England vs India 2018: Why England are favourites to win the Test series

The humiliation India had to endure in the second Test match at Lord's would have taken Indian fans to the horrible memories of their 2011 and 2014 tours of England. The hosts on their part, high on confidence, are delivering as a unit and that clearly makes them favourites to win the Test series when they take on India in Trent Bridge, Nottingham from 18th August 2018 onwards.

Things can change really quickly in Test match cricket though. With England’s recent performances in the longest form of the game not being as good, India were considered favourites to compete and even win the Test series.

India on their part were at their competitive best at Edgbaston but fell 31 runs short of a victory. They looked confident, hungry and willing to push above their weight against the might of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes and Sam Curran in helpful conditions.

Some tactical errors and letting the game slip away at crucial moments ensured that after having the hosts at 87-7 in the second innings, England through Sam Curran’s brilliance could defeat India in a game which was India’s to lose.

It was indeed surprising to see how the same team fared in the second Test at the iconic Lord’s stadium. The hunger, confidence and buoyant spirit seemed to be missing right from the start. Too much chopping and changing to the team didn’t help the team’s cause as well. Apart from the skipper Virat Kohli, no other batsman looked to be in the mental state to combat the England bowling attack.

One wonders if India’s fascination with the glitz and glamour of T20s and their prioritization of that form of the game over Test match cricket is coming to haunt them now. Too many players look jaded and look completely unsure about their game when they represent their country in Test match cricket.

The very same Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik who have done so well in T20s and ODI’s of late looked completely fidgety and out of sorts in seaming, moving conditions in England. The selection of players and the logic behind them is another aspect that has aided England in this series. No one apart from the skipper is sure of their place in their team or the role they are expected to perform.

This Indian team management must realize that longevity and backing your players to perform over a period of time is what brings success overseas. The same team were so full of confidence and tested South Africa in their home conditions, it’s not like they can’t bounce back but with the series at 0-2, it’s going to take a special performance from the whole unit which would bring India back into this series.

England, on the other hand, have put some of their recent performances in Test match cricket behind them and have won the first two matches in the five-match series. Here’s why the hosts are favorites to win the test series against India.

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England’s morale and confidence is at an all-time high

One of the biggest weapons a team can utilize is the lack of form or confidence of their opposition team. And that is exactly what England have done in both the Test matches so far. They were in a rather peculiar situation in the second innings of the first Test, but the manner in which a youngster like Sam Curran pulled them out of a tricky situation would have done the team wonders.

It’s that confidence that turned into self-belief when the team stepped out to defend a modest total of 193 runs. Especially after the outstanding performance of Virat Kohli in the first innings, the visitors were considered favourites to chase down that total.

Just the manner in which the bowling unit stood together and hunted as a unit ensured that India were found wanting. If James Anderson or Stuart Broad were unable to break a crucial partnership, Ben Stokes or Sam Curran chipped in.

Post that win in the first Test against all odds, England completely carried forward the positive momentum into the Test match at Lord’s. In helpful conditions which were overcast and completely in favour of the bowlers, England capitalized.

India looked low in confidence and most of their batsmen were unsure of how to handle the swing barrage hurled at them. Even while they batted in the second Test match, despite the usual suspects Joe Root and Alastair Cook failing to score big, England managed to bat India out of the game.

It speaks volumes about the self-confidence in their squad when someone like a Chris Woakes comes in for Ben Stokes and not only provides an exemplary display of high-quality swing bowling, but also the manner he went about building a solid partnership with Jonny Bairstow en route to a ton of his own.

India can take a leaf out of England’s book and give their players a longer run and not keep changing and chopping their team too much. They have got a fine squad but the complete lack of confidence and self-belief is something which England is feeding on and that’s why they are 2-0 up.

India need clarity on selection and must trust their players more

One reason that makes England clear favourites is the fact that unlike India they have a pleasant selection headache as Ben Stokes is now available to play.

India’s situation is exactly the opposite now. They are breeding an atmosphere of self-doubt and aren’t helping themselves at all. After one failure, why drop Shikhar Dhawan if he was the first choice to open along with Murali Vijay after one bad Test match? Why drop someone like a Cheteshwar Pujara who is a Test specialist even though he hasn’t had a very good run of form coming into this Test series?

The selection of some players like Kuldeep Yadav in the second Test match and the promotion of Hardik Pandya to the third fast bowler role, overlooking Ravindra Jadeja are indeed baffling. Those decisions made on gut feeling are certainly adding pressure to the players selected.

None of the players would want to go into a battle in foreign conditions against the quality which England possess with a thought that if they fail they would be dropped for the next game. That burdens their mind and doesn’t allow them to express themselves.

This Indian team management needs to show clarity as far as selection goes. On paper, they look like a side that can still go on to upsurge England despite being 0-2 down in the Test series. It is up to the captain and the selectors to pick an XI they think will be the best suited for these conditions and back those players in all situations.

India need to show the resolve, self-belief and self-confidence they displayed in abundance in South Africa and for most parts of the first Test match in Edgbaston. As it stands, it’s only Virat Kohli who seems to be playing against England.

Keeping the performances in the first two Tests, it looks like England seem to be winning the mind battle, and the skills battle. India certainly can help themselves by making sure everyone is mentally and physically ready to take on England.