Stephan Shemilt provides analysis of the first day of the fifth Test match between India and England in Dharamshala.
Broadcast on BBC News on 7 March 2024.
Any match footage has been blurred. No copyright infringement intended.
More on this I’ve been speaking to our chief Cricket writer in darala Stefan shmal hopes of of getting a final win out of this tour of India already in real danger mainly because of an awful batting collapse England won the toss with Zack cley and Ben Ducket did well
To negotiate the first hour 100 for two for England at lunch but like a pretty decent position but it all fell apart in the afternoon all out for 200 18 and then India put England’s batting into context moving on to 135 for one you’re only 81 runs behind and perfectly
Placed to win the series 4-1 you mentioned Crawley and Ducket and and they did do well they did start well in England 100 for one they’ve had a 45 plus opening partnership seven times this series but this is Groundhog Day isn’t it Stefan time and time again this
Kamakazi batting we see this 45 minute to hour win window where it all goes horribly wrong with the bat we say what do England learn from this and then we see the same thing happen again where is the progress I think if uh if we could put our finger
On that we might be in the in the England dressing room because it’s something that has um unraveled as the series has gone on England’s openers have done well across the series as you’ve mentioned and that isn’t really where the problem lies the problem comes in that middle order Ole Pope at number
Three 196 in the first test but his his returns have diminished since then and then you think of Joe Roots Johnny BTO playing his 100th test here and the captain Ben Stokes the three most experienced players in the side but between them just one century in the
Series that was root in the fourth test at ranche but all three of them will know that they have not delivered on this occasion and that is where really it is not um that is where England have won and lost this series Stefan is Ben Stokes in any danger if you’re looking
Around at the moment on on social media message boards lots of criticism for him and his role as as captaincy is that too much or not it’s absolutely too much if you think the way that Ben Stokes has transformed this England team that when Ben Stokes took over England had won
Only one of their previous 17 tests and now this is only their first series defeat in those two years in charge and if Stokes and the coach Brendon McCullum are in a four-year cycle that will probably culminate in the next away Ash ashes series then after this last test match in India we
Are slap bang in the middle of that cycle after this series soon be able to get back to full fitness with that left knee where he can bowl and fulfill his his role as an allrounder we may even see it in this test match yet and if
Stokes can improve as a Cricket to get back to firing on all cylinders then England will be a better team for it