Former England skipper Alastair Cook lauds Tom Hartley for debut seven-wicket haul - 'Big pressure and he delivered'
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Published 01/02/2024 at 12:18 GMT
Former England captain Alastair Cook was full of praise for Tom Hartley following his sensational debut. The Lancashire spinner took nine wickets across the match as Ben Stokes' side won their first Test against India by 28 runs. It caps a remarkable rise for the slow left-arm bowler, who was under the pump after his first ball was hit for six. Cook said he was impressed with his mental toughness.
England bowler Tom Hartley celebrates with team mates after the final wicket during day four of the 1st Test Match between India and England at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Hyderabad, India.
Image credit: Getty Images
Former England captain Alastair Cook has praised Tom Hartley's "mental stamina" following his sensational Test debut.
The slow left-arm bowler was hit for two sixes during a chastening first spell in Hyderabad, as he recorded figures of 2 for 131 from just 25 overs.
However, he bounced back to take a match-winning 7 for 62 as Ben Stokes' side bowled India all out for 202 in their second innings, securing a 28 run victory in the first Test.
"A lot of credit has to be given to him," Cook told TNT Sports, "for mentally being able to handle the onslaught and then, coming out, chasing 230, to be able to deliver the goods.
"He had big pressure to do that and he delivered. That’s huge credit for him. The challenge, as always, is they’ve seen a bit more of him now, so it’ll be interesting to see what India do and how they approach playing him.
"Obviously, they went really hard in the first innings, trying to knock him off his stride. They didn’t quite know what to do in the second innings.
"He can take a lot of credit, and obviously England might have found a cricketer who is good under pressure, and that’s ultimately what Test cricket is about.
"The balance of the attack you felt was short a little bit, and then suddenly, it seems it works.
"If Hartley can do the holding role in the first innings, being accurate like he was in the second innings, [with] the attacking leg-spinner, you’ve got Jack Leach’s experience and Joe Root to bowl off-spin, Stokes has got a lot of options covered.
"It will be interesting to see what the wicket looks like in Vizag, whether they only need three of those four, but it looked quite good in the game. It gave Stokesy a lot of options."
Hartley opened the bowling in the first innings, much to the surprise of many supporters and ex-players, who thought the more senior Leach may have been given the new ball.
What followed was an onslaught from Yashasvi Jaiswal, as his first two overs were taken for 25 runs.
It reminded some of another - now retired - Lancashire spinner, Simon Kerrigan, who made his debut in the 2013 Ashes, but was never seen again in an England shirt after delivering figures of 0-53 off eight overs.
Cook was captain at that point, and admits if he had been the skipper in the present day, he might have given Hartley the hook.
"I’d have probably taken him off and bowled somebody else!" he laughed. "But who knows? Stokesy obviously gambles a bit as well. He likes the fact that when someone is going hard at a bowler, there is a chance of making that mistake and getting him a wicket as well.
"Hartley’s got something about him to be able to bowl in the second innings under pressure. I don’t think that’s just down to Stokesy and keeping him on in that first innings.
"I think that’s down to Hartley and his mental stamina and stomach for the fight as well."
How to watch India v England Test series on TNT Sports
TNT Sports is the new official broadcast home of England men’s tours of India in 2024, 2025 and 2028.
TNT Sports has also agreed a deal to show exclusive live coverage of every red-ball and white-ball international series played in India for the next five years.
Cricket fans will not miss a single delivery, boundary or wicket of England's five-Test tour in India in 2024.
The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.
You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
- - -
TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement