"Don't blame the pitch at all" - Aakash Chopra criticizes England's batting on Day 1 of 1st Test vs India

Aakash Chopra has said that England cannot blame the pitch for their underwhelming first-innings batting performance in the first Test against India.

The visitors were bowled out for 246 after opting to bat first in Hyderabad on Thursday, January 25. India ended the day at a comfortable 119/1, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (76*) and Shubman Gill (14*) at the crease.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra claimed England's below-par score cannot be attributed to the pitch.

"246 runs were scored. I went alongside Anil Kumble and had a look at the pitch at Tea. I said - 'the pitch is alright'. It wasn't a dust bowl. It's a spin-friendly pitch. It's probably not a first day but a second-day pitch. However, neither was the pitch crumbling nor was it too dry," he elaborated.

"It's a decent pitch. Of course, India's spin-bowling quality is very good. But in my opinion, don't blame the pitch at all. Your batting didn't have the might at all. It wasn't a 246-run pitch. It was a 350-run pitch at least, which you didn't score," the former India opener added.

Ben Stokes (70) was the only England batter to score a half-century. While Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets apiece, Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah each accounted for two dismissals.

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"You don't see a pure batter at No. 6" - Aakash Chopra questions Ben Stokes' batting position

Ben Stokes' 70-run knock took England to 246 after they were reduced to 125/5. [P/C: BCCI]

Aakash Chopra also questioned Ben Stokes' batting position, saying:

"If you see Test cricket worldwide, you don't see a pure batter at No. 6. You will either see a wicketkeeper or an all-rounder at No. 6. You can keep saying anything, Ben Stokes is not bowling at the moment. He has nearly 200 wickets in Test cricket but is currently playing as a batter."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Stokes needs to be more accountable.

"Batting at No. 6 implies you have Ben Foakes with you very quickly and after that, just the tail. In my opinion, that's not right. You don't have accountability of getting out at No. 6. The captain needs to bat slightly up the order to fight this battle," Chopra explained.

Chopra noted that Stokes would be termed a lone warrior who didn't get the requisite support if he scored runs while batting at No. 6, as was the case on Thursday.

Chopra added that the England skipper wouldn't be questioned if he didn't score runs as he would just have the lower order for company.