Have you ever seen a Test team that has five Test centuries, with four batters making one each and one making a hundred in each innings of the contest with the team eventually losing the match?
In other words, how often have you seen a team that scores 471 first innings runs and even then emerges on the losing side?
Well, if you are , then this is you. And this doesn’t feel well.
So how come Team India ended up as losers when they played like such a vibrant and engaging team that was, up to a certain extent, involved in critical junctures of the match and almost threatening enough for hosts England?
4 Reasons why Team India lost first Test against England
Lower order collapse
Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur are both quality all rounders, isn’t it? Their match winning or if not, outright outlandish ability at winning a match, but game changing abilities are known to the world.
But how did they perform with the bat when crucial runs from down the lower order were needed?
Jadeja made 25 in the second inning having made 11 in the first. But what about “Lord” Shardul?
The right-handed batter who also bowls moderate to fast medium, scored 1 off 8 and 4 off 12.
So when the lower order who’s no mug with the bat scores 41 runs in all, how can India be expected to dominate its opponent who’s actually playing at its own turf?
Ben Duckett’s careful planning against Bumrah
When the glorious chapters of English cricket history would be written, the name of Ben Duckett will feature in golden colours.
Ben Duckett, the brave batter, made 211 runs of his own, and specifically speaking, 149 off the 371 that his England eventually scored.
But what was interesting about Duckett’s batting in the fourth innings of the game was that he took minimal chances against pace ace Jasprit Bumrah, scoring hardly any runs and conserving his wicket against the great fast bowler.
He targeted some newcomers to the format, Prasidh Krishna in particular, and on occasions, against Jadeja. But where it came to Bumrah, the approach was simple – protect the wicket and attack against the others who might not be as threatening. If this is indeed Ben Duckett’s plan, then he’s sorted for what’s to come.
Not having a match-winning quality spinner
Should India get back to someone like Kuldeep Yadav, a proven specialist left arm orthodox quality spinner whose specialty is not only in taking wickets but crucial wickets and key stages of a contest? Surely, someone like Siraj is a great find and redoubtable talent with his pace but given the fact that when his team most needed wickets, he went wicketless in the second inning and took just 2 wickets in England’s first outing with the bat doesn’t cut a promising picture.
Bumrah got India back into the game with a fifer in England’s first innings but sadly, couldn’t get on in the fourth innings. Does it also mean that maybe it’s time to infuse some genuine spin magic with pace and consider other options?
Regardless, fact is that in Leeds, England found it relatively easy to chase down what was still a mighty ask and that too, in a single day out there.
Kuldeep, who’s taken 56 wickets from 13 games, took 3 wickets in the last Test he played, which was in Bangalore. Considering Edgbaston could offer some respite for bowlers, instead of being placid for them and easy for batters, should India bring him on?
Dropped catches?
You could call it a peril nightmare, you could call it the worst mistake of Team India in the recently-concluded Test in Leeds but in the contest that England won saw India committed an act that in criminal parlance could be dubbed sacrilege.
You drop a catch or two or even three, but in Leeds, collectively, especially in the first Innings with England with the bat, India dropped eight catches.
What was surprising, stunning even was that Jaiswal, who’s usually a safe pair of hands, dropped three catches in England’s first innings. Harry Brook was dropped on 83, he’d add sixteen more to his run tally.
Previously, Jaiswal also dropped Ben Duckett when the left hander was on 11. He’d strike a fine fifty, scoring 62. Then, Jaiswal dropped Ollie Pope who’d go on to score a century.
Rather absurdly for India, Jaiswal also dropped Ben Duckett again in the second innings when he was nearing a century. Consequently, he’d score lion’s share of England’s runs.Dev Tyagi