Despite a promising start with a victory in Hyderabad, England endured a dismal series, ultimately succumbing to a 1-4 loss, with Kuldeep wreaking havoc with 19 wickets from four matches.
Expressing his disbelief at England’s failure to decode Kuldeep’s deliveries, Boycott emphasized the expectation for international batsmen to devise effective strategies against such challenges. “Too many never looked comfortable against him and were reduced to staying back and trying to play him off the pitch,” Boycott remarked in his column for The Telegraph.
Boycott further criticized England’s aggressive batting approach, attributing it to a lack of confidence in defending against quality spinners. “That idea is fraught with danger against quality spinners,” he cautioned.
Highlighting specific dismissals, Boycott cited examples of batsmen like
Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett falling victim to rash shots, underscoring the importance of a solid defensive technique. “Having a good defense is part of batting,” he asserted.
Despite the efforts of young England spinners Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir, Boycott deemed them inexperienced to make a significant impact against India’s formidable lineup. He described the selection of three novice spinners as a “big gamble,” suggesting that they were outmatched by their Indian counterparts.
“Inexperienced kids were never going to out-bowl experienced Indian spinners in India,” Boycott emphasized, also noting England’s fortune in facing India without key players like Virat Kohli and KL Rahul for parts of the series.
(With inputs from PTI)
