‘Patience will help tackle challenging England series’
BIRMINGHAM: Any tour of England is challenging because the visiting team will have to work extra hard to adapt to already tough pitch conditions that can keep shifting as weather changes.
After their top-order batsmen, especially Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara, struggled in the practice game against Essex at Chelmsford in scorching sun, the motto was staying patient as India hit the nets at the Edgbaston Stadium in overcast conditions after two days of rain.
India’s top-order batsmen, especially Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Dhawan and Pujara focused on deliveries outside offstump while bowling coach Bharath Arun instructed bowlers to pitch it up and let the ball move outside off-stump.
‘Aur aage daalo’
(pitch it further up) was Arun’s instruction as Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Shardul Thakur tested the batsmen with swinging deliveries around the off-stump. It is not easy to ditch technique and reflex, but vicecaptain Ajinkya Rahane, one of the successes of the dismal 2014 tour when India ceded advantage to lose the five-test series 1-3, said India must stay patient to overcome England, who have been inconsistent but hold home advantage.
Rahane, who struck a matchwinning century at Lord’s besides two fifties four years ago, told a media conference on Monday: “First of all, playing in England is challenging. We know what it takes to play good cricket. But if you think about result you will put pressure on yourself.”
For the batsman seen among the best in tough overseas conditions, mindset comes ahead of one’s skill, which could explain Virat Kohli’s failure on the previous tour. “The skill level, both teams are on a par. It is not skill, but the mindset that matters.
“In England, patience is the key. Conditions depend a lot on the weather. If it is sunny, it is good to bat and if cloudy it is good to bowl. It is important you back your game. It is important as a batsman, whoever gets set here, you should make it count.”
The change in weather has altered the equation and pace seems to have regained focus after it appeared spin would be the key. Rahane said Indian batsmen will have to learn to tone it down even if they are in fine nick. “You have to communicate well to your partner. Even when you are batting on 70-80, you have to hold back when weather changes. Acceptance (respecting conditions) will be the key.”