FIRST PUBLISHED IN CRICBUZZ
What happened? How did it come to this? This series was supposed to have been India's great chance of earning an elusive victory abroad against a major opposition. The chance to reclaim some ground against an opposition that administered a humiliating 4-0 drubbing the last time India paid them a visit; one that even had the audacity to flog India in their own home in 2012-2013.
India had the opportunity, if not to exact vengeance, then to show that they were an improved unit, capable of competing with and overcoming the best, starting with the side that had probably damaged their reputation the most in recent years. This was the opportunity for a young Test side to show that the replacements for the legends that had recently left were now growing into the huge shoes that had become theirs to fill.
Dhoni's side had a lot going for them. They had a line-up of batsmen of high quality, among them one, Virat Kohli, frequently referred to as the finest in the game. If their seam attack was, in the main, untried, it consisted of young bowlers of skill like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami, and others of considerable pace like Varun Aaron to support the moody Ishant Sharma. Also, India's spin department was clearly superior to England's and should have been one area where the visitors would have held the upper hand, or so it seemed coming into the series.
India's advantage was further solidified by the rut into which the hosts had fallen. England was supposed to be a side in disarray with under-performing senior batsmen and weary fast bowlers. Captain Alastair Cook was handicapped by horrendous form and was in the firing line of every pundit in the business and every past-player venturing an opinion. The team had endured loss after loss, beginning with a chastening Australian summer, followed by turmoil on and off the field. And to top it all off, Sri Lanka had just pulled off a series defeat only weeks before India arrived.
That England was ripe for the taking, and India had the team to do it, was substantiated by the first two games. After having the better of play at Trent Bridge, the visitors forced a historic victory at Lords and seemed on the way to writing another chapter in English cricket's recent tale of woe.
So again, what happened? What has caused a soaring India to crash and burn in such a roaring blaze, losing at The Ageas Bowl by all of 266 runs, and at Old Trafford by an innings and 54 runs? The hosts have undoubtedly improved, but the tourists, especially their batting has gone some way backwards.
Much was expected from Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, but both have found runs hard to come by. It was left to Murali Vijay, Ajinkya Rehane, and surprisingly, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, to provide the bulk of the runs in the first two games, but nobody really stepped in to fill the breach when they came up short afterwards. Gautam Gambhir replaced an unproductive Shikar Dhawan and then promptly proceeded to remind us why he had been left out for over two years.
Meanwhile, Ian Bell and a rejuvenated Cook have upped their production levels to add to those of the consistent Gary Ballance and Joe Root. Jos Butler, who replaced Matt Prior as keeper, has also joined the party and has added some well-needed aggression to the batting. All this has meant that England were not short of runs at Southampton and Manchester. Their batting seems to be falling into place.
England's pace twins, Anderson and Broad, who both seemed to struggle somewhat at Trent Bridge and Lords, were ascendant in the last two Tests. So also was their captain. After a long, depressing, winless, and run-deprived stretch, Alastair Cook returned to some semblance of form at Southampton with 95 and 70*. Runs and victory, not surprisingly, coincided with a renewal of joy and confidence that made him a more inspiring leader, and England a more competent team than the flailing, unfocussed unit they had become in recent months.
In a way, the story has followed a familiar script: get India's batsmen on surfaces with bounce and lateral movement and they capitulate. This is the reputation, deserved or not, that they have had to carry for years. And it is understandable that batsmen brought up on slow, low surfaces sometimes have difficulty coming to terms with pace and bounce.
But how do they explain Moeen Ali?
If, at the start of the series, anyone had suggested that England's part-time operator would have snared anything close to 18 wickets in four Tests, they would have had to face no end of ridicule. And not even his most ardent fan would deign to think he would have had probably as much effect on the series as Jimmy Anderson or Stuart Broad.
India's ineptitude in combatting Ali has been the main surprise of this series. He was the chief destroyer with 6/67 as India slumped to 178 in the second innings at Southampton, and took 4/39 as India were dismissed for 161 on the third day in Manchester. He was supposed to be fodder for batsmen brought up on spin; nobody expected him to be a match-winner.
With India now down 1-2 as the teams gear up for the fifth Test at The Oval, they will have to consider what will allow them the best opportunity to even the series. Ravindra Jadeja should make way for a proper Test batsman. It seems obvious the left-hander has little faith in his ability to bat properly and so has employed a hit-or-miss method. One could find good reasons to play like that occasionally, but it is perilous to have that approach all the time. Additionally, his bowling is containing rather than penetrative, suited more to the limited overs version of the game than to Tests.
A reliable partner for Murali Vijay has also been problematic. It would be unfair to give Gambhir only one Test, but consideration should be given to having Pujara partnering Vijay. He has been early at the crease on almost every occasion anyway and so the move would not be a major adjustment.
More than all, India has to modify her mindset. Batsmen have got to resolve to sell their wickets less cheaply; catchers have to ensure they put down fewer chances. Dhoni has to sharpen his keeping and employ his bowlers more adroitly. Hopefully, Ishant Sharma will find his way back from injury and back to the form he showed at Lord's.
Yes, I know it is a much easier game from where I sit. But the tourists know they are better than they have shown these past two games. They have one last chance to regain some damaged pride. It should not be squandered.
