It took close to a year for England to savour a Test win again. It took just 10 days for India to plummet from its Lord’s high. Reversal of fortunes can be ruthless in sport.
India’s 266-run loss in the third Test at the Ageas Bowl, that left the five-match series level at 1-1, has saddled the visitor with a multitude of headaches.
The team may have been dealt a cruel blow ahead of the match when Ishant Sharma turned unfit but to draw an excuse from his absence would be an attempt at blinding perspective.
India lacked intensity and that dip in effort was a genuine fear that stalked the team ever since a five-match series was announced against England.
M.S. Dhoni’s men, including the skipper himself, have never participated in a long series. They usually play a few Tests and then merrily tumble into limited overs cricket.
Fatigue was evident in the way the bowlers, especially the seamers, performed though debutant Pankaj Singh was unlucky in not getting any wickets in the first innings. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was mostly off the mark and Mohammed Shami is struggling for rhythm. Bowling coach Joe Dawes spoke about inconsistencies in the Bengal fast bowler’s run-up.
At Lord’s while India basked under the glory that Ishant’s bouncer-barrage gifted, Shami’s under-cooked short-pitched deliveries slipped under the radar.
During England’s second innings in the third Test, Dhoni gave just four overs to Shami.
In bizarre territory When it comes to spin, India is in a bizarre territory, something that cannot be fathomed in a nation that is known to throw up men, who master the slow-art.
Ravindra Jadeja is now Dhoni’s primary spinner and R. Ashwin has been left to read his books close to the boundary ropes. His overseas record is inferior to his exploits back home but when Moeen Ali flourished at the Ageas Bowl, questions were raised about why Ashwin is being benched.
The playing eleven too remains a work in progress. Dhoni dropped Stuart Binny and bolstered the batting by inducting Rohit Sharma for the third Test and the Mumbaikar’s tepid run, especially his loose shot against Ali in the first innings, hurt the team. It remains to be seen if Dhoni will revert to five bowlers or stick to his current strategy of three seamers and an all-rounder in Jadeja.
The selection-puzzle has been made worse by a batting-unit that has been vulnerable. Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane’s runs and the lower-order’s resistance rescued India at Trent Bridge and Lord’s but there was no such fortune at the Ageas Bowl.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli are still searching for their defining knock and though Shikhar Dhawan battled hard in the second innings, he is yet to go beyond cameos. Dhoni hoped that his batsmen won’t make a habit of frittering away their starts, a flaw that ruined India in the third Test.
Fielding is also a sore-point and when Jadeja (third slip) dropped Alastair Cook on 15, it turned out to be a huge moment for England.
India has to iron out these flaws and if it can embrace discipline and vigour, its two defining traits during the Lord’s triumph, this young team can still find its mojo. Ishant’s absence will affect and it won’t be easy against an England team that has regained self-belief.
But this is another hard lesson that the current squad has to imbibe and cope adequately starting with the fourth Test at Manchester’s Old Trafford from August 7.
