England vs India 2018: 3 Things we learned from India’s loss at Edgbaston

England took the upper hand in the Test Series when they eked out a 31 run victory over India at Edgbaston. The image of Ben Stokes trapping Virat Kohli in front of the wicket will be etched in English cricketing folklore for years to come.

The Test match was also England’s 1000th test and they came up with a result apt enough for the occasion. Having batted first, they scored 287. India replied with 274, courtesy a heroic 149 by Virat Kohli.

England’s second essay didn’t go to plan and they lost wickets at regular intervals. They were on a downward spiral until Sam Curran took matters into his own hands and played a devastating counter-attacking innings of 63.

In the final innings of the test, India lost their way and could not muster a good enough crack at the target set in front of them.

Apart from Kohli and Pandya, none of the Indians looked comfortable at the crease. With the 2nd test starting in five day's time, India needs to get their act together or else they would risk falling behind the eight-ball.

The nail-biter at Edgbaston threw up a lot of talking points. Through this article, we would look at three things we learned from the humdinger in Birmingham.

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#1 India are no closer to answering their ‘Top Order’ conundrum

The team does not know who their top-order should comprise of

The Indian team now finds itself in a fix. The team does not know who their top-order should comprise of, neither does it know the approach it needs to follow.

Murali Vijay’s dismissal indicated that the batsmen were batting with a cluttered mind. The least the top order could do is clear their mind and apply themselves.

In the first innings, Dhawan and Rahul got out to loose strokes, wafting at balls outside the off stump. India came into the test match with their top order, not in the best form.

In order to avoid a capitulation, the team management took the bold call to drop Pujara in favour of the in-form KL Rahul. However, India’s top order failed again, leaving Virat Kohli to do the bulk of the scoring.

India could produce a knee-jerk reaction and replace Rahul with Pujara. However, Rahul should not be dropped on the basis of one performance alone.

The most viable option for India would be to not tinker with the side. It would be better if the existing Top three is given another bite at the cherry and asked to show more intent and application while batting.

However, one thing is clear: if India is to make a comeback and win the series in England, it needs to sort out its top order woes. The earlier they answer the conundrum, the earlier they would taste success.

#2 Ashwin has ‘turned’ a corner

Ashwin proved his critics wrong

Before the test began, Kuldeep Yadav seemed destined to play his part at Edgbaston. However, Ravichandran Ashwin was given the nod ahead of him and he didn’t disappoint.

Ashwin has long been criticised for not making the desired impact overseas. He was unconvincing in England in 2014 and did not cover himself in glory on India’s tour to South Africa at the start of the year. Hence, when Ashwin started ahead of Kuldeep, it raised a few eyebrows. But Ashwin, being the champion he is, answered his critics with the ball.

He started the test in wonderful fashion, removing Alastair Cook with a beautifully bowled off-spinner. His other victims in the first innings were Broad, Buttler and Stokes.

In the second innings, he got rid of Cook in similar fashion before getting the scalps of Jennings and Root.

The most impressive aspect of his bowling was the manner in which he deceived the batsmen.

He was willing to ‘flight’ the ball at all times, relying on deception in the air over turn off the pitch. If he continues in the same vein, England would have their hands full tackling him for the rest of the series.

The most encouraging aspect of India’s loss has to be Ashwin’s performance. After years of facing the wrath of critics, he might just have silenced his doubters for good.

#3 Virat Kohli is the best batsman in the world

If Kohli gets adequate support, a comeback by India could well be on the cards

In 2014, Virat Kohli was expected to carry the Indian batting on his shoulders. However, England and James Anderson, in particular, worked him out to perfection and kept him quiet.

When the 2018 test series rolled in, the question on everyone’s lips was if Kohli could put to rest the ghosts of 2014.

In the first game itself, Kohli ended up scoring 200 of the 436 runs that India scored and looked a notch above all his contemporaries. In a test where Root had two moments of ‘brain-fade’, Kohli kept the English bowling under his spell at all times.

The weakness that had plagued him in 2014 was nowhere to be found. He left balls outside the off stump confidently and scored whenever the ball was on the stumps.

Kohli’s greatest attribute is his ability to assess the situation and play accordingly. With the chips down, he played a controlled innings and got India to a respectable score.

The only blot on Kohli’s record was his Test failures in England, but with this innings, he has removed that blot while adding a new chapter to his greatness.

England will need to devise new plans to keep Kohli quiet. If Kohli gets adequate support, a comeback by India could well be on the cards.

In a test series with numerous unanswered questions, the question of Kohli being the best batsman in the world has been answered in the affirmative by the vibrant Virat.

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