"India will definitely have one regret" - Aakash Chopra says the visitors did not bowl with patience and discipline

Aakash Chopra believes the Indian bowlers' lack of patience and discipline helped England recover from a troublesome situation in their first innings of the Oval Test.

The Virat Kohli-led side had the hosts on the mat, having reduced them to a score of 62/5. However, they allowed England to reach a first-innings score of 290 and thereby take a 99-run lead.

While reviewing India's bowling efforts in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra pointed out that Umesh Yadav had given them an excellent start. He elaborated:

"The start was very good. Umesh Yadav dismissed Overton quickly. After that, he got Dawid Malan as well, which made it three wickets for him. They were struggling at 62/5 but after that, Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow come together and score very fast. India will definitely have one regret."

The former India cricketer added that the visitors will rue allowing Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow to get away with the game. Aakash Chopra explained:

"Seven boundaries were hit in two overs. This does not happen in Test cricket, it takes time to score 28 runs. That was when India lost control. I feel India can win, they will play well but the regret will be that you had the time to bowl with patience and discipline, which you did not do."

Few loose overs, flurry of boundaries from Bairstow and Pope and England have freed themselves of the stranglehold India had taken in the first hour

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) September 3, 2021

Pope and Bairstow stitched together a 89-run partnership, which came at a rate of almost four runs per over. It bailed England out of an extremely tricky situation.

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"Everybody was leaking runs" - Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra highlighted that Jasprit Bumrah was one of two Indian bowlers to keep the hosts in check

Aakash Chopra pointed out that Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur were taken to the cleaners by Pope and Bairstow. He said:

"Everybody was leaking runs. Umesh Yadav was going at five an over at one stage. Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur were going nearly at four. Only two bowlers were bowling tightly - they were Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja along with him. But that's about it."

The 43-year-old signed off by stating that Bairstow and Moeen Ali's wickets at crucial moments helped India stage a comeback in the game. Aakash Chopra observed:

"But Mohammed Siraj comes after lunch and gets Jonny Bairstow out, he makes things happen. Then Moeen Ali comes and they have a good partnership, which helps them take the lead. But then he tried to hit a Ravindra Jadeja delivery which goes straight up and India once again back into the game."

Ravindra Jadeja breaks the solid 71-run stand!Moeen Ali goes for 35 ☝️#WTC23 | #ENGvIND | https://t.co/zRhnFj1Srx pic.twitter.com/VC3nBN3vof

— ICC (@ICC) September 3, 2021

Although Chris Woakes scored a half-century after Moeen Ali's dismissal, India managed to restrict England's lead to 99 runs. With the hosts supposed to bat last, Virat Kohli's side can put pressure on them by posting a substantial score in their second innings.

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