England’s test cricket team, headed by Ben Stokes, plans a 10-day break. The pause falls between their second and third test matches against India. They’ll head to Abu Dhabi. They trained here before the season. Sadly, they fell short in the second Test at Vishakapatnam by 106 runs. This let India tie up the series 1-1. There are still three Tests to go.
Abu Dhabi regularly welcomes the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). They often send their Lions team or the main squad here when preparing for series in the subcontinent. The climate and conditions fit well with the team’s goals. Beyond the rest period after the two Test matches, strategizing for the series’ latter half is a key focus.
England landed in India barely three days before the first Test in Hyderabad, which was not warmly received by the commentators. The Ben Stokes-led side silenced the skeptics with a historic triumph to take a 1-0 lead, but they have a difficult assignment to survive the Indian assault from the third Test onwards.
The Times of India has shared a report. It says the team will meet again in India. This is before the third Test. The Test will happen in Rajkot. It starts on February 15.
“We had full belief in ourselves that we’ll chase it down” – England Captain Ben Stokes
England were defeated by Yashasvi Jaiswal with the bat and Jasprit Bumrah with the ball, falling well short of Team India’s objective. The visitors had a say in the game in the fourth innings, despite the massive total being judged out of reach.
Zak Crawley’s fifty helped the chasers establish their case at first, but things went awry after India began making timely inroads. On Day 4, the hosts finished with a session to spare and secured the important victory.
Despite the setback, England captain Ben Stokes defended how the squad approached the run chase in the fourth innings. The visitors made a strong push for the target, scoring at more than four runs per over, but untimely dismissals, including the skipper’s runout, brought them back.
“Coming into this last innings, had full belief in ourselves that we’ll chase it down. In moments like that, in games with scoreboard pressure, that’s where we get the best out of ourselves. Another great game to be a part of. There’s no suggestion whatsoever about how to play. Everyone in the dressing room is a quality player. They are good enough to go out there and assess the conditions, and decide how to go about it.”
Ben Stokes
England are unlikely to abandon their aggressive strategy in the upcoming Tests, especially given how well they have matched the Indian team thus far.