Despite losing the second Test by 106 runs in Visakhapatnam, England captain Ben Stokes was positive and proud of his team’s performance, saying that the tourists had “full belief” that they could continue and chase 399 in the fourth innings. India leveled the series on Monday by winning the Test before tea, despite England’s best efforts to reach the impossible target.
“Coming into the last innings we had full belief in ourselves that we could chase it down. The way in which we went about taking on that challenge is what we’re all about,” Ben Stokes said after the defeat in Vizag.
“There are times when you have scoreboard pressure and a lot of runs to chase down, and that’s when our approach and how we want to go about things really comes out.
“I thought today, we applied ourselves and put their bowlers under pressure and it was great. Congratulations to India, obviously we ended up on the wrong side of the result, but it was another great game to be a part of,” he added.
A splendid bowling display on Day 4 powers #TeamIndia to a 106-run win 🙌
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/X85JZGt0EV#INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/P9EXiY8lVP
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 5, 2024
Also Read: India vs England: Shreyas Iyer’s moment of revenge against Ben Stokes in Vizag Test
Rohit Sharma delighted after the victory
Rohit Sharma added Bumrah is a champion player. You need to consider the total performance when you win a match like that. We used the bat well. You are aware that it is difficult to win a test under these circumstances. Our bowlers fulfilled our desire to step up by doing so.
“He appears to be a skilled player with a deep understanding of his craft. He still has a long way to go, but he can contribute greatly to our team. I hope he never loses his humility. It was a great wicket to bat on. If I had to mention anything, many of the batters received starts but were unable to record large totals. But I recognize that they’re inexperienced and new to the game. It’s crucial that we offer them assurance”.
“Extremely proud of our young team for facing such a formidable opponent. In terms of their experience playing this type of game, many of the guys are fairly young. It will require some time to be perfect. Desire them to play uninhibited and unburdened. Over the past few years, England has improved their cricket game. knew the series wouldn’t be simple. There are still three left. We’ll monitor it and make sure we get the majority of things right”, Rohit said.
Also Read: India vs England: India win Vizag Test by 107 runs
Stokes Enthralled by Bumrah-Anderson
“Anderson was amazing. You look at him and the way that Jasprit Bumrah this week, you are watching two incredible bowlers. Jasprit is obviously on the opposing side but sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and say, what a player. But Jimmy is exactly that as well,” Stokes said.
With the series tied at one, India and England will play their third Test match in Rajkot on February 15 following a 10-day break.
