ENG vs IND 2021: India fully deserve 1-0 lead in the series – David Gower

Former England batsman David Gower feels India fully deserve the 1-0 lead in the five-match series against the hosts.

England were in a commanding position on the final day of the second Test match at Lord’s as India had a lead of 154 runs and had four wickets in hand.

The hosts were able to get the early wicket of Rishabh Pant but the unbeaten alliance of 89 runs between Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, helped visitors in putting their noses ahead. Bumrah and Shami helped their team post 298-8 and the tourists were able to set a target of 272 runs for England.

India had 60 overs to dismiss England and the visitors kept striking at regular intervals to put England on the backfoot. Mohammed Siraj was the pick of the bowlers as he scalped 4-32 and England was skittled out for 120 runs as India won by a massive margin of 151 runs.

“That was a stunning final day performance. Literally stunning. The last hour and a half in the morning, that really decided the game. My great friend and ex-colleague Michael Atherton often used to say ‘Test matches can be lost in one bad session’. Well, that was one bad hour that cost England,” Gower told Cricket.com in an interview.

“But hats off to India. Just the way bowlers kept going, just the way Kohli’s enthusiasm kept them going, just showed everyone how passionate this Indian team is. They are 1-0 up and they fully deserve it.”

The Lord’s Test match was a great game as it was full of twists and turns. England were in the driver’s seat before the final day but the visitors were able to turn the tables.

“It was a great match. It is what we, as traditionalists, like. We like a game that lasts all the way through five days, has twists and turns, has people wondering who is going to win and there are enough twists and turns to keep a fan going over five days. That’s what we love about Test cricket. That’s what makes it entertaining – in a very different way to white-ball cricket we see so much of, these days,” Gower added.