If India Can score 375-400 In Their 1st Innings, They'll Win 70-75 Percent Of The Match: Salman Butt

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has reckoned that Team India needs to post at least 350-plus in order to give themselves the best possible chance of winning the first Test against England.

In seaming conditions and against a world-class seam-bowling attack, England were knocked over for a mere 183 as Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Shardul Thakur ran riot.

The conditions in Nottingham are such that it wouldn’t be easy for Indian batters against a high-quality England attack

However, Butt believes that while it is will be tough for the Indian batters, if the visitors can bat out the entire second day then they would have won 70-75 percent of the match.

Butt reckoned that it will get easier for Team India once they cross England’s first innings total of 183. KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma have stitched a 50-run-opening stand on the second afternoon against a relentless English attack.

”If India can score 375-400 in their first innings then I can say that 70-75 percent India has won this game,” said Salman Butt.

”I think it will get easier for India to score runs once they cross England’s score. It is also possible that India gets all out for 280 runs, taking a 100-run lead, but they should aim to bat four sessions and score 350,” Salman Butt said.

There was a lot of criticism after the World Test Championship final on the Indian bowlers as fans thought that the Indian seamers didn’t bowl as well as their New Zealand counterparts.

However, Butt maintained that India did not bowl badly in the WTC final, the difference between the WTC final and the first innnigs of the Nottingham Test being the difference in quality of England and New Zealand batters.

”India did not bowl bad in the World Test Championship Final. Their bowling was good, but New Zealand’s batsmen managed to score runs. They batted well as per the conditions,” said Butt.

He also added that New Zealand seamers bowled outstandingly in that game.

“Also, New Zealand, in that particular match, bowled really well. I feel England’s batting lineup relies majorly on 2-3 batsmen,” Salman Butt opined.

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