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Team England in action© AFP
England will aim to end the five-match series against India on a high as the fifth match is slated to be played from March 7 in Dharamshala. The Rohit Sharma and co gained an unassailable lead 3-1 lead after registering a thumping five-wicket victory in the fourth Test in Ranchi. Chasing 192, India lost some five wickets with 120 runs on the board but the unbeaten partnership between Shubman Gill (52*) and Dhruv Jurel (39*) took the hosts across the line.
Ahead of the fifth Test, former England opener Geoffrey Boycott picked up an “error” made by Ben Stokes during India’s chase in the fourth match.
“I like Stokes’s captaincy but I thought he made a big error by opening the bowling with two spinners, Root and Tom Hartley. Stokes was thinking that a harder new ball would bounce more and a raised seam would create more spin,” Geoffrey wrote in his column for The Telegraph.
“The problem is that unless you are experienced at bowling spin with a new ball then the lacquer makes it slip out of the fingers so it is difficult to drop it on a length. When I played, spinners could rub the ball in the dirt to rough it up and grip it better but that is banned now so it is hard for them to control. I think Stokes out-thought himself,” he added.
“Bazball has given Test cricket a shot in the arm and England deserves praise for that. At times, I love it. But I love winning more and England has failed to beat the best two teams in the world: Australia and now India,” he further wrote.
Geoffrey further stated that the low contribution from the batters is the reason why England lost the match and the series.
“Chasing small totals in the last innings of a Test match has historically proved difficult for many teams because the pitch is usually worn and playing tricks,” stated the England great.
“Early wickets are a priceless bonus but it is also imperative the bowlers tie the batsmen down to build pressure on the batting team. The game and series were lost by the batsmen,” he added.
The fifth and final Test of the five-match series will kick-start from March 7 in Dharamshala.
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