India in a spot of bother

Having lost the first Test that they were expected to win, India now finds themselves in a situation that will send smiles throughout the English camp. Two batsmen who were among the runs at Hyderabad, atleast in the first innings, now find themselves out of the second Test. Rahul and Jadeja will miss the 2^nd Test because of injuries. Only 3 Indians crossed 50 in the first game and Rahul and Jadeja were among them. It is not only a blow for India but it could mean that the series could be lost at Vishakhapatnam. Yes, there are 3 more Tests to go and Virat Kohli will also be back but It is difficult to see an Indian side come back from 0-2 deficit to win the series. India in a spot of bother.

India in a spot of bother because of their own making. They cannot blame anyone else, ofcourse, the BCCI can be blamed, but themselves. Having taken a lead of 190, you cannot fathom a team losing. It just does not happen in India where a lead of more than 150 is usually a win by an innings. Indian spinners failed miserably and the batsmen, well the less said the better because in the absence of Pant, there isn’t anyone who can claim to have won games in the 4^th innings. Even Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma cannot claim that.

The new middle-order

India will begin the 2^nd Test on the backfoot. In the absence of a couple of experienced middle-order batsmen combined with the absence of Kohli, the entire middle order will wear a new look. Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sundar and Saurabh Kumar have all been inducted into the team. Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer do not inspire any confidence. A lot rests on the ability of Rohit Sharma to play a long and match-defining innings. I cannot believe that I am saying this after being in the drop Rahul brigade but his absence, especially when he is in good form will hurt. Ofcourse, neither of them could do anything in the 4^th innings chase but that is pretty much expected of every Indian batsman. Now, India finds themselves in the position of not even being able to set up the game in the first innings.

Perhaps, with so much experience lost, maybe, just maybe, Pujara could have been recalled to provide the much-needed stability. India is up against an England side that is brimming with confidence after an impressive and improbable win. India must take heart from the last series against England. They found themselves in a similar situation but ended up winning the series 3-1. However, the situation is much different now. England under Stokes is playing brave cricket and can be counted upon to change any situation around. In the last series, in was a comprehensive win for England but this time around, they won against all odds. Hence, the pressure on India is higher because they just don’t know what is the winning score.

Be on the defensive

Perhaps, India must think of going on the defensive for this game and must resist the urge to pick 5 bowlers. An extra batsman will provide the depth that is essential in the next game. 6 batsmen with Ashwin and Axar Patel must be the team. In that case, both Patidar and Sarfaraz can be expected to make their debut. Gill should be told to open, though there is no guarantee that he will make it count, with Rohit dropping to number 4. Gill is extremely lucky that Rahul and Jadeja are injured which gives him one more chance. Kuldeep should come in for Siraj.

Spinners only attack

England’s confidence is extremely high. So much so that, Brendan McCullum is toying with the idea of fielding an all-spin attack which means Mark Wood misses out and Shoaib Bashir comes into the playing eleven. This England team comes up with thoughts and ideas that were previously unheard of. There are several instances when teams under various captains played with an all-pace attack but never an all-spin attack. Even India did that once in Australia.

“When he arrived, boys gave him a huge cheer and he got to witness something pretty special with the fellas bowling us to a Test win. He comes into calculations for the next Test match. If the wickets continue to spin as much as what we saw in the first Test as the series goes on, look, we won’t be afraid to play all spinners or a balance of what we’ve got.”

Wrapping up India in a spot of bother

By the looks of it, it is going to be a tough series. England as was envisaged by their former captain, Michael Vaughan, are not going to be pushovers. They will fight with India every step of the way. The inexperience will be a problem. Probably, the management could promote Ashwin upto number 5 to not only protect the debutants but also to push the score along. Ashwin is certainly a decent batsman who hasn’t really lived upto that billing. The time is now for him to showcase his value as a batsman.

In the absence of Kohli, Rahul and Jadeja, he must raise upto the occasion and will have to contribute with the bat and with the ball. Onething for Rohit Sharma, however. Win the bloody toss.