England opener Zak Crawley expressed disappointment at the timing of his dismissal but asserted that he had no regrets about the aggressive shot that led to his downfall on Day 2 of the second Test against India. Celebrating his 26th birthday, Zak Crawley swiftly reached a half-century in 52 balls in response to India’s first-innings total of 396. However, in a moment of impetuosity, Crawley advanced down the track to a wide delivery from Axar Patel and mistimed his slog, resulting in a remarkable catch by Shreyas Iyer.
Zak Crawley’s dismissal triggered a sudden collapse for England, slipping from a strong position of 114/1 to 182/7, allowing India to gain control of the match. The English batters perhaps should have changed their approach when Jasprit Bumrah was introduced in the attack by Rohit Sharma as his spell proved to be the difference in the end.
I wasn’t happy to get out but there’s risk & reward there- Zak Crawley
Addressing the media at the end of Day 2, Crawley affirmed that he would not change his approach and would play the same shot again if confronted with a comparable situation in the future.
“I wasn’t happy to get out when I did but I’d definitely do the same thing again. If that one doesn’t turn and I hit him over his head for six then suddenly he’s under a lot of pressure and I can milk him for two hours or whatever. There’s risk and reward there,” said Zak Crawley.
Crawley added,
If I started doubting myself in those situations and not back my instincts then I would revert back to the player I was a couple of years ago. I really wasn’t scoring many runs for my team then but I’m happy I’m much more aggressive now and that has helped with my consistency.”
Zak Crawley has embraced England’s aggressive “Bazball” approach to batting, characterized by an attacking style with a strike rate of 88 since the beginning of last year. This aggressive approach has significantly contributed to Crawley’s consistency, with an average of 43 in his last 10 Tests, showcasing marked improvement from his overall average of under 32.
You have to hold your hand up sometimes and say that’s a fantastic spell – Zak Crawley on Jasprit Bumrah
Zak Crawley commended Jasprit Bumrah for his exceptional bowling performance in the Vizag Test’s second day. Bumrah’s remarkable display of reverse swing bowling led to him taking six wickets for 46 runs, contributing to England being dismissed for 253. Additionally, Bumrah achieved the milestone of becoming the fastest Indian pacer to reach 150 Test wickets at the age of 30.
“You have to hold your hand up sometimes and say that’s a fantastic spell in these conditions. We didn’t do anything differently to what we’ve done in the last two years,” said Zak Crawley.
In his 34th Test match, Jasprit Bumrah became the second-fastest Asian pacer to reach the milestone of 150 Test wickets, second only to former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis. Bumrah achieved this feat during the second day of the Vizag Test against England. His remarkable performance, including a five-wicket haul, played a crucial role in securing a first-innings lead of 143 runs for India. At the end of Day 2, India had extended their lead further to 171 runs, reaching 28/0 in their second innings.