Tom Hartley was on cloud nine after England scripted an incredible comeback to beat India in the opening Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

The Three Lions won the match by 28 runs to take a crucial 1-0 lead in the 5-match series.

“It’s unbelievable. Not going to sink in for a while. I’m over the moon,” Hartley said after the match.

IND vs ENG, 1st Test scorecard

Hartley picked up 9 wickets in the match, but had to fight hard in the first innings after he had finished with figures of 25-0-131-2. However, he accounted for a 7-wicket haul in the second to take the visiting team past the finish line.

“’This is hard work.’ It was tough out there, didn’t spin as much as we thought. Testament to the coaches and Stokes, they got around me and gave me confidence. It’s fantastic. In that dressing room, you can have a great day or a bad day, it’s the same vibe in there,” he said.

Hartley heaped praise on Ben Stokes for keeping the team motivated after England conceded a mammoth lead of 190 runs in their first innings. “Never a dull moment, I’m always looking around at the field. We’ve all bought into it,” Hartley said.

Apart from his heroics with the ball, Hartley also contributed with the bat in both innings. After scoring 23 runs off 24 balls on Day 1, the left-handed batter made 34 runs in the second, helping England set India a target of 231 to chase down.

On his batting, Hartley said, “I was nervous but getting a few runs always helps. Found out a few things about the pitch that helped.”

How Hartley observed Ashwin, Jadeja to achieve success

Hartley also said that he observed Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to made tweaks to his bowling in the second innings.

“Realised I didn’t have to bowl as fast as I thought. Watching Jadeja and Ash, I thought we need to take our time a bit,” Hartley added.

Hartley also recorded the second-best figures by an English spinner in Test cricket on debut.

The second Test is scheduled to start on Friday, February 2 at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam.