IND vs ENG 2021: India were patient and relentless with the ball, says VVS Laxman

The result of the first Test match between India and England will boil down to the final day with the visitors firmly in the driving seat at the moment. Much of it is courtesy of the stellar performance of the pace quartet India have selected for this match, as they bagged all 20 wickets in a Test, only the second time in their rich history.

On ESPN's Cricinfo show, Matchday Live, the former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman, in conversation with Ian Bell, spoke about the impressive performance of Indian bowlers. Here's what the former middle-order batsman had to say:

"India bowled well. They were patient, executed their plans and were also relentless. That is something that is very critical, especially when the conditions are not suiting you and are favorable for the batsmen. We have to accept it, today they were in favor of batsmen, but the bowlers were up to the task. Even Jadeja bowled well," said Laxman.

Laxman was also keenly impressed by India's newest duo in the pace attack, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur. The former's aggression and intensity is what caught Laxman's eye, while Thakur's consistency was lauded as well.

"Bumrah, Shami, Siraj. Siraj bowled really well. Was impressed with his body language and intensity, something that augurs for India really well. His battle with Curran not only shows his skill set but also his aggression," added Laxman.

INNINGS BREAK! England all out for 303. 5⃣ wickets for @Jaspritbumrah93 2⃣ wickets each for @mdsirajofficial & @imShard 1⃣ wicket for @MdShami11 109 for Joe Root#TeamIndia need 209 runs to win. #ENGvIND Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/TrX6JMzP9A pic.twitter.com/oTSY6GhRZI

— BCCI (@BCCI) August 7, 2021

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It's important for India to utilize the services of the fourth bowler: Laxman

Shardul Thakur played a solid supporting role as the fourth bowler

With perhaps India's greatest weapon in the middle overs, Ravichandran Ashwin having to miss out on his spot as India opted to play an extra pacer in Shardul Thakur, Laxman believes that the Palghar lad was under utilized by Kohli.

While Siraj carried a heavy workload in the second innings with 25 overs, Bumrah bowled 19 overs, with Shami bowling 15.5 overs, while Thakur and Jadeja delivered 13 overs each.

"The only improvement we might like to see is the pacers bowling in tandem. Just felt that when Siraj and Shardul were bowling together, would have liked to see Kohli use Shardul a lot more and a lot better. He was under-bowled today and when he got an opportunity, he picked up wickets. It's important to utilize the services of the fourth bowler," said Laxman.

With five Test matches to play in short turnarounds, the Indian side might want to keep in mind the resources they have on their bench to ensure there are no injuries due to a work overload.

India are currently in a favorable position to take an early lead in the series but with the lethal attack of Anderson, Broad and Co, the run chase will be far from straightforward.

That's Stumps on Day 4⃣ of the first #ENGvIND Test!#TeamIndia move to 5⃣2⃣/1⃣ & need 1⃣5⃣7⃣ runs more to win. @ImRo45 (12*) & @cheteshwar1 (12*) will resume the proceedings on Day 5 at Trent Bridge. Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/TrX6JMzP9A pic.twitter.com/6yBQ5gAFKO

— BCCI (@BCCI) August 7, 2021