Dismay after Anderson let-off
UNHAPPY CAMP The India team betrayed disappointment after the England pacer was given relief
MANCHESTER: No matter how tough the situation is, it’s almost impossible to judge the emotions going inside MS Dhoni. However, on Friday, Dhoni’s face was a giveaway. At the Southampton Hotel’s concierge table, the body language showed something was amiss.
Late in the afternoon, the Indian entourage, which participated in the judicial hearing, left the hotel as if it was a rescue operation. Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin, manager Sunil Dev, physio Evan Speechly and media manager RN Baba were whisked away from the rear entrance. They got into two awaiting cars and sped away to Manchester. Coach Duncan Fletcher and Gautam Gambhir had exited the same way. The body language in the two camps was an indicator of how the hearing had gone. Among the England players, those who were witnesses --- Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad and Matt Prior --- all left the hotel early, through the main entrance. The other England team and ECB members also had the look of winners.
CONTRASTING EMOTIONS
The verdict is a cause of great heartburn for the India squad. Even from a cricketing point of view, it’s a blow to their game plan. James Anderson is the biggest factor in the series. Had he been banned, naturally things would have become easier.
As it happened, his skipper, Alastair Cook will be jumping for joy that Anderson will be leading the England attack at his home ground, Old Trafford, in the fourth Test. A ban would players. In 2011, Cook would immediately throw the ball to Anderson when Sachin Tendulkar walked in. At Southampton, Anderson seemed to enjoy testing India’s batting mainstay, Virat Kohli. These are early days in their rivalry, but it has all the ingredients of turning into an exciting one. After between the two sides in the last two series, helping England win at home (2011) and in India the next year. A ban on Anderson would have been a big advantage for India. Now, he will have his tails up at his home game. India can be braced for a hostile reception at Old Trafford. have left Cook without his most lethal weapon.
He has been the Man-of-theMatch in two Tests, the leading wicket-taker with 16 scalps. In the third Test, he provided proof that he is back to his best, routing India in the first innings with a five-wicket haul and giving crucial breakthroughs in the second.
His importance can be judged by the fact that that at Lord’s where he was below-par, England crashed to a heavy defeat. TRUMP CARD He is known for targeting the main getting him with his trademark away swinger in the first innings of the third Test, Anderson would be itching to have another go at Kohli.
“I think this game (Southampton) was somewhere near it (my best), the ball swung which helps as that is my strength. But at the same time it swung in Lord’s and we didn’t get it right. But I felt we were absolutely relentless here as a group of four seamers. Our job now is to maintain that throughout the series,” Anderson said.
Anderson made the difference