Mark Wood Bowling Test. (Photo Source: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Despite being considered the favourite, India were humbled by England as the visitors picked up a 28-run win in the first Test of the five-match series in Hyderabad. Youngster Ollie Pope played an incredible 196-run knock in the second innings while debutant Tom Hartley bamboozled India’s batting unit by picking up nine wickets in the game.
The batting unit was brilliant against India’s spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel but isn’t ready to take things lightly in the remaining four matches. Meanwhile, pacer Mark Wood believes that the hosts can switch things up and change the pitch and conditions in the remaining matches after suffering a defeat in the first Test. He mentioned that India have the potential to produce any wicket as he has played in spin-friendly pitches, surfaces that help the pacers and also on flat decks.
“I don’t know what they will produce. India have got the potential to produce any wicket here. I’ve played in World Cup games and IPL games where it’s seamed, flat pitches, spinning wickets. They have the potential to do any wicket they want. But now, we’ve given them something to think about. It’s not a foregone conclusion that we are going to turn up here and they’re going to spin us out,” Wood was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“Ollie Pope has played a fantastic knock, they’re now going to have to go analyse, like we would do if things didn’t go well, and analyse how they are going to try and combat that,” the 34-year-old added.
I don’t think we need to get too far ahead of ourselves: Wood
Wood expects the team to maintain their composure and not lose their focus ahead of the second Test in Vizag. He called it a ‘hell of an achievement’ and expects everyone to go with the same belief and process to be able to get the same result.
“We’ve won one game, it’s a hell of an achievement, but I don’t think we need to get too far ahead of ourselves. Don’t build this up now and say, ‘ah we’re going to win’. It’s the same again. Go into the next game with the same belief, same process and hopefully get the same result,” Wood mentioned.