Michael Atherton reveals why Ben Stokes threw Tom Hartley in a tight corner vs Yashasvi Jaiswal

Former England captain Michael Atherton defended Ben Stokes’ decision to persist with debutant Tom Hartley on the opening day of the ongoing Test match. Michael Atherton made these comments following Tom Hartley’s disappointing outing against Team India.

Yashasvi Jaiswal welcomed Tom Hartley by smashing two sixes in his first over in Test cricket. Despite his struggles, England captain Stokes persisted with the debutant spinner, who ended up conceding 63 runs in nine wicketless overs on the opening day in Hyderabad.

The Indian team ended the opening day with a total of 119/1 at the stumps. Jack Leach secured the sole wicket for England, dismissing Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who scored 24 runs off 27 balls. The Indian batting side showcased dominance against the English attack.

Ben Stokes Backs His Players The Absolute Hilt – Michael Atherton

Speaking at the end of Day 1 of the Test match, Michael Atherton emphasized Ben Stokes’ unwavering support for his players. Atherton commended Hartley’s overall bowling, attributing his disappointing outing to Yashasvi Jaiswal’s aggressive approach.

“It is very much the Stokes way. He backs his players to the absolute hilt. There is absolutely no surprise there [that he kept Hartley on]. Hartley didn’t bowl that badly actually,” Atherton said.

“This wasn’t a case of a young spinner struggling with nerves on debut, he actually bowled OK, it was just Jaiswal really took the attack to him,” he added.

Perfectly Fine For Ben Stokes To Show Faith – Michael Atherton

Michael Atherton suggests deploying Joe Root early on Day 2, highlighting his success in the previous tour to India. Atherton stresses the importance of England staying competitive and minimizing any conceded lead in the first innings.

“It is perfectly fine for Stokes to show faith with Hartley, but I am sure at some point he will want to see (Joe) Root have a crack at the left-hander. Last time in India, Root was the only spinner to take five wickets,” Atherton further added.

“What England can’t afford is for India to have two good sessions and get ahead of the game. Then it becomes quite difficult for England given that you would expect the pitch to spin later in the game, and the quality of India’s spinners compared to England.”

“They have to stay competitive. Even if they concede a lead it can’t be too big a lead so it is a very important first session, then afternoon session tomorrow,” concluded

Ben Stokes started the second day strategically with Joe Root, which proved successful for the visiting team. The former skipper took the wicket of Yashaswi Jaiswal on the fourth ball of the first over. India had lost three wickets for a total of 222 runs by lunch on Day 2.

Joe Root boasts an impressive bowling record in India, where the part-time off-spinner achieved his best Test figures of 5/8 during a day-night Test in Ahmedabad in 2021. In India’s first innings, he completed his five-wicket haul for eight runs in just 6.2 overs.

Also read: Michael Atherton in awe of Yashasvi Jaiswal after Hyderabad heroics