Wake-Up Call As India Look For Quick Fix In Second Test Against England

England's attacking "Bazball" style of play trumped India at home in the first Test but pundits and cricketers on Monday said the hosts remain favourites in the five-match series.

India vs England 2nd Test (Image Source: Google)

'Hartley and Soul' -

India faltered in their chase of 231 and after Rohit fell for 39 off debutant left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, who returned figures of 7-62, the innings crumbled.

"Hartley and Soul", the Times of India newspaper headline read.

The pitch in Hyderabad was not a rank turner but offered help to the spinners like any other sub-continent wicket.

But it was the England spinners who got more out of the conditions than the experienced home trio of Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.

Ashwin, an off-spinner, and Jadeja, a left-arm orthodox, shared five wickets between them in England's second innings but the tourists overcame a big trail to post 420.

Pope's unorthodox approach blunted the spin threat and later England's slow bowlers made it count. Hartley rattled the Indian chase along with an injured Jack Leach and part-timer Joe Root.

But India coach Rahul Dravid said his team's spinners will come back strong in the second Test starting Friday in Visakhapatnam.

"We have to get more disciplined with where we pitch the ball; we will work on it and we will get better at it as we got some world-class spinners," Dravid told reporters.

"It's not the first time that we've been challenged. One of the good things about our spinners is that they've always come back."

In England's last Test series in India in 2021, the visitors won the opening game but the scoreline ended 3-1 in favour of the hosts.

India have been unbeaten at home since 2012 when Alastair Cook's England beat them 2-1.