Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott has criticised the England side following their Test series defeat in India. Led by Ben Stokes, England lost 4 out of 5 matches to Rohit Sharma's young team.
Although they won the first Test match in Hyderabad by 28 runs, they failed to challenge India in the remaining games and were defeated in Vizag, Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharamsala. In the second, third, and fourth contests, the England side had a better position, but they failed to put the hosts under pressure. India found ways to come back and clinch the series.
England's middle-order failed to contribute significantly with the bat. Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, and Ben Foakes were dismissed by the Indian bowlers.
Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott refrained from blaming the batsmen and instead questioned the performance of the bowlers. In his column for the Telegraph, Boycott stated that an inexperienced bowling line-up was not capable of challenging India.
He further added that James Anderson was not utilized effectively:
“Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir wouldn’t frighten any team. Mark Wood just bangs the ball short. James Anderson was not used considering his age. Ben Stokes was unfit to bowl until the fifth game of the series.”
Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir made their debuts in the series, with Hartley taking 22 wickets and Bashir dismissing 17 batters. However, their performances were expensive.