‘We’ll Find Another Way’: England’s Coach Confident They Can Stage Turnaround Vs India At Edgbaston | Cricket News
Despite being pushed to the edge by a dominant Indian side in the second Test at Edgbaston, England assistant coach Jeetan Patel remains optimistic. The former Warwickshire spinner, who knows the Birmingham ground well, believes Ben Stokes and his team can still claw their way back and take a 2-0 lead in the series. India posted a mammoth 587 in the first innings, after which England suffered a disastrous collapse, falling to 25 for 3 on Thursday evening and later slumping to 84 for 5 on Friday morning.
Still, Patel emphasized that time and opportunity remain.
“There’s still three days of cricket left. There’s a lot of cricket to go. And I think on a fast-scoring ground you never know what can happen sort of stuff,” he told The Guardian.
“We’ll just find another way to get over the line. And I think that’s the beauty of the team that we have, and the players we have and the belief they have in how they want to play the game.”
England were dealt early setbacks with Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope both dismissed for ducks on Day 2. Zak Crawley followed soon after for 19, while Joe Root managed only 22. Things went from bad to worse when Ben Stokes became the third English batter to be dismissed without scoring. But just when the hosts seemed out of it, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith turned the tide with a sensational double-century partnership, both registering hundreds to revive England’s innings and inject life back into the contest.
Earlier, it was Shubman Gill’s incredible 269 that had put India in a commanding position. Patel praised the young captain’s innings, calling it a batting clinic.
“The way Shubman batted over the two days has been fantastic. He’s put on a proper masterclass in how to bat on a good wicket,” said Patel. “The guys threw everything at him, so they’re very tired after their efforts. Everyone’s all right, everyone’s fine, there’s just tired minds and tired bodies.”
As the second Test moves into its latter stages, England’s resilience and belief as expressed by Patel will be tested. But if their counter-punch from Brook and Smith is any indication, the game is far from over. England are currently at 407-9. Mohammad Siraj took a fifer and Jamie Smith is eyeing 200.
