India look to better feat of 2001
NOTTINGHAM: India’s overseas cricket wins have often ended as consolation affairs -- Perth 2008, Durban 2010, Lord’s 2014 and Wanderers 2018. Either the series was already lost or India could not win it. The win in the Trent Bridge Test promises to change that narrative.
Will the Southampton pitch for the fourth Test between India and England be dry and spinnerfriendly? Or will damp weather that has chased the teams amid a parched English summer also leave the Ageas Bowl contest at the mercy of seamers?
Either way, it would be Joe Root’s team feeling the heat. After the 203-run win to mark a remarkable fightback, a ‘complete’ success as Virat Kohli put it, the buzz is around India, though England lead the series 2-1 with two games left.
For the sheer spirit of resurgence, the mood in the Indian camp resonates that of the 2001 series against Australia following the dramatic Eden Gardens win. Coach Ravi Shastri though reminded his team “we’ve only won a Test, not the series”. And only Don Bradman’s Austra- lia have come back from 0-2 down to win a series, against England in 1936-37.
However, India, having dismantled England just days after caving in at Lord’s, can go one better than their 2001 achievement over Australia or Bradman’s world mark if they go all the way to win a tough overseas assignment.
In South Africa, after winning the final Test at Johannesburg in a 1-2 series loss, regret in the Indian camp was that it was not a five-match series. The series was already lost before Kohli’s boys reached Wanderers and India paid for not acclimatising.
India have a great chance to prove a point now.
Trent Bridge could mark a new beginning for Kohli the captain – India could also for the first time under him retain the side at Southampton.
Kohli batted two gears lower and didn’t step up tempo even when set during the third Test, negating the swing of James Anderson – he is yet to dismiss the batsman – and others.
That encouraged Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara to solve technical problems and regain confidence with half-centuries.
Rahane still nicked a wide ball as at Lord’s, but the 81 and a century stand with Kohli has boosted him. Pujara showed intent, and though he fell hooking in the first innings, he was calm in scoring 72 in the second innings, not pushing at seaming deliveries, leaving well outside off-stump and punishing every bad ball.
At 32, Shikhar Dhawan’s willingness to change is commendable. The left-hander has been a sitting duck when the red ball seams. In Edgbaston, he was clueless. Recalled after being dropped for Lord’s, he left deliveries or showed the discipline to play late. His half-century stands with KL Rahul in both innings blunted the new ball threat.
Kohli lived up to India’s mantra of mental discipline, unflustered even when Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes kept them at bay for over four hours on Day 4.
Coach Ravi Shastri’s message going into a weeklong break was this: “We’ve had back-to-back Tests. It’s been hard. Take a break, think about all the good things you did in this Test and take it forward.”