England v India 2014: Better strategies the need of the hour for Team India
Britain might be battling hurricane Bertha, but MS Dhoni has his own hurricanes to battle internally when it comes to Team India and its poor show in the 4th Test match of the Investec Series, at Manchester, in England.
Moeen Ali factor
Moeen Ali, a batting all-rounder from Worcestershire who was less known till the start of this summer, has left the Indian top order clueless, carrying forward his good form from Southampton. He carries the reminiscence of Muttiah Muralitharan from the 90’s and has earned massive appreciation from critics and colleagues. The 27-year-old certainly has been the trump card for English cricket this summer.
His fighting century against Sri Lanka in the second Test match proved that he is a composed batsman who’s got the ability and technique, and he has risen above ranks to be the star performer and a match-winner for England. His spin befuddled the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli, and, judging him by his performances in the last two Test Matches, no one would certainly term him as a part timer. He has taken more wickets than what Graeme Swann had in the 2011 India-England Series, and that’s reason enough to prove why England doesn't need a mainstream spinner.
Senior players deliver
There’s been a massive turnaround after the Lord’s drubbing for the English team. Alastair Cook and Ian Bell have got their share of runs in Southampton, and their spearheads, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, have stepped up a notch, as well. The fact that England were able to bowl out India for a mere 161 without Broad, who had figures of 6-25 in the 1st innings, is something commendable and noteworthy. Anderson’s swing and Ali’s spin have left the Indian batsmen look like they’re a part of some C-Grade team. This is the bitter truth. Over the last two Test matches, one could certainly say that the English camp has been more determined and dedicated.
Anderson’s excellent bowling despite his ill health on the 3rd day at Old Trafford is something remarkable. Changes have happened in both teams over the last two Test matches, and England’s certainly got the right combination.
Fresh faces
The addition of Jos Buttler has brought in more stability to the middle order, and his bat has done the talking. Chris Woakes is another bonus. His pace and his batting technique have certainly proved to be a great asset for England. He also headed the pace attack along with Anderson in the 2nd innings and has been impressive so far. It was a great opportunity for him to showcase his potential.
Jordan, on the other hand, hasn't made much of an impact with the ball, and Steven Finn is a more convincing bowler, given his height and pace. Jordan hasn't been an impact player, and his heroics against Sri Lanka in the ODI series was the sole reason for his selection. Jordan somehow seems more convincing as a limited overs cricketer.
Specific roles for Indian players
The key to England’s success at Manchester was the fact that they didn't change their winning combination, and that is what has led to India’s downfall in Southampton. Ishant Sharma’s change was an unavoidable one, but they should have retained Stuart Binny, whose heroics in the 1st Test saved the game for the visitors. Varun Aaron should've played instead of Pankaj Singh at Southampton, given the fact that the pitch had more pace and bounce on it.
Dhoni will have to arrive at a much better combination for the game at The Oval. The slip cordon, for instance, needs extra attention. Although this is a relatively young side, they do have a bunch of excellent and energetic fielders; it’s all in the mind. Ravindra Jadeja was always seen at a position like point in the limited overs, and I believe that it’s best that he remains there. The left-arm spinner’s role in the team is another issue that needs to be sorted out specifically. As Kapil Dev rightly said, the Indian captain must assign specific roles to players. Bringing back Ishant and Binny for the Test at The Oval would give India a glimmer of hope for securing a win and get a face-lifting series draw.
Batting order
Virat Kohli’s woes against swing bowling are also issues. His footwork needs to improve. He has timed the ball well, but his foot hasn’t been moving across to the pitch of the ball. His interpretation of Anderson’s line has gone completely awry this series. Every player in cricketing history has been through a lean patch, and the expectations are high on Kohli. England has also had a list of underperforming batsmen such as Alastair Cook and Sam Robson, but their below-par outputs have been overshadowed by the team’s victories, as Shane Warne had rightly pointed out. So, it’s high time the Indian batting addresses its concerns.
The opening combination is also another are of concern. In my opinion, Rohit Sharma and Murali Vijay should open the innings. Rohit has impressed us with his excellent performances as an opener in the shorter format of the game, and it’s about time that he’s promoted to that level in Test matches, as well. From what we've seen in these 4 matches, Anderson and Broad find it easy to trouble left-handers since they've got the natural outswing going. Dhawan has failed with the bat, and he needs some amount of rest to cope up with the stress before the ODI series. He’s more of a limited-overs cricketer. On the other hand, Rohit has shown some grit through his performances against the Windies at home and against the Kiwis as well, and he has an average of 48.9, compared to Dhawan’s 38.7. Despite his failure at Southampton, Rohit should be given another chance up the order, and this might just boost his confidence. India should stop being conventional, and they shouldn’t mind having openers who aren’t a right-left combination.
It’s high time Team India puts in some extra effort and battle out the English bowing attack with caution and aggression to set new standards for themselves. They’ll have to learn quickly from what the Sri Lankans did correctly in their series triumph in England: attack the home team. No doubt in my mind that there’s a storm coming, and MS Dhoni and Co. need to brace themselves for it.
Credits: Shrinivas Uppili