Only for the second time in 35 years have India won more than one test in England. When you think of the following for the game and the number of resources at the board’s disposal, this has a ring of under achievement. Nonetheless, it was a victory that was well earned. England were bowled out twice on a placid pitch that resembled a beautifully laid flight runway. Let me contribute my two cents on an excellent Indian win at The Oval.
Memories of 2014 comes flooding back
When India were struggling at 127/7, memories of 2014 came flooding back. Not just for me but for the entire Indian fans. Back in 2014, India won at Lords though it wasn’t as emphatic as the current win and went onto lose not just the next game but the next three tests. It was an experience that was both chastening and humiliating. Will India ever be able to win in England? Will India be ever able to win more than one test in England? Involving India, will any series be alive in England till the last one? The answer for all these questions were answered by the Indian team quite emphatically at The Oval. It was one thing to break Australia’s record at the Gabba of not losing a single test for 35 years but it was something different to record only the second Indian win at The Oval.
For a decent part of the game, until the end of the second day, the contest was more or less equal. India really began to move ahead of England on day 3. From then on, it became a one-sided contest. England absolutely had no wherewithal to fight. They didn’t know what had hit them and were completely deflated. Such was the mastery of the Indians. The way the Indian bowlers conjured reverse swing was mindboggling. Jadeja kept pounding the rough outside the right hander’s leg-stump and that helped in scuffing the ball which is the basic requirement for a ball to reverse. To that end, Kohli used Jadeja judiciously. Well done to him.
Pujara & Rahane
India certainly had quite a few good performances. Pujara seems to have understood that it is not only important to stay at the wicket but it is also important to score runs. He has now played a couple of innings, at Leeds and at The Oval where he was more intent on scoring runs. It resulted in placing both the team and himself in a much better position. Having said that, these couple of innings must be seen in isolation. If this proves another coming for Pujara, it will only be good for the team. However, the same cannot be said of Rahane. His twin failures, albeit on a pitch where Bumrah and Umesh played effortlessly means that he must surely have played his last test.
Rohit Sharma’s brilliance
I am amongst the group that thinks Rohit Sharma will struggle outside the subcontinent. I even commented rather unceremoniously that Rohit did not want to travel to Australia because he feared failure. Rohit has not only proved doubters like me wrong but he has grown in stature. Not just in this series but also in the WTC finals, he always threatened a big knock but except for the 84 at Lords, he couldn’t go on to with the innumerable number of starts. He chose the perfect moment to score that much expected century with good support from Rahul. His innings changed the complexion of the game. Until that point, England were on the ascendancy but once that lead was wiped off, India surged and surged beyond visibility. Thanks to Rohit Sharma.
Jasprit Bumrah
Enough has been written about Bumrah’s brilliant spell post lunch. I will not venture into that. However, with the World T20 coming up followed by the all-important South African tour, India is yet to win a series in SA, will Mumbai Indians and Rohit Sharma think it to be prudent to rest Bumrah? There is no way he can be rested for the final test because the series is still to be decided.
Excellent decision to demote Rahane
India did the unthinkable. Rahane was demoted in both the innings. In walked Jadeja at number 5. The team management said that it was to split the left handers in the lower middle order but I would like to think of it as a lesson for Rahane and Pant. Jadeja has shown much more composure at the wicket than either of them. This move did change Pant’s approach in the second innings but did nothing to Rahane. Sunil Gavaskar, who certainly knows a thing or two about the game, was way too supportive of his fellow Mumbaikar on air. His reasons did not have any basis at all. He perhaps is too old to remember things and it will not be wrong to wish him all the best and thank him for all these years of commentary.
Umesh Yadav and the rest
Umesh Yadav made a welcome return to the team. His control after all these years, still is a concern. It is unbelievable that he has been around for 10 years and much like Ishant Sharma, hasn’t really established himself at the leader of the bowlers. Just like what Shane Warne said about Panesar, Umesh Yadav has played the same test 49 times.
Shardul Thakur, my MOM
The man who transformed the game in both the innings, Shardul Thakur, he must have been the man of the match. He transformed a poor score in the first innings to some sort of respectability. Without Shardul’s 57, the confidence of the Indian bowlers would have deflated and the confidence of the English players would have increased manifold. There is a big mental impact between a score in the low hundreds to a score that is near 200. It gives the bowlers something to bowl with. Though Shardul was expensive in the first innings he got the important wicket of Pope. It was in the second innings, Shardul showed his real value. Together with Pant, he converted a target that may have interested England to something they would not even dream about. It is a shame that this is a batter’s game.
What about England?
As for England, they can take solace in the fact that some of their prime players were missing from the series. Stokes, Archer & Stone. I will not include Broad and Woakes because they have played one test each and weren’t able to stop India. However, things does not look much rosy for England for the Ashes. Anderson and Robinson will perhaps be not that effective and as will Overton, Curran and Woakes. Stokes is mandatory and they need to find bowlers with pace. Let us wait for The Ashes.
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