, till captain Joe Root stepped up. It was a pacers' day as the conditions implied that seam was on the cards and the bowlers ensured they made most of it.
“Bumrah and Shami bowled the right lengths as one has to be effective in English conditions. To win a Test series, a team needs to have two or three bowlers in top form and what we saw on Day 1 from Bumrah and Shami is top rhythm,” added the former batsman.
England come into the series without their star players Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes. Other than the above-mentioned players, England are also wobbly in the top with Crawley and Sibley being unable to put on consistent performances. However, England still have their formidable attacking unit led by veteran Jimmy Anderson and Day 2 could be very different unless the batsmen play some smart cricket.
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