“England should also have been 5 down by the end of the day” - Inzamam-ul-Haq

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has slammed the Indian side for their dismal performance on Day 1 of the Headingley Test. Inzamam stated that while it is not surprising to be bowled out cheaply on the opening day of a Test match in England, it is difficult to understand why India failed to bag a few wickets before the end of the day's play.

After winning the toss and opting to bat first at Headingley, India were skittled out for just 78 inside the first two sessions. The pitch flattened out over the course of the day as the England openers stitched together an unbeaten 120-run stand.

Inzamam reckons that at least half the England side should have been back in the pavilion by stumps on Day 1. He said on his YouTube channel:

“Under the England conditions, it is not a surprise that you get all out for 78 runs. But England should also have been five down by the end of the day. This was a strange thing that India got all out for 78 and they could not dismiss even one player for 125 runs (120 runs).”

A tough day at the office for #TeamIndia 🇮🇳 as England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 lead by 4️⃣2️⃣ runs at Stumps on Day 1️⃣.Join us tomorrow for all the action from Day 2️⃣. #ENGvINDScorecard 👉 https://t.co/FChN8SDsxh pic.twitter.com/GnGOb7Iycg

— BCCI (@BCCI) August 25, 2021

None of the Indian batters survived the swing that was on offer earlier in the day, with Rohit Sharma top-scoring for the visitors with 19 runs.

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“If you don’t attack Anderson, he will keep threatening you” – Inzamam-ul-Haq

James Anderson picked up three wickets in his first spell triggering the collapse

Inzamam-ul-Haq warned India that if they don’t start trying to score against James Anderson, the England pacer will continue to look threatening. He pointed out how Anderson consistently bowled in the right areas, forcing the Indian top order to play. Inzamam added:

“Anderson got three wickets early, he never changed his line. If you look at Virat Kohli’s dismissal, he was bowling out-swingers on that same line. You did not change your technique. If you don’t attack Anderson, even in the upcoming matches, he will keep threatening you. Until you start scoring against him, he won’t change his line.”

James Anderson was the destroyer-in-chief for England. India could never recover from the three wickets he claimed in his first spell of the morning.

There is a significant difference between Ishant's numbers when bowling first and when batting first. Since 20181st innings - 15.8/2.122nd innings - 22.7/3.05

— Krishna Kumar (@KrishnaKRM) August 25, 2021