Have England got their team combination horribly wrong again?
The LEDs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad weren't on for the 4th Test between India and England, but the spotlight shone brightly on the visitors as they capitulated once again.
England barely managed to cross 200 in their first innings on Day 1 - the first time they've breached the mark in their last five Test innings this series. Reports emerged ahead of the 4th Test that the English camp had caught a bug due to the changing weather in Ahmedabad, but the real problem ravaging the team is lack of runs and technique.
Ben Stokes was the only batsman to cross fifty in the innings, with the top order failing once again and the tail not offering any resistance. 8 of the 11 Englishmen were primarily batsmen, while Dom Bess is quite capable with the bat as well. But they were rolled over in embarrassing fashion on a pitch that didn't have any demons in it.
For the second game in a row, England appear to have got their team selection horribly wrong. While the issue in the last game was that they fielded only one specialist spinner, the pace department was the one to be left completely short-handed this time around.
What prompted England to go with only one specialist pacer?
Ben Stokes has taken 6 wickets in his last 12 Test innings. He had bowled only 15 overs in this series prior to the 4th Test, but England bizarrely opted to trust him with not only the role of the second pacer but the new ball as well. Understandably, Stokes didn't threaten in the two overs he bowled on a pitch that Mohammed Siraj and Jimmy Anderson excelled on.
England's thinking truly defies logic. Had Stokes been in good bowling form over the last few matches, the decision would've been understandable. Had the pitch been a rank-turner like the one in the 3rd Test, the decision would've been understandable.
In fact, the decision would've even made sense if the backup batsman England opted to field was a proven performer. But a lower-middle order of Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes doesn't inspire confidence, and a pace attack of Anderson and Stokes doesn't either.
Lawrence did play well for his 46 and Pope hung around for a while, but there's simply no excuse for the lack of trust that results in a team fielding 8 specialist batsmen at the Test level.
Ideally, Moeen Ali's batting ability would've made him a fixture in the England playing XI. But he finds himself back home after leaving the tour midway in slightly suspicious circumstances, and Dom Bess - his replacement - evidently didn't have the faith of the team management in the last Test.
Moreover, Olly Stone, who was highly impressive in the 2nd Test at Chennai, remained on the bench. At least he didn't feel lonely on the sidelines, as he had his country's second-highest wicket-taker Stuart Broad and his country's fastest bowler Jofra Archer for company.
Where do England go from here in this Test?
Day 2 will determine the course of this Test match. England can't afford to concede a lead of over 50 runs, since they still don't have any answers to India's spinners despite playing with 8 batsmen.
However, the visiting pace attack simply isn't deep enough to pose questions to the Indian batsmen. Reverse swing wasn't on offer for Siraj, and Anderson's effectiveness will only dwindle as the ball gets older. Stokes may not have a lot left in the tank after spending 121 balls at the crease and bowling two overs as well.
England will hope that the track begins to offer significant turn, in which case they can keep things tight with Jack Leach, Dom Bess and Joe Root. If the wicket stays true for even another day, though, they'll find themselves out of the match and consequently the series.
Unfortunately, England have only themselves to blame. Their rotation policy, understanding of the conditions and team selection have all been found wanting repeatedly.