[Sport] India v England: Ben Foakes says tourists can deal with 'extreme spin'

[El Máster Edwin]

 

Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes says England can deal with "extreme spin" if the rest of the series in India is played on pitches offering excessive turn.

England are 1-0 up in the five-match series after winning an astonishing first Test by 28 runs in Hyderabad.

They were in the same position three years ago, only to lose the next three Tests on pitches that turned sharply.

"Quite a few of the lads have a gameplan that will do well on those pitches," said Surrey gloveman Foakes.

England's win in the first Test was only India's fourth defeat in 47 home matches.

On a pitch that turned, but rarely dramatically, the tourists overturned a 190-run first-innings deficit thanks mainly to Ollie Pope's epic 196 and 7-62 by debutant spinner Tom Hartley.

In 2021, England comfortably defeated India in the first Test on an incredibly flat pitch in Chennai.

With vastly different surfaces prepared for the remainder of the series, England struggled against India's spinners and did not manage a total above 205 in any of the last three Tests.

"That first Test was played on a flat wicket and then they went to raging 'bunsens'," said 30-year-old Foakes. "All three were probably the worst pitches I've batted on."

 

Even though England still lost 14 wickets to spin in Hyderabad, the tourists were able to put the home attack under huge pressure.

With the likes of Pope and Ben Duckett utilising all manner of sweeps and reverse-sweeps, the second innings was the first time in four years that both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who will miss the second Test through injury, conceded more than 100 runs.

And Foakes says England, under captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, have a much different approach to tackling India's skilful spinners than 2021.

The second Test in Visakhapatnam, starting on Friday, could be played on a pitch that spins more than the first Test.

"It's more of a mindset shift of how to go about it, because in those conditions the bowler is massive favourite to win the contest," said Foakes. "It's how many blows you can put in.

 

"Before there was a fear of getting out and that put us in our shells. Now it's not worrying that you are getting out and accepting that you probably are on those sorts of surfaces. You can actually go and dominate at times as well."

Foakes returned to the England XI in Hyderabad for the first time since February.

In the home summer, Jonny Bairstow kept wicket as England looked to pack their batting line-up during the Ashes.

However, with Harry Brook missing for personal reasons, Bairstow is playing as a specialist batter and Foakes has returned behind the stumps.

"I obviously found missing the Ashes difficult," said Foakes, who has played 21 Tests for England.

"With my career in England being in and out a lot it wasn't as if I was shocked. It sucks getting dropped, but I have come back a few times. I've proved I can come in and out so I definitely don't think that as much now."

 

 

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