The second Test between India and England is scheduled to take place in Visakhapatnam, beginning on Friday, February 2. The tourists have a 1-0 lead after their epic come-from-behind win in Hyderabad in the first Test.
On the back of a scintillating 196 from Ollie Pope in the second innings, England managed to overcome a deficit of 190 runs and set India a challenging target of 231 runs. The hosts fell short by 28 runs, as England took a morale-boosting lead in the five-match series.
Former England captain Alastair Cook lauded the talent in the England line-up and said that there are four to five players in the England team who can replicate the kind of knock Pope played.
"Actually, the guys who haven't played much out there saw them as very good cricketers, but normal cricketers who can be beaten. Yes, it took an incredible innings from someone to do it, but this England side and the talent they have in that batting line-up, it could be one of four or five who could play an innings like that," Cook, who is working as a pundit with TNT Sports, said about England's performance in Hyderabad during an analysis show.
The legendary opener also spoke about his playing days and said that it is very difficult to bounce back after losing the first Test of a series. He believes that the English players would have gained a lot of confidence from the Hyderabad triumph.
"The tours I went on, when we got behind it's very hard to change it. And I think this will just see those England players looking at each other saying 'Actually we can compete against these'," said Cook.
Alastair Cook reckons Indian cricketers' 'demi-god' status can hamper their performance
Cook acknowledged the greatness of Indian cricketers but also said that the hype around them, especially due to the Indian Premier League (IPL) can affect their minds and, in-exchange, their performance.
"India have some of the greats of the game in their team, but because of that status and the financial pull of the IPL, you can see them as demi-gods and they're obviously treated like demi-gods. Subconsciously, that can sometimes play with your mind." Cook added.
Cook noted that India were shell-shocked in the first Test, as England managed to muster a strong comeback even after conceding a mammoth first-innings lead. The southpaw said that India are not used to losing from these situations, especially at home.
"They did look a little bit all at sea. I think it shook them," he said. "When you're 190 runs ahead [on first innings] and they're so used to winning games - they've only lost three Test matches out of 40-odd at home - suddenly [India thought], 'oh god, oh this won't happen for much longer," Cook added.
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