Flintoff Hails England Heros
Stand in England captain Andrew Flintoff praised the contribution of England’s emergency call-ups after his side, missing five first team players, beat India in the third and final test to draw the series 1-1.
Flintoff himself was named man of the match after hitting two fifties and taking four wickets.
“To come to India and draw 1-1 with such a formidable side was a great effort for our lads,” he said.
“Early on in the tour things were quite tough. The lads who came in and made debuts, with not much experience, have taken the bull by the horns.”
Flintoff, who also won the man of the series award, lost the toss in Mumbai for the first time in the series.
But opposing captain Rahul Dravid put the tourists in to bat, and they reached 400 in a first innings for the first time in the series, with Andrew Strauss’s 128 crucial.
Having bowled India out for 279 in the first innings and scoring 191 in their own second innings England left India chasing 313 for victory.
India started soundly but collapsed from 75-3 to 100 all out with England taking seven wickets in 16 overs after lunch to insure their first victory in India for 21 years.
Flintoff added: “The lads rallied round, it was a bit of a bonus getting the chance to bat first, then Straussy set the game up nicely.”
“To get 400 and then bowl the way we did in the first innings we were always in the game.”
Flintoff revealed that a blast of country music during the lunch break was behind England’s inspired display of seven wickets for 25 runs.”
“We went into the dressing room, had our lunch then played a bit of Johnny Cash, Ring Of Fire,” he said.
“It got the lads going and we came out with a spring in our step.”
