India vs England 2021: ‘It reminded me of Flintoff dismissing Ponting and Langer in the same over,’ Root on Anderson’s successive dismissals

India vs England 2021: ‘It reminded me of Flintoff dismissing Ponting and Langer in the same over,’ Root on Anderson’s successive dismissals
Joe Root

Team England claimed a convincing 227 run-victory in the first Test against India in Chennai. The visitors dominated with the bat after they won the toss and their performance with the ball was no less.

After aggregating good runs on the board, England bowlers Dom Bess and Jofra Archer troubled Team India in their first innings while Jack Leach and James Anderson wreaked havoc in the second innings.

James Anderson did the trick when he first dismissed Shubman Gill, who scored a half-century. He even rattled Ajinkya Rahane’s wicket soon after Gill’s wicket. Later the pacer even sent the in-form Rishabh Pant to the pavilion. 

The successive dismissal reminded England skipper Joe Root of 2005 Ashes incident when Flintoff dismissed Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer in a gap of few deliveries.

“It reminded me a little bit of (Andrew) Flintoff in 2005 (Edgbaston Test) and the impact of that over to (Ricky) Ponting and (Justin) Langer slightly. In the context of this game it was huge.

“When you see someone like Jimmy Anderson, naturally you expect that from him.

“He seems to get better all the time. The skill level keeps improving…his work rate is good as anyone I have ever seen. And his fitness level are the best he’s ever been in his whole career,” he said.

“It is a credit to English cricket. That’s a great example to all England players. When you are under pressure and need something to happen when you got him in your armoury it is a very comfortable position to be in,” Root said in the post-match press conference.

Root hailed Ben Stokes, called him a “big game player”

Virat Kohli’s dismissal by Ben Stokes

Amid the turbulence that Team England created India in the second innings, Virat Kohli looked in fine touch until Ben Stokes dismissed him on 72.

“They are those big moments that you have to grasp. And if you want to win the series in these conditions against a side as good as India, these are the things that you have to get right.

“The likes of Ben Stokes coming on and taking the wicket of Virat Kohli…They are big game players and they stand up and they do special things. It’s a great example for the young guys around to go and see that I want to be the one doing that,” he said.

Earlier in the first innings, Stokes jammed well with the skipper Joe Root and played a defining knock of 82 runs.

Also read: India vs England 2021, 1st Test Day 5: Talking points as James Anderson and Jack Leach cruise England to victory in Chennai