'Just swallow your pride and get the game on your terms' - Aaron Finch offers advice to England for the next two Tests against India

England's cricket team finds itself in a tricky position as they trail 2-1 in the five-match Test series against India. Despite their spirited performances in the first two Tests, England's aggressive approach backfired disastrously in Rajkot. Former Australian cricketers Aaron Finch and Michael Clarke have offered valuable insights into England's poor performance.

After England's defeat by a huge margin in the third Test match, cricket fans and former players have scrutinized their approach. Joe Root's dismissal, especially, drew significant attention, questioning England's game awareness and the need to mitigate their attacking mindset.

"There needs to be game awareness" - Aaron Finch 

Aaron Finch, who recently retired from the game last year, emphasized the importance of game awareness for England. He suggested that at times, the team should prioritize controlling the game's tempo over maintaining an aggressive stance throughout. 

“I think there needs to be game awareness. They’re getting so far ahead of the game because they’re scoring quickly and that’s just because of their intent. Sometimes, just for a session, just swallow your pride and get the game on your terms. Their openers are giving them a great platform but they’re just not capitalizing on it,” said Finch to ESPNcricinfo.

In contrast, Michael Clarke advocated for England's commitment to their aggressive style, urging them to stand by their game plan regardless of extrinsic opinions. 

“I think it’s one of those things where you live by the sword, and you die by it. This is the time for England to come together and Bazball or whatever you call it, if this is how you want to play, then you have to back yourselves and not care what other people think. If you think that’s the best chance of beating India then back yourselves,” Clarke said to the same publication.

England are preparing for the pivotal fourth Test in Ranchi to engineer a comeback in the series. The visitors will be looking to amend the errors they made in Rajkot and stick to their offensive game plan.

Also read: Jasprit Bumrah missing as Indian team lands in Ranchi ahead of fourth Test