Ben Stokes and Jack Leach in conversation. (Courtesy: BCCI.TV)

Former India captaincy Anil Kumble questioned England captain Ben Stokes” tactics on Day 1 of the first Test in Hyderabad. Team India were in cruise control at stumps on Day 1, trailing by 127 runs. Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (76* off 70 balls) played a fearless knock while Shubman Gill (14*) supported him cautiously from the other end as Team India reached 119/1 on Day 1.

Stokes utilized his regular spinners on Day 1 with Jack Leach causing the only dismissal of Team India captain Rohit Sharma. However, Kumble insisted that Stokes should have brought in his part-time spinner Joe Root to make the most of the surface that saw spinners dominating Day 1.

“I thought England missed a trick by not using Joe Root because he”s someone you can really turn the ball, and he has a good action. And there was Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is a left-hander, and we saw Ashwin trouble the left-handers. So England probably missed a trick,” Kumble told the broadcasters.

It turned out that Kumble”s reading was absolutely spot on as Root dismissed Jaiswal in the first over on Day 2.

The Indian spin legend also pointed out that the English spinners were inconsistent with their lengths, adding that they lacked confidence with the ball.

“I think it”s one, the length. I mean, they are not consistent at all on a surface where it”s assisting you a bit. We saw that with the Indian spinners. As soon as they bowled a good length, it was turning, so they got the lengths wrong. And then, when you want to spin, I mean first, is confidence. Hartley is playing his first game, Leach hasn”t really played in a while, and then he”s coming in.”

“But if they have to come back in this game, the spinners need to be a lot more consistent. So maybe England need to just keep the field away a little bit because I thought they were over attacks. Because yeah, I mean, you need a slip. Yes, you need a shot, but not for young spinners who are struggling to find the length,” Kumble said.