Zaheer Khan
Zaheer Khan. Image-Sportstar

Former Zaheer Khan has implied that coming back into the game is extremely tough and Team India needs to forget the events that transpired on Day 1 of the third Test against England. After choosing to bat, the visitors were blown away for a paltry 78 before England’s openers piled on the misery with an unbeaten 120-run stand.

The terrible performance might bring back certain memories of the Adelaide Test where India was shot out for 36 against Australia. Speaking to Cricbuzz, Zaheer reckoned the team needs to regroup and forget what happened while also suggesting they have a mammoth task ahead of them.

Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Zaheer Khan
Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed. (Credits: England Cricket Twitter)

England is currently ahead of the game and they have a lead of 42 runs. A lead of 42 runs is one thing but they (India) haven’t been able to pick up a single wicket.

When they come back tomorrow morning, they know they have the task of picking all 10 wickets. Moreover, their innings is already over. So, you can imagine how far India have fallen behind in this game,” Zaheer was quoted as saying after the end of play on Day 1.

Although Team India has been one of the best at making comebacks in this calendar year, pulling it off once more needs great amounts of courage and spirit. Since it’s a 5-day match, forgetting a poor day as the one India had will not be easy, as per Zaheer Khan.

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Ollie Robinson
Ollie Robinson (Image Credit: ICC)

India would want to forget this day as soon as possible. Unfortunately, you cannot because you have to come back tomorrow and there are 5 days in a Test. When you have such a day, it’s not easy to forget it or come out of it,” he added.

“They should try and do something different” – Zaheer Khan

Almost nothing worked out in the visitors’ favor on the first day. A lot of it might come down to the decision to bat first under gloomy skies but hindsight is 20/20. The only change the Men in Blue can make is to adopt a different mental approach to the match.

Craig Overton
Craig Overton. (Image credit-independent.co.uk)

They will need to find a way. They should try and do something different. When I say different, I don’t mean technique, I mean come out with a different mindset. The more they think about this day, the more it will get difficult for them to move on. It is important for India to forget this day. Nothing went in their way; neither [with] the bat nor the bowling,” Zaheer concluded.

England holds all the aces going into Day 2 of the Test. Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns notched up their fifties while putting up England’s first hundred-run opening partnership against India at home since 2011. They lead Team India by 42 runs, with all the ten wickets in hand.

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