IND vs ENG 2024: “All three didn’t bowl at their best” – Dinesh Karthik on Indian spinners’ performance on Day 1

India’s wicket-keeper bat Dinesh Karthik feels the Indian spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel didn’t bowl at their best on the opening day of the first Test match against England at Hyderabad on Thursday.

Despite the spin trio taking eight wickets, Karthik reckons England batters gifted their wickets away and the rest was done by the turning pitch.

While Ashwin bagged 3-68 in his spell, Jadeja registered figures of 3-88. Furthermore, Axar Patel had 2-33 in the first innings for the hosts.

Speaking to Cricbuzz after stumps on Day 1, Karthik stated: “To be honest, all three didn’t bowl at their best. I don’t think it was their best day. It was more of England giving away a few wickets, and the pitch in itself being hard enough to bat. It wasn’t one that you couldn’t bat on, but it wasn’t something that was too simple to bat on as well, quite challenging for team that is touring.”

Karthik added that Axar Patel was the pick of the Indian spinners on the opening day. Patel accounted for Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes in his fine spell.

“Out of the three, if I had to pick, Axar Patel was very menacing,” Karthik continued. “In the short time, he produced balls that batters would find really hard to play. If you had a bad defence, you could get away with the way Ashwin and Jadeja bowled to a decent extent, but if you’re playing Axar Patel wrong, chances are you will get out.”

Meanwhile, Bumrah bowled a jaffa to get rid of England skipper Ben Stokes in the end. The ball moved away from the left-hander to castle into the middle stump, leaving Stokes flabbergasted.

Karthik added, “That is the ball of the day because it came in such an innocuous way, and to an extent, against the run of play, you don’t realize how good a ball is. That was one of those that if a batsman had stood in the crease, he would have been opened up completely and gotten beaten because there is no chance if somebody bowls around the wicket into the middle and leg and the ball seams away hit the middle and off, it is impossible to play.”

After half an hour on the second day’s morning, India are 145-2, trailing England’s score of 246 by 101 runs.