Former England captain Michael Atherton has drawn comparisons between India’s recent collapse to 46 all out against New Zealand and England’s infamous 46 all out against West Indies in 1994. Atherton, now a respected pundit, highlighted the unique distinction held by Virat Kohli, who has been part of two of India’s three lowest-ever scores.
Atherton noted that India’s collapse occurred in the first innings of a home Test, where they had won the toss and elected to bat. In contrast, England’s 46 all out came in the final innings of an away Test, where they had lost the toss.
Despite these differences, Atherton identified some similarities between the two innings. Both teams were bowled out by pace bowling, and both collapses featured a number of soft dismissals. Atherton also pointed out that both India and England had been in strong positions before their batting collapses.
Atherton welcomed India captain Rohit Sharma to “his world,” as he had also experienced the ignominy of captaining a side bowled out for 46. He emphasized the pain and embarrassment that follows such a collapse, despite the adulation from fans.
Atherton’s analysis highlights the fragility of batting in Test cricket, even for the world’s best teams. It also raises questions about India’s batting lineup, which has been under scrutiny in recent months.
