New Delhi, March 7: It was not plain capitulation. Rather, England succumbed to the pressure of standing up to a world-class band of Indian spinners at the “absolute top of their game”, feels former spinner Graeme Swann.
Batting first after winning a good toss, England were bowled out for 218 on a flat deck on the opening day of the fifth and final Test against India here.
Doing the bulk of the damage was the spin of Kuldeep Yadav (5/72) and Ravichandran Ashwin (4/51).
Asked what could have led to England’s downfall, Swann told PTI Videos, “Well you got to look at like I say you have got world-class spinners at the absolute top of their game.
“So I don’t think it’s a capitulation from England, just succumbing to the pressure maybe, so there’s two ways of looking at it.“England certainly knows they can do better but for India, you should be championing the fact that you have got an absolute world-beater at the moment, and he is bowling like a dream.” India finished Day 1 at 135 for one with skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill going strong after Yashasvi Jaiswal’s blazing fifty.
Summing up, Swann called it a “disappointing” day for England. (PTI)
