India vs England 2021: Dominic Cork Believes Pressure And Conditions Helped English Pacers To Outplay Virat Kohli And Co At Headingley

Former England cricketer Dominic Cork feels that it was the pressure and conditions that helped England bowlers to crush Indian batsmen in the 2nd innings of the Headingley Test. The Joe Root-led side grabbed 8 wickets while conceding just 63 runs on Day 4 of the Test. Restricting India to just 278, England won the match by an innings and 76 runs.

Being at 215-2 at the stumps of the earlier day, India seemed to have a great grip on the batting. However, their wickets fell like a house of cards. After Virat Kohli (55) and Cheteshwar Pujara (91) lost their wickets, no other batsmen managed to come up with a good score on Day 4. Five Indian players lost their wickets for single-digits on Day 4 as England dismantled eight Indian wickets in the 1st session itself.

I Think It Was The Pressure And Conditions That Helped England: Dominic Cork

Speaking on air post the match, former England bowler Dominic Cork said that he feels the pressure and conditions helped England to crush the Indian batting.

“Test cricket is hard enough when you are trying to get a total but when the opposition are not giving away easy runs… I think it was the pressure, the conditions helped England in the morning, they swung the ball put India under pressure took the wickets,” Dominic Cork said.

Dominic Cork also mentioned that the series is not dead and buried and nobody can predict the results at present.

“And if you look at the way England batted, this is the first time the top-4 have got fifties since 2013. So that shows the improvement in England’s top-4 and also Joe Root is in the form of his life, put that all together and I think ultimately England outplayed India.

“But this series is not dead and buried. We go to The Oval, flatter pitch, 2 matches to go… I don’t think anybody can predict the results,” Cork further said.

Ollie Robinson, who scalped a fifer in the 2nd innings, was adjudged player of the match. The right-arm pacer picked 7 wickets in the match. With the victory, England has equalled the 5-match Test series 1-1, after the end of 3 matches. England and India will now lock horns in the 4th Test. The encounter is set to start on September 2 (Thursday) at Kennington Oval in London.

Also Read: India Were Completely Buried In The End: Aakash Chopra Criticizes Indian Team’s Batting Collapse Against England In Headingley