England v India 2014: Low-key build-up for the big Test
As the Indian team embarks on its 3rd away Test-tour assignment of the year – the longest in recent history - a sense of nervous anxiety occupies the mental build-up. The memories of unending travails on away soil are still alive, more so given India’s last moment of success away from home came before that miserable trip to England in 2011. Given the nature of Test cricket, phases of consistent success or failure shouldn’t surprise, yet India’s contrasting numbers in Tests before and after the 2011 World Cup win are remarkable.
The disparity in India’s batting prowess from the 2011 tour is unmistakably evident; the bowling on this occasion looks even thinner on experience. Barring MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma, none of the 18-man squad has had the opportunity of playing Test cricket in England previously; Not that the trio themselves can boast of impressive statistics, anyway.
Despite a topsy-turvy 2013 for the Alastair Cook-led England, the presence of a similar core unit from 2011 and the advantage of playing at home would give England a definite advantage in the previews of the upcoming 5-match series. India’s runs of late in South Africa and New Zealand highlights the lost opportunities of converting winning positions to wins. While a 2-Test series can accommodate such instances, for a longer one, these moments could be decisive momentum shifters.
On the backdrop of such a texture, it would seem futile to expect anything other than a narrow loss margin from the series. The only big positive that may drive team meetings is the hope that things cannot sink further. The lack of hope creates enough space for rare opportunities of heroic ordeals. Sachin Tendulkar’s early fame came in England and Australia, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly arrived in the international cricket arena at Lord’s, Virender Sehwag announced himself with a blazing 100 in South Africa, Virat Kohli’s moment of recognition came after his gutsy knocks Down Under when rest of his colleagues were stumbling to weave long partnerships.
The Likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma have that grand opportunity to make a statement in a rare 5-match Test tour. Somebody of the pedigree of Kohli can make a name for himself in a new country by prolonging his stay in that silken patch. With limited spinners in the squad, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja can execute their trade without having to worry about place in the XI. Stuart Binny can expect a Test debut at some point, so can Pankaj Singh and Ishwar Pandey.
While the rosy side of the story renders a picture of all-is-not-lost, Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher would be mindful of the repercussions another poor series could have, not only for the confidence of the players but also in the generic build-up of a side that would be defending a world title in another format in 8 months time.
Though Gambhir has been out of the side for a while, his presence would demand responsibility along with inputs by virtue of prior experience. Not for the first occasion Ishant finds himself as the senior-most face in the bowling line-up, and, alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and Varun Aaron, the spotlight would keep following if 20 opposition wickets don’t keep coming often.
In the last 2 decades, India have been to England for 4 Test series, and none has been short of leaving a lasting imprint on the players, followers and history books. Given the current situation of the team and the limited abilities of the players to tackle overseas conditions, lack of consistent batting collapses, wicket-less sessions, active movement in the field and body language would be a greater positive than the eventual series scoreline.
Two practice games and a fortnight before the first Test is a decent build-up period for a longish tour. India has always been a team that takes time to get going, and, with the focus currently on the football World Cup, the team wouldn’t mind the lack of glare on it. However, when the contest begins on the 9th of July, there would be one side having a lot of things to prove.