4th Test: India needs to look at this Test match to give themselves hope of chasing a stiff target
India is going to chase a stiff target during the Fourth Test match against England. Chasing anything above 250 has been a difficult proposition historically, more so for India. Outside Asia, India has chased down a target of more than 200 only three times in their history of Test cricket.
The wicket at Southampton is not a landmine by any means, also, it is not aiding swing bowling that much. This target can be chased, only thing India batsmen require is self-belief.
Indian batsmen have to go back one year in history. Last year around the same time, the low ranked West Indies chased down a target of 322 at Leeds against the same English team.
Moreover, the way they chased the target it was commendable. West Indies did it with utmost ease. Shai Hope scored a brilliant and unbeaten 118 with good support from Braithwaite. West Indies won the match with five wickets to spare.
Four of the English bowlers Anderson, Broad, Stokes and Moeen Ali who are playing in the fourth Test, were part of that team as well. It shows that it is possible to chase a reasonable target against this attack. This English attack by no means is a great one.
India needs to look back at this Test. If Hope and Braithwaite can do it, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and co. definitely can. They are much better batsmen than them, the only thing they require is self-belief. Dhawan, Rahul and Rahane also need to come to the party.
One can argue that the current Test is being played at Southampton, while West Indian win came at Leeds. Geographies might be different, but the wickets are similar, that wicket also had something in it for both batsmen and bowlers, which is evident from the fact that England was skitted out for 258 in their first innings.
West Indian batsmen played with supreme authority during that innings. With due respect to West Indies, it is not a great Test team by any means. Still, the Indian team needs to take a leaf out of their book and write a new chapter.