4 reasons why the Indian batting has failed in this series.

On August 5, India lost the first test at Birmingham. It was a fairly contested match, with both the teams winning important sessions alternatively. Throughout the entire match, barring the final day, it was hard to pick a favorite. The Indian team led by Virat Kohli gave a tough fight, as it always does in test matches. But the team fell short by 31 runs and there was a sense of disappointment. The Indians had a lot of questions to answer, a lot of aspects to reflect upon (mainly batting). But at the same time, there was a belief that this series is going to be a close one. Experts predicted that it may even go down to the final test.

Fast forward to just a week later, the tour already seems to be too long. The probability of a whitewash is pretty high. All thanks to the battering India received at the Home of Cricket. England won the test to take a 2-0 lead in the series, thrashing India by an innings and 159 runs. The Indians were completely outplayed in every department and this is perhaps the most one-sided test this Virat Kohli side has ever lost.

The biggest issue seems to be with the batting. Forget scoring runs, most of the batsmen have looked completely clueless against the moving ball. India could play only 82.2 overs in both the innings combined, scoring 107 and 130 in the two innings. On the other hand, England managed 396/7 in their innings, with Chris Woakes scoring an unbeaten 137.

It is debatable that the to teams batted in somewhat different conditions, thanks to the ever-changing weather of London. But still, everyone expected a better performance from the Indian batsmen, especially after failing in the first test.

So let us have a look at the major reasons behind this failure of the batting line up.

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Lack of application from the Indian batsmen

Batting is not only about technique. It is a combination of possessing a good technique and showing confidence in it. But, there have been some batsmen who didn't have an orthodox technique, but they still went on to become "Greats". It is because they had confidence in the way the played and they showed it on the field.

England v India: Specsavers 2nd Test - Day Four

And this is one thing that has lacked in this Indian side. The batsmen haven't looked confident at the crease, which has probably resulted in poor shot selection. It may be due to the lack of "suitable technique" or lack of match practice in these conditions. Even the experts say that you are never "set" in the English conditions as we see a lot of plays and misses and edges in this part of the world, even from the set batsmen. At International cricket, you won't succeed every single time. But you need to show intent and that you are there to compete.

The Indian skipper has also found it difficult to counter the conditions, but he got runs because he showed faith in his ability. Even during the short stays in the middle, he looked assured, though he also played and missed a few, he showed the composure you require in such conditions. Barring him, only Ravichandran Ashwin has given the impression that he can bat. Others have struggled. The openers have looked clueless against the moving ball. Similar can be said about Dinesh Karthik. Ajinkya Rahane, for some reason, seems to be far away from the batsman he used to be in those conditions, looking completely short of confidence.

If India are to make a comeback in this series the batsmen have to step up, show some responsibility and play with intent. They can look up to their captain for inspiration.

The Continuous chopping and changing going on in the team

England v India: Specsavers 2nd Test - Day Four

When this current Indian side plays, especially in test cricket, it is pretty hard to predict the playing XI before the match. In the name of playing the best combination based on the conditions, the management has been making changes in the squad every game. This team hasn't played with the same squad in two continuous games for over 30 matches now.

This is a questionable approach of Virat's captaincy. It is understandable that there are a lot of available options and the team wants to utilize all of them. But there are various issues with this approach.

Majority of the players in the squad are relatively younger and have got a lot of years of cricket left in them. So the management can invest in the players. But, if you keep tinkering with the squad and the batting order every game, it is neither going to help the player nor the team. Secondly, it doesn't matter what reason you give for leaving out a player of the squad, no one can play freely when they are not assured of their spot in the team.

Because a cricketer always wants to be on the field, not in the dressing room and when you see players like Dhawan, Rahane, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Karun Nair (dropped after scoring a 300) and Rohit Sharma getting dropped in the name of team combination, there will always be uncertainty in the mind of any player. There is always that extra pressure to perform and this is the last thing you need for a batsman already struggling for runs and that too in a nation like India where a lot of youngsters are waiting in the wings.

The time has come for the management to take bold decisions. They should select a basic set of players, assign them specific roles in the squad and back them for longer periods All of them won't be successful and some players may be left out, but in the long run, it will ultimately be beneficial for the team and after all, it is a team game.

Typical English conditions

England v India: Specsavers 2nd Test - Day Two

It is a well-known fact that the Indian batsmen struggle when the bowlers get the ball to move and the ball has moved considerably in this series, both in the air and off the pitch. Throughout the series, batting hasn't looked easy for both the sides. Even the English batsmen struggled whenever the Indian bowlers hit good areas.

Barring the third day of the second test and the first day of the first test to some extent, batting has looked difficult. The ball has done everything in this series till now. There has been swing, seam to go with some uneven bounce at times. This series has seen the most bowling friendly conditions in England in the recent times.

From the fact that even the English batsmen have struggled, one can argue that the conditions have been favorable to the bowlers and things got even worse for the Indians in the second test as they had to bat under overcast conditions and the light drizzles only added moisture to the already lively wicket. The continuous breaks due to the rain didn't help either. And on the day India bowled, the Sun was out and there wasn't that much significant movement. So, England had the rub of green in the second test, but you still expect a better showing from the number 1 test side.

Brilliant bowling from the English pacers

England v India: Specsavers 2nd Test - Day Four

Over the course of the 2 matches, 5 pacers have bowled for England. And none of them has had a bad spell, barring Broad in the first innings at Birmingham. The English seam bowlers have been accurate, hitting the right areas and asking regular questions. They have induced edges quite regularly and gone past the edges almost every over. Yes, the conditions have helped and the ball has moved considerably, but you still need to put the ball in right areas and that is exactly what they have done.

It has been a collective effort from them as they have given nothing away, resulting in the runs drying up. They have bowled like a unit and complimented each other very well. There was no weak link that the Indians could've targeted. It won't be unfair if we say that this has been one of the most complete fast bowling performances in recent times and it may continue. So, the Indian batsmen will have their job cut out in the next games after failing miserably in the first two.