"Just gifted Kuldeep Yadav a couple of wickets there" - Former England cricketer disappointed with visitors' approach vs India in 5th Test

Former England opener Nick Knight isn't impressed with the way batters Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope were dismissed in the first session on Day 1 of the fifth Test against India at Dharamsala.

Duckett got off to a start but tried to slog one across the line off Kuldeep Yadav's bowling, only managing to lob it towards short covers. Shubman Gill completed a fine catch running behind. Pope bizarrely tried to run down the track and didn't read the googly from Kuldeep, ending up getting stumped.

Speaking to Jio Cinema, Nick Knight explained why he felt England's shot selection was questionable in the wickets they lost. He said:

"I mean, I thought Ben Duckett played really well, sort of absorbed the pressure. The ball was moving laterally in the air, not so much of the pitch. I just I just thought maybe he could have been down the ground a little straighter and not a bit across the line, just gifted Kuldeep a couple of wickets there."

Knight had earlier praised the England openers on air for doing the hard work and surviving the opening spell of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj despite conditions suiting the pacers. However, he was disappointed that they couldn't ride on that momentum for the rest of the session.

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England weren't able to get in a position of real strength: Nick Knight

Nick Knight believes the visitors should have been smarter in knowing that India did not have a third seamer. He feels they should have seen out Kuldeep Yadav's spell and looked to take on other bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin.

On this, he stated:

"I thought they knuckled down. I thought they played the situation perfectly in the first half an hour. Then into the next hour. India don't have a third seamer, it was going to be Ashwin after that.

"And then it was a case of whether they consider keep their foot on the gas and the throttle and keep pushing home and getting a position of real strength. And they weren't able to do that."

Things have gone from bad to worse for England as they have gone into Tea on Day 1 at 194/8. Kuldeep Yadav has been the star for India once again, picking up a five-wicket haul and has put the hosts right on top in the Test so far.