Ex-England captains Nasser Hussain and Sir Ian Botham slam Cook & Co over abject surrender vs India; say there is no excuse for 103-0 to 207 all out slump on a demon-free Chennai pitch
Nasser Hussain and Ian Botham
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Chennai: Former England captains Nasser Hussain and Ian Botham laid into England for their "diabolical" and "embarrassing" display in losing by an innings and 75 runs to India in Chennai yesterday.
The tourists, needing to bat out the last day for a draw, collapsed from 103 without loss just after lunch and 192 for four shortly after tea to 207 all out with more than 30 minutes to play.
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They therefore surrendered the five-game series 4-0 on the back of a 1-1 draw with Bangladesh that included their first Test loss to the Tigers.
England's Adil Rashid (right) walks back to the pavilion after losing his wicket as the Indian players celebrate during Day Five of the fifth Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai yesterday. India won the final Test by an innings and 75 runs for a 4-0 series win. Pic/AFP
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja claimed a Test-best 7-48 to steal the limelight from spin partner Ravichandran Ashwin, who took just one wicket in the entire match at MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Hussain told Sky Sports 2: "It is familiar but there's no excuse on that pitch. Six for 16 on that pitch, a pitch that yesterday India scored 759 and one lad got over 300. There are no demons, there were no demons in that surface. Ashwin got one wicket on that surface.
Poor shot selection
"Maybe in Mumbai on the red soil to be 6-16 is bad, but this is diabolical. The shot selection there, some of the shots were really poor. They were neither one nor the other."
Botham highlighted Moeen Ali's reckless dismissal after tea, when he failed to clear mid-on, as the start of the slide. "It was just like a deck of cards. Once it started, there was no stopping it — runaway train," he said.
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"It all started with Moeen Ali's shot — I still can't get my head round that. Then it was just a deck of cards following — six wickets for 15, 16 runs on that pitch, it's embarrassing."
Geoffrey Boycott, another ex-England captain, expects Alastair Cook to stay on as the skipper in the future.
"Normally, they sack losing generals," said Boycott.
Boycott calls for action
"You've got to do something about it. England pay the coaches and the director of cricket fortunes, but nothing will happen.
"They will beat people in England on seaming pitches and everything in the garden will be rosy."
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