What can Team India learn from English Tours of the Past?

#3 Bat First may not be the best way forward

Seaming tracks can be a cause of worry on the first day

Runs on the board have always counted for a lot in Cricket, irrespective of the format. But, the seaming tracks in England may not be the most suited for a team not used to playing consistent swing bowling. India’s average score in the first innings in the 10 Tests in which they have won the toss, batted first, and gone on to lose in England is 188, with one score of 250 or more, back in 1952. England’s first innings average in the same 10 Tests (where they have been asked to field first by India and have yet won the match) is 389, with only one sub-250 score, back in 1959. A clear indication of English batsmen making most of the improved batting conditions on the second day of the Test and pushing the game beyond India’s reach.

There have of course been exceptions to this, none more famous than the Leeds Test of 2002, where India opted to bat first on a green track under overcast conditions and brilliant centuries from Dravid, Ganguly, and Tendulkar led them to a famous win. But these have been rare. The Oval and Trent Bridge are the only two venues where the Indian team has done well repeatedly after choosing to bat first.

India

have

traditionally done well batting first at only two English venues