IND vs ENG Test series: The demons are out of the closet once again for the Indian Test team. Once known as the best traveling team, India looks out of gas and ideas whenever they play the longest format of the game.
Earlier this year, India conceded the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia after losing the five-match Test series by a margin of 3-1. India is now in the midst of another away Test tour and is locking horns with England in what looks like a long series.
R. Ashwin Calls Out India’s Biggest Tactical Flaw
For the past few years, the Indian team has been wary of batting collapses. This is the exact same thing that happened during the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. During the first innings, India lost their last five wickets within 24 runs, and in the second innings, India lost their final five wickets after scoring 331 runs.
In order to prevent batting collapses, India somehow managed to fit in both Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja in the same XI. To everybody’s surprise, Thakur, who has the capability of swinging the ball and taking wickets at crucial moments of the game, was just allowed to bowl 6 overs during England’s first innings.
Gambhir and Gill’s decision to bowl Shardul for six overs is being seen as one of the biggest tactical flaws that cost India the game. Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has thrown his weight into the matter and has said that he rates Thakur very highly. “You have taken Shardul Thakur in the team and didn’t give him a ball in the first 40 overs. He has caught Ben Duckett and Harry Brook. He can make things happen. But he has to use them at the right time. But if this is going to be the way he is going to be used, I don’t think he is really making any sense,” said Ashwin while speaking on his YouTube channel.
India In Dire Need Of A Turnaround
Four batsmen from the Indian team scored five Test match hundreds, and they still managed to lose the game by 5 wickets. The young Indian team dominated almost every session of the match, but despite being in such a strong position, it is difficult to understand the reasons that led to India’s downfall in the opening match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series.