High time India batsmen show mettle, rise as one
performances in 2018 were to define the batch of Virat Kohli. With the experience of having played as a group for a few seasons, they were expected to pass the ultimate test of dominating in Tests outside Asia. However, after eight Tests across South Africa and England, they have little to show in terms of results. This despite Kohli having the luxury of a strong pace attack under his command. It is the batting department, on which India always banks on to compete against the best, which has let him down.
In South Africa, India’s highest total was 307; in England it was 352 (they crossed 300 thrice in 10 innings).
Individually there have been some fine performances, but collectively Indian batsmen have failed to pile on the runs. Of these eight Tests, only in the final game at Oval, with the series lost, did two Indian batsmen get hundreds in the same innings -- KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant launched a desperate counter-attack on the last day with the team in a hopeless situation. India still lost. Before leaving for Australia, Kohli, who hammered 593 runs in the five Tests in England and yet saw his team lose 4-1, harped on the importance of firing as a unit if India are to salvage pride in the series.
MUMBAI:India’s Everybody has got runs in some or the other match; the problem is they are not getting runs together.
LESSONS FROM PAST
What has puzzled experts is that at this point in their careers, the batsmen should be firing on all cylinders, like Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag did from 2002, forming a formidable combination with Sachin Tendulkar and scripting some memorable away victories.
Take India’s last series win in England, in 2007. When the Rahul Dravid-led side won at Nottingham, they posted a first-innings total of 481, and five of the top six batsmen scored fifties. In 2002, when India beat England at Headingley, they posted 628/8 declared in the first innings. There were G VISWANATH, Former Test player
three centuries and a half-century. “Everybody has got runs in some or the other match; the problem is they are not getting runs together, like out of five only two are getting runs in an innings. Only Virat gets runs consistently,” said former India batsman Gundappa Viswanath, a 91-Test veteran who averaged 45 plus in the eight Tests he played in Australia.
“Out of five innings, at least in three innings they should be able to get 450 plus — that is counted as consistency. Out of six batsmen, three-four should come good. They have to take the initiative and stay there, not get 30s and 40s. That is what Virat meant (in the press conference). The bowlers are doing really well, batting is worrying.”
In the limited-overs team, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Kohli are the batting mainstay. In the longer format, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara were to form a similar combination with Kohli. It’s not that they were out of form as both did produce some solid knocks.
So, what’s preventing the batting from clicking as a unit? The team management must also share the blame for not getting the best out of the talent at its disposal. In South Africa, Rahane was left out of the playing XI at the start of the series, denting his confidence. In England, Pujara was omitted for the opening Test. Once insecurity sets in, players are batting for their places rather than against the opposition.