4 things India did well in the Test series against England

By now, everyone who had a word of advice for the Indian team has delivered it. By now, everyone whohas had an opinion, a sardonic remark, a cynical critique, a bitter rant or an anguished vent about theteams disaster has poured it on some platform or the other. For the sake of Indian cricket, one wouldhope that some of those advices are indeed taken in a mode of acknowledgement and self-admission asopposed to the boards usual method of self-denial. At the same time, it is important to not lose sight ofthe positives or the aspects which are work in progress. There are some things India did well, things thatwould be lost in the clamour for changes, but shouldnt be.

#1 5+5+1 Composition

India has traditionally been the one team that strongly believes in strengthening batting at the expense of bowling. In the last half a decade, MS Dhoni has always gone with six batsmen, himself and four bowlers. This series brought a welcome change, with Dhoni opting for an all-rounder in the form of Stuart Binny and for the fourth Test going in with five bowlers, Ravichandran Ashwin being the fifth bowler. This is a courageous move that worked for India at Lord’s that leads us to wonder exactly why Dhoni and the team’s think tank went back to their 6+4 strategy in the third Test, the beginning of their downfall in the series.

#2 The Tail Wagging

Although India is a batting powerhouse, it was never known for contributions of its tail. That has changed and how. Duncan Fletcher is known for giving a lot of importance to bowlers who could bat and contribute. Probably, he deserves credit for the way the tail was consistent throughout the series. First, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami showed resistance, the former proving to be one of the most prolific No.9 batsmen in a series ever.

Ishant Sharma chipped in for a valuable partnership with MS Dhoni that saved India a lot more humiliation at The Oval. Ravichandran Ashwin expectedly did his bit in the last two Tests and with such casual ease that made you question the abilities of the top order. In modern day Test cricket, it is hard for a team to succeed with a tail that cannot bat and thankfully, India is headed in the right direction.

#3 MS Dhoni and Murali Vijays Batting

They are two swashbuckling players who made their name with flashiness at all levels. But, the Murali Vijay who turned up in England was an opener India has been seeking for a very long time, ever since Gautam Gambhir lost his mojo. MS Dhoni stashed his flamboyance and showed grit and fighting spirit that should put the rest of the team to shame. While Murali Vijay always had a ‘Laxmanesque’ elegance to his batting, his temperament was questionable. In this series, he showed he can battle it out for long hours. His form tapered towards the end, just like Ajinkya Rahane’s, but unlike the latter, Vijay rarely got out to a bad ball in any of the ten innings. That is what you expect from your opening batsmen - to make the bowlers earn his wicket.

#4 Varun Aaron and Ishant Sharma

Add Umesh Yadav to the group and India has some firepower, albeit inconsistent. Like Aaron showed in the final two tests and Ishant showed in the second, India has a decent attack that can exploit the conditions. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar’s five-for on a near dead pitch in Trent Bridge adds more value to the reliable pace cordon. If only, it stood true to its age-old strength of batting, India could pose a challenge overseas. Varun Aaron was like a breath of fresh air, bowling consistently over 90mph. What was new in his arsenal is swing, something which was lacking in his previous international outings.