India - England 2016: A tale of match-winners and milestones
The Test series is under the belt for the Indian side. That said, there are lots of scores and records to be settled as far as the final match of the series is concerned. The match at Mumbai was one of the best Test matches I have witnessed in the recent times.
Having lost the toss and then looking at 400 on the scoreboard, it was always going to be a challenging task for India. The openers always build the platform for a team and therefore, the onus was again on them to perform up to the best of their abilities - more so when faced with the challenge of chasing a mammoth first innings total.
While it initially looked like a tough task for the hosts, their great start and application served the team well.
Virat Kohli leaves me speechless!
His game outclassed that of everyone else on a turning wicket. His mature double-hundred meant a lot for the team at that juncture. Captaincy appears to have made him a calm and responsible cricketer. Most players, when bestowed with captaincy, tend to lose their form under pressure. But Virat Kohli has improved with every inning.
His efforts at Mumbai were a great example of a skipper leading from the front.
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There are always great expectations from the top-order batsmen, but when the lower-order starts performing, a team always wins matches like these. Jayant Yadav’s performance will give a great boost to the youngster’s international career as he becomes the only Indian player to score a century when batting at number 9. Despite having played only four matches, Jayant Yadav is displaying maturity beyond his years in his gameplay and in doing so is certain to ensure a bright future for himself.
The growing number of all-rounders in the team in the form of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and now Jayant Yadav, is a welcome sight for India. And they performing great with bat and ball will always give a head start to the team.
The impact of bowlers and match-winners
According to me, bowlers always win the games for you. Taking 20 wickets in a match is essential for a win. While the previous Indian sides lacked in this area, the current side has this in plenty.
R Ashwin meanwhile, as the new vice-captain, is playing a vital role for the team. It almost seemed he was at ease as he pocketed twelve wickets in his kitty at Mumbai. The way the off-spinner is bowling will fetch him a number of new records in the future for sure.
Jadeja, at the other end, is aptly complimenting Ashwin. Between the two of them, they have shouldered the entire bowling responsibilities as the other bowlers have not been able to contribute effectively. Jayant Yadav, despite his strong start, disappointed on a wicket that proved to be very helpful for the spinners.
The heavy rains resulting from the cyclone is sure to provide moisture to the wicket and in doing so, help fast bowlers. However, the efforts being made by the ground staff in drying the wickets through their “Coal Therapy” seems to have taken all the moisture away. This was evident on day one as the Indian opening bowlers were able to do nothing off the pitch.
The records that await Virat Kohli and R Ashwin in the Chennai Test match will keep the audience pumped up and enthusiastic. The Indian skipper needs 135 runs to break the Sunil Gavaskar’s forty-five-year-old record of 774 runs in a single series. The original “little master” achieved that feat against the mighty West Indies in 1971.
Virat’s personal scorecard stands at 640 runs for the series thus far; not every far behind his aggregate of 692 runs against Australia in 2014-15.
In this calendar year, R Ashwin has already taken 71 wickets in 11 games and is just five wickets behind Kapil Dev’s record of 75 wickets from 18 games in 1983.
So these milestones are very much within Virat Kohli and R Ashwin’s reach to surpass previous records and create history.
As for England, their holiday did not prove to be fruitful. At Mumbai, despite winning the toss and setting a 400 run target, bowlers did not come good – especially the spinners. Anderson, the most experienced of the lot, continues to be wicket-less. Their poor performance is taking a toll on the players which is reflecting in the form of ungentlemanly like behaviour on the ground.
In my view, the scoreline should read 4-0 after the Chennai Test.
Extra cover: SK Turning Point: Kohli's gamble on DRS sends Joe Root packing