'They just went into a shell' - Ravi Shastri disappointed with India's performance on Day 4

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has been critical of the Jasprit Bumrah-led Indian squad for their lacklustre performance against England on Monday at Edgbaston. The Indian batting order was dished out earlier than anticipated on the fourth day as they posted a target of 378 runs for the hosts to chase in order to win the rescheduled fifth Test.

The Indian bowlers have had to work extremely hard to take wickets in the final innings of the match. As a result, English openers Alex Lees and Zak Crawley put up a clinical 107-run stand to give their side a brilliant start. Even though stand-in skipper Bumrah struck shortly before and after tea to put a brief pause on their power-hitting, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow shared a 150-run unbeaten stand to end the day’s play.

“I think (it was) disappointing, to say the least, because they could have batted England out of this contest. They needed to bat two sessions and I thought they were defensive, they were timid today, especially after lunch. Even after they had lost those wickets, they could have taken some chances. Runs were important at that stage of the game and I thought they just went into a shell, lost those wickets too quickly, and gave enough time for England to bat today,” Shastri said while commentating for Sky Sports.

I don’t think Bumrah got his tactics right at all: Pietersen

India were in a commanding position midway into the contest, but a batting collapse at the start of the fourth day ruined their plans as England got the upper hand. Thanks to the partnership between Root and Bairstow, England ended the penultimate day on a high note, and had to score mere 119 runs on the final day to clinch a victory and level the series 2-2.

“I don’t think Bumrah got his tactics right at all, and I say that with the greatest deal of respect. There is no way with a reverse swinging ball that he should make it that easy for the batter, because the batter is trying so hard to decipher which way that ball is swinging. When it’s reverse swinging at 90mph, the nicest place to bat is at the non-strikers’ end, and the ability to get to the non-strikers’ end as easily as they did this afternoon, it’s too easy,” opined Pietersen, who is also a part of the commentary panel.