Much has been made of their gamesmanship but the tourists exercised smart tactics and had 11 potential matchwinners
It is said that you cannot win a Test match in one hour but that you can certainly lose one in the same period. If that is true, England proved that you cannot win a Test match with aggression alone but you can certainly lose one through mindless aggro in a red-mist session.
The most remarkable thing about India’s win at Lord’s earlier this week was that it was not one freakish innings or spell that turned a losing position into a winning one. Barring the 89-run stand between Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, aided and abetted by England’s tactics, the game was won by stunning Indian performances underpinned by sheer belief and the refusal to concede that the game was gone.
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