2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke by India in the 1st Test vs England
England's Bazballers got their first slice of vindication in India as they clinched the first Test by 28 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday, January 28.
A sensational near-double ton from Ollie Pope and a nine-wicket match haul from Tom Hartley were the primary reasons behind the visitors' famous victory. Others, including Ben Stokes and Joe Root, also made important contributions.
India, meanwhile, were left to rue losing a Test which they were in complete control of at one stage. With four high-octane matches to come, the hosts need to immediately reflect on why they came up short in the series opener.
Here are two mistakes and one masterstroke made by Team India in the first Test against England.
#3 Mistake - India's batting approach was off the mark in both innings
To be fair, it wasn't entirely off the mark. India were justified in their playing shots in the first innings, but the contrasting approaches that were adopted across the two essays, coupled with some poor shot selection, made it harder for the team to come out on top.
Yes, India needed to be positive, but some of the dismissals were not acceptable. Shreyas Iyer tried a cross-batted slog off a leg-spinner to find the only fielder in the deep, while Shubman Gill chipped one gently to midwicket. The openers' dismissals were rather unnecessary, too.
Then, in the second innings, when the hosts needed to be proactive, they went into their shell. Yashasvi Jaiswal was more than happy to block instead of attack, and the same approach was followed by the rest of the batters, including Ravindra Jadeja and Shreyas.
There were also a couple of dismissals towards the end of the game that were caused by dancing down the track, which was never a good idea on that pitch. Jadeja's run-out (he was involved in two in the Test) only worsened matters.
India were outplayed in the match, but they didn't do themselves any favors with their approach and modes of dismissals in both innings. They failed to truly understand the terms of the situation, and it cost them dearly.
#2 Masterstroke - Axar Patel's modified usage was a smart move, even if it didn't work out
In the second innings, with both bat and ball, India showed an increased faith in Axar Patel, who had previously been consigned to a bit-part role in the two departments.
Axar was used with the new ball, replacing Jasprit Bumrah in the attack after the fast bowler had bowled just two overs. It didn't work, with the left-arm spinner proving expensive, but the idea was right. As someone who is at his best with the new ball, he could've succeeded if not for the English top order's counter-attacking style.
Then, on Day 4, India made another right call by promoting Axar to No. 5 to counter the opposition's left-arm spinners. The southpaw made 17 runs but was dismissed immediately after Tea.
It may not have worked in Hyderabad, but India need to promote Axar once again if the opportunity presents itself, especially with Jadeja's participation in Visakhapatnam being in doubt. It was a smart tactical move that the management had previously been reluctant to implement.
#1 Mistake - Rohit Sharma's fields were overly defensive throughout the Test
Perhaps the main reason behind India's defeat in the first Test was Rohit Sharma's overly defensive captaincy. The skipper just hasn't been able to find the right balance so far, and he made the England batters' task much easier with his lack of proactivity.
Rohit offered easy singles at all stages of the two innings, even when a new batter was at the crease. He had long-off and long-on in place at most times, despite the opposition batters looking to primarily score square of the wicket.
Even otherwise, Rohit's field placements were much too easy for England to circumvent. He didn't have enough cover for the primary scoring shots - sweeps and reverse-sweeps - and didn't try anything out of the ordinary to adapt on the fly.