- TNT Sports did not have a studio team for the opening day of the first Test
- Fans were very frustrated with their coverage as England toiled in India
- TNT Sports have confirmed that they will have a full studio team from the second test
TNT Sports has promised to deploy a full studio team for the final four Tests of its five-match England series in India after fans complained about their coverage on Thursday.
The broadcaster only secured the rights to the series last week, and the last-minute nature of the negotiations meant fans had to listen to commentary from the host broadcaster as TNT Sports did not have a team in India.
Meanwhile, TNT Sports presenter Matt Floyd was not seen at all by viewers, the toss was not shown live after coverage started five minutes late, and the lunch and tea breaks were largely used to show extended highlights of the day’s match to show.
But TNT Sports have insisted they will try to resolve these issues, starting with the second test next week, by putting together a studio team that can provide expert analysis.
Speak with iA TNT spokesperson said: ‘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 .
TNT Sports had their coverage of the opening day of the first Test between Ben Stokes’ England and India slammed shut
They have promised to bring in a full studio team from the second test, with Alastair Cook (right) expected to be involved
“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.”
The same outlet has reported that former England captain Alastair Cook and fast bowler Steven Finn are expected to be part of TNT Sports’ coverage for the remainder of the series.
Both men previously worked with TNT Sports when England played away games in recent years.
TNT Sports may look to revamp their coverage from next week but that was no consolation to fans, who are paying up to £30 a month for the channel on the opening day of the first Test.
A viewer posted on
Watch #INDvENG on TNT. No studio, no analysis, no guests. Just like the #AFCON2023 on Sky. We pay hard for nonsense!!’
Another added: ‘TNT Sport coverage worn out. They have live images and BCCI communication, but so far no studio and no analysis. The lunch is just highlights of what we have seen so far.”
There was also some uncertainty among fans about how well England did after the first session as there were no experts present to analyze England’s performance with the bat.
‘I woke up during lunch. 108/3, 300 would be good. 3 quick wickets, can we reach 250?
England had a difficult day as Yashasvi Jaiswal (right) remained unbeaten for a half-century after the tourists were bowled out for 246
‘Almost no idea if it’s any good because I have no idea if our spin bowlers can provide control, let alone threat.
“And #TNT is bullshit,” one fan wrote.
It ended up being a tough day for the tourists in Hyderabad as they were bowled out for 246 after opting to bat first, with captain Ben Stokes the only player to pass 50.
India made a fast start to their response, as Yashasvi Jaiswal hit an unbeaten 76 off just 70 balls to take the home side to 119-1 at the end of the match.