Former Australia batsman Dean Jones backed India team to respond strongly after being thrashed by an innings by England in the second Test at Lord’s on Sunday.
“I’m expecting that the Indian team will bounce back. They got one bad day when the ball swung around (at Lord’s). Look it is very important to bounce back, that is what sport is all about,” Jones said. “One bad Test match doesn’t make a bad cricket team, not at all,” he added.
India are 0-2 down in the five-match Test rubber after losing the first two contests at Birmingham and Lord’s. “It can happen with the conditions over there (at Lords). There are sometimes where you can be over-analysed (with the) technique a little bit, mount hills becomes mountain; you think too much about it, that is just the way it went. They have to regroup and come back now,” said Jones.
Jones felt that the swing in the Lord’s Test was vicious. “The stats proved that the ball moved in this (Lord’s) Test match more than any other Test match in last three years anywhere in the world. And you have the two-three best guys around, particularly James Anderson. Unfortunately, they (India) walked into a storm and they just couldn’t get out of it. But, hopefully, there will be better weather in the next matches,” he opined.
Jones said that the onus is on India skipper Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri to pick up the pieces. “As a coach it is difficult to bring back the confidence. Ravi has got a big job, and Virat too, to bring the guys back and the only way to do it is through hard work.”
“Just go in there and have net practice after net practice, try and get yourself a thousand balls, get used to it again, regroup, come back, work on your defence and make sure that what is your game plan. When it is swinging like this, what is your game plan,” he said.
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