India vs. England: Brendon McCullum discusses why they might perform their spin foursome in Visakhapatnam and believes their gamble on Tom Hartley paid off.
McCullum praised Ben Stokes for how he handled Tom Hartley in the first innings, which helped him make the difference in the second.
England's Tom Hartley, who took seven wickets in India's inning, celebrates after winning the first Test against India at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
England coach Brendon McCullum said that they took a chance on Tom Hartley and it paid off, and his team will not be scared to use all of their spin quartet in Visakhapatnam if the surface provides additional aids to the spinners.
"On debut, Tom Hartley, who has only played a few first-class games, stood up with the bowl; it was a daring selection," McCullum told SENZ Radio.
"We saw something in him that we thought would work over here; he is a tough character, and the way the captain handled him was quite spectacular; he certainly bowled us to a Test victory."
"There are so many different emotions. Guys have taken a lot of confidence with the Hyderabad win, but we also realize that it is a long series and we still have some work to do. India will come back strong, but we certainly rejoiced last night," he continued.
Tom Hartley didn’t had a fantastic start when he was hit for two sixes on his first two deliveries on Test debut. Instead of that England captain Ben Stokes handed him an extended spell and that McCullum feels offer a tremendous confidence to the kid.
"When we picked Tom, many raised their heads, but let us not forget Nathan Lyon only played a few of first-class cricket, averaging 40 odd when he was initially called up to the Australian Test side," he remarked.
"When you see players who are good enough and the conditions will suit them, it is like horses for courses. You have to back up your judgment on things like that. If you like the skillsets and the character, you have to be brave with the selection call as well.
"The way Ben Stokes handled him and bowled him for an extended period of time despite being put under pressure by the Indian batters, I thought, was a true sign of leadership, and it also sent a clear message to those around the squad that you are not going to be dismissed or taken off the crease at the first sign of danger.
"It helped Tom to feel like he belonged, and he realized where he went wrong in the first innings and came out victorious. You have to take a little risk, and this one paid off."
With off-spinner Shoaib Bashir joining the squad on Day 4 of the Hyderabad Test, England's coach has indicated that all four spinners, Jack Leach, Tom Hartley, Rehan Ahmed, and Shoaib Bashir, may be used in the second Test.
"He was clearly with us in the camp in Abu Dhabi, and he really pleased us with his skill sets. He fits in with the group, and he, like Tom Hartley, has limited first-class experience, but we thought his skill may help us here.
"He arrived at a fantastic time, the players gave him a huge cheer, and he witnessed the Test triumph. He also came to calculate for the next Test match, and we will not be scared to play all spinners if the wickets turn more," he added.
McCullum believes that 246 in the first innings was a solid score on that surface and praised Ollie Pope's outstanding 196 in the second innings.
"We were pretty calm. We thought 246 was an excellent score on that surface. I think the wicket was kind of tacky to start. It turned a little bit more and we felt that it slowed down a little bit and batting became a little bit easier. We were content with 240 odd. A few tight calls did not go our way, but we kind of hung up there and I thought the attitude was fantastic. We were able to see one of the greatest innings in the subcontinent from Ollie Pope. The guys chipped in
When asked how the group felt after the win, he said, "It feels really good. We were a little bit behind for a fair bit of the game, but the belief never wavered. We have a skipper who has an incredible belief to bind the team together, and the unit believes that they can turn it around from the difficult conditions."
"We were able to overcome a very talented Indian side, and we received a little bit of luck along the way, and eventually we achieved, as the skipper mentioned, the greatest Test victory under the current regime. We are thrilled to be 1-0 up in a five-match series."
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