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India v England: Zak Crawley says hosts will be wary of fightback by tourists in second Test

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Zak Crawley batting v IndiaImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Zak Crawley top scored with 76 from 78 balls in England's first innings

Zak Crawley says India will be wary of another England fightback despite the hosts taking a firm grip after two days of the second Test in Visakhapatnam.

India bowled England out for 253 to take a first-innings lead of 143, then stretched their advantage by moving to 28-0 at the close on Saturday.

England overcame a deficit of 190 runs to claim victory in the first Test.

"We were in a worse position than this last week, so we still believe we can win this game," Crawley told BBC Sport.

England's remarkable 28-run win in the first Test in Hyderabad was the first time India had lost a home Test when taking a first-innings lead in excess of 100 runs.

It was also the third-largest deficit England had overturned to win a Test.

"It's always important to know you are playing against a side that will never give up and can fight back from any situation," added opener Crawley.

"That gives us a lot of heart. They will know we have got it in us. It's a mental game - it must play on their minds a little bit, for sure.

"Hopefully they believe a little bit we can win it and they have a little bit of doubt in their minds."

England took the last four India first-innings wickets for 60 runs on the second morning to bowl the home side out for 396, a total that seemed no more than par on a good pitch.

The tourists reached 114-1 in reply, with Crawley making an attractive 76 on his 26th birthday.

But Crawley's dismissal, miscuing to point when advancing down the pitch to Axar Patel, was the signal for England to lose six wickets for 68 runs.

"I was disappointed to get out when I did," said Kent's Crawley. "I wouldn't have played a different shot, I'd just play it better next time.

"At times I felt like we batted well as a group and at times they bowled really well. I didn't see a lot of bad batting on our part. It's just the way it goes.

"They played really well and they are allowed to do that, but so are we tomorrow and over the next couple of days. We still massively believe we can win the game - we proved that last week. It's their day, but we're still in it."

England were ripped apart by a devastating spell of reverse-swing bowling from Jasprit Bumrah. The pace bowler claimed 6-45, including an astonishing yorker that took out the middle and leg stumps of Ollie Pope.

"He's an unbelievable bowler, especially in these conditions," said Crawley. "When the ball is reversing like that, he's fantastic. Sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say 'well played'. He bowled brilliantly.

"We have to find a way to counteract him. It's about coming up with a gameplan and sticking to it. We'll come up with some gameplans to counteract it and hopefully we'll be sweet."

For Bumrah, a destruction of the England batting left the 30-year-old with his best figures in a home Test.

"I am very happy but I try not to look at numbers. I don't want to put more pressure on myself and think about milestones," he told TNT Sports.

"If you want to take wickets as a fast bowler in India you have got to learn to use reverse swing, because the new ball doesn't always do much for you.

"I grew up watching legendary bowlers using it to bowl magical deliveries and it really inspired me. It is something that I practiced a lot, learning to set up the batters and making it a strength of mine."