UNDER PRESSURE
But England collapse is no shock
ENGLAND’S undercooked, underpressure, under-achieving batsmen performed to type to make it an uncomfortable opening day against India.
Bowled out for 183 after winning the toss, in admittedly testing conditions, represents a job poorly done, but it was hardly unexpected.
The odds have been stacked against England in Test cricket for a while due to the prioritisation of the white-ball game.
Since the second Test against New Zealand seven weeks ago, four of England’s top seven had not faced a single competitive red ball before walking out to bat here.
So days like this where they lose 6-22 in 59 balls have become increasingly common, and there isn’t a solution on its way other than to hope another gem like Joe Root or Ben Stokes arrives soon.
Root even toppled Sir Alastair Cook’s overall international runs tally of 15,737 when he reached 23 on his way to 64, but he has precious little support. The reliance on Root to score the bulk of England’s runs has been too great for too long, but sadly there is no sign of it changing any time soon.
When Root scored heavily in Sri Lanka and in Chennai over the winter, England won.
When the runs dried up, England lost. It shouldn’t be this way.
By the time Jasprit Bumrah yorked James Anderson to close the innings, the England scorecard made for sorry reading with no fewer than four ducks sprinkled among the wreckage to make it 31 so far for the year.
And there is every chance that the record of 54 in 1998 could go by the time England get to Melbourne this Christmas.
How many of this line-up make it that far is quite another matter with a further nine potential innings to come in this series.
For a time, during their partnership of 72, Root and the recalled Jonny Bairstow gave the impression that
England’s batting might not be as bad as so many feared.
Openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley had failed to cause India’s bowlers any worries whatsoever before Zak Crawley briefly threatened to caress his way to a decent score.
But when Crawley was caught behind via an inside edge that needed a brave review, it allowed the two Yorkshiremen to show that their lack of red-ball preparation was not going to stop them from bringing some cheer to an optimistic full house.
The brilliance of Mohammed Shami scotched that hope to trap Bairstow lbw for 29 thanks to the ball nipping back but remaining straight enough for another clever review to go Kohli’s way.
That chink in England’s armour was all India’s bowlers needed to pour through and turn the evening session into a nightmare for the home side.
Dan Lawrence, Jos Buttler and Ollie Robinson all competed strongly to take the title of ‘the most insipid wicket of the day’ but just like a pair of Olympic high jumpers it seems harsh to deny any of them their prize.