Bad weather in Robin Hood County capped a fascinating climax in the first Test between India and England. Wet spells in Nottingham are notorious for lasting longer than in most other places in England. The final day’s play was interesting: India needed 157 runs and home country needed 9 wickets to win. However, incessant rain stopped any play.
If play were possible, which side would the match have tilted?
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This is an academic, but interesting debate nonetheless. With Indian fans pointing to the modest target to be chased, England supporters will highlight how often visiting teams with a formidable batting line-up scored 200 runs in the fourth innings in conditions conducive to swing and seam bowlers. struggled to create.
I want to be rough for India in this imagined scenario. The biggest threat was in the last hour of play on the fourth day when England’s fast bowlers – Anderson, Broad and Robinson – all bowed out. Had India lost a few more wickets apart from KL Rahul in that stage, England would have had the upper hand on the last day.
That said, it was close enough for a game at the time, which should alert Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri to the dangers ahead. Pre-series estimates were of an easy win for India – 4-0 or 3-1 some experts said – but England fought hard, earning as many brownie points as their opponents.
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This is probably England’s weakest batting team in decades. Except for captain Joe Root, others in the top six looked mediocre. Buttler and Bairstow are the most experienced after the captain, but have not played up to their potential. Bairstow scored a few runs in both the innings without looking systematic or official, Buttler was a flop in both the innings.
After Root, the most reliable batsman was Sam Curran who showed plucks, good cricketing sense and some excellent strokes. He couldn’t make much impact with the ball which is why he was in the team but Curran’s batting should see him in this faltering playing XI.
Root was brilliant, scoring 64 in the first innings and 109 in the second. He was easily the best batsman in the match, showing skill and flexibility to bat in tough conditions. But for Root, England would have folded much earlier on the fourth day and might have lost the match.
Root’s efforts could be worth more than the runs he scored. This could be the motivation that England needed to be competitive in the series. If a few more batsmen contribute well, and the total reaches 325-350, it will put heavy pressure on India, as England’s bowling is top-class.
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Jimmy Anderson seems to have drunk from the Fountain of Youth. Scoring 40 runs, he has not lost any momentum and remains arguably the toughest fast bowler in the world with extreme fine skills, a tough mind and body and an insatiable desire for wickets. The way he got India’s top-order batsmen including Kohli out for golden ducks was a sight to behold.
Backed by Broad and Ollie Robinson, the threat of England’s momentum prevails. Karan has been perfectly placed in the supporting role of these three. England misses a spinner. It is inconceivable that Moeen Ali, who has an impressive record against India and is a far better batsman at this level than the young Dan Lawrence, did not find a place in the team.
From India’s point of view, clearly the top order needs to be more restrained and productive. KL Rahul, who got a chance to play due to injuries to both Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal, made the most of it by scoring 84 runs in the first innings. He had anxious moments against Anderson – who didn’t – and some lives too, but showed good technique and temperament in bowler-friendly conditions.
Rahul has been typecast as a specialist in the white ball, but comes with rich experience in first-class and Test cricket. This could be the turnaround innings of his Test career. He should play the whole series till his form is not bad. If he is successful, he clearly goes on to become the primary candidate for the opener’s spot.
Some misfortune can be attributed to Kohli getting out on the first ball. He didn’t have time to settle down. But in terms of a two-year period, it could have more consequences. The frequency of Kohli’s big scores has come down since the 2019 World Cup. He needs to increase it. Kohli not getting enough runs boosts the morale of the other team.
Among others in the top-order, Rohit Sharma flattered to cheat, playing a high-risk hook at the stroke of a break, trying his best to spoil Anderson & Co. Pujara and Rahane looked below par and Pant intended to hit every ball over the fence, which doesn’t work easily when the ball is swinging and seaming.
A pleasant surprise in the Indian batting was tail wagging. Often 9, 10 and Jack have contributed very little over the years. In some respects, like in the WTC Finals, it made the difference between victory and defeat. In the first Test, India’s last three wickets were at 75, taking a significant 95-run lead.
From a strategic point of view, picking Jadeja ahead of Ashwin was a difficult decision. Willie the offspinner has been in excellent form for the past one year. Two spinners at Trent Bridge would have been a luxury. The team management seems to have more faith in Jadeja as a batsman and he is clearly a better fielder which turned the decision in his favour.
Jadeja reiterated his growing stature as a batsman with a scintillating half-century. He didn’t get a wicket as there was nothing for the slow bowlers on the Trent Bridge pitch. Going forward, I see both the spinners side by side. In the second half of the summer, pitches in England become dry and slick, bringing spinners into the equation.
The best aspect of the Indian team at Trent Bridge was the fast bowling. With 9 wickets in the match, Bumrah showed that he was back at his best. He didn’t have much red-ball bowling before the WTC final, but in the first Test, everything that made him special – the challenging length, the fast seam movement, the clever variations – was England’s batting, except Root, tuttering.
Mohammed Shami was in fine form in the first innings and was unlucky not to get more than three wickets. Mohammad Siraj bowled with fire, though his inexperience came at a time when the excitement caused him to take some control. Shardul Thakur was preferred over Ishant Sharma as India needed depth in the batting, showed good craft and temperament.
Collectively, the Indian fast bowlers were checking and penetrating. As, in fact, it has happened in the last 4-5 years when the team has played overseas. Bowlers can achieve so much if there is insufficient support from the batting. That problem persists.
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