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England spinner Tom Hartley is now hoping for ‘respect’ to be put on his name after his match-winning performance against India.
The Lancashire star admits he was ‘picked on’ by his opponents in the first innings before returning with a seven-wicket haul in the second.
Hartley was handed his Test debut in Hyderabad and it started with a promising 23 with the bat.
But the 24-year-old struggled when he opened the bowling alongside England’s only seam bowler Mark Wood.
Tom Hartley admits he was ‘picked on’ by India batters in the first Test
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Hartley was hit for six by Yashasvi Jaiswal on his first ball in Test cricket and the left-handed opener took a particular liking to his bowling.
He did pick up two wickets but conceded 131 runs in his 25 overs and did not bowl a maiden.
Hartley again added a vital contribution with the bat, hitting 34 in partnership with centurion Ollie Pope.
The debutant then proved many of his doubters wrong in India’s second innings, picking up the first four wickets to give England a sniff at victory.
Hartley collected three further scalps, including the last wicket of Mohammed Siraj, to end with figures of 7-62 and claim nine wickets on debut.
He admits he was frustrated to be targeted in the first innings but now hopes he will be respected in the rest of the series.
“I was so nervous that first day. I was so happy to bring a few runs to the team, hit a six, tick a few things off,” said Hartley.
“Then it was frustration that I was the bowler getting picked on, I was thinking if this was going to be the story for the whole series.
“I’ve been hit for a lot of sixes in my career, so I don’t let these things get on top of me. The background I’ve had is to not let yourself get down. I just want to be a fighter and throw some punches back.
“To come out in the fourth innings and do what I did, hopefully they can put a bit more respect on my name and go forward from there.”
It is Hartley’s first taste of the Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes era and he is already loving it.
He added: “I’ve watched a bit, and they’ve done some rogue things. That’s just the way they are, and after being in this Test match, I’m all aboard.
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Tom Hartley bowled England to victory in the second innings against India
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“Even before, I was happy with it, I was all in anyway. They’re just such a great combo and they bring so much confidence and life to this team.
“When you’re bowling, you look round and think ‘there was a fielder there last ball and now he’s gone somewhere else’.
“But you just put that out of your mind. You just concentrate on the bowling and he’ll do the fielding for you.”
Stokes took some criticism for continuing to bowl Hartley in the first innings despite him being expensive.
The captain was determined to give the rookie the chance to turn his fortunes around.
Tom Hartley had a difficult start on Test debut but turned it around in stunning fashion
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Stokes said: “It didn’t go how he wanted [on day one] but I was committed to giving him that long spell.
“Whether or not that is a big reason he’s got seven-for I don’t know.
“It is just a lesson to quite a lot of people that if you are saying stuff to people and want them to believe in it, you have really got to back it up by your actions.”
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