Former English cricketer David Lloyd reacted to India's lower-order batting, the tail-enders in particular, during the first innings of the Nottingham Test against England. On Day 3, India's tail wagged to hand the team a crucial first-innings lead of 95 runs, majorly due to all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja's 56 off just 81 balls and a solid last wicket partnership of 33 off 26 balls between Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
Bumrah was the aggressor of the two, remaining unbeaten in 28 – his highest Test score. During the partnership, both played some staggering shots, Bumrah in particular. Initially, it was Siraj who hammered a boundary down the ground to Ollie Robinson, followed by Bumrah hitting Sam Curran for 4, 6, 4 off successive deliveries in the 82nd over.
Also Read | India's Shardul Thakur injured, likely to miss Lord's Test against England: Report
The six was hit off the front foot with Bumrah clearing the fielder at deep square leg, as the ball sailed over. Bumrah would go on to hit one more boundary before finally perishing. In between, of course there were plenty of swings and misses and Lloyd said that they frustrate England.
"That was old-school tail-end batting from India. Most players can at least bat a bit these days but here we had three guys in Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj having a bit of fun and not really having a clue what they were doing. There was more swinging than a 60s suburban party! Unbelievably frustrating for England as the lead grew," Lloyd wrote in the Daily Mail.
{{/usCountry}}"That was old-school tail-end batting from India. Most players can at least bat a bit these days but here we had three guys in Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj having a bit of fun and not really having a clue what they were doing. There was more swinging than a 60s suburban party! Unbelievably frustrating for England as the lead grew," Lloyd wrote in the Daily Mail.
{{/usCountry}}Lloyd was impressed with India openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma for their effort with the bat as the pair put on 97 runs in the first innings. Rahul celebrated his return to Test cricket, hitting a splendid 84 while Rohit hit another crisp 30-odd before getting out.
"The performance of India's openers on the first evening and Wednesday morning was calmness personified. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul stood there properly, picked the bat up properly and addressed the ball properly. What a contrast to England's. They were abysmal. Again," Lloyd added.