IT’S IN THE BALANCE, BUT INDIA NEED TO SCORE BIG
Two hundred and eighty eight for five. What does this score suggest? On most pitches in India it will be considered as a belowpar effort on the first day after winning the toss. But here at Wankhede, it’s a score that should make the batting side happy, for this isn’t a pitch where batting five sessions is a possibility.
The pitch at Wankhede is made of red soil (most pitches across the country are made of black soil with a high clay content) and therefore offers more bounce and turn. It also dries up quicker and crumbles faster than the rest.
The first signs of what to expect from the pitch appeared in the eighth over of the day when a ball took a piece off the pitch while landing. There’s enough evidence to suggest that first innings of this game, for both sides, is going to determine their respective fate.
I feel England are 112 runs away from safety while India have a window of 50 runs or an hour on the second morning to stay competitive in this game. Whichever team wins the first session on the second day is likely to be in the driver’s seat. Different personnel, different approach Alastair Cook found an able partner in Haseeb Hameed. Today he not only found a worthy successor for Hameed, but also a potential number three batsman for matches to come.
Keaton Jennings got a reprieve without opening his account and that turned out to be the only blemish in his dominating century on Test debut. He started as a skeptical driver, but grew in confidence as his innings progressed. The way he handled spinners employing three different varieties of the sweep shot (paddle sweep, proper sweep and the reverse sweep) reminded me of the great Andy Flower. He’s been quick to read the length and, more importantly, didn’t allow the pitch or the quality of Indian spinners to alter his response. The other refreshing aspect of England’s batting in the opening session was their intent to keep the scoreboard ticking. Ashwin – the master Once again, Ashwin showcased why he’s a serial Man of the Match and Man of the Series award winner. Good players wait for the chances to come their way to capitalise on them, but great players create those chances.
Ashwin’s display of his control over his craft was sensational to watch and just like great players, he made things happen. He made the ball swerve away from Root and the ball landed an inch or two away from where Root thought it would. Then to dismiss Jennings, he created dip and that foxed a well-set batsman, for he thought that it would land a lot closer.
After which the extra bounce accounted for Bairstow. The yardsticks to judge a spinner are drift, dip, turn and bounce, and Ashwin displayed them in abundance on day one. Ashwin is this team’s most valuable player, and his form is directly proportional to how India fares.
The average score in the fourth innings at Wankhede is just 145 and since India have to bat last, it’s crucial to make the first innings count
India's concern While India’s bowling has been the highlight of this series, their batting has relied mostly on Kohli, Pujara and the tail. Both Kohli and Pujara have been in great form throughout and have papered over the few cracks that emerged time and again. Vijay started this series with a ton, but has petered away a little since then.
In the recent past, KL Rahul has missed more matches because of injuries than he’s played. Rahane’s absence means Karun Nair gets another go. If three of the top five batsmen aren’t in red-hot form, you are an innings away from things going wrong, and that would concern India while encouraging England.
The average score across the four innings at Wankhede drops radically with each passing innings (in the last five Tests the average score in the fourth innings is just 145) and since India have to bat last, it’s critical to make the first innings count.
The beauty of playing at the Wankhede is that the match moves at a very brisk pace. While one must admit that England have their noses slightly ahead, you rule out India at your own peril. For it takes only one brilliant session to change the complexion of this game.