Grass cover at Lord’s, India batsmen work hard at nets
Visitors look to draw inspiration from 2014 Lord’s win but batsmen need to step up
The first thing that hits a newcomer to Lord’s is its distinct slope, running right to left as one faces the pavilion, from the Grand Stand to the Mound and Tavern stands.
Four years is a long time as India skipper Virat Kohli showed with his brilliant century in the first Test at Edgbaston, banishing his blues of 2014. However, as he lamented, the team will have to overcome the heartbreak of the 31-run defeat that has left it 0-1 in the five-Test series.
Coming to Lord’s, the Indian squad will know the second Test starting on Thursday will make the difference between announcing the fighting qualities of the visitors and slipping further, be it succumbing to the uniqueness of the hallowed ground or the confident opposition.
India’s robust bowling performances at Edgbaston have lifted them, coming into a venue where Ishant Sharma helped pull off the lone win of 2014 with a seven-wicket haul in the England second innings.
India coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharath Arun were in animated discussion at the pitch moments after the team reached for its first practice session at the Lord’s. There was a tinge of grass cover, but London is enduring a hot summer, which could limit swing and make spinners more relevant. However, rain is forecast for Tuesday, and more showers during the Test. Whether that will help tilt the scales in favour of seamers, like in Edgbaston, remains to be seen.
At the Lord’s academy nets, the focus was on India’s batsmen. Although Jasprit Bumrah bowled, the pacer with his fractured left thumb still in a cast will not be fit to play the second Test, Arun said. India have also not taken a call on whether to play a second spinner, he said.
Virat Kohli had a short ses- sion, hopping from spin to pace before leaving, happy with his touch. But Ajinkya Rahane, who scored 15 and 2 in Edgbaston, struggled to middle the ball and has his job cut out returning to a ground where he scored a matchwinning century the last time.
Cheteshwar Pujara though looked in good nick as he tackled a bunch of pacers, the India attack of Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma as well as Sachin Tendulkar’s son Arjun, who bowled at the India nets as he often has. Umesh Yadav bowled the quickest, troubling all batsmen.
Opening batsman Murali Vijay let out a cry of anguish after an in-coming delivery from Mohammed Shami struck him low on the back pad. It were similar deliveries, pitched up and nipping back, that saw him fall leg before in both innings at Edgbaston, for 20 and 6. Rahane looked a bit awkward playing deliveries outside off-stump, not really getting on top while defending with an angled bat, a shot that had led to his downfall, caught at third slip, off Ben Stokes.
Fixing the top-order problems will be high on the agenda for India, although conditions are expected to be less testing for batsmen at the Mecca of cricket.
The team management will have to answer two questions – whether to shuffle the top order that caved in twice at Edgbaston, and whether to bring in a second spinner to support R Ashwin if convinced the pitch will be dry and slow bowlers will come into the equation a lot more than in Edgbaston.