ENG vs IND | Lack of red-ball practice hurt us but it cannot be used as an excuse, says Marcus Trescothick
England’s batting consultant Marcus Trescothick admitted that the Three Lions had less-than-ideal preparation heading into the first Test, but claimed that the onus is on the players to adapt efficiently. Trescothick also claimed that the Indian attack is as potent as it ever has been.
After being embarrassed by the New Zealand bowlers in June, the English batsmen endured yet another horror day in whites on Wednesday as the Three Lions were bowled out for a mere 183 after winning the toss and batting first. Blame games began soon after the day ended, but something that was unanimously acknowledged by everyone was the less-than-ideal preparation the batsmen had, heading into the series.
England had no warm-up or intra-squad games ahead of the first Test, and a vast majority of the batsmen came on the back of white-ball cricket, having featured in The Hundred. Only four days before the first Test did the team assemble together, and the lack of red-ball practice was exploited by India on Day 1 as the visitors bowled the hosts out for 183 to surge ahead in the first Test.
England’s lack of red-ball preparation has, since stumps, become a hot topic of discussion, and in the press conference at the end of the day, the team’s batting consultant Marcus Trescothick admitted that he would have liked for his side to have entered the series better-prepared versus the red-ball. Trescothick, however, insisted that it is ultimately up to the players to adapt efficiently and insisted that unforgiving scheduling cannot be used as an excuse to justify the shortcomings.
"Often you go into Test match series knowing that you'll be coming off the back of a white ball competition and that's just the way international cricket is. You've got to find your ways and international players to make that work,” Trescothick said.
"I think scheduling is always an issue. Trying to get the balance right for the batter's moving into Test series, of course, you would want them to have played a certain red ball cricket going into it. But, of course, we don't want to use it as an excuse.
“We'd love to get more time bowling with the red ball, facing the red ball and the preparation."
As much as England’s horror-show on Day 1 was down to the ineptness of their batsmen, they were also fully outplayed by India, who did not put a foot wrong all day. Despite conditions initially not in their favour, the Indian bowlers stuck to their plans and relentlessly kept asking questions of the English batters. The hosts fended off the visitors’ threat until Tea, but India’s four-pronged pace attack eventually proved too much for England, who lost their last 7 wickets for just 45 runs.
Trescothick was full of praise for the visitors, and claimed that the Indian attack is as potent as it ever has been.
"They're probably the most potent in comparison to where they've been for a few years. They have a lot of bases covered. When they needed certain wickets you can just see the guys who were not playing in the season. You know how much quality they have all sorts of good stuff of red ball bowlers currently.
"You know, they don't get to be in the World Test Championship final for no reason. They play home and away and of course they've got to have facts to back that up.
"I think a lot of people watched that when they went to Australia and how well they performed over there, so it's no surprise to us."
The England batting consultant, however, was still confident that his side could bounce back. The English bowlers failed to pick up a wicket in the final hour of play, but Trescothick asserted that the hosts will reassess their plans and will look to bounce back in the contest come Day 2.
"We've got to just keep making sure that we remain positive about what goes on. Today's not the ideal day of course.
"But, you know that doesn't sort of define how the rest of the game is going to go or how the rest of the series is going to go. We will go back this evening and then come back and find a way to try and get back in the game.”
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