In a dramatic turn of events on the cricket field, India wrapped up the first day of the inaugural Test against England with the upper hand. Hosted at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, the pitch offered a modicum of turn that the English side leveraged to put up a total of 246 runs before being bowled out. England’s captain, Ben Stokes, initially led by example, crafting a skillful 70-run innings and making the right call at the toss to show his strategic acumen.
However, the English optimism faded as they took to the field to defend their total. Stokes found himself under scrutiny for his questionable use of the Decision Review System (DRS). The English team exhausted all their reviews in a mere 13.2 overs – the fastest a captain has run through his reviews in Test innings history, surpassing the previous record set by Jason Holder, who utilized his reviews in 16.2 overs against England back in 2020. On each occasion, Stokes’ confidence in his teammates’ appeals backfired, as every decision ultimately went against England.
Two of the DRS calls, in particular, drew criticism for their lack of judgment. England’s desperation for a breakthrough was palpable when they contested an on-field decision early in the third over, hoping for a glove catch dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal; however, the replay showed no contact. Later, in an attempt to dismiss Rohit Sharma in the 12th over, Stokes was persuaded into chasing a review on a spinning delivery missed by the batsman. The hopeful appeal was rebuffed, leaving debutant Tom Hartley empty-handed.
Adding salt to their wounds, England missed an opportunity when Shubman Gill appeared to be trapped LBW. Unfortunately for them, the ball-tracking technology unexpectedly indicated the ball would have cleared the stumps, contradicting the replay that suggested a seemingly certain dismissal.
With India comfortably positioned at 119/1, England’s squandering of DRS resources means the visiting team will now have to place their faith entirely in the on-field umpires for the rest of their innings. As they seek wickets to regain momentum, the unfortunate misjudgments have positioned them at a strategic disadvantage, particularly given the modest first-innings total they are defending.
These decisions have taken the spotlight in a day that also features Virat Kohli’s recognition as the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year 2023, as well as the ICC announcing the Men’s and Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2023 award winners. In the midst of these accolades, a pitch invader donning Virat Kohli’s jersey managed to reach Rohit Sharma and respectfully touched his feet during the midst of the 1st IND vs ENG Test – a testament to the fervor and passion that cricket incites among its fan base.
As the match progresses, England’s predicament serves as a stark reminder of the tactical intricacies and crucial judgments that can decisively swing the balance in the game of cricket. Facing a resilient Indian side, the pressure will mount on Stokes and his men to deliver more judicious decisions moving forward, both on and off the field. With the second day’s play ahead, England might find themselves chasing leather, unless they manage to recalibrate and harness the sporadic turn that the Hyderabad pitch offers.
