India were jolted hard on the back of a sensational comeback by England as they conceded the first Test in Hyderabad despite being the favourites to win it after two days. Ollie Pope’s sensational 196 filled with uncoventional play of sweeps and reverse sweeps, derailed India’s chances of a win before Tom Hartley’s seven-wicket haul ended any hopes. The Indian team looked out of plans when Pope was in the middle of one of the best knocks on Indian soil and he pushed the celebrated Indian spinners off their lengths and the Indian team off its plans. 

The Indian team is not known for playing sweeps and reverse sweeps. They generally like to use their feet for playing the spinners by gauging the line and lengths. But they are seemingly adding a new facet by implementing those unconventional strokes to their play. India wicket-keeper KS Bharat also acknowledged that the team has taken a leaf out of England’s batting textbook and has worked on those strokes. 

“They really played very well. Credit to them. Ollie Pope really played good shots. In our team meetings, we spoke about the things we could have done better and yes, we certainly have few plans. (We are) definitely looking at the way how they went about the first game, playing some reverse. That’s something we have definitely worked on,” Bharat said in a pre-match press conference on the eve of the second Test in Visakhapatnam. 

‘It’s not that we don’t know how to play them’: Bharat

KS Bharat, who will be playing his maiden Test match at his home Visakhapatnam, also said that the players have played a lot in India and they know how to play the unconventional strokes. “Playing in India, we play a lot of cricket on these tracks. It’s not that we don’t know how to sweep, reverse sweep or paddle, but on that particular day depending on the situation of the team, we as batters take our calls,” Bharat added. 

“And it is very clear to us to bat with freedom. We also practised in the reverse before the first game. But playing out in the centre, it’s the batters’ individual plan. If the team demands us to play in a certain way, then we are up to it.

“After the game, the atmosphere is absolutely relaxed. They told us not to panic, which we are not. But then the instruction is very clear, it’s a long Test series and we have played a lot of series like this in the past,” Bharat said.