Stokes hails “Greatest Triumph” as England claw back against mighty India

• England won the epic thriller in Hyderabad by 28 runs.
• Ben Stokes said it was the “greatest triumph” since becoming captain.
• England recovered from a dismal start to chase 231.

Ben Stokes declared the first Test match between England and India at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad to be his best since taking over as captain, and he was in awe of the team’s 28-run victory.

Following a dismal first two days of play, England produced a breathtaking recovery later in the match when they not only made life difficult for the Indians at the bat but also bowled them out for only 202 runs in the last innings while chasing a 231-run mark.

With the ball, debutant Tom Hartley caused havoc, finishing with seven wickets at 62 runs to lead England to a valiant victory.

How good? 👏

A 7fer to win a Test for England on your debut 🤯

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As a captain, Stokes has never lost a Test series, and he said that the victory in Hyderabad was his best one among many wins.

“We’ve had a lot of fantastic moments as a team, great wins,” Stokes said. “But given where we are, and who we are playing, I think it’s our greatest triumph since I have been captain.”

India have shown themselves to be a formidable opponent in red-ball cricket. This was the first time India lost a Test match at home after having a 100+ runs lead.

“Before the series started, we knew how much of a beast India are at home,” Stokes said. “But the way we reacted to being so far behind, it was proof of everything we have said and lived and breathed over the last two years.

“But we’ve got four Tests left. It’s about repeating this performance now. We know that India are going to come back stronger at us.

“They are an incredibly tough team but if we can keep resisting them, it’s a good sign for us. We are very proud to be 1-0 up but there is a long way to go.”

BazBall was in full swing in Hyderabad as England became the first team to score 400+ runs in the third innings against India. The last team to do this was also England when they scored 406 in Ahmedabad in 2012.

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