- TNT was criticized for their first day broadcast, which did not feature any experts
- The broadcaster said there was no time to put together a team ahead of the match
- India ended day one at 119 for one after England were bowled out for 246
Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook and fast bowler Steven Finn will front a beefed-up TNT Sports production of the second Test in Visakhapatnam next week after the broadcaster was criticized for their spartan coverage of day one in Hyderabad.
With TNT only signing a five-year contract for India’s home internationals last week, there was insufficient time to put together an expert team before the start of the series, allowing presenter Matt Floyd to deliver their coverage without any studio presence.
TNT will continue to use a broadcast of the Indian commentary team, including former England captains Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan, for the remainder of the series, but will have their own experts from the second Test.
Cook and Finn are said to be booked for next week, along with Kate Mason, who will present from a studio in London.
Mason impressed when he presented TNT’s coverage of England’s white ball tour to the West Indies before Christmas, which was also presented from London.
Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook has been lined up as a pundit by TNT Sports ahead of the team’s second Test with India next week
Former England bowler Steven Finn will also be part of TNT’s coverage of the series
TNT Sports was criticized by cricket fans for their stripped-down coverage of the first day
England had a difficult day as Yashasvi Jaiswal (right) remained unbeaten for a half-century after the tourists were bowled out for 246
Cook and Finn would normally be employed on Test Match Special but are available after BBC Sport lost out to Talksport in the battle for radio rights.
Talksport has committed significant resources to covering the series, with former England bowlers Steve Harmison and Darren Gough sent to India as part of a full commentary team led by veteran South African commentator Neil Manthorp.
“The proximity between the agreement to show England’s Tour of India on TNT Sports and the start of the series has meant that we have not been able to implement our usual pre-production process for the first Test from Hyderabad,” a TNT spokesperson said .
‘However, for the remainder of the series, as usual, we will have an on-screen team able to provide expert insights and analysis to fans watching on TNT Sports.
“We’re excited to bring all the action live on TNT Sports and Discovery+ from Thursday, including timeline markers, a brand new innovation that allows fans to catch up on all the key moments from the day’s match.”