Defeat at Ranchi consigned England to their first series loss under the leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.
In the end, the final 192 was simply not enough after England, who had started as overwhelming favorites, relinquished the lead on a tough third day with little hope of a fightback. .
So, who won or lost in the lunch test?
A missed opportunity to go in for the kill
That was a strange pitch. The bounce was uneven throughout the four days, but it didn’t necessarily get harder to hit as the match progressed. After the match, Stokes suggested that changes in pitch dynamics reflect fluctuations in temperature, but whatever the cause, surface behavior is not easy to predict.
Batting was often heaviest during the day when temperatures were at their highest, but on the second day Shoaib Bashir ran through India’s middle order. India won his 177 for 7 and England were on the verge of ending the match on his second day, but Dhrub’s Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav managed to save his 18th over, the last of the day. His first hour on day three laid that foundation.
<iframe Loading=”lazy” style=”border-radius: 12px;” src=”https://open.spotify.com/embed/show/1XeleYXleZeyGRpmoG2Nzw?utm_source=generator” width=”100%” height=”232″ Frameborder=”0″allowfullscreen=”allowfullscreen”></iframe> ;
Could England have tried more here? Bashir’s bowling was excellent, but he was exhausted by the end and had to undergo temporary treatment for cramps. His off-break lacked the venom and bite that had so threatened him earlier in the day. Tom Hartley was consistent but the Indian pair were comfortable. In that final hour, England’s only three overs were bowled by players other than Hartley and Bashir. Had the ball been passed earlier in the game, Anderson and Robinson could have provided another attacking option. Joe Root did not bowl until the 71st over of the innings. He could have been used better towards the end of the day when things didn’t go well for England. Ollie Robinson’s dropped catch from Jurrell on the third morning also proved crucial in preventing the hosts from conceding too many damaging goals in the first half.
Middle order misfires again
England’s Nos. 3 to 7 played a combined 40 innings in this series, with only three players scoring more than 50 runs. Yes, two of them rank among the best of the hundreds of English players who have played overseas recently, but in this analysis their success in India seems far-fetched at best. There is no simple explanation for the collective struggle of the middle class. Pope, a poor starter, hasn’t scored since Hyderabad, Root is hoping to be back to his best after some readjustment, and Bairstow has made a few starts, but five between the 25th and 40th innings. Sent off, Stokes’ footwork appeared distorted in the second innings, while Foakes showed good hands in the first innings, although he is not a natural tail batter. That’s a problem for someone who has only hit seven or eight in Test cricket. It probably reflects the quality and variety of India’s attack. Even without Bumrah in Ranchi, Rohit always had his five top-notch options to fall back on.
Bashir lacks support
Bashir was outstanding at lunch. He topped the Test by taking seven of India’s 12 top-order wickets and was Stokes’ first choice. But he had no support. Hartley had the quietest test of the series and Olly Robinson was rusty on his return. He struggled with run-ups, averaged a no-ball every other game, and lost pace. It is worth noting that while England kept India honest for most of the series with such an inexperienced spin attack, there was a period in Ranchi where the differences between the two attacks became apparent, viz. England’s lack of discipline on the third night was helped by the ball. India runs to the flyer.
India’s young guns step up
Unlike India, who have had a great record at home over the last decade or so. Of the 11 who played for Ranchi, only Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin had played more than 25 Tests before this series started. While the prolific Yashasvi his Jaiswar again played a key role, the contributions of his Dhruv Jurel and Akash Deep in his second and first Test respectively were equally important.
Deep single-handedly got rid of England’s dangerous top three on the first morning of the Test, while Jurrell came to India’s rescue twice, showing the maturity and match awareness of a much older man. This new batch of Indian Test cricketers has rightly generated excitement, perhaps fueling hopes that they can continue their outstanding home record with the next generation of stars. .
Subscribe to the Wisden Cricket YouTube channel for post-match analysis, player interviews, and much more.
