“I think we are coming in as massive underdogs. Obviously India have got to No. 1 in the world rankings and played some brilliant cricket to get there, so we’re very aware this is a huge challenge,” said Stuart Broad on Monday, looking ahead to the forthcoming series.
It has been an odd build-up for England to a tour upon which they place so much value. Ahead of the first Test in Rajkot, they have not played a single practice match on Indian soil. The argument can be made that there was not enough time gap to schedule one between the end of their Bangladesh tour, and the start of this trip.
Then again, the England and Wales Cricket Board is party to all decisions over scheduling and it was perhaps their thinking that the Bangladesh tour would suffice as practice enough for Indian conditions. However, you do not really need hindsight to suggest that the 1-1 draw across the border has left them with more questions than answers.
Role reversal
Back in 2012-‘13, England played three practice games before the first Test in Ahmedabad. Back then, they had James Anderson and Graeme Swann leading their bowling charge. Back then, they had Kevin Pietersen to smack Indian bowlers all around after Alastair Cook had dropped anchor at the top.
In 2014 when India toured England, after Pietersen had been shunted out, England’s batting line-up still found teeth. Gary Ballance scored 503 runs in five Tests. In Bangladesh last month, he scored 24 runs in four innings.
Back then, Moeen Ali stunned the Indian line-up with 19 wickets in five matches. In Bangladesh, while he took 11 wickets in two Tests, his role changed from lone spinner to leader of a spin-attack that did not impress as a whole and finished second best to Bangladesh.
In summation, England seem to be caught in a time warp. They came here in 2012 a prepared side, a team strengthened with settled players, and they swept an Indian team that resembled their current state. Back then struggling with out-of-form openers, an unfit Zaheer Khan and a misfiring Harbhajan Singh, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not know what his best side was. Today, the same can be said about Alastair Cook.
Onus on Cook and Root to come good
The English captain has arrived not knowing his playing eleven for the first Test in Rajkot. Ballance is expected to be dropped, but it is not known yet whether they will want Jos Buttler or 19-year-old back-up opener Haseeb Hameed to come in his place. That the youngster is even in the reckoning, with opener Ben Duckett expected to slot down to the middle-order speaks volumes about doubts in the visitors’ dressing room.
It also reflects on a certain weak point in their batting line, which is heavily dependent on Cook and Joe Root coming good. The only advantage herein is that England bat deep, and can force the issue if their top-order gets blown away. However, in making sure that the tail wags for long, their team management needs to make the right call in picking their spin combination. Who will partner Ali – Adil Rashid, Gareth Batty or Zafar Ansari?
It is notable that Cook did not express much confidence in his spinners during the Bangladesh series, relying more on the fast bowlers. As such, Anderson’s injury is a big blow, and it puts the onus on Broad and Chris Woakes. Ultimately though, it could come down to the all-rounder role, and how Ben Stokes shapes up after his impressive performances recently.
Luxury of choice for Kohli
That is the one area India might be lacking in. Ravichandran Ashwin batted at No. 6 in West Indies, but this is a more complex opponent and the team management might want to relieve him of those double duties. Will they go in with an extra batsman then, in Karun Nair, or does Hardik Pandya merit a spot in this first Test, allowing Virat Kohli to play five bowlers and compensate for England’s lengthy line-up?
These are the unknowns, and they will only be revealed at toss time on Wednesday, depending on conditions and final look of the pitch. And so, it is in the fixed parameters – that helped them scale the No.1 Test ranking – wherein India should find the wherewithal to go one-up on England early.
Simply put, the hosts’ bowling attack is in a much better shape. As compared to the 2012-‘13 series, unlike Dhoni, Kohli is spoilt for choices. He has two spearheads available in Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami, with an able backup in Umesh Yadav. And he can also play around with the combinations of his spin attack, pairing Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja with either Amit Mishra or Jayant Yadav.
Kohli likes experimenting with his playing eleven, based on conditions, opposition or even whims. This series, and this first Test, should allow him plenty of scope for more of the same.
If there is one factor that the Indian think-tank needs to watch out for, however, it is in getting carried away – whether by playing attacking strokes against the English pacers or trying to hit out against their spinners. Beyond this, there will be some DRS calls to contend with as well, albeit a minor point in the scheme of things.
Over the years, any India-England contest in the Test arena has slowly acquired marquee status. Against other sides, like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, home conditions have often dictated terms in any particular series.
But since the turn of this decade, whenever these two sides have clashed, there has been an edge about the on-field action. England won in alien conditions in 2012, and India returned the favour with a superlative win on a greentop at Lord’s in 2014. On a couple occasions in the recent past, even the No. 1 ranking has changed hands.
Five back-to-back Tests are a perfect recipe for more of the same. And perhaps for the first time since 2011, India are poised to strike hard at this bothersome opponent.
