"We Were Surprised By...": England Star Re-Ignites Pitch Debate In Hyderabad Test

England opener Zak Crawley has reginited the pitch debate amid the ongoing first Test against India in Hyderabad. Crawley revealed that the England players were left surprised by the amount of spin that the Hyderabad track generated on Day 1 of the game. A total of 11 wickets fell on Day 1 as England were bowled out for 246 in the first innings. In response, India reached 119/1 at stumps with Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring quick runs for the hosts.

There was a lot of chatter regarding the pitches in India during the lead up to the series and Crawley's comments have further ignited the debate.

"We were surprised by how much it turned on day one, we thought it would be turning more yesterday. Hopefully we can use that today to get the three wickets," Crawley told TNT Sports on Day 3.

Crawley also shed light on what makes India pitches different to the ones in Pakistan, adding that he loves playing in Asian conditions.

"I have loved it here, it is one of the things I love about Test cricket is going all over the world. I felt ready and prepared coming into this game. I've played in Pakistan and the conditions are similar here but it turns more. Pakistan was more about the reverse swing, the ball skidding on, but here we knew that spin was going to play a big part so that was a focus in my practice," he added.

The 25-year-old Crawley, who played knocks of 20 and 31 in the first Test, is hopeful of getting runs for his teams in the remaining matches.

"We will still look to play the same way, we will always take the positive option. If it's not the time for it, we'll play accordingly but we won't overcomplicate it and hopefully the runs come," he concluded.

On Day 3, Ollie Pope struck a defiant century to help England bounce back