India wait for Test batsmen to

Batsmen must click together and back the consistent Virat Kohli to turn things around in Australia

MUMBAI:THE performances in 2018 were to define Virat Kohli’s batch. With enough experience under their belt, been around as a group for a sizeable number of seasons, they were expected to come of age and pass the ultimate test of dominating in Tests outside Asia.

However, at the end of the eight Tests they have nothing to show for in terms of results, against South Africa in South Africa and against England in England.

This, despite Kohli being one of the rare India captains to have a strong pace attack under his command. Surprisingly, its batting, the department on which India has always banked on to compete against the best, which has let him down.

To the captain and coach’s frustrations, individually there have been some fine performances but collectively they have failed to conjure up the runs.

In South Africa, India’s highest total was 307; in England it was 352 (they crossed 300 thrice in 10 innings).

SOLITARY SUCCESS

Out of the eight overseas Tests, the only game in which two Indian batsmen got hundreds in the same innings was the fifth and final Test aginst England when KL Rahul and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant launched a desperate counter-attack with the team in a hopeless situation.

Before taking off for Australia, Kohli, who hammered 593 runs in the five Tests in England and yet saw his team lose 4-1, had harped on the importance of firing as a unit if the Indian team has to salvage pride in the Test series Down Under.

What’s puzzled the experts is that at this point of their careers, having got enough exposure all over the world, the batsmen should have been firing on all cylinders. Similar to how the batch of Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag blossomed from 2002 onwards to form a formidable combination along with Sachin Tendulkar and script together some memorable away victories.

Compared to India’s last series win in England, in 2007, when the Rahul Dravid-led side won at Nottingham, they had posted a total of 481 in the first innings with five of the top six batsmen scoring a half-century. Dravid was the lowest scorer with 37.

In 2002, when India beat England at Headingley, the Indian team posted 628 for eight declared in their first innings — there were 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 is the one who gets runs consistently,” said former India batsman Gundappa Viswanath, a 91-Test veteran,

AT ADELAIDE, 2003: India’s famous Adelaide win was achieved on a platform of first innings total of 523 (Rahul Dravid 233, VVS Laxman 148, 303-run partnership for the 5th wicket). The win helped India share the four-test series 1-1.

AT NOTTINGHAM, 2007: When India won at Nottingham, in 2007, they had put pressure on the home team with a total of

481 (with five of the top six getting half-centuries; SOUTH AFRICA 1st Test: 209 and 135

2nd Test: 307 and 151

3rd Test: 187 and 247

OVERSEAS PERFORMANCES IN 2018

Virat Kohli

Ajinkya Rahane

Cheteshwar Pujara

M

8 6 7

Runs

879 314 378 RECORD IN AUSTRALIA

Virat Kohli

Ajinkya Rahane

Cheteshwar Pujara 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 runs, that is counted as consistency. Out of six batsmen, three to four should come good at least. 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 (as a unit) is worrying,” Viswanath went on to add. “Most crucial is the opening partnership; they are losing early wickets. The openers have to lay a good foundation and then it carries on. It’s not happening regularly.”

In the limited-overs team, Shikhar

HS

153 81 132*

Avg

54.93 26.16 29.07

the lowest scorer among them being Rahul Dravid with 37). On the back of the win, India took the three-test series 1-0.

AT HAMILTON, 2009: India took the game with a total of 520 built around Tendulkar’s 160 and three half-centuries. India claimed the three-test series 1-0.

100s

3 0 1

ENGLAND

1st Test: 274 and 162

2nd Test: 107 and 130

3rd Test: 329 and 352

4th Test: 273 and 184

5th Test: 292 and 345

(KL Rahul 149, Rishabh Pant 114) Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Kohli are the axis around which the batting revolves; in the longer format Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara were to form a similar combination with Kohli.

But, it’s not that they were out of form either as Pujara and Rahane did produce some really solid knocks.

LACK OF CONFIDENCE

So, what’s preventing the batting unit from clicking as a unit? The team management also has to share the blame for not being able to get the best of the talent at their disposal.

In South Africa, Rahane was left out of the playing XI at the start of the series, denting his confidence and in England, Pujara was made to warm the bench in the opening Test.

Once insecurity sets in, the players are then batting for their places than against the opposition in mind.

The captain and the coach certainly have some work to do on the confidence of their players.

“I read in the newspapers that no more chopping and changing (in the one-day),” said Viswanath, who feels showing faith in the players might leave the team in good stead.

“They should continue with the same team for a couple of Test matches; don’t change after one Test. You should have some faith (in the players). But, then the performances should also count,” the legendary batsman observed.

“Australian wickets are really true, there will be some bounce at Perth, and Brisbane is a seaming track, but not all wickets are bouncy. They have to acclimatize quickly and will already have some experience of the conditions by playing in the T20 games.”

In the last decade, there were a couple of wins where the bowlers won it for India, like the low-scoring affairs at Wanderers (2006) and Durban (2010); but the basic template is to get a tall score and then unleash the bowlers.

The Australia tour presents Kohli & Co one last chance to make amends or the 2018 overseas cycle would go fruitless.

HARD FOR INDIA

The former all-rounder said the visitors will find it tough to defeat Australia in their backyard even though the home team has been struggling and will miss top batsmen.

“It is India’s best chance of winning in Australia especially because Steve Smith and David Warner are missing, but it is still going to be incredibly hard for India to win,” said Watson. “Even though they have an incredible batting line-up and their bowlers are probably as good as (any) fast bowling attack coming to Australia. But with the wickets (being) the way they are — pace and bounce — and, obviously, Australia are accustomed to playing at home.”

Watson also backed India’s batsmen to come good in the Test series. “I have seen their batsmen a lot, especially in the IPL. They have got some world class and exciting young batsmen. KL

BUMRAH THREAT

“Having someone like (Jasprit) Bumrah who bowls good speed, is different with his angle and is a typical sort of an outswing bowler; he is going to be a handful in Australia because the ball sort of speeds up off the wicket.”

He also said the new stadium at Perth, which will host the second Test starting December 14, will have a wicket similar to the one at WACA, the earlier venue.

“I have not played at the new stadium at all but what I hear is that there is fair bit of pace and bounce in it, which is along the lines of the WACA. As long as there is pace and bounce, that provides an advantage to the Australians,” said Watson.

Watson, who was on the culture review panel following the ball-tampering episode involving Australia, backed the team to put the difficult period behind it.

“It is going to take a bit of time to put those foundations in place and regroup and build on that. Hopefully, that does not take too long, but for now it is going to be the Australian team finding its feet and then performing at their best. Some people perform at their best when they have their backs against the wall,” he said.