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Team India and England are all set to get into battle mode as the five-match Test series gets underway with the first game at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on August 4. India have been in England for a while now. After losing the World Test Championship (WTC) final to New Zealand in Southampton, Team India got a three-week break from the bio-bubble.
The team reassembled in Durham and even got in a three-day practice match against a County Select XI. The real Test for Team India, though, will begin at Trent Bridge. The visitors are battling a few injury issues at the moment and would want to be in the right frame of mind going into the Test series.
History says that Team India have only won seven Tests in England to date, so they undoubtedly have their task cut out.
Factors Team India need to be wary of in the Test series
Although England have quite a few problems of their own going into the Test series, Team India could still find the going tough. Here's a look at three reasons why that could be the case.
#1 Uncertainty in the batting department
On paper, Team India have an experienced batting line-up. But that is only one side of the story. The squad is filled with batsmen who are battling self-doubt and uncertainty. In fact, barring captain Virat Kohli, almost everyone is playing for their places in the team. And that cannot be a great scenario going into such a marquee series.
Take the case of the openers. Rohit Sharma will go into another away series looking to establish his credentials as a Test player. The only difference this time is that earlier, it was as a middle-order batter and now he will try to seal the opening spot.
Mayank Agarwal’s technique was exposed on the tours of New Zealand and Australia, so he needs to win back the confidence of the team think-tank. In a latest development, Agarwal has been ruled out of the first Test after being hit on the helmet. So Team India will need to put together a new opening pair for Trent Bridge.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have been below par for far too long, and the English series could be 'perform or perish' for them. Team India captain Kohli has also failed to get the big scores, although he has got a few starts. Even ignoring the fact that he hasn’t got a hundred in nearly two years, Kohli’s performances have not been up to the mark.
Team India’s batters will need to dig deep and stand tall, else another series defeat could well be in the offing.
#2 James Anderson and Stuart Broad’s prowess in English conditions
England’s legendary bowling duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad had limited roles to play in the Test series in India earlier this year. However, they will be the two dangermen with the ball in the upcoming Tests, as far as Team India are concerned.
Some cricket pundits have predicted that the visitors’ might have it easier against the England pacers, as the ball doesn’t do too much at this time of the year. However, swing and seam is something that cannot be completely eliminated in English conditions. Hence, Team India’s batsmen will have to be astute while dealing with Anderson and Broad.
Both of England's veteran bowlers will have a psychological edge over Team India’s batsmen going into the Test series. Their record against India’s batters in England speaks for itself. In 17 Tests against India in England, Anderson has claimed a rich haul of 84 wickets at an average of 23.66 with four five-wicket hauls.
Broad has been equally brilliant. In 14 Tests against Team India at home, he has picked up 60 wickets at an exceptional average of 20.96, including two five-fors.
Team India’s batters will need to stop the two from firing on all cylinders to have hopes of winning the series. In English conditions, that would be an arduous task.
#3 Team India’s sorry ‘tail’
This aspect has been a bane of Indian cricket for a few decades now. Even those who grew up in the '90s can connect with young fans' frustration of Team India’s bowlers being unable to get rid of the opposition’s tail quickly.
Indian bowlers’ weakness against the opposition's lower order was on show as recently as in the WTC final against New Zealand. Responding to Team India’s first-innings total of 217, New Zealand were seven down for 192. The last three wickets, though, frustrated the Indians and lifted the team’s total to 249. In the context of the low-scoring encounter, this lead proved critical, as New Zealand, eventually, did not have to chase a challenging total to lift the WTC trophy.
In fact, the story was similar during Team India’s tour of England in 2018 as well. The bowlers kept India in the game by getting rid of the top and middle order, but almost every time Sam Curran took the match away from the visitors with some help from the bowlers. Team India ended up losing the series 1-4, which could actually have been the other way round had the bowlers managed to get past the tail cheaply.
Of course, there is another side to this tale. Team India’s own bowlers barely contribute with the bat and are mostly walking wickets. In the first innings of the WTC final, they went from 205 for 6 to 217 all out in a span of a few overs to hand over on a platter to New Zealand whatever minuscule advantage they had gained.
It was hardly surprising, though, as it has become a trend with Team India and will need to change for the visitors if they are to end their drought in England. Can India produce a twist in the 'tail'? It remains to be seen.
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