5 reasons why Indian cricket fans must stop blaming the team for their poor run

Hosts England handed Virat Kohli's men a massive innings and 159 runs defeat at Lord's in the second of the five-match Test series on Sunday. Most of the players in the playing XI failed to put up a decent show in a rain-marred Test match at 'the home of cricket'. Pacer James Anderson, who was the chief tormentor of the Indian side, finished with 9 wickets in the test match. Though the first day was washed out completely due to incessant rain, the match concluded within four days. India, who lost the opening match of the series at Edgbaston, had fans lash out at them following their disappointing show at Lord's.

The social media went into a frenzy questioning India's batting standard, team selection and tactics. The fans started questioning the ability of the players to play in the tough English conditions. Yes, they are the number one ranked test team in the World and they feel that they don't deserve this humiliation. However, blame cannot be kept being shovelled on the same team which registered great victories in the past before their recent defeats.

Let us now see the five reasons why Indian fans should stop blaming the side for their poor outing in England.

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#5 Majority of the players failed, but not all:

Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin

Though the majority of the Indian batsmen have failed to put up a decent show so far, not all of them have failed in their intent. Captain Virat Kohli waged a lone battle at Edgbaston and almost gifted us a famous win before his dismissal by Ben Stokes (in the second innings) which turned out to be decisive. Our bowlers were on top form throughout the first test- Ishant, Shami and Ashwin rattled the English batting line-up, which was rather unstable due to the poor form of Cook, Jennings and Buttler.

They bundled out England who were poised to score more than 350 for 287 in the first innings before that splendid second innings show when they toppled England for just 187. Hardik Pandya, too, was determined to win the Test for India at Edgbaston but couldn't guide the team home in spite of his valiant stay at the crease till the end. In the second test at Lord's when almost everyone failed, Ravichandran Ashwin stepped up- this time with the bat as he registered a top score for India with 29 and 33*. Though Shami and Pandya were good with the ball (three wickets each), that wasn't enough to restrict the English who posted 396-7 (declared). Two or three players performing well alone is not sufficient to seal a test match. Unless everyone steps up it will be difficult to claim a win.

#4 The absence of frontline bowlers and the onus on batsmen to deliver

The onus was on batsmen to deliver in the absence of Bhuvi and Bumrah

Though the majority of these players were present in the Indian squad when India toured England in 2014, Bhuvneshwar was instrumental during that series where India defeated England at Lord's. Almost all the players of the current squad comprised the squad that defeated the mighty Proteas at Johannesburg earlier this year.

The fact that India was without its in-form frontline bowlers (Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah- due to injury concerns) who were responsible for that famous win at the Wanderers was a major concern. Bumrah and Bhuvi shared 29 wickets (in three matches) between them and were crucial in India's win over South Africa. The pressure of the absence of these two bowlers was evident, while the batsmen tried to keep going despite being clueless to the deliveries of the English pacers.

Especially in these pacer-friendly English conditions, missing players like Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah is indeed a big set back for Team India. Entering a massive five-match series without them has put the onus straight away on the Indian batsmen who have failed to cope up with the expectations. In spite of Ishant, Shami and Ashwin contributing well, Bhuvi and Bumrah's presence would have been priceless for Team India under these circumstances. India might hold the upper hand if Bumrah returns from the injury for the remainder of the series.

#3 Rome was not built in a day

Hardik Pandya

After many failed attempts to get going in England, skipper Virat Kohli finally found his touch with the bat in the challenging English conditions in the first test at Edgbaston (149 and 51). Even the mighty Virat Kohli who has amassed runs at almost every cricketing nation found it difficult to score runs in England. Dinesh Karthik, who was a part of the series winning Test squad back in 2007 too, has been poor so far in this series.

Hence, it is almost unfair to blame young players like KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya for their failures, as they are playing a test match for the very first time in these tough English conditions. Though they performed well in the limited overs, red ball cricket is altogether a different game. It needs temperament more than talent and that will come only with experience. We all know how talented they are, so once they get used to these conditions there will be no stopping them.

#2 An away win is a daunting task, but the squad is available

India vs England, 2016, Chennai

Just two out of five matches have been completed (but yes, we lost both) and the series is still wide open. Though winning the next three games might seem impossible, but it is actually not so. Team India almost clinched the first test at Edgbaston in spite of some brilliant display of bowling from the English pacers- Anderson, Broad, Curran and Stokes. Sadly, it wasn't the case at 'the home of cricket', Lord's, where the team didn't show fighting spirit or come close to winning the test.

While they did not deserve to win the Lord's test, they must understand that that the victory at Edgbaston was just gifted away. With three more matches to be played in this series - Nottingham, Southampton and Oval, there is still a slight chance of avoiding a series defeat, provided the team improves its game. Undoubtedly, an away win has become a daunting task these days. When the English last toured India in November - December 2016, they were totally outplayed (4-0) in the five-match Test series by the Indian spinners.

Team India have always been dominant at home and it is the same when it comes to other teams. Cricket is a game of 'glorious uncertainties' as they say anything can happen in the course of the next 2-3 weeks. India has won matches on the cusp of losing on several occasions in the past and this might well happen this time as we have got a strong squad which is yet to show their full potential.

#1 Fans are Team India's pillar of strength

The passionate Bharat Army members

Fans must first realize that victories and defeats are part and parcel of the game. Just like we share the joys of victories, we must share the disappointment of our team's defeats. Team India under Virat Kohli has given some unforgettable moments over the past 3 to 4 years.

So, at this moment, when the morale of the team is so low, the fans need to back them, to come back even stronger. They should not resort to the blame game on the selectors or the players, instead. Supporting the team when they are in a dire situation like this is more important than backing them when they are performing well.

With the members of the passionate 'Bharat Army' thronging the venues wherever Indian stars play and doing their best to keep the spirits high, fans who are miles away from our team watching them on the television must render their full support. After all, they are fighting for their beloved nation away from home. If not them, who can shower unconditional love and support for the valiant Virat's boys? Victory or defeat, fans need to always stand by Team India.