It’s a dead rubber but heat is still on for Cook’s men
THE sight of groundstaff using a tray of hot coals to dry the Chepauk pitch yesterday, followed by Ben Stokes making clear England’s displeasure at officialdom here, demonstrated this is no ordinary dead rubber. Cyclone Vardah left the people of Chennai with a massive clear-up operation to ensure the fifth Test show goes on tomorrow but it is one they are well on the way to completing at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The pitch and outfield remain remarkably undamaged by the 100mph winds and storm that ripped through this southern city on Monday but whether the teams will be able to have a net today remains to be seen. Officials at one of India’s oldest venues will be rewarded with a final Test that retains a considerable edge, despite India’s supremacy, because of England’s lingering bad feeling towards what they see as disciplinary inconsistency. It seems odd that Ravi Ashwin should escape a reprimand for his display of aggression towards Jimmy Anderson when the fourth Test and the series were all but won in Mumbai on Monday. Coupled with a rap for Stokes for a lesser indiscretion in Mohali it is easy to see why England believe there is one rule for India and another for everyone else. England must now use that sense of injustice to propel them to one last big effort to try to ensure India do not achieve the 4-0 thrashing that would satisfy Virat Kohli’s quest to avenge the last three losing series. And it would be nice if England showed they really are behind under-pressure captain Alastair Cook by turning their expressions of support into actions and not keep throwing away golden opportunities to win here. Whether Anderson plays tomorrow to have one last Test battle with his old Indian adversaries remains to be seen because England face delicate selection issues as they attempt to get the balance right. Anderson, England’s record wicket-taker, has — along with Chris Woakes — looked innocuous here and neither are guaranteed a place if, as expected, England go back to the three-spinner policy they abandoned in Mumbai. Stuart Broad appears to be winning his race to be fit to play after injury while England could throw in Liam Dawson for his Test debut rather than go back to veteran Gareth Batty, whose unlikely comeback has surely run its course.