Why do talented youngsters in tennis do well in Masters tournaments but struggle in the Grand Slams?
It is a question that many have pondered over since the domination of the Big Four (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray) began. The answers that enthusiasts and experts arrive at vary from mental resilience to sheer class but perhaps the one that makes most sense is their ability to pace themselves.
The Grand Slams are the only tournaments that extend into the second week. Simply put, in other tournaments, no player needs to hold back. But in a Major, players need to possess that vital ability to cruise through that first week. In a way, it is not just about physical stamina but mental as well. The players have to persist and persevere – the young guns are still learning how to do that but these skills have already become second nature to the Big Four.
But why are we talking about Grand Slams and tennis here? To cut a long story short, physical and mental stamina are going to play a huge role in five-Test series between India and England. And it’s not five Tests spread out over two months or so… it’s five Tests in six weeks… the shortest ever time period for a series of this length. The challenge and the toll it will take on bowlers cannot be predicted at this point but it will be huge.
Since 2010, England have been part of a five-Test series on seven occasions. India, in the same period, have played two, both against England. One at home in 2016-’17 and one in 2014-’15 in England.
In a four-Test series in 2011, Praveen Kumar ended up bowling 158 overs despite playing just three Tests. Zaheer Khan broke down early and Ishant Sharma turned in a lion-hearted performance to bowl 170-plus overs but failed to rake in the wickets.
During the 2014-’15 series, Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled 170-plus overs for his 19 wickets but a James Anderson sent down almost 200 overs. Stuart Broad also chipped in with more than 170. After Bhuvneshwar, the bowler who sent down the most overs was Ravindra Jadeja (156 overs, nine wickets). And that is where knowing the rhythms of a longer series become important. Sometimes, you play the supporting role, sometimes the hero.
Managing the bowlers
And maybe, just maybe, that experience will give England a slight advantage because they know how to prepare for such a long series; they know how to get through it.
It is already apparent that the hosts have been giving this some serious thought. Joe Root and the England team management have spoken to the 36-year-old Jimmy Anderson (who has been short of match fitness) and 32-year-old Stuart Broad (who is returning from an ankle injury) about the likelihood of their being rotated against India at some stage.
Broad said, “There have already been small conversations saying, ‘Don’t be disheartened if you are left out for a Test match. It’s not a personal attack or dropping; it’s management of the bowlers to give ourselves the best chance.’
“It won’t get to the stage where I am left out, I’d go back and play county cricket. It’s ‘You’re missing out, a fresh bowler is coming in, you stay around [the squad], keeping talking, stay part of the unit’. So its only natural to expect small changes throughout five Tests but the bowlers have to be able to take it.”
And it basically boils down to that – can the bowlers take it? India have an advantage in the fact that their attack (once all of them are together again) is younger as a whole. The body is that much more willing.
As usual, Kohli will not let a negative thought cloud his mindset, which is why that despite missing two vital pace bowlers who would have most probably made the starting XI, he seems unperturbed by the fuss.
Matured bowling attack
“Our bowling attack has matured over the years,” said Kohli on the eve of the game. “They’ve gained experience of playing many games around the world, understanding pitches and conditions and opposition batsmen as well. They are pretty comfortable with their game. Pretty much what happens with batsmen as well, they learn and eventually arrive at a peak phase.”
Kohli believes his bowlers have come a long way from the last time when India toured England, Australia and South Africa. “They are a more confident unit now, they have understood how to bowl in partnerships,” he said. “It’s not about outdoing the other guy but helping him through a great spell too. I think we are pretty happy with the depth in our bowling this time round.”
Rahul Dravid, the last India skipper to win a series in England, also laid emphasis on keeping the best bowlers fit. Rest and recovery is going to be just as important as giving their all on the field.
“The key would be to take 20 wickets,” the former India captain said. “I have no doubt that we will score runs at some stage but the key is to keep our fast bowlers fit. We have got a good crop of young pacers… but it’s five Test matches in six weeks.”
According to Dravid, one of the main reasons India won the 2007 series was because the same bowling line-up played in all three Tests and nobody got injured. If India get their best bowling line-up to play at least four of the five Tests this time around, they will give themselves a good chance to win the series, he added.
Kohli usually wants his team to give 100% all the time and while that is fine in a shorter series, will a longer series need recognition of the moment more than just naked aggression? Will India have to pick and choose when they will raise their game?
A five-Test series needs consistency of a different kind. You can shock the opposition in a shorter series but things eventually even out in the longer run. The bowlers end up having to fall back on the old-school virtues of line and length because petty tricks won’t cut it anymore.